gb&d Issue 11: July/August 2011

GREEN BUILDING & design july/august 2011

Green Building & Design The essential guide for sustainable projects and ideas

gb&d

EXHIBITION

GREEN MUSEUMS SERIES

july/august 2011

PART I: LIGHT, P. 48

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contents

gb&d

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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN JULY/AUGUST 2011

FEATURES 20/

verbatim JOHN CANTRELL HOK Atlanta’s interiors superstar advocates for collective participation in design

22/

George Watt The natural-born leader talks net-zero homes and uniting Boulder, CO’s builders

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discussion board old truths and new forms Foster + Partners’s Zayed National Museum proves the worth of ancient practices

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Cultural revolution Museums need to make sustainable objectives known, says expert Rachel Madan

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31/

green museums series, part i ICONS OF LIGHT, p. 48 Around the world, museums and their makers are discovering new ways to use light.

Zaha Hadid and Steven Holl are among the luminaries who discuss the breathtaking tactics they’re employing.

a world of opportunity, p. 64 As architects travel to where the work is— and many establish foreign offices—what can they expect? gb&d talks to six firms that have seen success abroad about navigating differences in design, business, and culture.

launch pad RECLAIM DESIGN

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A stylish new design firm sprouts from the retail store of three eco-minded women

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details Works partnership architecture

editor’s note commodities 14/ bookshelf/agenda 15/ memo 17/ defined design 6/

The award-winning progressive practice from Portland, OR, can’t fail 34/

DMR ARchitects These well-known “education experts” chart a promising course into the future

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Design workshop Across the globe, the landscape-architecture firm leaves green communities in its wake

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inner workings 2020 Gateway Bannon Investors’s latest triumph proves green is gold from an economic standpoint

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taking shape spaceport america The launch pad for commercial space travel via Foster + Partners

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community natural forces The compelling story of a wounded veteran’s green home, courtesy of B.C. Building Services

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ABOVE: Exterior view of MAXXI: National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome, Italy. Photo: Iwan Baan.

JULY/AUGUST 2011

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contents

spaces 74/

play/

Hillcrest Recreation Complex/ hughes condon marler architects

Purina Event Center/ arcturis Liberty Island Retail Pavilion/ P.A. Collins P.E. Consulting Engineers urbn Hotel/ A00 Architecture 83/

learn/

LIGHT PLAY. Steven Holl’s luminous Bloch Building at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO (p. 50). Photo: Andy Ryan.

Waters Elementary School/ BAILEY EDWARD ARCHITECTURE New York Libraries/ DI DOMENICO + PARTNERS The Harbor School/ JOHN CIARDULLO ASSOCIATES

104/

solutions green roofs Atop O’Hare International Airport with Green Roof Solutions

Mopi Elementary School/ MAREINES + PATALANO 92/

106/

Inside eco-friendly home staging with Design It!

work/

1230 S. Sixth Street/ JOHN SHAFER & ASSOCIATES

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New Parliament Building Complex/ EHRLICH ARCHITECTS

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architect to watch paul raff Articulates the difference between art and architecture and how his work straddles both worlds

The Living Well Center/ IKE KLIGERMAN BARKLEY

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material world cannabis construction The many positive building attributes of a notorious plant

live/

Gutiérrez Lake House/ ESTUDIO RAMOS

project management Staying on schedule with Project One Integrated Services

Office Buildings/ RECKSON

Cybertecture Egg/ JAMES LAW CYBERTECTURE

staging

114/

last look geodesic genius gb&d explores Dustin Feider’s geodesic-dome inspired designs

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index of people & companies

#–A 3D Design, 17 A00 Architecture, 82 Acheson Doyle Partners Architects, 81 Alliance Energy Solutions, 95 Allin, Steve, 110 Anderson, Brian, 88, 89 Arcturis, 76, 77, 78 Arkitekti, 15 Arzens, Paul, 15

B B.C. Building Services LLC, 45, 46 Bailey Edward Architecture, 83, 84, 85 Ban, Shigeru, 16 Bannon Investors, 39, 40, 41 Barkley, Joel, 99 Beese, Stefan, 17 Berger, Andrew, 86, 87 Bev Inc., 17 BIG, 15 Black, Jason, 95, 96 Blonkvist, Tim, 65, 67, 68 Bradley, Bridget Biscotti, 28, 29 Branson, Richard, 42 Brenner, Anthony, 110 Brophy, Sarah, 49 Burns & McDonnell Engineer, 69

C Caciolo, Candy, 76 Calouette, 12 Cannon Design, 83, 85 Cantrell, John, 20, 21 Ciputera, Kartika, 18 Clark, Raymond, 65, 66, 67, 71 Colliers International, 39 Collins, Andrew, 80, 81 Concretehaus, 12 Condon, Darryl, 74, 75 Cooper, Tom, 104, 105 Crasset, Matali, 16 Creatables, 13

D Damore, Michael, 66, 71 Darrah, Lisa, 106 DeMaria Construction, 19 DeMaria Design Associates Inc., 19 DeMaria, Peter, 19 Design It!, 106 Design Workshop, 36, 37 di Domenico + Partners, 86, 87 di Domenico, John, 86, 87 DMR Architects, 34, 35 dpavilion architects, 18 Dunne, Tony, 21 Durocher, Holly, 28, 29

E–F Ehrlich Architects, 97 Ensign, Don, 36 Epstein, 66, 71 Estudio Ramos, 103 Eternit, 11 Evelyn Hill Inc., 80 FedEx, 104 Feider, Dustin, 114 Foster + Partners, 24, 25, 26, 42, 43, 44 Foster, Norman, 21, 24, 25, 26 Frode, Lisa, 13

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George Watt Architecture, 22, 23 Giovannini, Joseph, 14 Gleason, Tristin, 107, 108 Green Roof Solutions, 104, 105 Greener Museums, 27

Raby, Fiona, 21 Raff, Paul, 111, 112, 113 Ramboll Nuuk, 15 Rasetti, Charles, 110 RE:BE Design, 17 Reckson Associates, 95, 96 Reclaim Design, 28, 29 Reclaim Home, 28 Reed Ingram, 17 Rehage Entertainment Inc., 17 Revitalization LLC, 17 Rosenberg, Lloyd, 34, 35

Advanced Floor Products, 78, 79 B.C. Building Services, LLC, 46 Bolyu Contract, 116 Chris Pollack, Ltd., 102 Code Green Solutions, 96 Demilec USA LLC, 23 Dewberry, 87 DVL Consulting Engineers, Inc., 90 Green Roof Solutions, 105 Intrinsic Landscaping, 105 John Ciardullo Associates, 87 La Quatra Bonci Associates, 101, 102 Landco Construction, 78 LPAS Architecture + Design, 41 Lumber Liquidators, 2 Mason & Morse Real Estate, 37, 38 Mayfair Construction, 102 Precision Images, 30 Spaw Glass, 115 WE-EF Lighting, 10

H–I Hadid, Zaha, 14, 56 Harbison-Mahony-Higgins Builders, 39 Hill, Brad, 80 Hill, Chrissy, 76, 77, 78 HOK Atlanta, 20, 21 Horvath, Kurt, 104 Hughes Condon Marler Architects, 74, 75 Ike Kligerman Barkley, 99, 100, 101 Ike, John, 99 Ingels, Bjarke, 15

J Jahara, Brunno, 13 Jakubik, Peter, 12 James Law Cybertecture, 98 Jeremijenko, Natalie, 21 John Ciardullo Associates, 88, 89 John Shafer & Associates, 92, 93, 94 Junaedi Masil & Associate, 18

K–L

s See-Hear Productions Inc., 17 Shafer, John, 92, 94 Shemwell, Bob, 64, 65, 68 Sherwin Williams, 106 Sika Sarnafil, 105 SL Green Realty Corp, 95 Slack, Josh, 45, 46 Smith, Gabriel, 62 SMPC Architects, 42 Spector Group, 66, 71 Spector, Mark, 66, 71 Steven Holl Architects, 50 Strickland, Carrie, 31, 32, 33

t–V

Kligerman, Thomas, 99 Koolhaas, Rem, 21 Kornberg Associates, 65, 66, 68, 71 Kornberg, Ken, 65, 68 Law, James, 98 le Moigne, Nicolas, 11 Logan, Jim, 22 LPAS Architecture + Design, 39, 40 Lynn, Greg, 21

TerraCaelum, 105 Thetard, Christoph, 12 Thomas Phifer and Partners, 62 TNT Nuuk, 15 Topchy, Nestor, 16 Toya, John, 99, 100, 101 Treanor Architects, 69 Turner, Sarah, 16 URS Corporation, 42 Vanderbilt, George W., 100

M–N

W–Z

Madan, Rachel, 27 Mareines + Patalano, 91 Martin, Russ, 110 Max Fordham & Partners, 56 Nafarin, Edwin, 18 Nasrallah, Megan, 78 Neburka, Bill, 31, 32, 33 Nichols, Scott, 39, 41 Nilsson, Emma, 13 Noel, Dave, 108 Nouvel, Jean, 54

WAC Lighting, 13 Wadhwa Group, 98 Watt, George, 22, 23 Westin, Johanna, 13 Westmont Construction, 19 Whitehurst, Robin, 83, 85 Works Partnership Architecture, 31, 32, 33 Xero Flor, 105 Zhiri, Nadia, 69 Zimmerman, Becky, 36, 37 Zohoori, Seyavash, 17

O–P O2 Treehouse, 114 Overland Partners, 64, 65, 67, 68, 71 Owyang, Curtis, 40 P.A. Collins P.E. Consulting Engineers, 80, 81 Palumbo, Mike, 107 Panton, Verner, 12 Paul Raff Studio, 112, 113 Pedersen, Andreas Klok, 14 Perkins+Will, 65, 67, 71 Piano, Renzo, 26 Porter, Joe, 36 Project One Integrated Services, 107, 108 Pruitt, Evan, 28, 29 Push Design, 110 Putera, Khamawardhana Heksa, 18

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editor’s note

global outlook

A

s the US architecture field engages in a delicate, deliberate global dance—one punctuated by cultural nuances and catalyzed by recent economic woes—firms of all sizes and specialties are learning to tango on the world stage. For both first-timers and seasoned international players, the potential rewards of broadening client bases are tempting bait—but not one without pitfalls, as writer Matt Alderton finds in “A World Of Opportunity,” (p. 64).

Raymond Clark, managing director of global firm Perkins+Will, which boasts offices in Dubai, London, and Shanghai, among many others, says in this timely feature that the decision to go global is simply a matter of survival: “Because the economy has tanked, it’s become pivotally important that big firms be involved in international projects. For big firms to survive and remain financially viable, they’ve got to go where the work is. It’s that simple. And right now, the work isn’t in the United States—it’s in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.” As sustainability becomes an international language—and building standard—firms like Perkins+Will, Overland Partners, Kornberg Associates, Epstein, Spector Group, and Treanor Architects are learning that while the road to establishing or maintaining an international presence may be bumpy, it definitely leads to broader horizons.

Not to be left behind, the gb&d editorial team decided to stretch our wings as well with the launch of our first-ever series. The topic? Green museum design across the world. The first installment of our three-part series, “Icons of Light,” (p. 48) explores the pivotal role of lighting in the sustainable design of groundbreaking museums worldwide, from the MAXXI: National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome, Italy, to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Kelly Matlock’s indepth series will continue in our September and October editions, so look out for that!

Possessing the soul of an artist, internationally renowned architect Paul Raff, founder of Paul Raff Studio in Canada, earned our coveted “Architect to Watch” spot for his forward-thinking green design philosophies seen across the world (p. 111).

We hope this issue inspires you to think a little broader and reach a little higher.

Enjoy,

Darhiana Mateo Features Editor

Cover photo: Bernard Touillon.

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gb&d

contributors

®

editorial

research

editor-in-chief Christopher Howe

director of strategic partnerships

FEATURES EDITOR

George Bozonelos george@guerrerohowe.com

Darhiana Mateo darhiana@guerrerohowe.com

ASSOCIATE editor Timothy Schuler tschuler@guerrerohowe.com

correspondents Matt Alderton Thalia A-M Bruehl Tricia Despres Anne Dullaghan Joyce Finn Scott Heskes Jennifer Hogeland David Hudnall Russ Klettke Keith Loria Kelly Matlock Alan Oakes Erik Pisor Julie Schaeffer Kaleena Thompson Lynn Russo Whylly

editorial research managers Dawn Collins Anthony D’Amico Gerald Mathews Carolyn Marx

editorial researchers Shelley Hickey Ryan Jones Elizabeth Kim Will Megson Matt O’Conner Katie Yost

editorial research coordinator Adam Castillo

Matt Alderton is a Chicago-based freelance writer who specializes in business, travel, media, and marketing, although his past subjects have included everything from Beanie Babies and blogs to librarians and chicken sandwiches. A contributor since 2010, he took a trip around the world while writing about international architecture for this issue. Because his trip was entirely virtual, however, he’s proud to report that he avoided jet lag and reduced the carbon footprint of his article. He may be reached via his website, Logolepsy.com.

Julie Schaeffer, who for this issue penned the profiles of Reclaim Design and di Domenico + Partners, owns orangeMOSAIC LLC (Orange-mosaic. com), which provides business writing services to corporations and publications. As you might guess, her favorite color is orange. Julie lives in an orange condo in Chicago with her two orange devon rex cats.

With bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology from the University of Iowa and seven-plus years of writing experience in a variety of industries, Kelly Matlock has been an integral part of the gb&d team since February 2010. This issue marks the launch of Kelly’s three-part museum series, where she delved into the world of green museum design to identify and explore some key trends and practices in sustainable museum design across the globe.

Russ Klettke writes about the New York Harbor School in this issue. A former public-relations professional and published non-fiction author, he has been writing for us since 2009.

Russ also provides web content to companies in the legal, consumer finance, fitness/nutrition/wellness, and infrastructure industries. Russ caulked 48 windows and doors in 2010, has an obsession for composting, is a certified fitness trainer, and will compete in his 50th lifetime triathlon in 2011.

art CREATIVE DIRECTOR Karin Bolliger

senior designer Bill Werch

photo editor Samantha Hunter

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Introducing the all-new

gbdmagazine.com • View the latest issue of Green Building & Design in a full-sized readable format • Get inspired by featured projects, builders, architects, and designers • Discover what’s in store for upcoming issues, and how your company can get involved • Find out what events the Green Building & Design staff will be attending and more!

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Light for Liveable Cities

A sustainable city will increasingly use a few well-chosen landmarks to represent the city view. Lighting such icons is an integral responsibility, so that they compete in terms of design and not brightness in the urban nocturnal scene.

ETC140 Inground Uplights Staten Island Memorial New York (USA) Architect: Masayuki Sono Lighting Design: Fisher Marantz Stone

WE-EF LIGHTING Tel 412 749 1600 Fax 412 749 1670 info.usa@we-ef.com www.we-ef.com

up front 11/ COMMODITIES 14/ BOOKSHELF/AGENDA 15/ MEMO 17/ DEFINED DESIGN

HOME INVASION

Green design finds a chic home within the edgy confines of today’s urban living spaces. Whether serving as a provocative centerpiece or a more demure accent, these home accessories, furniture pieces, and appliances introduce a vibe of playful consciousness and urban appeal to modern interiors of all sizes and attitudes.

break the mold >

From the dark confines of a square mold comes Trash Cube, an amazingly attractive concrete stool by Swiss designer Nicolas le Moigne. Partnering with Eternit, leftover fiber-cement scraps are recycled into pieces that, though all square, are one of a kind, due to the random settling of the concrete inside the mold. The raw aesthetic leaves room for easy incorporation into various interior styles. Photo: Daniela Droz and Tonatiuh Ambrosetti. nicolaslemoigne.ch

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up front/commodities back to pedal power Eschewing modern convenience, this sleek alternative offers multiple “appliances” without the need for electricity. Christoph Thetard’s playfully named R2B2 is hardly a futuristic concept, but it is pleasantly modern even as it goes back in time, using a flywheel to power a blender, coffee grinder, and other possible additions.

Built to offer up to 350 watts of power for about a minute (enough for such basic tasks), the R2B2, when individual parts are not in use, offers space within its clean body for storage. christoph-thetard.de

rough around the edges With a flair for the dramatic—erotic even—Peter Jakubik’s Panton DIY, based on a chair by Verner Panton, is a playful departure from his usual “sexy interior furniture.” Hewn from a single tree, the chair was created as part of a project called “Open Design” hosted

by Comunistar Designers. With few tools and a single piece of wood necessary for its creation—though an instructional video was made by creative agency TomcatEden—this chair is simplicity at its purist. peter-jakubik.com

no bones broken >

the days of our lives ^ Part artistic, part functional but wholly ingenious, the Perpetual Calendar from Calouette is a clever update of the heirlooms of the past. Made from salvaged timber beam and 366 colorful transparent acrylic tags, the concept allows people to mark important dates by doodling or making a note on the colorful tags. Described as a “manifestation of a metaphor,” the design makes moving through the year a tactile experience, reminiscent of crossing out the days on an old-fashioned paper calendar. calouette.com

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With an almost effortless design—and in the business of hurting no one—Sticks and Stone is a well-defined piece that says a lot without words.

Its elegance is heightened by its solidness, just as its modern aesthetic is heightened by its sustainability. The rods are FSC-certified hardwood, and the base is 70 percent recycled concrete. Concretehaus offers the piece in a variety of colors of concrete and wood. theconcretehaus.com

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up front/commodities from the depths Instantly evoking the form of an unknown deep-sea jellyfish, Dorian’s LED light not only illuminates the shade’s “membrane” but also glitters down through the crystal beads of its “tentacles.” For use in nearly any setting, this mouth-blown masterpiece is the latest pendant light creation from WAC Lighting. It’s compatible with certain Halogen bi-pin lamps and can be purchased with a variety of mounting hardware. waclighting.com

new kitchenware ^ In a world of multitasking, the kitchen is a hotspot for activity. Consider them simplified by the På Sofflocket, a reinterpretation of the kitchen sofa. Designed by students Emma Nilsson, Johanna Westin, and Lisa Frode and made from locally produced Swedish pine, this unadorned bench employs usually wasted space as storage, offering drawers beneath and a rack behind for magazines or books. The asymmetrical design is not only dramatic, but perfect for the informality of today’s kitchen. johannawestin.com

read all about it

colorful characters

This magazine or newspaper holder from Creatables repurposes waste from the production of indoor tennis courts.

In colors like “Wimbledon Green,” the felt piece doubles as a carrier that is easily assembled. The Sweden-based Creatables team has put together a fun and functional item that is as much a statement as a more “dignified” piece. creatables.se

Each individual scrap plays a role in the Babilonia Credenza, from Neorustica by Brazil’s Brunno Jahara.

Discards are roughly painted in varying colors, allowing original character to show through and making Jahara’s work a collection that is more than the sum of its many parts. Each piece in the collection pays homage to Brazil’s rural culture and is named for a Rio de Janeiro shantytown. brunnojahara.com

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up front/bookshelf/agenda

july/ august 2011

NEW READ Self-guided Tour If Rome isn’t in your immediate future and you won’t soon be visiting the MAXXI, Zaha Hadid’s Museum of XXI Century Arts, a new book can bring some of its magic to you. Billed as a “comprehensive volume on the instant architectural masterpiece,” MAXXI: Zaha Hadid Architects: Museum of XXI Century Arts presents the wonder that’s caused waves since 2003 in a format you can take with you. With the help of architect and author Joseph Giovannini, who’s written for The New York Times, Architectural Record, and Art Forum, the book’s 164 pages chronicle the design of this decade’s most exciting museum. For an immediate look, check out the first installment of gb&d’s three-part series on sustainable museums, featuring the MAXXI, which also graces our cover.

MAXXI: Zaha Hadid Architects: Museum of XXI Century Arts

by Joseph Giovannini, Zaha Hadid Architects, published by Skira Rizzoli, 09.10.11 164 pages, $55

07.20/ 07.31

07.27/ 07.31

State of Design: Victoria’s Design Festival

AIA Florida/ Caribbean Regional Conference

Metropolitan Melbourne and Victorian Regional Centres, Melbourne, Australia

Naples Grande Beach Resort, Naples, FL

With a theme of, “Design that moves,” this year’s festival seeks to increase awareness of the value of design and showcase how design generates innovation, promotes sustainability, and adds value to business and society. stateofdesign.com.au

08.05/ 08.11

08.11/ 08.13

Las Vegas Market

AILA National Conference— Brisbane

World Market Center, Las Vegas

Recommended Reading Top architects and designers on what you should have on your list Andreas Klok Pedersen is a partner and project manager at Copenhagen-based BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). Leading largescale projects like the Greenland National Gallery (see opposite page) and the Shenzhen International Energy Mansion, as well as entries to global competitions, Pedersen also runs an architecture studio at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Here are his recommendations for further exploration.

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books

The annual convention of the American Institute of Architects’s Florida chapter will feature a forward-thinking approach and festive, social atmosphere. The event includes a trade show, reception, awards presentation, and plenty of networking opportunities. aiafla.org

Full of fresh new products and ideas, opportunities to network, and educational sessions to expand the way you do business in the home furnishings industry, the event is attended by buyers, designers, and industry professionals from around the world. lasvegasmarket.com

Brisbane Convention Centre, Queensland, Australia The focus of this year’s convention will be on green infrastructure and the importance of landscape in the context of climate change. aila.org.au/ conference/2011

Architecture Without Architects: A Short Introduction to NonPedigreed Architecture, Bernard Rudofsky Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, Michael Braungart and William McDonough The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World, Bjørn Lomborg

blogs Singularityhub.com Wired.com/blogs Inhabitat.com

ABOVE: The interactive Trash = Art exhibit at Las Vegas Market showcases local artist Stephen Spann’s manipulation of furniture, metal, and glass scraps into art.

