Winter 2010 Architecture Leaders Today

SUSTAINABLE

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Matthew Millan

From adaptive reuse projects to modular housing, Matthew Millan Architect, P.C. believes that architecture should be a response to its environment.

EDUCATION

Bunton Clifford Associates

Paul Bunton and his California-based firm of BCA Architects are at the top of their class when it comes to educational architecture, completing a variety of projects throughout California.

HISTORIC

ClaytonLevyLittle From commercial and residential jobs to historical restorations and modern, cutting-edge homes, the Austinbased firm always brings artistry and style to their projects.

ARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAY

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T RY www.architectureleaderstoday.com

Winter 2010 Volume 1 $24.95 USD $26.30 CAN

ARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAY T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T RY www.architectureleaderstoday.com

Richter Architects | 78 THOUGHTFUL, FUNCTIONAL, STIMULATING DESIGNS Choosing architecture over law school was just one of the many good decisons David Richter has made.

The Corpus Christi firm of Richter Architects is a small powerhouse of talent that values quality over growth.

in this issue T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T RY

ARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAY

Editor-in-Chief Todd Weaver Editor Diana Doyle Executive Editor Jonathan Mack Assistant Editor Joseph Orange Creative Director Emily Detoro Art Director Stephanie Hess Director of Advertising Julian Vu Production Coordinator Jason Rone Assistant Production Coordinator Elizabeth Macks Photography Editor Ian Palmer Video Director Susan Maybach Editorial Director Kate Darling Editorial Production Rachel Goldberg Copy Editor William Finch Assistant Copy Editor Amy Roberts Content Directors Brandon McBride (W), Aaron McGaskey (SW), Juan Orellana (NE), Mike Rodgers (Nation), Juan Stewart (SE) Vendor Relations Director Diana Stephens Vendor Relations Eric Miller, Steve Peters Advertising Sales Director Peter Jostens Advertising Sales Coordinator Patricia O’Brien Advertising Sales Moe Kazemi, David Levi, Tom Nichols Publisher Steve Reed oZ WORLD MEDIA, LLC 1100 H Street NW, Suite M Washington D.C. 20005 www.architectureleaderstoday.com Architecture Leaders Today is an international quarterly B2B trade journal that services the architecture industry in design/ build, education and healthcare architecture, interior design, and residential and commercial sectors. ALT has a readership of 200,000 C-Level executives within the architecture industry.

We do not accept subscription requests from the general public, however an abbreviated version is available on our website.

06 Editor’s Note 09 Letters to the Editor 10 Hot Ten List NORTHEAST

14 Art of Form Architects Starting with historic preservation and adaptive reuse, Art of Form has expanded their repertoire through collaborations and partnerships with other key firms throughout the Northeast.

25 DBA Architects & Planners Through a long history of planning, design and construction, DBA Architects & Planners have tempered their firm into one of excellence, focus and vision.

PERFORMING ARTS

28 Kostow Greenwood Architects From guitar solos to inspired design, Michael Kostow, founder of Kostow Greenwood Architects, has been creating world renowned performance spaces for 22 years.

GREEN BUILDING

36 Matthew Millan Architecture Founder Matthew Millan believes in the power of sustainable architecture. From adaptive reuse projects to modular housing, Millan believes architecture should be a response to its environment.

WEST

44 Derivi Construction & Architecture For principal Linda Derivi and her husband and coprincipal Steve Castellanos, belief in community is of the utmost importance and their commitment to this has set DCA apart in the California region.

GREEN BUILDING

54 James Heimler Architects The architects at JHAI have labeled the firm as a “Gumby Operation” because of their flexibility and wide array of skills that keep them on the competitive edge.

EDUCATION

56 Bunton Clifford Associates Paul Bunton and his California-based firm of Bunton Clifford Associates are at the top of their class when it comes to educational architecture, completing a variety of projects throughout California.

4 Architecture Leaders Today

MIDWEST

66 Richard Fleischman + Partners Richard Fleischman + Partners Architects maintains a long history of efficient, high quality design through a thorough and intense design process.

GREEN BUILDING

94 Lake Flato Architects With a commitment to modern and skillful design, Lake Flato embraces the natural surroundings of each building to craft an environmentally friendly project specific to each client’s needs.

NATIONAL

GOVERNMENT

70 Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. Through a unique client focus and design/build process, Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. is able to design autonomously while bring the truth of a client’s vision to completion.

SOUTH

76 L.S. Johnston Architects Providing well-crafted and pleasing architectural designs the firm of L.S. Johnston has been pleasing its customers and racking up awards for 20 years and counting.

78 Richter Architects Choosing architecture over law school was just one of the many good decisions David Richter has made. The Corpus Christi firm of Richter Architects is a small powerhouse of talent that values quality over growth.

82 CCSW Architectural Graphics Since its founding in 1949 the husband-and-wife run business of Corpus Christi Stamp Works has grown into a national leader for architectural sign fabrication, creating dynamic signs for schools, museums, businesses and more.

84 ClaytonLevyLittle Architects Balance is critical for the architects at ClaytonLevyLittle. They can balance commercial and residential jobs that vary widely in scope and size. And they can balance creating delicate historical restorations with building modern, cutting-edge homes.

EDUCATION

100 Ayers Saint Gross Architects This 73-year-old firm is all about designing buildings meant to disseminate knowledge, focusing on educational architecture that will stand the test of time.

108 Frye Gillan Molinaro Designing award-winning libraries across the nation is one of the Chicago-based firm’s many strengths. Stunning designs, inside and out, help to create inviting spaces for communities.

GREEN BUILDING

116 Farnsworth Group High tech knowledge and a full menu of services spells success for Farnsworth Group, a firm which today has 300 employees across eight states.

INTERNATIONAL

122 V Architecture Ilias Rios has helped V Architecture transform into Puerto Rico’s most influential architecture firm. The company collaborates internationally to approach projects from a global viewpoint.

HEALTHCARE

126 IMEDCO America Ltd.

HISTORIC

Having installed more than 4,500 shielded enclosures in over 40 countries worldwide, IMEDCO American Ltd. s mastering the complicated world of MRI Shielding.

92 ArchiTexas

128 HDR

Inner-city revitalization and preservation planning are at the heart of this Texas-based firm, which focuses on the preservation of significant and unique structures and the enhancement of the built environment.

World renown in the field of healthcare architecture, HDR has close to 8,000 employees and 185 offices around the globe and has worked in all 50 U.S. states and over 60 countries. Currently the firm is constructing world’s largest hospital in the United Arab Emirates.

Winter 2010 5

editor’s note

Dongtan Eco City- Shanghai.

Behind schedule, 2050. (master plan by Arup, developed by Shanghai Industrial Investment Corp.) The world’s first fully sustainable cosmopolis is situated on an island three hours from Shanghai. Originally, phase one was scheduled for completion in 2010 and would accommodate 10,000. Ultimately, it will be the size of Manhattan expected to be completed in 2050.

30 St. Mary Axe- London.

Opened 2004 (designed by Norman Foster, built

by Skanska, owned and occupied by Swiss Re) Located in the main financial district, this building, also known as The Gherkin or Swiss Re Tower, is the second tallest building in the city at 590 ft.

TODD WEAVER editor@ozworldmedia.com

SEED- Haiti.

In prototype stage. (research and development by Clemson University in partnership with Container-it, Intermodal Steel Building Units Assn, Sargent Metals and Tri-County Technical) After being influenced by the recordshattering Haiti earthquake, professors and students utilized an existing surplus of shipping containers, to researching and developing an affordable housing solution for the Caribbean Region. Shipping containers can carry 67,200 pounds and resist winds up to 140 mph. With modification, a 40-foot shipping container can be a safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly home for thousands.

jane caffrey

Spire- Chicago On hold. (designed by Santiago Calatrava and Perkins and Will, structural engineering by Thornton Tomasetti, developed by Shelbourne Development) While Calatrava designed the spire to evoke images of a smoke spiral coming from a campfire on the Chicago River lit by indigenous Native Americans, the public labeled the design a giant drill bit. This 2,000 ft. skyscraper on Lake Shore Drive will include LEED Gold Certified condominiums. Sustainable features include recycled rainwater, river water used for cooling, ornithologically-sensitive glass to protect migratory birds, intelligent building and management systems, waste storage and recycling management, and monitored outdoor air delivery.

Jane Caffrey earned a B.A. from Carleton College in Minnesota. Currently in her Master’s program at New York University, Jane’s work has been published in both the U.S. and Europe.

rob janis

Burj Al Arab- Dubai Opened 1999 (designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC, built by Said Khalil, interior design

by Khuan Chew of KCA International, developed

by Jumeirah) The world’s only seven-star hotel in Dubai, UAE standing at 1,053 ft. was once the tallest building in the city. It stands on an artificial island 900 ft. off Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai’s urban transformation and to mimic the billowing sail of a boat.

The building is famous for its daring architecture

by Pritzker Prize winner Sir Norman Foster and ex-partner Ken Shuttleworth.

With over 30 years of business writing experience for titles such as Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business Journal, Rob brings an insightful perspective to issues in the construction, energy and education industries.

joan tupponce

T

his holiday season, we’re not only thankful for our friends, family and health. We’re also raising our glasses to this millennium’s amazing architectural milestones and even paying our respect to the many noble failed attempts due to the recession. Here are ALT staff ’s most appreciated projects or concepts of the decade:

CONTRIBUTORS

Joan’s experiences as a writer have taken her places that wouldn’t have been possible in other careers. Her success is evident in the awards and recognitions her writing has received.

joel cornell

ARCHITECTURE TO BE APPRECIATED

rebecca rodriguez

With a background in technical writing, Joel excels at translating complex jargon into vivid narratives. Past works include projects with the Department of State, Department of Defense, World Bank, and other retail giants.

Rebecca enjoys a career of writing about critical issues and prominent business leaders of our time. Her work has been recognized both locally and nationally.

6 Architecture Leaders Today

Letters to the Editor

INDUSTRY LEADERS TODAY AND OZ WORLD MEDIA ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING TO IMPROVE THE EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH INSIGHTFUL CONTENT AND IMPECCABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. HERE’S WHAT OTHER INDUSTRY LEADERS ARE SAYING...

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the wonderful article in Construction Leaders Today! What a pleasant surprise to see a full page reference to our article on the first page on the e-magazine on your website.

We feel honored to have such a beautiful multi-page spread in your magazine. We also appreciate the photo credit reference to Leper Studios. The photo looked splendid and where laid out exquisitely.

It was a pleasure working with your company that not only has high integrity but also created an impressive end result. We look forward to future collaborations with your company!

Thank you again!

corporate profile | electric

Margie Grace Grace Design Associates Summer 2010

electric | corporate profile

spotlight | post-tensioning

post-tensioning | spotlight

international

| architecture

architecture

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A Full Menu at FPU

Stepping Out

by Jane Caffrey

Although it was invented years ago, post-tensioning remains somewhat of novel concept within the construction industry. With this method, a network of steel cables are laid out to provide high tensile strength to a structure, and are then covered with concrete to ensure compressive strength. Once the concrete hardens, the cables are pulled by a hydraulic jack and held in place by anchors, creating a reinforcing system commonly used on parking garages, sky rises, tanks, bridges, and residential fountains.

“Post-tensioning is a real niche service, and not a lot of people know what PT is,” Dawn Kori, President of Post Tensioning Cables, Inc., said. “There are some new construction companies that have never done post-tensioning, so they don’t know the scope of our work. We want them to know we’re there for them, with a focus on service and quality.”

Beyond assisting with advanced technology and a unique method, Kori breaks new ground in the construction industry by serving as the only female president of a post-tensioning company in the nation.

“Right now, PTC is the only womanrun post-tensioning company in the

Fayetteville Public Utility’s (FPU) breadth of services has made them a high-tech, one-stop-shop for customers.

In addition to electric and natural gas, this public utility in South-Central Tennessee offers water, waste water, cable and Internet. Last July, voice over IP was offered for the first time. The popularity of the utility’s telecommunications services is taking off. The department was added in 1999 and is now serving about 3,000 customers.

“We see our company as being one of the leaders in new technology,” said Britt Dye, CEO and general manager.

There are not many municipal utilities in the nation offering telecommunication services, he added.

The telecommunications department is growing its customer base by about 2 percent per year. Dye is pleased with the growth rate but would like to see it increase even further. He is also looking to soon expand into rural areas, explaining that he is pursuing more grant and federal stimulus money.

“We are looking into all avenues to get funds to build that infrastructure,” he said.

Growing the telecommunications department into such a strong Energy Leaders Today Spring 2010 31

You did a great job with the Fayetteville Public Utilities story. We are very proud of the article and would like all our employees and board members to have a copy to keep.

Britt Dye Fayetteville Public Utilities Spring 2010

2

Dawn Kori breaks new ground with an innovative construction method, and by heading the only woman-run posttensioning company in the nation

by Rebecca Rodriguez

30 Energy Leaders Today Spring 2010

| international

ALL PHOTOS COUTESY OF INTERNATIONAL DESIGN GROUP.

1. Old World “Heaven Sent” Estate, Pebble Beach, Calif.

2. John E. Matthams, left and Jun A. Sillano, A.I.A., right.

26 Construction Leaders Today Spring 2010

Spring 2010 Construction Leaders Today 27

Your staff did a wonderful job delineating our company goals and products. Thank you very much to all involved.

Dawn Kori Post Tensioning Institute Spring 2010

Legacy homes are created by International Design Group, where exemplary design defines success in the architectural field.

by Jane Caffrey

110 Construction Leaders Today

Jun A. Sillano, A.I.A., President of International Design Group, holds projects completed by the company to the highest standards in modern architecture and design.

“I call them modern American castles,” he said. “In America, there are no castles.

But I call them legacy homes; testaments to American individual success.”

While specializing in high-end, luxury homes IDG has also been a pioneer in the commercial, hospitality, and sports fitness industries, designing structures across the nation and the globe. With each project, sound architecture meets detailed interior design, resulting in

buildings that live up to royal standards.

International Design Group became a recognized name on the West Coast in the mid 1980s, when founder John E. Matthams started to remodel Victorian homes in Pacific Grove, Calif. Matthams has been working in the fields of architecture and design for more than 45 years, including the 25 years that he has served the Pacific Grove area.

Sillano joined forces with Matthams soon after the company’s foundation, bringing diversified expertise in Urban Planning, Resort Design, and Sustainable Design. As the company grew under the two business partners, IDG began to Summer 2010 111

The magazine looks great! And our two boxes of brochures look great! We can’t wait to update our website with this wonderful new material!

Evelyn Lambdin International Design Group Summer 2010

Winter 2010 9

hot

10 list

we scoured the market and selected our favorite new products to line your projects - inside and out.

1 2 3 4

Big Ass Fans

These low energy fans have a lot more going for them than just their interesting name. With ten blades ranging from six to 24 feet long, these babies can move up to 337,000 cubic feet of air per minute over 20,000 sq. ft. That’s some serious wind power.

green fiber Cellulose Insulation Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newsprint and other paper sources which would normally end up in landfills. If all the paper currently being put into landfills were converted to cellulose insulation, it would save approximately eight million tons of CO2 emissions per year. That’s the equivalent of taking every car off the road in New Mexico and Nevada. So pump that recycled installation in your walls and warm your house while cooling your planet.

staff pick! $66/pair

SMART Solar Stepping Stones Illuminate garden paths and walkways with our solar-powered stepping stones made from natural slate stabilized with a resin base.

These garden path lights are powered by an integral solar panel, that auto-charges to provide up to eight hours of LED light. No wiring; simple installation; rechargeable battery pack included.

10 Architecture Leaders Today

Cyber rain Weather Detecting Sprinklers No more over-grown lawns or dry, crunchy grasses for you. Cyber Rain, probably the most technologically advanced sprinkler system out there, uses your internet to get real-time weather updates and seasonal conditions to decide when to water your lawn, so you can save double the green in cash and grass.

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hot

10 list

ikea Sunnan solar lamps These solar powered work lamps come in a variety of colors that are bound to brighten your day. Each lamp includes three solar rechargeable batteries. While the lamp is for indoor use, you simply remove the solar panel package and charge it outside in maximum sunlight.

Benjamin Moore Natura Paint This zero VOC, virtually odorless formula doesn’t compromise on performance. It dries fast, has excellent adhesion and provides a durable finish with an unlimited color selection. Natura features their Green Promise designation, so you can breathe easy knowing that you’ve used the very best for your environmentally sensitive projects.

modern eco homes Earth Friendly Furniture

This vertical grain bamboo table is “eco chic” and lets your guests know that you are both hip and environmentally savvy. Stronger than oak, bamboo is considered the most durable hardwood and when laminated, it’s nearly as strong as soft steel. Farmed bamboo stabilizes the earth with its roots, preventing erosion and produces 35 percent more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.

Mitticool clay fridge

7 8 9 10

This fridge might not be the most techy or shiny, but it does its job with no electricity required – which makes it one of the most savvy fridges out there. Developed in 1997 in Gujarat, India, this clay fridge, with it’s terracotta exterior, would be perfect energy-saver for your deck or patio. Plus, the glass door ensures you’ll never run out of beer on a hot day.

sun mar Composting toilettes At first thought, the idea of composting your own waste is kind of... gross. But this self-contained toilet is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, who found this ecopotty to be clean and odorless. It produces safe composting material, so you can line your garden with the most ecofriendly, affordable manure out there.

