gb&d Issue 14: November/December 2011

GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN

gb&d B uro

Happol

d + Ly n R i c e A rc h it

ec t s

, P. 96

1 .9 P ,

n Tra

Wa s

of

Ne

re

ar

tu

ly

Fu

A

e

M

Th

on

k

GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN Nov/DEc 2011

ign,

T he A rc hit ec

D es

tW ho

sit

P. 151

The essential guide for sustainable projects and ideas

holistic healing Nov/DEc 2011 GBD14_NOV.DEC_cover.indd 1

( and how to design for it ) Six groundbreaking medical projects that serve the whole person, P. 76

7/14/11 12:25 PM

Specialties: GCA Services Group, Inc. is a leading national provider of sustainable facility services, including janitorial/custodial services, facilities maintenance, grounds management, contamination control for cleanroom manufacturing, in-sourced production staffing and labor management, other staffing services, and more. GCA’s over 26,000 employees service over 500 million square feet of space every day. GCA clients span numerous industries, including higher education, K-12 schools, manufacturing, nuclear power, aviation, bio-pharmaceutical, and more.

Services: GCA Services Group believes in building partnerships with our clients. We develop customized solutions to meet the individual needs of each and every client we serve. Our extensive menu of services allows us to offer cost effective, flexible solutions, with a guarantee of quality.

GCA’s Collaborative Social Responsibility model and proprietary Custom Green Environmental Program offer a solution for improving indoor air quality, diverting waste, source reduction, protecting the health of your employees, and conserving natural resources.

Please Contact: Jason Lee, Director of Sustainability and Business Development, jlee@gcaservices.com | 336.455.2452 www.gcaservices.com

GBD14_book.indb 2

7/15/11 9:55 AM

gb&d

contents

®

GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN NOV/DEC 2011

“The idea today is that disease and medicine are tied together; we’re trying to change that by focusing on the correlation between health and environment.”

76/

PHOTOS: (76) © Ben Watkins, Halvorson Design Partnership, Inc.; (96) Peter Fritz; (57) Joseph Mills Photography; (144) Bruce Damonte.

—Tye Farrow, Senior Partner, Farrow Partnership

57/

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 3

91/

96/

144/

157/

NOV/DEC 2011

3

7/15/11 9:55 AM

contents

FEaTURES 76/

MIND.BODY.SPIRIT. DESIGN.

Holistic healthcare is quickly entering the mainstream, completely changing the way we view medicine. What does that mean for architecture?

details 35/

ASCETIC TENDENCIES

Drawing from monasticism and Eastern philosophy, Canadian architect Christopher Simmonds is reaching for Zen

SOTa CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

work/ 119/

37/

45/

real estate/

122/

GRUBB & ELLIS

125/

Drawing a ‘Roadmap to Sustainability’

127/

+ HOLT LUNSFORD COMMERCIaL FORSTONE CaPITaL

129/

planning & design/

CaLLaGHaN LETELLIER WIENS GIBBONS

WORK.SPACE.

What happens when a top architecture studio is hired by a top engineering firm? Find out with this inside look at Lyn Rice architects’s design for Buro Happold

learn/

Becoming the top choice for interiors

49/

architecture/

aRC/aRCHITECTURaL RESOURCES CaMBRIDGE

MkDS aRCHITECTS

Basing educational design on nature

Personal attention vs. urban anonymity 51/ 54/

inner workings

11/ 15/ 17/

commodities bookshelf/agenda memo defined design

139/ 141/

+

60/ 62/ 65/ 68/

144/

+ TERMOBUILD ENTEROS DESIGN

HaRBOURT HaLL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE aND TECHNOLOGy JULIET RICE WICHMaN BOTaNICaL RESEaRCH CENTER MaRIN HEaLTH & WELLNESS CaMPUS

RaFaEL VIñOLy aRCHITECTS Building a masterpiece on the brink

OkLaHOMa CaSE STUDy HOUSE A landmark for a changing city

DEPaRTMENTS

14/

+ JONES PIERCE aRCHITECTS ROBERT ROkOP aIa aRCHITECT

heal/

57/

up front

MUSSON CaTTELL MaCkEy PaRTNERSHIP Breathing life into a Vancouver icon

137/ 96/

+ GLENBOROUGH HaSkELL URBaHN aRCHITECTS S.L. NUSBaUM REaLTy CO. play/

133/ 47/

aRCHITECTURaL NExUS Salvaging a condemned office

A man’s path to conscious construction

42/ 91/

spaces

construction/

147/

+ HSB aRCHITECTS + ENGINEERS

solutions 151/

BICyCLE TRaNSIT DESIGN KGP Design Studio shows us the future

153/ 155/

+ SITE REMEDIaTION MULTIFaMILy HOUSING

verbatim 20/

On how fine arts influences his design

+ 22/ 24/

community

RICk aMES 70/

DaNIEL HEUBERGER SUZaNNE NaPIER

WOODaLL ROGERS PaRk FOUNDaTION + BRINSHORE DEVELOPMENT

live/ 102/

launch pad

32/

4

DUNN + kILEy

105/

A legacy of landscape narratives

108/

+ D2 aRCHITECTURE VEGa aRCHITECTURE

110/

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 4

113/ 115/

last look

BIRDSEyE BUILDING COMPaNy Crafting a sustainable, modern farmstead

+ 450 aRCHITECTS aCM DESIGN yS DEVELOPMENT La POSaDa SayIGH+DUMaN

CORk IT The unique wood’s rise to fame

spaces

aRCHITECTURE 2.0 Alan Oakes talks with the father of BIM

30/

material world 160/

discussion board

28/

JULIE BaRGMaNN On the promise of toxic landscapes

Endowing Dallas with new green space 73/

26/

architect to watch 158/

162/

ULTIMa TOWER REVISITED Plant-inspired design from 1970

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:55 AM

PRECISE COST ESTIMATES COST CONTROL SERVICES PRECISE COST ESTIMATES & WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON AN UNPARALLELED LEVEL OF SERVICE AND A COMCOST SERVICES MITMENT CONTROL TO QUALITY

C

ompromised of a team of highly experienced construction and design professionals, Cost

We pride ourselves on an level cost of control service Concepts generates precise costunparalled estimates and provides services. Our expertise spans a range of construction disciplines, including—architectural, structural, mechanical and a commitment to quality. and electrical, with individual backgrounds in architecture, engineering and construction management. We prepare estimates for many types of projects—over 100 per year—ranging from $25,000 to $300 million.

Some of services includes: Compromised of a team ofour highly experienced construction and

design professionals, Cost Concepts generates precise cost estimates We provide our services for clients on a local, national and international basis. We strictly adand cost control services.

Our expertise spans a requirements. range hereprovides to the appropriate governmental or agency estimating guidelines and Our efficient process for the preparation of our services, combinedstructural, with our low overhead, ofhighly construction disciplines, including—architectural, translates intoand lowerelectrical, fees and savings our clients.. backgrounds in architecture, mechanical withforindividual engineering and construction management. We prepare estimates for more information on how Cost Concepts can help you keep your project on budget— manyFor types of projects—over 100 per year—ranging from $25,000 to call Alex Kaplan at 631-423-7960 $300 million.

We provide our services for clients on CONSULTANTS a local, national and CONSTRUCTION 104 BEDELL PLACE • MELLVILLE, NY 11747 governmental international basis. We strictly adhere to the appropriate TEL. guidelines 631.423.7960 FAX 631.423.7963 or agency estimating and requirements.

Our highly efficient Web: www.costconcepts.com • E-Mail: info@costconcepts.com process for the preparation of our services, combined with our low overhead, translates into lower fees and savings for our clients.

CCOO SS T T

CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS

• Cost Estimating

• Cost Analysis

• Value Engineering

• Change Order Estimating

• Owner Representation

• Contract Review

• Scheduling

• Surveying

C C O O NN CCE EP PT S T S

For more information on how Cost Concepts can help you keep your project on budget, call Alex Kaplan at (631) 423-7960 104 Bedell Place • Mellville, New York 11747 Phone: (631) 423-7960 • Fax: (631) 423-7963 E-mail: info@costconcepts.com • www.costconcepts.com

GBD14_book.indb 5

7/15/11 9:55 AM

DO YOU HAVE THE KEY TO LUXURY? We do.

DISCOVER a wealth of knowledge and experience in the luxury marketplace within the pages of New American Luxury.

view full-size, readable issues and sign up for a subscription at

NEWAMERICANLUXURY.COM

GBD14_book.indb 6 NAL0_House_july14.indd 1

7/15/11 7/14/11 9:55 7:15AM PM

E

1 7:15 PM

contributors

gb&d

®

editorial

research

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christopher Howe

DIRECTOR OF STRaTEGIC PaRTNERSHIPS

MaNaGING EDITOR

George Bozonelos george@guerrerohowe.com

kathy kidwell kathy@guerrerohowe.com

FEaTURES EDITOR Timothy Schuler tschuler@guerrerohowe.com

aSSOCIaTE EDITOR

EDITORIaL RESEaRCH MaNaGERS anthony D’amico Carolyn Marx

EDITORIaL RESEaRCH COORDINaTOR

Geoff George geoff@guerrerohowe.com

adam Castillo

CORRESPONDENTS

Eric Crabb Shaan Haque Gerald Mathews

Thalia a-M Bruehl Erica archer Zach Baliva Laura M. Browning Tricia Despres Joyce Finn Peter Fretty Scott Heskes Jennifer Hogeland David Hudnall Russ klettke keith Loria alan Oakes Eugenia Orr Mark Pechenik Erik Pisor Seth Putnam Suchi Rudra Lynn Russo Whylly Julie Schaeffer kaleena Thompson Tina Vasquez Laura Williams-Tracy John Ziza

art CREaTIVE DIRECTOR karin Bolliger

SENIOR DESIGNER Bill Werch

PHOTO EDITOR Samantha Hunter

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 7

EDITORIaL RESEaRCHERS

Chicago-based writer Thalia A-M Bruehl has been contributing to gb&d for the last two years. When not featuring sustainable designs, Thalia is writing about everything from babies to farming for the web and other print publications. She has worked at Esquire and Playgirl and does most of her writing with her dog, Finn, on her lap. She was thrilled to feature Holistic Hospitals for this issue.

Laura M. Browning talks to landscape and cultural artist Julie Bargmann in this issue. Laura is a Chicago-based writer who has worked for art museums, an environmental nonprofit, and an encyclopedia, and she has turned her Internet addiction into a successful class called “Twitter 101 for Writers.” you can reach her on her website, artcanthurtyou.com.

Europe-based gb&d writer Suchi Rudra has learned that truly sustainable architecture comes from meticulous and thoughtful design. For firms such as 450 architects and Lyn Rice architects, this means activism and innovative urban design. D2 architecture puts itself in its clients’ shoes, while Dunn + kiley tell the story of the landscape.

In her free time, Suchi shapes her own story through travel and music.

For this issue of gb&d, Joyce Finn talks to Suzanne Napier about her 25 years with SmithGroup designing innovative research facilities. Joyce is a member of the american Society of Journalists and authors (aSJa) and has studied mining geology in the outback, biochemistry in Boston, and taught creative writing in Bermuda. She can be reached at www.joycefinn.com.

NOV/DEC 2011

7

7/15/11 9:55 AM

editor’s note

modern medicine

T

he question, “How do we design for healing?” is being replaced by the question, “How do we design for health?” That, in the end, is what green building is all about—healthy buildings that keep our planet healthy, too. So, both builders and doctors are seeing that prescriptions and treatment are only small pieces of the healthcare pie. “Our society is really only now beginning to embrace the idea of holistic medicine,” says Duda Paine Architects founder Turan Duda in our cover story (p. 76). “Universally, we’re finding more and more ways in which we realize there is a ‘whole’ person.”

What role do architects and builders play in this realization? In our feature, six studios answer that question. CO Architects is working on a breathtaking, nature-laden “hospital of the future” (p. 84). Duda Paine designed a space where alternative and traditional medicine can formally interact for the first time in history (p. 78). And Montgomery Sisam Architects engaged the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction with a communityoriented rehabilitation center in Toronto (p. 80).

Throughout the issue are other signals of the sea change in healthcare design. Rafael Viñoly Architects’ suspended, undulating Institute of Regenerative Medicine (p. 144) is a miracle of modern medicine and design—and possibly one of the most incredible projects we’ve featured in gb&d. Elsewhere, Eugenia Orr takes us inside RHAA’s landscape design for the Marin Health & Wellness Campus (p. 68), the charming Rick Ames talks in his own words about an atrium designed to be the “heart and lungs” of an eldercare facility (p.

20), and D2 Architecture describes its Sleepover Project, which asks architects to live in senior-living communities for 24 hours in order to better understand the programmatic needs of residents and staff (p. 30).

Exposure to plants, fresh air, and sunlight may now be seen as a vital part of healing, but it’s long been the case in a good deal of religions, including in many Eastern practices.

On p. 91, Canadian architect Christopher Simmonds talks to gb&d about his belief that life springs from a single source and how that affects his design approach. Kaleena Thompson writes, “Fascinated by religious studies, gardens, and the arts, Simmonds says he’d probably be a monk tending to the gardens if he wasn’t an architect.”

We also have an inside look at Buro Happold’s new offices, courtesy of Lyn Rice Architects (p. 96), and two discussions on how BIM is changing the profession. Suzanne Napier, the head of Research and Learning at SmithGroup (which gets a shout-out from Rafael Viñoly Architects on p. 146) discusses BIM’s uses in laboratory design (p. 24). And Alan Oakes examines it in the context of Finland’s Kirnu Pavilion (p. 26). No doubt BIM will also help propel the already vigorous transformation of healthcare design. It is always wise to look back, to draw from the past and learn from those who went before us. But in this issue of gb&d, change is good. It is building a more sustainable world.

PHOTO: Samantha Hunter.

Regards,

Timothy A. Schuler Features Editor

8

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 8

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:55 AM

publishing

advertising

GUERRERO HOWE, LLC

DIRECTOR OF SaLES

Pedro Guerrero, President Christopher Howe, CEO & Publisher

subscriptions + reprints

Titus Dawson titus@guerreohowe.com

SaLES MaNaGERS Stacy kraft krista Lane Williams

SaLES ExECUTIVES

For a free subscription, please visit gbdmagazine.com/sub

James R. ainscough Toney Dimos Colin Ducharme Chris Harris Michelle Harris kurt Hofer Justin Joseph Rebekah Mayer Joe Virgil Brendan Wittry

offices

SENIOR aCCOUNT MaNaGER

Printed in South korea. Reprinting of articles is prohibited without permission of Guerrero Howe, LLC. For reprint information, visit gbdmagazine. com/reprints.

Cheyenne Eiswald 205 N. Michigan ave., Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60601 Green building & design® is a registered trademark of Guerrero Howe.

aCCOUNT MaNaGERS Lindsay Craig amy Lara William Winter ashley Zorrilla

administrative CONTROLLER andrea DeMarte

aCCOUNTING aSSISTaNT Mokena Trigueros

guerrerohowe.com

HUMaN RESOURCES GENERaLIST Greg Waechter

ExECUTIVE aSSISTaNTS katie Brooke Lazaroff Nancy McDonald

CIRCULaTION MaNaGER Lee Posey

POST PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION MaNaGER Megan Hamlin

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 9

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!

NOV/DEC 2011

9

7/15/11 9:55 AM

index of people & companies #–B

44 West Construction, 132 450 Architects, 105–106 ABT b.v., 17, 19 ACM Design, 108–109 Ames, Rick, 8, 20–21 ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, 137–138 Architectural Nexus, 119–121 Argue Design, 12 Azzimonti, Enrico, 12 B+H Architects, 140 Ban, Shigeru, 14 Bargmann, Julie, 157–159 Barnhart Balfour Beatty, 16 Beaudreault, Jacques, 133 Behnisch Architekten, 21 Birdseye Building Company, 102–104 Birdseye Design, 103 Boel van Eesteren V.O.F., 17 Bogner Construction Company, 60–61 Brendel, John, 125–126 Brinshore Development LLC, 73–74 Brint, David, 73–74 Brownell, Blaine, 14 Burnham, Daniel, 151 Buro Happold, 8, 96, 98–99 Bushnell, David, 105

C Caskey, Don, 16 Callaghan Letellier Wiens Gibbons, 47–48 Callaghan, Ann, 47–48 Cambridge 7 Associates, Inc., 86 Carmichael, Tim, 113–114 Chamot, Jeff, 153 Chartier-Dalix Architects, 15 Chelsea Group, Ltd., 123 Chessum, Tom, 84 Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc., 8, 91–94 CIGNA, 149 CO Architects, 8, 84–85 Collaboration, 13 Conner-Murphy, Amy, 108–109 Corque Design, 159 Crepain Binst Architecture, 19

D

D2 Architecture, 8, 30–31 Dattner Architects, 22–23 Davis, David, 78 Dean Sakamoto Architects, 65–67 Deems Raadgevende Ingenieurs b.v., 17 Demers, Dave, 13 Design + Planning at AECOM, 29 Designtex, 13

10

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 10

Diamantini & Domeniconi, 12 D.I.R.T. Studio, 157–159 DPR Construction, 146 Dome Construction, 68 Duda Paine Architects, 8, 78–79 Duda, Turan, 78 Duman, Koray, 115, 117 Dunn + Kiley, 28–29 Dunn, Chris, 28–29 Dunn, Kate Kiley, 28 Durkin & Villalta Partners, 18

E–G

ecotechdesign, 132 Engheben, Eric, 132 Enteros Design, 141–142 Entzminger, Gil, 141–142 Farrow Partnership Architects Inc., 88–89 Farrow, Tye, 88 Fitzsimmons Architects, 57–59 Fitzsimmons, Brian, 57–59 Fleur-de-Lis, 103–104 Flynn, Mike, 14 Forstone Capital, 45–46 Friedman, Andrew, 129–130 Gallagher, Bill, 151–152 Gehry Technologies, 27 Geithner, Susan, 150 Gibbons, David, 47 Glenborough, 122–123 Gray, Kristin, 71–72 Green, Chris, 86 Grilo, Toni, 159 Grissim Metz Andriese Associates, 18 Groppi, Michael, 38–40 Grubb & Ellis, 38–40

H–I

H. Keith Wagner Partnership, 103–104 Hall, Brandon, 45 Halvorson, Craig, 87 Halvorson Design Partnership, Inc., 86–87 Haskell, 125–126 Henry, Donald, 127–128 Heuberger, Daniel, 22–23 Holt Lunsford Commercial, 42–43 HSB Architects + Engineers, 149–150 Hutton Architecture Studio, 62–64 Hutton, Paul, 62–64 inForm Studio, 18 Ito, Toyo, 14 Iwanski, Charmaine, 60–61

J–k

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., 71 JKMM Architects, 26–27 Johnston, Daryl, 138 Jones Pierce Architects, 51–53 Jones, Bryan, 52

Jordan, Michael, 59 JSA Inc., 155–156 Kajiwara, Kenneth, 151 Karlsberger, 82–83 Kent State University, 60–61 Ketel Raadgevende Ingenieurs b.v., 17 KGP Design Studio, 151–152 Khouri, Marie, 13 Kiley, Dan, 28–29 King, Manuela, 68–69 Kingston, Kenner, 119–121 Kollaja, Ted, 14 KPMG, 129 Kuma, Kengo, 14

L–M Laird, Philip L., 137–138 Laken, Jack, 139–140 Land + Form, 59 Langlett, Mike, 64 La Posada, 113–114 Letellier, Marc, 47 Liang, Alice, 80 Licht Kunst Licht AG, 16 Lin, Chan-li, 144–146 Lipka, Astrid, 98 Loowatt, 13 Lovallo, William, 58–59 Lunsford, Holt, 42 Lyn Rice Architects, 8, 96–99 Mac, Brian, 102, 104 Marks, Randy, 59 Maupin, Stephane, 131 Mecanoo Architecten, 17 Mestre, Ana, 159 Michalik, Daniel, 159–160 The Miller Hull Partnership, 16 MKDS Architects, 49–50 MMX, 143 Montgomery Sisam Architects, 8, 80–81 Moore, Scott, 42 Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, 133–135

N–Q Napier, Suzanne, 8, 24–25 Nelson, Joe, 36 Next Phase Studios, 20–21 Neyer, Dan, 153 Neyer Properties, 153 Nilsson, Patrik, 12 Nordgård, Matilda, 12 Ohio State University, 16 O’Neal Construction, 18 O’Reilly, Radar, 123 Ossipoff, Vladimir, 65 Otto & Bryden Architects, 92 PAE Consulting Engineers, 16 Paine, Don, 151–152 Paraon, Florencio, 151 Parker, Richard, 105–106 Patkau Architects, 136 Perry, Walter Scott, 132 Phifer, Thomas, 72 Phu Hoang Office, 15

Pierce, Cooper, 51–53 Point32, 16 PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc., 134 Quigley, Robert H., 137–138

R

Rachely Rotem Studio, 15 Rafael Viñoly Architects, 8, 144–146 Redford, Robert, 155 Reid, Bill, 133 Rice, Lyn, 97–99 Robert Charles Lesser & Co., LLC, 155 Robert Darvas Associates, 18 Robert Rokop AIA Architect, 54–55 Rokop, Robert, 54–55 Rotsch, Alexander, 16 Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey, 8, 68–69 RMW Architecture & Interiors, 68–69 rzlbd, 118

S Sakamoto, Dean, 65–67 Santamaria, Carlos, 122–123 Saunders Construction, 62 Sayigh+Duman, 115–117 Sayigh, Laith, 115–117 Schuchart Construction, 16 Schulz, Andreas, 16 Schuster, Dorothy, 49–50 Sciortino, Richard, 73 Scofield Systems, 66 Shelden, Dennis, 27 Siegfried, Scott, 64 Silvennoinen, Anne, 27 Simmonds, Christopher, 8, 91–94 S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co., 129–130 SmithGroup, 24–25, 146 Smithson, Robert, 159 Sofer, Yuval, 110–112 Solomon, Karen, 14 Solum, Corey, 155–156 Sota Construction Services, Inc., 35–36 Sota, Ernie, 35–36 SRG Partnership, Inc., 16 Stephenson, Cathy, 38–40 Streff, Jim, 149–150

T Teicholz, Paul, 26 Tekla Building, 27 Teknion, 47 TermoBuild, 139 The Collaborative Inc., 60–61 The Office of James Burnett, 71 Thomas Phifer and Partners, 71 Thompson, Mark, 133–135 Thomson, Scott, 64

Toshiyuki Kita, 11 Tsui, Eugene, 162

U–Z

Unlimited Construction Services, 65 UNStudio, 19 Urbahn Architects, 127–128 Van Oorschot-Versloot Bouw b.v., 17 Van Valkenburg, Michael, 159 Vega Architecture LLC, 32 Verde Lifestyles, 12 Viñoly, Rafael, 144 VPS Architecture, 18 Ware Architecture, 71 Ware, Billy, 71–72 Warner, Grant, 30–31 Welanetz, Peter, 87 Western National Group, 155 Whitehead, Mark, 133 Whitney Architecture, 111 Whitney, Paul, 112 Wiens, Bryan, 47 Wilderman, Brett, 45–46 Woodall Rogers Park Foundation, 70–72 Yarema, John, 18 YS Development, 110–112 Zilles, Stephen, 82

aDVERTISERS

Ampajen Solutions, LLC, 40–41 Aplin & Martin Consultants Ltd., 135 Architizer, 164 ASI, 56 Berner International Corp., 33 Bondfield Construction, 90 Brinshore Development LLC, 72 CADD Microsystems, Inc., 152 Cambridge CM, Inc., 25 CentiMark Corporation, 124 CGC, Inc., 48 Chem-Aqua, 123, 124 Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc., 95 City Park Energy, 43 Cobb Engineering Company, 126 Cost Concepts, 10 Daniel & Company Inc., 142 Dunn + Kiley, 29 Efficiency Energy, 37, 40 EMCOR Services New England Mechanical, 46

Excel Dryer, 61 Forever Lawn of North Texas, 72 Van Boerum & Frank Associates, Inc., 121 GCA Services Group, Inc., 2, 40 Golder Associates, 90 GovanBrown, 48 H. Keith Wagner Partnership, 104 Holt Lunsford Commercial, 44 Horizon Fine Interiors, 117 HSB Architects + Engineers, 148 IBC Engineering PC, 138 Intellidyne, LLC, 46 Irwin Interiors System, Inc., 34 JEM Associates, Inc., 31 JSA Architects, 154 La Posada, 114 Living Stone Construction, 107, 109 Majestic Steel USA, 148 McCallum Testing Laboratories Inc., 130 Mitsubishi Electric, 124 Monterey Lighting Solutions, 41 New Tech Co., 50 Oahu Plumbing and Sheet Metal, 67 Pella Windows, 53 Peripheral Systems, Inc., 56 Philips Lighting, 40, 41 Pioneer Solar & Electric, 121 PPG Architectural Coatings, 37, 40 PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc., 135 Qwest Contracting, 95 RKB Electric & Supply LLC, 33 Robert Benson Photography, 154 Robert Rokop Architect, 56 Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey, 67 Ryco Fire Protection Services LP, 33 SmithGroup, 148 SRW Environmental Services, Inc., 154 The Garland Company, 106, 107 The DeMatteis Organizations, 163 Thornton Tomasetti, 146, 147 Vega Architecture LLC, 31 Viracon, 64 Visio Energy, 90, 94 WBRC Architects Engineers, 21 Wholesale Builders Supply, 33 WSP Flack + Kurtz, 23 YS Development, 112

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:55 AM

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

CONSCIOUS CLEANSING

The bathroom can be a place of origins. Whether the center of our morning routine or a space for evening relaxation, it offers warmth and comfort and spa-like rejuvenation like no place else in the home.

From new froth technology for a tub to brightly lit, time-telling mirrors, these design products offer sustainable beauty for any bath.

bubble bath One of Hollywood’s favorite and most glamorous images may be changing forever due to Toshiyuki Kita’s Furo Bath Tub. Using half the water of a normal tub, the rest of the tub is filled with microbubbles that become a creamy substance all their own. Less water is, of course, green, but the point here also is to both create a new experience and seal in the water’s warmth—the bubbles serve as a sort of lid. The tub’s froth technology comes from the luxury bath designers at INAX. toshiyukikita.com

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 11

NOV/DEC 2011

11

7/15/11 9:55 AM

up front/commodities

embracing life >

A vital part of the green movement is simplicity, and Matilda Nordgård and Patrik Nilsson capture this—in juxtaposition with the chaotic clutter of everyday life—with their Spiral(e) shelf.

The brains behind Stockholm’s Argue Design, Nordgård and Nilsson comment on and provide a solution to our messier tendencies with a shelf that allows its owners to hang clothing items over and wedge them into the hoops of a spiral. It’s furniture that embraces the disordered nature of life. arguedesign.se

economy of function Designed by Enrico Azzimonti, the Solo Ora clock is an elegant piece that also knows how to have fun.

Hearkening back to retro makeup mirrors with some of its design cues, Azzimonti’s clock is a mirror, light, and timekeeper all in one. In bright colors, the multifaceted clock is made

by Diamantini & Domeniconi and its greatest achievements are its sleek design and multiple purposes. enricoazzimonti.it

12

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 12

rung out A great addition to bathrooms of any style—modern, vintage, or rustic—this teak bath ladder (18” x 64”) features an eco-friendly and healthful natural teak-oil finish and an adjustable shelf. Offered via online furniture seller Verde Lifestyles, the ladder’s wood is regulated by the Royal Forestry Department of Thailand, where the item is handmade by local artisans. verdelifestyles.com

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:55 AM

up front/commodities self-powered It’s long been known that many forms of waste are of great value, but the power of human waste hasn’t really been successfully harnessed on a large scale.

The people at Loowatt want to change that. The London-based team of engineers, designers, and businesspeople have created a waterless toilet system that goes well beyond chemical treatment. Here, waste is sealed in an odorless cartridge, taken to an anaerobic digester, and burned to create biogas that then provides power to the local community. It’s a simple idea that could just be good enough to change our ideas of waste, sanitation, and energy. loowatt.com

container landscaping There’s something refreshing and clean about the PL Series of planters, and though designers Dave Demers and Marie Khouri may not have envisioned bathrooms when creating their sculpted pieces, the flowing pots might just be the perfect fit for a modern, open master bath.

Offered through the two designers’ new company, Collaboration, the planters come in a variety of proportions and scale, and their fluid topography is a dynamic convergence of Khouri’s experience as a sculptor and Demers’ as a landscape designer. thisiscollaboration.com

whimsical walls With a pattern reminiscent of rippling water droplets, Ondina is Designtex’s new whimsical vinyl wall-covering made partly from recycled materials.

The 30 percent recycled content—20 percent polyester, 10 percent vinyl—and RECORE recycled-wall backing help the material contribute to a LEED’s Materials and Resource Credit. designtex.com

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 13

NOV/DEC 2011

13

7/15/11 9:55 AM

up front/agenda/bookshelf

NOV/ DEC 2011

NEW REaD When Blaine Brownell graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, he also came away with a Certificate in East asian Studies. His interest in the culture—and its architectural vernacular— has become a new book called Matter in the Floating World, melding this facet of his knowledge with his training and expertise in the world of architectural material. The book features interviews with some of Japan’s leading architects, exploring specifically their relationship with materials in a country where change has been imminent. architects interviewed include Shigeru Ban, Toyo Ito, and kengo kuma.

Princeton Architectural Press, July 2011. $28.00

11.01– 11.04 aquatech amsterdam/ amsterdam, The Netherlands

PICkS FROM a PROFESSIONaL Ted Kollaja, aIa, IIDa, LEED aP is a principal and corporate-headquarterspractice-area leader at Gensler, one of the world’s largest architectural and interior design firms. During his 24-year career, Ted has developed an impressive portfolio of large-scale, technically complex, sustainable projects and coedited the first and second editions of Interior Graphics Standards.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

by Barbara kingsolver Climate Capitalism: Capitalism in the Age of Climate Change

by L. Hunter Lovins and Boyd Cohen Silent Spring

by Rachel Carson

BLOGS eandhweek.org greenoptions.com environmentalgraffiti.com

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 14

11.10– 11.11 5th annual Opportunity Green Conference 2011/

BOOkS

14

Water is quite obviously the subject at this international trade exhibition. Anyone involved in the process, sale, or treatment of water will find the newest technologies and developments on the main stage. The Aquatech Innovation Award will also be presented during the conference. amsterdam. aquatechtrade.com

11.22– 11.24 Greenbuild asia 2011/ kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The inaugural Greenbuild Asia means to be the premier green-building event in the Asian region.