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up front/memo

Curve Appeal

time and generously uses glass to bathe the exhibition spaces with natural daylight.

Architectural giant BIG won the Greenland National Gallery of Art competition with a truly innovative design that already has the design community buzzing.

The new museum, set against the stunning backdrop of one of Greenland’s most arresting fjords, will combine historical and contemporary art of the country in one dynamic institution. The structure is distinguished by its geometrically perfect circular courtyard building and harmonious interplay with its surroundings. Conceived as a perfect circle projected on to the sloping topography, the museum will be constructed of white concrete that will weather over

THE Paris ‘Eggmobile’ What’s a designer to do when one’s country has been invaded by Hitler’s Nazis and there are fuel shortages everywhere? Why build the first electric bubble car (see right) of course! Paul Arzens was a painter who studied at Paris’s Fine Arts School. He turned to industrial design specializing in trains and automobiles. Needing efficient and cheap

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ABOVE: With its dramatic silhouette, the gallery will serve as an architectural and cultural icon for the country.

Renderings: BIG.

The gallery will play a pivotal role as a cultural and architectural icon for the region. Bjarke Ingels, BIG founder and partner, describes the inspiration behind the design: “The Danish functionalistic architecture in Nuuk is typically square boxes which ignore the unique nature of Greenland. We therefore propose a national gallery which is both physically and visually in harmony with the dramatic nature, just like life in Greenland is a symbiosis of nature.

We have created a simple, functional, and symbolic shape, where the perfect circle is supplied by the local topography which creates a unique hybrid between the abstract shape and the specific location.”

The firm teamed up with TNT Nuuk, Ramboll Nuuk, and Arkitekti on the unanimously winning design. The project was chosen from invited proposals from six Nordic architects.

transportation for his war-torn country, he designed, what he affectionately called, L’Oeuf (“The Egg”). The three-wheeled auto was made of aluminum and Plexiglas—a relatively new material at the time that was being used for airplane cockpits by both the Allies and the Axis. Arzen’s egg weighed a mere 132 pounds. It was powered by a 125cc electric motor that could whisk two people down the Champs-Élysées at more than 40 miles an hour.

Arzens hoped to mass produce L’Oeuf , which never occurred.

He turned his attentions to designing the first generation of France’s vaunted TGV trains. But he used his lovable little electric car up to his death in 1990.

L’Oeuf is now on permanent display at the Cité de l’Automobile, in Mulhouse, France. —Alan Oakes

Photo: Warwick Penn Bradly.

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up front/memo

Tweet, Tweet Eco-artist and designer Sarah Turner, the winner of Inhabitat’s 2010 Spring Greening Contest, has channeled her considerable creative powers into light installations. And she’s generating quite the following.

Known for her decorative lighting products made from discarded plastic bottles, Turner’s latest project, “Twitter Ball,” is a giant sphere made from 562 re-used bottle ends, each one meticulously cut and attached by hand. An LED was placed inside each bottle and connected to Twitter. When certain words were tweeted, such as “recycling” and “ocean,” the Twitter Ball flashed in different colors.

Besides its visual and artistic appeal, the project has a heart too: it was created for a nonprofit organization researching ways to reduce the Plastic Vortex, a patch of plastic the size of France and Germany combined, floating in the North Pacific.

The project was streamed live and each time the message was re-tweeted, $1 was donated to the organization and its noble ecological cause.

Visual Feast A provocative exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago ending July 20 reimagines the term “hyperlink,” broadening its definition to apply to the increasingly blurry lines between architects and designers. The exhibit conveys how these professionals are using new technologies and materials to transform the landscape in imaginative and sustainable ways.

Outlandish creations from avant-garde architects and designers from around the world comprise the exhibit, and several of the showcased projects have an environmental tilt, including L-shaped units from Japanese architect Shigeru Ban made of recycled paper and plastic that morph into anything from a bench to a table. Digital renderings from Parisian artist Matali Crasset depict a cluster of white buildings reminiscent of trees humanizing an otherwise desolate stretch of highway. Definitely food for thought.

TOP: Ross Lovegrove’s Alpine Capsule Project.

Animation: Ross Lovegrove.

BOTTOM: Matali Crasset’s Spring City in Mexico. Image: Achille and Colombe Cahen Salvador and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac.

HIVE Revolution secret garden What do secret gardens look like today? This is the question inspiring entries for the 12th edition of the Jardins de Métis competition in Quebec, which calls for designers and architects to create temporary gardens that exemplify the latest in landscape design and environmental art. A total of 194 proposals were submitted to answer this year’s question, the brainchilds of more than 500 architects, landscape architects, designers, and artists representing 33 countries.

Their “answers” ranged from gardens made of salt to gardens created by visitors’ smartphones, as shown above.

The festival began this past June and ends on October 2011.

ABOVE: Francis Bitonti and Andrew Zientek’s ingenious proposal utilizes guests’ smartphones.

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The concept behind Houston’s HIVE village is as ambitious as it is altruistic: to design and build a sustainable, inhabitable, living work of art— and architecture—created out of recycled steel shipping containers. A whopping 486 of them, to be exact.

Spearheaded by creative director Nestor Topchy, an early champion of the concept of social sculpture, where artists would live and work in special communities, Topchy was struck by the “Lego block practicality and austere beauty” of shipping containers back in the ’90s, when he saw rows of containers stacked high in the Houston Ship Channel and begin contemplating the promise of such a utilitarian structure.

The village, inspired by artists and environmentalists, will be built in four phases and will ultimately comprise office, studio, retail, restaurant, and residential spaces. Is this the prototype for the future of responsible building and living practices?

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up front/defined design

CONTAINER ARCHITECTURE Signaling a shift in the architectural and design world toward more simplistic—but no less innovative—building blocks, repurposed shipping containers have emerged as the new darlings of firms worldwide. Virtually indestructible, affordable, design-friendly, and environmentally conscious, what’s not to love? We salute some of the most arresting manifestations of this alternative form of architecture, from a VIP music lounge to a hybrid clinic/library to a single-family residence.

Voodoo Music and Art Festival Deck & VIP Lounge New Orleans A shipping container project for the 2009 and 2010 Voodoo Music and Art Festival in New Orleans stole the show with its ingenious design scheme. Instead of building a grand stand from traditional scaffolding, Stefan Beese of RE:BE Design used six 40-feet-long shipping containers to create a large viewing deck and a VIP lounge area with concession stands at the bottom of the structure. Two cantilevered top containers, spanning nine feet on each side, housed two bars and a balcony. This area was created to provide a prime elevated viewing platform for festival visitors.

Each container was perforated with cut outs—spelling “voodoo”—to create different viewpoints and service area openings. In addition, the structure’s large openings became signage for the event itself. In 2010 the container structure was improved with the addition of a 10-foot ADA lift leading up to the top deck. Festival visitors were able to enjoy performances by the likes of Ozzy Osborne, Muse, and My Morning Jacket from the elevated deck, cantilevered balconies, and ottomans inside the bottom container lounge, which created a club-like atmosphere. The containers will continue to be reused in a similar layout and will provide storage space during the year until the next installation. Background Photo: Melissa Carrier. Rendering: Stefan Beese.

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design Stefan Beese, RE:BE Design Seyavash Zohoori, 3D Design client 2009 and 2010 Voodoo Music Experience— Rehage Entertainment Inc. project execution & container construction Reed Ingram and Bev Inc. container build out Revitaliztion.LLC operation & services Bev Inc. lighting See-Hear Productions Inc.

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up front/defined design

Contertainer Batu, Indonesia As its name implies, the Contertainer project is an entertaining array of containers. Designed by dpavilion architects of Surabaya, Indonesia, the colorful containers—painted in shades of yellow, blue, and light green—is a public facility housing both a polyclinic and a library for the town of Batu. Containers were selected as the primary construction element because of their practical and affordable qualities. Being hollow blocks with standardized sizes also made containers an appealing choice since they allowed for more daring design implementations. On a more symbolic note, the fact that the containers had traveled around the globe also made it a more alluring choice for a library.

The designers celebrate the containers’ dynamic form through a twisted, non-linear composition, enhanced with supporting columns placed incongruently.

architect dpavilion architects COMPLETION DATE 2008 CLIENT Ronny Sendjojo SITE AREA 7,500 square feet PROJECT TEAM Khamawardhana Heksa Putera, Edwin Nafarin, Kartika Ciputera structural engineer Junaedi Masil & Associate website dpavilionarchitects.com

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up front/defined design

Redondo Beach Container Home Redondo Beach, California This single-family home, designed by DeMaria Design Associates Inc., redefines California cool with a seemingly simple structure composed of eight repurposed cargo containers of varying lengths. The recycled containers serve as the building block for this award-winning custom home, which also weaves together materials and methods from other industries: Airplane hangar doors lead to an underground swimming pool—also made out of a cargo container—in the courtyard. The building employs conventional stick frame construction and prefab assemblies to create a truly hybrid, environmentally responsible, and affordable home. With virtually indestructible containers, ceramic-based insulation borrowed from NASA, prefabricated metal roof panels, formaldehyde-free plywood, and tankless hot-water heaters, the home represents an exciting direction for the future of architecture. In fact, the project inspired a new residential product line called Packaged Architecture that launched in 2008.

architect Peter DeMaria, AIA awards 2007 AIA Honor Award for Design Excellence / Special Innovation completion date 2007 builder Westmont Construction / DeMaria Construction photography Andre Movsesyan website demariadesign.com

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I hope the work I touch in the future somehow can help redefine how we, as a society, ultimately measure quality.

HOK Atlanta’s John Cantrell discusses our growing sensitivity to place, collective participation, and how his interiors help companies align intentions with reality

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PHOTO: Brian Smith, Mai Phung.

verbatim

Up Close & Personal What was your first job?

Working for a small-town carpenter doing miscellaneous repairs for landlords. My first job out of college was working for HOK Atlanta.

If you weren’t a designer, what would be your alternate career?

Probably a writer, or a composer.

What inspires you?

Other designers, of course, but I would have to say that movies probably inspire me more than anything else. They use the power of telling stories, narrative, creative visuals, composition, and almost every other creative field to use reflections and point of view to shed light on ourselves and our actions as a species. Movies are the most interesting cultural legacy of our time.

Describe yourself in three words.

Thoughtful, grounded, and kind.

What is your hidden talent?

Screaming loudly at football games.

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John Cantrell How buildings impact groups of people in a work environment has become a passion for John Cantrell, and so has “collective participation in design.” Cantrell is an interior designer and sustainable design manager at HOK Atlanta, a global architectural and design firm with a heavy emphasis on sustainability. Founded in 1955, the company— and Cantrell—stand today at the crossroads of environmental homage and new forms of design.

I’m an interior designer by formal education, but my experience so far has taken me across quite a few disciplines—just the way I like it.

I’ve been able to contribute to projects in urban planning, architectural design, product design, and branding. The presence of anthropology, technology, and sustainable design are an obsession of mine in connecting the dots between how our buildings impact groups of individuals through the lens of data, technology, media, and culture. I hope the work I touch in the future somehow can address these areas to help redefine how we, as a society, ultimately measure quality.

My very first job was during the summer when I was about 15, working for a small-town carpenter doing miscellaneous repairs for landlords making home improvements. My first job out of college was working for HOK Atlanta, but there have been several jobs in between that were important to my point of view and development as a designer.

I contemplated architecture for a while, yet it seemed to me that most architectural work was on such a large scale—physically—that it’s possible to lose sight of how people react to their environments. Interiordesign projects were much faster-paced than architecture and more connected to people in terms of solving problems of scale. However, that was a dogma I held back then. Good architecture and interiors respond to each other in a way that maintains some relevance to the human condition, both physically and mentally.

Movies and films probably inspire me more than anything else these days. They use the power of telling stories, narrative, creative visuals, and composition to shed light on ourselves and our actions as a species. Movies are the most interesting—and fairly new—cultural legacy of recent times. I was also very much inspired by architects and designers such as Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Tony Dunne, Fiona Raby, Natalie Jeremijenko, and Greg Lynn, to name a few.

verbatim

RIGHT: The reception area for Sony Ericsson consists of a “customer experience center” that gives visitors the chance to meet and relax in a daylight-filled space that has a retail-like atmosphere. The project is pending LEED Silver certification. Photo: SkyDesign.

BELOW: The LEED Gold lobby for the Bacardi USA Inc. headquarters takes formal and artistic cues from mid-century roots found in the company’s buildings in Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Miami. Photo: Gabriel Benzur Photography.

People are taking back their work environment as a place that works for them. Building high-performance workplaces has become important in the past few years, but not for the reasons you might expect. Adding clarity should be something we excel at as workplace professionals. This is about aligning a company’s actions with its intentions of providing authentically adaptable and flexible use and function of work space—yet with longevity in the quality of buildings, form, and materiality. Interior designers have been considered the “makers of form” for a long time, and this profile is dying more every day as we help innovate ideas and processes into connections for the physical world, both inside and out.

There’s more greenwashing than ever before because everyone’s trying to innovate. As designers, we have to be knowledgeable about the compositions of these so-called “sustainable” products because people trust our opinions. What’s starting to surface is the importance of third-party certifications. I believe that verification is one of the most important parts of this process, and I am always pushing for third-party certification even in selection and specification of our materials and assemblies. An example of this would be ecoScorecard, ... a tool that compares multiple sustainable products and simplifies the designerselection process by identifying what is important to the designer on a particular project. Bio­logically inspired design is another way to address how nature can solve environmental and product problems in interconnected systems that already exist in the physical world. Hopefully we will bring more biologists to the design table, ultimately because their input is relevant to our work.

I absolutely think that design can affect change, not just support it.

I’ve been thinking about collective participation in design for years; you could almost say it’s my hobby. More than ever, the general public is developing a sensitivity to place, not only where they work, but also where they live and play. How to connect with friends online and offline, neighborhoods, and collective information are all areas in which designers can have an impact by revealing those cultures and behaviors through art and experimentation, especially in the public realm.

—as told to Joyce Finn

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verbatim

We are ready to hear criticism.

It’s a lesson learned.

You put yourself out there and take the knocks.

George Watt has led the design of several one-of-a-kind, sustainable communities, but this wasn’t always the case— the architect discusses his serendipitous path to Boulder and his part in the formation of its Green Building Guild

Award-winning architect George Watt thrives on witnessing the life cycle of the homes he builds. As owner of Colorado-based, seven-year-old George Watt Architecture, Watt has learned that creating net-zero projects means more than just following a checklist of criteria. Instead, the pursuit of sustainability has given him the chance to integrate beauty and performance, making each home a natural extension of its neighborhood. Watt’s own personal road to architectural success began on a road trip that would ultimately change his life.

When I was about 17 years old, I hitchhiked my way out of New York to the sunny state of California. Or at least that was the plan. On the way there, I ran out of money. I ended up landing in Colorado, where I was lucky to begin working with a local builder. It was then that I learned not so much how to build, but instead, why I wanted to build.

After attending architectural school, I took an internship with an accomplished local architect by the name of Jim Logan. He really knew the foundation of architecture and had a wonderful understanding of all the players in the process. I’ve taken what I learned from him and applied it whenever I can.

Up Close & Personal What was your first job?

I was an apprentice to a saddle maker.

If you weren’t an architect, what would be your alternate career?

Since we’re dreaming here, I would say a professional baseball player.

What inspires you?

Nature. She’s had all this figured out for some time now.

Describe yourself in three words.

Father, builder, dreamer.

What is your hidden talent?

I can cut a dovetail joint with a handsaw.

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PHOTO: Daniel O’Connor.

Goals are so focused on net-zero buildings these days that we may be missing out on our original purposes. Monitoring what we are building can help us determine how we really did. I think it’s the most important question you can ask in terms of the whole green-building evolution.

It’s not just about looking at metrics and such. Instead, it’s taking into account people’s comfort. Are the people living there happy and comfortable? Is the home warm and inviting? I think it’s very easy to lose track of how the people feel in their spaces. It’s something we need to keep in mind during the design process.

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Our Spring Leaf project was a small step in the direction I ultimately would love our company to go. It was a first-of-its-kind community made up of 12 net-zero homes built in Boulder, Colorado, within the existing pattern of the neighborhood. Occupants will pay next to nothing for utilities and for most months will generate more energy than they consume.

They are modern homes with a warm and welcoming feel, spacious front porches, and windows that capture views of the mountains.

From a very complicated set of design criteria came one of the most dynamic neighborhoods in the country: the Holiday neighborhood project in Boulder. I truly enjoyed leading a combination of nonprofit groups, developers, architects, bankers, and builders who partnered with our local housing authority to create a wonderful mix of homes, businesses, restaurants, and parks. It is a true muse environment. Right in the middle of the neighborhood, you can find a bike maker and a violin maker working on their craft as people walk by. It’s exactly the kind of place we had envisioned, where people would engage with one another and get out of their house in order to create a real community.

The Ridge at Chukker Creek was a memorable project for all of us. A green residential and equestrian community in Aiken, South Carolina, I designed four high-performance home prototypes that were used to build 300 homes in the neighborhood. I was about 45 years old when I started this particular project, and I remember how I had builders 60 and 70 years old who looked at me like I was from Mars when I described that every home will be zero energy. The original intent was to have the homes crafted by boutique builders, but now with the economy, these companies can’t get loans, so it is being taken over by larger, better capitalized builders who are embracing high-performance building systems for the first time.

The Boulder Green Building Guild began about six years ago, when a group of us started talking about our desire to get a better understanding of Colorado’s green code. Before you knew it, there we were—architects, engineers, construction workers. Finally, we were able to join together all of this talent in town and begin to exchange ideas.

We quickly realized that we all thought we had the right idea, but no one was challenging or questioning one another as to if we really had a real understanding of how the systems were working and what the impact was. It was through the discussions that ensued, where we shared information, challenged each other, and then put the vetted ideas out to our respective communities, that we saw real change. We now have more than 600 members.

Personally, I like when a homeowner picks up the phone. We are ready to hear criticism. Especially when things don’t work the way they were supposed to. It’s a lesson learned. You put yourself out there and take the knocks, especially now since clients are more savvy than ever.

I’m always thinking about what’s next. I would love to keep doing what we are doing now, but on more of a neighborhood scale, or perhaps a city-block-retrofit scale. Seeing the entire life cycle of these homes is going to be the motivation to continue doing what we are doing.

—as told to Tricia Despres

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discussion board

Old Truths and New Forms Norman Foster’s Zayed National Museum employs technology long used by Iranian masons. Is this the architectural answer for extreme regions?

In the latter half of the late 19th century, the harvesting and trading of pearls flourished along the coasts of the Arabian Gulf.

A merchant class migrated from present day Iran across the gulf to the shores of what is now the nation of the United Arab Emirates in search of the most fertile oyster beds to ply their trade. These pearl merchants brought with them a collection of workers to make their businesses successful—everyone from pearl divers to ironworkers to the masons who constructed their homes, which were also their places of business.

Zayed—the much beloved first president of the United Arab Emirates—he would use the wind tower as the central element of his design.

“This is a centuries-old tradition, where you build a tower because the air aloft...you’ll catch a gentle breeze,” recalls Foster. “The floor of the desert can be dead still.”

Foster has worked for decades in this region of the world. His team studied ancient architectural practices, asking—as Foster puts it—“How do we tap into the knowledge of the waves of humanity who have tamed the desert in an age before you could buy a cheap air conditioner and cheap gasoline and throw energy at it mindlessly? How did they create communities, habitats—inside and outside—that were pleasant?”

The masons who accompanied the pearl merchants constructed homes in typical Iranian coastal architecture. Homes were generally one story with a large tower—sometimes 50 feet high—topping the edifice. These towers had one purpose: to aide in cooling the buildings below. The masons had discovered that air currents increased the higher they went, so they built these towers to channel cooler breezes to the living spaces below. So admired was this method that the sheikhs who ruled the Arabian Peninsula began commissioning wind towers for their own palaces.

Foster recently used the results of this research significantly in his experimental desert metropolis, Masdar City, situated on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. There he employed many ancient technologies, including the wind tower, to make Masdar City the first city in the world that is completely sustainable—with a zero-carbon and zero-waste ecology.

It is quite fitting then that when present day architect Norman Foster imagined a plan for the national museum honoring the late Sheikh

“Use the massing, the orientation, the shade, the insulation, the materials, and the way in which we control the environmental systems

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“If we look at central Abu Dhabi, it’s actually hotter than the desert.

Why? Because of those vast areas of reflective glass. Because these are imports from a totally alien environment.”

—Norman Foster, Founder, Foster + Partners

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Zayed National Museum

discussion board

TOP: Looking south to the illuminated Zayed National Museum.

LEFT: Among the “wings,” the museum’s large solar chimneys.

RIGHT: View from the north, showing the partially submerged structure.

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discussion board

Zayed National Museum

RIGHT: The “wings” of Foster’s Zayed National Museum recall Sheikh Zayed’s love of falconry.

Experts Weigh In On the delicate architectural dance between old and new: “An architect is always connected to the past, and is always connected to the future. You need the past because you need memory. But you need invention as well. In some ways, you have to be grateful to tradition. As an Italian, I’m very grateful to my tradition. But at the same time, I hate tradition. An excess of tradition may kill you, may actually paralyze you. So you need a kind of bond between gratitude of the past and a desire of invention—curiosity for the unknown.”