Moby Rain Barrel This huge 65 gallon capacity rain barrel is a fantastic and easy to use method for cutting the cost of your water bill. The green and black Moby barrels featured here are made from 100 percent recycled plastic and produced in North Carolina. The top of the barrel has a large catchment area so it’s easy to divert water from your downspout into it. It has a brass spigot at the base.

Winter 2010 11

NORTHE A ST

INSIDE: ART OF FORM ARCHITECTURE, DBA ARCHITECTS & PLANNERS, KOSTOW GREENWOOD ARCHITECTS, MATTHEW MILLAN ARCHITECTURE

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14 Architecture Leaders Today

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ART FORM

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ARCHITECTURE

THIS PAGE: Renovation of Poleci, a retail clothing store, in New York, NY.

Winter 2010 15

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OFFERING COMPREHENSIVE ARCHITECTURAL & INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES FOR EVERY TYPE OF SPACE.

by Joan Tupponce

When Art of Form Architects was asked to work on the historic renovation of the circa1882 Fulton Street restaurant Gage & Tollner in Brooklyn, firm founder, Ray Caliendo knew it would lead his firm to new opportunities.

“The restaurant opened at about the same time as the Brooklyn Bridge,” he said.

Both the interior and exterior were designated a New York City landmark in the 1970s.

“We had to expand and completely remodel this building. It was a challenging project. We had to maintain the historical integrity while turning it into a modern, functional restaurant.”

Everything in the restaurant had to be preserved and upgraded at the same time.

“We had to really turn back the clock and look for original wall and ceiling coverings, basically recreate everything,” Caliendo said.

The firm’s work on the $1.2 million renovation won a 2003 “ARCHI” award for outstanding achievements in architecture design. Caliendo and his business partner, Mark Searage, took top honors in the Historic Preservation and Adaptive Re-Use category.

Caliendo started Art of Form Architecture in 1994 in his living room.

“I always had an entrepreneurial instinct,” he explains. “From the minute I began in the profession I was always moonlighting. I was always aiming at eventually forming my own practice.”

He grew his business mainly through networking.

“I kept my eyes and ears open for opportunities,” he said. “I managed to affiliate with an excellent interior design firm, Art-Tech THIS PAGE: New Construction of Habberstad VW Dealership in Huntington Station, NY Exterior Front View Lit Up at Night. Photo by Frank Hughes.

16 Architecture Leaders Today

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18 Architecture Leaders Today

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THIS PAGE: The second floor showroom of the newly constructed Bay BMW Auto Dealership in Bay Shore, N.Y. Photo by Frank Hughes.

Restaurant Design, which led to my first outof-state project in 1995, a gourmet restaurant on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Fla. That project led to the historic preservation project in Brooklyn, which came from the same firm.”

Two years after opening Art of Form, Caliendo brought Searage on as a partner. The two had talked about the partnership for some time.

“I wasn’t sure we could work it our financially,” Caliendo said.

The two found an inexpensive office space in the village of Babylon on Long Island – the firm now has offices in Manhattan and Amityville, and they were eventually able to purchase their office building in Amityville.

“Our landlord in Babylon was one of our clients. We worked for the next couple of months painting, doing carpentry and hanging ceilings, whatever we had to do to fashion the space into an architectural office.”

Art of Form got a career break when it began working with Steel Equities, a real estate development firm. One of the first buildings that Steel Equities purchased was a 1 million sq. ft. structure previously owned by Grumman Corporation, a large employer on Long Island.

“Grumman decided to merge with Northrop Corporation and move most of its operations to California,” Caliendo said.

Grumman had manufactured its F-14s, and many other planes in the one-quarter-of-amile-long building.

“For the past 14 years we have been engaged in renovating it into a multi-tenant office park,” Caliendo said.

The office park now includes a variety of businesses, such a USPS package sortation facility, and the business office for a major Long Island hospital. Each space was designed individually and tailored to the occupant’s needs.

After seeing some of Art of Form’s work, Time Warner Cable contracted with the firm on several projects.

“Now we do all the architectural work for them in the New York area,” Caliendo said.

Caliendo credits part of his company’s success to an emphasis on performance-based marketing. Instead of overtly marketing his firm to a particular company, he looks for an opportunity to showcase previous work.

“That has been crucial to our success,” he said. “Virtually all of our work is from word of mouth.”

Art of Form has a diverse portfolio and

SPENCER, KETCHAM & SONS BUILDERS Spencer, Ketcham & Son Builders started 51 years ago and is now run by the third generation. Mark Ketcham specializes in residential and commercial renovations and additions in central Long Island, N.Y. They appreciate Art of Form for their innovative design concepts and rapid response to the typical problems that project development entails.

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555 Fifth Avenue, 16th Floor New York, New York 10017 Phone: 646-432-7222 info@essentialdesignbuild.com http://essentialdesignbuild.com

| architecture

Interior Construction and Design We are General Contractors with expertise at performing all aspects of interior design and construction services for residential, commercial and retail interiors. We don’t have to do it all, but we can.

20 Architecture Leaders Today

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TOP: Renovation of the Steel Equities Offices in Bethpage, N.Y. Interior view of the office features a central longitudinal vaulted ceiling and colonnade. Photo by Raymond Caliendo.

BOTTOM: New construction of the Chiarenza Residence in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Exterior view of the house. Photo by Raymond Caliendo.

depth of knowledge that includes expertise in corporate office design, healthcare and medical facilities, not-for-profit, restauranthospitality-food services, residential and retail industries, industrial and the highly specialized area of historical preservation.

In the last few years, the firm has been doing a great deal of historic preservation in New York’s trendy meatpacking district. It won a special award for lighting design at the 2006 ARCHI awards for work on Poleci’s flagship New York retail store on West 14th Street. The project required special, in-depth approvals, including public hearings for proposed work.

Cool, light and iridescent floating product displays were designed in and juxtaposed against the earthy pre-existing building elements. The thick and rough-hewn timber floor beams supporting the upper level were left exposed. The pre-existing quarry tile floors in the rear of the store were reconditioned.

The original pyramidal wire glass skylight above the one-story section of the building was retained as well. Several touches that echo the building’s history as a meat packing plant such as a huge stainless steel refrigerator door were preserved as a decorative element.

With each project, the company focuses on individuality. In the healthcare and medical area, for example, Art of Form takes into consideration the personality of the doctor, the specialty of the practice and the sensitivity of the patient to design spaces that are both beautiful and functional. The firm recently completed the interior renovation of a building in the Queens Medical Associates in Fresh Meadows, Queens, N.Y. “It’s the largest private oncology center in New York outside of Sloan Kettering,” Caliendo said.

Other recent projects include a new BMW dealership and service center in Bay Shore on Long Island and renovations to two major churches, one of which was The Church of the Ascension in Rockville Centre. The aging church needed to be retrofitted to accommodate a state-of-the-art pipe organ and sound system.

Art of Form had to engineer a new structural system that augment the existing structure and support the new windpipes. The firm also had to determine if the existing church building

S&P CONTRACTORS S&P Contractors, based in the heart of New York City, has maintained a track record of integrity and excellence that goes back over half a century. Through experience, they have come to understand how important trust is in the contractor-client relationship. Their clients rely on their knowledge and skills to serve them ethically and responsibly. The commitment to their clients is exemplified by the fact that returning clients account for more than half of their business every year.

Winter 2010 21

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RIGHT: Renovation of Time Warner Cable Store in New York, N.Y. Interior view of payment center. Photo

by Frank Hughes.

| architecture

could support the power and volume of the new organ. What it made it even more difficult is that the work had to be performed while the church served the needs of the congregation.

And of course the entire renovation needed to be performed while church still served the needs of the congregation.

Most of Art of Form’s work is concentrated in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Projects in other areas of the country include an upscale residence in Scottsdale, Ariz. and a restaurant in Florida.

Now a 20-member firm, Art of Form’s growth has been slow and steady. Even in difficult economic times, there have been no lay-offs or cutbacks.

“Our employees have a passion for architecture and a passion for the process,” Caliendo said.

Everyone in the company shows a loyalty and appreciation for clients.

“Our clients repose a tremendous amount of trust in us,” Caliendo said. “Our company is all about quality and the client relationship, not unbridled growth and expansion.

Many firms grew and then collapsed. They lost a great deal of touch and rapport with their clientele.”

That’s something Caliendo will never have to be concerned with. His passion for his work continues to grow.

“There is nothing else I would rather be doing.” ALT

22 Architecture Leaders Today

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XTREME BUILDERS Since 2004, Xtreme Builders have been specializing in framing for new residential and commercial construction, metal studs, aztec and additions.

Xtreme Builders takes great pride in their work and offer outstanding service. They are able to accomplish that by working closely with their customers and architects. They have built their reputation based on trust, integrity and superior service. For more information, call Xtreme Builders at 732-382-9531.

Winter 2010 23

S&P CONTRACTORS, LLC NEW YORK AREA COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING SERVICES SINCE 2005. | A proud partner of Art of Form Architecture.

For more information:

Phone:212-239-1014 | sandpcontractorsllc@verizon.net

24 Architecture Leaders Today

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DBA ARCHITECTS & PL ANNER S

ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS OF THE HIGHEST STANDARDS

by Joel Cornell THIS PAGE: encouraging interaction between buildings and their people. encouraging interaction between buildings and their people.

Throughout the firm’s 16 year history, DBA Archi- the lead architect for the firm. “Upon founding the tects & Planners, formerly known as Daniel Ball & firm, our main concentration was in residential design Associates, Inc., has focused on developing a broad work. A few former colleagues of mine from Ryland spectrum of capabilities that provide more compre- Homes joined me in the firm and we’ve been evolvhensive service to their clients. The highly skilled ing ever since, but only if we can guarantee that the staff has been consistently pushing the envelope at quality of our work will never be compromised for every point, from integration of financial modeling the sake of growth.” with project programming to their use of advanced Indeed, the first two clients that DBA worked for still BIM technology. use their services today.

After working in community development for the In these recent economically troubling times, DBA federal government and some of the largest home Architects & Planners has watched the housing market builders in the country, Daniel Ball decided it was all but disappear. However, the firm has managed to time to follow his entrepreneurial spirit and start stay ahead of the curve through a constant evolution his own design firm. These experiences, including of their scope, business model and customer service. a stint as Director of Architectural Services at Ryan The location of the firm, just 30 miles north of Homes and later as an Architectural Services Manager for Ryland Homes, gave Ball an extensive network from which to launch his firm. In 1994, in Columbia, Md., Daniel Ball The Watkins Partnership is a mid-size engineering firm devoted exclu& Associates was founded with Ball as the sively to providing structural engineering services. It is located in Bowie and Westminster, Md. The Watkins Partnership was established in July sole practitioner.

“Although I didn’t start out with a formal 1982 and has been a firm for almost 21 years. The entire staff has experiin the design of a variety of structures, but its major efforts have business plan there has always been a clear ence been in building design, masonry bearing, steel framed, wood framed and vision of what the firm would become,” said concrete. Watkins has also done design work on renovations and restoBall, who serves as company president and rations of existing structures. For more information, call 301-249-0974.

THE WATKINS PARTNERSHIP

Winter 2010 25

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26 Architecture Leaders Today

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Washington, D.C. has provided DBA Architects & Planners with opportunities to diversify their services to fulfill the needs of existing and new clients. Just 5 miles southeast of their offices is Fort Meade, which serves as the headquarters for the NSA and, only as of recently, the U.S. Cyber Command. BRAC, (Base Relocation and Consolidation), will also increase the workforce at Fort Meade.

New employees relocating to this area will cause demand for new housing, offices and other support facilities.

While a major expansion in a market offers increased opportunity it also increases the competition for these opportunities. This increase in competition has challenged our firm in competitiveness but has offered us the opportunity to excel in the area of customer service and the diversity of services that we provide to clients.

“Our firm has been able to offer clients services ranging from financial modeling in the programming phase through incorporating BIM technology in the constructions documents phase,” Ball said. “Our realignment of services is also reflected by the increase in commercial, mixed use and tenant improvement projects in addition our residential work. No matter what our client’s demands or visions are, we always hold ourselves to the highest standards .” ALT

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Kostow Greenwood From guitar solos to inspiring design.

by Joel Cornell

What’s the difference in style between classic rock and post-grunge? It can be hard to define exactly, but it’s that same unique and complex variation between designing performing arts venues and broadcast centers with which founder Michael Kostow and partner Jane Greenwood have had a lifelong fascination. The 23-year-old firm Kostow Greenwood Architects specializes in creating new buildings and renovating everything from theatres to recording spaces to broadcast studios. They bring with them not just a passion for designing thoughtful and inspiring venues for cultural performances, but an infatuation with the art that will radiate from within them for years to come.

Starting his education as a performing musician, Michael Kostow went on to graduate from the Yale School of Architecture in 1981. He then spent six years with the large-scale commercial architectural firm Kohn, Pedersen and Fox Associates in New York City.

In 1987, he started his own firm to focus on performing arts and broadcast design, following his passion for music and the arts.

“I was always inspired by the architecture of live performance venues,” Kostow said. “In school, I worked for a small architecture firm that designed studios and theaters. Before then, I never realized how involved I could be in the performing arts as an architect and that’s where my personal passions began to overlap.”

Jane Greenwood joined Kostow in 1993, became coprincipal in 1998 and partner in 2003. After graduating from the Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture in the late 1980’s, she worked for a smaller specialty firm, concentrating on development projects for people with special needs and assisted living residential buildings.

Here, Jane learned to refine her scope and focus on the finer points of specialized architecture, instead of the broad nature of corporate architectural design. The end result is a niche architectural design firm, a label Kostow Greenwood wears proudly.

“It’s a very different approach to designing performing arts and broadcasting spaces,” Greenwood said, “as opposed to an office space fit for working or conferencing.”

Michael continues on about these differences from the perspective of a seasoned musician. “In an office, you need the right lighting, well positioned air conditioning and proper spaces for people to work. But in the performing arts, there are many more factors that influence the quality of the experience, both for the audience and performer. Highly technical audio/visual systems, acoustical treatments, complex theatrical rigging, lighting, dimmers and effects are all critical elements of a successful venue that the audience never sees. Incorporating all of this to create an architectural

THIS PAGE: 92Y Tribeca, N.Y. The 92nd Street Y’s new downtown venue is a cultural, educational and community center located at 200 Hudson Street in lower Manhattan.

Program elements in the facility include a 72-seat film screening room, a live music performance space seating up to 200, a street level café with food prep and kitchen, four lecture seminar rooms, an art gallery, a production suite for live broadcasts and administrative offices.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: Jerome Greene Performance Space, N.Y. The NYC public radio station WNYC engages KGA to bring their new interactive multimedia performance space on-line and on-air. The street front studio known as The Greene Space is a state-of-the-art broadcast studio that brings a live audience to radio. Others will be able to stream audio and video of live events and download podcasts created in the space. Beyond the 125-seat performance space, the project includes a control room, video production room, equipment room, green room and support spaces.

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space that is truly inspired is a process that I find fascinating.”

In dealing with clients in creative fields, there is a unique understanding of how spaces are used on both a functional and aesthetic level.

Between the constantly evolving technological complexities and the sophisticated infrastructure that goes into creating space for creative work, an architectural mind must focus on the ultimate purpose of a project; that is, to create a great experience for the inhabitants.

“It’s so challenging and fulfilling to create something that is truly beautiful and moving, and at the same time, is so technically correct,” said Kostow, describing his decades of experience in successfully merging these concepts.

The 92nd Street Y cultural and community center in New York City, founded in 1874, recently expanded their outreach to the Tribeca community by commissioning Kostow Greenwood to design their new 16,000 sq. ft. performance space. The 92Y Tribeca center includes a 72-seat film screening room, a live music performance space seating up to 200, a street-front café with food prep and kitchen space, four lecture/seminar rooms, a production suite for live broadcasts, an art gallery and administrative offices.

“92Y Tribeca was particularly interesting, because it was a multi dimensional project designed into a very small space,” Greenwood said. “The more complex the challenges thrown at us, the more we push ourselves for creative solutions.”

Another recent project was the restoration

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and renovation of the historic Longacre Theatre to a full house.” Kostow said. on Broadway.

When discussing their clients, both Kostow and “It’s always an interesting challenge to bring Greenwood voiced an appreciation for people an old space up-to-date technologically without who are as hands-on as they are. altering the architectural style,” Kostow said.

“It’s great to work with clients who have the “It is almost like working behind the scenes to same appreciation for the complexities, technolmake the theatre current in terms of technology ogy and nuances of designing a performance or and support, while bringing the original beauty broadcast space,” Kostow said. “They care about of the theatre back to life.” acoustics as much as we care about acoustics.