Offering an exhibition, industry summit, symposia, and a unique Made-In-Malaysia Showcase, industry professionals can learn about the newest, greenest systems on the market. greenbuildasia.org

11.30– 12.02 National Green Building Conference/ Toronto, ON A connector of green professionals in Canada, this conference and exhibit offers a slew of educational and technical opportunities, as well as topical sessions. With attendance reaching 23,000, networking opportunities are also a major benefit to the event. nationalgreen buildingexpo.com

Los angeles Created to help facilitate multidisciplinary engagement and balance the triple bottom line, this is one of the largest B2B sustainable events in the world, cofounded by Karen Solomon and Mike Flynn. Whether you’re looking for a job or a leader in your field, the conference is about coming together. opportunitygreen.com

12.05– 12.09 Ecobuild america 2011/ Washington, DC Get inside building systems at Ecobuild America, a conference and exhibit for AEC professionals in the country’s capital. Covering a broad range of topics with sector-specific sessions, the event promises to be the “intersection of technology and ecology.” aececobuild.com

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:55 AM

up front/memo

LIVINg SHeLL FOR FReNCH SCHOOL The next two years will see the construction of Chartier-Dalix architects’ innovative primary school design, which got people’s attention with its “living shell,” designed to provide natural habitat to everything from insects to owls. In Bolougne Bilancourt, France, the nearly 71,000-square-foot school utilizes artificial topography in natural forms, allowing for paths, cloisters, and other areas for the students to explore. Educational design has changed immensely over the past 10 years, and Chartier-Dalix’s primary school offers yet another new direction.

FLOATINg MICROCLIMATeS Like a pink cloud hovering over Boston’s Fort Port Channel, Lighter Than air is an architectural installation and “pop-up” public space set to open September 2012. Competing in a contest held by SHIFTboston, The New york architectural-design practices of Rachely Rotem Studio and Phu Hoang Office won with a substance called “camovapor,” a pink camouflage net suspended by weather balloons and filled intermittently with mist to create

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 15

a microclimate for visitors on the barge. That mist is created by the visitors themselves, via bicycles that, when pedaled, turn water into vapor that then condenses on the net and eventually disperses from the “camovapor” cloud.

Interestingly, three popular ideas about public space are featured in this single project: creating microclimates, designing “pop-up” spaces, and educating the public about its connection to ecological and meteorological processes.

ABOVE, RIGHT: View from the bridge and a cross section of the installation.

NOV/DEC 2011

15

7/15/11 9:56 AM

up front/memo

LIgHTINg DeSIgN eARNS AN eDISON TOP HONORS VIA uNIque STRATegIeS University of California–Riverside campus architect Don Caskey had something to celebrate earlier this fall as the School of Medicine Research Building—designed by SRG Partnership, Inc. and built by Barnhart Balfour Beatty— received top honors in the Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Best Practice awards. Increasingly popular elements such as cloud-cover sensors and motorized shades were used in conjunction with more unique strategies including “night flushing,” where, cooled by air filtered through during the night, the concrete walls and slabs help prevent high interior temperatures.

Lighting an atrium as stunning as the one in Thyssenkrupp Quarter is a feat deserving of praise, and it’s not unfair to say that it wouldn’t be the same building without Licht kunst Licht aG’s lighting design, which earlier this year won the GE Edison award. alexander Rotsch and andreas Schulz accepted the award for the lighting firm, which celebrated its second consecutive win. In addition to the atrium’s

CASCADIA IS AgAIN ABOVe, BeYOND

POD = LAB Last year, the Pod Home—a 125-square-foot loft-like home built by Ohio State University architecture and engineering students and faculty—was installed at the school’s Center of Science and Industry to serve as an educational exhibit on energy efficiency, the use of local materials, and other sustainable systems and strategies. This year, the small but hugely green prototype served as a lab for the OSU Solar Decathlon team, offering its lessons to the students creating the enCORE house, its 2011 entry.

16

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 16

GE 35-watt and 70-watt ConstantColor CMH G12 4200 k lamps, Thyssenkrupp Quarter featured GE 39-watt T5 4000 k lamps and linear LEDs. The dining areas were especially dramatic, with custom pendants (GE 35-watt halogens) lighting the tables, T5 fluorescent coves, and ceramic metal-halide wall-washing.

PHOTOS: Christian Richters (below), Lukas Roth (bottom).

It will be some time before anyone will know whether the Cascadia Center for Sustainable Design and Construction can actually achieve all it claims it has made— certification via the Living Building Institute requires the building be operational for a full year after it opens on Earth Day 2012—but in the meantime, The Miller Hull Partnership, Point32, Schuchart Construction, and PaE Consulting Engineers are working hard to create the most sustainable commercial mid-rise the

world has seen. Located in Seattle’s Madison-Miller neighborhood, the sixstory, 50,000-square-foot project will meet LEED Platinum and architecture 2030 design and construction goals, serve as the headquarters of The Bullitt Foundation—a leading environmental organization in the Pacific Northwest—and include an extensive solar array, one of the features that will help the project achieve the netzero status it’s targeting.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:56 AM

up front/defined design

SHELVING TRADITIONAL DESIGN

Libraries have been in existence since ancient times, but the way architects approach them has changed dramatically in the modern era.

Rather than planning out massive, low-ceilinged rooms with row upon row of gray shelving, today’s designers are opening up these spaces of learning and study to admit more light and reduce feelings of claustrophobia. Here, gb&d wanders the stacks of some of the latest and most dramatic designs, from a half-underground library with a massive green roof to one built largely from beetle-damaged wood.

TU dELfT LIbRARy Delft, Netherlands The highlight of Delft Technical University’s library, designed by Mecanoo Architecten and built to service more than 3,000 students per day, is its massive green roof, which doesn’t just complement the surrounding landscape so much as become a part of it. In addition to insulating the building and combating the heat-island effect, the expanse of grass rises from the ground at a gradual slant, a verdant hill, situated amid university buildings, where students can sit while studying. In the slightly below-ground interior, the shelves of books line tall outer walls, leaving a cathedral-like, column-free open space in the middle for quiet reading, and the building’s central cone houses several levels of additional reading space daylit by a large skylight to conserve energy even further.

aRCHITECT Mecanoo Architecten CLIENT Delft Technical University STRUCTURaL ENGINEER ABT b.v.

MECHaNICaL ENGINEER Ketel Raadgevende Ingenieurs b.v.

MaIN CONTRaCTORS Van Oorschot-Versloot Bouw b.v.; Boel van Eesteren V.O.F. PHOTOGRaPHy Christian Richters WEBSITE mecanoo.nl

ELECTRICaL ENGINEER Deems Raadgevende Ingenieurs b.v.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 17

NOV/DEC 2011

17

7/15/11 9:56 AM

up front/defined design

TRAVERWOOd LIbRARy ann arbor, Michigan Noted for its careful site integration, the Ann Arbor District Library’s latest branch, Traverwood, sits at the southwest edge of a four-acre woodland.

Vegetation was already sparse, and the architects sought to preserve the natural habitat as much as possible and protect it from the city on the other side.

Going beyond placement, the developers looked for ways to incorporate area ash trees already ravaged by the emerald ash borer, a beetle species that feeds on water and plant tissue beneath the trees’ bark. The trees were cut down and used in the building’s interior finish; snaking tree trunks, stripped of their bark, serve as structural columns in front of the large southwestern windows. And planks of amberand ale-colored ash line the floors, walls, shelves, and even parts of the library’s ceiling, adding warmth as they reflect the daylighting.

aRCHITECT inFORM Studio CLIENT Ann Arbor District Library aSSOCIaTE aRCHITECT VPS Architecture LaNDSCaPE aRCHITECT Grissim Metz Andriese Associates MECHaNICaL/ ELECTRICaL ENGINEERING Durkin & Villalta Partners

18

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 18

STRUCTURaL ENGINEERING Robert Darvas Associates aSH WOOD CONTRaCTOR John Yarema CONSTRUCTION MaNaGER O’Neal Construction PHOTOGRaPHy James Haefner, Justin Machonachie WEBSITE in-formstudio.com

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:56 AM

up front/defined design

WAALSE KROOK, URbAn LIbRARy Of THE fUTURE Gent, Belgium Thought not yet built, the Waalse Krook Library has been designed to stand as a model for healthy urban life, situated between the two tines of a river fork in Gent’s downtown district. Complex footbridges will lead over the rivers from nearby streets, and the structure’s sleek exterior will be built with roof terraces that can be covered in plant life later for additional insulation, tempering of the urban heat-island effect, and aesthetic enhancement of the neighborhood cityscape. There will also be large bay windows on both sides and an elaborate skylight above, allowing ample daylighting deep into the building. Inside, winding shelf-lined walls and aisles will encourage greater visitor circulation, and the heart of the building will be left open, a spacious community area for patrons to sit, read, and visit in.

aRCHITECT UNStudio CLIENT CVBA Waalse Krook LOCaL aRCHITECT Crepain Binst Architecture STRUCTURaL ENGINEER ABT b.v.

WEBSITE unstudio.com

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 19

NOV/DEC 2011

19

7/15/11 9:56 AM

verbatim In 1993, Rick Ames founded Next Phase Studios. In its early days, the Boston firm performed both design and construction work on everything from residential housing to high-end commercial retail projects, but as the company grew and became more successful, it stopped doing any related construction as it became too difficult for Ames to manage two full-time companies. The firm began pursuing more institutional work, and in 2001, through a collaboration with Behnisch Architekten, Next Phase Studios completed the Genzyme Center, the first large-scale LEED Platinum-certified commercial project in the country.

Next Phase Studios’ portfolio has only grown since. Ames recently spoke with gb&d and shared a bit of the knowledge he’s gained during his 20 years as an eco-passionate architect. —as told by Thalia A-M Bruehl

I came to architecture from a diverse background. I have an undergraduate degree in fine arts, but it was heavy on design and craft. I did a lot of sculpture while at the University of Vermont, and there was an environmental component in the program as well that was very exciting to me, working with solar [technology], windmills, and renewable energy; I often added those elements into my sculpture. Upon finishing, I started work for a design-build teaching school called yestermorrow that also has a deep history of site-specific and solar design. I still teach there 25 years later.

Craft and the technical components of design have always been important to me. It’s what I focused on at MIT while getting my master’s degree. I like traditional Japanese architecture, which was important to the Craftsman style and Frank Lloyd Wright—all influences in our work. I also like to exhibit how things are assembled, the details, connections, and the aesthetic. It’s not about decoration, the ornament, or even the cultural or style aspects. I look at how things are joined, how they’re fabricated, how materials relate to advance a particular design on all scales.

I like to exhibit how things are assembled—the details, connections, and the aesthetic. I look at how materials relate.

Rick Ames on his training as a sculptor, the proper time to look at metrics such as LEED, and his new atrium that serves as an eldercare center’s “heart and lungs”

20

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 20

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:56 AM

Rick Ames

Up Close & personal What was your first job?

It was so very typical. My first job was delivering newspapers, bugs in your nose and all. I did all of those kid jobs, mowing lawns, painting houses, moving into building and carpentry by high school.

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

I like the diversity of architecture, so it’s hard to think of something else. I do love building, though, especially craftskilled workmanship.

What inspires you?

I get most excited about finding new ways to get the systems in buildings, whether they’re structural or mechanical, to behave like they’re natural systems—natural and optimized.

Describe yourself in three words.

Passionate, thoughtful, open-minded.

What is your hidden talent?

Most talents I try to put out there, but I will let on that I’m pretty fierce at frisbee.

Our ability to integrate sustainability and building performance into the design early on in the process has helped to make us successful. It’s not additional components fit into a budget that make a project sustainable but designing around passive ventilation and daylighting—combined with proper orientation and site design—that yields the best and most cost-effective solutions. By working with such an integrated team, the engineers are at the design table, and it can have powerful impacts on the design process yet significantly reduce the impact on the cost.

verbatim We’re currently working on an eldercare facility, Mt. Pleasant Home, which will house 60 full-time residents and provide affordable meals, medical care, and daily living arrangements once finished. The facility, [originally] built in 1926, had reached a point where it was no longer meeting the standard for Public Health Department requirements and needed to be expanded to be made viable economically.

Our work will include an atrium that joins the new and old facilities with support services and activity space, housing, and a new medical clinic; it’s tracking to be LEED Gold certified. There was a lot of effort on the landscape, and we were able to find a way to use all storm water. It will also have a significant photovoltaic and solar-thermal array integrated into radiant floors. The new atrium is literally the new heart and lungs of the combined facility. It provides daylight throughout the resident spaces and is the engine for passive ventilation.

Anything that goes out of our office is LEED-certifiable.

That’s a target for us. We do a fair amount of work for nonprofits, and occasionally they’ll just want the Energy Star component. We also have two Passive House projects in the works. Passive House USa has a very strict, aggressive energy-performance guideline; it’s beyond Energy Star and is quite effective. The benchmark is actually about 85 percent off current energy consumption. gb&d

Outstanding Solutions.

Astonishing Value.

We’re an architecture and design firm, not a greenbuilding or consulting firm. all of our work is grounded in architecture. Our process includes landscape as well as mechanical, structural, and civil engineers so that even in the feasibility study phase, there’s some discussion on the climate, local conditions, and the needs and aspirations of the client. We try to see what our clients’ priorities and motivations are, what their green goals are, and we really try to set the bar from there. We do this before even looking at something like LEED or other metrics.

We really are not specialists. We do a very wide range of work and are very interested in how our architecture can be made very green. We did a LEED Platinum, 50,000-squarefoot prototype grocery store for Hannaford Groceries, but we’ve also done LEED Platinum homes, LEED Platinum offices, and energy-demanding projects such as lab buildings. Being nimble and diverse in project type is very defining of the firm and has kept us alive in these times.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 21

Hannaford Supermarket Pharmacy WBRC designs great buildings that enhance the experiences of their occupants, perform efficiently, respect their surroundings, and reflect community values through thoughtful and cooperative conversation with clients and communities.

www.wbrcae.com NOV/DEC 2011

21

7/15/11 9:56 AM

verbatim

The feeling of making real, tangible things is an incredible privilege in a world that seems to be more digital and less material every day.

Daniel Heuberger on celebrating civic architecture, common sense, and the challenge of architects designing for themselves

Up Close & personal What was your first job?

A summer job assisting a painter with a wall mural at a fancy French restaurant on Park Avenue. The owner/chef cooked lunch for us every day. It might have been the best job of my life.

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

I think teaching—it’s a great profession, and it’s a small part of what I do now.

What inspires you?

The feeling of making real, tangible things. It’s an incredible privilege in a world that seems to be more digital and less material and physical every day. It’s something that I never get tired of.

Describe yourself in three words.

I’m very patient.

What is your hidden talent?

A mean ping-pong game.

22

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 22

Daniel Heuberger almost didn’t become an architect.

Now a partner at New York City-based Dattner Architects, Heuberger had pursued architecture in his undergraduate years but didn’t feel it was the right direction for him. It took some years for the designer to finally return to the field he now loves. His decade of work for Dattner, a firm of 70 employees, has allowed him the opportunity to participate in projects in the public and civic realms, including supportive housing and sustainable schools. Here he discusses finding creative, sensible opportunities in the seemingly mundane.

—as told to Suchi Rudra

We’re very sensitive to the needs of users and programs as the driver of the design because Dattner architects comes out of a very strong public- and civic-architecture background. We tend to design buildings that are highperforming but efficient from an operational point of view and can be operated by a staff that isn’t necessarily trained—and by cost-conscious institutions. That said, the Bloomberg administration [of New york City] has given a high priority to environmental design and planning and has set high standards for public-sector work. Our projects combine old-fashioned common sense and hightech solutions to achieve high LEED standards. We tend to keep things simple but effective because that’s the right approach for most of our clients.

A significant portion of our current work is related to supportive housing, intended for residents of limited means, so this project type is very cost-conscious. It’s a challenge to create successful architecture here, but we do, and we do it sustainably. It’s a source of pride in our office. We’ve designed LEED projects for Habitat for Humanity and are currently working on Via Verde, a 300,000-square-foot mixed-income project in the Bronx. This will be a pioneering project, a very sustainable residential complex that allows for healthy urban living, with 34,000 square feet of green-roof space that serves as the organizing element for the community.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:56 AM

Daniel Heuberger TOP: The Manhattan Districts Garage 1/2/5.

The structure’s façade is solar responsive, and the fins are louvered to maximize daylight penetration.

BOTTOM: Via Verde is a 30,000-square-foot mixed-use project in the South Bronx. From the development’s top level, residents will have views of the surrounding neighborhood.

verbatim I see my role as partner increasingly related to the life of the firm as a whole, looking into how we work together but also into the firm’s responsibilities toward our employees, the profession, and the city. I’ve come to realize that the office is a project in itself. We just moved the firm into new office space. It was a very interesting process—architects designing for themselves is never an easy experience.

It was a great opportunity to reflect on our identity and to plan a more ideal working environment. Now that we are all in one big space on the same floor, it has given us and our clients a better sense of who we are. Everyone has access to daylight and windows. There are no private offices, no doors. Partners have shared spaces, and there are a variety of meeting areas scaled for different-sized meetings. There is a lot more room to pin up work so everybody can see what everyone else is up to. So far, it seems to be working out well. gb&d

a MESSaGE FROM WSP FLaCk + kURTZ The Peter W. Rodino Federal Building modernization, completed with Dattner architects, speaks both to Dattner’s architectural excellence and WSP Flack + kurtz’ expertise in sustainability and modernization. a founder of the USGBC, WSP Flack + kurtz employs more than 135 LEED professionals and has provided services for more than 150 LEED facilities, including our LEED Gold headquarters in New york. Beyond LEED, we offer low-carbon, low- and zero-energy, and energy auditing.

WSP Flack + Kurtz is a world-renowned MEP engineering firm with specialty services that include sustainability and commissioning.

Usually, a parking garage would be considered purely industrial, but we see it as an opportunity to make civic architecture. We are about to start construction on Manhattan Districts Garage 1/2/5, a four-story parking garage (LEED Silver) for the NyC Department of Sanitation, which will accommodate 150 garbage trucks constantly going in and out—a high-traffic situation, which would usually pose a challenge in creating a highly sustainable environment.

But we were able to achieve it in several ways: reusing available steam heat for domestic hot water after using it to heat spaces, rainwater capture for the washing trucks, a green roof, high filtering for air quality in the small office area, and use of recycled materials. a façade of perforated louvers will move over the course of the day, tracking the sun, so there will be a consistent quality of light for the maintenance personnel and a minimal amount of solar heat gain. This feature also makes the structure into a beautiful moving sculpture.

We recently completed a school, PS 276, designed under the new Green School Guide —coauthored by our firm, the NyC Department of Education, and the School Construction authority—by which all new public schools’ constructions will have to abide. The energy costs of PS/IS 276 in Battery Park City are almost 30 percent below the state energy code, and it would reach LEED Gold if certified.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 23

The Peter W. Rodino High Performance Building Modernization was a WSP Flack + Kurtz project completed with Dattner Architects.

512 7th Avenue New York, NY 10018 www.wspfk.com 212.532.9600

Image courtesy of Dattner Architects, Architect and Richard McElhiney Architects, Associate Architect

NOV/DEC 2011

23

7/15/11 9:56 AM

verbatim

Up Close & personal What was your first job?

I was 17 and in high school. I worked as a receptionist at a mortgage company in Atlanta, GA. If you weren’t an architect, what would you be?

I’ve always had a love of music—or something in the arts in general.

What inspires you?

I get inspired by our client researchers, who are out there solving the world’s problems.

Describe yourself in three words.

Organized, good-humored, loyal. (I’ve worked for the same firm for nearly 23 years.)

What is your hidden talent?

I used to be more task-oriented but have become more peopleoriented. I also have a new interest in chocolate-making.

When different sciences interact, it’s one of the most fruitful aspects of moving research forward.

Suzanne Napier on why we should encourage the interaction of scientific disciplines—and precisely how BIM is changing the architectural profession

24

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 24

In high school, Suzanne Napier enjoyed dual strengths in both math and art. “Architecture was a very good fit for me since architects use both sides of their brains,” she says, “They’re artists as well as technical engineers.”

As a business major at the University of Notre Dame, was was uninspired until she took an architectural class as a sophomore. She’s been with SmithGroup since 1988 and has worked in every studio in the office.

Napier here discusses the advantages of BIM and the strategies behind laboratory design. —as told to Joyce Finn

Designing a research lab is very different from even 10 years ago. The requirements continue to evolve. We work with four areas of practice in our office: healthcare, higher academic learning, science and technology, and workplace. Especially with science and technology, we get inspired by these scientists who are out there solving the world’s problems. In the case of the Helios and SERC [Solar Energy Research Center] projects, they’re looking for carbon-neutral alternative fuels. Fuel and energy is a huge issue for all of us. For both these projects, we looked for sites that were already developed and not virgin land. For Helios West, we used an old Department of Health Services laboratory that had been on that site but abandoned over a decade ago. We minimized the impact of the demolition of this aging building by recycling 25,000 tons of concrete.

Over 16,000 tons were recycled on the same site; we filled the basement hole with fresh aggregate from the concrete.

The biggest challenge with science is keeping up with the scientific technology and trying to keep ahead of where the industry is going. We’ve done many types of science facilities including nanotechnology, energy, engineering, and biomedical labs. The workspaces are getting smaller, and there are more collaborative areas where people interact. and when different sciences interact, it’s one of the most fruitful aspects of promoting and moving research forward.

Another challenge is to understand the equipment needs of users. For example, in our SERC project there are electron microscopes that have very high acoustical and vibration-control criteria. We put those types of functions on the ground floor because slab on grade is the most effective for vibration control. It’s all part of the conceptual planning.

Most of our users don’t know what equipment they’ll need when we’re in the early planning stages of a project, so we establish reasonable criteria that will function well. Flexibility is critical. Even the size of computers will have different space requirements as we go away from PCs in the future.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:56 AM

UCSF MEDICAL CENTER-MISSION BAY, LEED® GOLD

aBOVE: Interior rendering of SmithGroup’s Solar Energy Research Center in Berkeley, Ca.

The industry is changing. We recently completed our first project that was totally done in BIM [the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Building]. Our studio is actually now on our fifth BIM project since we adopted BIM firm-wide in 2007. With new technology, we don’t always like to be the first out of the gate but certainly early adopters. What BIM is doing is taking out the step where everything is redrawn twice and connecting design closer to construction through modeling.

Last year, a number of us participated in Habitat for Humanity. It’s a wonderful experience for us as architects to actually do manual construction labor. We installed exterior siding and [conducted] water proofing and came to better understand how difficult it is to actually build a building given limited tolerances and the physical toll of construction work. gb&d

a MESSaGE FROM CaMBRIDGE CM, INC. Cambridge CM, Inc. is a project and construction-management firm with staff specializing in planning; civil, geotechnical, and mechanical engineering; architecture; quantity surveying; estimating; and construction management. CCM has an extensive history of managing complex projects for client organizations in several market sectors including healthcare, bioresearch, education, cultural, civic, and the UC system. CCM has implemented 15 major LEED projects in nearly every market sector and is currently on track for the completion of the first LEED Gold hospital in the State of California. For more information, call 650-543-3030.

gbdmagazine.com

CAMBRIDGE

SUHSD SEQUOIA GYMNASIUM, LEED® PLATINUM

UC BERKELEY SOLAR RESEARCH, LEED® GOLD

PROVIDING PROJECT & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE HEALTHCARE EDUCATION BIORESEARCH CULTURAL & CIVIC HITECH & COMMERCIAL CRITICAL FACILITIES ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MIXED-USE & RETAIL

GBD14_book.indb 25

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 345 S. CALIFORNIA AVENUE, SUITE 3 PALO ALTO, CA 94306 PHONE: 650.543.3030

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 111 E. BROADWAY, SUITE 204 GLENDALE, CA 91205 PHONE: 818.265.1707 NOV/DEC 2011 25

www.cambridgecm.to 7/15/11 9:56 AM

Gb&d-12MAY2011-AD.indd 1

F E C w e s c i U e fi t

discussion board BELOW: Finland’s JkMM architects used BIM software to design the kirnu Pavilion (rendered here) and to plan its construction extensively before picking up a single tool.

Architecture 2.0 How building-information-modeling software is revolutionizing both the sustainability movement and the standard planning practices of the design-build industry

by Alan Oakes

Last November, at the conclusion of China’s Shanghai Exposition, Finland was awarded first prize for the Best Designed Pavilion.

The theme of the exhibition, whose attendance figures might have shattered all numbers for previous exhibitions, was “Better City, Better Life.” JKMM Architects of Finland responded to this theme by creating a building that not only told the story of Finland but also was a laboratory of sustainable building design. JKMM called the pavilion “Kirnu” (“Giant’s Kettle” in English). In order to design and construct Kirnu Pavilion efficiently and incorporate the highest standards of green architecture, JKMM relied on Finland’s best building-information-modeling (BIM) design tools from Tekla International. BIM allowed JKMM unparalleled design coordination to achieve their goals for Kirnu in an international context.

26

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 26

BIM is revolutionizing architecture as we know it. It allows designers the ability to construct buildings virtually, using multiple dimensions and incorporating every aspect of the building and its environment down to the smallest nut or bolt. Perhaps even more importantly, BIM as a process offers unprecedented efficiencies by bringing together architects, builders, contractors, and vendors early in the design phase before a shovel of dirt is ever turned.

Paul Teicholz, professor emeritus at Stanford University and the founder of the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE), says, “[An] important source of benefits results from the close collaboration that can be achieved by a design-and-construction team that works with a model of the building. There are a variety of integrated-project-

delivery approaches that are being used, but the key point is that early integration of the project team [including the facilitymanagement representatives of the owner] allow a superior building to be designed, constructed, and then managed by the owner.” Teicholz, who many consider the father of BIM, notes the advantages of the software over the traditional 2-D approach.

“There are so many sources of inefficiency in the traditional 2-D drawing approach,” he says, “particularly when linked to a designbid-build delivery process.”

The potential of BIM to improve the performance of structures is enormous, Teicholz says. “During design it allows a building model to be analyzed by various tools quite early,” he says. “These analysis tools include cost, energy use [based on the materials used,

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Architecture 2.0

discussion board

LEFT TOP: With BIM software, it’s easy to create renderings such as this one of JkMM’s kirnu Pavilion’s interior.

LEFT BOTTOM: With BIM software, designers not only can give an impresion of what a building will look like but also conduct structural and systems analyses.

RIGHT: The completed kirnu Pavilion went on to win Best Designed Pavilion at China’s Shanghai Exposition. Photo: daniele Mattioli.

orientation and location of the building, etc.], lighting analysis, circulation, etc. Of course in the early stages, these are rough estimates, but they improve as the design progresses.

The important point is that design decisions can be made when it is easy and cheap to do so rather than after the detail design has been completed.”

Anne Silvennoinen of Tekla Building and Construction recalls how Tekla’s BIM aided in Kirnu’s sustainable design. “In addition to efficient structural design and lean prefabrication and construction,” she says, “the Tekla 3-D building information model was utilized in a variety of innovative ways throughout the project: to fit in elevators, HVAC systems, and a giant canvas that covered Kirnu’s inside atrium—as well as to assist in its interior design and later rebuilding and relocation using augmented-reality technology.”

For many, BIM and the supporting technologies are only starting to reach their full potential. “The promise of BIM,” says Dennis Shelden, chief technology officer at Gehry Technologies, “is to support rich-system and live-performance models, to allow the building to be simultaneously simulated, tested, and operated.” He says this capability

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 27

ExPERTS WEIGH IN

“BIM data will increasingly connect with the real-time operations of projects, and BIM models of individual projects will begin to combine. We should be able to compare the performance of individual buildings in a city and individual spaces in a building, to visualize and detect situations where inefficiencies are occurring, and [to] analyze best usages and practices across large data sets.”

—Dennis Shelden, Chief Technology Officer, Gehry Technologies

is already starting to come online. Energycontrol systems historically have had models of equipment, connections, and performance, but they have not incorporated more sophisticated spatial information such as location in the building, solar incidence, insulation, and materials performance. “Now that we have the design models in a more operative format, we can look to incorporating this level of information into the real-time performance of the project,” he says.

The Shanghai Exposition may be the first world exposition where a handful of countries took the recycling of their pavilions seriously. Finland’s Kirnu was dismantled last year and awaits future reuse. BIM technologies will be used to rebuild the structure once a new purpose has been determined, and BIM will also be employed to create a new business and entertainment zone on the former exposition grounds. gb&d

NOV/DEC 2011 27

7/15/11 9:57 AM

launch pad

LANDSCAPE STORYTELLERS Dunn + Kiley’s textured landscapes follow the narrative hidden in each project’s natural environment

launched 2009 location Denver distinction Understanding geographical histories in order to shape complete and valuable stories website dunnandkiley.com

Who: Dunn + Kiley has only been around for two years, but the new landscape-design and -planning firm brings together an expert team of respected architects. Back in the early 1980s, cofounder and principal Chris Dunn worked for Dan Kiley, “one of the great landscape architects of the 20th century,” Chris says, and the new firm is still connected to that legacy: Dunn’s wife, Kate Kiley Dunn, is Dan Kiley’s daughter. Kate managed her father’s practice for 25 years. Including the founders, the new firm employs seven. “Each member has a really distinct skill set,” Chris says, “and the principals are ... practicefocused and hands-on.”

What: Chris has a goal of always integrating the built environment with the native environment. “I see the man-made environment as a series of concentric circles,” he says.

“Depending on the project, the circles become tight or more spread out.” In much of his past work in Vermont, Chris and his colleagues strove to understand how a project fit into its context and could improve the visual environment. “This forces us to understand natural systems very early on and try to celebrate the natural systems of the site,” he says, adding that this idea has essentially become Dunn + Kiley’s philosophy. The firm’s specialty is mountain resorts—“a very complex process because of its topographical constraints and harsh weather,” Chris says. “But that’s our worldwide niche.” Several resort projects in China have accounted for 70 percent of the firm’s work in the past two years. (This year, however, Asian resort projects will account for only 30 percent of business.)