—Renzo Piano, Renzo Piano Building Workshop

converting waste into energy—all of those reduce the amount of energy,” he says. “Then we need to bring it up to an acceptable level of comfort today. So it is the essence of doing more with less and starting with the lessons of history.” In designing the Zayed National Museum, Foster attempted not to fall prey to the traps that have beset other modern architects who have worked in the region. He casts a critical eye on Abu Dhabi itself: “If we look at central Abu Dhabi, it’s actually hotter than the desert,” he notes. “Why? Because of those vast areas of reflective glass. Because these are imports from a totally alien environment.

They have nothing to do with the desert, the areas of black tarmac. This is totally uninhabitable space. It is more uninhabitable than the desert itself.”

Wind towers are indigenous and have been traditionally used in two ways. In the first, the tower, which has a flat roof, is open on one side to catch the prevailing breeze, which is funneled down through a more-narrow hole, to speed the air flow into the dwelling below.

Foster used this style of tower in Masdar.

The second technique calls for placing the opening of the tower away from the prevailing breeze and using the tower as a solar chimney. Air enters an opening on the base of the

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wind side of the structure, is drawn down to subterranean levels, many times where the air passes over an underground canal, called a qanat, and then is filtered up into the structure and drawn out of the tower opening.

The program for Zayed National Museum calls for the main gallery space to be buried in a mound of earth, which will transformed into a desert oasis. Above the mound rises five wingshaped wind towers, the tallest being more than 420 feet tall. The towers’ wing shapes symbolically recall Zayed’s love of falconry but are also functional—in reality, they are sophisticated solar chimneys.

“The air goes down through tubes below the level of the desert, because below ground, like a cellar, it cools the air,” he explains. The “aerodynamic sails...will absorb the heat of the sun, and they will create the warm air, which will rise.”

Foster’s National Museum is very much an example of taking old truths and employing them in new forms. By studying the early building techniques of ancient peoples, Foster has discovered great economies for today. As Foster says, “It’s very much about sustainability and moving to a zero-energy concept.”

—by Alan Oakes

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Cultural Revolution Rachel Madan is in the business of convincing the cultural sector that sustainability is a must in the 21st century. She says it’s never been more important—or easier.

Rachel Madan is on a mission to help change the way museums and cultural institutions create sustainable environments. Over the last decade, she’s worked with some of the most famous museums in the world to enhance their sustainability efforts. As executive director of Greener Museums, a consulting company that works specifically in the cultural sector, Madan hopes to continue achieving larger, longerlasting changes. To date, Greener Museums’s programs have helped museums save more $500,000 in costs, cut more than 1,000 tons of carbon, and attract more than $200,000 in new sustainability funding.

There are a number of issues that Madan sees as the keys to unlocking the sustainability potential lurking in the cultural sector, museums in particular: client education, creating a strategic plan, and making a case for funding.

“One of the biggest challenges today is educating museums and helping them develop a long-term vision,” Madan says. “A commercial building is made to last maybe 25 years. But a museum can be an important part of the community for 50 or 100 years—or more. The question is how do you plan for that? There’s a lack of communication up front because the museums may not know what’s possible, and they don’t let their architecture firms know what they’d like to achieve. We work with museums to envision their sustainable future using tools

ABOVE: Interior of London’s Tate Moden, which is currently undergoing a green transformation.

BELOW: Rachel Madan, author of Sustainable Museums: Strategies for the 21st Century, is helping green the curatorial sphere.

such as scenario analyses. The museums might not ever completely reach all of their goals, but they’re able to identify some of those major goals to begin to take action.”

She points to on-site renewable energy as an example. If this wasn’t part of the initial building design, it may not be possible to implement or may be expensive to execute. “If that’s the case, you can try other tactics to make the building as energy-efficient as possible.”

Other sustainable strategies can include using recycled building materials or reclaimed wood in renovation or new construction projects.

“It all comes down to planning ahead,” Madan says, adding that often people look at a standard like LEED and never consider sustainability again. “Museums aren’t thinking about how things might change today—or 20 years from now. One issue to look at is how to engage community groups and how the space can be an anchor in the community from an environmental- as well as social-sustainability standpoint.”

Madan says that in some museums and their galleries, there may only be a few visitors a day, yet the space is fully lit. Madan’s team works with museums to identify traffic flow, space usage, and their environmental impacts, as well as subsequent mitigation strategies.

“Thirty or 40 years ago, a lot of museums adopted the latest ‘technology,’ only to find out today that it’s energy intensive and expensive to fix,” she says. “Thankfully, systems are much different today, and I would encourage museum clients and their architectural firms to look into the ways they can improve their energy efficiency and sustainability.”

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Madan’s exuberance doesn’t just extend to new buildings. She’s also passionate about helping museums develop green-retrofit and temporaryexhibit policies. “It all depends on what you’re doing,” she says. “What is going in the space?

How will it be used? Will it be temporary or will it have an educational component? Most people think that exhibitions are all the same.

But they’re not. There’s permanent versus traveling versus outdoor. If it’s only going to be around for a month or two, the museum may want it to be constructed so that it can be torn down and recycled easily.”

Another challenge is lack of staff to support a museum’s sustainability efforts. Museums tend to run lean operations—many directors and managers are doing the jobs of three or four other staff members. They don’t have the time to think about and plan sustainable activities. And like any organization, museums are concerned about funding. Sustainability may often seem like an expensive proposition, and though someone at the museum may have looked into green design 10 years ago and found it to be impossible, things have changed substantially over the years.

“There are now new, better-quality green products on the market that increase a building’s longevity and energy footprint,” Madan explains. “Sustainability projects do pay for themselves. The problem for most organizations is in making the case. I have found that it’s getting easier to make the sustainability-funding case, given broad enough thinking about what sustainability is, what the museum wants to achieve, and the impact that those efforts can have.” —by Anne Dullaghan

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launch pad

Good Things in Store Reclaim Design, a new service from some experienced retailers, combines the use of cutting-edge green materials with the upcycling of older materials for a unique aesthetic launched 2010 location Menlo Park, CA distinction Green residential and commercial design services, eco-friendly materials website reclaimhome.com

Who: A partnership between three unique women, who all are passionate about green living, Reclaim Design is the amalgam of their shared knowledge of the built environment—and a way to give their community the benefits of multiple areas of expertise.

Bridget Biscotti Bradley, an author and editor, has produced more than 20 home improvement and decorating books and written or co-authored nine more. Holly Durocher has a degree in interior architecture from University of California–Davis and has become an expert in designing and sourcing eco-friendly furnishings and finish materials. And Evan Pruitt, who has a master’s degree in architecture from the University of California–Berkeley, designed and managed the construction of a contemporary straw-bale house in Chile, which has since been selected to participate in two noted exhibitions, the 2010 Chilean Bienal and the 2010 Venice Biennale.

What: Reclaim Home had been selling ecofriendly building and design materials for almost three years before Bradley, its owner, decided to develop a design-services firm.

“A lot of customers came into the store who wanted to do an eco-friendly remodel but needed guidance on pulling the project together,” Bradley says. “As retailers, we were able to help them to some extent, but we wanted to take a more hands-on approach and offer one-on-one design services. With the launch of Reclaim Design, we have the ability to be a full-service design firm: we can do conceptual and three-dimensional drawings, develop designs, source materials, and oversee construction. But we’re unique in that we do it all with an emphasis on healthy and sustainable materials.”

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When: Bradley and her husband Kirk opened Reclaim Home in March 2008. Durocher joined the business later that year, and in 2010, Pruitt came on board to help officially launch Reclaim Design. In 2011, the trio started selling products on the Reclaim Home website, and next year, they hope to launch their own furniture line. “It’s hard to find upholstered furniture made with all natural materials and not treated with any chemical flame retardants,” Bradley says. “We sell one such line in the store, and we’re working on designing some reclaimed wood pieces that meet our high environmental and indoorair-quality standards in a style we think our customers will love.”

Where: Bradley, Durocher, and Pruitt operate Reclaim Design from their store in Menlo Park, California, and say many customers are local. One client, for example, operates a personal training studio just down the street.

“The client wanted to expand and rebrand as a gym that makes his clients feel like they’re exercising in nature,” Pruitt says. “We helped them select eco-friendly materials and a natural color palette.”

Why: While Bradley, Durocher, and Pruitt all have their own specialties within eco-friendly design, they all share a common vision. “One thing we do that is really unique is look at environmentalism more broadly than many designers do,” Durocher says. “For example, we don’t always advocate using new materials, because sometimes upcycling older materials is the more eco-friendly approach. In fact, part of what gets me really excited about this venture is helping clients look at things they already own that could be used in a new way.”

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Reclaim Design

launch pad

OPPOSITE PAGE: In the Reclaim Home showroom, customers peruse eco-friendly building materials and furniture. This sectional is made of FSC-certified wood, natural rubber, wool, and organic cotton.

RIGHT: In this Palo Alto, California, living room, Holly Durocher used eco-friendly upholstered furniture, woven bamboo flooring, vintage and reclaimed wood tables, and no-VOC paint.

Photo styling: Laura Del Fava.

BELOW: The ladies of Reclaim Design (from left): Bridget Biscotti Bradley, Evan Pruitt, and Holly Durocher.

“One thing we do that is really unique is look at environmentalism more broadly than many designers do.”

—Holly Durocher, Decorator

Pruitt expands on that point while discussing a current project, “These clients work for NASA and are interested in using industrial materials, so we’re looking at how we can transition factory objects into tables, chairs, and other household furnishings.”

ALL PHOTOS: Michele Lee Willson.

How: Since launching Reclaim Design in 2010, Bradley, Durocher, and Pruitt have had to do little marketing, thanks to their existing visibility in the community and word of mouth. “People usually come into the store and ask for help on a project, or see design services advertised on our website,” Bradley says. “We have, however, started promoting some design packages. For example, we have a package where we source healthy and sustainable materials for people who don’t have the time to research options that can replace the conventional products they’ve already specified. We also have some fixed-rate packages that provide one look for one room, which are great for kick-starting a remodel.”

—by Julie Schaeffer

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details

A Promise Fulfilled Led by Carrie Strickland and Bill Neburka, Works Partnership Architecture has designed some of this era’s most striking and sustainable structures by unearthing the potential in every project

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“We work to find the simplicity in things, because in that simplicity will be an economy of means. In that economy is a truth, and in that truth there can be profound beauty.”

From her statement, one gathers that Carrie Strickland, principal at Works Partnership Architecture, is not only passionate about her work, but one of the leading minds in today’s architectural milieu.

Strickland and her partner, Bill Neburka, formed Works Partnership Architecture (W.PA) in 2005 as “an open design studio dedicated to unearthing the potential in each site and building through a pragmatic yet unconventional approach.” Today, the company has grown to 10 professionals and is considered one of Portland, Oregon’s leading practices. Strickland and Neburka’s designs include everything from residential projects

to large-scale commercial work; the firm’s soon-to-be built Theatre 300b project serves as a 2,000-seat music venue, built primarily for rock music.

Since its inception, W.PA has focused on upholding the natural environment and serving local needs through its design work. “W.PA strives to implement sustainable design on a relevant scale,” Strickland says, “[one] that incorporates both social and economic issues and draws in expertise from a variety of disciplines in order to refine and achieve these goals through active collaborations and internal LEED resources and personnel.” W.PA’s first project, the Olympic Mills Commerce Center, won the firm a “What Makes it Green?” award from the Seattle Chapter of the AIA. The award evaluates leading sustainable projects based on practical,

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Works Partnership Architecture All photos (unless otherwise noted): Stephen A. Miller.

The firm’s first project, the Olympic Mills Commerce Center, took a 1920s cereal mill and carefully breathed new life into it, repurposing when possible. It earned an award for its ecological sensitivity.

meaningful metrics, and exemplifies W.PA’s take on green. The award also recognized the firm’s unyielding commitment to ecologydriven land use, balance, adaptability, and place-based design, things W.PA considers for every project.

The Olympic Mills Commerce Center was originally built in the 1920s as a cereal mill, complete with an eight-story concrete grain elevator and wood grain cribs, which extended up through multiple floors. The 172,000-square-foot project was brought to W.PA five years ago to be renovated to allow for multiple, smaller, design-based tenants.

W.PA carefully considered the nature of the concrete frame and wood liners that made up the historic space and decided to arrange the tenant suites around a collection of open, daylit common spaces with views reminiscent of the open, original warehouse.

Besides elements like low-VOC paints and sealants, which W.PA uses in all projects, the architects focused on recycling as much of the original structure as possible—from the two-by-six, old-growth-fir floor deck to the existing skylight curbs, which were reopened for the four courtyards W.PA added and lined

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PREVIOUS PAGE: A night rendering of rock-‘n’-roll venue Theatre 300b, located in Portland, OR’s Central Eastside Industrial District.

TOP LEFT: View of an inner tenant space in W.PA’s Olympic Mills project. The new skylights and translucent courtyard liners allow daylight to filter into the innermost spaces.

TOP RIGHT: An all-over yellow paint scheme re-establishes the center as a beacon in the city’s industrial district. Image: W.PA. CENTER RIGHT: Looking up through the concrete and wood structure to the center’s new skylights in one of its four internal courtyards.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Corridors and catwalks connect tenants and visitors to the three second-level courtyards.

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W.PA’s much-lauded bSIDE6 project is a model of transit-oriented development—offering nearby bus and future rail lines and eschewing parking to further encourage public transit or bicycling.

Since its founding in 2005, W.PA has garnered 11 awards from the AIA and inclusion on Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard list.

with wood slats remilled from the salvaged decking. The architects also included shared amenities like exercise and locker rooms and indoor and outdoor bike parking.

In addition to designs that encourage bicycles, W.PA puts a strong emphasis on transit orientation. “Transit-oriented development is something promoted by Metro, a regional governmental group committed to the livability of the area,” Strickland says. “It provides funding for projects that respond to the need for urban density and accessibility of goods and services without the reliance of

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motor vehicles.” The firm’s bSIDE6 project, on the main thoroughfare of East Burnside Street, has been held up as a successful example of transit-oriented development—it is adjacent to bus and future rail lines and does not offer parking in order to promote the use of public transit and bicycle transport.

W.PA focuses on four main concepts when moving forward with a new green design: “site and building,” “less material, more sustainable,” “bringing the outside in,” and the “promise of technology.” For W.PA, green building is about using common sense—placing a building on a site where it can respond to its natural environment, or creating spaces that encourage tenants to utilize opportunities for fresh air, or using technologies that can save money and save the planet. These are no-brainers for Strickland and Neburka.

In the years since W.PA first opened its doors, the practice has received such recognition as the 57th Annual Progressive Architecture Award, a Rising Star Award in the Portland Spaces Root Awards, and mostly recently, an inclusion on Architectural Record’s 2010 Design Vanguard list, an annual compilation that profiles an international collection of 10 emerging

LEFT: View looking toward downtown at the north face of bSIDE6, adjacent to a historic arcaded façade along East Burnside.

RIGHT: View of tenant space on third floor.

Photo: W.PA.

firms—not to mention 11 awards from the AIA. The key to W.PA’s success has been in its ability to be both efficient and effective—to tailor a process that developers can understand. “Bottom lines and efficiencies are key,” Strickland concludes. “If you approach a design problem using these criteria as inspirations instead of constraints, it’s possible to gain unusual and positive results.” Finding inspiration in the bottom line is exactly what Strickland meant when she said she works to unearth the potential of every project.

—by Thalia A-M Bruehl

Seeking to “unearth each project’s potential,” W.PA’s Carrie Strickland says using the bottom line as an inspiration rather than a constraint is one way to discover new approaches.

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Not Afraid of Heights Under Lloyd Rosenberg’s visionary leadership, DMR Architects has navigated the last 20 years admirably and looks forward to greater challenges

Throughout its 20 years in business, DMR Architects has navigated the ups and downs of the economy—as well as the draught of funding for construction projects—with president and CEO Lloyd Rosenberg, AIA, at the helm.

The keys to the firm’s longevity? “We’re diversified in a wide range of areas—from education, commercial, public, and urban planning to heath care, residential, and sustainable building,” Rosenberg says. “So when one or two sectors are down, we’re able to focus on work in the others.”

The full-service architecture firm, based in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, specializes in design, programming, LEED certification, and construction administration. What started out as a three-person outfit in 1991 is now a thriving, 35-person firm—and one of the largest and most respected practices in the New York metropolitan area. Under Rosenberg’s guidance, the firm offers environmentally conscious consulting, and cutting-edge community and urban planning.

Over the years, DMR Architects has spearheaded significant and noteworthy projects

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DMR Architects has spearheaded significant projects in its home state of New Jersey, including Wesmont Station in Woodridge, SkyMark Corporate Towers in Ridgefield Park, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel.

in its home state, including Wesmont Station in Woodridge, SkyMark Corporate Towers in Ridgefield Park, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel.

One of the markets in which DMR Architects leads the field is in the design and construction of sustainable educational buildings. In 2006, the firm organized the work on the first LEED Silver-certified public school building, Carlstadt Public School. This 110,000-squarefoot, $22 million facility was also the first public building in Bergen County to receive

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DMR Architects

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One of the markets in which DMR Architects continues to lead the field is in the design and construction of sustainable educational buildings.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Carlstadt Public School was the first public building in Bergen County to earn LEED certification.

RIGHT: The Bergen County Public Saftey Operations Center expects a 21% energy savings.

LEED certification. That same year, the firm designed and built the LEED-certified St. Joseph’s School for the Blind in Jersey City, New Jersey. The project was unique in that it demanded extraordinary attention to design detail to ensure that the school fully met the needs of the faculty and the student body.

Newer noteworthy projects include sustainable design work for Middlesex Community College, Ocean County College, and the Bergen County Public Safety Operations Center.

In the fall of 2009, John C. Bartlett Jr. Hall opened its doors to the Ocean County College campus. This LEED Silver, 32,000-square-foot building contains 13 classrooms, student and staff lounges, and faculty and administrative offices. “With an eye toward the future, we designed enough space for 7,500 kilowatts of solar panels if the college chooses to install them,” Rosenberg says.

Less than two years later, in January 2011, Middlesex Community College dedicated its newest building to David B. Crabiel, who served on the freeholder board for 27 years

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A diversified portfolio that runs the gamut from commercial buildings to urban planning is key to the DMR’s longevity in a volatile economy.

and was a legend in the county and state. Crabiel Hall is a two-story, 36,000-square-foot building that holds 13 classrooms, four computer labs, two conference rooms, three meeting rooms, a student lounge, and a demonstration kitchen with a projection system so students can see up close what the instructor is showing. It also holds offices for the Division of Corporate and Community Education.

The building is environmentally friendly, with numerous features designed to save energy and conserve resources, including water reduction of 40 percent, building materials with 23 percent recycled content, and Energy

Star-rated light fixtures and high-efficiency windows. College officials expect the building to receive LEED Silver certification.

Outside the realm of higher education, the Bergen County Public Safety Operations Center serves as the emergency-management facility for the entire county. Since it is the command center for all area emergencies, DMR Architects knew it needed to ensure that the building was self-sustaining 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It included solar power backup, water, sleeping facilities, and a data center.

Green features include Energy Star-rated light fixtures, low-flow plumbing fixtures, highefficiency windows, and low-VOC interior products. The building is estimated to achieve a 21 percent energy savings.

“Every day is a different challenge,” says Rosenberg of the myriad design work his firm will continue to take on. “Architects are problem solvers. The bigger the challenge the more rewarding it is. The satisfaction out of solving problems makes an architect happy each day.”

—by Anne Dullaghan

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details ALL PHOTOS: D.A. Horchner.

Dawn of a New Methodology Design Workshop has created its own proprietary methodology to restore fragile ecosystems and shape awardwinning communities from New Mexico to Romania

In 1969, two professors from North Carolina State University, Don Ensign and Joe Porter, fulfilled their combined dream of opening their own landscape-architecture firm. The firm, Design Workshop, had been a goal for the two friends ever since they first met as classmates in college. Their first assignments, according to Becky Zimmermann, the president of Design Workshop, gave them “the chance to marry the idealism of academia with development realities and to begin a small professional practice.” Within a few years, Ensign and Porter relocated the firm to Aspen and quickly earned a reputation for solving the intricate problems often found in fragile ecosystems as well as the developmental challenges born of the western landscape.

“Over the last 40 years we’ve had the opportunity to expand the breadth and sophistication of our firm,” says Zimmermann of the firm she’s called home for the past 26 years.

“Our experience ranges from master plans for counties, planned communities, urban centers, and resorts to detailed design for public parks, residences, and roadways.” Zimmermann began her journey with Design Workshop as its director of marketing, then became the firm’s first COO in 1992.

Though Design Workshop has worked internationally since its inception, the firm has focused specifically on expanding its worldwide presence in the past few years. Today, international business counts for 20 percent of Design Workshop’s total accounts. The firm has worked on projects from Brazil and Georgia to Romania and Vietnam. It is currently working on a site design for residential towers and two million square feet of retail in Shenzhen, China; a tourism plan for the Petra region of Jordan; a landscape design for the LDS Temple in Sapporo, Japan; and the redevelopment of the commercial shipping port in Nassau, Bahamas.

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Design Workshop created its own methodology, DW Legacy Design—a proprietary process that seeks to imbue every project with the perfect balance of environmental, community, artistic, and economic viability.

Design Workshop has concentrated on using eco-friendly practices since it launched.

“Design Workshop has been engaged in leading sustainable development before there was a term for it,” Zimmermann explains.

“Sixty-five percent of our employees are LEED accredited, including all of the principals.