Several previous renovations left the Longacre They care about the lighting and the behindTheatre with a dull patina and an overall tired the-scenes aspects as much as we do. They care look. The public amenities were sorely lacking about the user experience as much as we do. and the building was badly in need of a complete “In the overall development of a project, coloverhaul. The restoration of the original Neo- laboration with clients and contractors alike is classical façade included the introduction of of the utmost importance.” new contemporary lighting and signage. The “We aim for an environment that is accessible public spaces were further enhanced by intro- and open to dialogue. We are all on a common ducing two new lounges in the cellar and in an mission, so it’s easy for us to stay on course.” unused attic space. Lobbies and ticket booths said John Thomann, vice president and general were completely redesigned, backstage areas manager of Turner Construction. “They are were upgraded and a new HVAC system was involved in every detail, every step of the way. carefully incorporated into the historic site. The They come out into the field on a weekly basis house itself was completely restored with new to solve problems and to form a true working custom seating, custom designed carpets and relationship.” For this reason, Turner Construcdraperies, new lighting and decorative painting tion has been a partner to Kostow Greenwood that enhanced the original architectural detail since 2002. in the space.

Concerning Kostow Greenwood’s style or “It was really rewarding to attend opening night and see the rejuvenated theater come Americon offers a complete scope of construction services ranging from corporate fit-outs to building retrofits and new construction using a team of experts alive again as a spec- interior and LEED green building specialists. Americon provides their clients with carefully tacular space, with a thought out, well-planned construction management programs with dedication, terrific show playing professionalism and integrity. For more information, visit www.americoninc.com.

AMERICON

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: SteelStacks Performing Arts Center, PA. This projects was a joint effort by Arts Quest and WLVT PBS 39. Located in the heart of the historic former Bethlehem Steel Mill site, the project will anchor the cultural core of the re-development. KGA developed the program and conceptual designs for three distinct venues.

WLVT-PBS 39 planned a new 45,000 sq. ft. broadcast center with two live “black box� production studios, multiple control rooms and post production facilities, public outreach and educational programs, and supporting offices for administration, production and operations.

ArtsQuest, a community-focused, not-for-profit arts organization, proposed a new performing arts center to enhance their rich resident partnerships in the Lehigh Valley. The center will house a new 450-seat proscenium theater as the new home for several participating arts organizations. The design also includes a new 400-seat cabaret style live music and dinner club, two art-house screening rooms, two full sized dance studios and office space for the resident art organizations.

Additionally, a 20.000 sq. ft. event center will be created within a re-purposed historic steel mill building providing a 10,000 sq. ft. open exhibition space, catering and support facilities for up to 1,000 patrons and an outdoor courtyard as a performance space.

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THIS PAGE: Longacre Theatre, N.Y. In order to restore the 1923 French neo-classical theatre to its original luster, a two-year large-scale restoration and preservation effort was undertaken in order to overhaul all public areas and fully modernize the theatre’s technical infrastructure. New and expanded amenities were achieved by excavating beneath the orchestra floor, carving out space for new lounge, bar and toilet facilities below grade and by using “borrowed” space from a former attic to create additional lounge, bar and restrooms above.

The plaster detailing and gold-leaf finishes were carefully reconstructed, and historically consistent carpet patterns and wall coverings were reintroduced.

All photos courtesy of Kostow Greenwood Architects.

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method, Greenwood said, “It’s not a style in particular; each project is unique to each client, with both of us being cognizant of the context, the parameters of the program and the intent. We are always incorporating new ideas and technology into the work while staying in the forefront of sustainable design as well.

If I had to define a style, it would be something close to ‘clean and crisp’ with a touch of excitement.”

Currently, the firm is working on a massive broadcast center project in Abu Dhabi, UAE. “A modern place with many merging cultures,” as Kostow puts it.

“In the United Arab Emirates, you don’t have centuries of architectural heritage like many other places in the Middle East; it is essentially a new culture that has evolved very quickly over the past 50 years or so. We are working to create an identity for this client that is unique to their mission as a media company. So, we draw on a lot of different influences: some very traditional, and others that are a modern interpretation of the Arabic culture.

All must speak to cutting edge technology and communication.” said Kostow.

Kostow Greenwood has survived the economic rollercoaster by maintaining an office culture of quality design and open communication, and by relying on a core group of talent while reaching out to new markets, both domestic and international.

“We’re going into these emerging markets to build more than just facilities for music, ideas and culture,” Greenwood said. “We want to build an overall experience that will open up new ways for people to interact both socially and through technology. Our most interesting work happens when all of these seemingly divergent factors come together to form a unified architecture.”

As Kostow Greenwood continues to expand its project base, Greenwood still views each project as individual and unique. “I can’t name a favorite project; that’s like naming your favorite child!” ALT

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34 Architecture Leaders Today

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Matthew Millan Architects For the firm of MMA, sustainability is a core principle and every project aims to utilize its natural environment.

by Joel Cornell

Sustainability has always been an important factor in architecture, for the purposes of structural integrity, efficiency and longevity. But only in the past few decades have we seen technology evolve to the point where houses and entire business complexes can exist entirely off the grid. For Matthew Millan and his eponymous architectural firm, this responsible mindset is only a mere step in the right direction.

“The green movement is in no way a fad,” said Millan.

“The federal and state governments are much more behind the idea than ever before. It is not a mindset that is politically oriented or subject to a political or cultural pendulum.”

Before founding Matthew Millan Architects in 1995, Millan ran the design department of a company that specialized in the preservation, salvaging and reuse of timber frames from old barns, houses, churches,

THIS PAGE: South Moon Under, Philadelphia, Pa. Part urban ruin, part sleek modernism and part funky chic, this complete rehabilitation combines multiple design influences into a fresh approach that combines gritty texture, glassy transparency and local art. Opening up the physical volumes of the existing structure created visual connections that remove the traditional limitations of long narrow, multi-floor stores.

Changes of level and shifting floor plates draw the visitor through the store, with each vantage point inviting one deeper into the spaces.

Photo by Matthew Millan.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Canopy Cathedral Treehouse, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa. This ornate timber-framed treehouse was inspired by Norwegian stave churches and was built from reclaimed Douglas Fir timbers.

Nestled among existing trees, it was designed to have minimal impact on the forest landscape.

Photo by Matthew Millan.

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mills and other similar structures with timber roofing.

His expertise in dealing with antique timber framing methods and the construction and deconstruction processes of older buildings has helped to establish his mindset of “architecture as a response to the environment you’re designing your buildings for,” as he put it.

“I was brought up looking at the design of structures as both a response to natural forces and to the preexisting building context. These ideals have been captured in the public attention by the green movement, but they’ve been around for quite a bit longer.”

Matthew Millan Architects recently completed a project that involved refitting an old pasta factory that was converted into a Class A office building.

“This project was a combination of challenge and opportunity. The existing building was ideal for sustainable offices. The structure was very narrow, with

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the longer dimensions facing east and west, exposing the broad side of the building to the sun for the majority of the day. The environment was already oriented for solar power, and we were able to design the interior in such a way that maximized the sun as a source of natural heating and day lighting, as opposed to relying on the use of on-grid electricity.

“This is a perfect example of our vision: to minimize energy use with appropriate technology, but also to use the natural environment of each and every site as a way to reduce the amount of new technology required. We always observe how the sun moves on a site, how the terrain and winds can be harnessed for natural ventilation, and understanding how the space will be used for its purpose.”

Millan also stressed the psychometrics of using day lighting, geothermal heating and natural ventilation.

“The effect that these organic techniques have on people, especially in a work environment, can be quite substantive. They can improve productivity, focus and attitude in such a way that it makes financial sense to take advantage of these ideas that also save considerable amounts of energy and money.

Having natural light fill the rooms brings a feeling of liveliness and warmth that simply can’t be achieved with costly electrical light fixtures.”

These design initiatives seem all too sensible when looking into the future. However, with recent economic downturns, clients have been just as cost-conscious as they

THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: Sheep Hole Farm, Bucks County, PA. During the adaptive reuse of a stone barn complex, MMA retained and magnified the structures’ inherent strength of character, complementing historic materials with sympathetic and sophisticated contemporary details. Plaster covered fireplace masses with raw steel lintels contrast the red fieldstone but blend with the existing pointing. Photo by Marquart Photography..

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BELOW: Adler Residence, Gladwyne, Pa. As one of several renovation and addition projects on a circa 1830 house, MMA designed a light-filled, airy garden room with wrap-around windows that overlooks a stream that flows along the southern edge of the property. The room projects out between two mature sycamore trees that frame the exterior of the addition.

The focal point inside the room is the timber frame truss ceiling with curved bottom chords and radial pattern.

Photo by Marquart Photography.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Gravango residence, Wayne, Pa. This custom home combines intimate spaces for two with an open great room surrounded by 2nd floor lofts that double as balconies during musical recitals. The timber frame is crafted from reclaimed Douglas Fir timbers in addition to several signature timbers from rennovations of the Academy of Music. The fireplace and chimney are built from a mix of local Wissahickson schist, Chester County fieldstone and Pennsylvania bluestone.

Photo by Marquart Photography.

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are environmentally-conscious. Structured as an essentially natural architectural firm, MMA helps their customers achieve a better understanding of value and longevity. This can lead to a better understanding in the client’s mind of what their money is really buying them and how they can achieve a better return on their investment.

As important as it is to consider the intended use and purpose of a structure, “it’s important to keep in mind how a building might

be adapted for alternative uses over the years.” Millan continued, “We understand how some systems may need to be changed out every 5 years or so. Also, we think about how a structure could be sustainably deconstructed so the materials can be easily reused and recycled.”

On rethinking traditional architecture, Millan noted how MMA has “found that modular construction is gaining ground in the construction industry. The efficiencies in design and construction are becoming more and more important. These systems can easily be coordinated and engineered so that they allow efficient modifications at a later point in time.”

Matthew has been able to see firsthand how value-based decisions are concerning green efficiency in architecture are slowly giving way to marketbased decisions.

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BELOW: The Mask & Wig Clubhouse Renovation, Philadelphia, Pa. Matthew Millan Architects led The Mask & Wig Club through the multiyear preservation and comprehensive renovation. This heavily used and much loved building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The renovation work could not significantly alter or detract from the historic interiors and exteriors.

Original Maxfield Parrish paintings on wood paneling and plaster were cleaned and restored by nationally renowned conservators.

The successful completion of the renovation preserves the historic charm and character of the Clubhouse while dramatically improving its amenities and protecting its assets. Photo by Tom Crane Photography.

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“Landfill space is steadily decreasing. Also, as the technology improves, we’ve seen how recycling is now becoming much more cost effective than dumping, regardless of the obvious environmental impacts of those two alternate methods.”

As MMA has applied their efficient mindset to commercial and institutional architectural undertakings, they have also specialized in designing residential buildings and communities. In designing the Playa Flamingo Condominiums in Ocean City, Md., MMA’s remediation and restoration of the local wetlands provided on-site storm water treatment facilities for continuous use.

Th e Longwood Gardens located in Kennett Square, Pa. currently feature three tree houses designed by MMA in partnership with two nationally renowned treehouse design/

build companies. Though designed mainly for aesthetic purposes for visitors to the gardens, the tree houses serve as an example of MMA’s ability to design pragmatic and kinesthetically pleasing buildings that use reclaimed resources and are environmentally sustainable.

These structures further demonstrate how buildings can be used in and around the environment, rather than on top of it.

MMA utilized an innovative pin foundation to integrate the structures into the dense woodland in a way that did not require any excavation or support from the trees.

Despite employing more than a few associates, Principal Matthew Millan remains involved in every project from start to finish.

In addition to their deep commitment to green buildings, Matthew Millan Architects is dedicated to designing interesting, comfortable and inspiring structures, working closely with clients and contractors alike to resolve problems on site and make the Davis Frame Company has been designing and building some necessary modifications at the of the finest timber frame homes in the industry. By combining spur of the moment to optimize the art of traditional timber framing with modern technology, they the process every step of the produce beautiful, energy efficient timber frame homes of unparway. ALT alleled warmth and charm that will last for generations.

DAVIS FRAME COMPANY

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INSIDE: DERIVI CONSTRUCTION & ARCHITECTURE, JAMES HEIMLER ARCHITECTS, BUNTON CLIFFORD ASSOCIATES

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DERIVI CONSTRUCTION & ARCHITECTURE

by Joel Cornell

For DCA principal Linda Derivi and her husband and co-principal Steve Castellanos, a belief in their city and local area is of the utmost importance.

“It is our shared conviction,” said Derivi, “that the physical environment can positively influence people, whatever their age, gender and socioeconomic standing.”

This commitment to community has set Derivi Construction & Architecture apart in the California region. Located in Stockton, Calif., DCA has dedicated itself to building the community to new and higher standards, both literally and figuratively.

Steve Castellanos, a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, and Linda Derivi,

a graduate of UC Berkeley, met when they were both 22 and on their way to becoming licensed architects.

“We were both constantly driving between Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton, and Berkeley, training and studying for our licensing exams, and eventually we crossed paths. We married 8 years later in 1979 and established our own firm that same year,” said Derivi.

“Both of us had been working in the Stockton area for some time,” said Derivi. “After we graduated in the early 1970s, we tried to get jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Luis Obispo during a recession, so we both wound up maintaining our jobs with local firms in Stockton.

THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: In-Shape Health Clubs, Inc., West Lane location. From left to right: front lobby, free weights room, outdoor pool. DCA has performed work for In-Shape Health Clubs, Inc. in Bakersfield, Concord, Manteca, Monterey, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Visalia, Vacaville, Pittsburg, and four locations in Stockton. Featured is the premier club In-Shape West Lane in Stockton.

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“In consulting to clients, they may be starting with something as simple as their basic concept. From there, we can guide them to an ideal site, create the best possible budget for their needs and guide them through the entire process.”

ABOVE: In-Shape Health Clubs, Inc., West Lane location. Featured is the outdoor pool of the premier club InShape West Lane in Stockton.

OPPOSITE PAGE: DCA Office.

The office of Derivi Construction & Architecture is located within a mixeduse area of central Stockton, Calif. along a pedestrian corridor complete with local shops and restaurants. The office was converted from an existing house and shops to a two-level office space, including a backyard for staff to relax and a garage for archives. AIA Award Winner. Adaptive Re-Use/Restoration.

46 Architecture Leaders Today

“The jobs and environment weren’t as glamorous as they might have been in the Bay Area, but they were extremely valuable in terms of learning and developing our skills with architects who owned their own companies.

Our work was with well-established, smart business people specializing in the multifaceted, multi-project types that we eventually saw ourselves evolving to.”

Derivi Castellanos Architects continued until 2000, when California Governor Gray Davis appointed Castellanos to the office of State Architect. Because of conflict of interest, Castellanos removed his name from the company. However, the scope of DCA had expanded greatly since its inception. With both principals Derivi and Castellanos being licensed contractors as well as licensed architects, Derivi Castellanos Architects became

Derivi Construction & Architecture.

“It’s been a great benefit to have been so involved in Stockton for so many years,” said Derivi.

Stockton is one of only two deep water inland ports in the state. Its location makes it perfect for the transfer of the area’s tremendous agricultural bounty and many other natural resources to the rest of the world. This access to other Pacific Rim countries in Asia and South America has also given rise to a multi-ethnic population, diverse in interest and culture.

“While some may see this as problematic,” said Derivi, “it lends an extremely exciting challenge to those of us who are designing for the community’s many population groups.”

The portfolio of DCA reflects the diversity of their community. From commercial, educa-

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DEHART, INC Soon, the doors to In-Shape Sport: Modesto will open offering families a cutting-edge fitness center in an expansive and newly remodeled 38,000 sq. ft. center. As a key component of the design/build team, DeHart Inc. of Modesto, Calif. developed heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems for the renovation of the over 50 year-old building. The center’s two indoor pools required a sophisticated ventilation system that would prevent the evaporation and condensation from the many gallons of water. DeHart Inc. has extensive experience in improving indoor air quality, and in developing systems that maximize energy efficiency. For more information, visit www.dehartinc.com.

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“Our firm can be the sole point of contact for a client from beginning to end.”

tion, civic, healthcare and residential work to street beautification projects, landscaping and religious centers, DCA has maintained a team that is capable of a wide variety of design and construction pursuits.

In K-12 education, DCA has assisted numerous school districts throughout California, with services ranging from planning and programming assistance to full service architectural design services. Recently, DCA provided design services to a local elementary school to assist in the construction of raised garden beds outfitted with drip irrigation systems, along with outdoor tables to function as an outdoor classroom. This community garden will serve as a hands-on learning environment

to teach young children about the benefits of urban agriculture.

“This has helped enhance the aesthetics of the grounds,” said Derivi, “and also helps kids understand the cycle of food production, which is especially vital in this area. Technically, Stockton schools are ‘urban,’ yet we are surrounded by a huge valley that grows virtually everything except pineapple and provides produce across the country and around the world.”

DCA also has years of experience working with higher educational facilities, including the University of the Pacific, California State University Stanislaus and a recently completed campus addition for Humphreys College.

THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: Humphreys College Main Campus expansion. The 22,000 sq. ft. expansion of the Humphreys College campus in Stockton includes a new law library, mock courtroom, boardroom, classrooms, a computer lab and faculty and administration offices. A new central plaza offers an outdoor space for students and staff to gather and can accommodate 1000 seated for graduation ceremonies.

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“It’s really interesting to see the new ideas that children can bring to design. It’s really important to our city and our future to help our children broaden their horizons at every occasion.”

ABOVE: Kaiser Permanente Stockton Medical Office Building Food Services.

A new amenity space for Kaiser staff, members, and visitors was carved out of an existing conference room and staff break room. The adjacent terrace not only brings in natural light but also offers both indoor and outdoor dining space.

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Healthcare is another major component of DCA’s portfolio, and since 1995 DCA has completed over 100 projects for Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit integrated health plans with numerous facilities throughout the West Coast. Commercial projects form another important market sector, and DCA is able to respond to project opportunities with a strong understanding of the needs of the client whether it be a new building, remodeling, interior design, or landscape design.

Transportation is another key market sector that DCA has been involved with for almost 20 years, and past work has included highway improvements, street beautification projects, railway grade separations and large freeway interchange improvements.

Because of their wide scope of abilities, DCA is able to guide clients along every step of their project, despite the complexities involved.

“In consulting with clients, we find that they may be starting with something as simple as

their core concept or purpose for the project,” said Derivi. “From there, we can guide them to an ideal site, create the best possible budget for their needs and guide them through the entire design and construction process. We can manage all the contracts, evaluations, fees and loans, etc. We can create their preliminary designs, establish working teams, draw up the necessary construction documents, handle the contracting directly; everything down to the landscaping and interior design is done in one place.

“Our firm can be the sole point of contact for a client from beginning to end,” she said.

With a staff of 12, DCA manages to fit many specialized talents under one roof. DCA employs four licensed architects, including Derivi and Castellanos, who are also licensed contractors. Two of their designers are also LEED Accredited Professionals, and David Harrington, licensed Landscape Architect, has been on their staff for 18 years. Derivi is also a certified interior designer.

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ABOVE: Kaiser Permanente Modesto Medical Office Building. The 49,000 sq. ft. building accommodates 24 healthcare providers with ancillary services such as a pharmacy, medical laboratory, medical imaging facilities, health information library, medical records and conference center. The building was planned internally and externally to facilitate expansion. Tilt-up concrete construction was used for economy and speed of construction and architectural form liners and trim were employed aesthetically.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Kaiser Permanente Manteca Medical Office Building Expansion. This 24,500 sq. ft. building expansion accommodates nine healthcare providers with ancillary services: pharmacy, medical imaging facilities, health information center, and medical records. DCA also designed the 19,000 sq. ft. remodel for the existing MOB. All photos courtesy of DCA.

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Much of the DCA staff has worked together they engage in a collaborative effort to confor over a decade, lending a strong collabora- struct a boom town using recycled materials, tive element to their work. Many DCA staff are eventually making presentations just like an involved in the community as members of arts architect would to a client. committees, preservation boards, participants “It’s really interesting to see the new ideas in local education and article authors for local that children can bring to design,” Derivi said. newspapers and trade journals.

“It’s really important to our city and our future Derivi has worked with the AIA’s Built Envi- to help our children broaden their horizons ronment Education Program (BEEP), in which at every occasion.” a licensed architect works with a K-8 teacher In addition to serving as State Architect to teach students how to build small structures from 2000-2005, Steve Castellanos has served and help them to learn the basic principles as President of the California AIA Council, of architecture. Over the course of a month, National Secretary and Board Member of

DURST CONTRACT INTERIORS Durst Contract Interiors has been providing well designed interior spaces since 1982. During the past five years, Durst has been part of a new approach to design using green construction solutions. In addition to providing furnishings, Durst offers new low-profile access-flooring (integrated with voice, data, power and HVAC) and movable walls specifically designed for both renovation of existing spaces and new buildings. The ease of installation allows end users to move and make changes at a moments’ notice at a fraction of the cost of new additional construction. To find out more about how Durst can improve your office, visit www.durstoffice.com.

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“It is our shared conviction that the physical environment can positively influence people, whatever their age, gender and socioeconomic standing.”

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the AIA. He currently serves on the board of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, and was elected to the Board of Trustees for San Joaquin Delta Community College. Both Derivi and Castellanos have served on Stockton’s Cultural Heritage Board.

Mentioned are just a handful of the many ways that DCA staff participate as citizens interested in supporting their community with their professional skills as well as their belief in the area’s richness of culture and natural resources.

DCA has maintained a decades-long record of commitment to Stockton and the surrounding Central Valley, and their longevity as a business is an indication of their dedication to high standards of design and service and the willingness to collaborate and respect the needs of their clients and community. ALT

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JAMES HEIMLER, ARCHITECT, INC. PROFESSIONAL PLANNING, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

by Joel Cornell ABOVE & OPPOSITE PAGE: Residence in Granada Hills, Calif. Photos courtesy of James Heimler, Architect, Inc.

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While many architects keep a firm hold over a certain niche of architecture, the award winning Californiabased James Heimler, Architect, Inc. maintains such a wide array of talent on hand that their niche tends to stray beyond the field of architecture.

“If our client is looking simply to buy a piece of property,” said President James Heimler, “then we are able to fully advise as a consultant to see if the client’s program is viable on a certain property.” From design and/or providing construction documents to drawing up multiple sets of construction documents to carrying a project through completion, JHAI is a “Gumbi operation,” as Heimler puts it. “We can stretch and adapt to any type of project, to any extent that the client desires.

After working for 10 years under architect Robert Marks, Architect, who worked for Lloyd Wright & Schindler, Heimler eventually struck out on his own in 1985.

“Over the years,” Heimler said, “we’ve shared our ups and down with the industries we work in, but we’ve managed to stay strong and come out on top.”

James Heimler began his passion for architecture at an early age. From design-

ing houses in the 1st grade and drafting classes all throughout high school, to working indirectly as a draftsman under Robert Marks Architect, Heimler has built up his firm and client base to be in a position of very rarely refusing a project; scale, style and budget not withstanding.

“We have turned down jobs,” Heimler said, “but that only really happens when we are able to convince a client they can make more personal changes that would

green building

in effect negate the need for a construction project. In one instance, the expansion of a living room was not needed because the client could trade out their large old TV for a new large flat screen which saved the space the client actually wanted. We worked with the client in their house for a few days and discovered a way that total reconstruction wasn’t necessary. They just needed our vision and experience to unveil the unforeseen possibilities. In the end, we didn’t get a million dollar project, but we made the clients dream come true in the best possible way.”

“I tend to view the way we work as a pyramid,” said Heimler. “We start at the base of the pyramid assisting our client in making focused decisions that keep the choices climbing up until we reach an entitled project ready to start construction. This keeps projects on schedule without much backing up and helps to keep everyone within our goals of efficiency in the process and in life. We work in different capacities, from designing within that whole pyramid to simply using our expertise to help lay down a few bricks, but that versatility has really helped us keep the projects coming in. Whether it’s starting a job from programming, design, getting the permits or though bidding and construction administration, our leadership of managed decision makers help the client get where they want to go, achieving our clients’ dream to fruition. We have honed ourselves into being the local expert each step of the way.”

The mission that JHAI lives by is, “Your Dreams, Our Vision.” If the client’s project is an addition to an existing home, Heimler will personally, “push all of the clients’ ideas through a lens or a microscope to see what that dream could really be. We grind everything down into

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reality without sacrificing the dream. We refine everything until a final goal is achieved that fulfills both the client’s dreams and the reality of the project, budget and government regulations. That is our vision.”

Currently, with a staff of 26, JHAI has continued with a steady work flow of over 120 projects a year over the last 15 years.

Through years of ongoing training and decades of experience, Heimler has completed over 1,000 projects. These range from LEED Certified projects of all types, historic renovations, and Feng Shui designs approved by certified masters from China. Currntly, they are working on over 150 public school projects, a new charter school on difficult terrain, mixed-use retail/housing projects, a church expansion and custom housing projects of all types within a wide range of budgets and styles. ALT Winter 2010 55

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BCA: TOP OF THE CLASS

by Joan Tupponce

BCA Architects took top honors in April when the architectural firm’s design was selected for the new campus gateway project at Southwestern College in California. The firm’s design for the seven-acre parcel at the northeast corner of the campus will link Southwestern College to the local Chula Vista community.

BCA was chosen from a starting field of 41 architectural firms.

“It’s an honor to compete with some of the top design firms in the State of California for this project, and an even bigger honor to have won it,” said Paul Bunton, AIA, founding principal of BCA. Bunton founded BCA in 1989 with structural engineer Geoffrey Clifford. The two split in 2004 to follow their separate interests. The firm originally focused on custom residential designs but later moved into retail and educational projects.

“We did everything from small to major projects,” Bunton said. “I had done a series of custom homes for a doctor and that led to multiple contracts for us.”

A practicing architect since 1982, Bunton credits the start of his career to his mother 56 Architecture Leaders Today

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Southwestern College of California As the first phase of a 20-year master plan, the new 141,000 sq. ft. corner lot project will house a community conference center, a campus bookstore, an internet café/ restaurant, a culinary arts program, an art gallery, a cultural and continuing education center, a business/instructional partnership center, a public safety center and SWCCD administration. The Hispanic heritage and culture of the surrounding communities is celebrated in the architectural style of the campus. The design draws inspiration from the traditional architecture of the Yucatan Peninsula and the Mayan Indians.

As an extension of the campus, the corner lot project creates a direct physical connection to the community and the city at large. The six new buildings are organized around a simple axial promenade that connects the upper campus core to the public corner. The corner complex will serve as the public face of the college and engages the community at both the pedestrian level and visually from people driving by in their cars.

Established in 1961, Southwestern College is the only institute of higher education located in the southern portion of San Diego County. Its location—nestled between the City of San Diego and the U.S.-Mexico international border on a 156-acre plot— positions it to play an important role in the intellectual growth of the more than 400,000 residents that call South County home.

Serving approximately 22,000 students annually, Southwestern College offers more than 285 associate degree and certificate options. A host of noncredit courses designed to enhance personal and professional development are also offered through the College’s Continuing Education department. Whether pursuing an A.A. degree, preparing to transfer to a four-year college or university, or acquiring new occupational skills, students attending Southwestern College are given every opportunity to meet their educational goals.

Photos courtesy of BCA.

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THIS PAGE: & OPPOSITE: San Mateo High School, San Mateo, Calif.; views of the front entry, clock tower, historic reconstruction of the 1926 building and the ampitheater.

RIOT CREATIVE IMAGING Job-site signs, banners, and vehicle graphics are now available from San Jose Blue, the company you count on to manage and distribute your construction information. Riot Creative Imaging is the newly branded Color Services division of San Jose Blue, celebrating 80-years in business. They are not your father’s blueprint company; they’re much more!

AUERBACH POLLOCK FRIEDLANDER Auerbach Pollock Friedlander’s understanding of live performance, theatrical systems and infrastructure informs the work of A&E teams designing the full range of performing arts facilities for opera houses, repertory theatres, concert halls, training facilities, museums, planetariums and popular entertainment venues. They have offices located in San Francisco, New York and Minneapolis.

60 Architecture Leaders Today

who suggested he get into architecture.

“I took a drafting class in high school and it has been my life’s passion ever since,” he said.

His firm got its footing in the educational sector through a local school district portable classroom project.

“We showed them what we could do. We leveraged that project and were given more and more opportunities,” Bunton said. “We went from small projects to $150 million school projects.”

Today, the company specializes in designing kindergarten-through-higher-education school projects. It also focuses on commercial, office and retail. “We do very little residential now,” Bunton said.

One of BCA’s early signature projects was the renovation of Washington High School in Fremont, Calif. BCA became the master architects of the local bond for the $15 million project. The historic 1924-era school building had been closed for 20 years. BCA was hired to determine what could be done with the building. “We demolished part, restored part and built a brand new high school behind the restored section,” Bunton said. “That was our first significant historical project. Since then we have been involved in several others.”

The Washington High project had its chal-

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lenges, especially when it came to reconstructing contain various plazas, the campus bookstore, the much-loved 1924 Italian Romanesque-style café and cultural center, all with outdoor building. There were many different opinions gathering areas and roof terraces that can within the 64-person building committee. accommodate community functions.

“It was all about consensus building,” Bunton Bunton hopes that designing the bookstore, said. “It had to be a collaborative and trans- conference center and cultural arts center in parent process. It allowed us to develop the the school “will lead to more civic projects.” skills needed to successfully lead communities The company, headquartered in San Jose, through a major design process.” currently has five offices in California and a The five-year project represented a significant staff of 45. milestone for BCA. It was the first high school “We have evolved into a firm with a lot of skill the company had completed. That expertise sets that add value to our clients,” Bunton said. led BCA to a similar $50 million project in San “What defines our firm is the quality of design.

Mateo County. The 1927 Tudor-style school Our designs are functional, practical and logibuilding had been condemned in 2001 because cal but with a creative flair that wins awards.” it was at-risk seismically. After meeting with Since its inception, BCA has built trusted the community and the building committee, relationships with its clients and vendors BCA decided to tear down the structure, recre- that have helped the firm achieve excellence ate the 1927 façade and build a new structural in design. For example, BCA has worked with steel school behind it. structural engineers at Walter P. Moore AssociOver the last decade, BCA has developed ates on several projects, including Southwestern significant skills that allow the firm to work Community College. BCA is also working with with all levels of education, including com- Sundt Construction on a new $30 million high munity college districts such as Southwestern. school project in San Diego.

Southwestern Community College is one of In the last five years, BCA has embraced the largest community college projects in San green building principles on all of its projects.

Diego. The $55 million project is scheduled The Southwestern High project will be LEED for completion in academic year 2012-2013.

Platinum certified.

“This project will put us at the next level,” Bunton’s interest in green building concepts Bunton said. “It will give us great credibility dates back to his college thesis on alternative in the college market.” energy sources.

The Southwestern Promenade project is a “I’m going back to where I started in college,” contemporary, sustainable solution designed he said. “We are building more holistic living around a continuous central axis, referred to as environments that are environmental friendly.” an academic main street. BCA will use plazas In addition to providing interior and exterior and water features to connect the existing designs, BCA also helps projects find energycampus and the Chula Vista community to efficient funds; analyzes direct and indirect the new “main street.” The Promenade will costs related to maintenance, health, waste

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BELOW: BCA Architects new headquarters located in the historic Arts & Entertainment District in Downtown San Jose, Calif.

All photos courtesy of BCA Architects

and energy use; and integrates sustainability into its designs.

Looking toward the future, Bunton predicts the company will win more educational commissions.

“We hope to advance into more civic and university-level work in the next five years.

We are also looking at market sectors such as healthcare. We continue to grow and add staff. That tells me we are doing a few things correctly.” ALT

Thanks to the following partners of BCA Architects for helping underwrite this feature.

www.walterpmoore.com • 800.364.7300 Walter P Moore is an international engineering and consulting firm that specializes in structural engineering, including secure design, structural diagnostics, seismic evaluations and retrofits. The firm also provides parking design, and civil, traffic and transportation engineering. Walter P Moore has worked with BCA Architects on many projects including Southwestern Community College, Lincoln Elementary School (Anaheim), and two Burlingame elementary schools, all located throughout California. www.sundt.com San Diego: (619) 321-4800 Sundt Construction provides general contracting, construction management and design/build services for private and public sector clients and is currently working with BCA Architects on Sweetwater High School Building 100 for Sweetwater Union High School District.

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MIDWEST

INSIDE: RICHARD FLEISCHMAN + PARTNERS, COOVER CLARK & ASSOCIATES

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richard

fleischman

& partners

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Long lasting success through dedication, passion & understanding

by Joel Cornell

Immediately after founding the firm in 1961 his native Cleveland to begin his career as an with William Conrad, Richard Fleischman knew architect. He served as an associate through that he wanted to encompass a scope that was the late 50s for a local firm, eventually rising beyond the idea of a niche or singular design to the position of associate partner. Although role. Today, the firm of Richard Fleischman + Richard Fleischman Architects was founded in Partners Architects embodies a range of design 1961, Fleischman stayed on staff as a partner that transcends sectors and industries, with a with Bill Conrad until 1971, when the two firms reach all across North America and Europe. became one to form Richard Fleischman + Upon receiving his undergraduate degree Partners Architects. in Architecture from Carnegie Tech, Fleis- “We always talk about the concept of space chman went on to finish his graduate courses with each of our clients,” Fleischman said. at Columbia University. He furthered his studies “Space is recognized by size, shape and surface via a William Kinne Fellows Fellowship from of each project. We try to be very philosophical Columbia in Rome, Italy, before returning to about what we do. If you’re not on the edge,

OPPOSITE: University of Akron Polymer Science Building, Akron, Ohio. Exterior: twin glass towers with each focusing on chemistry or physics research (Chihuly Glass Sculpture). Interior: Labs are designed to allow research in each 1,000 sq. ft. labs, with floor-to-ceiling glass on the exterior walls. Photos by Eric Hanson.