Currently, the firm is tackling a challenging master plan in Guam, integrating 10,000 units of housing on an extremely hilly, 1,000acre site that features two rivers and a network of wetlands. Another project is an $800 million hospitality project in Denver for

The state’s geography tells a “very rich and visible geological story,” principal Chris dunn says. “We are trying to create systems that create a story that people can get excited about.”

28

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 28

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Dunn + Kiley

launch pad

OPPOSITE PaGE: a sketch of a bioswale section shows how meticulous Dunn + kiley is with the details of a site.

LEFT: Chris Dunn and kate kiley Dunn’s new studio represents a continuation of a landscapes legacy.

which Dunn + Kiley is creating a powerful landscape to illustrate and celebrate the history of Colorado, a “very rich and visible geological story,” Chris says. “We are trying to create systems that create a story that people can get excited about.”

How: Chris and his team view sustainability from all its various angles, especially in the context of historical, natural, and cultural environments. “Responding to cultural patterns of built environments and natural systems are critical to our work,” he says. In particular, creating sustainable mountain resorts requires a complete understanding of specific natural patterns, including sun, precipitation, wind, topography, soils, vegetation, ground- and surface-water flows, and avalanche zones. “Many mountain resorts from the ’70s ignored sun patterns and now use very expensive, wasteful snowmelt systems to accomplish what the sun does for free,” he says.

Plant material selection is also an important aspect of any type of project, and the firm tends to work with native plant palettes throughout the world. “We don’t find this limiting at all,” Dunn says. “We see plants as space-defining and textural elements and are really looking for pattern and texture in the plant’s form, bark, and leaves. We look for plants that are visually powerful throughout year.” —Suchi Rudra

When: After working with Kiley for a few years in the early 1980s, Chris started his own practice and ran it until 2000. It was in March 2009 that Chris, Kate, and five former colleagues came together to form Dunn + Kiley in response to the repositioning of the large firm EDAW (now known as Design + Planning at AECOM). “Starting during a deep recession is probably one of the best times to start a firm,” Dunn says with a laugh. “All the clients we wanted to work with were available to meet.”

Where: The small firm is currently based in Denver, but Chris has been able to keep many of his former clients from Vermont, where he worked for 25 years. He walks the five short blocks to work each day and is happy with the pedestrian scale of Cherry Creek, a town that also includes a worldclass shopping and entertainment district.

“My mentor, Dan Kiley, always said, ‘Find a place where you love to live, and then you can do work anywhere in the world,’” he says.

Why: The people at Dunn + Kiley believe that humans can learn to value their surroundings. “We love to produce creative and technical designs but also like people to understand the natural systems and context of a place, reflect on it, take these lessons home, and apply them to their surroundings to make the world a better place,” Chris says.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 29

Dunn + Kiley Dunn + Kiley

Landscape Architects

Photography – Charles Mayer

Dunn + Kiley | 222 Milwaukee Street, Suite 403 | Denver, CO 80206 303.355.1970 | www.dunnandkiley.com | Contact Chris Dunn

NOV/DEC 2011 29

7/15/11 9:57 AM

launch pad

OBSESSIVE AND EMPATHIC How do architects design sensitive senior residences? The young D2 Architecture says the answer is spending time in the spaces they create. launched 2009 location Dallas, TX distinction A transition from a dissolved firm that was so seamless that no clients were lost and no projects were delayed website d2-architecture.com

Who: The members of D2 Architecture LLC like to think of themselves as an idea factory.

As principal Grant Warner puts it, the firm is rather obsessive about each and every one of its design projects. “We don’t stop thinking about our projects at the end of the day but often return to the office the next day with doodles, notes, and sketches of ideas that continued to flow after work,” he says.

The guiding mission behind D2’s design work is helping those “who care for our nation’s elders and to make the environments they share, for living and working, as residential and respectful as possible.” The firm makes it a point to never impose a signature style or program on clients, “approaching each project with a fresh perspective to explore the distinctive personality of each client and community and respond to each unique regional environment,” Warner says.

What: D2’s work has focuses on seniorliving design, ranging from small dining room renovations to 30-story high-rises. “I personally love this type of design because it’s so diverse,” he says. “I love the uniqueness of each project.” Currently, it is providing construction administration for The Stayton, a modern, 11-story continuingcare retirement community in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s also completing the permitting process on a pair of small-house, skillednursing buildings in Sulphur Springs, Texas,

and working on reimagining two existing communities in Los Altos, California, and Columbus, Georgia.

When: Formerly the Dallas office of CSD Architects, D2 was born when CSD dissolved on October 2, 2009, a Friday. Warner says the staff was fully prepared to return in full force the following Monday as D2 Architecture. “All eight of us stayed together,” he says, “like in the Lord of the Rings—but without the hairy feet.” Thanks to a seamless transition, D2 was able to retain all of its clients and experienced no project delays.

Where: The Dallas-based office seems to benefit from being located “roughly in the middle of the country,” with two airports within reach that allow the staff quick and easy access to anywhere in the nation. “The only effect it seems to have on our clients is that they sometimes don’t understand us when we say ‘y’all’ and ‘fixin’ to,’” Warner says. He also mentions that the firm’s office environment is very open, which is reflective of D2’s vision of collaboration. “[It’s] not just internally as a firm but externally, too—with clients, developers, residents, caregivers, board members, design consultants, contractors, and so many others who make these important projects possible,” he says. “It also makes it much easier to shoot rubber bands at each other.”

BELOW, RIGHT: The Stayton, seen here in a sketch and as a completed project, is a senior-living facility D2 architecture currently is conducting construction administration for.

30

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 30

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

D2 Architecture

launch pad

Food Service Design Consultants

D2’s nationally acclaimed Sleepover Project asks architects and designers to live for 24 hours in seniorliving communities across the country.

JEM Associates is a food facility design firm dedicated to the conceptualization and implementation of projects encompassing every market both nationally & internationally. Healthcare/ Senior Living is a specialty market addressing culture change, innovation and resident-centered service.

Partnering with a design team led by architects specializing in Senior Living are some of our most creative and rewarding.

Feasibility/Master Planning Studies Programming/Conceptual Design • Schematic Design Design Development • Construction Documents Bidding & Negotiation • Construction Administration Laundry Design • Sustainable Planning.

Why: Pulling together after CSD closed down seemed to make good business sense when the staff realized that on its own D2 could be “lighter, leaner, and more competitive, offering better value and more time to our clients,” Warner says. And in the middle of a challenging economy, D2 has been able to expand from 8 to 14 staff members, but it intends to remain light and agile in size.

How: Implementing a philosophy of “compassionate design,” D2’s architects are taking great measures to immerse themselves in the realities of their clients. D2’s nationally acclaimed Sleepover Project, for example, asks architects and designers to live for 24 hours in senior-living communities across the country in order to obtain a deeper understanding of residents’ experiences and to observe the needs of the caretaker staff. The project has provided incredible insight into the lives of residents. During one sleepover, D2’s president, David Dillard, met a woman living in a dementia-care community who was not actually suffering from dementia but could not bear to see her lifelong friend— diagnosed with dementia—moving alone into the community. “So she moved with her,” Warner says. The firm will complete the first phase of the Sleepover Project research later this year in conjunction with the University of North Texas’s Department of Applied Gerontology. This undertaking of the studio evidences a noteworthy compassion—something that will only improve the firm’s designs as it continues to emerge as a newer and more nimble practice. —Suchi Rudra

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 31

JEM Associates, Inc. 833 Mill Rd., Ste. 1, Pleasantville, NJ 08232 P: (609) 645-2222 | F: (609) 645-2262 www.jemassociates.com

vega architecture llc

4900 W. 29th Ave Denver, CO 80212 NOV/DEC 2011

31

7/15/11 9:57 AM

launch pad

OPEN-RANGE ARCHITECTURE An inception characterized by well-cultivated opportunities, earnest spaces, and meaningful relationships is unsurprising for Denver’s Vega Architecture

launched 2009 location Denver distinction Working on 20 stores for a fast-growing natural-foods supplier in just 18 months website vegaarchitecture.com

Who: Raised on the high plains of Amarillo, Texas, David Grooms grew to love the big sky and unsheltered landscape. “In Amarillo, you are a pea on a plate,” Grooms says. He feels tied to the minimalist landscape and his grandfather’s nearby farm in Vega, Texas.

“It’s a place where you instinctively search for structure and buildings,” he says. “You understand your relationship to the environment and the Earth.”

—David Grooms, Founder

What: Vega Architecture LLC is a firm of three. Grooms likes the challenge of a wide variety of project types, so Vega Architecture didn’t start out specializing in particular project types, and it still doesn’t. “The thing that excites me is projects of different scales and different types,” he says. “I’ve done everything from single-family to multifamily to historic preservation, movie theaters, and restaurants.” Of late the firm has been very involved with Denver-based Natural Grocers

by Vitamin Cottage, and in 18 months it has worked on 20 stores throughout the Midwest for the rapidly growing naturalfoods supplier.

When: Grooms launched Vega Architecture in March 2009 after working previously for two Denver architecture firms. At the smaller firm Grooms learned to manage all aspects of a design project, and at the larger he gained experience in more substantial projects. Given his young family, Grooms looked to start his own practice for the potential opportunities and flexibility it would provide immediately. “It was a leap of faith, but we had clients ... within a month or two,” he says. “We were looking long-term.

While things were slowing down among architecture firms, we were willing to take a risk that business might be slow. The truth was we picked up business much quicker than we expected and were able to sidestep some of the economic realities facing other architecture firms.”

Where: Vega Architecture focuses its work in the Big Sky Country; its various projects tend to cluster around the firm’s base in Denver. For Natural Grocers, Vega has completed projects in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. “Natural Grocers is a small grocery store that carries natural foods and vitamins, and their stores are easy for shoppers to get in and find what they need,” Grooms says. “They are unique in that they only sell 100-percent organic produce, yet they compete with mainstream grocery stores on price.”

32

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 32

“We want to create meaningful spaces for users and communities, and we want our designs to inspire users and illuminate the environment.”

Why: Each member of Vega Architecture is a LEED AP. “We want to create meaningful spaces for users and communities, and we want our designs to inspire users and illuminate the environment,” Grooms says. Equally important is the implementation of building science so that clients—specialty supermarkets, office tenants, residents of multifamily projects—get “the most bang for their buck,” Grooms says. “We use that approach on buildings of all scales.”

How: Vega Architecture incorporates green technology into all projects. But that’s not what keeps clients coming back. “I feel like the main reason we continue to gain new projects is that we are responsive to our clients,” Grooms says. Fast turnaround and meeting deadlines while staying attentive to needs and requirements helps Vega provide quality, satisfactory solutions for clients. Its long-lasting relationships and multiple projects evidence the firm’s strength in understanding a client’s needs and managing the work to benefit its relationships. “We want to be known for design quality, technical skills, and creative solutions,” Grooms says.

“Our clients know that anything they throw at us, we’ll get the job done.”

—Laura Williams-Tracy

a MESSaGE FROM VEGa aRCHITECTURE Vega architecture is an energetic young firm that takes great pride in its creativity, passion for building science, and client relationships. We create meaningful spaces for the users, community, and environment by “getting in deep” with our client’s programatic requirements and experiential desires. all of our projects are analyzed for efficiency, functionality, and buildability. We understand that construction is a big and often stressful commitment, and our goal is to make the process easy and the product exceptional.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

GREEN BUILDING AND DESIGN BERNER AD NOV 2011 TP-REVISED.pdf 5/13/2011 4:26:47 PM

:

+

2

/

(

6 $ / ( % 8 , / ' ( 5 6 6

8

3

3

/

<

Serving the construction & building supply industries since 1989

C

M

We’re known for our competitive pricing, exceptional service and attention to the details of our customers projects. Whether you need dimensional lumber, ceiling tile, plaster or insulation, we’re your one-stop shop for building supplies.

Y

CM

MY

With five locations and numerous boom trucks and flatbeds to serve you, our experienced staff and fleet drivers enable us to provide you with prompt delivery to meet your project schedule.

CY

CMY

K

WBS is one of the largest distributors of gypsum and metal studs in Pennsylvania & Ohio.

Carnegie, PA (412) 279-8260 Greensburg, PA (724) 527-7470 Austintown, Ohio (330) 779-0800 Parma, Ohio (216) 265-8260 Akron, Ohio (330) 773-8453

For more information, please visit our website at:

www.wbsinc.org

“We are happy to congratulate Sota Construction on your much-deserved success! Your integrity and commitment to quality are why we are proud to call you a trusted partner.”

Congratulations to Sota Construction!

We wish you continued success.

Robert Kohlman, President Tony Bellisario, VP of Operations Ted Gottschalk, General Manager

1215 MARKET STREET MCKEESPORT, PA 15132 PHONE (412) 672-5660 FAX (412) 672 565

GBD14_book.indb 33

27 Gary Street, Carnegie, PA 15106-1111 • 412.429.1059

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Irwin Interiors System, Inc. was established in 1986 by Vincent C. Gray. I.I.S., Inc. is a family owned and operated business. Unlike other drywall companies, I.I.S. employs its own labor force, dedicated to qualify craftsmanship, which gives us more job control than many of our competitors. The products and services that we provide set us apart from our competitors and ensures that our clients will call on us time and time again. We appreciate your business and promise professionalism from inception to completion.

SPECIALIZING IN: Metal Framing Wood Framing Drywall

Insulation Acoustical Ceilings Doors, Frames, Hardware

WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE SOTA FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN THE GREEN BUILDING INDUSTRY. WE ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF THEIR TEAM.

Irwin Interiors System, Inc. 75 First Street Trafford, PA 15085 Phone: 412.380.2255 Fax: 412.380.2266

GBD14_book.indb 34

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details

One Man’s Path To Conscious Construction Influenced by the hills of Pennsylvania and the ecological work of John Todd, Ernie Sota has dedicated Sota Construction Services to true sustainability

Windom Hill Place is a luxury townhome project that won the Superior Interior Design Award from Pittsburgh Magazine. The homes save 40% on energy compared to standard homes.

Ernie Sota grew up near Pittsburgh in a steel mill valley that he describes as “hell with the lid off.” Yet despite the industrial environment, he remembers being totally enthralled by the building process. Interested in construction, Sota had an epiphany when he encountered the early sustainable designs of John Todd, who built two elegant bioshelters that approached net-zero operation more than two decades ago. “I saw a newspaper article about him and got in my car to visit one of his sites,” Sota says. The meeting nurtured a growing interest in sustainability for Sota, who wound up implementing Todd’s principles on his own three-story unit and in his company, Sota Construction Services, Inc. Sota launched his firm in 1993. “We were doing green construction almost two decades ago, before LEED,” Sota says, “but we were able to do a lot. I just looked in the mirror and asked myself what prevented me from doing what I thought was right in the industry.” He super-insulated his own building and included an early energyrecovery ventilation system that worked with high-efficiency equipment to lower energy demands. Almost 20 years later, total quality construction and green building remain Sota’s focus. “Sustainable buildings serve clients better because they have lower operation and maintenance costs, and they result in healthier occupants,” he says.

“That’s always been true.”

Today, Sota continues to focus on emerging green-building components while educating his clients on rebates and tax credits available for sustainable practices. “We demonstrate to our clients how affordable and beneficial these steps are,” Sota says. “We’ve even developed complex spreadsheets to communicate the tax implications so our clients will consider all avenues prior to and

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 35

NOV/DEC 2011 35

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/construction

Sota Construction Services

East Liberty Place North is a 77,000square-foot mixed-use development that includes energy-efficient heating and lighting and a tight thermal envelope.

during construction.” Pennsylvania law, for example, has Act 129, which provides rebates on energy improvements before construction to help fund efficient buildings.

Sota preaches integrated design and prefers to be part of the build team from day one.

“Involving all disciplines early on yields the best possible product,” he says. Sota Construction engages in ongoing dialogue and works with developers to help them understand the cost reductions behind energy-efficiency practices. One area the company specializes in is affordable housing, where margins are thin and energy-efficient steps help make difficult budgets manageable. For Sota, energy efficiency and good design go

Throughout his long career, Sota has watched the government make good and bad decisions regarding the built environment. Right now, he wants to see more emphasis on conservation.

36

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 36

Ernie Sota was turned on to green practices when he discovered the work of John Todd and built his own greenhouse. Today, Sota builds upon Todd’s principles within his own firm, Sota Construction. hand in hand. “We’re successful because we can provide energy-efficient buildings that still look great,” he says. “Good architecture and design must complement a green building.”

The concepts Sota first admired in Todd and applied to his own early projects continue to help him maintain success on current projects such as the South Hills Retirement Residence, a once-vandalized building Sota transformed into a functional senior-living complex with 900 windows and a measurable energy use intensity (EUI) in the 30s. Sota saved on the project by preserving and reusing as much original concrete, brick, and steel as possible and providing ample daylighting and glazing systems. Moreover, his company wrote a grant

to fund and install a 65-kilowatt cogeneration plant and 27 kilowatts of solar photovoltaics on the roof.

For Windom Hill Place in Pittsburgh, Sota used insulated concrete forms for a building shell and installed ample glazing on northfacing sections to achieve HERS ratings in the 50s. And Joe Nelson, vice president of operations, says the company approached another project—East Liberty Place North—with the same green strategy. “East Liberty was a ground-up new construction project,” Nelson says. “We used the Energy Star thermal bypass checklist to seal it up and achieve LEED Gold status through materials and energy points.” The 77,000-square-foot development houses 54 units of affordable housing and 15,000 square feet of commercial space and boasts efficient HVAC and lighting systems. Sota has seen many policy changes over his long career and is hoping the federal government will stop placing “too much emphasis on subsidies” and begin encouraging conservation. “A bigger emphasis on conservation would help us show our clients how easily green building can work,” he says. “We are running out of resources, and our national energy policy should focus more on conservation.” —Zach Baliva

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Efficiency Energy is dedicated to the idea that going green should make environmental and economic sense.

We specialize in managing incentives and maximizing their value to help your projects pay for themselves.

Efficiency Energy manages turnkey lighting projects utilizing Induction, LED, Fluorescent, and / or Electronic Metal Halide lighting. With a quick review, an energy audit that includes rebates, tax incentives, energy savings, maintenance savings, leasing options and a return on investment shown in months is created. Our project management branch is flexible and able to work with any manufacturers or installers. Our goal is to get you the best results for your needs.

Efficiency Energy can also manage your tax incentives for energy conservation projects. Any lighting, HVAC, or Body Envelope improvements done in the last three years, or to be done in the future, can take advantage of Energy Policy Act incentives. Let us help maximize the value of your properly preformed certifications.

303-995-1905 / trey@wesavegreen.com / wesavegreen.com

www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com/green

www.ppgporterpaints.com/green

www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com/green

www.ppgporterpaints.com/green

www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com/green www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com/green

www.ppgporterpaints.com/green www.ppgporterpaints.com/green

PDCA_COM Forum_Ad.indd 1

PDCA_COM Forum_Ad.indd 1

PDCA_COMPDCA_COM Forum_Ad.indd Forum_Ad.indd 1 1

GBD14_book.indb 37

6/10/11 11:47 AM 6/10/11 11:47 AM

6/10/11 11:47 6/10/11 AM 11:47 AM

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/real estate

Drawing the ‘Roadmap to Sustainability’

Grubb & Ellis’s Monarch Tower in Atlanta, GA, is 94,770 square feet. It contains a health club, multiple restaurants, and other luxury amenities.

An inside look at Grubb & Ellis’s eye-opening experience in green building and the precision plan it’s now offering clients

In early 2006, commercial-real-estate-services provider Grubb & Ellis Company recognized that its industry was evolving. “The US Green Building Council [USGBC] was taking flight, and a number of companies were taking steps toward sustainability,” says Cathy Stephenson, who serves Grubb & Ellis as its senior vice president, national director of operations, and leader of its green team. “We recognized that there was an opportunity for us to be educated in ways that might help us meet the needs of clients and help them see the opportunity that might lie ahead in terms of sustainability.”

Grubb & Ellis joined the USGBC and attended Greenbuild, which opened the firm’s eyes to different ways of implementing green-building solutions. To begin, the company focused on education, and today it has more than 100 eco-conscious professionals, including LEED APs, LEED GAs, certified energy managers, certified green brokers, and others. “We’ve really tried to create a platform where we can offer broad-based training to employees based on their needs and those of their clients,” Stephenson says. Externally, the resulting sustainability effort was firm-wide because, in Stephenson’s words, “we wanted to be able to carry on conversations that could be beneficial to clients of all types.”

Yet Grubb & Ellis initially saw the greatest potential within its property-management division. Recognizing that not all clients would be interested in obtaining LEED certification, the company decided to frame its efforts in a way that makes sustainability possible at any property at any level of commitment.

38

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 38

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Grubb & Ellis Company

details/real estate

A field of solar panels is arrayed atop a Grubb & Ellis building in Hartford, CT. The structure is part of the corporate campus and headquarters for Aetna, the health insurance provider.

Grubb & Ellis has more than 5,200 employees in more than 100 offices and manages 300 million square feet of property across North America.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 39

One tool Grubb & Ellis developed is its Roadmap to Sustainability, which is a prioritized group of actions—everything from using lowVOC paints to implementing recycling programs—that can be taken up at any property at no or low cost. The company also made a commitment to providing local support to its nationwide network of properties. “We situated local green champions across the country, and we established a sustainability resource center on our intranet,” says Michael Groppi, senior vice president of energy, sustainability, and technology solutions. “If a property manager in Phoenix, for example, wants to know more about local recycling

programs or vendors who share our commitment to sourcing more sustainable materials, he or she has a place to go.”

Another Grubb & Ellis sustainability effort is a LEED-readiness checklist, a tool that helps property managers assess how close a building is to achieving LEED certification for Existing Buildings. “Existing buildings have a lot of untapped potential, so we created a checklist that guides property managers in walking through a building and looking for potential improvements,” Groppi says. “We aligned it with LEED requirements but made it user-friendly so a property

NOV/DEC 2011

39

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Green

details/real estate

As a result of Grubb & Ellis’s work with the DOE, the agency has begun to release standard specifications with decision-analysis tools that ultimately help building owners and service providers engage in more aggressive energy-retrofit projects.

manager who is not an expert in LEED can roughly determine how many points the building has and how many can be obtained easily and then discuss potential changes with the property owner.”

Not merely content with the success of these tools, Grubb & Ellis remains committed to staying on the cutting edge of sustainability.

“While our Roadmap to Sustainability has a substantial energy component,” Groppi says, “18 months ago we realized that we had to go beyond the basic blocking and tackling of energy management and ask ourselves how we can keep bringing more value to our clients in this area—because it’s only going to get more important with time as supplies are constrained and prices rise. In other words, how do we you keep raising the bar?”

To answer that question, Grubb & Ellis has partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) on a number of initiatives, including the Commercial Real Estate Energy Alliance, a 90-company consortium that allows Grubb & Ellis to exchange ideas and experiences with peers, suppliers, and industry associations and work directly with national labs to influence the DOE’s agenda. Additionally, Grubb & Ellis is one of seven companies (and the only real-estate company) to pilot the DOE’s Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership, an international initiative that seeks to enable continuous energy savings in commercial buildings.

“People recognize that becoming more sustainable in how you go about performing your business is an important price of entry these days,” Stephenson says. “Major expenditures, such as retrofits, are one thing, but it’s hard to object to being greener on a day-to-day basis.” —Julie Schaeffer

40

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 40

Grubb & Ellis Company

a MESSaGE FROM EFFICIENCy ENERGy Efficiency Energy has completed energy-efficient lighting projects for Grubb & Ellis indoors and out. We have been able to capitalize on rebates, tax incentives, maintenance savings, and energy savings to get projects to pay for themselves quickly. Contact us today for a free consultation. We will provide you with an energy audit that calculates all your incentives to estimate your return on investment. and it includes a complete quote for your project costs. 303-995-1905, trey@wesavegreen.com, wesavegreen.com.

a MESSaGE FROM GCa SERVICES GROUP GCa Services Group is a vested facilities-services partner providing various building operations and maintenance functions across the Grubb & Ellis portfolio. as a nationally preferred provider of custodial services for Grubb & Ellis, GCa has integrated its proprietary custom green cleaning program across all verticals in compliance with GCa’s Collaborative Social Responsibility model. To ensure compliance with various environmental third-party criteria, each site is subject to periodic auditing utilizing the proprietary GCa Site Sustainability Scorecard. The Site Sustainability Scorecard offers a quantifiable metric to benchmark the current level of green cleaning being performed at the named site to complement the ongoing GCaware quality inspection reporting system.

a MESSaGE FROM aMPaJEN SOLUTIONS, LLC Finding the right consultant for your team when applying for LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance, or any other LEED rating system, is critical. Be sure to ask: how many projects have you completed in this version of this rating system? What is your consulting approach? Be sure to find a company with the right approach for your team and your workload. Early communication is the key.

a MESSaGE FROM PPG aRCHITECTURaL COaTINGS Since 1883, PPG architectural Coatings has grown and thrived by making sound business decisions that ensure our company’s long-term viability and success. These decisions have been made with the best interests of people, profitability, and the planet in mind. PPG Pittsburgh Paints and PPG Porter Paints provide sustainable coating options for all paint projects. From halls and walls to high-performance metal coatings, PPG is bringing innovation to the surface.

a MESSaGE FROM PHILIPS LIGHTING Philips Lighting is the world’s largest provider of LED and advanced lighting systems for office, commercial, and outdoor use. From indoor systems that harvest daylight, use organic sources of energy, and integrate with building management systems to outdoor solar lighting systems and dimming controls, we have an energy-efficient solution to optimize your power consumption and meet your sustainability goals.

Sustainability is in our DNa, and we publicly share our efforts through our EcoVision program. Consistently ranked as one of the most sustainable companies by Dow Jones, Philips is driven by a commitment to environmental responsibility both in our products and our own internal practices. We have a tradition of spearheading innovative, energy-efficient initiatives, which include the world’s first LED replacements for the 60- and 75-watt incandescent bulbs. at Philips, we partner with people to understand how light can enhance the way we live and work while minimizing our impact on the environment.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Green Building_Ad_half.qxd:8.5x5.4375 PHILIPS

6/14/11

10:37 AM

Page 1

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not hard to make the bottom-line case for green buildings.

But studies are making deeper connections between green buildings, productivity, and occupant well-being.

Change to one of Philips many Sustainable Lighting Solutions to make your building a green one. www.philips.com

Ampajen Solutions, LLC is a small, womanowned business specializing in consulting and training for LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.

Advanced energy-efficient lighting solutions

p: 720.242.9386 e: atimmons@ampajen.com

877-905-2677 www. montereycorp.com

GBD14_book.indb 41

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/real estate

Leave the Logistics to Them With ultra-efficient projects that save the equivalent of thousands of barrels of oil, Holt Lunsford Commercial sets the standard for Texas commercial real estate

In 1993, Holt Lunsford had the idea to start a commercial real-estate service and investment company built on a value system he believed in and one he believed his employees could easily get behind. That value system is still in place today at Holt Lunsford Commercial and is used as a company-wide guide for everything from business transactions to client meetings to the way Lunsford hopes his employees interact with their families when they are away from the office. In the large Texas marketplace, it is dedication that has set Holt Lunsford Commercial apart from other property-management, leasing, and development companies.

“Our mission is to be the preferred professional real-estate provider in the industry,” says Scott Moore, managing principal of management services at the firm. “Holt’s personally designed value system motivates us to be the best we can be individually so that we can be great corporately.” The system includes a commitment to honesty, always putting the customer first, a focus on personal growth, a pledge to continue learning, the golden rule, and, also, a promise to have fun.

Holt Lunsford Commercial has more than 40 million square feet of commercial real estate in its portfolio and is the third largest commercial real estate provider in the Dallas market.

On average, Holt Lunsford Commercial’s 100 employees get to have fun on about 190 projects per year, plus 50 or so buildingimprovement projects and another 20 landscaping and operational projects. All of these projects have helped the firm put more than 40 million square feet of commercial real estate in its portfolio and have made it the third largest commercial real estate provider in the Dallas market, with significant portfolios in Houston and Fort Worth as well. “Our service provides market expertise, broker cooperation, and lease administration geared

The annual environmental impact of Holt Lunsford’s retrofitted Turnpike Distribution Center will reduce pollution by 6,775 pounds worth of sulfur-dioxide, 3,573 pounds of nitrogen-oxide, and 463 tons of carbon-dioxide.

42

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 42

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/real estate

Holt Lunsford Commercial towards maximizing the owner’s yield,” Moore says. “We’ve even formed a green task force to not only support management’s green endeavors but to educate our clients as well.”

Lunsford has placed a great importance on eco-friendly choices almost since the firm’s launch, and it should come as no surprise that he created a system when it came time to start figuring out how the company could be more sustainable for its clients. “Holt Lunsford

Throughout its commercial portfolio, Holt Lunsford focuses on the “big three” issues: power, water, and waste.

Mission Statement Mission Statement

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 43

Recently, Holt Lunsford Commercial produced a lighting retrofit on the exterior of the West Dallas Interstate 30 Turnpike Distribution Center and was able to reduce the number of fixtures from 803 to 798, a small number with a great impact. The retrofit also allowed the firm to replace 400- and 1,000-watt fixtures with a mixture of 100-, 150-, and 200-watt fixtures. “An energy analysis concluded that the annual kilowattdemand reduction would be 131.61, and the annual kilowatt-hour savings would be 579,097,” Moore says. All in all, annually, the Turnpike Distribution Center project will save 6,775 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 3,573 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 463 tons of carbon dioxide, 1,042 barrels of oil, and 272 tons of coal. It will also ensure the planting of 133 acres of trees and get 81 cars off the road.

Ever committed to its customers, when Holt Lunsford formed a green task force, it wasn’t just for the company’s benefit but also to help educate its clients about their sustainable options.

“Much like the green themes we follow, a company must be ‘evergreen,’” Moore says, “constantly evaluating what works, thinking what can we do better, staying focused on core business, and having contingency plans for poor economies. Holt often says, ‘If you aren’t growing, you’re dying.’ Our future is about looking for ways to stay healthy and grow.” —Thalia A-M Bruehl

Our OurServices Services

To drastically change the environment in which we live by making it more environmentally friendly. Saving our clients money so they can allocate money where it matters most, their business. City Park Energy has committed itself to changing the way people, companies and institutions operate in order to preserve our planet for generations to come.

