2007
ANNUAL REVIEW BNIM Architects people. innovation. design.
Mark Shapiro (left), principal with BNIM Architects, works with citizens from Greensburg, KS as they consider how to rebuild their tornado-ravaged community.
It all begins with you From buildings to entire communities, BNIM Architects’ design process builds on each of the unique factors that define “you” - your culture, your needs and your highest aspirations. Through this responsive and iterative design process BNIM is setting the standards for design excellence that provide integrated bottom line performance for our clients and communities. Our work enables the advancement of people, the planet and prosperity, which engages a natural and continual cycle of social, economic and environmental benefits. The members of our firm are committed to restorative design, which aims to maximize human potential, productivity and health while increasing the vitality of natural systems. In 2007, BNIM continued to build upon this commitment and the firm’s reputation for design excellence, thorough technical competence, and conscientious service. As you will see in the following pages, BNIM currently leads remarkable client and community projects that carry far-reaching implications.
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Our clients are at the heart of it all From the extraordinary debut of the Bloch Building at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which quickly captured international attention and became TIME Magazine’s #1 Architectural Marvel of 2007, to the courageous response of the citizens of Greensburg, Kansas to rebuild their tornado-ravaged town as the greenest in America, BNIM has experienced an unforgettable year alongside our clients from coast-to-coast. We have sought and found shared values and intentions. Our clients have enabled us to set new design benchmarks and achieve environmental, economic and social benefits for our communities. This year, we have empowered leadership in design—through innovation, through research, in client service, in construction, through project management, in our communities and within BNIM. Naturally, we have built on our firm-wide values, principles and history. Steve McDowell, principal with BNIM Architects, and Dr. Irma Gigli, Deputy Director of The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, discuss the completed Sarofim Research Building at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX.
Accolades and awards that BNIM has received throughout the year serve to highlight the firm’s and our clients’ greatest innovations and spur us to achieve even higher standards: more energy efficiency, higher productivity, better and ever more affordable green solutions. When we collaborated with engineers and planners to imagine the City of the Future, we brought to the task all that we had learned from the cities with which we were already working. Our efforts in New Orleans to create affordable, energy efficient homes for people in the Lower Ninth Ward will inform other communities we serve. How we apply restorative design principles to a state office building will improve the productivity, health and vitality of our public servants. Increased standards for sustainable buildings set in 2007 with the award-winning design for a Living Building will help lead the way to a more sustainable future for our clients and our world. We have served as an ethics leader. We have found the right solutions for each project that fulfills our obligations to do what is right regardless of the issue. Design, urban and rural design, and sustainability are embodied in all our work, which provides our clients with choices that support responsible design for the well-being of the public, our communities and the environment. With gratitude to our clients, we celebrate the achievements of the year gone by, and we look forward to setting new standards together in the years ahead. Sincerely,
Steve McDowell, FAIA Principal | BNIM Architects
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From people to communities: green solutions at every scale From universities and museums, to corporations and municipalities, BNIM Architects worked tirelessly in 2007 to manifest the goals and aspirations of its clients.
Green Consulting As an early pioneer and continued leader in the field of sustainable design, BNIM works with organizations, communities and industry partners to provide innovative and sound solutions. Whether working within a large project team on LEED implementation and coordination, with an institution to integrate green strategies into their master plan or with a business on a comprehensive energy performance analysis, our goal is to optimize building, site and human health potential. Green Infrastructure/Planning BNIM works minimize the environmental impact of buildings and spaces by protecting native landscapes, identifying critical habitat areas and precluding stormwater problems, among other methods. At a larger scale, through Community Planning, Landscape and Urban Design, Sustainable Community Consulting, Master Planning, Regional Planning, Environmental Planning and Urban Revitalization, our firm offers expertise and on-the-ground experience to help cities, communities, companies and other organizations find holistic solutions that will guide their growth in years to come. Green Buildings In response to the need for smarter, more efficient buildings, BNIM works with all client types to develop and incorporate green solutions for conserving resources, reducing harmful emissions and waste and improving the relationships that buildings share with their sites. As a testament to these efforts, to date the firm has been recognized by winning the USGBC’s first National Living Building Competition, received five Top Ten Green Building Awards from the AIA/COTE, and has six projects with various levels of LEED certification and 10 that are currently registered for LEED certifications. Green Workplace In response to the growing demand for green workplaces, BNIM integrates high-performance systems, healthy materials, ergonomics and connection with nature, daylight and views. The results are rewarding and quantifiable: energy and water reduction, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity, decreased waste production and site maintenance—culminating in dramatically reduced bottom-line business costs. Green Education Through lectures, workshops, community gatherings and educational programs, BNIM shares with others our research and knowledge of green design, technology and practice to inform the public about the greater good of green. We empower our clients, communities, industry partners and even our competitors to make positive, sustainable choices that will benefit future generations.