Design Workshop has a quadruple bottom line, setting goals and metrics with company operations in the areas of environmental, community, economics, and art. In our two largest offices, more than 60 percent of the employees take [public] transit to work. We can’t possibly work with developers and communities to become more green unless we are practicing it ourselves.”

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The Daybreak project in Utah embodies an innovative approach to storm-water management that will eventually save $70 million.

The landscape-architecture firm has recently heightened its international presence with projects in Brazil, The Bahamas, China, and more.

One of the firm’s projects, Daybreak, a 4,300-acre new community in South Jordan, Utah, will eventually save $70 million of impact fees from the city’s storm-water system. Design Workshop took an innovative approach to storm-water management, irrigation, parks, and open space, using natural drainages for hydrological functions and wildlife corridors, retaining all storm water onsite, and creating sub-watersheds.

At buildout, Daybreak will offer 13,700 residential units; include 9 million square feet of retail, office, and commercial space; and consist of 30 percent open space.

The firm, which was featured on Eye on America in a segment focused on “The New Face of Architecture and Sustainable Design and Practices for the 21st Century,” has even created its own methodology—DW Legacy Design. “This proprietary process seeks to imbue every project with the perfect balance between environmental sensitivity, community connections, artistic beauty, and economic viability,” Zimmermann says. “Projects

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OPPOSITE PAGE: A view across the field of Design Workshop’s Daybreak project, a 4,300acre new community in South Jordan, UT. RIGHT: An open plaza in Daybreak at dusk.

BELOW: Residents will enjoy views of Oquirrh Lake, located near the planned community.

that achieve this harmony are enduring places that make a difference for clients, society, the well being of the planet, and leave a legacy for future generations.”

In the last 10 years, Design Workshop has been honored with 10 ASLA Awards, as well as the Award of Excellence from the Urban Land Institute for three different projects: the planning and design of Blackcomb, British Columbia; the Little Nell Hotel and base area redevelopment in Aspen; and Kierland Commons in Scottsdale, Colorado. It also won Sunset Magazine’s Dream Garden Award for a private residence in Denver. The firm has published three books, New Gardens of the American West, Toward Legacy, and Garden Legacy, all which explore projects and designs from Design Workshop’s 90-person team.

The team, which is divided between six offices, is “committed to designing longlasting projects for its clients, society, and the environment,” Zimmermann adds. “From civic plazas to national parks and urban

centers, Design Workshop leads innovative planning and design solutions for new communities, golf and ski resorts, and urban redevelopment.” Current US projects include the redevelopment strategy for Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico and the Snowbasin Resort, which consists of approximately 12,000 acres near the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and spans both Weber and Morgan counties in Utah. —by Thalia A-M Bruehl

A MESSAGE FROM Mason & Morse Real Estate “The Concept 4012 team has the pleasure of working with Design Workshop on a number of current resort development projects to utilize our system. From boutique hotels, mixed-use infill projects, single-, and multifamily housing, we share the same drive to innovate and provide a high-quality product that our clients expect in these global resort areas. Time is money, but not at the expense of the best materials and sustainable design.”

—Balz Arrigoni & Bryan Peterson, Concept 4012

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A smart new way to build.

Quality

Sustainability

CONCEPT 4012 Green Energy-Efficient Custom Building Systems

Speed

www.concept4012.com (970) 479-1800

inner workings

2020 Gateway Sending a message to all of Sacramento, Bannon Investors’s new office building reached higher standards than it intended— a testament to constant collaboration

developer Bannon Investors architect LPAS Architecture + Design general contractor Harbison-Mahony-Higgins Builders property manager Colliers International location Sacramento, CA certification LEED Gold square feet 345,000 completion 2009

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With an operating mantra of “build green now or pay later,” it’s fitting that Bannon Investors has developed Sacramento’s first privately funded, LEED Gold-certified office building: 2020 Gateway. Located along Interstate 5, the 12-story, 345,000-square-foot structure intends to make a statement about sustainability to those traveling in and out of Sacramento.

“The message is that doing a green building makes sense from an economic standpoint,” says Scott Nichols, secretary and CFO of Bannon Investors. “Mandatory green building is the future.” Follow us as we go inside 2020 Gateway’s most outstanding features:

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inner workings 1/ A model of 2020 Gateway’s building site.

2/ The high-rise office tower set out to achieve LEED Silver but became the first privately funded LEED-CS Gold building in Sacramento.

3/ A mechanical rendering from above.

4/ These photovoltaic panels double as shading devices, helping the building exceed California’s Title 24 Energy Standards by 19%.

5/ Due to award-winning interior design, indoor air quality is equivalent to hi-tech clean rooms.

2020 Gateway design/ During its initial design, the goal for 2020 Gateway was to achieve LEED Silver certification; however continuous collaboration throughout the design process—between Bannon, the project architect, and the general contractor—helped it reach Gold certification with only a half-percent increase in total project costs.

“We approached all the designs on a cost basis,” says Curtis Owyang, vice president of LPAS Architecture + Design, the project architect. He adds that the skin, curtain wall, and glass of the building’s exterior was developed early in the design. “Because the contactor was there with us we could bounce ideas off each other,” he says. The collaboration also resulted in only two change orders during construction.

interior/ Featuring all-wood cherry paneling and primarily LED lighting, the interior core of the building makes use of a number of recycled materials. The interior finishes throughout the build contain recycled product, and the bathroom countertops are made of aluminum shavings that were previously industrial waste products. And all the building’s carpeting contains recycled content and is VOC free, as are the paints and adhesives.

Seventy-five percent of the building’s interior spaces have access to natural daylight and views. The air-filtration system is equivalent to hospital standards, creating an extremely healthy environment for those working inside.

According to Owyang, standard office air filters have an efficiency of plus or minus 35 percent. The filters within 2020 Gateway have an efficiency of 85–90 percent.

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inner workings water/ One of the more significant green-building features of 2020 Gateway is its 14 acres of landscaping, which require no potable water.

Instead, 100 percent of the irrigation water is recycled from the HVAC system.

“Part of achieving that success—no potable water used—was to look closely at the landscape palette,” says Bannon’s Nichols, who notes the landscape design also incorporates basins that filter storm-water runoff. Dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals were installed throughout the building, as were additional water-saving elements.

Because the building is a high-rise, Bannon was required to install an on-site water tank.

During the design phase it was decided to enlarge the tank from 9,000 gallons to 14,000 gallons. Collaborating with the contractor and local jurisdictions, Bannon quickly received the proper permits and approvals for this larger tank. When the building is fully leased, the landscaping and interior water-saving features will conserve 5.7 million gallons of water annually—equivalent to the annual water usage of 185 homes.

energy/ Designed to provide 5 percent of the building’s total power—when fully leased—photovoltaic panels are located throughout the parking lot and double as shade devices. The photovoltaic panels will create 187 kilowatthours of electricity per year, which equates to 46,000 tons of carbon, Nichols says.

future/ In the near future, once the demand for commercial office space has increased again, Bannon plans to build a mirror image of 2020 Gateway on the other side of Interstate 5, directly across from the current tower. At that point, Sacramento will have not one new green icon, but two. —by Erik Pisor

The building’s energy use will be 19 percent better than California’s Title 24 standard, which represents 86,646 fewer tons of carbon dioxide that would have otherwise entered the atmosphere every year.

In total, 71.6 percent of the electricity for the building’s core and shell will be produced from wind, solar, and geothermal power.

A MESSAGE FROM LPAS ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN With a 32-year history, LPAS Architecture + Design is leader in the design of sustainable and LEED projects and has 27 LEED projects certified or pending certification. The firm is responsible for a number of LEED milestones including the design and completion of the first privately funded LEED-certified building in Northern California (DPR/ABD Office Headquarters) and the first privately funded LEED-certified highrise in Northern California (2020 Gateway). www.lpasdesign.com

LEED Innovation: 100% of the irrigation water for the entire 14-acre site is recycled water from the HVAC cooling towers saving 5.7 million gallons annually.

ARCHITECTURE PLANNING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN GRAPHICS

2020 Gateway Tower Sacramento, California

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Architecture + Design First privately funded LEED high-rise in N. California.

T 916 443 0335 lpasdesign.com

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taking shape

SPACEPORT AMERICA

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As part of the next chapter in the American space program, Foster + Partners’s otherworldly design is grounded in regionally sensitive, sustainable principles

lead design architect Foster + Partners project manager / engineer URS Corporation

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local architect SMPC Architects owner New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) tenants Virgin Galactic, others location Sierra County, NM size 300,000 square feet, including apron targeted LEED status Gold estimated completion 2011 websites spaceportamerica.com virgingalactic.com

Foster + Partners is bringing outer space down to Earth with the Spaceport America, a project the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA), a state agency created to develop commercial space travel, is calling “the world’s first purposebuilt commercial spaceport.” The project, which launched in 2007, will house a number of space-related tenants, including Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic enterprise, which will ferry tourists into space and back on a $200,000 roundtrip journey expected to last 2.5 hours. Despite these otherworldly goals, the project will also address more Earthly concerns with a focus on sustainable design and construction that will hopefully lead it to achieve, at minimum, LEED Gold status upon completion. gb&d explores some of its key elements:

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Spaceport America

1, 2/ The low-lying structure aims to generate appreciation from the air.

3/ A rendering of the site plan. The project is located in state-owned desert in New Mexico.

4/ An east elevation to runway.

5/ Spaceport America will house a number of space-related tenants, including Virgin Galactic, which plans to shuttle adventurous tourists to outer space.

6/ An approximately 440,000-square-foot apron will surround the building, designed by Foster + Partners and SMPC Architects.

site/ The 300,000-square-foot site, located in a state-owned desert in New Mexico, 90 miles north of El Paso, Texas, will be divided into three zones: a western zone, which will house administrative facilities for the NMSA and Virgin Galactic; a central zone, which will serve as the operational heart of the facility (and contain a 47,000-square-foot double-height hangar); and an eastern zone, which will house dressing rooms, a departure lounge, a celebration area, and other such features (and contain an angled glass curtain wall with expansive views of the surrounding desert and sky). Surrounding the building will be an approximately 440,000-squarefoot apron.

taking shape

design/ Foster + Partners worked in partnership with engineering firm URS Corp. (which is known for its work on the Denver International Airport and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Marshall Space Flight Center) to design the 110,000-square-foot hangar and terminal facility. One goal was to ensure appreciation from the air, and to that end, the low-lying structure features a rolling, concrete roof that resembles a manta ray.

siting/ The building’s situation deep in the landscape will facilitate sustainability in several ways: it will exploit the thermal mass, buffer the building from the extremes of the New Mexico climate, and catch the westerly winds for natural ventilation.

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taking shape

7/ A drawing highlighting the ambitious project’s sustainable environmental design strategy.

8/ The expected LEED Gold facility aims to be completed this year.

Spaceport America

lighting/ The responsive façade and passive orientation of the spaceport will minimize solar heat gain while maximizing the view and allowing daylight in. Skylights will reduce use of electrical lighting by maximizing daylight, while high-performance, low-E glazing on a glass curtain wall will reduce heat transmission.

heating and cooling/ Heating and cooling will be assisted by utilizing passive energy. The west elevation will consist of a large earthen mound (with a mechanically stabilized retaining wall) that will contain approximately 2,000 linear feet of earth tubes, which will help pre-condition the ambient air as it enters the building’s HVAC system. Heating and cooling will also be supplemented through the underfloor radiant system with coils cast in the concrete slab.

construction/ The structural steel building, with three floors on the east and west sides, will rise 60 feet at its highest point. It will be built using local materials and regional construction techniques with a goal of improving air quality and visual comfort and reducing sickbuilding syndrome. It will also be sensitive to the local landscape: the state required construction to be sensitive to the nearby El Camino Rael de Tierra Adentro Trail as well as the two ranches located on the same leasehold.

—by Julie Schaeffer

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community

LEFT: The future site of a home for disabled veteran Lance Corporal Kade Hinkhouse, which will include a geothermal system from B.C. Building Services.

Natural Forces B.C. Building Services partners with nonprofit Homes for Our Troops to offer sustainable housing for wounded vets

organization Homes for Our Troops mission A national nonprofit organization that helps provide homes for veterans who have returned with injuries and disabilities after September 11, 2001 founded 2004 founder John Gonsalves website homesforourtroops.org

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With a mission to carry on the tradition of integrity and quality of service on which B.C. Building Services LLC was founded, Vice President Josh Slack is carrying the company forward and bringing others along with it. “We will always strive to employ the best people and provide the most efficient, cost-effective service and equipment, as well as offer the best warranties available to our customers,” Slack says.

Customers have taken notice: the company was named “Best of the Best” by Colorado Community Newspapers, and employees are seen as “family.” One way B.C. Building Services upholds its mission is through green projects like geothermal installations. At any given time, it has five geothermal systems underway, and the company has learned best practices for these installations in the cold winter climate of Colorado. Now it’s using that geothermal expertise for the good of a community-in-need—wounded veterans.

In October 2005, Marine Lance Corporal Kade Hinkhouse was in Ramadi, Iraq, patrolling on a late night mission. That night, his vehicle was hit by a dual stacked IED; the Humvee exploded, ejecting Hinkhouse and leaving him near death with injuries including a depressed skull fracture, collapsed lungs, and a severe leg injury. Now Lance Corporal Hinkhouse is the beneficiary of Homes for Our Troops, a charitable organization that helps build homes across the country for disabled veterans. Through donations of money, building materials, and professional labor, veterans like Hinkhouse are provided a home at no cost. So far the organization has built two homes in Colorado.

The home for Hinkhouse was completed recently in Elizabeth, Colorado, in part through the generous donation of B.C. Building Services. Donating both time and materials, Slack was able to offer his expertise in providing a closed-loop geothermal heating

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community

“We will always strive to employ the best people and provide the most efficient, cost-effective service and equipment, as well as offer the best warranties available to our customers.”

—Josh Slack, Vice President

B.C. Building Services, LLC was established in November 2000. We are a locally owned and family operated company. Our emphasis is custom residential and commercial new construction. Combined, the owners have over 30 years of experience in the heating and air conditioning industry.

B.C. Building Services, LLC takes pride in treating every customer as if they are our only customer. We go the extra distance to make sure our customers feel good about the products and services they pay for.

system for the new home of the Iraq veteran, which also took advantage of solar-photovoltaic panels.

The closed-loop system is a commonly used geothermal system in residential development, but it is particularly well adapted to the Denver area’s cold winters. “We drill down 200 feet into the ground per ton, and this particular system has four loops,” Slack explains.

“We did not disrupt a lot of soil, and we put everything in one trench that was about 60 feet long, not taking up a lot of land.”

Other geothermal systems using horizontal loops can be equally effective but require a greater area of land and become more problematic in cold-weather conditions. “Through trial and error, we have learned to drill the holes here in Colorado versus doing a large ground loop,” Slack says. “If we have a really cold winter, our frost level can get down to 4 or 5 feet. So if we have a large ground loop at 8 feet we are already at a disadvantage.

When we drill the holes at 73 feet, we have a constant 50-degree ground temperature, and that’s what we are looking for to come back to our units.”

Another home is planned for Army Sergeant Tim “TJ” Johannsen, who was on his second deployment when he was left a double amputee after an IED explosion in Iraq in June 2007.

B.C. Building Services will be making sure the home—slated to be constructed in 2011—is equipped with a state-of-the-art geothermal heating system as well. —by Scott Heskes

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air conditioning • heating • ductless systems • indoor air quality control humidifiers • air cleaners • programmable thermostats • water heaters • zone dampers • 24 hour emergency service

B.C. Building Services, LLC

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

(303) 646-9498 www.bcbuildingservices.com serving the denver metro & surrounding areas

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FEATURES 48/ ICONS OF LIGHT 64/ A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY

LIGHT WORKS. The innovative manipulation of lighting plays a significant role in MAXXI’s allure.

Photo: Bernard Touillon.

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green museums series

EXHIBITION

Today’s most enlightened exhibitors

story by Kelly Matlock Major advancements in technology and renewable energy—as well as the growing use of computers and digital imagery—have made feasible otherwise unachievable building designs. They have become sleeker, more efficient, and ultimately more sustainable. But museums have benefited not just from technological breakthroughs and creative minds, but from the public’s growing awareness of environmental issues and its expectation that civic institutions should lead the way. “We’re starting to see momentum in green building in museums, to the point where sustainable features are expected by the public, routinely examined by planning committees, and not always eliminated by ‘value engineering,’” explains Sarah Brophy, LEED AP, co-author of The Green Museum. “The museum-going public is very literate on this topic and, in the last few years, has come to expect museums to model sustainable practices as educational resources, and/or as charitable organizations operating in the public trust.”

So far the landscape has been dominated by the few museums whose missions are overtly committed to sustainability, who have stable political and funding connections, and who— by virtue of unique location, expertise, or existing partnerships—can embrace a new aspect of sustainability. “Those folks will lead the field into new practices that can be more easily replicated for others less well-situated to take such risks,” Brophy explains. “This is what has begun to move the field forward and what will help it regain momentum.” Honing in on the evolution of sustainable museum design over the last decade, gb&d launches a three-part series on the subject, looking at the essential elements of design: Light, Air, and Water + Earth. We discuss current trends and innovations that are changing the curatorial world forever.

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1/ Institut du Arabe.

2/ Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Photo: © Andy Ryan.

3/ MAXXI: National Museum of XXI Century Arts. Photo: Iwan Baan.

4/ North Carolina Museum of Art. Photo: flickr user_messyurbanist.

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PART I: ICONS OF LIGHT

In museum design, there are unique considerations when it comes to light. There is an acute need to limit and control glare and daylight窶馬ot only for the comfort and convenience of visitors, but to preserve aging art or artifacts over a long period of time.

Architects and building professionals have recently been able to leverage a host of new solutions for shade, daylighting, and solar power, many of which involve impressive digital technologies, complex engineering, and the creative use of glass. gbdmagazine.com

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Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art kansas city, missouri

The new Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art campus, which reopened to the public in June 2007, revolves around the Bloch Building, an aesthetically arresting and highly sustainable structure integrated into the surrounding landscape of the Kansas City Sculpture Park. Designed

by Steven Holl Architects, the museum’s transformation also involved the creation of a new parking garage and entrance plaza, the completion and opening of the Ford Learning Center, and numerous renovations and restorations of the original Nelson-Atkins Building.

The new museum campus fuses architecture and landscape, creating a unique visual and sensory experience for visitors. The addition extends along the eastern edge of the campus, and is distinguished by five glass lenses, traversing from the existing building through the Sculpture Park to form new spaces and angles of vision. The innovative merging of landscape, architecture, and art was executed through close collaboration with museum curators and artists, to achieve a dynamic and supportive relationship between art and architecture. As visitors move through the new addition, they will experience a flow between these forms, with views from one level to another, from inside to outside.

Light was a major focus since the museum requires controlled amounts of light in order to highlight its galleries and allow visitors comfortable viewing while also protecting its exhibits. For this project, lighting is not only functional but aesthetic, adding to the beauty of the museum, and it flows through the entire campus to illuminate each building and outdoor space. According to Steven Holl Architects, “The lenses’ multiple layers of translucent glass gather, diffuse, and refract light, at times materializing light like blocks of ice. During the day the lenses inject varying qualities of light into the galleries, while at night the sculpture garden glows with their internal light. The ‘meandering path’ threaded between the lenses in the Sculpture Park has its sinuous complement in the open flow through the continuous level of galleries below. The galleries, organized in sequence to support the progression of the collections, gradually step down into the park, and are punctuated by views into the landscape.”

The merging of architecture and landscape can also be seen in the selection of sustainable, environmentally friendly materials incorporated in the project. The terrazzo floor in the new building is made of recycled glass aggregate, and the gallery floors are FSC-certified wood. Local concrete plants provide precast and cast-in-place concrete and constitute more than 30 percent of the overall building materials.

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ALL PHOTOS: © Andy Ryan.

1/ Light was pivotal in the design scheme of the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

Controlled amounts of lighting were necessary to both highlight galleries and provide comfortable viewing conditions for visitors.

2/ The lenses’ multiple layers of translucent glass gather, diffuse, and refract light, at times materializing light like blocks of ice.

3–6/ For this project, lighting is not only functional but aesthetic, and it flows through the entire campus to illuminate each building and outdoor space, day and night.

7, 8/ Drawings of the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

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Institut du Arabe paris, france

Catapulting French architect Jean Nouvel to fame, the Institut du Arabe is one of the cultural reference points of Paris and a recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The building provides the museum with many well-lit exhibition areas, a library, a 300-seat auditorium and a restaurant, as well as offices and car parking. The ground floor provides access to an underground floor housing an auditorium, introduced by a suggestive hypostyle hall, and to the upper floors. High-tech transparent elevators located within the perimeter of an internal courtyard quickly and silently slide past the galleries at various levels, offering views of the two-floor library, the exhibition halls, and finally the top floor, which hosts the restaurant and a terrace with a view of the entire city.

The side of the building facing the Seine follows the curve of the lot, adapting itself to the land with natural elegance; it is entirely transparent, seemingly built solely out of sheets of glass. Above the glass-clad storefront, a metallic screen unfolds with moving geometric motifs. The motifs are actually 240 motor-controlled apertures, which open and close every hour and control the light entering the building, much like a complex camera. The mechanism creates interior spaces with filtered light—an effect often used in Islamic architecture with its climate-oriented strategies.

“At the Arab World Institute, I began to consider the question of light,” explains Nouvel. “The theme of light is reflected in the southern wall, which consists entirely of camera-like diaphragms, and reappears in the stacking of the stairs, the blurring of contours, the superimpositions, in reverberations and reflections and shadows.”