5200 East Grand Ave. Suite 530 Dallas, TX 75223

Commercial is ever-conscious of being good corporate citizens and conserving precious resources,” Moore says. “We place an emphasis on the big three: power, water, and waste. If managers focus on the big three and manage them accordingly, you can conserve significantly and reduce expenses.”

After

Building Audits Lighting RetroFits HVAC RetroFits Motor RetroFits Renewable Energy Implementation

972-280-8327 phone 214-824-1973 fax information@cityparkenergy.com

Before

NOV/DEC 2011 43

7/15/11 9:57 AM

Celebrating 18 Years in the Commercial Real Estate Market

40 Million square feet and growing Holt Lunsford Commercial, founded in May 1993 by Holt Lunsford, CEO and President, is a Dallas-based commercial real estate ser vice and investment company. The company’s core lines of business include development, construction management, leasing, property management, reporting/accounting and investments in the office, industrial and retail sectors. Holt Lunsford Commercial is the fourth largest commercial real estate provider in the Dallas/ Fort Metroplex, overseeing approximately 38 million square feet in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston for private and institutional owners.

Holt Lunsford Commercial is comprised of a team of talented professionals who are guided by a Values system which defines

44

our company’s corporate culture. Our commitment to our Values system is the key factor that sets us apart as the region’s premier commercial real estate ser vice provider. Professional excellence and integrity are the cornerstones to our proven track record and the foundation of all our client relationships.

Holt Lunsford Commercial is experienced in a wide variety of ser vices and offers a comprehensive menu of each, all designed specifically to meet and complement our clients’ needs. Confident in our ability to achieve results, we are driven to provide the highest level of customer ser vice.

5055 Keller Springs Road · Suite 300 · Addison · Texas 75001 · T 972.241.8300 · F 972.241.7955 · www.holtlunsford.com

NOV/DEC 2011

holtlundsford_2.indd441 GBD14_book.indb

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 6/8/11 1:37 9:57 PM AM

details/real estate

Smart Money Forstone Capital illustrates how ecological awareness has completely shifted the financial paradigm of commercial real estate In 2004, Brett Wilderman and Brandon Hall began the planning process for a real-estate company that would purchase commercial properties in and around Bridgeport, Connecticut. The idea was to bring in revenue by either leasing up the properties or improving their operating expenses. When the firm went live in 2007 as Forstone Capital, the US real-estate market was at its frenzied peak, and the firm purchased a handful of residential and commercial properties. “It was an interesting time to start a real estate company,” Wilderman says with a laugh. “We quickly faced some pretty serious challenges.”

When the real-estate bubble burst in 2008, the opportunity to increase rents—essential to Forstone’s business model—disappeared.

The firm had little choice but to shift its focus wholly toward cutting back on operating expenses. With utilities making up a large percentage of these costs, Forstone Capital quickly became acquainted with the world of sustainable building and design.

“Many of the properties we owned were over 50 years old,” Wilderman says. “The mechanical systems had been upgraded over the years but were often still quite old.”

The firm discovered that a number of programs offered grants for buildings requiring energy-efficient improvements, and it began aggressively pursuing those subsidies. At its property at 100 Fairfield Avenue, Forstone Capital was able to cut down on energy costs through a variety of measures. The controls on approximately 80 heat pumps were upgraded to direct digital controls, and Webbased energy-management systems were installed on the boiler system, cooling tower, and makeup air units, allowing for more efficient oversight of energy use throughout the building. “It gives a brain to the system, heating and cooling the building only when it needs it,” Wilderman says. Ultimately, the building has cut 487,000 kilowatt-hours annually and saved $100,000.

The new efficient lighting system at 855 Main Street is estimated to save about 413,631 kWh annually.

At its property at 100 Fairfield Avenue, Forstone Capital cut down on energy costs by installing digital controls on approximately 80 heat pumps and utilizing Web-based energy-management systems.

Today, Forstone Capital—which now owns around 650,000 square feet of space in Bridgeport, much of it downtown office space— is not only keeping an eye out for ways to improve efficiency; it’s also collaborating with

gbdmagazine.com

1:37 PM

GBD14_book.indb 45

NOV/DEC 2011 45

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/real estate

Because it was founded just before the housing bubble burst in 2008, Forstone Capital quickly found itself unable to increase rents in its properties, so the firm instead looked to save money by improving the energy efficiency of its structures. third-party energy-efficiency experts as part of its acquisition process. The firm outsources its HVAC maintenance to a company that possesses an in-house sustainability-evaluation team that runs analytics on different scenarios. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That awareness has really given us a leg up, both in terms of existing properties and properties weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re evaluating for purchase,â&#x20AC;?

Wilderman says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve become much better at eyeing those opportunities.â&#x20AC;?

Forstone Capital

EMCOR IS HERE.

We all face challenges that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t soon go away. We see them as opportunities. %-#/2 3ERVICES .EW %NGLAND -ECHANICAL .%-3) OFFERS MECHANICAL ELECTRICAL

PLUMBING SHEET METAL BUILDING AUTOMATION AND FACILITIES SERVICES THAT SATISFY A WIDE RANGE OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR A RANGE OF MARKETS )T S A COMPLETE SOLUTION THAT LETS US TAKE CARE OF YOUR FACILITIES WHILE YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS AND SUCCESS EMCOR is here.

Call: s Visit: www.nemsi.com

What, then, are the metrics for whether a potential property is viable from the point of view of improving operating expenses? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We always look at payback, and whether the upfront costs can be justified through savings and bolstered by subsidies,â&#x20AC;? Wilderman says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re spending $100,000 to upgrade, we want to have a firm estimate on how quickly weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get repaid on that in reduced energy costs. Two years or less is phenomenal.

Three is okay. Four or more, it becomes less attractive.â&#x20AC;? Though it still looks at occasional residential properties, Forstone Capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s niche is primarily commercial. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are still pessimistic about the recovery of the commercial market, so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less competitionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which we view as an opportunity,â&#x20AC;? Wilderman says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since 2008, almost everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been in the position of trying to weather this economic tsunami. Before that, the idea of energy efficiency was about a tenth of our consideration with our properties. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the biggest. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completely shifted the paradigm.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;David Hudnall

a MESSaGE FROM INTELLIDyNE, LLC Intellidyne, LLC manufactures a complete line of energy-efficiency controls for hydronic, steam, and forced-air heating systems, plus a line of demand-responsive controls for a/C and commercial refrigeration systems. Intellidyne controls utilize â&#x20AC;&#x153;dynamic cycle managementâ&#x20AC;?â&#x201E;˘ technology to reduce burner-compressor run time, resulting in energy savings. The controls are designed for easy installation in residential and commercial buildings. Intellidyne products have a 15-year replacement warranty and a moneyback performance guarantee.

46

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 46

Other offices in: (ARTFORD s .EW ,ONDON s 6ERNON s 0AWTUCKET 2) s 0ALMER -! ,ICENSE S % s 3 s 0 s & s 3- s -#

,INDEMAN $RIVE s 4RUMBULL #4

Your Energy Saving Solution is Here Intellidyne Energy Economizers: Reduce your energy consumption by 10% Guaranteed Provide better system efficiency, same comfort Make intelligent energy usage easier than ever

Visit us at www.intellidynellc.com or call toll free at 1-866-216-0777 for more information gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

PHOTOS: MivPhotography.

details/planning & design could create a firm that could deliver services to our clients in an efficient, hands-on way and at the same time create a work environment that would provide staff with the elusive work-life balance that we found was missing in our past experiences,” says Wiens, whose background before CLWG included work on large-scale federal government projects—in particular, some of Ottawa’s first government-led projects to integrate sustainable-design principles and practices.

CLWG’s 69,500-square-foot Infrastructure Canada project was designed to meet Government of Canada Fit-up Standards and to receive LEED Gold certification.

Canada’s Choice for Commercial Interiors Through a distinguished history of firsts, Callaghan Letellier Wiens Gibbons has become Ottawa’s premier office-design firm gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 47

Ann Callaghan knows what it’s like to be first. In 2004, the principal and founder of Callaghan Letellier Wiens Gibbons Facility Planning and Design, Inc. (CLWG) became Ottawa’s first interior designer to certify for the LEED program, and in 2007 the firm’s new office space became Ottawa’s first ever LEED CI-certified project. And now, Callaghan, who also serves as an ambassador for the Living Building Challenge, believes the firm may additionally have the chance to take home another first—the first Living Building Challenge project in Ottawa.

Marc Letellier and Ann Callaghan started CLWG in 1994 with the intention of focusing on sustainable corporate office design. In 1998, Bryan Wiens joined the team, followed

by David Gibbons in 2000, and both became partners in 2003. “We shared a belief that we

Today, CLWG endeavors to steer all of its clients toward a sustainable approach in both design and construction, and in doing so it hopes to create a new standard. “We automatically include non-cost sustainable features into our work,” Callaghan says. “For example, drywall with recycled content does not cost anymore than regular drywall; it just requires it to be ordered a week in advance. Or take low-VOC paint: there is no additional cost.

We prefer to just specify these items. We are always trying to move the client a little further than where they were before they started the project.” For projects where there is a cost difference, the team takes the time to speak to clients about the advantages offered by going green, and it helps those clients better understand the long-term savings that can come from investing up front. Callaghan is optimistic that within five years, all projects the firm works on will be the equal of any LEED-certified or LEED Silver-certified structure.

CLWG specializes in commercial interior design projects with a focus on corporate office design, and it strives to guide all its clients toward a more sustainable approach in construction and design.

In November of 2006, the firm began work on a showroom and office space for Teknion, an international designer and manufacturer of office systems and furniture. The project would become Ottawa’s second LEED-CI structure, using regional materials, 100 percent Energy Star equipment and appliances, and FSC-certified wood. The work CLWG performed for Teknion also helped reduce base building lighting by 75 percent. “The space was incredibly over-lit, which is typical of office buildings of this mid-1980s, early 1990s era,” Callaghan says.

NOV/DEC 2011 47

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/planning & design

Callaghan Letellier Wiens Gibbons

The Teknion showroom and office project became Ottawa’s second ever LEED-CI-certified structure and included sustainable features such as recycled carpet tiles, FSC-certified wood, and 100% Energy Star equipment and appliances. The firm also was able to reduce base building lighting by 75%.

The 5,000-square-foot project was not without its challenges. The firm had to expand and renovate the existing office and showroom while it remained fully occupied and operational. Also, the office’s carpet tiles, which Teknion had planned on reusing, were damaged. “There were issues with the edges

of the carpet tile curling as well as wear and discoloration issues,” Callaghan says. The firm had the carpet cleaned several times, but once it was understood that the tiles could not be returned to their original state, the firm chose to lay them in a random fashion, allowing the discoloration to become part of the pattern.

Two years after finishing the Teknion project, CLWG set out for another LEED certification on a project for Infrastructure Canada. “The Infrastructure Canada project came about out of necessity—leases for various pockets of office space in the downtown core were all ending, creating the perfect opportunity to consolidate the entire organization into a single location in Minto’s new tower,” Wiens says. The 69,500-squarefoot project was designed within the framework of the Government of Canada Fit-up Standards and has, as Wiens says, “a very common-sense, cost-neutral LEED commercial interior.” The design team closely scrutinized all construction, finishing materials, and systems to ensure the project would achieve LEED Gold certification.

As for the future, Callaghan sees CLWG moving ever onward as an enduring leader in sustainable design. “I see us continuing to push and pull the progression of sustainable design in Ottawa through our own portfolio and our work on CaGBC,” she says.

Wiens echoes her thoughts, saying, “We want to lead by example. When all the pieces and players come together, the results can be spectacular.” —Thalia A-M Bruehl

a MESSaGE FROM CGC, INC. Recognized as a leader in Canada’s dynamic building industry with more than 100 years of growth and innovation, CGC has set a new standard in high-recycled-content (HRC) building materials. all products displaying HRC combine sustainable design with more than 50 percent recycled material, giving you the ability to create structures that require fewer natural resources while remaining comfortable, productive, and efficient. Working together, we can create healthy, comfortable spaces with industry-leading solutions. Visit us at www.cgcinc.com today.

Building the Workplace that produces Less Waste “WE WERE PLEASED TO WORK WITH CLWG DESIGN ON INFRASTRUCTURE CANADA, INFC PROJECT.”

©2011, CGC Inc., MS. The CGC logo and HRC are trademarks of CGC Inc.

Construction Mangers

48

Building the Workplace thatenvironment produces Less Waste Protect your with ceilings products that contain more thanConstruction Managers 50% recycled content. www.cgcinc.com NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 48

ToronTo | oTTawa | Calgary | VanCouVer

TORONTO | OTTAWA | CALGARY | VANCOUVER

GovanBrown.com

www.govanbrown.com gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/architecture

The restoration and rehabilitation of the Waterside Plaza in New York City reduced the heat-island effect and storm-water run-off to the nearby East River with new areas of extensive vegetation that provide space for activities, trees for shade, and water features for cooling.

Personal Attention vs.

Urban Anonymity With only a handful of employees, MKDS Architects brings a hard-to-find one-on-one attitude to New York City gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 49

In New York City—the nation’s largest metropolis—a personal, hands-on approach is hard to come by in a lot of industries, particularly in the field of architectural design.

And though it seems unlikely that a firm with only a handful of employees could survive and remain productive in this atmosphere, MKDS Architects has managed to weather the turmoil for more than 25 years. With a diverse portfolio that includes large public and retail projects, personal residences, landscape design, and institutional work, MKDS holds an edge over its competition that stems from both its project flexibility and the one-on-one attention it provides its clients.

“The actual project is less important than understanding our clients,” principal Dorothy Schuster says. Currently MKDS comprises Schuster and two other employees, and because of its small size, Schuster maintains a collaborative project approach by hiring outside professionals for graphic-design work and teaming up with structural engineers,

civil engineers, and often other design firms, many of whom have worked with MKDS for more than 25 years.

When it comes to sustainability, Schuster agrees that most architects today incorporate some green-design elements. However, she maintains a broader sustainable design philosophy centering on not just aesthetics but also the use of green features that improve a

For more than 25 years, MKDS Architects has been designing small projects throughout New York City, just under the radar and the squabbling of larger firms looking for big bids.

NOV/DEC 2011 49

7/15/11 9:57 AM

details/architecture

MKDS Architects PHOTOS: Frederick Charles.

ered in the cellar; MKDS incorporated it as the home’s new façade. “Reuse is always far more appropriate,” Schuster says, adding that during the project, masonry and wood details were also refurbished. Restoration work throughout the project had to be closely coordinated with the New York City Landmarks and Preservation Commission to bring the building back to its historical look.

The firm also takes on institutional retrofit projects, including the updating of the Allen School’s two campuses in Brooklyn and Queens. The project involved designs for a new corporate image, space planning, interiors, and administrative offices. MKDS relocated offices and departments to improve circulation and each building’s efficiency, and the firm also mixed the school’s colors with tones of wood and orange to form the basis of the facility’s new color scheme.

MKDS Architects’s staff of three allows it to be highly collaborative and personally attentive. It also makes the firm particularly adaptable. building’s efficiency. The firm’s versatility and environmentally minded approach are showcased via two recent projects. The first is a landscape-design project atop a residential structure on the east side of Manhattan.

Called Waterside, the four-tower apartment complex represented a spacial challenge for MKDS as the firm transformed the top level of the site’s three-level parking structure into a garden and outdoor seating area. Previously, the top of the parking garage was concrete and served solely as a roof. When Schuster was through with it, the concrete slab featured seating, viewing, raised gardens, kinetic paving patterns, protective tensile structures, a lily pond, a stage, and a toddler play area.

“The goal is to make any project greener in usage,” Schuster says, adding that during construction of the gardens, bluestone pavers and reused bricks were generously utilized.

Reuse was also the focus of a residential restoration project the firm recently carried out. Built in Brooklyn Heights, a brownstone and brick carriage house had sustained significant damage after an automobile crashed into its façade. During restoration, the home’s original 1875 garage bay door was rediscov-

50

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 50

With all three projects, MKDS’s signature hands-on approach and small, adaptable staff enabled it to realize its clients’ goals and visions. While larger firms continue to squabble over New York City’s larger bids, MKDS is finding success by being able to fully immerse itself in any project it’s given. —Erik Pisor

NT

EW ECH CO.

GENERAL CONTRACTORS All Residential & Commercial Construction Management Custom Millwork Fabrication

118 West 27th St. | Suite 11A NY, NY 10001 PH 212 255 1362 | FAX 212 255 1363 EMAIL: newtec225@aol.com newtechgencontracting.com gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:58 AM

details/architecture

Through Religious Heritage, an Architectural Legacy Jones Pierce Architects’s Cooper Pierce began drawing buildings as a kid. Now, wrapping up two significant projects, his interest and knowledge continue to evolve

There comes a moment in almost every child’s life when an adult looks at them and asks, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” After a few moments, the child will usually blurt out a profession—doctor, teacher, police officer, etc. Of the possible answers, architect is not necessarily common. But Cooper Pierce, principal of Jones Pierce Architects, had a curiosity as soon as he saw the word. “I remember sitting at my little chalkboard and someone writing the word ‘architect,’” Pierce says. “I thought it was a weird word to begin with. But then, when [it was] explained [to me] what an architect does, … it sounded eerily familiar to all the things I liked to do.”

Of course, Pierce had no idea at the time that he would grow up to fulfill his

dreams at his very own firm, working on such important projects as the Monastic Heritage Center at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit—where he worked alongside monks on a one-of-a-kind, sustainable project—and the Lanier Enclave—a group of homes in a popular Atlanta neighborhood created with the greenest of features. No, instead he began with the goal of turning his love for drawing and design into a full-time job.

“The first job I worked on was during the summers with a firm in Florida where I grew up,” Pierce says. “I was working on everything from banks to a children’s hospital. It was really exciting to be able to work on such a wide range of projects.”

After college, Pierce found a home and took

Some of the structures on the monastery grounds, including two prominent barns that became the Monastic Heritage Center, have existed on the site for more than a century.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 51

NOV/DEC 2011

51

7/15/11 9:58 AM

details/architecture

Jones Pierce Architects

This 6,000-square-foot home’s green features include highperformance mechanical systems, aluminum-clad windows, low-VOC paints and stains, and caramelized bamboo flooring throughout all levels for ideal air quality.

52

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 52

Bryan Jones, a friend of Pierce’s from school, proposed he and Pierce work together after the pair collaborated on a house for a client.

“Bryan knew with our combined interior knowledge—his residential experience and

my commercial experience—we might really be something if we joined our talents together into one company,” Pierce says. So on New Year’s Day 1998, Jones Pierce Architects officially opened for business, and the years since have brought the partners their share of rewarding and challenging projects.

One of their most unique opportunities was in 2008, when they received a request for proposal for the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyer’s Georgia. “There were not a lot of firms out there touting their portfolio of monastery work, but we were up to

PHOTOS: Lee Grider Photography.

As a kid, Cooper Pierce was intrigued the moment he saw the word “architect.”

When he found out what the profession involved, he began tailoring his interests, including drawing, toward design.

various jobs in Atlanta working for highend corporate firms, acquiring additional skills on the interior side of things and effectively positioning himself as a wellrounded design professional. It wasn’t until mid-September of 1997 that Pierce took a leap of faith with an old school buddy that would ultimately change his life.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:58 AM

details/architecture

the challenge,” Pierce says. “Our extensive renovation experience and variety of adaptive-reuse work got us the job. We were working on everything from the Abbey Store/Café to the Monastic Visitor’s Center to a bonsai sales center. Through all the work we did, one guiding goal was to reclaim the seclusion the monks required.

It was interesting to say the least.” One of the most challenging features of the project was the renovation of two existing barns that were on the property.

“The monks bought this property in 1944, and some of these barns had been here for nearly 100 years,” Pierce says. “Over the years, the monks had pulled out wood to use, thus dismantling nearly the entire second floor. When we went through with the other architects bidding on the job, some of the other architects wouldn’t even walk through the barn, yet we knew we could create solutions that would lead to a successful renovation.” The two barns eventually became the Monastic Heritage Center.

Another project that became one of the firm’s greenest projects was the Lanier Enclave, a three-house urban infill project in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta.

The Lanier Enclave honors Atlanta’s history through its Prairie-style architecture, each home sporting long horizontal lines, large overhangs, and simple yet striking ornamental details.

The Creek House was the first home built, and it is designed and built per LEED for Homes guidelines. Pierce says that LEED certification is still pending, and he hopes for a Silver rating. The 6,000-square-foot home’s sustainable features include high-performance mechanical systems; low-E, aluminum-clad windows; low-VOC paints and stains; and caramelized bamboo flooring throughout all levels for ideal air quality.

Ultimately, Jones Pierce Architects hopes such features eventually become the standard in home building, but Pierce and his partner know their focus should always be on homes themselves first. “Some green advocates would say we should always push energy-efficient design and green-rating systems, but I’m not sure that’s the way to go

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 53

While still hoping green elements become standard in building design, Jones Pierce Architects has found success in prioritizing quality construction and service.

about it,” Pierce says. “Everyone has a different idea what being green means to them.

Many times, what makes a house or project energy-efficient is a standard of quality construction the client already expects—not necessarily knowing it’s a green component. … Many clients think being green is just installing Energy Star appliances and lowflow fixtures. We avoid this confusion by focusing on a prescription for what they want and by giving them a little more in what their budget will allow for one simple reason: it allows us to create the best projects.”

—Tricia Despres

P E L L A A D V A N TA G E NUMBER 134: N O S T R E S S O N YO U .

O R T H E E N V I R O N M E N T.

Renewable wood. Plentiful sand. Recycled aluminum and glass. ® It’s the stuff that Pella windows and doors are made of that

makes it so easy to be green. An enlightened commitment to sustainable resources. That’s The Power Of Yellow.®

pellacommercial.com

Pella Southeast 2605 North Berkeley Lake Rd Duluth, Ga. 30096 1-678-638-1490

© 2008 Pella Corporation

NOV/DEC 2011 53

7/15/11 9:58 AM

details/architecture aLL PHOTOS: Everett & Soulé.

The Hawthorne residence, which Robert Rokop completed in 2010, met the demands of a client who was particularly sensitive to indoor air quality.

On the Waterfront Robert Rokop AIA Architect specializes in beach homes for the sensitive Florida coastline 54

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 54

Robert Rokop found his niche in the design of Florida waterfront homes, which demand sustainability from both a regulatory and an ethical standpoint. “Building these fabulous environments on the water lets me be part of the fantasy of the affluent lifestyle, but it lets me do so with a regard for the sensitive environment, which is something I’ve been interested in since college,” says the principal of Robert Rokop AIA Architect, LLC. His approach involves incorporation of sustainable materials and adherence to local, environmental building standards, and it has helped raise the eco-consciousness of Florida’s luxury-home market.

Much of Rokop’s work is on barrier islands, long, narrow, offshore deposits of sand separated from the Florida mainland by a shallow

sound, bay, or lagoon. They are nature’s way of protecting the coast, and are natural habitats for many species of sensitive animals and plants. As a result, the sites fall under the jurisdiction of not just the local government but also the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). “The Florida coastline is one of most highly regulated areas for residential building that I’ve encountered in 35 years in the architecture field,” Rokop says.

Given the environmentally sensitive character of the Florida coastline, sustainability is naturally an element of all of Rokop’s projects, one for which his clients seek him out. “Florida is a very special place, and people now have a greater awareness of their impact on that environment,” Rokop says. “My clients, who are typically affluent,

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:58 AM

details/architecture

Robert Rokop Architect

Robert Rokop specializes in exclusive waterfront homes such as the Harkins residence (right) and the Newkirk residence (below) in the communities surrounding Sarasota and Bradenton in Florida.

reduce solar heat gain, and metal roofing was used to reflect solar radiation. The home was insulated with Icynene spray-foam insulation, whose manufacturer claims it can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 50 percent, and all ductwork for the airconditioning system was placed in conditioned spaces. Inside the home, renewable materials such as bamboo and cork were used wherever possible. Outside, Rokop used low-maintenance materials, many recycled, despite the fact that the Key West aesthetic traditionally calls for wood. “The list of sustainable elements goes on and on,” Rokop says.

are building these great homes, but they also have a social conscience and don’t want to be gluttonous; they don’t want to use materials that are potentially harmful or aren’t sustainable.”

A good example is the Harkins residence, a 6,500-square-foot waterfront home completed in 2011 in Longboat Key. Rokop says the concept of sustainability was part of the project from the beginning. When siting the residence, Rokop used passive-solar orientation to minimize harsh sunlight. Windows with expansive views were shaded to

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 55

Rokop’s firm typically employs three to six people, depending on market conditions, but it has a stable of external consultants, most of whom have been working with the firm since its founding.

Some of Rokop’s residences are LEED certified, including the 4,000-square-foot Hawthorne residence in Tampa, completed in 2010. But others are certified green by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) instead, as was the case with the 5,670square-foot Newkirk residence on the bayfront in Sarasota, a home that won an Aurora Award for green construction in 2010. “We often seek FGBC certification instead of LEED certification because it is more location-specific, which we feel better represents this unique climate,” Rokop says.

According to Rokop, building Florida waterfront homes is a dream come true. “It’s long been a belief of mine that architecture should be Earth friendly, healthy to live in, and affordable to operate,” he says. “So it’s particularly satisfying to me to recognize that the movement toward green design, which has its roots in the turbulent period in the late 1960s, is not just a fad but is a universal truth.”

—Julie Schaeffer

NOV/DEC 2011 55

7/15/11 9:58 AM

PERIPHERAL SYSTEMS, INC.

In business since 1982.

“luxurious environmentally responsible design for sensitive sites”

We install and service: Access Control Systems Closed Circuit Systems Alarm Systems Commercial Fire Commercial Security Systems Custom Gate Systems Residential Burglary & Fire Alarm Systems

PH (405) 670-3377 www.peripheralsystemsinc.com

Durable: Infinity™ Chassis with a powder-coated finish

Recyclable: GREENGUARD® certified materials finished with low VOC paint

Discover how ASI can create a sustainable and functional signage solution for your next project.

Updateable: WindowSign™ keeps information current Modular: PresTab™ attachments make panel updates easy

Visit us online to view our green capabilities brochure

GBD14_book.indb 56

Solar Solutions

Digital Solutions

Modular Solutions

asisignage.com/green | 800.274.7732

7/15/11 9:58 AM

inner workings

OKLAHOMA CASE STUDY HOUSE Fitzsimmons Architects’s latest residence has become a ‘modern urban-infill landmark’

architect Fitzsimmons Architects

1

landscape architect Land + Form client Dr. William Lovallo location Oklahoma City size 1,740 square feet website fitzsimmons-arch.com

Since brian fitzsimmons, AIA, founded fitzsimmons Architects in Oklahoma City in 2005, the firm has flourished thanks to his contemporary, artistic, and responsible design style. “fitzsimmons Architects approaches architecture as a form of art, creating built forms and spaces that both inspire and serve as meaningful places of purpose,” fitzsimmons says. This methodology is highlighted in its recently finished Oklahoma Case Study House project.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 57

NOV/DEC 2011 57

7/15/11 9:58 AM

inner workings

1/EXTERIOR. Modern homes are a growing trend in the city.

2/FLOOR PLANS. The residence is just 1,740 square feet.

3/ELEVATION. The home’s siting offers the homeowners sweeping views of the city.

4/EXTERIOR. Showing the COR-TEN cladding, which combats harsh weather.

5/INTERIOR. Primary material: concrete.

6/LIVING AREA. Features a view to the south.

7/KITCHEN. On the second floor.

8/SKYLIGHTS. These provides warm daylighting to the bedroom areas.

2

Oklahoma Case Study House

inspiration/ Fitzsimmons architects’s client, Dr. William Lovallo, found inspiration for his residence— which later became the Oklahoma Case Study House—from Fitzsimmons’ own residence, The Okasian, one of very few modern homes in downtown Oklahoma City. “The Case Study House has become somewhat of an Oklahoma City modern urbaninfill landmark, which is a focus of the firm,” Fitzsimmons says.

2

location/ The Okasian is two doors down from the Case Study House and is another infill house created with similar design techniques. On both projects, Fitzsimmons served as the architect and the construction contractor. “This reviving downtown neighborhood is fast becoming a rich mix of modern infill homes and existing cottage-style housing stock—all with a unique opportunity to capture Oklahoma City’s skyline view,” he says. “and it’s nice to know we are contributors in this transformation.” The Case Study House is in an ideal location that provides sweeping views of the downtown skyline, Fitzsimmons says. “Open terraces and elevated patios are outdoor extensions of the open floor plan,” he adds. “They help blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living.”

materials/ For Fitzsimmons, the smartest and most convenient way to make the Case Study House sustainable was to incorporate local and recycled resources.

“We used reclaimed wood from the University of North Carolina basketball-court floor, which had been sitting in a friend’s Oklahoma City storage container for 15 years,” Fitzsimmons says. “It’s the same floor that Michael Jordan once played on.”

Fitzsimmons also incorporated 11-inch-thick walls, which were poured in place and consist of three inches of insulation in their center. “Insulated concrete walls are not new, though this is the first time I know of it being done this way, and they share both the quality of thermal mass and insulation,” Fitzsimmons says.

The design used special form ties, which allowed the insulation to be held in the middle of the board forms while the concrete was poured on either side at the same time. Fitzsimmons also incorporated energy-efficient glass, recycled plastic decking, recycled rubber, cork floor tile, and structural and exteriorcladding steel with recycled content.

4

3

aLL PHOTOS: Joseph Mills.

58

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 58

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:58 AM

inner workings

water/ at 1,740 square feet, the Case Study House was designed with a minimalist approach, which was echoed in its landscaping: due to Oklahoma’s climate, Fitzsimmons worked with Randy Marks of Land + Form to choose drought-tolerant plants. all plumbing fixtures in the home are also low-flow. “We took a very simple and basic approach to water management,” Fitzsimmons says. “Easy care equates to conservation.”

energy/ The home, which took a little more than two years to complete from design to finish, was built with a geothermal HVaC system.

The system creates free hot water for Dr. Lovallo and others staying in the home. Fitzsimmons also chose to use as much natural daylighting as possible—just as it had with The Okasian—to keep lighting costs down. Foam insulation, shade, and sun control were also used to keep the home energy-efficient.

exterior/ To keep the outdoors outside when the weather is less than favorable, Fitzsimmons went with a COR-TEN cladding-andrainscreen system to help keep Oklahoma’s sometimes-eager climate at bay. “The wall exterior is also covered with a selfhealing water and airtight layer, then overlaid with the COR-TEN panel system to deflect driving rain and snow,” Fitzsimmons says. The home also features white TPO roofing. It is a landmark as much for the industry as it is for the city.