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List of Services Architecture Interior design Landscape architecture Planning + urban design Strategic workplace planning Sustainable consulting BIM consulting Graphic design Information services Applebee’s Services, Inc. Bernstein-Rein Blue Springs Public Art Commission Blue Valley School District Buffalo Bayou Partnership City of Fairway, Kansas City of Houston, Texas City of Lenexa, Kansas City of Kansas City, Missouri City Union Mission Copilevitz & Canter Embarq Bean stalk General Services Administration Girl Scouts of Mid-Continent Council Global Green, USA Greensburg, Kansas Greensburg, Kansas School District Grinnell College Habitat for Humanity Harris County Heifer International Holy Cross School International Interior Design Association Jackson County, Missouri J.E. Dunn Construction Kansas City Ballet Kansas City Power & Light Company Kansas Corporation Commission – Energy Office
LADCO Development The Land Institute Make It Right Foundation Meadowbrook Groupe Pacific, Inc. Melaver, Inc. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas Mid-America Regional Council Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Noisette Company Omega Institute Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Pershing Road Development Company Polk County Conservation Board Sprint Nextel Corp. State of Iowa Stoltz Management Company Swope Community Builders The InnerWork Company The University of Iowa University of Missouri-Kansas City University of Houston University of Missouri The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Westside Housing Organization Windmill Developments
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debut of Nelson-Atkins Museum addition RESEARCH AND EXECUTION BRING VISION TO LIGHT IN BLOCH BUILDING The new addition to Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art—the Bloch Building—provides 150,000 square feet of galleries and museum amenities. The critically acclaimed Bloch Building fuses architecture with landscape, surfacing through five “lenses” that house the new gallery spaces and connect beneath the landscape through a dramatic circulation space. The lenses diffuse natural light into the galleries below, and at night they glow softly from within.
TIME’s #1 Architectural Marvel of 2007
The 10 Best (New and Upcoming) Architectural Marvels
BNIM Architects is the Architect of Record for the Bloch Building, designed by Steven Holl. BNIM’s project team was responsible for contract and construction documents, project management and construction administration, which included thorough research and testing of the innovative materials and required unmatched technical proficiency that proved critical to the execution of the design vision. BNIM concurrently served as Design Architect and Architect of Record for other major renovation components of the seven-year campus transformation, including the Ford Learning Center, Adelaide Cobb Ward Sculpture Hall, Kirkwood Hall and the new 450 car below-grade parking garage. Together, the projects encompass 374,000 square feet.
Above Left : The grand circulation space links the galleries. Above Right: Design team leaders celebrate the completion of the Bloch Building in Kansas City, MO. From left: Chris McVoy of Steven Holl Architects; Casey Cassias, BNIM; Steven Holl. Casey Cassias elevated to AIA College of Fellows. Having emerged in the 1980s as an early leader in the creation of sustainable design approaches, tools and strategies, Casey was recently recognized for his significant contributions to the profession of architecture and the social, economic and environmental vitality of communities.
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“ We selected BNIM Architects because of their
focus on innovation, impeccable reputation and stature, but we got much more from them. With the exacting level of care and commitment to Architecture, the collaboration was the best our firm has experienced.�
- Steven Holl, AIA, Steven Holl Architects
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A Greener Greensburg Kansas inspires America FROM MASSIVE DEVASTATION TO A MODEL FOR RURAL PROSPERITY On the night of May 4, 2007, 90 percent of the homes and businesses in the town of Greensburg, Kansas were destroyed by a massive EF-5 tornado that was nearly two miles wide. At the request of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, BNIM Architects assisted the town’s initial recovery efforts, working with community members and town officials as well as local, state and federal organizations. In October, BNIM was selected by the City of Greensburg to prepare a Comprehensive Master Plan to rebuild the city based around the principles of economic, social and environmental sustainability. BNIM is collaborating with national leaders to design a model for rural communities that embraces wind, solar and clean technologies.
BNIM Projects underway in Greensburg: • Sustainable Comprehensive Master Plan • Greensburg Schools • Downtown Streetscape Design • City Hall • Big Well Museum
• Playground • John Deere Dealership • Business Incubator (W. MVP ARCHITECTS)
BNIM is now working with the Greensburg School District on a comprehensive design for the town’s new school facilities, as well as rebuilding Greensburg’s City Hall and its famed Big Well Museum—all designed to achieve LEED Platinum, the highest level of energy efficiency and sustainability a building can achieve under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating System. In fact, Greensburg, Kansas is the first U.S. city to resolve that all city-owned buildings must achieve LEED Platinum standards.
From devastation to the resurrection of rural America, the City of Greensburg, Kansas and BNIM are turning the community’s green vision into reality. The process will be documented in a 13-part series produced by Leonardo DiCaprio on the upcoming Planet Green network. Stephen Hardy (L) of BNIM and Steve Hewitt (R) of Greensburg discuss the community’s rebuilding progress.
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There is a new dream within the hearts and minds of the people of Greenburg: to create a model green community. From building new homes, schools and businesses that consume far fewer resources, to improving human health and productivity, Greensburg is embracing common sense green solutions and recreating itself as a community where new businesses grow, and where sustainability is embraced in its truest sense—all while creating a model for rural communities across the nation that are in crisis and searching for prosperity.