Constructed in 1987 after an architecture competition in 1982, the building marks a transition and establishes a dialogue between the Haussmanian Latin Quarter and a newer part of the city featuring university buildings designed in the mid-1960s. Nouvel has continued, over the years, to work with glass in an effort to maximize and play with light, and he has become more and more well known, not only for his ability to isolate glass in his designs, such as his mechanical wall of louvres at the Institut du Arabe, but to apply it in ways that enhance a building’s natural lighting.

Nouvel’s design of the new National Museum in Doha, Qatar, unveiled in January 2011, is a more recent example of his use of glass and light. This museum’s glazed façades fill the voids between the disks. Perimeter mullions are recessed into the ceiling, floor, and walls, giving the glazing a frameless appearance when viewed from the outside. As an added detail, deep disk-shaped sunbreaker elements filter incoming sunlight. As of press time, the new museum is scheduled to open December 2014 and will certainly raise the bar for sustainable museum design.

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1/ The theme of light informed the execution of the famous French museum’s design. Photo: flickr user_acquea.

2/ Light interplays with a metallic screen unfolding with moving geometric motifs. Photo: flickr user_Alexandre Duret - Lutz.

3/ The museum draws visitors in with many welllit exhibit areas. Photo: flickr user_Alexandre Duret - Lutz.

4/ Transparency maximizes the impact of Jean Nouvel’s architectural icon. Photo: flickr user_helsinki51.

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PART I: ICONS OF LIGHT

MAXXI: National Museum of XXI Century Arts Rome, Italy

After 10 years of construction and a cost of 150 million euros, MAXXI was completed on November 12, 2009, on the site of the former Montello military barracks in the Flaminio neighborhood of Rome. It was officially inaugurated and opened to the public in May 2010.

Designed as a 21st-century “research workshop” aiming to merge contemporary expressions of design, fashion, cinema, and advertising—along with art and architecture—the museum literally shines with a roof that consists of nearly 28,000 square feet of glass, specially constructed to provide the precise amount of shade and daylight necessary for the museum to function.

“Rome is cloudless and hot for the majority of daylight hours throughout the year,” explains London-based Max Fordham & Partners, consulting engineers for the project. “So—as you might guess—it’s not an ordinary glass roof. There’s a lot going on up there to provide the right amount of shade to modulate the light and minimize solar gain. The roof is an intricate array of shading devices and buffer spaces to manage daylight and heat gain to the exacting conditions that artwork and people enjoy.”

According to architect Zaha Hadid, who led the design, “The interior spaces, defined by the exhibition walls, are covered by a glass roof that flood the galleries with natural light filtered by the louvered lines of the roofing beams. These beams underline the linearity of the spatial system, aid in articulating the various orientations of the galleries, and facilitate circulation through the museum and campus.”

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1 2 3

1–3/ MAXXI’s glass roof floods its galleries with natural light.

Photos 1,3: Iwan Baan.

Photo 2: Werner Huthmacher.

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4–12/ Various views and renderings of the groundbreaking museum, which opened to the public in May 2010.

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North Carolina Museum of Art Raleigh, North Carolina

New York-based Thomas Phifer and Partners created 127,000 square feet of expansion galleries for the North Carolina Museum of Art. The project, completed in January 2010, is a testament to carefully controlled lighting. “Natural illumination of the interior environment provides color rendering and light levels ideal for viewing art, while efficient temperature and air-quality controls, lighting, and envelope systems provide the ideal interior environment for preserving North Carolina’s priceless collection of art,” explains Gabriel Smith, project architect and director at Thomas Phifer and Partners. “Each gallery has access to controlled natural daylight through a comprehensive system of roof skylights and ample high-performance perimeter glazing. Daylight illumination provides a large percentage of the lighting required to view the art. This allows power consumption levels for the building to remain well under the allowances provided in the North Carolina Energy Code.”

The team also incorporated electrical lighting systems to complement the skylights so that the museum would have energy-efficient, yet powerful and effective lighting for the museum. In addition to the daylight, electric track lighting was programmed to spotlight the art during the day and to provide full illumination after sunset at night. Photocells, located on the roof of the building, work with the electric-track-lighting controls to blend the daylight and electric light levels, optimizing energy consumption during all hours of operation.

In addition to bringing in the necessary light via skylights and track lighting, the architects wanted to implement shading and light-control systems that would help control glare and prevent any sun damage to the art. “Carefully tuned external louvers on the roof skylights block the direct sunlight, keeping solar heat out of the building and protecting the art from damaging ultraviolet rays,” Smith says. “A painted ceramic frit pattern on the outside of the windows blocks 50 percent of the direct sunlight, reducing solar gain and glare on the interior. Inside the glass, shades and drapes allow the museum staff complete control of natural illumination levels.” gb&d

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1,2/ The exterior of the museum is as beautifully illuminated as the interior.

3/ Natural illumination of the interior gallery spaces provides ideal light levels and color rendering for viewing art.

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ALL PHOTOS: flickr user_messyurbanist.

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USA

A World of Opportunity Catalyzed by the Great Recession, American architecture is going global— and global architecture is going green.

Here’s what US firms need to know before they export their sustainable designs. story Matt Alderton

Although it’s just 150 miles north of the

US border with Mexico, the city of San Antonio isn’t exactly teeming with international activity. For example, whereas Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport serves at least 45 international destinations, San Antonio International Airport serves just one.

So there’s no question: for a global architecture firm, San Antonio is an unlikely home base. And yet it’s been mission control for Overland Partners for more than 23 years. A 60-person architecture firm that’s worked on design projects in 30 states and half a dozen countries, it’s but one of many American firms specializing in sustainable architecture that have expanded beyond US borders during the Great Recession.

“When the partners started the firm, they selected San Antonio because it’s a great place to raise a family, not because it’s the international center of all architectural commissions,” says principal Bob

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ENGLAND

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Shemwell, FAIA, LEED AP. “There’s a fairly small pool of work in our immediate area, so we’ve always had to travel to access the clients and projects that value what we do.” These days, the principals at Overland Partners are traveling farther and more often.

“If we had a specific goal in mind for how we’d like to do work, it might be 40–50 percent in Texas, 30–40 percent across the United States, and 10–15 percent internationally,” says Tim Blonkvist, FAIA, LEED AP, a founding principal at Overland Partners. “What we’ve discovered, though, is that that there’s much less work across the United States because of the down economy. So, we’ve had to shift a higher percentage of our work—30–35 percent—internationally.”

It’s a conundrum common to architecture firms nationwide, many of which have similarly shifted their priorities overseas during the downturn, often deploying resources—both people and capital—to strategic international markets. “This is not a good time for

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architects in the United States,” says Ken Kornberg, AIA, founding principal and president of Kornberg Associates, a 15-person firm with two offices in California and one in Tokyo. “There simply isn’t enough work for us locally. Without the work we’re doing abroad, we wouldn’t be able to keep our staff.”

The problem is even more salient among larger, more established firms—including Chicago-based Perkins+Will, which was founded in 1935 and now has approximately 1,500 employees in 23 offices worldwide, including Dubai, London, and Shanghai. “Because the economy has tanked, it’s become pivotally important that big firms be involved in international projects,” says managing director Raymond Clark, AIA, LEED AP. “For big firms to survive and remain financially viable, they’ve got to go where the work is. It’s that simple. And right now, the work isn’t in the United States—it’s in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.” >>

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A World Of Opportunity Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Onna, Okinawa, Japan KORNBERG ASSOCIATES

Rondo ONZ High-Rise Office Building WARSAW, POLAND EPSTEIN Photo: W£odzimierz Echenski

Cameron PLOIESTI, ROMANIA EPSTEIN

International Intrigue In good times and bad, diversity is critical, according to Michael Damore, AIA, managing director and president of architecture and interior design at Epstein, a Chicago-based firm of approximately 200 people with international offices in Poland and Romania. His firm’s been working internationally since 1969, and the main benefit has been its balanced portfolio. “Being completely broad in terms of market and services sort of smoothes out the hills and valleys a bit,” Damore says.

More than helping firms survive, international projects enable firms to do the types of work they want to do. “We’re working in Central Europe right now because that’s where economies are still growing,” Damore says. “We’re doing a high-rise condo project right now in Warsaw. It’s phenomenal. We’re also doing office buildings. You know who’s designing offices right now in the United States? Nobody.”

Although it’s been working internationally since 1990, Kornberg Associates opened its first overseas office in Tokyo in 2004 when it was hired to design a new research institute and graduate university campus in Japan as part of an effort by the government to diversify the Okinawa economy. Because the firm specializes in designing laboratories and research facilities, it was an exciting opportunity to help build an industry from scratch by lending its expertise to a country that wanted

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American input. “Our office is now the only lab-design firm in Japan,” Kornberg says. “There is going to be a lot more research development going on there now, so it’s a good position for us to have.”

Marc Spector, AIA, NCARB, a principal of New York-based Spector Group, echoes the sentiment that international work is attractive— not only because it’s lucrative, but also because it’s exciting. His firm opened its first international office in Abu Dhabi in 2009, followed by its second, in Mumbai, in 2010. “It’s a calculated risk to go into these markets,” Spector says. “It’s a chance to bring our expertise and knowledge to other parts of the world. We want to make money, sure, but we also want to have fun while we do it.”

Overseas Obstacles For every benefit, there is a risk. In the case of international work, the challenges are numerous, and each requires face-to-face solutions in the form of overseas offices, foreign-born employees, and local partners. “It’s self-evident,” Clark says, “but you have to understand the transactional customs or statutory requirements of different countries and international markets, and you have to understand their tax structure. You have to be aware of professional licensing issues because in some areas of the world you can’t practice unless you’re registered, which might heavily influence your whole approach to

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Renderings: Miller Hare Limited.

A World Of Opportunity Sabah Al-Salem University, College of Art SHIDADIYAH, KUWAIT PERKINS+WILL ARCHITECTS

Musée de Louvain-la-Neuve Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium PERKINS+WILL ARCHITECTS

“For big firms to survive and remain financially viable, they’ve got to go where the work is. It’s that simple. And right now, the work isn’t in the United States—it’s in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.”

—Raymond Clark, Managing Director, Perkins+Will

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Chervon International Trading Company Nanjing, China PERKINS+WILL ARCHITECTS

Merchant Square LONDON, ENGLAND PERKINS+WILL ARCHITECTS

assembling a project team. The cultural and communications issues are obvious too and need to be dealt with carefully.”

Even with modern technology, the easiest and most effective way to overcome international challenges is addressing them in person. “We feel strongly that you need design professionals on the ground, in the region, who are capable of making project-related decisions,” Clark says. “Clients are simply more comfortable when they can sit down in a conference room and work hand-in-hand with their consultants.”

Because it wants to keep its overhead low, Overland Partners takes a different approach. Although its partners travel regularly to meet faceto-face with international clients, the firm prefers to hire international talent rather than open international offices.

“We’re working in China now, and what we’ve done is hired people in our San Antonio office who are from China and who speak English,” Blonkvist says, who, at any one time is collaborating with employees from six to 10 different countries. “They can help us with translation— anything we write is written side-by-side in both English and Chinese— which helps us communicate more directly.” Even when overseas offices aren’t necessary, however, overseas representation is. “They work so fast [abroad] that even if you go over there every month or two, it’s too late to ask them to correct a problem if you find one,” Blonkvist adds.

“You really need to have somebody there locally to be your eyes and ears so that you can correct problems quickly when they arise.” >>

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A World Of Opportunity UNESCO World Heritage Site LIJIANG, CHINA OVERLAND PARTNERS Photos: Cooper Smith Agency

“This area has the most indigenous people of anywhere in China. We’re taking what’s really intelligent and wonderful about their designs and using it to continue a craft tradition.”

—Bob Shemwell, Principal, Overland Partners

Sensitivity and Sustainability With or without a local office, the biggest challenges facing US firms in foreign countries aren’t economic—they’re cultural. When he began working in France, for instance, Kornberg had to adapt to the limited role of architects in Europe, who typically exit their projects after the design phase. Similarly, he had to learn to do without American-style contracts when he began working in Japan, where business customs are based on honor instead of litigation. “You have to understand what’s politically correct, what’s going to be embarrassing, and how to make sure your relationships with people are what they expect them to be,” Kornberg says.

Cultural challenges are equally present in the design process. In April 2010, Overland Partners began working on a master plan for the redevelopment of a 320-acre UNESCO World Heritage site in Lijiang, one of China’s oldest cities. Although talented and eco-minded Chinese architects abound, Shemwell says that many of the country's architectural practices are not focused on the country’s architectural heritage.

“Architects in China seem much more interested in the new rather than the old,” he explains. “Most of the ones we have encountered are working in very modern styles that are inspired by Europe and America.

Many of the new ‘Chinese-style’ buildings we have seen do not exhibit a deep understanding of the Chinese architectural vernacular and what the tradition has to offer.”

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Overland Partners secured the six million-square-foot project because it did understand—and was sensitive to—that tradition. Located just minutes from ancient Lijiang, the site will include a five-star hotel and conference center, an artist’s village, a river walk like San Antonio’s, a thermal spa, a wildflower research center, and 100 housing units— much of which will be built using the traditional framing techniques of Lijiang’s native Naxi people. “This area has the most indigenous people of anywhere in China,” Shemwell says. “We’re taking what’s really intelligent and wonderful about their designs and using it to continue a craft tradition. They wanted people to study their ancient history and culture and come up with a way to make their facilities modern, and that’s what we did.”

One thing that isn’t challenging abroad is green design. With 5,992 LEED-certified buildings in more than 90 countries, a focused effort on sustainable building is well underway worldwide. To make Lijiang’s master plan as environmentally sustainable as it is culturally sensitive, Overland Partners took advantage of the site’s natural features— including a lake and a network of rivers—to enhance native-plant landscapes as well as eco-friendly irrigation and storm-water management.

The firm also incorporated Styrofoam block insulation, increasing buildings’ thermal efficiency; passive cooling systems, eliminating the need for air conditioning; and hydrothermal technology, naturally heating residents’ water. “At home and abroad,” Blonkvist says, “our work is very much about the preservation and integration of nature— in our buildings, on our buildings, and around our buildings.” >>

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A World Of Opportunity

Studying Abroad

One firm’s foray onto the international stage

According to education publisher Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), 50 of the world’s top 100 universities are in the United States or United Kingdom. Fifteen are in Asia, and none are in the Middle East.

The Arabic emirate of Qatar wants to change that. To help it do so, the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development created Education City, a consortium of global universities—six from the United States, one from the UK, and one locally from Qatar—that have agreed to collaboratively operate program-specific satellite campuses in Doha, the capital city.

ABOVE, BELOW: Renderings of the women’s housing site at Education City in Qatar.

Education City now enrolls 1,300 students from 26 world nations on its 2,500-acre campus. To house all of them, it decided in 2007 to commission a new 850,000-square-foot student housing project. And it selected an American firm to design it: Treanor Architects of Lawrence, Kansas.

Although Treanor Architects had never done work outside the United States, it had planned, programmed, or designed more than 150 student-life projects across the nation. Based on that experience, Burns & McDonnell Engineering of Kansas City, Missouri, asked the company to be its design partner in pursuit of the project. Together, the two firms entered the design competition in February 2007. They were notified in early March that they’d been shortlisted with two other firms, at which point they had six weeks to complete their proposed design. They submitted their plans in May, then flew to Qatar for a series of face-to-face interviews. In August, they received word that they’d been awarded the project, design of which commenced in September and concluded the following June, with construction scheduled for completion in 2011.

Because her team was unaccustomed to the challenges of international work, the project was intense, recalls Nadia Zhiri, AIA, LEED AP, principal in charge of Treanor Architects’s Student Life studio. The most difficult aspects were the travel schedule, the use of British standards, and the metric sys-

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tem, challenges she and her team solved with frequent overseas visits and regular counsel from her project partners at Burns & McDonnell, which fortunately operates an office in Qatar.

The project was worth the hard work.

The complex—12 structures providing space for 1,200 students—will be the world’s largest collection of LEED Platinum buildings, thanks to its plethora of green-design features, which include fiber-optic lighting, renewable and recycled materials, rain screens on the buildings’ exteriors, photovoltaic cells and wind turbines, and a greywater-filtration system.

“We have ing sure they can actually

an acute interest in makstudents feel really good so be successful, and LEED design helps facilitate that,” Zhiri

says, adding that the design is not only environmentally friendly, but also culturally sensitive, incorporating a prayer room and continual reminders of the direction of Mecca. “We’ve done a lot to be sensitive to the region we’re in. We’re not trying to transport our culture there. We’re taking the best of both worlds and bringing them together.”

Treanor Architects’s first overseas project was a whirlwind, but it cleared the way for future work. “This project has definitely opened doors for us,” Zhiri says, adding that the firm is working on its second international project in Belize. “It’s helped us secure new business, but it’s also enriched our lives and increased our understanding of another culture. It’s made us better designers and better citizens.”

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A World Of Opportunity World Jewel Capital Riyadh Kingdom, Saudi Arabia SPECTOR GROUP

“Our offices in Abu Dhabi and Mumbai were both proactive. We had no work in either location when we opened.

We settled on Abu Dhabi because you have to go where the money is...and Mumbai because there really is no statement of architecture there yet; we think it’s going to be the next explosive campground for business.”

—Marc Spector, Principal, Spector Group

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A World Of Opportunity

Bucharest Hotel Bucharest, Romania SPECTOR GROUP

Going Global US firms that want to pursue international work have several options.

One is slow but deliberate growth, a strategy embraced by Perkins+ Will, Kornberg Associates, and Overland Partners, each of which began working internationally gradually as overseas clients noticed their work. When they have them, international offices have been mostly project-specific, opened for a single client and grown from there. “Ours was a very classical evolution from a local firm in 1935 to a much more regional firm, as we expanded in the Midwest and Eastern regions, to a national firm, as we started opening offices in other cities and regions,” Clark says of Perkins+Will. “About 20 years ago, we started tapping into special projects overseas. Then, in about 1995, we made a very strong and very deliberate transition from a North American firm doing international work to being a truly global firm.”

Another option is aggressive, strategic growth, says Spector, whose firm opened international offices not to service existing projects, but rather to pursue new ones. “Our offices in Abu Dhabi and Mumbai were both proactive,” he says. “We had no work in either location when we opened. We settled on Abu Dhabi because you have to go where the money is—while Dubai’s is projected to run out in 10 to 15 years, Abu Dhabi has oil in perpetuity—and Mumbai because there really is no statement of architecture there yet; we think it’s going to be the next explosive campground for business.”

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Regardless of growth strategy, international projects require tremendous support. Damore says Epstein has closed several international offices over the years—in Paris, London, and Tokyo, for instance—due to a lack of resources. “If you want to expand in overseas markets, it takes money to do so,” he says, cautioning that global firms must have sufficient capital and key leadership to support foreign operations, as well as the willingness to abandon markets when demand dries up or key personnel move on.

“You have to be willing to spend money inwardly, and to lose that money if it doesn’t come to fruition,” Spector adds. “You have to pick the market that suits your growth model. You can do far greater business in London and France and Greece than in Mumbai, but the potential is far greater in countries that are in the infancy of growth.” Along with deep pockets, expanding firms need dependable relationships.

Spector advises firms to identify players with whom they’ve done business in other parts of the world.

Ultimately, though, there is no one route to global operation. Firms that want to work on foreign soil must be willing to learn new languages, trade in new currencies, and adapt to new customs. Those are the only certainties, however. As with architecture, the rest must be figured out in the course of building. “Whenever you go into a new market, there will be surprises,” Clark says. “You should always expect the unexpected.” gb&d

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LESSONS FROM BRAZIL. Cloaked in vibrant shades fitting for the land of the Carnival, Mareines + Patalano’s Mopi Elementary School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, pulses with life. Turn to p. 91 for a closer look. Photo: Leonardo Finotti.

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/play The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and VANOC (the organization responsible for planning the Olympic Games) contacted Condon and the rest of the 50-person HCMA team as it began planning the venue.

“We were fortunate to be involved in the planning effort from its very early stages,” Condon says. “One of the defining elements of the Vancouver Olympic experience was the focus on the legacy use of the venues. This project, while needing to accommodate a world-class competitive environment, was conceived legacy first, venue second. This was a tremendously significant decision, made by the City of Vancouver.” The venue portion of the project is currently being converted into its permanent legacy use and will, by year’s end, include a community center, branch library, preschool, ice arena, and community curling club.

Both the Olympic Center and legacy project incorporate a full array of green-design elements, including natural ventilation and the efficient use of daylight. A heattransfer system that utilizes waste heat from the adjacent ice-refrigeration plants is another of the project’s significant features.

Hillcrest Recreation Complex

national gold Hughes Condon Marler Architects represented Canada in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with its design of the Hillcrest Recreation Complex— now the firm may be bringing home a Gold for itself

by Thalia A-M Bruehl

“Hosting the Olympic Games is one of those once-in-alifetime experiences that provides a community with unparalleled opportunities for transformation,” says Darryl Condon, partner at Hughes Condon Marler Architects (HCMA), which recently had the chance to do just that. The Vancouver-based firm was chosen to design the Hillcrest Recreation Complex, which included both The Aquatic Centre at Hillcrest Park and the curling venue for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

The 60,000-square-foot project opened during the summer of 2010 and includes a 50-meter pool with movable bulkheads, the largest public pool in the City of Vancouver’s network of indoor aquatic facilities. “Other aquatic components include a large leisure-oriented pool, a large hot pool, an outdoor leisure pool, a sauna, and a steam room,” Condon adds. A fitness center completes the project.