—Thalia A-M Bruehl

7

5

6

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 59

8

NOV/DEC 2011

59

7/15/11 9:58 AM

inner workings

HARBOURT HALL When Kent State University’s Office of the University Architect designed its new office space and studio, the result was a blend of experimentation, creativity, and sustainability

architect Office of the University Architect associate architect The Collaborative Inc. contractor Bogner Construction Company location Kent, OH certification LEED Gold size 26,207 square feet website kent.edu/universityarchitect/

1/RENDERING. Showing how the dorm rooms of Harbourt Hall were opened up to create connected rows of office workstations.

2/ADDITION. In the front, the dorm’s wings are now connected to form a single structure.

site/ What’s significant about the building site is its ability to participate in the concept of “shared services,” Iwanski says.

Because the structure stands within walking distance of two older buildings—the Office of International affairs and student housing—departments can consolidate efforts and free up space for other uses. “Clustering us together makes us more efficient,” Iwanski says. “This way, we’re not duplicating square footage and can use that space for better serving the students.

For example, if our department needs a conference room for training—well, we didn’t put one in our building that could seat 50 people because you can walk across the plaza and use the one in the building there.” The Office of the University architect is trying to find more creative ways to design departmental spaces that can be shared, and it actively encourages “doing more with less,” a philosophy that’s proving cost-effective and sustainable.

What strikes Charmaine Iwanski about the Harbourt Hall renovation, for which she is a principal architect, is the fact that there doesn’t seem to be anything striking about it. Kent State University’s recent project to turn the former dormitory into the Office of the University Architect’s office space and studio looks like an ordinary one, she says. but the LEEd Gold-targeting Harbourt Hall is going through a major shift in function, which calls for several not-so-ordinary additions and alterations.

2

1

60

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 60

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:58 AM

Harbourt Hall plan/ In its prior life, Harbourt Hall was a dormitory, which meant the space was divided into many little compartments for bedrooms.

The redesign for the office and studio space involved opening up the compartmentalized space, something that Iwanski and her colleagues had experience with on a similar dorm-to-office-building project, Stewart Hall, which was built to LEED Silver standards but not certified. after construction of an addition to Harbourt Hall, the three-story, split-level building will still use 89 percent of its original structure and will be 26,207 square feet in size. The design process was begun late last year with associate architect The Collaborative Inc., and construction, by lead contractor Bogner Construction Company, started in late February of this year and is slated for completion

by September. The total budget for the project is $5.3 million.

space/ The university architects will treat the new office more as a “living lab,” in which the team will test new materials and systems and experiment with various products for future projects on campus.

Iwanski says the team will be conducting more of a subjective analysis for sustainability, durability, and maintenance on elements such as carpet tiles, recyclable materials, light, energy efficiency, and the building walls, which will contain fly-ash brick.

The LEED Gold target is also significant; as of 2009, all of kent State’s new construction must be built to Gold standards.

inner workings

energy/ One particular feature that makes the new Harbourt Hall stand out is its independence from the central loop of the campus and its use of a variable refrigerant system, which will help improve energy savings by 40 percent over the original building. Moreover, as an office that functions only during business hours and not 24/7 like the previous dormitory, Iwanski says, the building’s water consumption will be reduced by 90 percent. additionally, high-efficiency fixtures have been installed, and a solar hot-water system is being considered. The reception area features bamboo accent walls, and the ceilings will remain exposed. Most of the fabrics for the office furniture will feature a Crypton Green coating the team of architects is interested in testing out. and, several parking spaces have been dedicated to fuel-efficient vehicles.

a MESSaGE FROM ExCEL DRyER INC xLERaTOR® hand dryer, the new industry standard, completely dries hands in 10–15 seconds and uses 80 percent less energy than traditional hand dryers. xLERaTOR delivers a 95 percent cost savings vs. paper towels and eliminates their maintenance while creating a more hygienic restroom environment. xLERaTOR is the only hand dryer to be MaDE IN USa-certified, the first hand dryer to be GreenSpeclisted and also helps facilities qualify for LEED credits. all facilities are now looking for green and cost-saving initiatives; the installation of xLERaTOR hand dryers accomplishes both.

—Suchi Rudra

nexT GeneraTion Green resTroom DesiGn (Featured USGBC CEU Course @ www.usgbc.org/virtualtour)

T i m e T o T h r o w i n T h e T o w e l® excel Dryer inc.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 61

•

1.800.255.9235

•

w w w. e x c e l d r y e r. c o m

NOV/DEC 2011

61

7/15/11 9:58 AM

inner workings

INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Working with educators to blend STEM program requirements with sustainable design, Hutton Architecture Studio raises the level of opportunity for disadvantaged kids by building on technology architect Hutton Architecture Studio general contractor Saunders Construction developer/client Cherry Creek School District location Aurora, CO size 58,000 square feet

One thing the Cherry Creek School district is keen to do is prepare its students for the workforce after graduation, and its focus is currently on its 58,000-square-foot Institute of Science and Technology in the denver suburb of Aurora.

The facility—a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) center—was conceived by Paul Hutton of Hutton Architecture Studio and born of extensive collaboration between educators, designers, builders, and community leaders who wanted to create serious opportunities for disadvantaged high school and middle school students.

The building is designed to be the most energy-efficient in the district and will be utilized by 4,000 Prairie Middle School and Overland High School students. “STEM has thus far been something for the elite,” Hutton says. “This is academically the poorest performing and ethnically most diverse area in the district. There are more than 60 languages spoken on this campus.” The word that the building had been completed ahead of schedule by the contractor spread quickly, and 480 students voluntarily came forward to attend a summer program that had not even been planned. “The positive response is beyond expectation,” Hutton says, “and a true testament to the need for this kind of learning center.”

completion date May 2011 website huttonarch.com

1

62

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 62

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:58 AM

Institute of Science and Technology 1/EXTERIOR. The completed entry includes a support column shaped like a strand of DNA. 2/FLOOR PLANS. The team worked with two older buildings that were challengingly oriented.

3/INTERIOR. The main stairwell’s Sundolier daylighting device creates illuminated squares in the circular ceiling.

4/SYSTEMS. The building uses low-cost ice storage.

2

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 63

program/ according to the US Department of Labor, 70 percent of all jobs now have a technical component, and that will rise to 90 percent in the not-too-distant future. additionally, more than one-fourth of the current scienceand-engineering workforce will have retired by 2025. The STEM center for Cherry Creek will offer equipment and learning spaces for students with concentrations in science, health science, computer science, mathematics, engineering, and technical communications. Those students will one day be able to compete for careers in high-tech industries such as energy, bioscience, aerospace, medicine, and information technology.

inner workings

sustainability/ Cherry Creek’s STEM Center will be a functional example of sustainability for its students and community. “The building orientation is optimized,” Hutton says, “which was difficult when fitting on this existing campus, where the two older buildings are poorly oriented.” The new exterior walls are great, he says: eight inches of structural CMU inside with 2.5 inches of spray foam on that, an air cavity, and then brick to blend on the outside to match the existing buildings. “So, we have the benefits of a high-mass structure inside a high-quality continuous insulation barrier,” he says. “This is close to a zeromaintenance wall that will last at least 50 years and could last longer than a century with a little help.” The building also utilizes ice storage to reduce cooling loads and utility costs and displacement ventilation throughout, which is quiet, energy-saving, and provides much better indoor air quality.

lighting/ Hutton has studied and used daylighting in educational and commercial buildings for the better part of 30 years; he even adopted as a metaphor for sky and light the colors of blue and yellow as his company brand. “I discovered early on that building sustainably was all about bringing natural sunlight into the building,” he says.

“This building is all about using the sky and daylight. In fact, this is our first two-story school building where we have equivalent daylight on the ground floor to what we have on the upper floor.

We achieved that by using our BIM systems to create pathways for tubular daylight devices to go from the roof all the way to the ceiling of the ground floor. That was tricky.”

3

NOV/DEC 2011 63

7/15/11 9:58 AM

inner workings

Institute of Science and Technology energy/ It’s one thing to build sustainably, but the other lesson the building offers students and teachers is to manage responsibly.

The students will be actively monitoring energy usage. Hutton incorporated this in another school district he frequently works with. “after the pros had done their job,” he says, “the district established a program where the students have actually saved an additional 18 percent.

Interestingly the teachers have been the worst culprits in leaving lights on, so the district has empowered the kids with Starbucks coupons to give to the teachers who behave. We plan to bring this program to our new STEM building in Cherry Creek.”

4

collaboration/ While conceiving a building designed to encourage students to practice collaboration, the project team did a little of their own. “We worked with the executive director of Cherry Creek facilities, Mike Langlett; director of mechanical systems Scott Thomson; and the assistant superintendent, Dr. Scott Siegfried, to define a path,” Hutton says. “They wanted this to be their most sustainable and energy-efficient building yet, but they did not want to pay for a LEED plaque. So they gave us plenty of resources and flexibility but focused on those strategies that saved energy and that improved education.”

—Scott Heskes

“The Leader in Glass Fabrication”™

Viracon is proud to have partnered with Hutton Architecture on the S.T.E.M. facility for Cherry Creek School District.

As an international company, Viracon offers the most complete range of high-performance architectural glass products available worldwide. Our complete product line includes insulating, laminated, silk-screened, spandrel, hurricane-resistant, acoustical, blastmitigating, heat-treated and high-performance coated glass. For more information, please contact us at 800.533.2080 or visit our website at www.viracon.com.

64

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 64

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

inner workings

JULIET RICE WICHMAN BOTANICAL RESEARCH CENTER Kauai’s research center illustrates Dean Sakamoto Architects’s belief that tropical architecture has much to contribute to green building philosophies

architect Dean Sakamoto Architects

In 1999, yale University asked tropical-architecture specialist dean Sakamoto to teach at the school, so he left Hawaii and founded dean Sakamoto Architects LLC in Connecticut.

Today, his firm is a leader in sustainable design in both new England and throughout the islands of the Pacific. “I became interested in tropical architecture because I strongly believe that if we are going to be sustainable in the future, the whole world can learn much from both indigenous and contemporary and modern architecture in the tropical belt,” Sakamoto says. “In the tropics, people ... fuse their lifestyle with the natural environment.”

In 2003, Sakamoto placed a bid to complete legendary Hawaiian modernist architect Vladimir Ossipoff’s original master plan for the national Tropical botanical Garden (nTbG) and to create the Juliet Rice Wichman botanical Research Center in Kalaheo, Hawaii. “I presented my proposal, and I knew Ossipoff’s architecture through research,” Sakamoto says. “I was the only architect among the eight [considered] who looked at Ossipoff’s vision and tried to connect visually.” The $11.5 million project was completed in 2008 and won a 2010 AIA Honolulu Award of Excellence. It is also LEEd Gold certified, making it Kauai’s first and only certified green building.

1

general contractor Unlimited Construction Services client National Tropical Botanical Garden location Kalaheo, HI size 20,000 square feet cost $11.5 million certification LEED Gold plant species 60,000 website dsarch.net

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 65

NOV/DEC 2011 65

7/15/11 9:59 AM

inner workings 1/EXTERIOR. The two-level research center is built into a hill, and only the top floor can be seen by passersby.

2/FLOOR PLANS. The axonometric plan shows, among other things, the location of the climatecontrolled rare-book room on the first floor.

3/SKETCH. This drawing provides a glimpse into Sakamoto’s careful environmental planning.

4/INTERIOR. The completed structure is built to withstand hurricane-force storms.

2

Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center site/ The research center was specifically designed to be hurricane-resistant because it houses expensive laboratories, a reference library, the Loy McCandless Marks Collection of rare books on tropical botany, and a herbarium containing more than 60,000 plant specimens. “The site is interesting because it’s not just a striking natural environment, but it’s also a historical site,” Sakamoto says. “What was key was understanding the constraints of building in Hawaii on the island of kauai, the most rural and least developed of the major islands. I had to design for resilience because they had two major hurricanes in the past two decades.”

design/ To create the structure he wanted, Sakamoto created a box within a box within a box.

The first box is a concrete frame, which provides sun protection in the indoor-outdoor space.

It also provides a structure to hang a hurricane shroud from to protect walls from damage. “The second box is an actual weather enclosure of the building, with an insulated steel frame clad with three-fourths-inch plywood and reclaimed tropical hardwood siding on the outside,” he says.

“It’s insulated—almost like an armor-clad enclosure.” The third box is on the first floor below the belly of the building, which is where the climate-controlled, rare-book room sits. The finished design is a two-level structure cut into a hill above the garden, and only the building’s second level is visible from the street.

There’s also a drainage swale where water will drain around the building and end up in an adjacent retention pond.

ROOF

roof/ The center’s active roof is designed to shield the windows from the harsh sunlight, capture rainwater, catch energy, and collect daylight through a series of light monitors and clerestory windows that provide high-level filtered daylight to the second floor. “In the tropics, the roof is like an umbrella,” Sakamoto says.

“It has to function very efficiently but also becomes the moment of expression architecturally because it’s the dominant form of the building.” To maximize the center’s sustainable potential, photovoltaic panels on the roof contribute to the building’s energy load. “The perimeter of the panels has a fringe that is the same material as the roofing membrane, so the panels were heat-welded to the roof,” Sakamoto says. “This avoids points of penetration, and the panels don’t act as sails in high winds.” The roof also captures rainwater, which moves quickly across the TPO roofing membrane and collects in a 25,000-gallon cistern.

SECOND FLOOR

3

FIRST FLOOR

ALL PHOTOS: Mariko Reed.

SUB-GRaDE RaIN WaTER STORaGE

66

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 66

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

inner workings interior/ Since the center is in a hurricane zone, Sakamoto felt that concrete was the best option. “The ceiling material is acoustical-panel material called Tectum, made out of wood by-products,” he says. “It offers great acoustical balance and really quiets the day down.” For the rest of the interior, Sakamoto kept materials to a minimum and stained the concrete floor with Lithochrome Chemstain from Scofield Systems.

Wherever possible, glass separates the enclosed spaces so views are maintained and light can enter. The spaces are open, allowing NTBG to install shelves to hold the more than 60,000 plant species that constitute the institution’s herbarium. an HVaC system maintains humidity levels throughout, helping to protect against the moist tropical air.

Oahu Air Conditioning Service, Inc Oahu Plumbing & Sheet Metal, Ltd Oahu Air Conditioning Co.

Hawaii’s leading mechanical contractor since 1945 providing complete mechanical contracting services Statewide.

green HVAC solutions • Professional engineering, drafting, printing, & project management • Preventive maintenance, repair, & 24/7 emergency services • In-house sheet metal fabrication & commercial plumbing services • Offices on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, & Hawaii (Hilo & Kona) • State licensed & certified

—Keith Loria

4

W

938 Kohou Street Honolulu, HI 96817 Tel 808.848.0111 Fax 808.848.0259

www.senplex.com

Creating beautiful, enduring

and meaningful places that inspire the

human spirit.

a MESSaGE FROM SENPLEx CORP. With more than 65 years of stellar customer service and proven expertise in mechanical contracting, Oahu air Conditioning Service and Oahu Plumbing & Sheet Metal are proud to collaborate with Dean Sakamoto architects. The attainment of the LEED Gold certification confirms our commitment to sustainable buildings and the environment. For more information about our company, please visit senplex.com.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 67

Lakeview Commons | South Lake Tahoe, CA

Mill Valley and San Francisco, California MV 415.383.7900 | SF 415.861.7900 mvstudio@rhaa.com www.rhaa.com

NOV/DEC 2011

67

7/15/11 9:59 AM

inner workings for more than half a century, the firm of Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey (RHAA) has been on a mission to design landscapes that offer everyday enjoyment while also inspiring the human spirit. “We are here to make the Earth a better place to live in,” principal and vice president Manuela King says. “It’s a profession that I am proud of. I feel like I am making places better for people and the environment on a daily basis.”

Although a landscape architectural firm, RHAA is involved with different aspects of a project once a site has been designated for development.

The goal of RHAA is to help make the best use of the land, and on large projects that guidance includes helping to plan roads and to conceive the final arrangement of structural development and open space. At Marin County’s Marin Health & Wellness Campus in San Rafael, California, RHAA played a pivotal role in creating a place meant to improve the well-being of both the community and the environment.

1

MARIN HEALTH & WELLNESS CAMPUS From Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey comes a medical facility that eschews central parking, combats light pollution, and offers the community a new public space

architect RMW Architecture & Interiors

2

landscape architect Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey general contractor Dome Construction client Marin County, CA location San Rafael, CA size 73,000 square feet website rhaa.com

68

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 68

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

Marin Health & Wellness Campus site/ During the project’s planning stages, RHaa helped craft what could actually be done with the area, which already included buildings that used to house George Lucas’s Industrial Light & Magic. “The buildings were very nondescript, and everything up to the building edge was asphalt,” king says. Marin County was seeking to connect all of its services in one place with a campus-like atmosphere. The solution RHaa proposed and that the county accepted was to remove all the parking between the buildings, concentrating it instead at the perimeter of the campus, creating courtyards between the buildings that could be enjoyed by patients and staff alike.

landscape/ already committed to the values of sustainability, Marin County wanted to infuse the site with green design. “We used many of LEED’s site concepts, including flow-through planters, low-water-use plants, and highly reflective paving,” king says.

The project eventually achieved LEED Gold certification. The interpretative signage designed

by RHaa also incorporated plants that are not only drought-resistant but also used medicinally, bringing an educational aspect to the entire campus.

1/EXTERIOR. A precast concrete water feature, 8 feet in diameter, includes inspirational quotes from César Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thích Nhât Hanh.

2/COURTYARD. Oval gardens and gathering spaces are scattered throughout to offer a variety of experiences for visitors. Curvilinear landscape forms provide a foil to the challenging angles of the buildings.

3/LANDSCAPE. The main feature of the design concept is a large plaza for community gatherings.

The space is nestled between the buildings, with ornamental planting, water features, art elements, and an informal play area for children.

use/ The local community was also considered when planning the site, as evidenced by the courtyard designed as a hub for farmers markets, health fairs, and other events. The courtyard can accommodate booths and kiosks for special events, or it can be opened up entirely for concerts and festivals, and RHaa also included a seating and play area for children.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 69

inner workings

3

materials/ Conforming to LEED standards, the site’s stepping-stone pavers are light in color to reduce the heat-island effect. “at Marin Health & Wellness, we also had areas of pervious concrete pavers, which allow water to infiltrate through to the soil rather than being channeled directly to the storm drain,” king says, noting that RHaa was also involved with selecting lighting for the campus; most of their work went toward the sustainable minimization of light pollution.

“LEED recommends the use of full cut-off fixtures, which prevents lighting to illuminate the night sky. We used photovoltaicpowered bollards with internal photovoltaics and full cut-off light fixtures.” Photovoltaic fixtures were also used on the roofs, and solar lights were installed throughout the campus.

experience/ The Marin Health & Wellness Campus is designed as a place for people to feel good about, a place where they will feel proud to be a part of the community. “My favorite aspect of the project was working with the client and the architect, RMW architecture [& Interiors],” king says. “Everyone wanted to do the best thing for the client and the community, and we made a positive and collaborative team together.” as one of the founding firms in the modern landscapearchitecture movement, RHaa is a forward-thinking firm that endeavors to develop areas that respect the natural systems by being sustainable and selfreplenishing. —Eugenia Orr

NOV/DEC 2011 69

7/15/11 9:59 AM

community

Knitting the City with Green Space Thoughtful urban planningâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and determination on the part of the Woodall Rogers Park Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is leading to a five-acre park over a Dallas freeway

70

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 70

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

The Woodall Rogers Park Foundation

city Dallas population 1.3 million note Dallas residents have saved 120 billion gallons of water since putting the Strategic Plan on Water Conservation in place. news As of 2010, the city has completed 17 green facilities since its Green Building Program was adopted in 2003, and it has 26 others in various stages of design and construction. needs Currently at 1.3 million, Dallas’s population is expected to double by the year 2020. The city has been working closely with developers, communities, and individuals to ensure new development occurs in a planned and orderly manner.

OPPOSITE PaGE: an overhead rendering of the Park in Dallas offers a sense of the project’s scope.

BELOW: The Park will be built over the Woodall Rogers Freeway, connecting two halves of the city.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 71

The saying “A great idea has many fathers” rings true in the creation of the Park, a simply named new public space in Dallas, Texas. “It is one of the best public and private projects in Texas,” says Kristin Gray, director of development for the Woodall Rogers Park Foundation. “The project was made possible by an idea to sink the [Woodall Rogers] Freeway when it was built in the ’80s.” After that fortuitous decision, a number of entities came together to realize the final vision for the site.

To explain in full, the Woodall Rogers Freeway slices through downtown Dallas; rather than putting in an overpass that would physically and visually disconnect the city and two of its flanking neighborhoods, the freeway’s planners sunk it so that someday it might be covered. In 2005, the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation was created to raise the funds to build atop the freeway and ultimately reconnect the city. “It was one of those ideas that was so audacious that it really took a visionary and tenacious team to come together to make it a reality,” Gray says.

The project’s design team, which included The Office of James Burnett, Thomas Phifer and Partners, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., and Ware Architecture, set out to create the Park over five acres of public green space that would stretch over the existing Woodall Rodgers Freeway. “The project takes a loud and

community

intimidating concrete highway that is like the Grand Canyon, separating areas of the city, and knits the urban fabric back together with green space,” says Billy Ware, president of Ware Architecture.

The Park will contain a great lawn, a dog park, a children’s garden, a performance stage, a restaurant, water features, and oakshaded pathways. And it will be a venue for free events and programs. “Our mission is to make this the outdoor community center of the city,” Gray says. The construction of the Park is being funded through a public-private partnership. The city and state each contributed $20 million. The amenities, programming, and operations for the Park will be covered by individual donations raised by the Woodall Rogers Park Foundation. Of the total $110 million needed by the Woodall Rogers Park Foundation, only $17 million remains to be acquired.

The Park’s 320 trees will bring fresh air to downtown Dallas, and by maximizing the open green space the design team aims to quiet the city and reduce the heat-island effect. “It is as if we are putting a huge green roof on the highway,” Gray says. “The Park is a 5.2-acre air-conditioner.” One feature that makes the project so unique is the stormwater management system. The Park serves as a biofilter for water landing on the site.

NOV/DEC 2011

71

7/15/11 9:59 AM

community

“It was one of those ideas that was so audacious that it really took a visionary and tenacious team to come together to make it a reality.”

The Woodall Rogers Park Foundation

Grass Without Limits

—Kristin Gray, Director of Development

Landscape • Putting utting Greens • Playground layg Sports • Pet Turf • Splash Grass

Before, water would run along the concrete highway, collect the oil left from cars, and pour into the river. Now, as the storm water falls onto the Park, it will collect fewer contaminates and be filtered. And site lighting will play a major role in keeping the Park energy-efficient. LED fixtures were the most logical choice because they will balance the need for a safe level of lighting with energy conservation. Solar panels are wrapped around the poles to generate energy.

We look forward to providing you with a beautiful solution to all of your grass needs!

The Park’s restaurant, designed by noted architect Thomas Phifer, is in the process of seeking LEED Gold certification. While the glass façade offers an uninterrupted view of the Park, a geothermal heating and cooling system and efficient forced-air systems regulate the structure’s temperature. Phifer’s design uses skylights to welcome in light through a perforated ceiling. “The ceiling filters the light to give the feeling of sitting outside under a tree,” Ware says. Natural light will be monitored. When the sun pours in, the lights will be off; when it is dark outside, the lights will automatically adjust. A similar system controls the air coming in. “As more people are in the space, there are sensors that adjust and bring in more outside air,” Ware says, estimating that the restaurant will have a 42.5 percent reduction in energy over standard baseline buildings because of its energyefficient lighting and mechanical systems.

And its indoor fixtures will save approximately 11,700 gallons of water each year. The total exterior water reduction is 52 percent.

With the completion date in sight, the project team and community are anxious for the Park to be open. “We look forward to bringing green space to Dallas,” Gray says. “It is also a great case study for other cities to see what can be done over freeways. We’ve created green space out of thin air—it comes down to employing thoughtful urban planning.”

—Jennifer Hogeland

72

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 72

PH: 214-341-4332

www.foreverlawnofnorthtexas.com

BR I N S H O R E DE V ELO P M EN T L . L . C. Specializing in the development of residential communities that foster conservation, collaboration and affordabliity.

666 Dundee Road, Suite 1102 Northbrook, IL 60062

T: 847-562-9400 F: 847-562-9401 www.brinshore.com gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

community

Challenging the Stereotype With the nation’s first installation of photocatalytic pavers, Brinshore Development is redefining Chicago affordable housing community Chicago population 9.8 million (metropolitan area) note Chicago, particularly during the years of the second Daley administration, has been known for its success in transforming public housing into mixed-income developments. news The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), is currently undergoing a “plan for transformation” under which it will redevelop or rehabilitate its entire stock of public housing, which shelters more than 50,000 families. needs Chicago has a need for many types of affordable housing, including lowincome, workforce, senior, and specialneeds spaces—but it has faced declining stock of such units in recent years.

For David Brint, CEO of Brinshore Development LLC, developing affordable housing represented the perfect combination of professional success and personal fulfillment.

“If you consider the direction people can take in life as a triangle, the three points of the triangle represent focus toward money, intellectual challenge, and social contribution,” he says. “Affordable housing is right in the middle: Not only is it a viable business, but it’s very intellectually challenging, and hopefully we do some good.” Brint, who cofounded the company in 1994 with business partner Richard Sciortino, planned from the beginning to specialize in the multifamily residential market, with every development having an affordable component.

It wasn’t until roughly 2005, however, that the partners began to incorporate sustainability into their work. “It was partly a matter of necessity,” Brint says. “We saw the spiking of utility costs in our buildings as being unsustainable, so we began to look at the design of our buildings as a way to control utility costs.”

Today, Brinshore is responsible for 3,500 units in 41 developments in the Midwest area, and five of those buildings are either LEED-certified or pursing certification—

one in the unlikely location of the former Robert Taylor Homes, a public-housing development that was at one time the largest and most notorious in the country. In 2001, Brinshore was selected as the master planner for the redevelopment of the Robert Taylor Homes, a massive collection of 28 high-rise towers with 4,321 units on Chicago’s South Side, built in 1962. When complete, the new mixed-use development, called Legends South, will consist of 2,400 units of mixed-income housing, including 900 public-housing units and a mixture of market-rate and affordable rentals and forsale homes.

The Legends South complex is estimated to cost nearly $600 million and will also include seven community facilities (including a LEED Gold community center) and a number of retail and commercial spaces.

“We’re going into the fifth phase of development, with the completion of 547 units so far,” Brint says of the project. “And I think we are accomplishing what we set out to do.

This task has been made a little easier and greener because Legends South is adjacent to three major transportation hubs and provides terrific public access to Chicago’s downtown, only three miles away.”

RIGHT: Brinshore Development’s $31 million 100 N. Hermitage complex contains 72 market-rate condos plus 7 affordable condos for area teachers and 34 units for lower-income seniors.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 73

NOV/DEC 2011

73

7/15/11 9:59 AM

community

“The cost of construction is rising, but incomes are not. Over the coming decades, I predict the cost of energy and need for affordability will make the choice to build sustainably an easy one.”

Brinshore Development

aBOVE: Chicago’s Mahalia Place is composed of 18 buildings containing a total of 110 townhomes and flats.

RIGHT: The LEED Gold Hyacinth Place sits on land donated by members of Highland Park, an upscale Chicago suburb.

—David Brint, CEO

Another innovative Brinshore development is the $5 million LEED Gold Hyacinth Place, located in the upscale Chicago suburb of Highland Park. The community, Brint says, has taken affordable housing very seriously and even donated the property where Brinshore Development created 10 for-sale townhomes and four rental units offered at less than market value. The transit-oriented development, located one block from a Metra station, was cutting-edge for the Chicago area at the time. Geothermal energy powers every unit, wind turbines power the common-area, and both permeable and photocatalytic pavers are being used throughout the site (the latter of which remove air pollutants by absorbing nitrogen and which are being used for the first time in the nation,

74

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 74

Brint says). “The combination of for-sale and rental workforce housing with cutting-edge green technologies to control costs is a model in the region,” he says.

One of the firm’s most recent developments is Hairpin Lofts, the result of an adaptive reuse of a five-story historic furniture building located in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. The first floor of the building will be retail space, the second has been donated to a community arts organization that will provide multigenerational arts activity for the whole neighborhood, and the rest will contain affordable housing. According to Brint, the $12 million development will at least be LEED Gold certified and may reach Platinum.

According to Brint, Chicago will see an increased need for projects such as these.

“The cost of construction is rising, but incomes are not, so there’s a disconnect between what it costs to build and what people can afford,’ Brint says. “As a result, I think we’re going to find there is a need for housing that is both affordable and green.

The assumptions people are using now for cost-benefit analysis of sustainability underestimates the cost of utilities going forward. Over the coming decades, I predict the cost of energy and need for affordability will make the choice to build sustainably an easy one.” —Julie Schaeffer

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

FEATURES 76/ MIND.BODY.SPIRIT.DESIGN. 91/ ASCETIC TENDENCIES 96/ WORK.SPACE.

TREES OF LIFE. The lobby of the Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, ON, is supported by a forest of arboreal pillars, giving patients a taste of outdoor atmosphere within the comfy confines of the health facility. Photo: Tom Arban.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 75

NOV/DEC 2011

75

7/15/11 9:59 AM

mind. body. spirit. design.

The architecture of holistic healthcare

by Thalia A-M Bruehl

76

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 76

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

J

ust as we’ve learned to place a greater emphasis on making our homes healthy and sustainable, healthcare design has also taken a more organic turn in past years. adding meditative roof gardens and acupuncture rooms—among other new elements—hospitals and healthcare facilities are changing the way they approach well-being.

For many facilities, it’s not enough to add holistic healing elements and

methods to their programs; they want their whole structures to offer patients, doctors, and visitors a comprehensive healthful experience. This can mean reaching to be the world’s first LEED Platinum hospital, as the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas did, or building a structure held together by giant wooden beams meant to represent a thriving forest, which the Credit Valley Hospital achieved in Mississauga, Ontario.