“Although this storm was devastating to our community, we are presented with an incredible opportunity to show the world our strength and to create a new future for those who will live here. We strongly believe that we will be back—better than ever—and we will be a model for rural America.” - Steve Hewitt, City Administrator, Greensburg, Kansas
PARTNERS Local, state and national organizations and agencies have been instrumental in promoting green building best practices for Greensburg and helping the community plan for future generations. The green rebuilding effort has support from Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and its subcontractors are providing technical assistance on all aspects of energy use and building design in Greensburg. Other contributors include the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation.
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Green solutions to improve neighborhoods EPA GUIDELINES FOR WATER QUALITY INSPIRE INNOVATION
“Let the river roll which way it will, cities will rise on its banks.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
In 2007, Kansas City took the first step in becoming “America’s Green City” with a resolution that integrates green solutions aimed to protect water into the City’s planning and development processes. As the City has worked to turn this into reality, while also developing a long-term control plan for sewer overflows, it has established its leadership in the emerging realm of green infrastructure. As an integral partner of the team assisting the City with this process, BNIM is facilitating community conversation among members of Kansas City’s business, nonprofit, municipal and financial industries and fostering collaboration among the City and its regional partners. Together with the City, BNIM is developing a new model that demonstrates how green solutions can enhance economic opportunities, beautify neighborhoods and meet regulatory requirements to reduce the amount of stormwater and sewer overflows that pollute its waterways. The firm is also working with the City to incorporate green solutions into water, infrastructure, recreational and transportation projects.
The Strategy to become America’s Green Region
A number of key organizations in the Kansas City area began work in 2007 on a new green initiative. The “Strategy to Become America’s Green Region” includes the vision to create and support a sustainable region that increases the vitality of our society, economy and environment for current residents and future generations. Initial development of the concept was accomplished in six weeks of meetings facilitated by Bob Berkebile, a founding principal of BNIM.
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Applebee’s keeps employees at its core Collaborative SPACE ALLOWS NIMBLE RESPONSES TO MARKETPLACE DEMANDS Applebee’s Services, Inc. and its affiliated companies develop, franchise and operate restaurants under the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar brand, the largest casual dining concept in the world. BNIM designed the company’s Restaurant Support Center in Lenexa, Kansas to emphasize fun, maximize productivity and enhance associate satisfaction. The 178,000 square foot, two-story Support Center features open, collaborative work spaces, a world-class culinary center and an environmentally conscious design. The design encourages Applebee’s associates to view the entire building as their office, rather than simply the space assigned to them. The building’s sustainable features work together to facilitate user comfort, raise energy efficiency, improve interior air quality, increase natural daylight, minimize operating expenses such as electricity and water, and cost effectively support the business. The building is designed to LEED Silver standards and is pending certification through the USGBC.
“We believe the open, collaborative work space will increase productivity and allow us to be more nimble and responsive to our guests and to the demands of a competitive marketplace. Our new state-of-theart Culinary Center is the perfect environment to create and test fabulous new products that will keep our guests returning again and again.”
- Julia Stewart, CEO of Applebee’s Services, Inc.
The Applebee’s Culinary Center is one of the largest in the casual dining industry and serves as the focal point of the entire building. It will be used for menu development, food auditing, research, evaluation, testing and training.
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The Alpha and Omega: the future of architecture THis “LIVING BUILDING” EMBODIES HIGHEST LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
A Living Building: winner of the Greenbuild 2007 Living Building Competition One of the nation’s most trusted wellness resources, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, New York, offers innovative retreats that inspire an integrated approach to personal and social growth and change for over 20,000 people annually. The organization’s newest project is the Omega Center for Sustainable Living Wastewater Filtration Facility (OCSL), a 6,200 square-foot, state-of-the-art environmental facility and education center on a 4.5acre site that brings together wastewater recycling, clean energy and green architecture. The project will overhaul the organization’s current wastewater disposal system for their 195-acre Hudson
The $2.3 million construction project broke ground in October 2007 and is expected to be completed and fully operational next year.
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Valley campus by using alternative methods of treatment. Designed through an integrated and collaborative process, BNIM’s solution will achieve the client’s vision and goals by first reducing energy and water requirements through the design of the building and then reducing or eliminating negative environmental impact from those required loads. The OCSL will recycle wastewater, supply all its own energy needs using photovoltaics and be an educational model to inspire sustainable living practices. It will serve as the heart of Omega’s ongoing environmental initiatives and will include a laboratory, greenhouse, water garden, constructed wetland and a classroom that will be open year-round to visiting students. The facility will be what BNIM sees as the future of architecture: a “Living Building.”
BNIM principal Laura Lesniewski (left) is the team leader for the OCSL project, and her work to explore what sustainable buildings might be is referenced in the book Women in Green.
A LIving Building Leader
The U.S. Green Building Council, in partnership with the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, hosted the first-ever Greenbuild 2007 Living Building Competition, based on Cascadia’s Living Building Challenge. BNIM Architects and Omega Institute were honored as winners for exemplary planning of the OCSL, which celebrates the highest level of environmental performance currently achieved in buildings in the United States. Living Building criteria is intended to exceed the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum standards and move the building industry toward achieving truly restorative design.
Bottom Left: An innovative and natural wastewater treatment process, called a Eco Machine™, is showcased in the building. Bottom RIght: Every aspect of the Omega Institute is designed to reinforce an educational and inspirational experience for all who work in and visit the campus.