BELOW: University of Toledo College of Engineering, Toledo, Ohio. Engineering complex retrofitting an existing glass manufacturing plant area plus new construction for research and classroom activities. Photo courtesy of Richard Fleischman Architects.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: Blessed Sacrament Parish, Warren, Ohio. 70-foot high facility with Sanctuary in the center and liturgical elements arranged in a processional manner. The procession starts in the gathering area and continues through the baptistery, pulpit, and the table for the consecration of the Eucharist. All photos by Eric Hanson.

BELOW: St. Paschal Baylon Church, Highland Heights, Ohio. A 70-foot high structure built with mirrored glass reflecting the community. 1,200 members of the congregation surround the Sanctuary.

Steel construction building is enclosed with Cedar boards creating ideal acoustics.

Photo by Eric Hanson.

68 Architecture Leaders Today

you’re taking up too much room. Obviously, if you don’t push the envelope, you can wind up stagnant. Thus, we are constantly changing and challenging ourselves so that we can produce unexpected solutions to old problems.

An idea for the future in no way resembles the past. We love uncharted possibilities. We provide space concepts for the most innovative thinking to incur among our staff. Our goal of design excellence allows us to constantly stretch the thought process”.

From Guatemala to Milan and across Africa, RF+PA has maintained a vast portfolio that has garnered the firm over 250 awards over their history. With offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio and also in New York City, the firm is poised to provide personal, innovative and daring designs to clients everywhere. Additionally, the firm keeps an intense schedule that allows it to cater to clients around the world, no matter how demanding dispersed they may be. With an average workday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., RF+PA’s extreme dedication to design excellence is apparent.

“Our work focuses with all clients who have specific ideas and present a leadership role demanding fresh solutions to new opportunities,” Fleischman said. “Dedication and passion are required to bring these ideas to life.

“We have commissions with the federal government, which is a sector that takes a great understanding of politics to navigate. We often

have to push ideas through 10 to 15 people, all of whom are trying to maintain 10 to 15 different agendas. We’ve succeeded through our dedication and our persistence. We provide our clients with a very rigorous and discovery design process, which can come off to some clients as pushy, overpowering or uncompromising.

Labels like that can be deadly in architecture and some clients can’t take that strain and tend to shy away from that planning process. Still, many of our clients demand such a scrupulous process, and compliment us for refusing to modify our design quality for anything less.”

For RF+PA, everything is a goal, not a task.

This dedication to improve every single element of design for a project has given them a strong emphasis on sustainability.

“Design cannot be sustainable unless it is also functional,” Fleischman said. “In order for sustainable design to be a full part of the design process, we have to work constantly to integrate every resource we have available into a project that ends up being functional and aesthetically pleasing. Yes, sustainability is always part of the design process.

“For us, architectural design is about mathematics, language and art. Mathematics gives us the ability to think spatially and critically; language allows us to understand diversity; art teaches us the meaning of passion. All of these are necessary in creating quality architectural design.” ALT

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CO OVER CL ARK & A SSOCI ATES DISTINCTIVE DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL EXCELLENCE

by Joel Cornell THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: Joint Forces Readiness Center, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne Wyo. Photos by Mike Rogers.

There’s not a firm out there that doesn’t laud their up-front interviewing them to gain perspective on focus on their client’s ideas and desires. However, every single aspect of the project that we need to the Denver-based Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. bring to fruition.” is in a whole different set. In doing a large majority Although Coover-Clark has over 30 years of practicof their work with clients in the sectors of aviation, ing experience as an architect, her firm has only been transportation, government, military, higher educa- existence for 23 of those years. However, her resume tion and large scale retail, many of Coover Clark & speaks for itself. In addition to her firm, she has served Associates, Inc.’s clientele simply don’t have the time three consecutive terms on the Colorado State Board each day to sit down with the architect and work of Directors for the AIA and as a National AIA Awards out each detail in turn. The services and methods jury member. For six years, Coover-Clark served as the that Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. provides for architectural advisor for the Capitol Advisory Comits clients are specifically crafted in order to cater mittee, including the Capitol Development Security to any client, no matter how strict budgeting or Subcommittee, which developed the new Security scheduling might be.

Master Plan, and has served numerous terms on the “As we practice nationwide, it can be difficult Denver Goals Committee and the Denver Health and for clients who are already on a demanding schedule to take the time to spend on advising our decisions,” said company president Merrick & Company is an employee-owned engineering, architecture, and owner Carol Coover-Clark. “Our process surveying and geospatial solutions firm focused on energy, can be very intense in the beginning stages design/build, security, life sciences and infrastructure. Project sustainability, client in terms of understanding what the client’s responsiveness and technical expertise form the core of the firm’s working goals and needs are. We spend a lot of time values as teams design local, regional, national and international projects.

MERRICK & COMPANY

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Hospitals Advisory Goals Committee.

“For us, a big challenge in working with our clients is that we often are working with lots of stakeholders in a committee-type environment,” Coover-Clark said. “Our process helps to get everybody involved moving in the same directions so that we can make the project a success.”

In addition to their specialized process and sector focus when it comes to architectural design, Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. also specializes in a comprehensive suite of complementary services. This allows for the client to only require a single firm for all conceivable aspects of the design of their project. These services include: interior design, landscape architecture, civil engineering, anti-terrorism/force protection design, budget development, signage design, feasibility studies, facility audits and total project manager. As a fully capable design/ build firm, Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. is truly all encompassing.

With 25 percent of the Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. staff certified as LEED APs, sustainable design is just as essential to each project as is the budgeting and scheduling requirements. Currently, the firm has 25 projects that will become LEED Certified: one as Platinum, three as Gold and four as Silver.

Through a delivery method that is constantly evolving, Coover Clark & Associates, Inc. has maintained the highest caliber of specialized design/build work that has set them apart for those exact situations where you need the best the most. ALT

THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: Army Aviation Support Facility, Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora Colo. Photos by Ron Johnson.

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SOUTH

INSIDE: LS JOHNSTON ARCHITECTS, RICHTER ARCHITECTS, CCSW ARCHITECTURAL GRAPHICS, CLAYTONLEVYLITTLE, ARCHITEXAS, LAKE FLATO ARCHITECTS

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L.S. JOHNSTON ARCHITECTS

WORKING TO PROVIDE ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER

by Joan Tupponce

All photos courtesy of L.S. Johnston Architects.

L. S. Johnston Architects strives to provide its clients region of Central Texas. A current project under conwith well-crafted and aesthetically pleasing architectural struction is a large scale project for the city of Killeen designs. Over the years, that passion has produced that will redevelop an 80,000 sq. ft. inner-city church numerous awards for outstanding design. into a multi-use building. The building will contain Based in Austin, Texas, the firm excels in its use of many unique elements such as a charter school, a Building Information Modeling (BIM) in each of its performing arts studio and auditorium, a broadcast projects. The company has been working with a CAD studio, a daycare center and city offices. system since its inception in 1990.

Johnston and her team recently completed a mixed-use “Everything we do is three dimensional, from incep- project in Austin that has been a tremendous benefit tion through construction,” said company President to the community.

Linda Johnston. “We look at the whole project in three “It was the redevelopment of a two-block area that dimensions, which gives us a leg up on the design ele- was a center for crime,” Johnston said. “The project ments of each project. The three-dimensional project contains residences, retail, offices and restaurants. It’s modeling gives clients a better understanding of the really an asset to the community and helped to turn the proposed solutions offered by our team. Dimensional neighborhood around. The first project acted as a seed modeling shapes projects through an analysis of the for the redevelopment of the entire street, a five-block urban fabric, site microclimate and solar energy considerations.”

Johnston and her staff do the majority of their Jamail & Smith Construction is a general contractor with nearly 30 work with developers, commercial and otherwise.

They have also begun taking on many adaptive years of experience. They are an extension of your team. Their expertise as a design builder, JOC contractor and construction manager allows re-use projects. them to simplify and streamline your design, procurement and construcCompany projects are focused mainly in the tion needs, while protecting clients’ investment and reputation.

JAMAIL & SMITH

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expanse across the freeway from the state capitol.”

The company is also involved in another inner-city project in Austin that will turn an old warehouse that backs up to a commuter rail stop into a market that specializes in local foods and crafts.

The approximately 13,000 sq. ft. Saltillo Market will have around 15 different shops.

“It faces onto the Saltillo Plaza Project which was built in the 1990s but never really took off because it had nothing around it to give it life,” Johnston said. “We hope this will revitalize the plaza and create a gathering place for the East Austin neighborhood.”

Johnston and her team are dedicated to having their projects as sustainable and energy efficient as possible.

“The farmer’s market and park we are working on Killeen, for example, will have a rainwater system to provide water to the park,” Johnston said. “As a firm, we approach each project from the user’s point of view. We make it as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

I think that gives us a different angle on design.” ALT Winter 2010 77

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RICHTER ARCHITECTS:

BUILT ON CREATIVITY, QUALITY & SERVICE

by Joel Cornell

THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE PAGE: Harte Research Center for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University campus, Corpus Christi, Texas. View from the Corpus Christi bay and an inside view of the laboratory office area.

Photo by Aker.

78 Architecture Leaders Today

Years ago, David Richter had two career paths in front of him: lawyer or architect.

“Originally, I went to the School of Architecture at the University of Texas, Austin in 1970 thinking that I would later on progress into law school,” Richter said.

“Quite simply, architecture was too much fun. I really took to the planning and design aspects of it. Within days of starting architecture school, I left the idea of law school behind and never looked back.”

In his senior year, David met his future wife and partner.

David and Elizabeth Chu Richter currently serve as President and CEO of Richter Architects, respectively.

Initially, they had planned to take their talents to Miami, Fla. to start up their own firm. The economy, however, had other plans and the pair started by designing a home for David’s parent in Texas. This led to a job opportunity, and David joined a smaller existing firm in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1975. Four years later, he was named Design Principal of the firm. After some time spent raising children, Elizabeth joined the firm in 1989. Over time, the firm remained a small powerhouse of talent that valued quality over growth.

“The architectural market in Corpus Christi, Texas has always been small to medium, at best,” Richter said. “The size of the market made it easy to maintain a very diverse practice, whereas larger markets tend to favor firms that have pigeonholed themselves into one certain niche. Here, rather than doing just hospitals or

just schools, architects are more likely to compete for every kind of project based on their quality as designers and builders, not just their portfolios. Because of that experience, we’ve developed a firm that is focused on culture, design and community as a whole.”

Over time, Richter Architects has evolved into a practice that is both broad and specialized.

“We always maintain an expertise on many different types of projects, actively avoiding becoming a singularly focused firm. The market seems to want that sort of firm, so clients can go to a school architect when they need plans and management for a school project. But, when a client needs unique skills for a fishery or border crossing facility or hospital, they will go elsewhere. We try to maintain substantial base of specialized expertise over a broad range of project types so that we can compete for a specialized projects.”

One of Richter Architects’ many specializations is in port-of-entry facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border.

These projects for the U.S. government require a wide array of technical and design skills, which is exactly Richter Architects’ strong suit. These types of facilities include everything from vehicle and personnel inspection apparatus and security and law enforcement facilities to kennels and efficiently planned roadways. Richter Architects has designed three different port-of-entry facilities, two in El Paso, Texas and one in Columbus, New Mexico.

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“Projects like these are exactly why we try to maintain such a broad base of expertise,” Richter said. “We work with different governmental agencies to achieve a very high and symbolic level of design. These facilities can be a person’s very first impression of the United States, so we strive for meaningful and prominent design.

At the same time, functionality, efficiency and security are all vital.”

At just 17 total staff members, the firm is of a manageable size so that Richter and his partner are able to keep intrinsically involved in the daily operations of the firm. From feasibility assessments, through conceptual design and construction management to post-occupancy work, Richter strives to ensure every client contracting his firm won’t simply be handed off to one of the six architects that he employees; they are getting the full scope of expertise that the entire firm has to offer. Many of the architects that Richter employs are also licensed interior designers.

Nearly all of the design work that Richter Architects does is completed using BIM and CAD 3D visualization techniques. Richter and his partner still do a large portion of the initial hand drawn sketches and conceptual work for each project. He and Elizabeth also handle the majority of the firm’s marketing as well.

“Because of the size of our firm, the scope of our projects and the talented architects, designers and technicians we employ, we are able to be incredibly agile and fluid in expertly encompassing all conceivable aspects of the design process,” Richter said. “Our broad portfolio means that we never have any preconceived notions or images set for the design process.

Each project is vastly different from the last, so our work never shows any dominant signs of the designer or creator. The end result is always derivative of the most relevant conceptual underpinnings that come directly from the owner’s ideal image.

“We are a firm that conceives design based on ideas, not images,” Richter said. “We have no set notion of what the client’s project should look like when they first bring it to us. When we allow the idea to drive the process rather than the image, the projects and designs that come out are always grounded in the client and the site.”

An example of this design ethic is the recently completed the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas. Its design merges its quaint small town context with the global gravitas of World War II in the Pacific.

The amount of involvement that both David and Elizabeth Chu Richter maintain within their geographic and architectural communities is staggering. Both Richters are actively involved in the AIA. In fact, they are the only couple working as architects to both have served as President of the AIA in Texas. In 1998, David served as President of the Texas Society of Architects. Elizabeth has just recently finished a term serving as a chairman of the San Antonio Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, a position she held as the only architect in the Fed system. She is also heavily involved 80 Architecture Leaders Today

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TOP LEFT: View of the entry of the Texas Travel Information Center, Amarillo, Texas. Photo courtesy of Richter Architects.

TOP RIGHT: Rose Haggar Park Pavilion, Dallas, Texas. Photo courtesy of Richter Architects.

BOTTOM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Commercial cargo primary inspection area of the Ysleta Land Port of Entry, El Paso, Texas; Foyer view of the National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksberg, Texas; Monumental shade canopy at the Del Mar College of Health Sciences and Emerging Technologies complex, Corpus Christi, Texas. Photo by Aker.

in the local hospital system in Corpus Christi and is also director of the region’s Economic Development Corporation.

Richter Architects has undertaken several projects located on the Gulf Coast of Texas, including a fisheries laboratory.

“In the Gulf of Mexico, near the outfall of the Mississippi River is a large dead zone that is the result of runoff contaminated with urban and agricultural pollutants,” Richter said. “In our work on the Gulf Coast, we understand the impact development can have on the marine environment. LEED gives same certification points out for water quality, whether you’re building on the coast or up in the high plains.

But on a sensitive estuary, storm water runoff quality is crucial. While we believe that LEED certification is a valuable over-all environmental benchmark, it is even more critical to identify the essential elements to sustainability to each particular site.

Richter Architects believe that architecture is the foundation for culture in every age, and that the opportunity to contribute to that legacy is a privilege and a challenge for every architect. ALT

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In addition to working with Richter Architects, CCSW also provided exterior and interior signage for the National Museum of the Pacific War located in Fredericksburg, Texas.

SMALL BUSINESS GROWS INTO NATIONAL LEADER FOR ARCHITECTURAL SIGN FABRICATION

CCSW CREATES DYNAMIC SIGNS FOR SCHOOLS, MUSEUMS, BUSINESSES AND MORE.

by Joel Cornell

A husband and wife living in Corpus Christi, Texas decided to start a stamp works company in 1949. The name was easy enough to find: Corpus Christi Stamp Works. Fortunately, their values, quality and high level of service came just as easily. In 1977, the nephew of the founders, current President Harry Lee Chester, joined their ranks and took the business even further.

“I had started out as a high school biology teacher,” Chester said. “My aunt and uncle courted me into trying my hand at business for a few months, and if I liked it I would stay to take over the reins when they retired. I suppose I’ve really liked it!”

Originally, CCSW specialized in designing and manufacturing standard and custom marking devices for the office environment, such as rubber stamps, date markers and seal embossers. As Chester began to take more of a leading role within the company, he expanded their expertise into new products, as well as developing products and services to cater to the wayfinding and signage system needs of architectural firms.

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“While we still provide the same stamp and marking products that we did over half a century ago,” Chester said, “we have grown drastically into not only manufacturing the signage systems that architects rely on so frequently, but also working closely with them with our own project managers to fulfill any contractor or architects wayfinding or signage needs to the fullest.”

Today, Corpus Christi Stamp Works has expanded into two additional offices in Houston, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri, with 44 highly trained employees overall. Their level of quality in their products, their history of the highest level of customer service and their ability to manage any kind of project for their clients have kept CCSW at the forefront of their field.

“Long, long ago, Richter Architects was one of the first clients that gave us the opportunity to work in tandem with them on taking great care of the wayfinding and signage design work for their projects,” Chester said.

“We’ve completed projects with them both large and small, and have always ended up with the best design work possible.”

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BIG IDEAS The Austin-based firm of ClaytonLevyLittle Architects has the versatility and creativity to deliver unique and breathtaking projects again and again.

By Rebecca Rodriguez

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he architects at ClaytonLevyLittle are masters at balancing. They can balance commercial and residential jobs that vary widely in scope and size. And they can balance creating delicate historical restorations with building modern, cutting-edge homes.

A good example of their versatility is the firm’s own building, a carefully restored Victorian set beside the Pushard residence, one of the firm’s dramatic and modern creations.