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ABOVE: The Hillcrest Recreation Complex’s entrance plaza at its west elevation. Photo: Hubert Kang.

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: The aquatic center’s leisure pool with wood-clad lifeguard room and crimson multipurpose room.

CENTER: The concourse entrance with a view of outdoor pool; existing trees were retained.

BOTTOM LEFT: The 50-meter lap pool.

BOTTOM RIGHT: View of pool’s exterior.

HCMA has been working on community-oriented projects and public buildings since its inception in 1976, but the architects found themselves reinvigorated concerning more environmentally conscious structures in 1996 when they entered and won the Centennial Square design competition in Victoria, British Columbia. “After winning the competition, we embarked on a detailed integrated design and ‘green’-value-analysis process, which influenced our processes for many years,” says Condon, who has been a LEED AP for almost 10 years. “Our firm was [an] early adopter of the LEED-certification process.

“I believe that all companies have a responsibility to support green initiatives both in the work that we do and how we do it,” Condon continues. “Our firm’s commitment to developing more sustainable communities extends to our office procedures as well as the supports we provide to our staff.” When it came time for HCMA to renovate its own office, it took advantage of the early LEED for Commercial Interiors pilot project and became the first LEED-CI Silvercertified project in Canada.

Now HCMA is anticipating bringing home LEED Gold distinctions for The Aquatic Centre at Hillcrest Park and the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre and has already been honored with such awards as the GLOBE Foundation / World Green Building Council Award and the BC Wood First Champion Award. Ultimately, Condon’s feelings for The Aquatic Centre at Hillcrest Park extend beyond the time and energy the firm put into the project—in fact, they extend beyond architecture.

Canada won an Olympic gold inside the facility. “I was fortunate enough to be in the building when Canada won the gold medal in Olympic Men’s Curling,” he says.

“It is a memory that I will never forget.” gb&d

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Hughes Condon Marler Architects

space Hillcrest Recreation Complex size 60,000 square feet completion summer 2010 targeted certification LEED Gold (The Aquatic Centre at Hillcrest Park) unique fact Canada won the Olympic gold in Men’s Curling within the venue website hcma.ca

“One of the defining elements of the Vancouver Olympic experience was the focus on the legacy use of the venues. This project, while needing to accommodate a world-class competitive environment, was conceived legacy first, venue second.”

—Darryl Condon, Partner

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Purina Event Center

best in show Arcturis wins a “green” ribbon for transforming a popular pet event center—a three-million-square-foot site made over with intensive landscape solutions

by Thalia A-M Bruehl

ABOVE: The main corridor at the Purina Event Center. Arcturis not only served as architects but also as the designers of the project’s interiors, landscape, signage, and environmental graphics.

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In December 2010, hundreds of dogs had their pictures taken with Santa at the Purina Event Center’s “Pet-acular Holiday Bazaar.” Handmade dog toys and apparel were bought by the dozens in anticipation of the pint-sized puppy stockings that would soon hang over fireplaces. There were canine games and rescue pets looking their sweetest, hoping to be adopted in time for Christmas. And though Santa only visits once a year, the Purina Event Center is worth seeing any time of the year.

Arcturis, a St. Louis-based planning, architecture, and interiors firm, played a leading role in making the events space a reality. In 2006, Nestlé Purina PetCare approached the firm about creating an event center that would cater to dogs, cats, breeder-enthusiasts, and the animal lover in all of us. “Purina began hosting outdoor dog shows and sporting events at Purina Farms in 1994,” says Candy Caciolo, a portfolio director with Nestlé Purina, who adds that though the 350-acre property was popular with parent clubs and all-breed kennel clubs, there was a need for an indoor facility that could be used year-round. “Purina envisioned a significant, state-of-the-art event center with ‘Best in Class’ amenities that would epitomize our passion for dogs and cats and our steadfast commitment to the fancy.” Arcturis accepted the challenge and signed on not only as the architects of the facility but also as the designers of the project’s interiors, landscape, signage, and environmental graphics.

In the last two years, Arcturis has collaborated on more than 12 LEED buildings. Its designs often help clients achieve an 18-percent energy reduction—at a minimum— and an average reduction in water usage of 40 percent. For the Purina Event Center, project manager Chrissy Hill led the design team, which knew right away that it would go

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Arcturis

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“Natural lagoons will filter wastes naturally, and this water will be used to irrigate nearby fields. In addition, over 75 percent of the nearly 3 millionsquare-foot site was restored using native plantings.”

—Chrissy Hill, Project Manager

after LEED certification. The architects put to use all the green techniques they’d been perfecting since the formation of the firm’s Green Team four years prior.

“Maximizing efficiency in terms of function and energy use were critical points of discussion during the design process,” Hill says. “The design and construction teams collaborated to determine the best building envelope, material selections, lighting, and HVAC systems for the building. The HVAC systems and electric systems are designed to provide the optimal comfort and ease of use for the end user, while remaining as efficient as possible.”

The design team utilized evaporative-cooled rooftop units and water-cooled, self-contained units, which use water’s heat-transfer properties to provide cooling much more efficiently than standard, air-cooled HVAC equipment.

High-volume, low-velocity fans were also utilized to provide a constant breeze to the occupants.

ALL PHOTOS: Debbie Franke.

Other green features include low-flow toilets and urinals, reflective rooftop and paving surfaces, and a state-of-theart irrigation system. “The existing site has four wastewater lagoons,” Hill explains. “This development will treat 100 percent of the wastewater generated on site via

TOP RIGHT: The 45,000-square-foot Main Exhibition Hall during an All Breed Show.

CENTER RIGHT: The center’s popular Checkerboard Cafe.

BELOW: The Purina Event Center’s main entry at dusk.

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spaces/play a system of stabilization lagoons and a land-application system. These natural lagoons will filter wastes naturally, and this water will be used to irrigate nearby fields. In addition, over 75 percent of the nearly 3 million-square-foot site was restored using native plantings, and much of the existing natural area was conserved and protected during construction.”

The Purina Event Center was built primarily as a location to host dog shows. The shows can range anywhere from 50-1500 dogs, so Arcturis was sure to include amenities like a dog-bathing room, a grooming hall, a water fill station, an information office, and a hospitality room for judges and VIPs. Arcturis also included a banquet facility on the second floor, which can be used for various award ceremonies, receptions, large meetings, and seminars.

The project is currently tracking LEED Gold, which came as no surprise to any of the architecture firm’s 20+ LEED APs. The firm places a great emphasis on creating eco-friendly structures and sustainable designs—it’s continually been recognized as one of the area’s leading green businesses by the likes of the St. Louis Business Journal and Commerce Magazine and works out of a LEED Silver office in a rehabbed building downtown. “Clients seek us out due to our reputation for green design,” says principal Megan Nasrallah. “We take pride in that we practice what we preach.” gb&d

Arcturis

A MESSAGE FROM ADVANCED FLOOR PRODUCTS Since creating the concrete polishing industry in 1996, the RetroPlate Concrete Polishing System by Advanced Floor Products has transformed over 150 million square feet of weak, failing concrete into beautiful surfaces of strength and longevity. Among the many unique qualities of the system are the green practices employed during the RetroPlate process and its long-lasting sustainable benefits. Advanced Floor Products is proud to have worked with ARCTURIS on many of their sustainable projects, and we congratulate them on their much deserved awards in the area of environmental sustainability. For more information on the RetroPlate Concrete Polishing System call toll free 888.942.3144 or visit www.retroplatesystem.com.

A MESSAGE FROM LANDCO LANDCO is proud to have collaborated with Nestlé Purina PetCare Company and Arcturis, Inc. in “building their vision” of a sustainable, state-ofthe-art facility, designed specifically for dog shows. The new Purina Event Center is currently under consideration for LEED Gold certification.

Key involvement in the planning process, documentation of critical information, attention to detail, and quality craftsmanship were delivered to accomplish this goal.

We look forward to future projects combining our firm’s respective expertise in sustainable design and construction practices.

Photography by Debbie Franke

Project photo: Nestle Purina Event Center – Registered with the certification goal of LEED® Gold

LANDCO CONSTRUCTION | 12655 Olive Street, Suite 325 | St. Louis, MO 63141 | 314.275.7400 | www.landco-construction.com

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UNPARALLELED BENEFITS Abrasion Resistance - increase up to 400% Impact Strength - increase by 21% Light Reflectivity - increase up to 30% Life Cycle Cost - lowest 10-year cycle in the industry Ease of Maintenance - dust free, eliminates tire marks Saves You Money - eliminates ongoing costs of coatings and failures

PROTECTS & ENHANCES Industrial, Retail, and Commercial Floors Arenas Automotive Convention Centers Commercial Corrections Education

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Liberty Island Retail Pavilion

lady liberty’s makeover Andrew Collins brings P.A. Collins P.E. Consulting Engineers to the forefront of sustainable design in New York with a groundbreaking upgrade for America’s symbol of freedom

by Keith Loria

ABOVE: Liberty Island’s retail pavilion now boasts a geothermal HVAC system and a co-generation plant that produces energy from used cooking oil.

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The Statue of Liberty has always stood for freedom, but thanks to a recently completed upgrade of the retail pavilion on Liberty Island, these days Lady Liberty also stands for sustainability. For years, Brad Hill, the grandson of Liberty Island’s original concessionaire, had been exploring geothermal energy solutions. P.A. Collins P.E. Consulting Engineers, as a client of Evelyn Hill Inc. and the National Park Service, was brought in to retrofit the existing concession building in 2000. “The systems that existed

there at the time were quite old and beginning to fail, and they weren’t efficient,” says Andrew Collins, principal of P.A. Collins. “Brad was convinced that we had to be as sustainable as possible…but the National Park Service was totally against geothermal at Liberty Island. Yet here we are 10 years later, and there is a new building, and we were able to make great improvements.”

The finished 6,600-square-foot project resulted in a geothermal HVAC system that includes geothermal heating and cooling, demand ventilation, energy recovery, occupancy and daylight controls, low- or no-flow toilet fixtures, and rainwater recycling, among other measures.

Also installed was an electrical co-generation system that can generate 15–30 percent of the building’s energy with used cooking oil. “Brad used to have to pay to have the cooking oil be taken away, so it had to be stored, carted, recycled, and taken off the island,” Collins says.

“Now there’s a vegetable oil-driven generator, and it filters and burns the oil, so two costs are knocked off.”

The overall project was designed and built in 14 months, and the site is expected to achieve LEED Platinum certification. “That takes a while,” Collins says honestly. “Everyone thinks you finish a project and hand in the forms and

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P.A. Collins P.E. Consulting Engineers

“Brad was convinced that we had to be as sustainable as possible…but the National Park Service was totally against geothermal at Liberty Island. Yet here we are 10 years later, and…we were able to make great improvements.”

—Andrew Collins, Principal & Founder

get this certificate two weeks later, but it doesn’t work like that. Platinum ratings are difficult to get, and we had a small architectural change, so we expect to hear back in about six months. It’s totally normal.” With more than two million guests visiting the American emblem each year, Collins believes visitors will be impressed with the changes that were made.

Such impressive results were the goal when Collins formed the company in 1983. “There was a lot of concern about energy supply and conservation in the ’70s when the petroleum-producing nations cut us off and gas prices spiked,” Collins says. “When energy prices came back down at the

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TOP LEFT: T-shirts, postcards, and gifts abound within the interior, designed by Acheson Doyle Partners Architects.

TOP RIGHT: Exterior of the Liberty Island Retail Pavilion. The engineers had to convince the National Park Service to include a geothermal system on the property.

BOTTOM LEFT: Public entrance to the pavilion.

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beginning of the ’80s, people lost interest in energy conservation, and it got relegated to the backburner.” As public awareness of renewable energy increased again in the ’90s, Collins knew that it was time to focus his firm on sustainability. “There was a renewed interest from many about energy savings,” he says. “We were always doing energy conserving and high-performance design, so it fit very nicely with what we liked to do.”

The firm employs eight LEED-accredited engineers, and the core of its work is in high-performance sustainable design and traditional mechanical engineering trades. Clients include architects, educational institutions, restaurants, commercial buildings, agencies, building-management companies, diplomatic delegations, and residential owners. Currently the firm has a number of restaurants on the boards and is working on a school and a series of residential buildings. Collins is pleased with the diversity of projects. “Next we’re going into construction for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the Bronx Zoo,” he says. “We’re doing something called a tractable animal building (TAB). A TAB is a de facto retirement home for animals no longer put on display.” Another project for the society is its Animal Care Facility, a service building connected to the New York Aquarium on Coney Island.

Other notable projects by the firm include adding a new 16,000-square-foot administration building with a LEED Platinum certification at the Queens Botanical Gardens and constructing an eco-restroom at the Bronx Zoo, which was voted the best environmental project of 2007 by New York Construction Magazine. gb&d

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project spotlight

encouraging use and reuse Shanghai’s URBN Hotel doesn’t discourage the use of its amenities—its design begs for it. With the basic hotel-room layout unchallenged for too long, A00 Architecture took severe liberties with URBN, China’s first carbon-neutral hotel and the flagship of the brand’s planned boutique chain. Within the rooms, vertical separation offers distinction between bathtub, bed, and sitting area without the use of walls, encouraging enjoyable use of amenities that have long been unattractive. The contextually and environmentally sensitive aesthetic—Asian-influenced style infused with reused materials left exposed and unadorned—serves a dual purpose: lowering the hotel’s footprint while also allowing for the wear-and-tear of perpetual use, the primary goal of URBN.

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/learn Waters Elementary School

send in the clones A prototype by Cannon Design and Bailey Edward Architecture is designed for replication, adding both space and green upgrades to aging schools while minimizing expenses

by Lynn Russo Whylly

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There are a number of aging public schools in Chicago that have gyms but no cafeterias, which forces them to use a classroom as a kitchen and to use the gym to serve food, ultimately limiting their ability to run recreational programming. So Chicago Public Schools decided to transform one school into an environmentally efficient prototype that could be easily and affordably replicated in others. It chose the Thomas J. Waters Elementary School— a K–8 fine- and performing-arts magnet school—whose ecology program made it even more ideally suited for a green upgrade.

The Board of Education brought in Cannon Design and Bailey Edward Architecture (BEA) to create the additional educational space. “The school district wanted a flexible arrangement—something that could be used during the day for a cafeteria or as classroom space, then as a place for community meetings in the evenings and on weekends,” explains Robin Whitehurst, a principal at BEA.

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Bailey Edward Architecture

space Waters Elementary School location Chicago size 3,750 square feet completion April 2010 green features Rooftop solar panels; low-flow plumbing fixtures; a hydronic, radiant-floor heating system; native landscaping; and a rooftop garden website bedesign.com

A

B

C D

A/ Entry B/ Storage C/ Janitorial D/ Pantry E/ Restroom F/ Multipurpose G/ Dining

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ALL PHOTOS: Charlie Mayer Photography.

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Cannon and BEA’s sustainable prototype is illuminating a way forward for Chicago Public Schools.

PREVIOUS PAGE, ABOVE: Exterior views of Waters Elementary.

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP RIGHT: Meandering footpaths along the bioswales and native plantings offer students and area residents charming opportunities for relaxed walks and exercise.

CENTER: View of the extensive green-roof system and solar panels, with community gardens and the ecology program’s native-plant gardens seen to the south of the addition.

BOTTOM LEFT: The design of this multipurpose room provided a chance to implement environmental learning initiatives reflective of the mission of Waters Elementary.

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The one-story, independent structure designed by the team was completed in April 2010 and comprises 3,750 square feet. It connects to the south end of the school through a vestibule with locking doors that allows the main building to be closed off after hours while the new space is in use.

The facility houses both a kitchen and a dining room, with a partition wall in the dining area, closing to create a classroom and opening for the cafeteria. The addition has bathrooms, its own mechanical room, and a recycling area where students separate their lunch waste.

Water use is reduced by 42.3 percent through low-flow plumbing fixtures. Two solar panels on the roof preheat the water for kitchen use and hand washing. A hydronic, radiant-floor system heats the building and contributes to a 14-percent reduction in energy use throughout the entire school. “It’s a very energy efficient way to heat a space,” says Whitehurst of the radiant flooring. “It eliminates the need for perimeter baseboard heaters at the windows.”

A traditional HVAC system, used for backup, is equipped with an economizer to maintain efficiency.

The exterior of the building is a steel frame with a metalstud infill and a brick veneer; the walls include 4 inches

of rigid insulation with an integrated drainage cavity and a breathable, fluid-applied air barrier. “The exterior wall system is very efficient and inhibits the development of mold,” Whitehurst explains. And with a wall of glass on the south side providing ample daylighting and the roof angled upward so the natural light can penetrate into the building, electrical lighting is also minimized. What is needed is controlled by sensors. Two overhangs, including an awning, shade the south-facing glass to block heat from the sun.

The school’s landscaping includes a rooftop garden and drought-resistant native plants, and a portion of the parking lot’s asphalt was replaced with precast-concrete permeable paving, as well as sidewalks, seating areas, and energy-efficient lighting. Irrigation for the landscaping is provided by two 540-gallon rainwater cisterns, and the storm-water-management system uses bioswales to reduce runoff by 96 percent. “There’s a lot more green and open area now,” Whitehurst says. “Some plants were carefully relocated to make room for some of the new campus plan, and it was coordinated with the school’s ecology instructor.”

Overall, the prototype was precisely what the school district needed. Fifty percent of construction waste was diverted; recycled materials were used in the cold-form steel studs, steel framing, and concrete; and 10 percent of construction materials were sourced regionally. Cannon and BEA’s sustainable prototype is illuminating a way forward for Chicago Public Schools, which has already begun work on its second iteration at its Holmes School. gb&d

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spaces/learn ALL PHOTOS: John Bartlestone.

New York Libraries

innovation among the stacks As di Domenico + Partners brings sustainability to school libraries all across New York City, it looks to its own office as a continuing education experience

by Julie Schaeffer LEFT: The di Domenico + Partners-designed library at Monroe High School, built in partnership with New Visions for Public Schools.

RIGHT: Another new library, at Columbus High School. Each library is designed with the students’ well-being in mind.

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For New York architecture firm di Domenico + Partners, sustainable environments are healthy environments, and healthy environments facilitate learning. “Designing sustain­able educational facilities that promote learning and wellness is at the core of our approach,” says partner John di Domenico, who founded the firm in 1981 after working at several architecture firms as well as at the Department of Planning and Development in Trenton, New Jersey. “We believe that students deserve inspiring learning environments.”

With this philosophy then, for a series of renovations to high-school libraries throughout the five boroughs of New York City, di Domenico + Partners was retained by nonprofit organization New Visions for Public Schools in association with the city’s School Construction Authority (SCA). All of the renovations—eleven designed, eight completed— incorporate sustainable features. “New York City requires all of its new schools to meet LEED Silver criteria,” says partner Andrew Berger, “so all of our work with the SCA follows green standards that use the LEED Silver checklist as a guide. We recycled materials, fixtures, and furniture throughout the spaces, and we used energy-efficient lighting and low-VOC or no-VOC paints and adhesives.”

The result, says Berger, has been not only very attractive spaces, but also very healthy ones, which contribute to learning—an approach that may not be novel today but certainly was in di Domenico + Partners’s early days.

“Our focus has always been on innovation, with the studio...as a learning laboratory,” says di Domenico, who also teaches design and city planning at the New York Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and Design. “As the firm moved into the 21st century, this learning laboratory served as a foundation for the firm’s work.”

Another example of the firm’s education work, currently underway, is the LEED Silver renovation of Maury Elementary School and Seaton Elementary School in

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“We believe that students deserve inspiring learning environments.”

—John di Domenico, Partner

Washington, DC, the former of which is built around one of the oldest schoolhouses in the District of Columbia, constructed in 1886. All of these projects will feature a number of sustainable elements, including the use of recycled and locally sourced materials, a high-performance building envelope, improved indoor air quality, and daylighting. “Our goal was not just to recycle the existing building in a sustainable way, but to create special spaces for learning,” Berger says.

That idea—the creation of spaces that demonstrate sustainability to users and passersby—is key to di Domenico + Partners’ approach. “We want to clearly communicate what’s happening with our spaces from a sustainability standpoint,” says di Domenico. “At the university level, where students are in tune with sustainability issues, that might include a dashboard that keeps track of energy use and savings. But we do it at the elementary school level as well with materials and colors and lighting that demonstrate to children the benefits of a sane ecological approach.” gb&d

Self Taught For di Domenico + Partners, education starts at home, with the firm’s two-year-old Long Island City offices. “We purchased an existing building in a renewing neighborhood and, with its renovation, did everything we could to make it sustainable,” says firm partner Andrew Berger. “It’s close to public transportation, and the firm provides bikes for employees to ride to and from meetings. We use daylighting and reduce water usage, and we have a green terrace with local vegetation. A green-roof project is underway, and we’re researching the benefits and logistics of placing photovoltaic panels or wind turbines on the roof.” That’s all in keeping with the firm’s focus on education. “We look at the studio itself as a continuing educational experience,” asserts founding partner John di Domenico. “It allows us to explore the features that we bring to projects.”

JOHN CIARDULLO ASSOCIATES architecture-planning 575 8th Avenue, 20th Fl. New York, NY 10018 T: (212) 245-0010 F: (212) 245-0020 www.ciardullo.com

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Urban Assembly New York Harbor School

home in the harbor An adaptive reuse by John Ciardullo Associates supports maritime and aquaculture curricula in New York City’s Harbor School

The 4,500-gallon lobby aquarium in the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School teems with life: hermit and blue crabs, seahorses, striped bass, bluefish, and blackfish.