BNIM initiated the Living Building concept in 1998, and as it finds support in the U.S. Green Building Council and its chapters, it has grown into a national initiative. The power of the Living Building lies within its ability to take care of its own wastes and impacts and subsequently begin to account for the transgressions of others—to be truly restorative—by generating more clean energy than is needed in order to help other buildings reduce their energy footprint. BNIM knows that it is possible to use design tools for the purpose of producing a climate-neutral building, and the firm is proactive in achieving this reality.
“Along with their in-depth knowledge and experience, BNIM Architects brings a refreshing perspective to sustainable design and truly understands what we are trying to achieve with this project. The lack of fresh, clean water is not just a problem of the developing world, it is a problem we all face.”
- Skip Backus, Executive Director, Omega Institute
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Vision FOR Atlanta wins History Channel national competition CITY OF THE FUTURE CONSERVES WATER WITH AN URBAN FOREST The vision of Atlanta as a region restored using forests and wetlands is what clinched the regional and national victory for BNIM and its Atlanta-based partners EDAW, Praxis and Metcalf & Eddy. The winning model is the national winner of the City of the Future: A Design and Engineering Challenge, celebrating The History Channel series “Cities of the Underworld.” This national contest challenged teams to create models of what some of the nation’s prominent urban centers could look like in 100 years, including Atlanta, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Like many other U.S. cities, Atlanta faces particularly daunting environmental challenges, including a chronic shortage of potable water. The city maintains more than 1,900 miles of pipes to collect, combine, treat and transport storm water downstream. The competition entry takes into account Atlanta’s infrastructure, transportation,
commerce, housing, security and the environment—the same issues that must be addressed by cities across the country. The team’s vision turns Atlanta into a region repopulated with forests, which serve as the city’s lungs, filtering stormwater and purifying the air. In their design entry, the team envisioned the use of wetlands and sewer tunnels to capture, cleanse and store water, making the city drought resistant.
“It all comes back to water, water, water— everywhere. Water is my top 10 priorities, or top 20.” - Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin
Increasing tree cover from 29 percent (current) to 40 percent in Atlanta would have the following effect: Stormwater runoff reduction of 20 percent at a value of $1.7 billion. (Source: American Forests 2001 regional ecosystem analysis of the Atlanta metro.)
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BNIM wins Kansas City light rail competition JURY CONNECTS WITH INTEGRATED PUBLIC TRANSIT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN In 2007, the Kansas City Design Center sponsored a Light Rail Urban Design Competition to evaluate the potential for transit-oriented development in Kansas City, Missouri. The competition’s goal was to integrate public transit into Kansas City’s public realm, identify ways of improving access to the urban core and reducing traffic congestion and pollution, as well as strengthen the urban fabric with walkable neighborhoods, urban density and mixed-use development. A jury of public officials, community leaders and transportation agency representatives selected BNIM’s site-specific proposal, which advances the concept of urban, transit-oriented development and identifies the zoning tools, financial incentives and other policies needed to support ridership, walkability and the critical densities needed for a viable light rail system.
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BNIM strives to “Make It Right” for New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward AFFORDABLE HOMES BRING NEIGHBORHOOD BACK TO LIFE The mission of celebrity and activist Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation is to catalyze redevelopment in the Lower Ninth Ward by building a residential neighborhood inspired by Cradle-to-Cradle thinking with an emphasis on quality of design, safety and preserving the community’s spirit. BNIM is among a select group of local, national and international architects that have realized their home designs quickly, so that the first residents can begin returning to their homes as soon as possible. The firm’s environmentally sustainable and affordable prototype home is a 940 square-foot, energy-efficient dwelling that incorporates the desires of the community members who offered design critiques and valuable input regarding their needs for function, beauty, health and safety. The design originates from the shotgun-style home, celebrating the unique aesthetic of the New Orleans community. BNIM’s design takes into consideration the building orientation, daylight and energy efficiency, and creates outdoor spaces with ample porches to foster interaction between neighbors and to enrich the urban fabric of the neighborhood. The ultimate goal of BNIM’s design is a zero-energy house.
BNIM organized the design effort out of the firm’s Houston office, with Filo Castore (L) as project manager and James Anderson, Jr. (R) as project designer. The project is supported by celebrity and activist Brad Pitt through his Make It Right Foundation.
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“The goals of this sustainable design competition were two fold. Help the rebuilding effort in areas that have difficulty rebuilding. Advance the cause of green design. We want to rebuild intelligently.”