The architects chosen to design such eco-friendly projects work closely with hospital staff and patients and do extensive research to create spaces that harmoniously connect the mind, body, and spirit for greater healing. Here, gb&d looks at six of the most innovative, enriching projects recently completed in North america—and how each is a testament to greater health through green building. >

Duke Integrative Medicine 78

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 80

Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas 82

Palomar Medical Center West 84

Ulfelder Healing Garden 86

Credit Valley Hospital 88

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 77

NOV/DEC 2011 77

7/15/11 9:59 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

( t radi t ional + al t er na t i ve medic i ne ) “Our society is really only now beginning to embrace the idea of holistic medicine,” says Turan Duda, principal and founder of Duda Paine architects. “Universally, we’re finding more and more ways in which we realize there is a ‘whole’ person.” Duke Integrative Medicine, through both its stunning design and highly specialized program, is what this philosophy looks like. The LEED-certified facility was built to integrate whole-body healing techniques such as acupuncture and meditation with more mainstream Western medicine, and it includes treatment rooms, a spa, a library, a fitness center, a kitchen, and a dining room where healthy-eating and -cooking seminars are held.

Duda Paine senior associate David Davis worked to create an environment that felt warm and inviting rather than cold and institutional, too long the norm for healthcare design. Japanese-inspired privacy screens, water features, gardens, and dynamic wooden structural branches all work together to relax and heal patients. “We asked the client to describe to us in adjectives what type of experience they wanted the client to have in the space, and they said, ‘embracing, welcoming, enlightening, rejuvenating, and relaxing,’” Duda says of the project he considers his most rewarding to date. “These are picture words that describe a state of being, and that’s what we created.”

1

( THE PROJECT ) Duke Integrative Medicine ( LOCATION ) Durham, NC ( ARCHITECT ) Duda Paine Architects

78

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 78

( SIZE ) 27,000 square feet

( RECOGNITION ) AIA, National Design Award for Healthcare, 2010

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

3

( why it works ) DIaGNOSIS Because it’s one of the first facilities to formally integrate Western medicine and Eastern healing, the design needed to recognize the body as part of a larger whole and provide an enlightening patient experience PRESCRIPTION The architects specified Japanese-inspired privacy screens, included numerous natural wood and water features, and designed spaces for acupuncture and meditation

2

4

( behind the project )

ALL PHOTOS: Robert Benson Photography.

Duda Paine Architects, of Durham, NC, undertakes multiple design investigations in order to provide better communications with clients, accelerate its decision-making process, and streamline its consultant collaborations. Founding principal Jeffrey Paine says the firm “works like an alchemist, taking multiple ingredients given along the way and making something magical out of them.”

(1) The interior gives off a warm glow at night through the building’s many windows. (2) The architects believe the complex woodwork is more inviting and intimate.

(3) At Duke Integrative Medicine, healing gardens are situated alongside standard treatment rooms. (4) Even hallways are distinctively shaped for better flow.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 79

NOV/DEC 2011 79

7/15/11 9:59 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

( heal i ng t hrough c ommuni t y i nt egra t ion ) When Alice Liang and her team at Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. began work on the Centre for addiction and Mental Health (CaMH), they knew it needed to feel like home for the patients. “This project was wonderful because it gave us the opportunity to adopt a new and revolutionary approach to design for healthcare,” Liang says.

“We managed to both architecturally and functionally give this project a residential feel, creating a more therapeutic and home-like setting for clients’ recovery.” They achieved this by designing the center as multiple buildings spread throughout an existing neighborhood. In addition to serving the project medically and architecturally, this integration also

helps remove the stigma surrounding mental-health issues. another one of the new facility’s benefits is its location within Toronto; the CaMH is situated in an urban setting, well served by various modes of public transportation as well as bicycle and walking paths, making trips to and from the facility as healthy and ecologically sound as the structure itself.

The design incorporates courtyard gardens, ample natural light, and operable windows in all rooms, something not often found in hospitals.

“We wanted to make sure everyone could have a breath of fresh air, even those that can’t easily access the outdoor gardens,” Liang says.

“Fresh air is fundamental to one’s well being.”

1

( THE PROJECT ) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health ( LOCATION ) Toronto, ON

( SIZE ) 88,000 square feet (phase 1A of a 1.1 million-square-foot redevelopment)

( ARCHITECT ) Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc.

( PROJECT ASSOCIATION )

Joint-venture consortium “C3—Community Care Consortium”

( AWARDS ) Toronto Urban Design Awards, honorable mention, 2005; International Academy for Health Design, Academy Award, 2009

80

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 80

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

3

( why it works ) DIaGNOSIS Addiction and mental health are some of the most sensitive areas of healthcare, and so the design needed to keep this in mind and strive to help residents feel at home PRESCRIPTION The architects chose a site layout that formed multiple buildings into a community-like campus that would be integrated with the neighborhood, allowing residents to move between buildings and take part in life outside the facility

2

4

5

( behind the project ) Montgomery Sisam Architects employs more than 40 staff members from 12 countries, reflecting the multicultural nature of Toronto. The firm, which specializes in institutional design that “shapes experience,” believes diversity helped it take home the 2011 Firm Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

(1) The addiction outpatient building is one of several spread throughout a Toronoto neighborhood. (2) The facility’s courtyard garden offers quiet comfort.

(3) Residents live and recover comfortably in the units of Transition Client Care. (4) The elevator lobby receives natural light. (5) Patients enjoy rooms filled with daylighting.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 81

NOV/DEC 2011

81

7/15/11 9:59 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

( t he wor ld’s f i r s t LEED Pla t i num hos pi t al ) In 2009, Karlsberger received the world’s first LEED Platinum certification for a hospital. The Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas is a state-of-the-art, 169-bed, replacement hospital facility designed to be the ideal environmentally friendly healing environment.

“We wanted to design a trend-setting hospital that is groundbreaking not only in its design but in its commitment to the environment and the concept of sustainability,” says Stephen Zilles, an associate and project architect at karlsberger. “We utilized the latest evidence-based design research, sustainable-design practices, and lean-planning practices to create optimal healing environments.” according to Zilles, some of

the facility’s green design features include an on-site, energy-efficient combined-heating-and-power plant, six interior courtyards that provide an abundance of natural light to areas of the hospital that historically do not have exterior exposures—they also serve as fresh air-intakes, reducing the effect of drawing superheated air off the roof—and the use of local and regional site and building materials indigenous to central Texas. The hospital was also built on 32 acres of the 700-acre site of the former Robert Mueller Municipal airport, which was remediated for the development; approximately 47,000 tons of existing runway asphalt and base material were recycled and reused on site.

1

( THE PROJECT ) Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas ( LOCATION ) Austin, TX

( SIZE ) 473,000 square feet

( CERTIFICATION ) LEED Platinum

( ARCHITECT ) Karlsberger

( AWARDS ) The Center for Health Design, Environment Award, 2008; AIA Columbus, Designing for Sustainability Award, 2008

82

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 82

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 9:59 AM

2

( why it works ) DIaGNOSIS On the remediated grounds of the former Robert Mueller Airport in Austin, TX, this children’s hospital needed to be a trend-setting, sustainable healthcare facility PRESCRIPTION The architecture firm included an on-site combinedheating-and-power plant, interior courtyards for daylighting, and the use of local and regional materials, earning, in the end, LEED Platinum certification— a first for a hospital

3

4

5

6

7

ALL PHOTOS: John Durant.

( behind the project ) Karlsberger, founded in 1928, has provided planning and design services for more than 70 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada—more than any other design firm in North America. It utilized this expertise to design the recently opened Pediatric Emergency Room at Lehigh Valley Hospital, offering the latest technology available for children’s emergency services.

(1) Pod-like nursing units extend like fingers into a three-acre healing garden that features a labyrinth, sundial, reflecting pond, and bridge. (2) The cafeteria’s dining area is filled with daylight from two sides. (3) Courtyard visitors are surrounded by a stream, rock formations, and vegetation reflective of the central Texas landscape. (4) The illuminated tower serves as a beacon for the surrounding community. (5) In the chapel, rectangular cutouts in the walls serve as light shafts. (6) This interior wall is clad in red sandstone traditionally used for civic structures in central Texas. (7) The indoor therapy pool looks out onto the rehabilitation garden containing special playground equipment used in physical therapy.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 83

NOV/DEC 2011 83

7/15/11 9:59 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

( t he hos pi t al of t he fu t ure ) “The design goal of Palomar Medical Center West was to transform the healthcare environment from one dominated by machine-like technology and operational necessity to one that integrates and transcends these fundamentals through immersion with daylight, nature, a sense of place, and human dignity,” says Tom Chessum, principal at CO architects. The 360-bed hospital was designed for environmental health with an additional emphasis on stress reduction and improved physiological health for both patients and staff by way of access to nature through daylight, views, and outdoor areas. The medical center

is intended to serve as a model for the “hospital of the future.” Created through the multidisciplinary approach CO architects takes with all its work, the Palomar Medical Center West is treated as one large healing garden, not only addressing systems efficiency and construction methods but also enhancing the functional, social, and cultural aspects of the facility. a vertical garden spans each floor and offers views of the expansive, 1.5-acre living roof that tops the surgical wing. The project’s additional sustainable features include energy efficiency, water and lighting systems, and healthy indoor air quality.

1

( THE PROJECT ) Palomar Medical Center West ( LOCATION ) Escondido, CA

( SIZE ) 740,000 square feet

( ARCHITECT ) CO Architects

( RECOGNITION ) WAN Healthcare Sector “Building of the Year,” shortlisted; Modern Healthcare Award, 2007; AIA/LA, NEXT Design Award, 2007

84

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 84

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:00 AM

2

( why it works ) DIaGNOSIS In order to combat the fact that hospitals have become machine-dominated environments, even the fundamentals of healthcare design needed to be reimagined PRESCRIPTION Viewing the entire 740,000-square-foot site as a healing garden, the architects created a design that invigorates even on first glance, featuring an 11-story vertical garden in the nursing tower and the largest living roof in Southern California

4

3

5

( behind the project ) CO Architectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long and lauded experience as experts in healthcare, medical, educational, and clinical architecture has granted the more-than-85-member team unique insights into the past, present, and future of these sectors and the impact they have on one another.

The Los Angeles-based firm recently won an AIA/LA award for its work on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.

(1) Massive in scale and ambition, Palomar Medical Center West represents the most advanced methods in hospital architecture. (2) Evidence-based design led to commonly sized patient rooms technologically equipped to accommodate a full spectrum of care and flexibility. (3) Outdoor gardens bring natural light and views to waiting areas.

(4) Expansive windows line outer hallways, allowing for still more daylighting. (5) A walkway alongside the 1.5-acre green roof leads visitors to the main entrance.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 85

NOV/DEC 2011 85

7/15/11 10:00 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

( an eight h - f loor heal i ng garden ) In 2006, Massachusetts General Hospital’s Yawkey Center contacted Halvorson Design Partnership, Inc. and three other firms, looking for someone to design the perfect rooftop garden. Halvorson Design Partnership won the bid and set to work with Cambridge 7 associates, Inc. to create the eighth-floor Ulfelder Healing Garden, overlooking Boston’s Charles River. The design team asked doctors, nurses, patients, and other staff members to serve as an advisory group. “From our advisors, we learned that people who are undergoing chemotherapy are very sensitive to odors, so we took care to select flowers and flowering trees that had no scent,” Halvorson

senior associate Chris Greene says. The garden, which includes a glass pavilion so that patients and visitors can enjoy the serene escape throughout the year, is also a green roof, providing insulation and thermal water retention and reducing heat-island effect. and, the garden is one of few projects accompanied by qualitative scientific research. “There is a guestbook that sits on a table in the pavilion where people who use the garden record their thoughts and feelings,” Greene says. “Three years ago a study was done to document the garden’s impact, and there were already so many full notebooks.” The results of the study were published in The Oncologist.

1

( THE PROJECT ) Ulfelder Healing Garden

( LOCATION ) Boston, MA ( SIZE ) 6,000 square feet

( LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT ) Halvorson Design Partnership, Inc.

( PROJECT ARCHITECT ) Cambridge 7 Associates, Inc.

( RECOGNITION ) Green Design Innovation Award, Honorable Mention; Boston Society of Landscape Architects, Honor Award

86

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 86

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:00 AM

2

( why it works ) DIaGNOSIS A clinical-care facility for patients with cancer and other serious illnesses required a design solution that would promote peace and healing despite a location near downtown Boston

PRESCRIPTION The design team created a serene rooftop garden on the eighth floor of the building, providing areas to rest and relax, a sweeping view of the city, and the sustainable benefits of a green roof

3

4 5

ALL PHOTOS: Halvorson Design Partnership, Ben Watkins.

( behind the project ) Halvorson Design Partnership, founded in the early 1980s by Craig Halvorson and Peter Welanetz, is a landscape architecture firm known for attention to detail. Based in Boston, the New England style of solid-granite detailing is prevalent in its work. The company is currently working on the Mass. Ave. Streetscape master plan for the city of Cambridge.

(1) The Ulfelder Healing Garden’s design employs a kind of sleight-of-hand, providing visual connection to the surrounding world—but at a remove, so that inward reflection is honored. (2) The alcoves with movable chairs are conducive to intimate conversation, even during the occasional special event. (3) Halvorson Design Partnership’s competition entry included numerous illustrations of the garden concept. (4) The zero-edge fountain is a focal point in the garden, a symbol of tranquility and a close-at-hand evocation of the majestic Charles River in the distance. (5) The first garden space that visitors encounter, just outside the pavilion door, is the most protected and provides a sheltered spot for those who may not wish to venture into the sunlight. gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 87

NOV/DEC 2011

87

7/15/11 10:00 AM

Mind.Body.Spirit.Design.

( na t ure - i ns pi red des ig n ) In its years designing hospitals, Farrow Partnership Architects Inc. has learned just how much physical environments affect the healing process. Mississauga, Ontario’s Credit Valley Hospital is a reflection of this knowledge. The architects toured more than 30 cancer centers around the world before beginning work on Credit Valley’s cancer and ambulatory-care facility. “We wanted to create a transformational experience that allows people to open their eyes and see and want and expect more from what they’re having delivered in their healing facility,” senior partner Tye Farrow says. The architects’ lauded design offers a

one-of-a-kind experience for patients, using structural wooden sculptures and extensive natural light through sweeping skylights to evoke the feeling of walking in a natural forest or along tree-lined courtyard. “We believe health has a very close connection to the built environment,” Farrow says. “Public health and design have always been closely linked; just take a look at the positive impact of parks. Our interest is in looking at health. The idea today is that disease and medicine are tied together; we’re trying to change that by focusing on the correlation between health and environment.”

1

( THE PROJECT ) Credit Valley Hospital ( SIZE ) 320,000 square feet (expanding in near future)

( LOCATION ) Mississauga, ON ( ARCHITECT ) Farrow Partnership Architects Inc.

( RECOGNITION ) Ontario Association of Architects, Architectural Excellence, 2008; Building Better Healthcare Awards, Best International Design Winner, 2007

88

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 88

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:00 AM

2

( why it works ) DIaGNOSIS The Credit Valley Hospital project was meant to provide a transformational experience that “allows people to expect more from healing facilities” PRESCRIPTION Harnessing the restorative power of nature, the architects designed massive wooden beams that seem to grow like trees within the interior of the hospital, offering patients and visitors a peaceful experience

3

PHOTOS: (1, 5) Tom Arban. (4) Peter Sellar.

( behind the project ) The methodology Farrow Partnership Architects Inc. takes to all its work is an interactive engagement process that results in forward-thinking projects. By developing a collaborative common-ground approach, the Torontobased firm is often able to reach beyond clients’ original aspirations.

4

5

(1) Wooden seating is integrated into the base of the tree-like columns within the atrium. (2) Glazed exterior lanterns help bring light to the lower floors of the cancer-treatment areas. (3) Even the main entry plaza and the emergency drop-off area enjoy views of the nearby atrium. (4) The tree-like beams rise up past clerestory lanterns, which appear like streetlights in the fantasyscape. (5) Natural materials and plantings combine to give the atrium a natural feel.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 89

NOV/DEC 2011 89

7/15/11 10:00 AM

Need Innovative Solutions?

Just Ask Golder.

Golder Associates is proud to have assisted the Rideau Valley Conservation Centre design team to achieve LEED Gold certification for their new headquarters through the sustainable use of water. The recycling of greywater and stormwater for reuse and advancing research of on-site treatment systems exceed LEED Gold standards.

Since 1960, we have been delivering cost-effective water resource management solutions to clients locally and around the world. From start to finish Golder builds confidence through sustainable solutions that work.

Engineering Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Development, Preserving Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Integrity. www.golder.com Ottawa + 613 592 9600 Africa + 27 11 254 4800 Asia + 86 21 6258 5522 Australasia + 61 7 3721 5400 Europe + 356 21 42 30 20 North America +1 800 275 3281 South America + 55 21 3095 9500

GBD14_book.indb 90

7/15/11 10:00 AM

Ascetic Tendencies For Christopher Simmonds, all of life ‘springs from a fundamental source,’ and a holistic approach must acknowledge this. The near-mystic is now combining monastic ideals, the contemplative science of feng shui, and modern North american architecture.

by Kaleena Thompson

In each of his designs, Christopher Simmonds relies on creative thinking, contemplation of nature, and eco-conscious principles. “I’m always thinking about how the building will relate to the environment,” says Simmonds, the principal of Ottawa, Ontario-based Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc. The architect aims to create holistic and sustainable designs that blend with their natural surroundings, and for him it’s not a career goal—it’s a practice and a lifestyle. His 15-year-old firm is committed to incorporating green technologies into beautiful, functional residential and commercial projects, many of which have earned the architect awards and accolades. >

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 91

NOV/DEC 2011

91

7/15/11 10:00 AM

Ascetic Tendencies

Christopher Simmonds Architect

The Architect Who Was Nearly a Monk Born in England, then raised in Ontario, Simmonds was always fascinated with the environment, gardens, and how living things relate to one another. He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies at the University of Waterloo, then picked up another bachelor’s degree in architecture at Carleton University in Ottawa. “Experiences have taught me that all life springs from a fundamental source and is inextricably interconnected,” Simmonds says. “Science is telling us about this from a biological perspective.” After college, he spent 14 years at Otto & Bryden Architects as a senior architect, and then he left in 1996 to form his own company. Including Simmonds himself, his eponymous firm now has 11 employees, most of whom are LEED-accredited.

In the mid-1990s, a friend introduced Simmonds to feng shui, the ancient Chinese system of aesthetics. “Some of the principles really struck a chord with me,” says Simmonds, who’s become a vegetarian, an ordained teacher, and a daily meditator. Fascinated by religious studies, gardens, and the arts, Simmonds says he’d probably be a monk tending to the gardens if he wasn’t an architect.

during the summer. Constructed of glass, wood, and stone, the north wing of the building is an earthy, introverted space, whereas the south wing is a more open, extroverted space. The open floor plan allows the two-story office to breathe, and modular furniture systems can accommodate future expansion for more personnel. Simmonds also covered the floors with carpet tiles and employed indirect lighting and zoned ventilation systems.

The LEED Gold building doubles as a visitor’s center, open to the public as an educational hub on water conservation, water management, and the building’s green features. Stone-clad boardrooms are available for community meetings and receptions, and exposed concrete floors and a timber structural roof add to the sleek and modern design. “The central atrium leads visitors out to a terrace, which is a viewing area,” Simmonds says. As for the building site and pathways, it was an opportunity to reconstruct a naturalized rural setting.

Simmonds says renaturalization included restoring valley contours and beams, augmenting existing hedgerows, planting the site with native species, and constructing a storm-water retention pond and wetland.

A Building that Eats, Drinks, and Breathes Armed with—or at the mercy of—this Eastern philosophy, Simmonds often replicates in his designs the energy of nature, following what he calls the “balance,” “energy flow,” and “picnic principles.”

“Imagine you’re walking in the countryside and you find a perfect place for a picnic,” he says. “You see a view, you feel safe and in control—that’s what I call the ‘picnic principle.’” With his projects, he determines how the inhabitants and furnishings would comfortably share a particular space. “I place [pieces of ] furniture in the design and figure out how they relate to each other,” Simmonds says. When the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority challenged four architecture firms to propose designs for a model building for energy and water conservation, Simmonds channeled those feng shui principles.

“I walked the site to understand the natural context and the building programs,” he says.

One of Ottawa’s most environmentally friendly buildings, the Rideau Valley Conservation Centre is the headquarters of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, an environmental protection agency that regulates watershed resources. The conservation authority desired watershed management and source quality control for this groundbreaking building. Therefore, Simmonds first designed a water-reuse system that would cut water consumption by 80 percent and would emphasize the conservation, collection, and treatment of water. “In doing so,” he says, “we would embody an understanding of watershed life cycle and health.”

Simmonds designed the building so that it would also maximize the use of natural daylighting and encourage passive solar heat gain in the winter months. He juxtaposed extended roof overhangs and horizontal sunshades and interior operable blinds to ensure that the south-facing windows would remain free from glare and direct heat

“Imagine you’re walking in the countryside and you find a perfect place for a picnic.

You see a view, you feel safe and in control— that’s what I call the ‘picnic principle.’”

—Christopher Simmonds, Principal

Fascinated by religious studies, gardens, and the arts, Simmonds says he’d probably be a monk tending to the gardens if he wasn’t an architect.

92

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 92

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:00 AM

Ascetic Tendencies

Inside The Rideau Valley Conservation Centre Simmond’s Water-Reuse System: Simmonds explains that rainwater flows from the roof through various cascades around the building and into an encircling drainage path. The acidity found in the stream is neutralized as the water flows over limestone rocks. “All the water gets treated and absorbed into the ground,” he says, “except during extreme flood events, when any excess amount will flow into the Rideau River.” Inside the building, all greywater is filtered and treated for reuse. Due to the water-reuse system and other sustainable strategies, the RVCC is the first LEED Gold building in Canada’s National Capital Region.

ALL PHOTOS: Peter Fritz.

Conserving More Than Just Water: Though water conservation was paramount, energy conservation was critical. “We modeled a 42% reduction in energy consumption and achieved a 50% reduction,” Simmonds says. “The elongated two-story office wing provides excellent daylighting and views for the staff and board members while the narrower wedge-shaped northern portion contains intermittently occupied spaces with less need for daylight.” The horizontal roofline and shade structures respond to the shape of the landscape, mirroring the trails and trees around the center’s surrounding park.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 93

NOV/DEC 2011 93

7/15/11 10:00 AM

Ascetic Tendencies

Christopher Simmonds Architect

aBOVE: The energies of nature flow through and around this hilltop house, creating delight and tranquility at every turn. The roofscape is animated with louvered skylight spires and a viewing platform. BELOW: Elegant urban infill projects are a key part of the firm’s portfolio of green projects.

Across the province, an Ottawa townhome illustrates Simmonds’ sophistication concerning multidimensional architecture and just how well he executes his passion for environmental sustainability.

On Glacial Moraines, In the Treetops Simmonds’ fondness for feng shui and nature is also exemplified in several residential projects. The first is a home in Caledon, Ontario.

Engulfed in extensive glass, the award-winning home offers panoramic views of the rolling terrain while providing an intimate connection with its exterior spaces. Topographically, the home occupies a glacial moraine, which offered opportunities for the extensive use of stone. Inside, the architect used horizontal-grain dark walnut cabinetry; outside, timber shade structures provide both shade and a segue to the gardens.

Across the province, an Ottawa townhome illustrates Simmonds’ sophistication concerning multidimensional architecture and just how well he executes his passion for environmental sustainability.

Consisting of three stacked units, “the main living rooms were orientated south while still respecting the urban context,” Simmonds says.

The natural yet modern spaces also look out onto the city’s treetops.

Green features include on-demand hot-water tanks, passive-solar orientation, bamboo floors, radiant heating, and prefab systems.

This project earned Christopher Simmonds Architect the Best HighDensity Low-Rise Project award from the Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders Association.

Simmonds has been recognized for his entire portfolio. In 2008, the Ottawa Region Chapter of the Canadian Green Building Council honored him with the Leadership Award that acknowledges an architect’s efforts to design and create green buildings. As Christopher Simmonds Architect grows in mixed-use, hospitality, and multifamily sectors, its principal continues to strive to create spaces that work socially, functionally, and environmentally. “People say they like working and living in our buildings,” Simmonds says. “That’s the greatest compliment we could receive.” gb&d

a MESSaGE FROM VISIO ENERGy INC. Visio Energy is dedicated to providing unique, innovative, and efficient photovoltaic, solar-thermal, LED lighting, and energy Solutions. Since 2008 Visio has earned a solid reputation for designing, developing, and delivering wellbuilt solar-energy infrastructure projects in Ontario. For more information call 613-566-7056 or visit www.visioenergy.com

94

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 94

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:00 AM

5,'($8 9$//(< &216(59$7,21 $87+25,7< +($'48$57(56

+2/,67,& 6867$,1$%/( '(6,*1

Christopher Simmonds ARCHITECT

Inc.

ZZZ FVDUFKLWHFW FRP _ _ FRQWDFW#FVDUFKLWHFW FRP

&/34%2).' 2%,!4)/.3()03

WWW QWESTCONTRACTING COM

7EST TH 3TREET 3UITE \ .EW 9ORK .9 \ TEL \ FAX

GBD14_book.indb 95

7/15/11 10:01 AM

1

WORK.SPACE. Buro Happold + Lyn Rice Architects 96

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 96

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:01 AM

“Here, you can drift in and out, get your coffee, run into people, chat—all without disturbing the office workspace.”

—Lyn Rice, Founding Principal, Lyn Rice Architects

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 97

NOV/DEC 2011 97

7/15/11 10:01 AM

Work.Space.

2

3

story by Suchi Rudra

Since establishing Lyn Rice architects (LRa) in 2004, Lyn Rice has guided the award-winning New york City firm in work on institutional, commercial, and cultural-research projects. Its current focus is on museum renovations and educational institutions, including a LEED Gold-slated renovation for the New york City Library. already at the forefront of sustainable design, Rice doesn’t think others are far behind. However, as a team, she and her staff enjoy an additional advantage by taking pleasure in the eco-friendly constraints of a project. “Rather than complain about a tight budget or other restrictions, we prefer to study those factors and use them to formulate cohesive concepts for the space,” she says. “They actually become drivers for the design.”

Recently, Rice, along with fellow principal astrid Lipka, designed new offices on the penthouse levels of a Wall Street tower for Buro Happold, the internationally known engineering firm, which was in need of a new work environment for more than 60 of its employees. It’s not often that an architecture firm’s client is as well known in the industry as Buro Happold—whose work includes the Louvre in abu Dhabi and the World Trade Center Memorial Pavilion— so Lyn Rice architects needed something that would reflect the engineering firm’s knowledge of and commitment to the built environment. Rice shared with gb&d her team’s approach and final design.

98

Lyn Rice Architects

NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 98

plan/ The goal for Buro Happold’s new office was to showcase the mechanical systems of the space, something LRa has substantial experience with (for Dia:Beacon, a contemporary art museum in upstate New york, for instance, Rice says that, in deference to the art, the design team exposed the bones of the building, sending the mechanical systems to the rooftop). The plan here was to create an industrial feel balanced by more vibrant, refined elements. The office, including a 7,500-square-foot terrace, now covers 35,000 square feet in total with another 7,000 square feet in the works.

interior/ Flat-oval insulated ducts, engineered by Buro Happold, became the signature architectural detail of the space, and the firm minimized the amount of material that was brought on to the site. LRa exposed the existing concrete and steel-case structure and removed the ceiling tiles—something Rice does often.

“Dropped ceilings cut 20–25 percent off the tops of windows, so you lose a significant amount of daylighting,” she says. “But if we remove the dropped ceiling and expose the structure, then we benefit doubly: expose the character of the building and also reestablish the tops of the windows and the associated natural light.

From my office window here, I can see dropped ceilings in all of these high-rises around me—it’s a pervasive problem.”

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:01 AM

5

4

1/STAIRCASE. A suspended steel stair cuts from the 23rd-floor workspace to a meeting area on the 24th.

2/FLOOR PLAN. An aerial axon shows both floors.

3/DIAGRAM. The vibrant program for the 23rd floor.

4/INTERIOR. Uses few doors to avoid compartmentalization.

5/RECEPTION. A bamboo desk sits on staggered aluminum-panel flooring with an aluminum elevator lobby gate beyond.

6/MATERIALS. The time-zone waiting area features exposed existing brick wall.

The goal for Buro Happold’s new office was to showcase the mechanical systems of the space, to create an industrial feel balanced by more vibrant, refined elements. gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 99

space/ To create a more free-flowing workspace on the main floor, Rice created a porous design that avoids compartmentalization and uses few doors. The office’s product library, for example, is now an extension of the break room, so employees can walk from the open stations into the informal meeting and eating spaces. and the library works as a sound sink to provide a degree of acoustic separation and privacy. “Typically, when you go into a conference room, you must commit to being within that space,” Rice says. “Here, you can drift in and out, get your coffee, run into people, chat—all without disturbing the office workspace.

It’s also the gateway to the terrace, so you can walk out and get fresh air, make a call, and experience the great views.” For the second phase of the project, LRa cut stairs from the 23rd floor up to the 24th, collaborating with the Buro Happold structural engineers to create stairs with slender, delicate proportions but industrial character. Upstairs, the space is more formalized with a large meeting room that can hold up to 60 people.

6

materials/ LRa created the flooring in the lobby using staggered aluminum panels and put in a contrasting reception desk fabricated mostly from bamboo. Even before setting foot inside the building, the office’s industrial charm is evident from the enormous front door, a 13’ x 7’ custom gate with an expanded metal mesh and embedded with sophisticated biosensor technology for the magnetic locks. The office’s wall-to-wall carpeting was stripped, the concrete beneath scarified and exposed, leaving only raw concrete leading up to the work space. The actual work space, with its open layout and lack of offices, features an island of what Rice calls “very hairy” carpet, which holds up well to rolling chairs.

Emphasizing the nonhierarchical layout, Buro Happold invested in the employees’ desks rather than expensive offices for the executives. The desks are sophisticated objects of aluminum and back-painted glass with integrated wiring and monitor mounts.

budget/ Rice admits that the office was not a big-budget job and points out that the stainless-steel appliances in the kitchen/break room area were acquired from a restaurant supply store at one-fifth of the cost “that the base contractor had offered.” and, she adds, “The project was a very lean renovation, and that in itself is sustainable. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to make a project sustainable. We did a minimal amount of work and let the character of the space do a lot of the architectural heavy lifting for us.” Though not large-scale in size, the prestige and design work involved in Buro Happold’s new offices is noteworthy enough that it will surely expedite further mainstream acceptance of green building and design—just as Rice predicted.