The company’s main areas of focus are design/build, historic preservation and commercial architecture. It creates about 40 percent residential and 60 percent commercial.

“We work on projects of all sizes and types. This project mix keeps creativity fresh and allows our firm to present a unique perspective,” said Paul Clayton, one of the partners.

The commercial work ranges from small remodels to several million dollars in construction cost.

The company, based in bustling Austin, Texas, mostly completes work that is in-state. Its design/build construction projects are

THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: Monroe Street House, Austin, Texas. A modest remodel and addition for a writer and his wife, a professor, this project was two-phased to allow for the birth of the couple’s first child. Phase one is a standing seam-clad addition to the existing house that juts out into the rear yard, taking cues from certain trees and landscape features. The remainder of the addition is wrapped in stained cedar siding that flows seamlessly onto the attached deck and surrounds the precast concrete dipping pool. Paint colors create a lively palette that, even from the street, provides clues of what the backyard holds. Phase two continues this bold color palette into the existing house. The kitchen was completely made over, with concrete countertops and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the addition. The existing bedrooms and bathroom were reconfigured to make the spaces more useful.

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THIS PAGE: Garlic Creek Clubhouse, Buda, Texas. Housing a meeting room, exercise facility, snack bar, restrooms, swimming pools and an outdoor pavilion with fireplace, the building provides amenities for residents of a new housing development south of Austin. The modern design juxtaposes durable materials including weathering steel for fences and doors and metal roofing, against sandstone exterior and traditional shed forms to evoke traditional rural Texas vernacular. Deep overhangs provide shaded porches around the lap pool and adjacent kiddie pool and shield interiors from direct sun. Generous windows and use of glass allow for easy indoor-outdoor connections, reinforcing the sense of community. Landscaping using native, drought resistant plants reduces water usage for the surrounding park area.

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mainly located in central Austin.

“The character of old Austin evolving to embrace new generations and viewpoints without losing its authenticity; historic buildings reborn and happily coexisting with modern forward-looking structures,” the firm’s website stated.

Little started her firm in 1983. She worked almost exclusively on residential remodels. Clayton began working for Emily Little Architects in 2001. While studying for his architecture exams, Clayton became reacquainted with Texas Tech classmate Stephen Levy. Clayton and Levy opened Clayton Levy Architects in 2003 and began taking commercial and residential projects.

In 2006, Clayton and Levy purchased Little’s company to form a new firm with broader historic, commercial, and design/build capabilities. Since its inception, ClaytonLevyLittle Architects has had opportunities to work on several exciting projects such as: Mack Dick Group Pavilion in Palo Duro Canyon, Rockport Community Center in Rockport, and IBEW Headquarters in Galveston.

The pavilion in Palo Duro state park is slated to be certified as LEED Silver. Building eco-friendly is important to the firm and the

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pavilion will be built of recycled materials, including stone that will be gathered locally. The building is clean-lined and modern looking. It is also oriented to take advantage of seasonal breezes.

Rockport Community Center will be a community recreation center featuring a weight room and racquetball court.

“It’s a fun project to work on and has its own budget and design challenges,” Clayton said. “It involves finding materials that can be put together in an interesting and affordable way.”

IBEW Headquarters is a union building for electrical workers.

The headquarters had been damaged during Hurricane Ike. The building is being rebuilt by the firm on the existing site. Clayton said the building is being done in a modern style with ceramic glazed brick, glass, and steel on the exterior. The materials were chosen because they’re low-maintenance, not easily damaged, and remain clean. Due to future hurricane threats, the mechanical equipment is situated in the attic.

The firm’s customers are state and local municipalities, private developers, and homeowners.

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THIS PAGE: St. Cecilia, Austin, Texas. ClaytonLevyLittle transformed this site with its centerpiece 1888-vintage Victorian mansion (recognized by Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission as the Miller-Crockett House) and six magnificent Live Oaks into an oasis for this boutique hotel. The plan preserves the park-like space in the middle of the site, a deliberate nod to the original rhythms of the neighborhood.

The Live Oaks provided the framework for siting four new buildings to complement the renovated mansion, which was converted into five suites. Three sleek new structures were placed on the site’s downhill end to frame the swimming pool and part of the garage was used in the new central building that houses three suites, the lounge, and office. Muted neutral tones help the new buildings blend into the background and define the perimeter of the grounds.

and react to their specific needs,” Clayton said.

The full-service firm does whatever it takes to act in the project’s best interest.

“We provide timely and precise reactions to the challenges of design and construction in a way that our clients can easily understand.

The design/build approach allows us to control the quality, price and schedule of our projects without the additional dynamic of a general contractor,” he said.

The firm does not advertise in print publications. Levy spends the majority of his time promoting and networking with other industry professionals. The company aspires to have their work on local home tours and relies heavily on word-of-mouth advertising.

The firm has seen steady growth. It is the result of the division of tasks among the partners and a talented staff, Clayton said.

The partners give enough responsibility to their employees to allow them the opportunity to be involved in high-level decisions.

This fosters growth and buy-in at the same time, Clayton said.

Frequently, “lunch and learns” are held at the office. Employees take part in out-of-office learning opportunities as well.

Levy is responsible for the majority of the marketing for the firm. Little is responsible for marketing and design, and Clayton is responsible for the majority of design. He also heads up the construction arm of the company.

M-D CUSTOM WOOD FLOORS M-D Custom Wood Floors, Inc has enjoyed a long standing relationship with ClaytonLevyLittle Architects. Paying close attention to details and being environmentally sensitive keeps them at the top of their game. Meetings are held often to keep everyone well informed. M-D Custom Wood Floors considers it a pleasure to work with ClaytonLevyLittle Architects.

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“

We provide timely and precise reactions to the challenges of design and construction in a way that our clients can easily understand. The design/build approach allows us to control the quality, price and schedule of our projects without the additional

”

dynamic of a general contractor.

Clayton and Levy both hold master’s degrees from Texas Tech University. Little holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas. All three architects are registered and Little is a member of the AIA College of Fellows. Clayton is a LEED Accredited Professional. Levy is an active member of the Real Estate Council of Austin.

Clayton said the firm is optimistic that the economic recovery will soon spur new growth and subsequent real estate development.

“We will have to wait until money starts flowing again and the supply of empty space is filled before activity returns to prerecession levels,” Clayton said.

Looking into the future, Clayton said he would like to see the development of their own projects, specifically small commercial buildings.

“We’d like to be our own client. Develop a building and hold it for lease. That’s been a goal of ours,” Clayton said, referring to his partner, Levy.

ClaytonLevyLittle can build with both a delicate touch and forceful fashion. Its projects range from elegant historic renovations to gritty and rough union buildings. It is this broad range of talent and capabilities that make this firm unique and strong in its city hub tucked in the heart of Texas. ALT TOP: Aspen Project.

BOTTOM: Newning House.

All photos courtesy of ClaytonLevyLittle Architects.

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HISTORIC PRESERVATION, TEXAS STYLE

ARCHITEXAS PROVIDES SUSTAINABLE RENOVATIONS THROUGHOUT VAST HISTORIC LANDSCAPES

by Joan Tupponce THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE PAGE TOP LEFT: The Joule Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel located in the heart of downtown Dallas on Main Street. The hotel is a conversion of the historic 16-story Dallas National Bank Building combined with a new adjacent 10-story building addition.

Working with Tihany Design of New York City for the interior design, Architexas was able to convert the historic building to the new uses while maintaining the preservation standards required for a certified rehabilitation tax credit. The historic façade was completely restored, reconstructing many missing original elements. Above photo

by Carolyn Brown, opposite photo by Eric Laignel.

OPPOSITE PAGE (TOP RIGHT): City of Wylie. Photo by Thos S Byrne; (MIDDLE): University of Texas at Austin, clock tower.

Photo by Architexas; (BOTTOM): University of Texas at Austin, clock tower detail up close. Photo

by Architexas;

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To say the very least, the Texan culture is quite as unique as they come. Architexas, the state’s largest preservationbased architecture firm, exemplifies the design that is also just as unique and original.

Architexas was founded in 1978 by Gary Skotnicki and Craig Melde. The two natives of Dallas met as they were attending the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. During their four years together in the Urban Design Division of Dallas’ Department of Urban Planning, both were heavily involved with inner-city revitalization and preservation planning, and assisted in the development of the city’s Historic Preservation Program.

This experience in urban planning, design and historic preservation inspired the creation of Architexas, a firm focused on the preservation of significant and unique structures and the enhancement of the built environment.

In 1985, Larry Irsik joined the firm as co-principal and director of the firm’s Austin branch, also specializing in the rehabilitation of historic properties requiring certification by the U.S. Department of the Interior. He is also the firm’s primary expert in LEED design.

Through the funding of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Architexas was able to set new standards for historic courthouse restorations with their work on the Hill County Courthouse. As a result of the devastating fire of the Hill County Courthouse, the Texas Historical Commission established the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program in 1999 to fund the preservation of the state’s most

significant county courthouses. Architexas has already obtained more than $30 million in THCPP funding for their county clients, more than any other firm.

The client list that Architexas maintains is as extensive as it is varied. Their customers include municipalities, county, state and federal government agencies, non-profits, institutional and private development organizations and individuals. The firm’s design work for the public sector includes civic gathering places, festival grounds, historic fair grounds, restoring historic railroad depots and adapting historic buildings for use as museums and performing arts facilities.

The firm also has experience in restoring individual residences, historic or otherwise, as well as designing entirely new homes. Architexas provides highly sensitive designs for additions and alterations to some of Dallas’ finest historic homes. They also have extensive commercial experience with loft conversions and multi-family housing incorporating sustainable and new town planning principles.

As broad and diverse as their portfolio may be, Architexas’ 32-year history is recognized by an equally extensive list of awards. The firm has won several different Preservation Dallas awards annually since 2000 as well as more nationally recognizable awards such as the Palladio Award in 2006. Further back in their history, after being in business for only a few years, they won honor awards at the AIA, Dallas Chapter – Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition for three years in a row.

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Lake Flato Architects

by Rachel Goldberg

Lake Flato has been a leading architectural firm since 1984 due to its commitment to sustainable, modern and skillfully crafted designs.

They use materials that are not only unique and modern but environmentally friendly and authentic. The company’s keen respect for the environment and emphasis on client collaboration allows them to work closely with their clients to put together projects that are highly responsive to the natural resources in which the site is encompassed.

They recently completed work on a LEED Gold project at the Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus. The new facilities consist of five academic buildings with laboratory and classroom space for engineering, physics, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, science, technology and math education. They are configured around three courtyards and linked by a series of open-air atriums, portals and arcades.

“Through its practical and climatically THIS PAGE:. Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, Ariz. This is the conference tower and student porch at the School of Applied Arts. Photography © Bill Timmerman Photography.

OPPOSITE PAGE: View into the first floor office paddock from the east courtyard of Armstrong Oil and Gas, Denver, Colo. Rolling barn doors with translucent panels provide offices with daylight. Photography © FrankOoms.com.

DANYSH & ASSOCIATES Danysh & Associates has extensive experience with the varying soil conditions of South Texas; particularly the expansive clays. The firm recognizes the importance of details often overlooked. D&A has honed its skills in designing new structures better able to cope with the active soils while recognizing the economics and performance standards expected by the owner.

D&A played a major role in assisting Lake Flato in projects around the South Texas area.

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responsive approach to architecture and concentration on landscape integration, the pedestrian friendly Polytechnic Campus entices students and faculty to stay on campus to interact and learn,” said Andrew Herdeg, AIA. In addition to architects, Lake Flato has 13 LEED Accredited Professionals, as well as a sustainability coordinator. The sustainable strategies they develop for each client have gained them national as well as international recognition. The firm has won 43 national design awards and four AIA COTE Top Ten Green Awards, among others.

They won several design awards for their adaptive re-use of a 1900s machine shop to create office space for Armstrong Oil & Gas in Denver, Colo. The office and meeting spaces are organized around a new central courtyard.

The new design works within the existing building to create a fun, modern workplace.

“The enclosed program was planned around existing elements in place creating generous, sophisticated spaces filled with daylight, natural ventilation and views to Denver’s skyline,” said Brian Korte, AIA, the Lake Flato design architect for the project. “Preserving a venerable building not only contributed to the historic nature of its context, but by keeping the existing scale and not building up vertically, the building maintains its relationship with the other vintage buildings on the street and remains a good neighbor.”

Through the years Lake Flato has continuously created beautiful designs by fostering a collaborative open studio environment, which promotes teamwork as well as individuality, with the common goal of each employee being the best architect they can be.

Lake Flato is able to promise innovative THIS PAGE: Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, Ariz. View from the northwest of campus and the desert mall.

Photography © Bill Timmerman Photography.

4. Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, Ariz. The student porch and conference room tower is made with a composite wood shade cover at school of agribusiness.

Photography © Bill Timmerman Photography.

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TEN EYCK LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Ten Eyck Landscape Architects’ mission is to connect the urban dweller with nature. With each project they create memorable outdoor spaces with a sense of place – whether it is a residential, public or hospitality environment.

They take inspiration from clients, collaborators and their sites’ region, history and future. Ten Eyck Landscape Architects sculpt space into creative hardscapes and multi-sensory gardens that have purpose underlying their beauty: air and water purification, climate mitigation and places for social interaction and human healing. Each client’s desires and site characteristics are woven together to create a unique engaging, restorative place for outdoor living.

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solutions that take into account the best ideas presented by both clients, consultants as well as those apart from the firm. The firm not only prides itself on the awards and recognition generated by practical design solutions but they put just as much effort into making sure that their beautiful structures are highly energy efficient. ALT ABOVE: The view of Armstrong Oil and Gas from Blake Street, Denver, Colo. Lake Flato converted an existing building into a modern, luxurious office space. Photography © FrankOoms.com.

RIGHT: A folded steel plate stairwell with white oak plank “runner” in the Armstrong Oil and Gas building, Denver, Colo. The stair is the primary vertical circulation for the building and winds around a steel clad volume that encloses the copy area on the first floor. Photography © FrankOoms.com

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NATIONAL

INSIDE: AYERS SAINT GROSS ARCHITECTS, FRYE GILLAN MOLINARO, THE FARNSWORTH GROUP

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OPPOSITE PAGE: Adam Gross has led Ayers Saint Gross since the early 1980s, shifting its focus to architecture and planning for universities and colleges. Photo by David Hills.

ABOVE: Ayers Saint Gross Principal Sandra Vicchio discusses project details with (left to right) associate principal Glenn Neighbors and architects Jason Cheung and Jerome Gray. Photo by Mark Moyer.

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by Joel Cornell

During the depths of the real estate recession in 1988, the two leaders of the 73-yearold architecture and planning firm Ayers Saint Gross were trying to collect payments from real estate developers for a variety of commercial projects. At the same time, they took a trip to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Standing on Thomas Jefferson’s Lawn at UVA, Jim Wheeler commented to his colleague Adam Gross, “You know, we could refocus our efforts to become experts on college campus architecture and planning, and then spend our time serving colleges and universities instead of trying to get paid by developers.” The duo agreed on this strategy and 22 years later, Ayers Saint Gross ranks among the top five architecture firms in the world focused on higher education.

In 1915, the firm started as Sill, Buckler & Fenhagen Architects with six employees and a small office in Baltimore, Md. Yale classmates Dick Ayers and Kelsey Saint joined the practice in the ‘30s and ‘40s and began building relationships with institutions like Johns Hopkins University to move steadily in a direction that would define their firm. Dick Ayers’ son Richard asked Adam Gross to join him in 1983 after finishing a joint-venture designing the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore; Jim Wheeler rounded out the team in 1987. Since then, they have expanded to 140 employees working around the world.

They continue to grow exponentially, hiring 25 people in 2010.

“Higher education and becoming a teacher is a noble calling, one that resonates well with us. It’s a pleasure to work with people who are interested in ideas, research and longevity,” said Gross. “When you’re building a university, you know that it’s not going to pick up and move in a short while. You know it’s going to be there for a 100 years.”

Niche markets can be difficult to navigate because of the dangers of limiting oneself.

But the reality is that designing institutions of higher learning is no niche market.

“On a campus, you have every building that would exist in a city,” Wheeler said. “As architects, we can do everything you would with a multi-disciplinary practice, but we can do it for one client who controls all aspects of their own little city. It has really paid off to be that vertically oriented and to be recognized as experts in the field.”

“Many architects want to do a church one day, an office the next, something else after,” he continued. “We wanted to be true experts; to know everything about one client type.” Wheeler’s city analogy is particularly pronounced in large institutions such as the University of Virginia, which has around 20,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff, plus the surrounding community of Charlottesville.

“UVA is really a city within a city. Or perhaps Charlottesville is a city built around Winter 2010 101

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a city,” he said.

Upon deciding to focus their firm on designing higher education institutions, Ayers Saint Gross restructured their offices into what Gross described as, “something like a university president’s office where the president has the big picture, the provost manages the teaching and research, and the VP for Student Life handles the housing and student life aspects.”

“At Ayers Saint Gross, we have three similar branches. First, there’s our Campus Planning Studio. This group manages the long-term plans for how the university might grow, whether it’s something big like Harvard, or projects on the smaller side like DePauw University or Eckerd College.