- Brad Pitt
BNIM New Orleans Involvement : As part of An ongoing effort to help rebuild New Orleans
• 2005: Through the U.S. Green Building Council, helped to develop sustainable rebuilding guidelines for New Orleans, resulting in the “New Orleans Principles” • 2005: “Learning from Disaster: A Vision and Plan for Sustainable Schools and Revitalized Public Education in New Orleans in the Wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita” • 2005: Contributed a $25,000 donation to support Tulane University’s redevelopment efforts; contributed a significant donation to support the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design studio • 2006: Served as a professional expert and advisor for the New Orleans Global Green design competition for sustainable rebuilding in the Lower Ninth Ward, sponsored by Brad Pitt • 2006: Engaged as a member of the team (along with John C. Williams Architects and Camiros) retained by the New Orleans Community Support Foundation to develop a Neighborhood Disaster Recovery Plan for the Lower Ninth Ward and Holy Cross Neighborhoods • 2006: Served as sustainability consultants for the UrbanBuild house designed and constructed in the Upper Treme neighborhood by students at the Tulane University school of Architecture • 2007-ongoing: “Make it Right” efforts - with Global Green, Cherokee, the Make It Right Foundation, William McDonough + Partners and Graft - involving the design of sustainable housing by four local, four national and four international firms. BNIM represented one of the national firms • 2007-ongoing: Master plan to redevelop the former Holy Cross School Campus site in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward • 2007-ongoing: Leading the mixed-use redevelopment of approximately five city blocks along New Orleans’ riverfront, just south of the city’s Central Business District
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Nurturing health-centered lives at The University of Texas Health Science CENTER REACHES FOR HIGHEST LEVELS OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is one of the premier teaching institutions for health related professions. As such, it has taken the lead in the creation of an environment that speaks to living health-centered lives. The School of Nursing and Student Community Center is a 195,000 square foot, eight-story facility located on a prominent site adjacent to Fay Park, one of the few green spaces within the Texas Medical Center. The building includes 20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms, a 200-seat auditorium, cafe and dining room, bookstore, student lounge, student government offices, research laboratory and faculty offices. Outdoor spaces include a labyrinth for the Texas Medical Center Community. BNIM Architects, in collaboration with Lake|Flato Architects, designed this facility using integrated design strategies focused on energy efficiency, increased air quality, improved natural daylighting, reduction of polluting emissions and run-off and increased user satisfaction and productivity. To date the building has received a Top Ten Green Building award from the AIA Committee on the Environment in addition to numerous others and is anticipated to achieve a LEED Gold rating.
“Nursing is not only scientific and knowledge-based; there is also caring and compassion-the healing component-so we wanted a building that feels like a nurturing environment the minute you enter it. As a health science center, we want to educate our students in healthy buildings. BNIM quickly put together a team and went to work to ensure that we would meet our goals as rapidly as possible. The BNIM team was capable and dedicated to the goals of the School and University. They had creative ideas about how to configure space so as to provide opportunities for formal and informal learning.”
- Patricia L. Starck, Professor and Dean, School of Nursing The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Top Right: Bob Berkebile, founding principal with BNIM Architects, and Dean Patricia L. Starck, D.S.N., Dean of the School of Nursing, celebrate the completion of the facility. Bottom Right: In 2007, BNIM + Lake | Flato Architects published the book “Nurture” to recognize the visionary leadership at The University of Texas Health Center at Houston, whose marked dedication to creating a benchmark building for pedagogy, sustainability and the pursuit of human health was the central design inspiration.
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“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.�
- Arabian proverb
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Symbiotic design promotes well-being of health researchers WORLD EXPERTS THRIVE IN COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT The Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building is the new home for The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The new 229,000 square foot comprehensive research facility is built on a tight urban site within the Texas Medical Center Campus and is designated to support research collaboration in the area of molecular medicine, particularly in genetics and proteomics and bioinformatics. BNIM designed the facility to focus on creating a dynamic, interactive environment conducive to research and learning on multiple levels. From the relationship with the outdoors, to the design of the architecture of the building, to the interior spaces, the symbiotic design approach strives to consider form and function holistically, promoting the well being of the users as well as their productivity.
“We are actively recruiting some of the world’s best scientists in neuroscience, stem cell research, inflammation, metabolism, obesity, diabetes, genetic and proteomic discovery. We expect to have some 125 scientists working in the new building in the years to come, working collaboratively with basic and clinical scientists at all of our schools and working with scientists at academic institutions and hospitals throughout the Texas Medical Center, including Rice University and the University of Houston.” - James T. Willerson, M.D., President of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Top Right: Lining up in front of the $120 million Sarofim Research Building are (left to right): Dr. Irma Gigli, Dr. Peter Davies, UTHSC President Dr. James T. Willerson, Development Board President Phil Conway, Dr. Tom Caskey, Mrs. Wilhelmina Smith (mother of “New Frontiers” Campaign with co-chair Beth Robertson) and 1998 Nobel laureate Dr. Ferid Murad. “We could not have accomplished this without one of the best development boards in the city and the wonderful generosity of our supporters,” Willerson told faculty, staff and guests participating in the event. (Photo by Bruce Bennett) Bottom Right: BNIM Architects published the book “Symbiosis” in 2007 as a means to communicate about the process of creating the Sarofim Research Building and how the goals of the project were achieved. The progressive leadership of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and The University of Texas Health Science Center established a vision for collaborative science in both laboratory and architecture. By embracing that spirit of collaboration, the team created a laboratory founded upon the highest principles of scientific discovery, community, human health, fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship, enabling the prevention of human diseases.
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The Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building is designed to house dry and wet laboratories, offices, conferencing areas, a 200-seat assembly facility and appropriate support spaces.