NOV/DEC 2011 99

7/15/11 10:01 AM

ON THE BRINk. The seismically sound new medical building for the University of California–San Francisco, designed by Rafael Viñoly architects, enjoys sweeping views from its multiple roof terraces.

s

100 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 100

p

a

c

e

s

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:01 AM

live/ 102/

Quaker Bluff Cottage/

work/ 119/

BIRDSEyE BUILDING COMPaNy

architectural Nexus Headquarters/

play/ 133/

aRCHITECTURaL NExUS

Vancouver Convention Centre West/ MUSSON CaTTELL MaCkEy PaRTNERSHIP

105/

Sonoma Residence/

122/

450 aRCHITECTS

The aventine/ GLENBOROUGH

136/

Winnipeg Skating Shelters/ PaTkaU aRCHITECTS

108/

Mountain Craftsman Style Home/

125/

aCM DESIGN

armed Forces Reserve Center/

learn/

HaSkELL 137/

110/

Bellevue 41st/

127/

yS DEVELOPMENT

RIT Global Village / Swann

Jersey City Municipal Complex/

athletic Center/

URBaHN aRCHITECTS

aRC/aRCHITECTURaL RESOURCES CaMBRIDGE

113/

Park Centre Homes/

129/

Wells Fargo Center/ S.L. NUSBaUM REaLTy CO.

La POSaDa

139/

Centre for Energy Innovation/ TERMOBUILD

115/

Marcotte and SoHo Lofts/

131/

RaTP Formation Center/ STEPHaNE MaUPIN

SayIGH+DUMaN

141/

Petersburg and Prince George Libraries/ ENTEROS DESIGN

118/

Shaft House/ RZLBD

132/

Tim Palen Studio at Shadow Mountain/ ECOTECHDESIGN

143/

ECO Pavilion 2011/ MMx

heal/ 144/

Institute for Regeneration Medicine/ RaFaEL VI単OLy aRCHITECTS

149/

Norterra/ HSB aRCHITECTS + ENGINEERS

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 101

NOV/DEC 2011 101

7/15/11 10:01 AM

/live QUakER BLUFF COTTaGE

the natural Birdseye Building Company employed a full team of talented specialists to create an award-winning natural residence in Vermont

by Thalia A-M Bruehl

102 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 102

“We are a group of architects, cabinet makers, carpenters, metal and glass artists, and excavators,” says Brian Mac, principal architect at Birdseye Building Company, when discussing the firm’s vast team. The Vermont-based company, which is employee-owned, specializes in residential design and construction and works on an average of two to three custom projects per year. Mac’s 25 years in the field have led him to the opinion that “great projects have great clients, but you get great clients if you offer extraordinary talent.” This belief pushed his design of the 1,200-square-foot guest home in Shelburne, Vermont, known as Quaker Bluff Cottage.

Part of a larger scope of work consisting of a main residence and a horse stable, the cottage was built on Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre working farm well known for its landscape and architecture. Mac had a vision for how the contemporary cottage would fit into the organic setting right from the start. “The concept was to create a strong, modern architectural vocabulary within a context of familiar vernacular shapes,” he says. Birdseye partnered

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:01 AM

Birdseye Building Company

spaces/live

name Quaker Bluff Cottage location Shelburne Farms, VT size 1,200 square feet architect/builder Birdseye Building Company landscape architect H. Keith Wagner Partnership interior designer Fleur-de-Lis green features Recycled barn board, local stone, closed-cell spray-foam insulation, radiantheated concrete floors, and a 19-kW photovoltaic array

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 103

OPPOSITE PaGE, aBOVE, RIGHT: Birdseye Building Company designed and constructed Quaker Bluff Cottage as a contemporary piece that would fit with the aesthetic of an established 1,400-acre working farm.

NOV/DEC 2011 103

7/15/11 10:01 AM

Birdseye Building Company c Robert Benson Photography

spaces/live

The cottage is on a 1,400-acre working farm known for its architecture. Mac had a vision for how the contemporary cottage would fit into the organic setting right from the start.

with interior design firm Fleur-de-Lis and landscape architect H. Keith Wagner Partnership to create the perfect combination of innate design and eco-conscious practices and to highlight Shelburne Farms’ natural beauty.

The cottage was built on an existing foundation— something that worked in Mac’s favor because he wanted the structure to be both friendly to the environment and to the client’s pocket. Recycled materials such as barn board were included throughout the interior, and Mac also chose to use local materials whenever possible—local stone, bluestone, and soapstone. Other green features of the project include thermally broken wall and roof construction; a low-E, argon-insulated window system; closed-cell spray-foam insulation (R40 for the walls and R60 for the ceilings); radiant-heated concrete-thermal-mass floor slabs; and a grid-tied, 19-kilowatt photovoltaic array.

“The highlight of the project was watching it get built,” says Mac, who takes a leadership role in all of the firm’s projects, whether they’re 1,200-square-foot cottages or 20,000-square-foot farms. “Seeing each layer strengthen the overall concept is always the most satisfying. Being part of the building experience is crucial in maintaining ownership over the design.”

For Mac, Birdseye’s longstanding tradition of thoughtful, sustainable design is only part of the company’s green promise—the firm’s employees and artisans complete the equation. “A green business is about creating a work environment that is compassionate about nurturing individual talent,” he says. “‘Green’ is a layer of an individual’s overall character. I think establishing real connections with your employees can create an atmosphere of positivity that can lead to being more responsible in all facets of business.”

For the future, Mac and his team at Birdseye plan to continue pursuing regional work and integrating their full-service design-build approach with the homes they create. They also have plans to search out more pro bono work for nonprofits, something they have been committed to for the last handful of years. “In upcoming years, I see our business continuously invigorated by new, talented employees who will enhance our business culture and keep us old-timers invigorated,” Mac says with a laugh. “We strive to stay consistently challenged in our process, which leads to a collaborative creativity.

We have managed to see the power in the whole through both steadfast leadership and our business plan. We’re focused on what we do best and how we can continue to do better.” gb&d

104 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 104

MODERN SUSTAINABILITY hkw-p.com H . K E I T H WA G N E R

PA RT N E R S H I P

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:01 AM

spaces/live

SONOMa RESIDENCE

a home, shaken up 450 Architects combined Passive House rigor and site-specific design to completely reconfigure this home’s interior program

by Suchi Rudra

TOP LEFT: The Sonoma Residence integrates a number of building volumes as well as a grape arbor.

TOP RIGHT: To the right of the entry is the back of the kitchen pantry, done in recycled redwood salvaged from the original residence.

The hardwood floor is made of locally sourced, sustainably harvested Madrone wood.

LEFT: The entrance porch includes an antique Japanese screen and stools. The recycledredwood door was designed by the clients and fabricated by Liberty Valley Doors.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 105

When Richard Parker established 450 Architects in San Francisco, he became more than an architect—he became a businessman. As he joined small-business organizations and got involved with city hall, he realized that architecture and advocacy go hand in hand. “It’s a unique component to our firm, like the fourth leg of the table, and is a big part of our work,” Parker says. Recently, for a client in Marin County, 450 Architects worked with the city of Sausalito’s building department to permit the first rainwater-harvest system for domestic use in the state, allowing rainwater to be reused for toilets, laundry, and landscape irrigation. Parker’s work here and elsewhere has established him as an ardent, resourceful supporter of change and progress.

Before creating the firm in 1996 with long-time friend David Bushnell, Parker had been designing on his own, even building his first three projects under his own license. “I have tremendous respect for contractors,” Parker says. “And I love the job site—for me it’s about the construction phase. The design’s going to be wonderful, no doubt, but we are measured by what is built.” Integral to the firm’s philosophy is designing specifically to the features of the site, a strategy exemplified in Parker’s recently completed renovation of the 2,300-square-foot Sonoma Residence in Sebastopol, California.

The existing home wasn’t taking full advantage of the views, which included two acres of redwood grove, 60 mature fruit trees, a vegetable garden, and 1.5 acres of open space. “[Because every space] seemed to be doing the wrong thing, we recycled the building and changed the functions within it,” he says. The bedroom is now the kitchen, an in-law unit is now a master bedroom suite, and bathrooms and closets were relocated to open up the interior so living spaces flow together, creating a home much grander than its size implies.

NOV/DEC 2011 105

7/15/11 10:01 AM

spaces/live

450 Architects

The home wasn’t taking full advantage of the views, which included a redwood grove, 60 mature fruit trees, and a vegetable garden. “[Because every space] seemed to be doing the wrong thing,” Parker says, “we recycled the building and changed the functions within it.”

450 Architects’ two Passive House-certified consultants also made sure to use the adjacent redwood grove as part of the home’s natural ventilation system. “You get cool air falling down through the trees and out,” Parker says, “so the house takes advantage of this natural convection, drawing the cool air in through strategically placed windows, ventilating the interior spaces.”

Also aiding this is the new sunroom. In the winter, the room’s floor collects heat from solar rays and radiates it back at night. The floor was created from three inches of earth (taken from the site) mixed with straw and sand and later rubbed with linseed oil to build a strong top surface that is resistant to wine and water. “It’s of the site and looks like leather,” Parker says. “You’re supposed to feel that you’re both outside and indoors at the same time, and this detail helped to reinforce that.” In fact, all materials for the house (which were locally sourced) were selected for their tactile qualities, including the cabinetry, plaster walls, lighting fixtures, and the recycled redwood front door and siding.

Currently, the firm’s other clients include the nation’s first publicly funded, Waldorf-inspired school; the transformation of a 10,000-square-foot warehouse into a space for Brightworks, a progressive school; and a netzero home in San Francisco with wind and solar power that will be “as close to off-the-grid as we can get in the city,” Parker says. No matter the project, Parker and his team work constantly and daringly—and not only as architects. “I write op-ed pieces; I try to stir the pot,” he says. “I love that role in life. There’s a great joy in being a leader.” gb&d

RIGHT: The master bath features an egg-shaped tub, new corner windows, and a historical window from the client’s childhood home.

CENTER: The architect and the clients enjoy lunch on the back patio, made from locally sourced flagstone.

BOTTOM: The kitchen includes heirloom furniture and a new table and island made by local artisans Stoltzfus Cabinetmakers.

a MESSaGE FROM THE GaRLaND COMPaNy Garland has a long history of incorporating recycled content into its high-performance roofing products. Long before “going green” was popular, Garland was being recognized for using recycled tires in its asphalt roofing membranes. That innovative approach continues today with an average of 30 percent recycled content incorporated into all of its standard asphalt and metal roofing products. The firm also has bio-based membranes, 90 percent-reflective coatings, and planted assemblies.

For more information on these products and how to incorporate them into your specification standards, contact veteran Garland representative Jay Mulligan at (415) 971-2739.

106 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 106

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:01 AM

Garland Roofing

Recycled roofing is not something new to Garland.  Our first award for using recycled tires in our asphalt roofing membranes came in the mid 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. All of our standard asphalt and metal roofing products contain an average of 30% recycled content.  Make recycle content part of your next design.

Garland Feature Products s 3TRESS0LY % "IOBASED MEMBRANE WITH RECYCLED CONTENT 5, #ERTIFIED s 3OLEX¤ ROOF COATING WITH NOMINAL REFLECTIVITY

s 'REEN3HIELD¤ VEGETATIVE ROOFING SOLUTIONS s YEAR OLD ROOF AND WALL CLADDING SOLID ZINC 5. 0LAZA #OPPER 'ALILEO (IGH 3CHOOL

3TAINLESS STEEL AND TITANIUM

A custom home is unique. It's your home.

It's probably your largest single investment.

And, in a sense, it is a symbol of your life's legacy and accomplishment. These points become more and more important as you plan and build a custom home, which is why your choice of builder is so important.

Jay Mulligan is a 14 year veteran for Garland in San Francisco with more than 1,000 buildings under roof.

Lunch presentations incorporate: recycled content, building code, plant assemblies, solid zinc.

Presentations given with local projects, you will know.

Jay Mulligan 415-971-2739 jmulligan@garlandind.com The Garland Company, Inc. Â&#x2021; ZZZ JDUODQGFR FRP

GBD14_book.indb 107

828.669.4343 www.livingstoneconstruction.com

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live MOUNTaIN CRaFTSMaN STyLE HOME

more than meets the eye ACM Design’s back-to-nature bungalow is a product of close attention and much collaboration, resulting in a sensitive residence that opens magnificently to mountain views

by Thalia A-M Bruehl

Amy Conner-Murphy comes from a family of gardeners.

Seven years ago, when she started North Carolina’s ACM Design, which specializes in designing high-end homes, she knew her focus would extend into the realm of landscaping—and beyond that, the multitalented firm also offers an in-house interior design team. “Our design philosophy is ‘From Garden to Hearth,’” Conner-Murphy says. “No one else in the area works quite in the same way.

The interior design is just as important as the architectural design, which is just as important as what’s outdoors. I love that we think about all of the aspects of living in a home in our design.” This all-encompassing outlook has extended into every home the firm has done, including one recent residence built directly into a mountainside.

The Mountain Craftsman Style Home, which was completed in 2008, started with a hike. “The property was just this beautiful mountainside covered with 80-year-old rhododendrons all in bloom,” Conner-Murphy says. “The clients said, ‘We love this property, we’d love you to come hike it with us.’ So we trudged through the rhododendrons and along this stream that bisected the property. There’s a little waterfall at one place in the stream as well.” The client was impressed by Conner-Murphy’s vision for the unique site and wanted to begin work right away.

For Conner-Murphy, the first step was observing the clients in their current home, watching them make meals so she could see how they moved around in their kitchen, taking the opportunity to really understand how they wanted to use the new space. “They really opened themselves up to us so we could really understand their needs and do a good job for them,” she says. “This helps make the difference between designing a house and a home for someone.”

108 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 108

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live

ACM Design OPPOSITE TOP: The fire pit is a cozy detail in the outdoor space.

OPPOSITE BOTTOM: a rustic bridge, which connects the fire-pit patio to the back of the home, was built from trees and rhododendrons removed from the site during construction.

RIGHT: all rainwater is collected and reused to irrigate the landscape, which consists primarily of indigenous plants.

BELOW: High-efficiency gas fire boxes fit with a traditional dry-stack stone fireplace to offer warmth and beauty to the great room.

“We created an outdoor fire-pit area across the creek from the house. There’s also a bridge that spans the creek that was built from trees and rhododendrons removed from the site during construction.”

—Amy Conner-Murphy, Founder

The Mountain Craftsman Style Home is nestled into the hillside; from the street it looks like just a small bungalow. On the backside of the house, however, where the creek flows through, the property opens up to a great space for outdoor living. “The landscape designer, Jennifer Brown of Greenmeadow Landscaping, did incredible boulder work to further enhance the outdoor feel, and then we created an outdoor fire-pit area across the creek from the house,” Conner-Murphy says. “There’s also a bridge that spans the creek that was built from trees and rhododendrons removed from the site during construction.”

Conner-Murphy also credits the project team for the home’s magnificence. “The builder we worked with on the project, Sean Sullivan of Living Stone Construction, is very committed to green building, as are we,” she says. The home’s many green features include high-performance windows, bamboo flooring, cork flooring, low-VOC paints, Energy Star-rated appliances and heating systems, and a lighting- and mechanical-control system, which helps maintain lower energy usage. The home received a Gold-level certification from North Carolina’s Healthy

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 109

Built Homes initiative, an equivalent Gold certification from LEED, and it was awarded Best Green Building Home by the North Carolina Homebuilders Association in 2008.

The project took three years to complete from start to finish but ended exactly where it began, with a hike. “The family was so pleased with our work,” Conner-Murphy says, “but their favorite thing is that they can now be out their front door hiking immediately.” gb&d

a MESSaGE FROM LIVING STONE CONSTRUCTION Working with aCM and the Greens was a great experience as well as a challenge. Like with the rest of our projects, we were able to offer ideas, practices, and finishes to fit the client’s budget. In so many cases, building a custom home in the mountains represents a challenge because of the site. This project was no exception because we had to meet a budget while building a home over three lots joined by a bridge built from felled lumber. Our mission is to provide our clients with a new or renovated home that exceeds their expectations. and although we are mission-motivated, we are value-driven. Despite being the recipient of many awards and being featured on network TV, the recognition that LSC values most is from its continued friendship with architects and their clients … and aCM Design and the Greens were no exception.

NOV/DEC 2011 109

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live

BELLEVUE 41ST

workingman’s green YS Development’s new residences offer energyefficient living for the everyday homebuyer—not just the super-rich or the ultra-activist

by Laura Williams-Tracy

LEFT, aBOVE, OPPOSITE PaGE: The Bellevue 41st homes are designed to match each other aesthetically while still possessing distinctive qualities that provide a sense of identity.

110 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 110

Seattle-area homebuilder Yuval Sofer believes modern, energy-efficient custom homes don’t have to be priced out of budget for all but the wealthiest buyers, and he set out to prove himself right with Bellevue 41st, an enclave of fivestar Built Green homes in one of the Seattle area’s most desirable neighborhoods.

Sofer, a former technology entrepreneur, carved five building sites from an acre-and-a-half tract with stunning western views of downtown Seattle and the Cascade Mountains. And the market responded quickly; four of the lots sold before construction even began, giving buyers the opportunity to be involved in each home’s design from the ground level. “We wanted to show that green building isn’t just for hippies,” Sofer says. “Our goal was to bring high design and quite a high level of sustainability for normal people and to make it a no-brainer.”

Priced from $800,000 to $1 million and ranging from 2,700 square feet to 3,500 square feet, the homes of Bellevue 41st are contemporary but fit a comfortable family lifestyle. The development plan called for the four homes to share a single driveway, and a challenge of the project was to create single-family home designs that would be at once distinctive from and similar to each other, creating a community with common architectural features while still giving each house its own identity.

“YS Development came to us with a strong sense of design and a commitment to creating a cohesive group of high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective homes,” architect Paul Whitney says. “Some of our previous work had resonated with Yuval, so the addition of specific client needs and sensibilities, as well as the particular site conditions of each lot, allowed us to develop an approach to interior space, building form and function, and a set of details that ties the development together while allowing each home to be its own distinct, unique building.” Sofer

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:02 AM

YS Development

spaces/live

name Bellevue 41st location Seattle size range 2,500â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3,500 square feet architect Whitney Architecture developer YS Development

aLL PHOTOS: Lara Swimmer.

green features Highly insulated windows imported from Austria, a company-developed blend of concrete, and advanced framing techniques

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 111

NOV/DEC 2011 111

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live

YS Development

“We take high design, make it very practical and low maintenance, and put it in a cost structure so it’s available.”

—Yuval Sofer, Founder

says the homes’ high levels of customization are balanced by the common traits. “Those common details create a special feeling, which is much better than one beautiful stand-alone house,” he says. “The residents have already created a community.”

Sofer launched YS Development in 2007, six years after he moved to Washington and encountered a gap in the local market for modern and energy-efficient homes.

Sofer researched sustainable products, building techniques, and the skills of local subcontractors to position his company as an eco-friendly builder, and he applied this knowledge fully to the homes at Bellevue 41st. All four are part of the local building association’s Built Green and Energy Star programs, and everything including insulation, mechanical systems, windows, orientation, and energy monitoring and consumption were considered when designing the homes to be sustainable. “Our goal was to be 50 percent more energy-efficient than building code using passive means,” Sofer says. To meet that goal, Sofer and subcontractors conducted energy modeling during the planning stages, and the homes are prepped

with smart meters to allow continued energy monitoring when the local utility is equipped. The homes also include energy-efficient windows imported from Austria, and they’re packed with twice the level of insulation required by code, creating homes so air-tight they required ventilation, Sofer says.

YS Development devised its own formula of concrete— using 50 percent slag recycled content that would otherwise go into a landfill—to create foundation concrete that’s twice as strong as traditional concrete. “We went through a six-month process to find the right mix and a factory to produce it for us,” Sofer says. “It takes planning and intent, but now by default we use that mix on all of our projects.”

Likewise, YS Development homes employ a distinctive advanced framing technique that is stronger than traditional framing but uses less wood by aligning the studs on the first and second floors. “Although it sounds reasonable, it’s not the norm,” Sofer says. But Sofer says most energy loss comes through the wood of a home, which isn’t insulated. A framing technique that makes a stronger house and creates more surface area that can be insulated makes a more efficient house. “We take high design, make it very practical and low maintenance, and put it in a cost structure so it’s available,” Sofer says. “We are inviting people to see they can have a beautiful, modern home at a reasonable price point, and we’ll get you there, and it’s a lot of fun. Our clients become super-engaged.” gb&d

Environmentally-friendly building and innovative custom design.

Creating high quality modern-sustainable homes at affordable prices.

YS Development is a pioneer of modern-sustainable housing. We develop and build beautiful, innovative and thoughtful homes in the Seattle area, designed by the top local architects and designers, and meet the highest sustainable standards.

YS Development

P.O. Box 50026, Bellevue, WA 98015 | 408-627-9449 | www.ys-development.com

Modern Sustainable Design

112 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 112

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live PaRk CENTRE HOMES

regionally responsive retirement From solar panels and the latest technology to healthful paints and chemical-free cleaning supplies, La Posada’s collection of new residences aims to be the retirement community of the future

by Lynn Russo Whylly

Located in the beautiful Arizona desert south of Tucson, La Posada is an attractive and seasonably comfortable place to retire, so it’s not surprising that there is a waiting list. A 110-acre campus that provides resort-like amenities to its 700-plus residents living in 357 apartment-style homes and 124 garden townhomes, La Posada decided to accommodate a growing demand by building 35 additional homes on existing nearby land.

Called Park Centre Homes, the addition is La Posada’s first community of individual homes, each one sustainably constructed and available with a custom interior design package. As of this summer, 11 of the first 15 homes were leased. “When we looked into the community, we wanted to see what we could do to bring a large number of people onto the campus,” La Posada’s vice president of marketing Tim Carmichael says. “But also, there’s a different group of people coming our way than the Greatest Generation we’re serving today. We needed to develop a product that would bridge the gap between the two and appeal to a younger set of people who will be using the concept of a continuing-care retirement community when they are 70 to 75 years old.”

One thing that appeals to both the Baby Boomers and the generations that followed is sustainability, and the Park Centre Homes, while not certified, are all designed at the LEED Platinum level. Everything from the cement to the paint on the walls is eco-friendly, but according to Carmichael the most important development is technology.

“The new generation will be far more techno savvy, and our technology will allow residents to interact with their peers and staff through video and other equipment,” he says. “It’s not on campus yet today, but we’re getting ready for it.”

aBOVE: The Park Centre Homes make up La Posada’s first community of individual residences, and each one is designed to meet Emerald Green certification.

RIGHT: The living rooms and bedrooms in each house all have their own thermostats to make energy use more efficient.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 113

NOV/DEC 2011 113

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live

La Posada

“There is a growing trend of people coming through our doors who have environmental sensitivity, asthma, or other lung conditions. So everything we use is water-based and emits very low volatile organic compounds.”

—Tim Carmichael, Vice President of Marketing

And as the younger generation grows older, Carmichael adds, “It’s important that these houses are designed with a sense of community. They’re laid out like the old kick-back neighborhoods of the 1950s and ’60s with a front and back patio, providing the opportunity to interact with your neighbors. Part of the role of a continuing-care facility is to offer the social structure that a community provides.

This first set of homes is laying the groundwork for what’s coming in the next 10 to 15 years.”

The goal during construction was to get as close to net-zero energy as possible. “Without the solar on the roof, these houses are rated a 45 to 50,” Carmichael says, referring to the residences’ HERS scores. “When you add the solar, that drives the rating down to a 22, which means they’re generating between 75 and 80 percent more energy efficiency than any other house designed here in the West.” Each of the two bedrooms and the living room in the 2,200-square-foot homes have separate thermostats, allowing energy to be used more efficiently. And they each have a 3.1-kilowatt system of 14 photovoltaic panels on the roof for heating water. “The energy bill in our model home came to $7 in March,” he says—a real draw for people looking at the property.

In addition, the homes promote healthy living. “There is a growing trend of people coming through our doors who have environmental sensitivity, asthma, or other lung conditions,” Carmichael says. “With every new resident, we recondition the living space, including repainting and, if necessary, recarpeting, [because both materials] can cause conditions to act up. So everything we use is water-based and emits very low volatile organic compounds. We don’t use any chemicals in our paint or cleaning supplies. We’re also a nonsmoking campus.”

The homes meet Emerald Green Certification, an environmental standard customized to the Arizona terrain and designed by the county. “LEED tends to be oriented toward the Midwest and East Coast,” Carmichael says. “Although

114 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 114

it’s similar and adaptable, living in this harsh desert environment has its own challenges. Pima County’s certification process ensures that homes are energy efficient in a certain way and use water in a certain way. It meets all the requirements of [LEED] Platinum certification but goes into desert living, too.”

The homes also include safety features such as walk-in showers, wide doorways, and ample turning radii throughout. Grab bars are designed to fit the décor of the house, and the kitchen cabinets and countertops are slightly lower than usual. “These things all make it easier for an older adult to live in,” Carmichael says. Going forward, La Posada is turning its sights to alternativeenergy practices and products across the rest of the campus. The business is looking to incorporate thermalsolar hot water heating and possibly create a solar farm, too. All of this so that the younger environmentalists of today will be able to find a suitable place to retire in the coming years. gb&d

refreshing DIFFERENCE IN retirement LIVING

A

Enjoy resort-inspired amenities, including gourmet dining, fitness pavilion, concierge services and much more.

C hoose

the residence that suits your lifestyle, a Park Centre Home, a garden home, an apartment home or an array of suites from our continuing care community.

Park Centre Homes at La Posada

E co-friendly Energ y efficient E xtraordinar y

ALL NEW

MODEL HOMES NOW OPEN

La Posada is Southern Arizona’s award-winning continuing care retirement community, nestled among the lush pecan groves of Green Valley, Arizona.

520.648.8131 • www.parkcentrehomes.com 350 E. Morningside Rd., Green Valley, AZ

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live

LEFT: The SoHo Loft incorporates FSCcertified wood and countertops made of paperstone, a hardened, compressed paper material.

BELOW: The same materials were used in the Marcotte Loft, and both spaces also include LED light fixtures and efficient HVaC systems.

MaRCOTTE aND SOHO LOFTS

sleight of hand Utilizing what other architects might consider liabilities, Sayigh+Duman brings a distinctive and sustainable perspective to several New York residences

by Lynn Russo Whylly

Renovating residential spaces in the middle of a crowded, booming metropolis such as New York or Los Angeles can be trying, but Sayigh+Duman LLC thrives on the challenge. The two-year-old contemporary architecture firm has a way of looking at ordinary or challenging spaces and seeing distinctive possibilities. Principals Laith Sayigh and Koray Duman have turned walls into usable storage spaces, created the illusion of walls where none exist, and created the illusion of open spaces where there are walls.

In short, the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members are conversion specialists who see opportunities everywhere.

One example is the Marcotte Loft in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The owner of this 1,200square-foot property had great eighth-floor views of the New York skyline and wanted to be able to see it no matter where he was in the apartment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That view was

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 115

NOV/DEC 2011 115

7/15/11 10:02 AM

spaces/live

Sayigh+Duman

“We cut the space horizontally and inserted mirrors, ... [which] are reflecting off themselves to create a ricochet of images to give the impression of inside and outside together.”

—Laith Sayigh, Principal

TOP LEFT, TOP RIGHT: Sayigh+Duman created the SoHo Loft by combining two adjoining 650-square-foot studio spaces. Shown here are the main living space and a bedroom.

LEFT, RIGHT: The Marcotte Loft is designed to take advantage of its owner’s eighth-floor view from any room, so the bedroom doors are now transparent, and the fireplace is open on both its living room and bedroom sides.

116 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 116

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:03 AM

spaces/live

“a lot of the work we do is derived from thinking out of the box, and we look to different disciplines for inspiration—as well as to some of the latest technologies, such as computer-aided design.”

—Koray Duman, Principal

the driver behind the design,” Duman says. “We replaced the bedroom door with one that is transparent and built a fireplace between the living room and bedroom that was open on both sides.”

For the SoHo Loft, the client charged the firm with combining two 650-square-foot studios into a 1,200square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath loft. “There was one big wall that separates the main bedroom from the living room,” Duman says. “The wall was so thick that we were able to build storage units into it, including a closet and a space for A/V equipment and a TV. Everything else around the wall we left as clean open space.”

Sayigh, born in the United Kingdom but raised in Kuwait, came to the United States to work after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in England. Duman emigrated from Turkey to pursue his master’s degree in architecture at UCLA. When the pair met in 2009, Duman was already running his own studio, Ur+Nod, in New York.

“We did a competition together, then he decided to join me as a partner,” Duman says. They changed the name of the company to Sayigh+Duman later that year.

Together and separately, their work has been shown nationally and abroad, and it has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Architectural Record, among others. After two short years, Sayigh+Duman has garnered a reputation as a contemporary multidisciplinary architectural firm with a diverse commercial and residential portfolio. In January 2010, the architects won a contest to design the 6,500-squarefoot flagship outlet for Design Within Reach, a Stamford, Connecticut-based furniture store. They are also currently working on a new residence in Los Angeles, and penthouse and interior-design projects in the Tribeca and Chelsea neighborhoods of New York City.

Sustainable design is a core value for the firm, and it is committed to completing as many LEED-certified projects as possible. “We like to approach all of our projects in a way that incorporates both green and smart technology,” Sayigh says, adding that he hopes to offer up solutions that bring together a marriage of both design and cutting-edge materials and are produced with sustainability in mind. Often, Duman says, clients with a single project think they can’t make an environmental impact, but the forward-thinking architects believe otherwise. In both the Marcotte and SoHo lofts, tile flooring was made from recycled ceramic, and the countertops were built from a compressed paper called paperstone. All the wood used was FSC-certified, the lighting was converted to LED fixtures, and window air-conditioners were replaced with more efficient HVAC systems.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 117

In the lobby of a five-story Fifth Avenue office building, Sayigh+Duman created the illusion of open spaces to combat several difficult walls. “We cut the space horizontally and inserted mirrors,” Sayigh says. “Some of the imagery is from the outside coming in. The mirrors are reflecting off themselves to create a ricochet of images to give the impression of inside and outside together.”