These species, though diverse, are not from some far-off, exotic locale. All are native to the brackish waters of the New York City harbor. The aquarium was populated in September 2010, just as the school’s human occupants arrived for the first time.

Because environmental education is a predominant part of the Harbor School’s college-preparatory curriculum, campus buildings—present and future—needed to be as green as possible. But when the firm was asked by its client, the New York City School Construction Authority (NYCSCA), to sustainably convert the 71,000-square-foot structure, two factors added challenge to the task: the building was a historically designated structure, and the project needed to stay within reasonable budgetary constraints. These are also reasons John Ciardullo Associates was chosen for the project. “We have a lot of experience in adaptive reuse,” says Brian Anderson, project manager, explaining that the firm has designed six adaptive-reuse projects since 2004 for the NYCSCA. “Every school is different. You learn what a school needs to function and you develop an expertise on how to make that happen.”

The high school, which moved from its former landlocked building in the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn, is an institution that prepares students for marine-based higher education and careers. The school’s academic offerings

Converting the building from its former function—a Coast Guard clinic that was abandoned in 1995—involved a complete replacement of its mechanical systems. Newly installed, gas-fired, condensing boilers are 14 percent

by Russ Klettke

BELOW: A marinescience classroom can bring nature to the students with operable garage doors for use during the warmer months.

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span the full spectrum of maritime functions, including both commercial use and environmental protection of the city’s water-based resources. As such, architects at John Ciardullo Associates converted a 1940s Federal-style historic structure—situated on Governors Island, off the tip of Manhattan—into a newer, more fitting home.

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ALL PHOTOS: Anna-Marie Kellen.

John Ciardullo Associates

more efficient than conventional gas boilers. Electricity use is reduced with low-power-density, direct and indirect fluorescent lighting. Indoor air quality, critically beneficial to learning environments, is completely sourced from outdoors while exhaust heat is captured before it is expelled. Air chillers operate at high efficiency thanks to an electronic building-management system, and variablefrequency-drive fans allow a soft start up that minimizes demand spikes on the electrical grid.

“Every school is different. You learn what a school needs to function and you develop an expertise on how to make that happen.”

—Brian Anderson, Project Manager

Exterior renovations to the structure had to be limited because of the historical-preservation constraints. But the original slate roof, lost years ago in a low-budget renovation, was replicated with a lower-cost facsimile made of 80-percent post-industrial recycled rubber. On the ground, an asphalt parking lot was removed to make way for an organic garden and an adjoining basketball court. Students eat off reusable, washable dishware in the cafeteria, and organic food waste is sent to composters.

TOP LEFT: The Harbor School’s organic garden, seen here with the New York City skyline behind it, replaced an existing parking lot.

TOP RIGHT: View from the marine-themed cafeteria into the working kitchen.

LEFT: An estuary stocked with species native to the harbor greets visitors at the main entrance.

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Students from all five boroughs arrive by ferry but can bring and park bikes on designated racks on the now car-free island. The program also involves boat building, maintenance, and docking on the water. An additional building, the Marine and Science Technology Center, is set for completion in 2012 and will house an oyster hatchery that will help repopulate the species in the harbor. Concerning the project’s success, says Anderson, “The principal, assistant principal, and school staff were very involved in the development,” and on a broader level, the NYCSCA and Department of Education have developed a Green Schools Rating System as a parallel to LEED. While the Harbor School project was begun before the system became mandatory, it portends greater things to come for the 1 million students in the nation’s largest school system. gb&d

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DVL CONSULTING ENGINEERS, INC.

Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence 1990-2010 DVL Consulting Engineers, Inc. would like to congratulate John Ciardullo Associates DVL is a professional engineering firm that specializes in the design of HVAC, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Electrical Power Distribution, Lighting, Security Systems, and Fire Alarm Systems for Educational, Commercial, Correctional, Institutional, Entertainment and Healthcare Facilities.

375 Main Street Hackensack, NJ 07601 13 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10010 Office: (201) 678-2224 (212) 947-7740 Fax: (201) 678-1860 www.dvlengineers.com 90

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project spotlight

forest nymph With a dynamic façade evoking a forest motif, Mareines + Patalano’s Mopi Elementary School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, pulses with life. Cloaked in a vibrant green, the exterior of the building is composed of micro-perforated, pre-oxidized copper panels attached to eucalyptus-laminated wood beams, which are then attached to the concrete structure. Besides allowing the passage of air while blocking rainwater, the façade also alternates playfully between transparency and opacity, depending on the time of day. The building, split into four distinct volumes to facilitate air circulation, faces a busy avenue on the front side, but the back opens in a U-shape toward a lush national forest. Translucent channel glass encloses most of the classrooms, flooding them with natural light—and to echo the forest metaphor—though not complete at press time, the school is building a roof garden with grass and small trees. Photos: Leonardo Finotti.

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/work 1230 S. Sixth Street

living example Illinois architecture firm John Shafer & Associates finally realizes its dream office—and wins an AIA sustainable design award for it

by Scott Heskes

LEFT: Joist pockets are highlighted using LED fixtures, revealing the mezzanine framing and exposed Douglas fir tongue-and-groove flooring.

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: Exterior of the office, which will continue to serve as a case study on how to plan, construct, and operate a sustainable, small office.

CENTER LEFT: Douglas fir sunshades were built “in-house” and were the final touch in creating a fully daylit space.

CENTER RIGHT: Daylight harvesting creates a studio-type space in the drafting area that requires no artificial light most of the time.

BOTTOM: Drawing of the west elevation.

John Shafer purchased a piece of property in downtown Springfield, Illinois, and then held on to it for a while.

The lot at 1230 S. Sixth St. was just a block from the converted 1920s house that Shafer used as his studio since forming his architecture practice in 1992. His dream had been to build a new office for the firm that embodied his design work and his long-held philosophy of sustainable building practices. Finally, in 2010, Shafer took the plunge—all the while keeping in mind what his clients might like to emulate.

“We do a lot of work for small-business people,” reflects Shafer. “I wanted to show an alternative to what I call a ‘Ranchburger’ or one-story, colonial-style office building—which are plentiful around here in Springfield.” Shafer was intrigued by the use of loft space for his design and created a two-story studio space for drafting, also making room for his extensive library and taking advantage of natural daylighting created in large part by the elongated east/west axis orientation of the structure. “The building is in the middle of the block,” he says, “and there is an old Victorian house to the north that has a beautiful gable end on it. I got a double benefit with the great view of that building and the terrific northern exposure of natural light for the two-story drafting area.”

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John Shafer & Associates

space 1230 S. Sixth Street location Springfield, IL size 2,900 square feet

A

completion August 2010

green features Abundant natural daylighting, geothermal HVAC system, storm-water retention, LED lighting, recycled wood, and highly reflective roof covering website shafer-arch.com

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C

B

accolade AIA Sustainable Design Award (2010) A/ White membrane to reflect heat B/ Steel cables to support mezzanine C/ Ductwork in tempered space D/ Tall north windows E/ Light shelf F/ Indirect up-lighting G/ Cork flooring H/ Heating and cooling at windows

E

D

F H G

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John Shafer & Associates

“I’m trying to use this building as a case study in how to design, build, and operate a small office building—a great tool for my company.”

—John Shafer, Founding Principal

BELOW: Key features include daylight harvesting, a geothermal heating and cooling system, an energy recovery ventilating system, vestibules at entries, sun screens, and construction-waste diversion. Energy-modeling software was used to determine life-cycle costs and design implications.

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The careful consideration of window placement on the south side of the building with custom sunshades was the final touch that provided the optimum daylighting for the space. As Shafer explains, “We just had a ton of snow dumped on us the past few days, and as I’m sitting here in our new offices with the sun only now popping out from behind some clouds, there is no need to have a single light on in the space. It makes you think about turning on a light. It’s a little thing, but it’s funny how that changes your perspective. In my old place you would go in and turn on the light and turn it off when you left. Here we leave the lights off most of the time.”

Ultimately, this award-winning building has been a better place for Shafer and his employees to work. The biggest impact, says Shafer, was having a more creative space, which he believes leads to more creative work for his clients. “A lot of times, we are doing design projects without big budgets,” he says. “I don’t really like that term ‘design on a dime,’ but I throw that out there because you can spend less money and get more out of it if you invest in design—think it through more and come up with a better product for the same price or less.”

Foregoing LEED certification and performing the construction themselves was a sacrifice Shafer’s team had to make for the project to happen, but there is no doubt in Shafer’s mind that the building would earn certification.

In the end, he felt that with the money saved, he could put it back into practical energy savings. “I’m trying to use this building as a case study in how to design, build, and operate a small office building—a great tool for my company,” he says. Even after occupancy, Shafer is continuing to work at reducing energy use by incorporating the results of a study he did on how to lower outlet electrical consumption. gb&d

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Office Buildings

controlled growth An incubator of sustainable ideas for New York’s biggest commercial-building realty firm, Reckson adopts a steady pace for transforming the region’s office space

by David Hudnall

ABOVE LEFT: Interior lobby of 360 Hamilton, in White Plains, NY—just one Reckson property being used as an incubator for green systems.

ABOVE RIGHT: Exterior of 360 Hamilton.

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SL Green Realty Corp. is the largest commercial landlord in all of New York City, and in 2007, the firm acquired Reckson Associates, adding 9 million square feet of office space to its portfolio. Reckson specializes in suburban office real estate, with 32 properties and 5 million square feet of Class A office space just outside New York City in communities like White Plains or across the Connecticut state line in Greenwich and Stamford. Because these properties are located outside of Manhattan, they offer more space and a less frenzied atmosphere, allowing SL Green to use them as a sort of incubator for the sustainability initiatives the firm seeks to implement.

“The Reckson properties are definitely a breeding ground for the green elements of our business,” says Jason Black, director of architectural services and sustainability, who, in 2007, spearheaded and organized a progressive program within Reckson to heighten levels of sustainability and energy efficiency. The program grew out of one of the earliest green concepts to take root in society at large: recycling. “We’d always recycled various scrap metals from construction projects, but we wanted to do more,” he says. Working in conjunction with the Armstrong Ceiling Recycling Program and New Jersey-based contractor Carpet Cycle, Reckson expanded its recycling efforts to include all carpet and ceiling tile, a process now uniform on all Reckson projects. To date, it has yielded 800,000 square feet of recycled materials and diverted 310 tons of debris from landfills. “No other landlord I’m aware of is doing this on a global basis,” Black says. “And every green initiative we’ve had since was born out of that initial project.”

More initiatives followed: high-efficiency light fixtures are now on occupancy sensors; exit signs are LED. “Our fixtures look sleek and modern, but it’s also reduced our lighting-energy consumption by 40 percent,” Black says.

“The fixtures were a little more expensive, but we get a three-year payback on them.” Working with Alliance Energy Solutions, Reckson conducted a $1.6 million lighting retrofit program addressing core/common/garage

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“If you’re going to change a culture, you need to find small applications, get people comfortable, and increase over time.”

That Reckson has four LEED APs on staff keeps the firm on its toes in terms of considering new alternatives. The recently installed white roofs on three properties were a direct result of discussions about LEED standards, as is Reckson’s growing observation of its buildings’ indoor air quality. Black says he’s also found tenant education to be an effective tool. A waste-audit program at one property last May led to an education effort where representatives of each tenant were briefed about glass, plastic, and aluminum recycling. “The follow-up audit showed that we had improved overall recycling rates at that building by a full 10 percent, solely through education,” he says. Vendor selection also plays a role in Reckson’s green culture.

Cambridge, the company from whom Reckson buys all its standard carpet, powers its manufacturing and corporate facilities entirely by wind energy.

—Jason Black, Director of Architectural Services & Sustainability

areas. Through state- and utility-incentive programs, it was able to maintain a 1.6-year payback, saving $610,000 in energy costs annually.

HVAC systems are also being improved, starting with a pilot program in Stamford. “It’s a $435,000 project, but $130,000 was paid through utility incentives,” Black says.

“We’re anticipating $175,000 a year in savings.” Other properties are currently being analyzed for higher-efficiency mechanical equipment. A similar pilot program, in Greenwich, is experimenting with a solar-photovoltaic system; the 100-kilowatt system is capable of delivering 5 percent of the annual energy for the property and has a projected payback of four-and-a-half years. Each property in Reckson’s portfolio—32 buildings in all—has been energy benchmarked by Energy Star; to date, six have received the Energy Star Label.

Through all of these initiatives, Reckson saved $1 million in 2010. Given the projects scheduled in 2011, the firm is anticipating savings of half a million more. In 2008, Reckson was recognized by BOMA Westchester for “Best Green Initiative,” and the Westchester Arts Council recognized it for Sustainable Accomplishments in 2010. Black says he’s pleased with what Reckson’s been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. “Our whole approach was to start small and build sophistication over time,” he says. “If you’re going to change a culture, you need to find small applications, get people comfortable, and increase over time.” gb&d

CodeGreen has: • managed the LEED certification of over 13 million square feet of commercial office space • energy benchmarked over 50 million square feet across the U.S.

212.564.7972 info@codegreensolutions.com www.CodeGreenSolutions.com SUSTAINABILITY LEED-EB, NC, CI, CS certification Corporate sustainability consulting Sustainable operations plans and policies Owner training and education on green practices ENERGY PERFORMANCE Energy Audits EPA Energy Star Benchmarking Retro-Commissioning Retrofit Analysis Lighting Audits and Upgrades Demand Response MEMBERS OF

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project spotlight

flower of the desert Embodying the paradoxical nature of the United Arab Emirates, a modern society moving boldly into the future while retaining a strong connection to history and traditions, the winning design for the Federal National Council’s New Parliament Building Complex treads the delicate line between new and old. Conceptualized

by Los Angeles-based Ehrlich Architects, the design architect, the building melds familiar Arabic design language with contemporary form and the latest technological advances, plus a focus on environmental sustainability. The design is anchored by a striking, 330-foot-diameter dome structure, a soaring “flower of the desert,” that will create a shaded microenvironment while casting Islamic patterns of dappled light on the white marble Assembly Hall. The project is envisioned as a proud landmark for public gatherings as well as a model for conservation of the region’s precious resources. Renderings: bioLINIA.

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project spotlight

interactive, intelligent hatchling In Mumbai, a building designed by a computer and representing what some say will be the 21st-century norm—the convergence of architecture, technology, multimedia, and ecological interconnectivity—is the poster child of what award-winning architectural designer James Law has dubbed “cybertecture.” With The Wadhwa Group, one of India’s premier real-estate developers, Law’s firm has created the Cybertecture Egg, the anchor of the Bandra Kurla Complex. Employing common green technologies and strategies—solar photovoltaic panels, water-recycling systems, and smart building orientation—the Egg also seeks to create a healthful work environment with sky gardens, smart building-management systems, and an intelligent glass façade. In addition to reducing the building’s surface area by 10 percent, its shape symbolizes optimism for the rebirth of the coming century’s architectural imagination.

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/live The LIVING WELL CENTER

wellness program As Ike Kligerman Barkley outgrows yesterday’s notion of luxury, it opts for beautiful, one-of-a-kind materials such as salvaged mahogany for projects like its lauded Living Well Center at The Ramble

by David Hudnall

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“We’re typically sought after as luxury architects,” says John Toya, principal of Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects’s San Francisco office. “And it’s often the case that our clients aren’t as tuned into green building as we, as architects, tend to be. So what we do is incorporate the sustainable ideas that tend to be an easy sell into our standard practices.”

That includes orienting homes to maximize passive solar, outfitting homes with simple rainwater-harvesting systems, and building with local and reused materials— materials the firm sells on their beauty and character but that are also sustainable. “We tailor the discussion based on clients’ sympathy to the cause of sustainability,” he says.

It’s a process the firm has been engaged with since its inception in 1988. Originally founded in New York by John Ike, Thomas Kligerman joined in 1989, Joel Barkley came onboard as a partner in 1999, and Toya joined as a partner

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Ike Kligerman Barkley

The design reflects the spirit of preservation and sustainability of George W. Vanderbilt—a pioneer of forest preservation in the United States who founded the nation’s first forestry school in 1898.

PREVIOUS PAGE: The Ramble’s Living Well Center at dusk, showing its butterfly roof.

ABOVE: Using local glulams and SIP panels, the center was finished off with bamboo floors, suspended Tectum fiber ceiling panels, and a free-standing fireplace of local granite veneer.

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in 2007 after a decade with the firm. With new talents came new territory, and Ike Kligerman Barkley now has a strong presence on the West Coast. “I came out to San Francisco to work on a few projects, one of which was at Stanford University,” Toya says. In 2008, the firm’s West Coast branch was founded, and between the offices, Ike Kligerman Barkley has 25 employees working on a variety of institutional and mixed-use projects, though the firm is primarily known for residential design, which makes up roughly 90 percent of its portfolio.

Having a bicoastal presence makes it easier for Ike Kligerman Barkley to work in far-flung locales—places like China, Vancouver, or Asheville, North Carolina, where it completed The Ramble’s Living Well Center in 2009. The recipient of an AIA design award, the design employs all of the firm’s sustainable standard practices, plus a great deal more. The facility is a part of The Ramble residential community, which sits on 900 acres of Biltmore Farms,

an estate of the Vanderbilt family. The design reflects the spirit of preservation and sustainability of George W. Vanderbilt—a pioneer of forest preservation in the United States who founded the nation’s first forestry school in 1898. “It’s a beautiful place, with an emphasis on green spaces, walking trails, and bridle paths between lots that link the area,” Toya says. “The Biltmore Farms team put a lot of effort into maintaining the existing ecosystem when developing The Ramble.”

The Living Well Center is located in the middle of the woods and is a place for residents to meet up, take classes, work out, or swim. The firm outfitted the facility with geothermal wells, bamboo floors, and numerous local materials. “We specified locally produced glulam beams, the paving stone was North Carolina bluestone, and the wall veneer was a local granite,” Toya says. Up top, a butterflyshaped roof collects rainwater for reuse.

Nearer to headquarters, a residence Ike Kligerman Barkley designed in Wilton, Connecticut, further illuminates its green eye. Working with high-end clients seeking a traditional home, the firm found ways to make the house sustainable in less obvious ways. The home features both an indoor and outdoor pool, for instance, but “is very smart in terms of the way it reuses heat,” Toya says. “There are heat exchangers built into the geothermal system that reheat both the domestic hot water and the hot water for the pool.

Essentially, we capture heat in a multitude of points along the system, which makes it especially efficient.” The architects also used low-VOC materials, structurally insulated

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RIGHT: Connecticut’s Lookout House is another of Ike Kligerman Barkley’s successes. Perched upon a wildflower-carpeted knoll, the original 1970s pyramidal home underwent a total renvoation and addition.

BELOW: The glass hallway to the Lookout House’s master bedroom allows daylight to penetrate to the subterranean passage below.

panels, and salvaged mahogany—“the types of things that don’t really cost more and are easily hidden,” he adds.

ALL PHOTOS: Peter Aaron, Esto Photography.

Among the projects on deck at Ike Kligerman Barkley is a 7,700-square-foot summerhouse in Southampton, New York, that will feature geothermal and a solar-photovoltaic system and meet Energy Star approval, per Village of Southampton building requirements. “The roof has continuous spray-foam insulation,” Toya notes, “and 50 percent of the lighting is fluorescent.” New builds in Marin County, Vancouver, and Aspen, Colorado, are also underway, and The Monacelli Press recently published a book celebrating the firm’s work, Ike Kligerman Barkley Houses.

Toya says he’s pleased with what the firm has done so far and excited about future prospects. “We’re hoping to continue taking on larger projects as the economy improves, with more of an emphasis on commercial and institutional work,” he says. “And more and more, we’re finding that most clients will go for geothermal, solar-hot-water heating, rainwater collection. We’re excited to design for clients like that.” gb&d

A MESSAGE FROM La Quatra Bonci Associates We are proud of our long association with The Ramble and Biltmore Farms, Inc. as master planners and site designers. We welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Ike Kligerman Barkley on the Living Well Center. The result was a seamless integration of building, site, and landscape. Our mission is to incorporate natural systems and ecologically sound principles to create contextual, innovative, elegant, and timeless landscapes that respect modern culture and the people they serve.

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Chris Pollack, Ltd. Advising. building.

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We will recommend, implement and oversee an effective program customized to the owner’s vision, specific needs and goals. Chris Pollack, Ltd. is a priceless commodity and the owner’s most valuable asset to ensure a high quality finished product to enjoy for years to come.

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project spotlight

lake house Situated on the slope of Otto Hill and overlooking the majestic GutiĂŠrrez Lake, architectural firm Estudio Ramos had a clear goal for the design of this stunning private residence in Bariloche, Argentina: create a dialogue with the environment.

Hence, the idea for a great inclined plane, starting from the mountainside in counter slope to the lake, took shape. The plane was planted with vegetation to replace the footprint of the house, and the green roof offers the same indigenous, native vegetation as the surrounding forest grounds so the house blends into the landscape seamlessly. The house is divided into two levels, with the southwest face of the house made mostly of glass, granting all the main rooms grand views of the lake.

Photos: Eduardo Torres-Ignacio Ramos.

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solutions

THE LOCALIZATION OF AN AIRPORT’S NEW GREEN ROOF

backgrounder/ Most of GRS’s work is done in its backyard of Chicago, which is the largest green-roof market in the country. The Glenview, Illinois, company services commercial, government, health-care, educational, and residential buildings with the materials for a vegetated roof.