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Heifer International World Headquarters Achieves platinum CREATING A NUCLEUS FOR the GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Dedicated in the spring, the Heifer International Center in Little Rock, Arkansas quickly became a nucleus for global thought leaders of sustainable development and brought newfound attention to the mission of Heifer. The 96,000 square foot building, located on a reclaimed brownfield, provides a workplace for spreading the sustainable solutions that will bring hope to the one billion people living on less than $1 a day. BNIM served as the sustainable design consultant for the new headquarters, enabling it to achieve a LEED Platinum rating. The BNIM team identified site buildings that were dismantled so that material could be reused and diverted from landfills. Throughout the design process, BNIM helped shape the envelope of the building to maximize user productivity and comfort while also maximizing energy efficiency. (Design Architect: Polk Stanley Yeary Architects, Ltd.) The project received a 2007 Top Ten Green Building award from the AIA/COTE.
“You have to have a world with more partners and fewer enemies—and one by one that’s what Heifer does.” - Former President Bill Clinton
The new building represents Heifer’s commitment to promoting sustainable solutions that protect all of our natural resources. The design maximizes the building’s efficiency without sacrificing basic, functional elements of an office environment.
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Former President Bill Clinton, speaking at the dedication of Heifer’s new world headquarters, praised the organization’s more than 60 years of work helping the hungry.
Lewis and Clark State Office Building on the path to Platinum IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY PAY OFF FOR STATE OF MISSOURI The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) preserves, protects, restores and enhances Missouri’s natural, cultural and energy resources and works to inspire their enjoyment and responsible use for present and future generations. BNIM worked closely with MDNR to ensure that the new Lewis and Clark State Office Building uses sustainable design to minimize its impact on the environment and provide employees with a more productive, healthier work environment. The building reduces energy consumption by approximately 53 percent, and in comparing the previous two years of occupancy in their old locations and the first two years in the new building, MDNR has seen a 7.5 percent decrease in absenteeism in the new building.
The building’s name was chosen to honor the Lewis and Clark expedition in its spirit of discovery, diplomacy and stewardship and to commemorate the bicentennial of the journey. Situated on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, the building offers beautiful views and a strong connection to Missouri’s resources. The site achieves zero water runoff, and rainwater serves 95 percent of the facility’s gray water needs. The use of native grasses and plants and water efficient fixtures reduce water usage.
The Lewis and Clark State Office Building received a LEED Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council making it the first State Government office building of its kind to receive LEED Platinum, the highest level of sustainability currently recognized by the USGBC.
“We envision the Lewis and Clark State Office Building as a blueprint for future projects that will promote our vision of a Missouri where people live and work in harmony with our natural and cultural resources.” - Peter Kinder, Missouri Lieutenant Governor
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GSA: IRS Kansas City Campus PROVIDING FOR SIZE, COMPLEXITY AND SECURITY WITHIN THE URBAN CORE Consolidating eight IRS locations into one was a priority for the Internal Revenue Service in order to streamline processes and better serve taxpayers. The General Services Administration worked with the IRS and BNIM/360 to achieve improved productivity, energy efficiency and a healthier building with its new 1,000,000 square foot, 27-acre Kansas City Campus. First, it was important to integrate the IRS project into an urban location bringing the 8,000 employees into the city’s center. Second, the team sought to utilize daylighting and building orientation to improve energy efficiency and outdoor connection. Third, material use focused on integrating recycled, reused, low toxicity and local/regional materials for the campus construction. Early results indicate the building is exceeding the goals set for it. Through its work with the IRS and the GSA, BNIM’s team created a sustainable design that is as much about people and an improved workplace as it is about sustainable technologies and construction that qualify a building for LEED certification. The campus creates a work environment that has the employees at heart—providing daylight to 90 percent of the employees and secure outdoor courtyards for the employees to connect back to the outdoors. The IRS Kansas City Campus has received a LEED Certified rating from the USGBC.
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Building Information Modeling Integrated design has led BNIM to employ Building Information Modeling (BIM) software to explore design ideas and to integrate the work of all disciplines. BNIM was an early adopter of this technology because it adds value for clients by enabling the team to work from one database, or model, to explore energy, lighting and daylighting, mechanical and electrical systems, constructability reviews and fabrication of components. BNIM is considered a leader in BIM and frequently is asked to share the firm’s experiences with the GSA, AGC, AIA and software companies. BNIM received the 2006 Autodesk Green Building Leadership Award for the firm’s work in defining and utilizing Autodesk Revit software for Building Information Modeling.
GSA: Bannister Federal Complex ENLIVENING A WORKPLACE WITH LIGHT AND ART The General Services Administration launched an effort to convert an existing warehouse within its Kansas City, Missouri Bannister Federal Complex into departmental offices. BNIM worked closely with GSA to bring natural light into a 3,200 square foot central atrium and adjacent 18,000 square foot office space within the converted warehouse built in the early 1940’s.
In 2007, BNIM received two national awards from the General Services Administration: Honor Award for Interior Design for the GSA Bannister Federal Complex Atrium, and a Citation Award for Lease Construction for the IRS Kansas City Campus.