“We have an Arts and Sciences Studio, which designs the buildings for teaching and research. There’s a high level of diversity there too, ranging from a law or nursing school to a performing arts facility. We have the experts and the desire to listen so that we meet the needs of everyone involved.

“Thirdly is our Student Life Studio. Overall, we’ve designed more than 10,000 units for housing university students, but this group OPPOSITE PAGE: Duke University nursing school, Durham, N.C. Ayers Saint Gross designed Duke University’s nursing school to incorporate a student commons framed in glass and laminated timbers. The project is one of six nursing schools designed by the firm. Photo by Chris Hildreth.

ABOVE: Rutgers University law school, Newark, N.J. A student lounge accented by a stained glass mural bridges the wings of Rutgers University’s Camden law school, renovated and expanded by Ayers Saint Gross in 2008.

Photo by Alan Karchmer.

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also specializes in recreational buildings and dining facilities.”

“Supporting these three are several smaller studios. These include landscape architecture, the graphic design including signage and wayfinding, interior architecture and sustainability.”

Wheeler also stressed the importance of designing green buildings.

“Even if our clients don’t want to pay for certifying a green building, we still design everything to achieve a basic LEED Certified rating.”

Over 70 percent of the Ayers Saint Gross staff is LEED accredited, and they are currently designing a new law school in Baltimore that hopes to attain LEED Platinum certification.

Wheeler said Ayers Saint Gross’s Director of Sustainability, Anne Hicks, has a very broad reach that touches every project.

When designing for campus sustainability, Ayers Saint Gross is always pushing for lower THIS PAGE: Harvard University, Boston, Mass. Ayers Saint Gross envisions transforming more than 200 acres in Boston’s blighted Allston area into an extension of Harvard University. Academic buildings are integrated into a vibrant neighborhood on the south bank of the Charles River. In addition to the master plan, Ayers Saint Gross is developing design guidelines for future buildings and grounds within the new academic precinct. Rendering courtesy of Ayers Saint Gross.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, Md. Ayers Saint Gross collaborated with Wilmot Sanz Architects to design the Wilmer Eye Institute’s Robert and Clarice Smith Building, a $78.5 million laboratory and outpatient surgery center adjacent to Johns Hopkins University’s medical campus. An angular glass bay supplies conference rooms with views of the historic buildings across the street. Photo by Matt Wargo.

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CAGLEY & ASSOCIATES Cagley & Associates has been providing structural excellence since 1973. C&A is a small, minority-owned firm providing services covering all phases of structural engineering with project experience that spans the globe. C&A focuses on incorporating the users’ needs and the designer’s solutions into the elements required for the project’s structure to provide an economical and functional facility.

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energy consumption, high performance buildings, less car dependency, more transit access and better storm water management.

In addition to campus architecture, Ayers Saint Gross specializes in libraries, museums and other “buildings meant to disseminate knowledge,” as Gross puts it. Ayers Saint Gross recently designed a new library and education center at Mount Vernon to house George Washington’s books and papers. Also included is a leadership training facility to be used by everyone from K-12 teachers to members of the President’s cabinet.

“Integrating high-tech teaching capabili-

ties into facilities proves to be an interesting challenge. New technology can have a very cold aesthetic, and we try to make everything warm and inviting with the use of proper lighting and solid finishes,” Gross explained.

Alongside the firm’s focus on interdisciplinary design is a company structure focused on learning. The Ayers Saint Gross Academy provides continuous training and educational opportunities for its employees.

“We don’t want to grow just to grow,” Wheeler said. “It’s more about creating opportunities for our staff to grow, and allow-

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ing them to take us forward.” Ayers Saint Gross has also risen to become the country’s leading architectural expert in Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology.

“Our mission statement is to engage people and places to create design and enrich the world. This means that we don’t rely on a lightning bolt from an idiosyncratic designer coming out of our hands and smashing into the client’s forehead,” said Gross.

The firm aims for an environment that is much more collaborative and analytical before the first sketch or model is made.

Even its headquarters in Baltimore, a reno-

vated soap factory on the city’s harbor, aims for as much “officelessness” as the architects can manage.

Ayers Saint Gross finds the key to success is developing an education focused expertise that is needed more and more, both domestically and internationally. Both Gross and Wheeler agree, “Becoming the expert is something that people are willing to have you travel internationally to share.

We become good friends with clients, and feel we are really making a positive impact to improve higher education around the world.” ALT

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ABOVE: Addiriyah Museum at Salwa Palace, Rendering.

Ayers Saint Gross is designing the transformation of historic Atturaif, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, into a worldclass tourist destination. The comprehensive development program includes the Addiriyah Museum and a strategically placed visitor reception center. Sensitive planning and design allow the very old and the very new to co-exist while visitors experience an in-depth glimpse of urban life on the Najd plateau in the mid-1700’s.

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Redefining libraries for a new generation From the way they work to the work they design, Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects brings libraries into the digital age, reaching a new demographic through innovative and thoughtful designs.

by Joan Tupponce

In the nationwide library community, the name Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects equates to a standard of excellence. Designing awardwinning libraries is one of the Chicago-based company’s many strengths.

The firm won the 2010 AIA Chicago Design Excellence Award for Interior Architecture for its work on the Poplar Creek Public Library in Streamwood, Ill. The project additionally garnered a 2010 Learning by Design Citation of Excellence Award and a 2010 GE Edison Award of Merit.

In the project, the architectural firm merged an existing Brutalist-inspired library with a fluid new addition to create a contemporary structure that illuminates the night. A connecting glass tower serves as a lantern that lights the way to the main entrance. Sculptural THIS PAGE: West Entry, Poplar Creek Public Library, Streamwood, Ill. An entirely new image from Park Avenue features a facade enhanced by a canted glass tower. Soft light from the ramp handrails and the tower add a sense of mystery to the composition, drawing the eye to the entry. The original building, partly recessed below grade and glazed with smoky panes of glass, was far less transparent and attention-grabbing. With energy-efficient low-E clear glass, the new facade entices passers-by.

The library’s most daring idea probably is the “Information Commons,” a hallway that connects the adult and children’s departments. The spatially abstract space is also visually absorbing. As another technology hub of the library, it has WI-FI and a long row of computers opposite study counters.

The walls feature a textural striped paint pattern to reflect light from the illuminated panels. A fiber-optic sculptural “dragon” hangs in the space, its head and neck serving as official gateway to the children’s department. Photo by George L Ambros.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Poplar Creek Public Library, Streamwood, Ill. At the end of the main hallway axis, an overlook with glass railing affords views to the lower level and the “keyhole” window. The keyhole was among concepts used in the project to integrate existing architecture with the new building. It borrows an element from the existing round windows, but elongates and enlarges that form. The keyhole also provides an important focus to help terminate the main axis. A split-level quiet reading room adjacent to the keyhole offers refuge from the hubbub outside it. From this balcony view, the visual interaction between levels and spaces can be appreciated, an important concept that makes the space breathe and feel vibrant. Photo by George L Ambros.

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light boxes on the opposite facade produce a whimsical effect.

The contemporary structure has a sharp focus on technology, but also carries a green mindset which includes landscaping concepts such as sedum roofing, native plants and a filtration rain garden. A recessed garden, for example, was designed to utilize local flagstone and native plants. Over 15,000 sq. ft. of green roof was integrated into the design. The roof has insulating properties during the winter and prevents heat gain during the summer. The project also included high efficiency lights, plumbing fixtures and HVAC systems, recycled rubber floors, and chairs and tables made of recycled metals and plastics.

For the interior, the company created comfortable lounges out of the existing reading rooms and used natural light coupled with colors, textures and patterns to provide

FOREFRONT STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS FSE enjoys a collaborative relationship with Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects resulting in truly innovative building solutions. FSE is a firm built upon a process thru collaboration, innovation and transformation. For more information on how FSE can partner with you visit www.forefrontstructural.com or contact FSE at collaboration@forefrontstructural.com.

visceral depth in the flexible, functional social center. Original single-pane glazing was replaced with modern low-E insulated glazing to increase the efficiency of heating and cooling the building.

LED fixtures were used for task and accent lighting to provide high-efficiency light sources. The LED light wall not only illuminates the area in a creative way but it also helps infuse art into the space. A programmable array of light fixtures was used to produce shows that can be used on special occasions as well as daily opening and closing shows that greet and alert patrons.

The green design also features light monitors and skylights on the roof that capture the sun’s angle during the winter and prevent heat gain during the summer. Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects has completed over 100 libraries – 25 are Carnegie restorations and expansions – since its founding in 1983.

“That is how we developed our niche,” said company president Lonn Frye. “We specialize in libraries. It wasn’t planned.

It just happened. We also like to do other buildings that have a cultural focus.”

The company has established itself as a viable contemporary firm that offers cutting edge designs as well as historic restorations.

“We like to explore the creative aspect,” Frye said. “We want to experiment with other types of design projects.”

The firm is currently in a pre-design phase

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OPPOSITE PAGE: Preschool Department, Poplar Creek Public Library, Streamwood, Ill. This room formerly housed the entire children’s department, and was quite stark. Sheer walls of concrete and masonry were transformed with colorful panels to brighten the space and provide some acoustic tempering. New carpet patterns and a playful book stack layout accentuate the space, while above, ductwork once painted red, yellow and blue was changed to black to reduce its prominence. New lighting gives a warmer, more even feel to the space. In a dramatic change, a concrete walkway that once was the department’s entry point was removed, allowing a previously blocked skylight to flood the area with natural light. Photo by George L Ambros.

with the Brown County Central Library renovation in Green Bay, Wis. “They want something special that will draw people into the city,” Frye said. “The question is ‘How can this library generate extra economic growth?’ It has to become a cultural center to draw people together and give downtown vibrancy.”

The company builds the type of projects that attract the community.

“That is a skill we have developed over the years,” said principal A. J. Rosales.

Take for example the Detroit Public Library project. Frye Gillan Molinaro worked on a new teen center concept that includes everything from a stage and gaming options to LED lighting and state-of-the-art technology.

“Everything in that project is dynamic and

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THIS PAGE: Childrens Department, Poplar Creek Public Library, Streamwood, Ill. This renovation of an existing space houses the grade school collection along with plenty of tables and private study rooms. A technology hub is nearby, giving older children their own computer center. The ceiling has round gypsum soffits placed concentrically on exposed concrete columns. Light fixtures were mounted to the columns and shine upward on the discs, providing an indirect light that softens the space. A self-check and search catalog “pod” reinforces the goal of using integrated technology to enhance the library experience. Photo

by George L Ambros.

related to the user,” Frye said. “It’s meant to attract the user.”

The libraries of today are more of an investment in mankind than simply a large building with shelves of books. That’s one reason the Detroit Public Library asked Frye Gillan Molinaro to take the cavernous spaces with rows of books and tables and create a series of intimate living rooms for its patrons.

“They want human scale spaces with different lighting,” Frye said, adding that another library trend involves helping patrons with the job search process. Many libraries are converting spaces into career centers since the recession has increased traffic.

Frye Gillan Molinaro’s industry expertise helps the company tap into the spirit of its clients to create spaces with functionality and personality.

“You have to be creative and add a bit of a kick to the design to make it special,” Frye said.

The company’s creativity was on display after it won a public design competition for the Pearl City Pavilion in downtown Muscatine, Iowa in 2007. The pavilion, which is currently waiting for funding, will include a new museum, theater and library. It will help promote cultural and economic growth along the city’s riverfront district.

Frye Gillan Molinaro also won praise for its contemporary library design at Saint Xavier University in Chicago which, when built, will become a gateway on campus. The firm competed against three other prestigious architectural firms. The clever design has two facades. The massive curving glass facade on the campus side of the building allows students to view outside activities.

The more solid facade on the neighborhood

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ABOVE: Renovated Reading Room, Poplar Creek Public Library, Streamwood, Ill. The existing building’s architecture perhaps took some inspiration from Louis Kahn’s Exeter Library, with a brutalist take on exposed concrete and wood beams. This reading room was transformed not only by the hanging light fixtures, but by the redesign of the mechanical layout to eliminate air ducts from protruding into the center of the space. The existing rounded windows were upgraded to double-pane, low-E glass. Shelves holding new fiction complete the space, which encourages casual browsing and comfortable seating in a light-filled room.

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side shields the neighbors from the bustling campus activity and creates a monumental gateway.

One of the important aspects of the firm’s work is its use of building information modeling (BIM).

“Everything we do is drawn in 3D mode,” Frye said. “We are quite forward thinking on that issue.”

Architectural firms today have to be able to explain their designs thoroughly and quickly when they are presenting them to clients.

“You have to be able to show it to them visually in a three dimensional manner,”

Frye said. “That allows them to see more.”

Most of the company’s clients are in the Midwest, but it accepts projects in other parts of the country.

“We do a lot of work in Colorado Springs,” said Frye. “We’ve also won AIA awards for libraries that we designed in El Paso. We are now working on a library in Defiance, Ohio and the South Wing renovation project for the Detroit Public Library.”

Many library systems are repeat customers.

“We have a strong presence because of our track record,” Frye said. “Our customers have a long-term respect for us.” ALT

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“We specialize in libraries. It wasn’t planned. It just happened.

We also like to do other buildings that have a cultural focus.”

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116 Architecture Leaders Today

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green building

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Farnsworth Group A 100 YEAR TRADITION, HIGH-TECH KNOWLEDGE AND A FULL MENU OF SERVICES SPELLS SUCCESS FOR FARNSWORTH GROUP

by Robert Janis

Every company, regardless of their trade, sells itself on experience. But how many years must a firm be in business for one to ascertain that it has the experience necessary to do the job?

How about 100 years?

With over a century of tradition and experience serving as their foundation for success, Farnsworth Group is driven by 300 employees stationed in 17 offices across eight states. The firm has their roots established firmly in their hometown of Bloomington, Ill., while also maintaining eight offices across that state.

“Our founders started by taking their skills from one Illinois community to another, mainly providing survey services for municipalities,” said Karen Jensen, CEO and president of the company.

In every aspect, Farnsworth Group is truly a full-service firm. Its offerings include countless niche services in the engineering field, as well as architecture, surveying, commissioning and many others. This allows them to be involved in all aspects of a project from beginning to end.

Some of these engineering services include civil, municipal, transportation, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, water, wastewater and structural.

“Not only can we design a new fire station, office building or school, but we can also provide the roads, infrastructure, site plans and anything else that is required to make any project become reality,” Jensen said.

The firm does not only concentrate on the design and construction of the building, but they also offer a wide range of non-traditional services not generally found in a design firm of any size. Farnsworth Group helps clients deal with government boards and entities when applying for grants. They can also create referendums if community approval is necessary to get a concept off the ground. Moreover, they have the knowledgeable personnel who can lobby local, state and federal governments to secure the funding necessary to get a project started.

“Over the years we have evolved to meet the changing needs of our clients and today offer

OPPOSITE PAGE: Karen Jensen, PE, who serves as Farnsworth Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stands outside of the Illinois Medical Center complex being constructed in downtown Peoria, Ill. BELOW: Farnsworth Group provided the architectural and interior design services for the Electrolux Collaboration Room.

The design of the new, state-of-the-art creative space for employee collaboration is a 1,400 sq.ft. room in Bloomington, Ill. Interior design services include unique interior finish selections and designations, brainstorming sessions with the users, custom casework and lighting.

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BOTTOM LEFT: Farnsworth Group designed a new 2.3 mgd lime softening water treatment plant, an additional 800 gpm groundwater well and various water main improvements for this rapidly growing community in central Illinois. All processes are contained in a concrete block building designed for both minimal maintenance and aesthetic appeal. Large windows along the front of the building face East, providing both the attractive and functional benefit of natural light to the interior.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Methodist North at Allen Road in Peoria, IL, is a new threestory, 75,000 sq. ft. medical office building. Farnsworth Group provided architecture, MEP, structural, civil and traffic engineering as well as interior design and landscape architecture.

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a full suite of engineering services and architecture,” Jensen said. “In addition, we have a specialized group focused on energy consulting, green building design, LEED certification and building commissioning.”

Through a deep knowledge of green issues and technologies, Farnsworth Group can also serve as a consultant on designing sustainability. The firm spends as much time educating its clients on the nuances of sustainable design as they do their own staff.

“It is important that our employees stay on the cutting edge of new systems, especially in the areas of CAD and GIS,” Jensen said. “We also conduct an in-house LEED training seminar to prepare employees for taking the LEED Accredited Professional certification exam.

These sessions include all levels of staff, not just the technical personnel. We currently have more than 62 members of our staff who are LEED Accredited Professionals.”

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Heartland Bank and Farnsworth Group Consulting Office, Normal Ill. TOP LEFT & RIGHT: This four-story, 48,213 sq. ft. facility is home to Heartland Bank, formerly the Bank of Illinois, located in Normal, Ill. The LEED Silver building features energy efficient systems, natural daylighting, a unique in-floor air distribution system and extensive re-use of recycled materials.