After 11 years managing a hedge fund in London, Tom Cooper decided it was time for a change. Combining his passion for the environment and his management experience, he began a new business venture manufacturing green roofs. “My hedge-fund business wasn’t doing well, so I returned to the United States and partnered with a friend to start manufacturing green roofs with US labor,” Cooper says. He and his partner Kurt Horvath started Green Roof Solutions (GRS) in 2004, and it’s now one of the largest green-roof manufacturers in the country.

challenge/ The FedEx Cargo Relocation Project is part of the City of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport Modernization Program and located on airport property, adjacent to runways and airplane traffic. Once the building size was determined, GRS was commissioned to find local resources and materials to build a green roof covering 170,000 square feet with 3.9 acres of pre-vegetated mat, more than 2,200 cubic yards of media, and 3 miles of edging.

Cooper, who is the director and principal, credits the company’s success to providing market education, niche solutions, and vegetation options and targeting large commercial and municipal projects that received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Fact/

A recent study concluded that 25% green roof coverage can reduce urban heat island effect by nearly 2°F.

ABOVE: Green Roof Solutions specializes in building “living” roofs, which the company recognizes is an investment in the future. One of its most high-profile green roof projects is for the City of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport Modernization Program.

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solution/ Recognizing that living roofs are an investment of the future, the FedEx Cargo Relocation Project had the goal of installing the largest freestanding green roof in the Chicago metropolitan area. “I believe the mandate for green-roof construction was only 50 percent,” Cooper explains.

“However, FedEx decided to cover the whole building. FedEx was forward thinking enough to project the future return on investment.”

GRS approached the massive project with time-sensitive, environmentally conscious, and budget-friendly methods. “We began resourcing all materials,” Cooper says.

“One of the challenges we faced was the method of vegetation. So we adopted the vegetative-mat-production system and built an assembly that would retain more

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solutions/green roofs

Green Roof Solutions

Green Roof Solutions was commissioned to find local resources and materials to build a green roof covering 170,000 square feet with 3.9 acres of pre-vegetated mat, more than 2,200 cubic yards of media, and 3 miles of edging.

water and not need irrigation.” To this end, Cooper created a partnership with TerraCaelum’s field-production facility a full year before the project was implemented. “It was in Wisconsin, less than 150 miles from the FedEx project site,” Cooper explains.

“Our objective was to ensure that the mats would be mature and ready for delivery in time for the spring 2010 target installation date. They grew out for a full year before delivering them to O’Hare.”

Keeping in line with sourcing local materials, GRS collaborated with neighboring cities and states for its resources. All the metal to retain the component came from less than 15 miles away. And GRS blended more than 800 yards of media at TerraCaelum to start the mat production for fellow green-roof company Xero Flor using locally sourced materials. Prior to this project, Xero Flor did not have a regional grower so the supply of vegetated

mats depended on cross-country trucking.

“Sourcing those materials close to home helped keep costs down and provided a schedule that was attainable,” Cooper notes. “The first mat harvests were available for installation at the designated target date, and the contractor was able to build in less than 20 days.”

The green roof was built over a PVC membrane, provided by Sika Sarnafil. “We brought in specific products and Xero Flor mats to achieve the essential storm-water and soil-moisture management and systemstability design goals required for a green roof of this magnitude and exposure,” Cooper says. Completed in May 2010, the impressive design responds to the sustainable vision set forth by the City of Chicago. In addition to its sustainability, the green roof beautifies one of the nation’s busiest airports with the dramatic display of a living roof. —by Kaleena Thompson

INTRINSIC LANDSCAPING, INC. OUR REPUTATION Intrinsic Landscaping Inc. is one of the Nation’s Premier Design / Build Green Roof Specialty Firms.

The installation of the award winning, 3.7 acre FedEx Cargo Relocation Green Roof featured above was built in just 17 days demonstrating effective partnership with Corporate Executives, City Government, General Contractor and Other Trades.

We have distinguished ourselves as leaders in the green industry based on our ability to drive projects with professional, efficient and respectful service.

4336 Regency Drive Glenview | IL | 60025 847.391.9266 tel 847.391.9267 fax www.intrinsiclandscaping.com

OUR SERVICES Design / Build Green Roofs & Living Walls Roofing & Waterproofing Assessment Green Roof Consulting, Plant Selection & Contract Growing, Single Source Delivery OUR MISSION To optimize efficiency, economy and ecology based on project goals and specifications.

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solutions/staging

THE SUSTAINABLE WAY TO STAGE A HOME Home stagers have perfected the art of preparing a home for sale. They are hired to modify a home’s appearance so that it makes a positive impression on potential homebuyers. Design It! found a way to stand out from other home stagers and redesigners in the Boulder, Colorado, area by incorporating sustainable materials into their projects. “I recommend eco-friendly products and materials to my clients,” says Lisa Darrah, owner. “The community here is environmentally aware—it is almost a standard of living—but to date, Design It! is the only home stager in the area that has adopted this green way of thinking.”

Darrah was introduced to home staging by watching the ever-popular HGTV. She experimented on the homes of family and friends.

Once she discovered her gift for design, Darrah turned her passion into a business. She founded Design It! in 2007 and soon earned her Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) accreditation, the gold standard recognized by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Fact/

Statistics show a well-staged home spends 50% less time on the market. Professional home staging speeds up sales in a sluggish market and can bump up prices 2–10%.

RIGHT: By adding color, furniture, artwork, and accessories, any space “becomes alive,” says Lisa Darrah, owner of Design It! The company uses an eco-friendly paint labeled Harmony and reuses furniture and other items during its staging process.

backgrounder/ Design It! stages an average of five to six homes a year. These homes range from 2,000 square feet to more than 5,000 square feet; styles vary from 1960s Bungalow to sleek modern infill. Darrah now offers three distinct services to clients—home staging for clients in need of depersonalizing a space, redesign for individuals hoping to personalize their home, and event planning—both social and corporate events. It is a one-woman operation. Subcontractors are used but are first screened to guarantee that Darrah’s green philosophy is maintained.

Boulder is a tough housing market. Design It! is one of many home stagers in the area trained to prepare a home for sale.

The owner’s environmental awareness prompted the company to integrate reusable, sustainable, and energy-efficient products into the homes of their clients. challenge/ The one-woman company was charged with staging a home for a quick sale in the Boulder area. solution/ Green materials—from the paint to the furniture to the fixtures—were incorporated into the home staging. Darrah often works with a local company to acquire rented furniture pieces and accessories. “They lease out furniture that is used over and over,” she says of the practice. “There are pieces I’ve used nearly a dozen times. This way the homeowner doesn’t have to go out and buy new pieces just to stage their house.”

Staging requires neutralizing the home.

Painting is almost always required, so Design It! uses Sherwin Williams Harmony

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line, which offers no- and low-VOC paints.

Most homeowners jump on board, but occasionally Darrah needs to educate them on the importance of this paint. “I talk about the science behind using a quality paint, especially one that doesn’t contain VOCs,” she says. “I’m able to offer a reasonable price and match color swatches which helps convince wary homeowners.”

More than an advocate for eco-friendly materials, Darrah also ensures that contractors follow sustainable practices.

Electricians recycle the fixtures taken out, donating the unwanted but functional pieces to Habitat for Humanity. Copper wiring is salvaged. A recycled glass/ concrete mixture often recovers outdated or worn laminate countertops.

Wood pieces once used in factories or farming are given new life on mantels that are begging for an upgrade. Whether the project is a home staging or redesign, Design It! recommends floors of bamboo, cork, or rapidly renewable wood species.

“Most projects have bits and pieces of these elements,” explains Darrah, who says these updates are an added benefit to the homeowner and leverage for realtors.

“The realtors are able to bring prospective homeowners into a home that has been upgraded and announce that all the products are sustainable. This helps sell the home, especially in a progressive area like Boulder County.” Many homeowners looking to sell or remodel their home are also open to the idea of incorporating green materials. “Most people are becoming educated,” she says. “Green home design isn’t a fad—we know it is good for the environment and it is good for the home.”

—by Jennifer Hogeland

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solutions/project management

THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT BEHIND DENVER’S NEWEST MUSEUM PROJECT “For every project, we build collaborative project teams and manage successful projects from inception to completion and beyond,” says Tristin Gleason, LEED AP, co-owner of Project One Integrated Services. Along with Mike Palumbo, Gleason parlayed more than 20 years of experience in commercial construction and started her own firm in 1999. The Englewood, Colorado-based company provides strategic planning, project-management leadership, and implementation services for all project types. Since the company’s inception, it has provided services on more than 170 projects with a recent focus on sustainable design.

Education and Collections Facility Construction Timeline > Design Phase/ Fall 2010–Summer 2011 ––––––––––> Groundbreaking/ Fall 2011 ––––––––––––––––> Construction Phase/ Fall 2011–Winter 2013 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––x Grand Opening/ Early 2014

backgrounder/ Gleason supports clients in securing the right consultants to help implement project goals, which increasingly take the environment into consideration. “Sustainability in construction is critical to ensure our buildings reduce waste and are efficient in their energy consumption,” she says. “More companies are embracing green and preparing for a future where green will be in higher demand.”

Its newest client is the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which is planning a massive expansion called the Education and Collections Facility (ECF). “The ECF expansion,” Gleason explains, “is a new, 125,000-square-foot addition to the existing museum that will include a new collection-storage facility; state-of-the-art, science-education studios; and a traveling exhibit gallery, all within a highly energyefficient building.” challenge/ The museum charged Project One with providing project oversight—from project development schedules to scouting consultants to achieving an energy-efficient design—for the ECF.

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Project One Integrated Services

RIGHT: A model of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science’s Education and Collections Facility.

“Ultimately we expect to turn the building into a realtime exhibit showcasing the building’s performance features.

[It] will be a virtual science exhibit in itself.”

—Tristin Gleason, Co-owner

solution/ In an effort to meet the aggressive energyefficiency goals, Project One will ensure the museum properly utilizes a unique, geothermal heat-pump system for heating and cooling. Harnessing the relatively constant temperature of the water flowing in a water-recycle system—typically used to irrigate Denver parks and golf courses—the ECF will be able to significantly improve the efficiency of its heating-and-cooling system by using the constant temperature of the Earth as a heat source.

“Our intention is to grab water out of the water-recycle system, run it through our heat pumps, and re-inject the warm or cool water back into the system,” explains Dave Noel, vice president of operations and chief sustainability officer for the museum.

“And as a result, this project should reduce heating and cooling energy expenses by at least 50 percent.”

Project One will be vital in achieving LEED Platinum certification and energy-use levels at least 50 percent less than a minimally compliant building. “Ultimately we expect to turn the building into a real-time exhibit showcasing the building’s performance features,” he says, noting that success will be the result of a long, highly collaborative process that begins at the very onset of

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the project. “The entire team, including Project One, are working hard to meet the museum’s aggressive sustainability goals.”

Set for completion in late 2013, the ECF will provide new space for a variety of functions. “The two levels below grade will be collection-storage space for the nearly 1.4 million artifacts in the museum’s science collections,” Noel says, explaining that the three levels above grade then will support education spaces for early learners, along with gallery space for temporary exhibits.

With a spacious plaza providing an area for events and programs, the ECF will integrate the museum and the environment of the surrounding park, without disturbing its natural habitats, Gleason explains. “The building will be a virtual science exhibit in itself,” she says.

“The message here is that we’re an education facility for science,” Noel adds. “We feel strongly about climate change and about energy conservation. We teach it, but it’s also our intention to demonstrate to children and adults how energy-efficiency works.” Gleason concurs that the museum expansion will be more than just a new facility, but an icon of a new era in sustainable design. —by Kaleena Thompson

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material world

cannabis construction Used in everything from clothing to food, hemp has recently found a new life as a building material and is once again the weed everyone is trying to get their hands on

Hemp is popular for many reasons. It is used to produce a wide range of materials, more than 50,000 in fact, from textiles to the highest quality food—and all in a relatively short period of time. Its average growing time is four to five months. The plant requires very little maintenance and can be beneficial to land quality. When fully grown, hemp has a stem consisting of an outer skin, which contains long, sturdy fibers, often called bast, which surround a hollow wood-like core. Bast can grow to be anywhere between 3 and 15 feet long and can run the full length of the plant. The fibers are removed using any number of different processes, though this can alter the color of the hemp; hemp’s natural color ranges from green or grey to black, brown, and off-white. After the stems are processed, two different materials can be produced: hurds and fibers. Hurds and fibers both have unique features that make them practical for building construction. uses/ Hemp is used in everything from timber-frame infill to flooring. Hemp hurds—the woody core from the plant stem—can be mixed with a lime-based binder to create Hempcrete, an extremely durable building material. The lime element in Hempcrete migrates into the cellulose material and fossilizes over time.

This means that if buildings made from hemp are maintained properly, they could last for centuries. Just add aggregate, and you have floor slabs. Hemp can also be used as insulation; its fibers have an advantage over natural insulation materials such as sheep’s wool because insects aren’t as drawn to it and are therefore less likely to attack it. Hemp-fiber insulation is also healthier to install than other mineral-wool materials.

The industrial hemp process: from the field to the Cannabric drying process, in which natural slaked lime and other minerals are added.

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history/ Though we can trace hemp back to the Stone Age, know that hemp sails carried Christopher Columbus to the New World, and are aware

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material world

ABOVE: Asheville, North Carolina’s Push House, the first Hempcrete home in the country. Owned by Asheville’s former mayor, the home employs an array of green-building features.

pros & cons (+) + Hempcrete is simple to install + Hemp plaster can produce a beautiful finish + Hempcrete is breathable so it is perfect for use in modern buildings as well as older historic buildings + Hemp-wood composites are termite proof + Hemp provides both sound and thermal insulation + Hemp is fire resistant

(–) – US federal law currently prohibits the cultivation of industrial hemp. All hemp must be imported, which can be tricky and expensive. Associations like the IHBA and individuals like Steve Allin are working to make the process smoother.

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that until the late 1800s, more than two-thirds of the world’s paper was made from hemp, it was not documented as a building material until the 1980s. In the Champagne region of France, a city by the name of Troyes serves as one of the major hemp producers in the country. In fact, it is widely believed that hemp construction was first discovered in Troyes, as there are many centuries-old homes that have utilized this particular material for repair. “An artisan of great imagination named Charles Rasetti first used a mixture of hemp hurds, lime, and cement to repair a medieval house, La Maison de Turq, in the mid 1980s,” explains Steve Allin, director of the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA). “The local co-operative which supplied the hemp material then helped several other people to expand on this idea including France Perrier, Yves Khun, and Bernard Boyeux.”

supplier for the mixture of ground-up imported hemp stalks, lime, and water. The final cost?

Just $133 per square foot, not including land and excavation.

“There are many homes and buildings that can be retrofitted with hemp because there are so many badly insulated building everywhere in the world,” Allin explains.

“Hemp can make spaces warmer in extreme conditions—for instance, ski cabins. Or it can keep homes cooler in hot climates, like in Southern France and Spain. And it can help to maintain a constant temperature in commercial buildings, something very important to the Wine Society in North London.” The Wine Society warehouse project used prefabricated Hempcrete panels in steel framework to provide a constant temperature with minimal energy use.

projects/ The Push House, in Asheville, North Carolina, was designed by Anthony Brenner of Push Design and is the first Hempcrete home in the United States. The 3,400-square-foot home, which includes a range of other green features, is owned by former Asheville mayor Russ Martin and his wife, Karen Korp. Hemp Technologies, also based in Asheville, served as the

sustainability/ “Knowing that the materials you’re using are both sustainable in production and durable into the future means you are having a positive effect on the local community at a small scale and on the planet on the large scale,” Allin says. “The systems that have been developed to build using these materials are both simple and effective.” —by Thalia A-M Bruehl

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architect to watch

PAUL RAFF PHOTO: Pete Gaffney.

The internationally recognized leader in sustainable architecture talks about working with the elements and how to think of the environment as a “fruitful driver of artistic innovation�

by Anne Dullaghan

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architect to watch

Paul Raff PHOTO 1: Ben Rahn. PHOTO 2: Steve Tsai. PHOTO 3: Steven Evans.

ARTISTIC TENDENCIES 1/ For Cascade, an installation in a private residence in Toronto, Paul Raff used 475 vertically stacked glass panels to abstract the sensation of living behind a cascading waterfall.

2/ A view from the interior shows the breathtaking effect.

3/ Raff’s latticed Garden Pavilion acts as an experiential garden sculpture.

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architect to watch Paul Raff was born in Montréal, Canada, and spent much of his childhood in the Canadian Prairies, to which he attributes his interest in landscape and atmosphere. He graduated with degrees in architecture and environmental studies from the University of Waterloo and has worked for architecture firms in New York, Barcelona, and Hong Kong.

In 2001, Raff became the youngest ever recipient of the Ontario Association of Architects’ Allied Arts Award for lifetime achievement. Shortly after, he founded Paul Raff Studio in Toronto. In 2009, he was awarded the Allied Arts Medal by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. gb&d talked to Raff about his firm and his design philosophies.

How did you decide to create your own firm?

I attended architecture school and interned at various firms around the world and then started my own practice in 2003. Today, the firm has approximately nine people. We work in a range of sectors—residential, institutional, and commercial—all over the world. We’ve become specialists at crossing borders, whether it’s out of state or out of province, and each project comes with its own challenges.

We have been involved in such projects as the new civic gateway for the City of Regina, the Bluepoint residential resort in Thailand, and Cascade House in Toronto.

What do you find appealing about practicing architecture?

It’s interesting to have the opportunity to make a positive impact to our physical environment. It’s also exciting to work with the world around you, the heat and cold, wind and light, air and rain, and snow and trees—everything going around.

In addition to architecture, you are also an artist. How is this different from the work that you do as an architect?

Public and environmental artwork is particularly unusual for an architectural firm.

When I graduated from architecture school, instead of getting a job at a firm, I worked for a few years as an installation artist, exploring making art, working at galleries, or temporary installations. I eventually segued into permanent installations. Art has to play a different role in a public function. There’s a different creative imperative...than you have designing a building. It also involves a different degree of fabrication and construction.

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As architects, we make drawings as instructions for builders, suppliers, and trades. As artists we have to deliver finished pieces.

The nice thing for my colleagues and me is that we get to work closely with the materials and the fabricators. We’re working on the new civic gateway [for Regina] and in the private sector, doing a permanent outdoor sculpture as part of a condominium complex in downtown Toronto.

What do you find most fulfilling about your work?

Every project is fraught with challenges.

And there are lots of things that are fulfilling about working in the field. The most exciting thing is the first time that I walk on a job site and see the project framed out and taking shape, since it’s been months since I’ve been imagining and drawing the building. It’s like living a dream. The other thing is the enormous happiness that the work can give to other people. We design a lot of homes and housing developments. I never forget that these are projects for real people—families whose everyday lives are impacted. They feel it and are very grateful.

Creating sustainable design is also fulfilling.

We have a very strong and recognized focus on developing sustainable architecture.

That didn’t come from me being a hard-core environmentalist; it came from my history as an architect/artist and thinking about how our culture is evolving and changing. The third part that’s rewarding about our practice is making a positive impact wherever we go.

“We have a very strong and recognized focus on developing sustainable architecture.

That didn’t come from me being a hard-core environmentalist; it came from my history as an architect/artist and thinking about how our culture is evolving and changing.”

—Paul Raff, Founding Principal

to learn how to use—and more that will appear on the horizon. Architects today are stretched to have a remarkably broad knowledge to do good work.

I don’t want to overstate it because I’m one architect in a big world, but with every project we do, we’re striving to design something well—something that’s economical, flexible, and adaptable for the future. It’s one small step toward a making a positive environmental impact. This interest in sustainability has driven me to do exhaustive research on construction technologies all over the world. Each project is an opportunity to try to optimize an ideal solution that reduces the carbon footprint and environmental footprint while maximizing the experiences for the people living in them.

The choices and regulations help, but they also hinder. Things we did 50 years ago we can’t do anymore, and sometimes that seems sad.

On the other hand, it’s important to focus on the upside. I’m an artist at heart; I want to make beautiful buildings and experiences for people.

Considering the carbon footprint and nontoxicity is a fruitful driver of artistic innovation.

I can take these new ideas and challenges and let them develop into new creations to make the world a more positive place.

What challenges do you find being an architect today?

I have no idea. We’d like to keep doing bigger and better things internationally. I’m interested in different cultures and working in different landscapes. It would be great to continue to take on larger projects for the excitement of having a positive impact in our local and global art and architecture. gb&d

The fundamental challenges are not really that different from 50 years ago, except for decades of massive bureaucratic growth.

There are also more products and assemblies

What does the future hold for Paul Raff Studio?

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last look

geodesic genius A unique take on the conventional treehouse of yesterday, 28-year-old designer Dustin Feider’s O2 Treehouse prototype has evolved into a booming—and environmentally and socially responsible—business venture.

The stunning structures, inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s infamous geodesic dome, are constructed of 100-percent sustainable materials (such as recycled soda bottles). They are suspended using a steel cable support system, using no nails or bolts—minimizing the impact on the trees. The customizable design comes in three translucent canopy styles and a variety of colors and textures. The structure provides a firm support for a variety of flooring materials, and the multiple spheres can be combined in a multitude of configurations. With the integration of greywater systems, use of local materials and labor, the O2 Treehouse has emerged as a sustainable and arresting solution for anything from a summer camp to a high-end eco resort.

Visit O2Treehouse.com for a closer look.

Photos: Dustin Feider.

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IN THE NEXT ISSUE...

gb&d chats with the architectural masterminds behind some of the most sustainable skycrapers piercing skylines across the globe.

PLUS…the second installment of our green museums series focuses on an invisible but pivotal design element: air.

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