This project not only creates new office standards for the Bannister Federal Complex, but it also serves as a national prototype that successfully demonstrates the marriage of Workplace 2020 standards with sustainable construction techniques. What began as a general vision for a sky-lit corridor was transformed, through true collaboration, into a multi-function space that enhances the pedestrian movement and, more importantly, increases the value of the surrounding spaces.
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Conversations on the environment Uniting the local community In 2007, BNIM stepped up to become one of the founding sponsors of Conversations on the Environment, a year-long series of community conversations with national thought leaders on how the City of Kansas City, Missouri and the region can improve the environment and create balance among the issues of people, planet and prosperity.
Guest Speakers include from left above: Ray Anderson, Founder and Chairman of Interface, Inc., author of Mid-Course Correction; Majora Carter, Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx; Hunter Lovins, President and Founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions and Cofounder of the Rocky Mountain Institute
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Bottom Left: Steve McDowell and Kansas City Councilmember Jan Marcason share the dream of efficient and affordable green solutions for City projects with guests at the BNIM 2007 Open House. The goal is to provide greener streets, cleaner air and water, improved property values and green collar jobs for the community.
Community Involvement: Practicing Good Citizenship THE WORK OF MANY Since 1970, BNIM Architects has remained dedicated to making significant contributions to our local, national and global communities. In the process the firm has established the reputation as a leader in community outreach and support, design excellence and environmental conservation. From donating financial and professional support to reconstruction efforts following disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the 2007 Greensburg tornado, to providing each employee paid time off for volunteer efforts, BNIM is rejuvenated by contributions to the community.
In 2006, and again in 2007, BNIM joined efforts with a host of Kansas City, Missouri community volunteers to change the face of Troost Avenue, which has served as a window to the cultural richness, shifts and issues that have shaped this civic artery. The initiative, dubbed Tulips on Troost, aimed to add color, life and beauty back to the streetscape by planting over 100,000 bulbs along sidewalks, in abandoned lots, in empty tree wells and in any other plant-able spot available along a 60-block stretch of the corridor.
BNIM employees continue the firm’s passion for community involvement through participation with organizations such as the United Way, Habitat For Humanity, Ronald McDonald House Charities and many more. We have a strong record of supporting activities that benefit our communities and that promote and encourage environmental stewardship, including Earthshare, The Nature Conservancy, New Earth and the Center for Global Community, among others. Our staff is also deeply committed to sharing their knowledge with educational, industry and civic peers. Many of our designers contribute their time as teachers, panelists, jurors and lecturers to cultivate a climate of research, learning, and teaching.
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Bringing the values From the Heartland to the world our 2007 team Achelpohl, Kathy
Cohen, Adam
Goss, Greg
Lee, You En
Pastine, Laura
Slattery, Amy
Allen, Amy
Collier, John
Green, Keri
Lesniewski, Laura
Pfeiffer, James
Snyder, Janet
Allers, Ben
Cowger, Todd
Hardy, Stephen
Long, Kristin
Pollmann, Mike
Stevens, Doug
Allinder, Therese
Cugno, Barbara
Harris, Kendra
Lowman, Ann
Popp, Mike
Stiffler, Matthew
Porreca, Matthew
Stofiel, Mike
Andersen, Celine
Davison, Spencer
Hattery, Amy
Maffry, Maria
Anderson, James
Dewitt, Jennifer
Heitman, Erik
Malik, Dev
Ramaswami, Murali
Stucky, Taylor
Assmann, Christina
Dodd, Jean
Hickson, Kimberly
Malik, Sue
Ramsey, Jonathan
Svec, Phaedra
Batchvarova, Theodora
Downey, Lindsay
Hilton, Tom
McDowell, Steve
Reed, James
Tinney, Elif
Bellis, Laura
Duffendack, Jan
Hirsch, Sarah
McKinney, Brian
Reid, Ciara
Uehling, Kelly
Berkebile, Bob
Duggan, Tim
Holy, Gretchen
Miller, Julie
Rock, Brian
Wedel, Rachel
Beshears, Sarah
Dukelow, Robin
Immenschuh, David
Miller, Julie C.