Farnsworth Group provided full service design - architectural design; civil, structural & MEP engineering; commissioning and LEED consulting; and landscape architecture for Heartland Bank. The HVAC system at Heartland Bank uses the cavity below the raised floor for supply air distribution.

Conditioned air will be supplied at a neutral temperature (typically 65째 F) then introduced to the occupied spaces via adjustable swirl diffusers located in the raised floor system.

The air handling units serving the facility are equipped with variable speed drives which respond to static pressure sensors located within the raised floor supply air plenum. Fresh outdoor air for the purpose of ventilation is pretreated by means of energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) mounted on the roof. The ERVs employ demand control ventilation. Carbon dioxide sensors in the return air stream modulate the ventilation rate based upon actual human occupancy.

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ABOVE: Denver, Colo. This new LEED Gold 45,885 sq. ft. building houses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Denver District office. The project represents Farnsworth Group’s ability to provide full-service capabilities on a project.

One project that provides a good example of Farnsworth Group’s expertise is the building that houses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Denver, Colorado.

According to Dave Burnison, a Principal at Farnsworth Group, just about all the disciplines which the company specializes in were tapped, including landscape architecture and interior design. The three-story, 46,000 sq. ft. building features a mechanical system that includes a hybrid geothermal system.

The construction won a number of awards including the Green Building of America Award, the National 2009 Ultron Doc Award and the Green Decade Plaque of Honor.

Farnsworth Group’s client-centered approach and professional foresight are the roots of a rock solid tradition that continues today. ALT

PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING Performance Engineering is proud to be a structural engineering partner of Farnsworth Group on projects throughout the country. They are a full-service structural engineering firm providing services in more than 27 states with offices in Omaha, Neb. and Denver, Colo. At Performance Engineering, your project is their passion.

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INTERNATIONAL INSIDE: V ARCHITECTURE, IMEDCO AMERICA LTD., HDR

international

V

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ARCHITECTURE THE TRUE INTEGRATION OF VISION AND ARCHITECTURE IS THE HUMAN CONNECTION.

by Johanna Gretschel

V Architecture’s vision is to bring collective knowledge to create new and better solutions for their clients. With the new millennium bringing fast changes, Ricardo Jiménez and José A. Rodríguez Barceló, the founders of Jiménez + Rodríguez Barceló, AIA (JRB), began to discuss a new generation of principals to lead the Firm. Having always offered pragmatic design solutions and integrated project management, the principals looked internally for the building blocks to create their new vision: V Architecture PSC. The seamless transition of the firm from the founding principals to the new generation of leaders took place while the firm was completing the Puerto Rico Convention Center. Collaborating with some of the top design talent in the continental U.S., the team was able to sharpen their project management and leadership skills to create a strong foundation for the new firm. It was at that time that architect Ilia M. Ríos, while working as

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OPPOSITE PAGE: (TOP) Ilia Rios, the President and Managing Principal of V Architecture.

OPPOSITE PAGE BOTTOM & THIS PAGE: The roof of the convention center is an architectural triumph which employs inventive engineering to bring form and function through a series of graceful sheltering shapes that welcomes arriving vistors. It creates a dramatic silhouette against the night sky and can be seen from all three floors. Photos ŠBrian Gassel, TVS Design.

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A BENEFIT OF V ARCHITECTURE, ONE OF THE LARGEST FIRMS IN PUERTO RICO, IS THAT WE HAVE A CLOSE KNIT GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS BRINGING PASSION, EXPERIENCE AND STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE TO EVERY PROJECT.

INTEGRATED DESIGN SOLUTIONS, INC. Integrated Design Solutions, Inc (IDS) and its subsidiary idsOFFICE is a contract furniture sales and installation company. IDS joins local architect firms to provide the best solutions to the clients. V Architecture is among those firms and is considered one of the most important architecture firms in Puerto Rico. V Architecture’s principal, Architect Illia Rios, worked hand-in-hand with idsOFFICE in the product selection, space planning, color scheme and installation process of Nestle’s new Caguas facilities and in marketing and development for M3 Public Relations resulting in 100 percent client satisfaction. Illia Rios is highly competitive, responsible, and all around great person. IDS considers their partnership with V Architecture a great experience.

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the project manager for the convention center, became a principal at V Architecture and soon thereafter the president and managing principal.

The 580,000 sq. ft. Puerto Rico Convention Center was an important milestone in JRB/Vs history being one of the largest architectural projects in the island. Groundbreaking took place in 2000 on the 6 new Convention Center District located on a former military installation and construction was finished in 2005. The building accommodates a 150,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall, 40,000 sq. ft. meeting/banquet space, a 40,000 sq. ft. ballroom space and 110,000 sq. ft. of circulation space.

“We worked diligently to create a distinctive, vibrant and unique public assembly facility overlooking the waterfront that represents Puerto Rico as a world-class business tropical destination recreating the flora and fauna of the island in a resort-like environment,” Ríos said.

For V/JRB the current trend of eco-friendly architecture has always been part of their mission and an example of this is the Fomento Headquarters (PRIDCO Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company) built in 1984 and Citibank Headquarters built in 1988. Both projects were designed to maximize the environmental considerations of the site as well as building efficiency.

“Since we are an island, sustainability has always been integrated into our culture,” said Ríos.

Architect Rios as well as three other associates and principals of the firm are LEED Accredited Professionals and are currently working on the design of the World Trade Office Building, which is expected to be LEED Silver certified upon its completion.

Since its conception, V Architecture has been committed to the development of high performance architecture in every project. V Architecture’s strength comes from sharing their knowledge, experience and resources to achieve a quality project, while maintaining the client’s objectives. For V Architecture, the human factor of vision and architecture is an integral element necessary for conceiving, design and building successful projects for today and the future.

“A benefit of V Architecture, one of the largest firms in Puerto Rico, is that we have a close knit group of professionals bringing passion, experience and standards of excellence to every project,” she said.

Rios feels proud of leading the new generation of the firm and considers the vision of its predecessors the keystone for success.

“Even though V Architecture is a seven-year-old firm, we have the background of JRB and JRB’s extraordinary 30-year experience is definitely an integral part of V,” she said. “It’s just a matter of keeping it up and improving every detail we can.” ALT OPPOSITE PAGE: The glazed elipitical form gives the World Trade Center a distinctive identity within the Puerto Rico Convention Center District and creates a spectacular office space within.

ABOVE: Capable of representing the character and uniqueness of the island, the Formento building is designed around a lush landscaped garden, which features an outdoor central plaza with a water and sculpture garden.

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ABOVE & LEFT: A successful MRI shielding package is one that provides the necessary barriers to protect the magnet and environment from radio-frequency interference, protects the surrounding areas from unwanted magnetic fields and acoustic noise, and supports required services in and out of the shield without compromising personnel access and control of the patient.

BOTTOM LEFT: Special window design that includes three panes and special shadow box design provide clear viewing of patient and 55dB noise reduction.

BOTTOM RIGHT & OPPOSITE: Hidden behind traditional finishes, the U.S. Patented IMEDCO shield panels and components are designed, constructed and installed using physics’ principles and proper materials selection. Layering techniques of these effective materials provide the desired results.

All photos courtesy of IMEDCO America, Ltd.

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Having installed more than 4,500 shielded enclosures in over 40 countries worldwide, IMEDCO is mastering the complicated world of MRI Shielding. by contributing writer

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) remains a sophisticated and very effective diagnostic tool after 30 years of both clinical and research applications. Although numerous advances have been made by the equipment designers, there remains an issue that still challenges today’s architects and users -- the equipment’s impact on the surrounding environment.

The device requires various types of shielding. These include traditional radio-frequency (RF) shielding which is mandatory for proper operation of the equipment; magnetic shielding that may be needed to protect the adjacent areas from the powerful magnetic field; and acoustic shielding which is necessary to isolate areas near or connected to the suite from the high levels of acoustic noise that the equipment generates.

IMEDCO America Ltd. is one of the few companies addressing all of these complicated issues. The company is a division of IMEDCO AG, a Swiss shielding company founded over 30 years ago. The division has design, manufacturing and marketing resources and is located just north of Indianapolis.

All clinical MRI exam rooms and some research centers require RF shielding because MRI machines rely on radio signals to excite atoms and chemicals within the body, which are identified and analyzed to produce information for imaging anatomy or spectroscopic data. The signals transmitted are very precise and are in a range that could be affected by TV and radio stations, some cell phones and two-way radio signals. Similarly, the magnet’s signal can interfere with some of those outside signal sources. Therefore, a shield is required to create a barrier between the scan room and the environment. This shield must have a minimum measurable performance in accordance with magnet vendor requirements to decrease or attenuate these signals so they wont affect the equipment.

Since this equipment often includes a very powerful superconductive magnet, magnetic shielding may be necessary to ensure that no one is inconvenienced by anything from the simple erasure of credit cards to the more serious functionality of a pacemaker. The strength of these magnets ranges from 60,000 to 320,000 times the strength of the earth’s magnetic field. The appropriate magnet strength is determined by the

application and venue, such as a hospital versus research laboratory.

Today, acoustic shielding is a major consideration because as MRI technology advances the newer magnet gradients are producing higher noise levels.

The areas adjacent to an exam room are can be exposed to noise levels of 110-120db—the same as a lawn mower or chain saw. Although the intensity decreases with distance, issues can arise if design steps are not taken to ensure that critically occupied areas like patient recovery rooms, surgical suites, reading rooms, lobbies and patient waiting areas are not adversely impacted.

Mike Krachon, general manager for IMEDCO America Ltd., says the company is committed to understanding all aspects of these shields and, in particular, how noise issues may be addressed. They have developed designs that can be used in conjunction with traditional MRI shielding packages to address the negative impact these important diagnostic tools have on a hospitals or medical office buildings.

Today’s MRI shielding packages rely on pure physics to produce the most effective barriers. Material types and construction methods are developed to maintain this barrier but still provide all the necessary functional needs within the exam room such as lighting and HVAC ducts, sprinklers, medical gas access, patient entry doors and viewing windows.

Choosing the optimum RF shielding medium; determining and then surrounding the shield with the appropriate thickness and positioning of the magnetic shield (low carbon plates or multiple layers of electrical/ silicon steel material) to suppress the magnetic field’s 3D magnetic model; and understanding how a combination of different layering within the shield panels can achieve predictable acoustic benefits are paramount to each parameter selection.

A thorough understanding of available, proven techniques that provide the best environment in MRI suites and their surrounding areas can have very positive effects on space-planning and balancing the trade-off of all the different options.

IMEDCO is one of the few companies today that has investigated the effect these combinations have on the containment and barriers of all three types of MRI shields.

“We have done studies that involved a variety of materials and layering techniques combined with our RF panels and had them tested in independent laboratories to understand what absorbing levels they can offer,” said Krachon. “We can pretty accurately predict the amount of acoustic noise that may be heard in the adjacent spaces using our designs.” IMEDCO currently holds several U.S. Patents involving acoustic and RF combination designs.

IMEDCO’s dedication to customer satisfaction is evident by its inclusion of basic acoustic shielding within the RF shielding package, its’ unique ability to offer a complete MRI shield solution, its extensive experience in providing full-solution packages throughout the world and its extensive warrantees on all shielding devices.

“We can provide a total shield package for any site design,” Krachon said.

“More value and benefits are offered for less total construction costs to the clients, the architect and the general contractor.” ALT Winter 2010 127

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HDR

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healthcare

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by Joel Cornell

As of today, HDR, Inc. has a staff of 7,800 based in 185 locations across the planet. The firm has worked successfully in all 50 U.S. States and in 60 countries. They have been ranked by many industry trade journals for their work in healthcare design and billings, green healthcare, general building, correctional facilities and the list goes on. Bearing the names of founders H. H. Henningson, Chuck Durham and Willard Richardson, HDR, Inc. rose to these heights from humble beginnings 93 years ago in Omaha, Neb. H.H. Henningson established Henningson Engineering Company in 1917 with 12 employees. The firm began as a specialist in designing water and sewer systems for new cities and towns throughout the midwest. Business quickly began expanding through Henningson’s prolific work with municipal projects. After riding out the Great Depression, HEC saw a great expansion within the municipal and public sectors with the enactment of the New Deal, particularly through the Rural Electrification Administration.

Still working out of a single, expanding office in 1946, the company transformed as engineers Charles Durham and Willard Richardson bought equal shares in the company and became vice president and secretarytreasurer, respectively. Soon after, Henningson retired and left Durham and Richardson as president and vice president. In 1950, Henningson Engineering Company became Henningson, Durham and Richardson, Inc., or HDR. As recently as 2004, the company completed a total repurchase of company stock and became entirely employee-owned. What constitutes HDR, Inc today is a massive design force that is remodeling engineering as we know it.

“The biggest challenge we face as a nation is funding our infrastructure, which is aging across the board” said current company chairman and CEO, Richard Bell. “As a society, we have to commit to rebuilding that infrastructure. We can’t save ourselves into prosperity.

We have to balance our priorities and find solutions to our infrastructure problems, in both the public and private sectors.”

The sheer scope of HDR, Inc.’s capabilities is staggering.

The teams at HDR, Inc. have become the specialists on civic, corporate, institutional and scientific architecture; all things energy, including oil, gas and renewable sources like hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, solar, etc.; custom private design, planning and architecture for commercial and residential projects alike; water treatment facilities and wastewater plants; transportation projects via highways and local roads, freight rail, maritime and aviation; natural resource management; their resume is all-encompassing.

One of HDR, Inc.’s most acclaimed specialties has been their work in healthcare design over the past half century.

“Our work is informed by a single core philosophy,” said their company website, “to embrace the kind of forward-thinking leadership and expertise necessary to delivery facilities that are innovative, flexible, efficient and that support a healing, sensitive environment for patients, their families and the healthcare staff.

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partnering with faculty and students from all disciplines in both research and design is a mutually rewarding and invigorating endeavor. In this way, the profession becomes quite literally on the cutting edge of new ideas.

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We take seriously our role as one of the leading healthcare design firms in the world, and we realize that our leadership position carries with it responsibility — a responsibility to serve not only as design innovators, but also a responsibility to take a visionary view of an industry that touches nearly every person from nearly every walk of life.”

For seven consecutive years, Modern Healthcare has named HDR, Inc. as the top U.S. healthcare design firm. By 2009, the firm has worked with the world’s foremost medical centers and health systems to construct and design more than 26.3 million sq. ft. of healthcare related space and a comprehensive total budget of over $6.3 billion. From California to Ireland to the United Arab Emirates, HDR, Inc. is truly a leader in global healthcare design solutions.

On Al Sowwah Island near the heart of Abu Dhabi, UAE stands the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Hospital.

The Cleveland Clinic is, like HDR, Inc., in a class of its own. Over the past 15 years, the Cleveland Clinic has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for cardiac care.

The Cleveland Clinic has partnered with Mubadala Healthcare, a division of the Mubadala Development Company, on the 2.3 million sq. ft. project.

The Mubadala Development Company has a long and prestigious history of investing in infrastructure and well-being of the UAE. It’s only practical that a design firm of the caliber of HDR, Inc. would head up the planning and project management efforts for the hospital.

The Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open this year, will be designed to offer the region’s most advanced medical services, specifically to cater to the needs of the region. As Abu Dhabi is a major tourist and business destination, much of the facility is designed for patients just passing through the area, for medical and non-medical reasons alike.

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Stateside, at the University of Colorado in Aurora, HDR, Inc. has been a key player in the expansion of the on-campus medical facilities. The project has been in staggered development over four phases since 2000, allowing treatment and education to continue during new construction and renovation. When the complex is completed in 2011, it will feature over 2 million sq. ft. of space for some of the country’s top healthcare facilities.

The hospital will feature a complex of connecting gardens that join the inpatient and outpatient facilities, with landscaping and waterway design that will change as the seasons do. The sustainable design features that are being implemented in the project are astounding. HDR, Inc.’s design tackles energy and sustainability issues ranging from indoor air quality and energy usage to increasing daylighting and introducing reliable, alternative energy systems into the hospital’s power grid.

Introduced in fall 2008, HDR, Inc. began sponsorship of a graduate program in healthcare design in the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

“Our goal with creating this was to demonstrate the power of collaboration between education and the architectural profession,” said Doug Wignall, director of HDR, Inc.’s healthcare program. “Through this experience, we found that partnering with faculty and students from all disciplines in both research and design is a mutually rewarding and invigorating endeavor. In this way, the profession becomes quite literally on the cutting edge of new ideas.”

Through their scope, size and dedication to thoughtful, innovative design, HDR, Inc. maintains itself among the premier design firms in the world, with a firm grasp on new, efficient and long-lasting healthcare design. ALT

THIS PAGE & PREVIOUS: Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This 2.3 million sq. ft. hospital is currently under construction. Located on Al Sowah Island near the heart of the city will offer advanced medical technologies, high performance facility design and unprecedented levels of patient centered care. A village concept theme helps establish a new sense of community, with a center piece building that provides a gathering place and smaller surrounding structures that house medical specializations.

BOTTOM TWO: University of Colorado Anshutz Hospital. Multi-stage build out.

Started in 2000. Will be about 2 million sq. ft. when completed in 2013.

All photos courtesy of HDR

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