Ross, Aaron
Weigel, Paul
Bouillette, Kara
Edie, Shelley
Jarvis, Gary
Mortelli, Daniel
Sanchez, Oliver
Wells, Margaret
Briggs, Ellen
Edwards, Nicole
Keal, Joe
Murray, Rachel
Schladweiler, Rick
Yim, Chi Hiu
Callaway, Catherine
Frye, Valerie
Kivett, Aaron
Nelson, Tom
Schuepbach, Matt
Camp, Ryan
Gamble, Brittany
Koon, Chris
Nettelblad, Hans
Schuessler, Jim
Case, Devan
Gehle, Erin
Koti, Ramana
Newbold, Meghan
Scranton, Craig
Cassias, Casey
Gekas, Michael
Krupich, Marcia
Nies, Bradley
Shapiro, Mark
Castore, Filippo
Glinn, Robert
Kruse, Rod
Nugent, Matt
Sheldon, Greg
Clark, Brad
Gonzalez, Baldemar
Krygiel, Eddy
O’Hara, Mark
Simmons, Curtis
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Principal
BNIM Opens New Office in Des Moines Initial projects being designed and managed in Des Moines include an energy efficient office building for the Iowa Utilities Board and the Office of Consumer Advocate, and projects for Grinnell College, the University of Iowa and other private sector clients. Nationally recognized Central States architect Rod Kruse, FAIA, principal with BNIM, manages the office. Kruse’s work has been published in numerous national and regional publications, and his work has been included in national traveling exhibitions. His projects have been honored with 24 National Awards or Citations for Design Excellence. BNIM’s Carbon Neutral Initiative As part of BNIM’s overall triple bottom line beliefs, the firm has made a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emission footprint. Since 2005, the firm has annually conducted a carbon dioxide emissions inventory to evaluate its corporate practices, utility usage and transportation impact. The resulting reports have allowed the firm to set benchmarks for carbon footprint reductions. Strategies developed from the inventories have led the firm to reduce its emissions in flight travel, for instance, by encouraging use of video or teleconferences over traveling for long distance meetings and by booking more direct flights. We’ve purchased our first office vehicle, a hybrid, for regional corporate travel. More efficient equipment, including copiers and computers, have been purchased, saving energy, and the office now uses 100 percent post-consumer recycled content paper in all copiers and printers. BNIM’s overall goal is to achieve a neutral, net zero result. While we concentrate on further reductions BNIM annually purchases carbon offsets through The Climate Trust.
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2007 Accolades In 2007, the collaborative work between BNIM Architects and its clients to achieve integrated-bottom-line performance has resulted in numerous local, regional, national and international awards. BNIM Architects
Bronze Award, Best Architectural/Design Firm Best of Business Kansas City Awards, Ingram’s
Award for Excellence, AIA Central States
Camp Naish (Boy Scouts of America)
City of Riverside Comprehensive Master Plan
Capstone Award, Master Planned Community Category Kansas City Business Journal
Design Award, Smooth Metal Walls, Metal Architecture
Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building
Merit Award, Architecture, AIA Kansas
Honor Award, Architecture, AIA Houston
Citation Award, Interiors, AIA Kansas
Ford Learning Center at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Fort Osage Education Center
Excellence in Concrete Award, Sustainable-Green Division Concrete Promotional Group
Freight House Pedestrian Bridge
Honor Award, Architecture, AIA Kansas
GSA Bannister Atrium and Federal Supply Services Offices
Honor Award, Interiors, AIA Kansas
Honor Award, Interior Design, General Services Administration
Top Ten Green Projects Award, AIA/COTE
Heifer International World Headquarters
Design Award, Ribbed Metal Walls, Metal Architecture
Citation Award, Lease Construction, General Services Administration
Internal Revenue Service Kansas City Campus
Merit Award, Architecture, AIA Kansas
Cornerstone Award, Kansas City Economic Development Corporation
Capstone Award, Community Impact Category, Kansas City Business Journal
Lewis and Clark State Office Building
Ranked no. 4 among 15 international green buildings, www.grist.org
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Bloch Building
2007 #1 Architectural Marvel of the Year, TIME Magazine
Award for Excellence, AIA Central States
Honor Award, Architecture, AIA Kansas
Community Treasure Award, Community Christian Church
Honor Award, AIA Kansas City
Honor Awards (Five Total), Allied Arts and Craftsmanship Awards, AIA Kansas City Adelaide Cobb Ward Sculpture Hall Citation Award, Renovation, AIA Kansas
Omega Center for Sustainable Living
On the Boards Award, Living Building Competition, USGBC and Cascadia Region Green Building Council
Citation Award, Architecture, AIA Kansas
Ronald McDonald House at Longfellow Park
Cornerstone Award, Kansas City Economic Development Corporation
School of Nursing and Student Community Center
Texas Environmental Excellence Award finalist, small business category, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
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PEOPLE, PROSPERITY AND PLANET: THE INTEGRATED BOTTOM LINE BNIM embraces the belief that truly sustainable designs establish a balance between social, economical and environmental factors—between people, prosperity and the planet. Within this Integrated Bottom Line Cycle, the benefits propagate naturally into other areas. For example, a company or community’s commitment to environmental stewardship calls for built environments with strong connections to the outdoors, abundant natural daylight, cleaner air and lessened dependency on electricity and supplied water. In turn, people who interact with these environments are healthier and feel a greater connection to their natural environment. As a result, these companies and communities benefit from a healthier workforce, greater productivity, lower utility costs and a satisfying environment that fosters continued and increased stewardship of human and natural resources. In a marketplace where many claim to be green, BNIM has set the standards and pioneered projects, methods and research that have shaped the direction of the sustainable movement we are a part of today. The firm holds the belief that leadership in the architectural profession means establishing what is and what will be possible with sustainable design and ensuring that other practitioners readily have the tools to do the same. BNIM leadership helped to establish the national American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment in 1990. The firm’s early involvement in the U.S. Green Building Council, through committees and demonstration projects, has shaped the USGBC’s LEED rating system and the Living Building concept from 1993 to the present. BNIM’s commitment to sustainability is embedded in all aspects of the firm’s work.
BNIM Architects
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Kansas City | Houston | Des Moines | Los Angeles | San Diego | bnim.com Š2008 Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell Architects