And the designers aren’t afraid to try something new, either. Outside a 19th Street residential building, the firm created a one-of-a-kind canopy. “We wanted it to appear to be floating and not have any structural components holding it,” Sayigh says. “We worked with structural engineers Silman Associates to produce a stressed-skin membrane, which means the metal canopy is folded. By folding the metal planes, it created structural integrity and allowed us to span large distances without any support.” The forward-looking design reduced the amount of metal in the construction, making it environmentally friendly.

To keep ideas fresh, the studio often collaborates with artists and engineers. “A lot of the work we do is derived from thinking out of the box,” Duman says, “and we look to different disciplines for inspiration—as well as to some of the latest technologies, such as computer-aided design.” Moving forward, Sayigh+Duman would like to take its talent home to the Middle East as well as to other emerging markets around the world, where it can see the distinctive possibilities in larger projects. gb&d

NOV/DEC 2011 117

7/15/11 10:03 AM

spaces/live

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

modest modern Named for the home’s central feature, a vertical light column that extends through each floor and draws natural light to each level, Toronto’s Shaft House is modern yet modest. It isn’t modest about its sustainability, though. In addition to the passive strategies—the natural lighting and natural ventilation—which are already impressive given the home’s narrow site, architect Reza aliabadi, of rzlbd, chose natural and recyclable materials such as aluminum siding, untreated wood, and rusted steel. Perhaps the project’s greatest feat is its affordability—a central aim early on—which helped determine materials, lot size, and spatial arrangement of the 1,400-square-foot home.

118 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 118

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:03 AM

/work aRCHITECTURaL NExUS HEaDQUaRTERS

building a new identity Architectural Nexus polishes a diamond in the rough through the adaptive reuse of a 1950s spec office for its new LEED Platinum headquarters

by Julie Schaeffer

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 119

When Architectural Nexus needed a new office building, it had three choices: lease, build from scratch, or find an existing building to renovate. The third option, to principal Kenner Kingston, seemed an unlikely choice.

But after much soul-searching, the firm decided on option three after all—and with a very improbable building.

Formerly a Bally Total Fitness, the structure the firm chose was originally built in the 1950s as a spec office for the US Department of Agriculture, and “it was nearly unfit for reuse,” Kingston says. “It was poorly built with no attention to thermal issues and had somehow avoided energy upgrades despite many changes of hands. When our president told me he was considering it, I could see we had our work cut out for us.”

At the core of the firm’s decision to go with adaptive reuse was a sustainability message. “We had an identity problem as a firm because we were a tenant in someone else’s building,” Kingston says. “We realized if we could connect the good work we were doing in sustainability to our identity, we could be recognized for who we truly are.”

NOV/DEC 2011 119

7/15/11 10:03 AM

spaces/work

Architectural Nexus

“Many architects think about function, but flow is the more important factor. Our long history of medical work, which is all about flow, has informed our work.”

—Kenner Kingston, Principal

name Architectural Nexus Headquarters location Salt Lake City size 32,000 square feet certification LEED Platinum architect Architectural Nexus green features Net-zero adaptive reuse, an internal courtyard, and bike racks

120 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 120

THIS PaGE: architectural Nexus crafted its new offices from a 1950s spec office that had most recently housed a Bally Total Fitness. The firm turned it into a LEED Platinum, net-zero, beautifully daylit structure, all its power either taken from onsite photovoltaic panels or purchased from wind generators.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:03 AM

spaces/work And who is Architectural Nexus? A a combination of two firms: Thomas Petersen Hammond Architects and Jensen Haslem Architects. The two were competing for highereducation and medical work, but in 2002 they teamed up on a $100 million job neither could handle alone. By 2003 they had merged as Architectural Nexus, and recently they also joined forces with California-based Anova Architects.

The success of the mergers, Kingston says, is the result of the firms’ compatibility. “We don’t use templates,” he says. “We put a lot of work into the ideation stage of the process and focus on planning.”

That process was used when it came time for Architectural Nexus to design its own office building, located in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City. “Part of the reason our building works so well is we thought it through at a fundamental function-and-flow level,” Kingston says. “Many architects think about function, but flow is the more important factor. Our long history of medical work, which is all about flow, has informed our work.”

The team—which designs every project to LEED standards, regardless of certification goals—targeted substantial energy-use reduction as the core feature of its new headquarters. One of the most creative elements of the design was an internal courtyard, which provides significant daylighting, and with a 26.4-kilowatt photovoltaic system and all purchased energy coming from wind power, the headquarters is a net-zero building.

Even the smaller touches, such as the firm’s bike-towork program, are part of the sustainability picture, Kingston says. “We scaled back the locker rooms but kept the basic layout with a lavatory compartment and a shower compartment,” he says. “We added a secure bike-storage room, and today, in the summer, as many as 20 of the 100 employees in the office ride their bikes to work every day.”

The LEED Platinum building has a predicted ASHRAE energy use intensity (EIU) score of 74.4 for the baseline building. Its EPA Energy Star Target Finder score is 97/100, “the highest our mechanical and electrical engineers have seen,” Kingston says. The choice of adaptive reuse, in the end, was a good one—and for more reasons than the energy statistics. “Reuse—not throwing away a building— is important from a sustainability standpoint,” Kingston says. “We took a 1950s building that anyone else would have torn down and saved it.” gb&d

SMART engineering designs for Architectural Nexus

S ustainable M aintainable A ccountable R eliable Photo: Jim Fairchild, TwedeFairchild Photography

a MESSaGE FROM PIONEER SOLaR & ELECTRIC Quality and professionalism are absolute musts to architectural Nexus. This standard remained in full force for the firm’s own office building. Pioneer Solar & Electric, having designed and installed numerous solar photovoltaic systems, was the solar contractor architectural Nexus selected for its project.

The LEED Platinum project had many special parameters and a very tight construction schedule, which were met by Pioneer in installing the 26 kW solar PV system. “Pioneer went the extra mile to meet our goals and deadlines in delivering the system we wanted. We’re very pleased,” said kenner kingston, senior principal & director of sustainability for architectural Nexus.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 121

T horough

Van Boerum & Frank Associates, Inc. is pleased to have been part of the design team responsible for the Architectural Nexus Design Center, recently awarded LEED Platinum!

Energy-conserving HVAC and Plumbing systems included: Energy recovery modules on HVAC units to pre-treat outside air Fabric duct distribution used for open office spaces  Variable flow control for enclosed office spaces  High-efficiency roof-mounted heating and air conditioning units  Condensing domestic hot water heaters  Water-conserving fixtures with estimated 36% water savings.  

NOV/DEC 2011 121

7/15/11 10:03 AM

spaces/work THE aVENTINE

risky business When Glenborough took a chance on sustainability, the payback was substantial— and ultimately worthy of a rare LEED Platinum certification

by Tina Vasquez

122 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 122

Carlos Santamaria is proving to be one of Glenborough, LLC’s most valuable assets. Since joining the real estate investment, management, and development company in 2004, the vice president of engineering services—and a LEED AP—has managed to catapult the company onto the list of top national leaders in energy management and sustainability for commercial office buildings. And one structure in particular secured Glenborough’s reputation as a leader in green building—the Aventine.

Few companies can boast 85 percent energy efficiency across their portfolios or a LEED Platinum-certified corporate structure—and if it wasn’t for the loss of a tenant, Glenborough might not have been able to either. During a 2007 budget meeting, it was announced that Glenborough would be losing a major tenant, resulting in a loss of $100,000 in annual revenue. Scrambling to make up for the loss, Santamaria looked into energy-efficient technology that could save the company $100,000. It was a risky move, but Santamaria decided to retrofit La Jolla, California’s Aventine, replacing the office complex’s 18-year-old chiller plant with a more energy-efficient control technology. Before long the ball was rolling on what would become the company’s most sustainable building yet.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:03 AM

Glenborough

spaces/work

“a building like the aventine doesn’t just happen because a company wants to look good from a sustainable front.”

—Carlos Santamaria, Vice President of Engineering Services

OPPOSITE PaGE, aBOVE: The aventine is now one of the oldest LEED Platinum structures in the world.

After conducting a LEED gap analysis, Glenborough found that about $150,000 would be needed to get the building to the level of LEED Platinum, and Santamaria decided to continue in full force despite a bad economy and a management team that wanted to invest elsewhere. Miraculously, Santamaria was able to obtain $60,000 in strategic sponsorships and donations from partners, and the rest came together from there.

“It was a very creative way to get things done, but it was worth it,” Santamaria says. “At times I felt like I had to be creative and think like Radar O’Reilly, the character from M*A*S*H who was able to get anything in the middle of a war. I had to make something out of nothing, and I’d sometimes wonder, ‘What would Radar O’Reilly do in this situation?’” His innovative spirit won this battle: the Aventine is one of three 20-plus-year-old multitenant office buildings in the world to receive LEED Platinum certification—“and perhaps the only one that has an Energy Star score of 100,” he says.

In 2008, Glenborough had created a sustainability roadmap for the Aventine after consulting with Chelsea Group, Ltd. The goal had been to identify the route that would lead to LEED Platinum certification. After all of Santamaria’s work and after the group achieved certification last December, it was one of the company’s proudest moments.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 123

The building introduces enough outdoor air to exceed ASHRAE 62 requirements, and 100 percent of the energy produced at the site is offset by renewable energy credits.

Santamaria’s work has included more than just the Aventine; he’s also mostly responsible for Glenborough’s company-wide sustainability initiatives. It wasn’t until he came into the picture that Glenborough completed an energy-management plan that incorporated cost-saving upgrades, water conservation, and comprehensive waste management. Now the company’s list of sustainable endeavors grows each year.

Not only is Glenborough listed as a “Top Performer” in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, but a property in Arlington, Virginia, was awarded fourth place in the first-ever EPA National Building Competition, which challenged teams from across the country to measure their structures’ energy use and work off the waste. In the state of California alone, 28 of the company’s properties have eliminated nearly 10 million kilowatthours of energy usage and reduced greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 2.5 million pounds, resulting in more than $1.5 million a year in savings for the company and its tenants. And just when you think Glenborough has outdone itself, it creates one of the most energy-efficient and sustainable office buildings in the country.

“We don’t just have a commitment to create sustainable buildings—it’s a passion and a core part of our services at Glenborough,” Santamaria says. “A building like the Aventine doesn’t just happen because a company wants to look good from a sustainable front. We have a desire to create best-in-class, highly sustainable buildings—and that’s what we’re going to continue doing.” gb&d

a MESSaGE FROM CHEM-aQUa Chem-aqua has provided quality full-service water treatment since 1919. a unique combination of knowledge and experience enables the firm to supply high-quality water treatment products and exceptional service worldwide. Chem-aqua delivers environmentally responsible and economically profitable solutions that help keep boiler, cooling, and process systems running at peak efficiency. They worked closely with Glenborough to ensure the customized water treatment program at The aventine was LEED® compliant and environmentally sustainable to minimize energy and water consumption.

NOV/DEC 2011 123

7/15/11 10:03 AM

Water Treatment Solutions

We congratulate Glenborough LLC on its LEED Platinum Certification.

Resourcefully Green® Initiatives Boiler Water Treatment Cooling Water Treatment HandiChem™ Solid System

Thank you for allowing us to be part of it.

Customer Focused Equipment ELEVATORS & ESCALATORS

New Installations • Modernization • Service P.O. Box 152170, Irving, TX 75015 800.527.9921, www.chemaqua.com

gb&d_halfpgvert_April2011.indd 1

GBD14_book.indb 124

714. 220.4700 • eedsales@meus.mea.com www.MitsubishiElevator.com

4/14/2011 4:16:55 PM

7/15/11 10:03 AM

spaces/work

aRMED FORCES RESERVE CENTER

simply made, army strong Solid engineering strategies replaced the need for any ‘exotic’ practices on Haskell’s LEED Silver-certified Oklahoma armed forces project

by Erik Pisor

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 125

aBOVE, CLOCkWISE: The armed Forces Reserve Center in Muskogee, Ok, designed by Haskell, includes a kitchen, classrooms, ample parking, and a drill hall.

People often equate LEED Silver certification with the installation of solar panels or a green roof, but the rating can really be attained simply by applying common, logical sustainable engineering practices to the design and construction of a building. The recently completed, $23 million Armed Forces Reserve Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma, is a perfect example. Designed and built by Jacksonville, Florida-based Haskell, the 93,000-square-foot center obtained LEED Silver rather easily through the use of local building materials and strategies such as passive-solar building orientation.

“The overall project was built using good engineering practices,” says John Brendel, director of project development for Haskell. “We didn’t have to take any exotic steps to get that certification.” The reserve center is positioned so that the building’s windows face the north and south ends, and the heat and sun load is thus on its east-west axis. To achieve a 30 percent energy-efficiency rating, Haskell also utilized white TPO roofing for solar insulation. And, nearly all the materials used to

NOV/DEC 2011 125

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/work

Haskell

“The overall project was built using good engineering practices.

We didn’t have to take any exotic steps to get that certification.”

—John Brendel, Director of Project Development

aBOVE: The massive 90,000-plus-squarefoot center obtained LEED Silver certification through strategic engineering.

construct the reserve center were produced within 500 miles of the facility.

During design of the reserve center, Haskell used Revit technology to allow the client to view a 3-D representation of the completed project. The technology also aided the design team in identifying modification needs early in the project’s timeline. Located on a 27-acre site, the look of the reserve center is reminiscent of the historical armories of the early 1800s and the Oklahoma armories built in the 1930s. The 90,000-plus-square-foot center houses a vehicle-maintenance facility, a drill hall, classrooms, offices, heated and non-heated storage, a large kitchen, and a loading dock. The drill hall features a 22-foot eave height and a barrel-vault roof. In total, the facility is slated to house more than 450 National Guard members and Army Reserve soldiers.

The firm was one of three to compete for the designbuild contract of the Armed Forces Reserve Center, and a primary reason the company won the bid is its extensive design-build experience. It’s a project-delivery method the company has subscribed to since 1965. “Haskell was an integrated design-build firm from the beginning,” Brendel says. “Before that time, few, if any, had done that.” Today, Haskell is divided into three divisions, with the industrial division having delivered more LEED-certified manufacturing and distribution facilities than any other designer or constructor in the country—around 20 or 21 projects.

The entire company has roughly 150 accredited professionals and will complete $500 million worth of construction and design work by year’s end, which is down from its yearly average of $750 million to $800 million.

126 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 126

The company’s early focus on design-build project delivery made Haskell popular among owners and developers of private industrial facilities because it shortened a facility’s construction time frame significantly. From there the firm built its greatest niche. “[Industrial owners and developers] care about what the facility costs, but they care more about how quickly they can get to manufacturing their product,” Brendel says. “That delivery method really met a need, and that’s where the company really grew from. Our industrial division of the company is still the most successful.” gb&d

VHUYLQJ 2NODKRPD

2NODKRPD &LW\ 7XOVD 'XQFDQ ZZZ FREEHQJ U FRP

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/work

JERSEy CITy MUNICIPaL COMPLEx

approaching from every angle For a major city project, Urbahn Architects is pursuing a LEED Platinum rating by harnessing loads of natural resources

by Mark Pechenik

aBOVE: an aerial view of the Jersey City project shows the solar array that will generate nearly 1.1 mWs of electricity.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 127

Since its founding in 1946, New York City-based Urbahn Architects has developed a strong reputation in the design of public, educational, transportation, and healthcare architecture. And with its largely LEEDaccredited staff, the firm has always pushed for sustainability in its designs. Now, for the new Jersey City Municipal Complex project, Urbahn Architects hopes to attain what many see as the holy grail of sustainable design: LEED Platinum certification.

The Jersey City project will combine a three-story office structure with a one-story command center that will serve the fire department and emergency services, as well as other municipal first-responders in times of crisis. The site is 18 acres of land bordered by major roadways and rail lines. “Much of what we are doing involves making wise use of natural resources for the complex’s construction and day-to-day operations,” says Donald Henry, Urbahn’s partner in charge.

Urbahn Architects will achieve its goal in several ways, starting with the adaptive reuse of a 160,000square-foot warehouse on-site. “Because this structure

NOV/DEC 2011 127

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/work

Urbahn Architects

“The array will make use of solar energy to generate, on average, 1.1 megawatts of electrical power for the complex. This will mean an 88 percent reduction in energy consumption by municipal authorities while also easing power demand on the electrical grid serving Jersey City.”

—Donald Henry, Partner

isn’t in tune with our plans, it might otherwise have been removed,” Henry says. “Instead, we’ll salvage as much of the warehouse as possible and work it into our design scheme.” To do this, half of the structure will become a framework for covered vehicle parking while the other half will be retrofitted as part of the project’s operations center. Also, a high-tech photovoltaic array will cover the reconfigured warehouse for significant energy savings. “The array will make use of solar energy to generate, on average, 1.1 megawatts of electrical power for the complex,” Henry says. “This will mean an 88 percent reduction in energy consumption by municipal authorities while also easing power demand on the electrical grid serving Jersey City.”

128 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 128

aBOVE: a rendering of the complex’s façade shows both the threestory office structure and the one-story emergency center. The complex is targeting LEED Platinum certification.

Planted rooftops will effectively absorb rainfall, thereby easing storm-water runoff into the city sewer system. And all construction materials will have a high sustainability value. Concrete blocks will be partially composed of recycled contents, as will metal siding, and wood used in the building process will be FSC-certified. Even the site’s natural features will heighten the complex’s green component. For instance, boulders at the location will reinforce retaining walls.

Additionally, dependency on fossil fuels will be lessened within the complex’s automotive facility. “We will make use of radiant heating where emergency vehicles such as ambulances are to be housed,” Henry says. By having hotwater pipes course through the facility’s concrete slab, the boiler serving that part of the complex can be maintained at a lower, more energy-efficient temperature (85 degrees Fahrenheit versus 120 degrees Fahrenheit).

Among other energy-cost savings, the complex will capitalize on the natural resource of daylighting. “One side [of the complex] will feature energy-efficient glass, enabling it to be well lit all day and reducing solar glare,” Henry says. Thanks to sensors, which will dim electrical lighting on days when sunlight provides adequate ill-umination for office spaces, the complex will be able to realize further reductions in electric utility expenses.

In light of these extensive sustainability measures, Henry is optimistic that a top-rated, LEED-compliant Jersey City complex will further the cause for green-focused public buildings. “Hopefully, our society will come to see that ecologically smart municipal structures can help heighten government efficiency,” he says, “while also realizing extensive savings for easing taxpayers’ burdens.” gb&d

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/work WELLS FaRGO CENTER

early bird First to the green market in Hampton Roads, VA, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. staked the claim for the area’s premier green office

by Erica Archer

BELOW: The Wells Fargo Center was the first venture into sustainability for the development arm of S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 129

Founded in 1906, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. first branched into the world of sustainable building almost 100 years later in 2005, marking a transition into the green philosophies of a new century. The Wells Fargo Center in Norfolk, Virginia, represents the initial foray into sustainable design for the firm’s development arm. “This is an unusual project for our company,” Vice President Andrew Friedman says. “Going sustainable was a collaborative-management decision, and it’s just the right thing to do.” The resulting

structure proved both more profitable and more healthy for its occupants. The class-A office building was conceived before LEED or sustainability had marketing heft in the Hampton Roads vicinity. “At that time,” Friedman says, “in our region, sustainable building and sustainable design hadn’t really taken off yet. There weren’t really any other major projects. We were the first high-rise building in the entire region to go after LEED.” The watchwords for designing the 23-story mixed-use tower? Forward thinking.

“We really wanted to be one step better than everybody else, and there were a lot of factors in that,” Friedman says. “One of the factors that we used to differentiate ourselves was pursuing the LEED certification.”

By the time the tower opened in June 2010, the pursuit of LEED certification had proved a major boon to the project’s success. Major accounting firm KPMG, now a tenant, was drawn by the LEED label, Friedman says. “A lot of our national and international tenants are trying to project a good corporate image to their own clients, an image that is sustainable,” he says. “So a lot of these national/ international firms, when they’re looking for new real estate ... having a LEED-certified building is on their criteria list. So from that aspect, having the LEED label is a very

NOV/DEC 2011 129

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/work

S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.

“at that time, in our region, sustainable building and sustainable design hadn’t really taken off yet. There weren’t really any other major projects. We were the first high-rise building in the entire region to go after LEED.” —Andrew Friedman, Vice President

aBOVE: The Wells Fargo Center was planned for LEED Silver certification, but it ended up sustainable enough to achieve LEED Gold.

important tool, especially if we’re the only high-rise building in the region that has it. It’s a huge competitive advantage for us.”

The developers originally aimed for LEED Silver certification but exceeded their goal and achieved LEED Gold in April 2011. The development team carefully weighed the LEED point options one-by-one. “A combination of the environmental benefit and the cost played in,” Friedman says. “Which of these 69 points can we afford? Does this make good business sense, and is it a good decision?”

The company decided it was, for many reasons, one of them being workplace satisfaction. The green elements contribute to employee happiness, Friedman says.

“We used … extremely high-end windows, which reduce heat transfer between the atmosphere and the building,” he says. “Using those windows let us have a lot more glass on the building and therefore allowed for additional light, and the employees really enjoy having a lot more light.” He adds that employees have noticed the above-standard air quality due to the number of fresh-air exchanges every day, and anecdotally, the number of employee sick days has been reduced a little bit, so there are some tangible benefits, too. “People feel better, happier, more excited, and brighter than in their previous [office],” he says. Friedman is quick to provide specific examples. “The managing partner of law firm Willcox & Savage noticed a visible difference in the employee productivity when they switched from their previous building to the Wells Fargo Center,” he says. “People were more productive because they’re in a better atmosphere

130 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 130

and environment. People always say there are benefits, but I really feel there are tangible employee benefits to being in a green building.”

Perhaps predictably, the office building that offers such a healthful and inspiring work environment serves as home to S. L. Nusbaum as well. “Not only is this effective for us, it’s also our home,” Friedman says. “We’re probably going to be here for the next 50 years. We’re extremely proud of the product we’ve created.” gb&d

PO POBox Box 13337 13337 ||Chesapeake, Chesapeake,VA VA23325 23325 757.420.2520 757.424.2874 gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/work

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

truly transit-oriented as the state-owned transit operator in Paris, managing the city and region’s tram, train, and bus systems, the RaTP means routine for most. But its new Formation Center, designed by Stephane Maupin, is an architecturally distinct space that deftly serves the organization’s needs despite being sited on a triangular plot, and it offers the city—amid a concrete-heavy industrial site near rail lines and a major highway— a unique and affecting structure. Playful in orange stripes and arresting with its propeller-like tripod helix— which serves as the vertical chimney, one decked in solar panels—the RaTP Formation Center takes a rather unexciting program and really makes the most of it.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 131

NOV/DEC 2011 131

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/work

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

work/live in one hour One hour to assemble and half the cost of a similar space: this is the Tim Palen Studio at Shadow Mountain, a live/work space constructed from shipping containers and pre-engineered steel building components that also is the first shipping-container home in the Mojave Desert. a second-generation prefab structure, the studio was designed by Walter Scott Perry, aIa, principal of ecotechdesign, and built by Eric Engheben of 44 West Construction. It uses an integrated steel framing system to provide simplicity during the build as well as earthquake, fire, and wind resistance, and also features a solar shade and plug-in attachment for future arrays and greywater irrigation for the living roof.

Renderings: Shawn Keltner. Photos: Jack Parsons.

132 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 132

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:04 AM

/play VaNCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE WEST

paramount performance Working within a site filled with icons meant to last lifetimes, Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership used the Olympic building to showcase green building strategies and restore the local ecosystem

by Keith Loria

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 133

As one of Vancouver’s most comprehensive architectural firms, the Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership (MCM) has spent the past four decades working on a variety of projects, including high-rise residential structures, hotels, and mixed-use and office buildings throughout the western part of Canada and down into California.

The practice is currently led by four partners, architects Bill Reid, Mark Whitehead, Jacques Beaudreault, and Mark Thompson, who in 1998 made a commitment to sustainability. “We integrate sustainability into all of our projects,” Thompson says. “One of the roots of what we think sustainability is about follows good design.” Maintaining this philosophy has required the firm to think innovatively when tackling projects big and small, including extensive work on the Vancouver Convention Centre West (VCCW) in 2009.

The firm was hired to expand the convention center in preparation for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. “What was really fun about that project is that it’s an iconic building next to another iconic building [Calendar Place], so it had to form this symbiotic relationship on the waterfront right in the heart of downtown Vancouver,” Thompson says. “That was one of the reasons for the green roof. We were given the task of building a state-ofthe-art facility that would last into the future, so having a building that was high-performance and [having] a maximum sustainability profile was important.” The VCCW features a six-acre green roof, which is the largest in Canada and the largest nonindustrial living roof in all of

NOV/DEC 2011 133

7/15/11 10:04 AM

spaces/play

Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership

“One of the roots of what we think sustainability is about follows good design.”

—Mark Thompson, Principal

name Vancouver Convention Centre West location Vancouver, BC size 369,000 square feet architect Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, LMN Architects, DA Architects + Planners landscape architect PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc. green features A six-acre green roof, a blackwatertreatment facility, a marine habitat for aquatic wildlife, and floor-to-ceiling glass

134 NOV/DEC 2011

PREVIOUS PAGE, THIS PAGE: The highlight of MCM’s Vancouver Convention Centre West is its living roof, which insulates the building, prevents storm-water runoff, and calls attention to the building amid the glass-and-steel structures that make up Vancouver’s downtown district.

gbdmagazine.com

spaces/play North America. The green roof is landscaped with more than 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses from the Gulf Islands, providing a natural habitat for birds, insects, and small mammals. Two beehives on the roof provide a habitat for bees, and their honey is used by the chefs inside.

“The green roof helps from a water-conservation perspective,” Thompson says. “Another main element is that the building has a blackwater-treatment facility, so it’s selfsufficient in terms of sewage. It uses collected rainwater as well as treated water.” The sophisticated drainage and water recovery system has successfully reduced potable water use by 72.6 percent.

“Another feature we included is habitat mitigation around the edge of the building because it’s built over water on pontoon piles, and it’s populated with seaweed, crustaceans, and a marine habitat, and that attracted fish back to the area,” Thompson says. “The green environment had been badly hurt, but we are trying to reestablish that.” Since a floatplane airport sits right in front of the building, the firm made sure to focus on acoustics as well to limit the noise of the helicopters and planes. There is also floor-to-ceiling glass throughout the expansion, and daylighting and ventilation were maximized across the board. When completed in April 2009, the $565 million, 369,000-square-foot VCCW had achieved LEED Platinum certification.

According to Thompson, MCM is passionate and committed to helping improve the human condition by embedding sustainable design practices into the built environment with the purpose of enriching the lives, health, and well-being of its inhabitants. Currently, it focuses more of its efforts on LEED certification rather than the Canadian system of Green Globes. Approximately 20 percent of its 75 staff members are LEED APs, and it encourages its employees to become accredited.

The firm is equally proud of its other recently completed projects, including the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s Port Coquitlam Driver Licensing Centre, located in the suburbs of Vancouver. The $7 million, 9,100square-foot building achieved LEED-CI Gold, and its design included high ceilings and allowed for lots of daylighting. The firm also placed an emphasis on mechanical systems and efficient lighting choices. There are many more exciting projects coming up for the firm, and always it will continue to stress the importance of sustainable design. “We are currently in the drawing stages of two office buildings, one in a downtown location and one in a suburban location,” Thompson says, “and both are expected to be LEED Gold.” With business continuing as it has, and with the ascension of LEED, the company is sure to carry on for at least another four decades. gb&d

Open Space Planning Sustainable Design 74

Landscape Architecture Urban Design 75

76

73

70

5th Floor, East Asiatic House 1201 West Pender Street Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6E 2V2 T. 604.688.6111 77 info@pwlpartnership.com www.pwlpartnership.com

65

68

69

64

71

Vancouver Convention Centre

78 79

Project Management  Engineering Planning  Surveying 44 80

81

46

42 43

41

82

45

40 30

28 29

83 39 38

31

84 27

37 35

Proud to be part of33 another successful 34 32 26 CERTIFIED LEED GOLD PROJECT

by Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership for ICBC 36

a MESSaGE FROM PWL PaRTNERSHIP 85 LaNDSCaPE aRCHITECTS INC. a great deal of the project’s success can be attributed to the urban plazas, the seawall walkway-bikeway extension, the seating areas, and the seamless integration between the Vancouver Convention Centre West’s open spaces and downtown Vancouver. The 2.4-hectare living roof illustrates how all this can be achieved while enhancing ecological function.

25

LAND SURVEYORS 24

SURREY  ABBOTSFORD  KELOWNA

15 16

17

18

general@aplinmartin.com 21 www.aplinmartin.com 20

14 gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 135

66

67 72

23

22

19

13

8

7

NOV/DEC 2011 135

3

2

7/15/11 10:05 AM

spaces/play

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

flock of shelters Three things converged to result in the Winnipeg Skating Shelters. The first two are rivers, the Red and assiniboine, which link up in the heart of Manitoba’s capital city, and the last is the region’s winter, which can stretch out to nearly half the year. Combined, these things have led to the annual creation of ice-skating trails. However, with temperatures dropping to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, accompanied by harsh winter winds, Patkau architects created timber-framed, plywood-clad skating shelters, which congregate on the river like a flock of living creatures. Designed to shed snow and bend in the wind, they have been placed in precise angles, creating an intimate, safe interior. The architects themselves sum up the project’s playful and meaningful facets well: “These are delicate and ‘alive’ structures.

They move gently in the wind, creaking and swaying to and fro at various frequencies, floating precariously on the surface of the frozen river, shaking off any snow that might adhere to their surfaces. Their fragile and tenuous nature makes those sheltered by them supremely aware of the inevitability, ferocity, and beauty of winter on the Canadian prairies.” Photos: James dow.

136 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 136

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:05 AM

/learn

RIT GLOBaL VILLaGE/ SWaNN aTHLETIC CENTER

two schools, two climates Two campus additions by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge illustrate that 21st-century learning goes far beyond the walls of buildings

by Russ Klettke

TOP LEFT: The fountain in the middle of the aRCdesigned RIT Global Village has become a student landmark.

RIGHT: aRC’s Swann athletic Center is part of a larger campus master plan that promotes walking.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 137

Two recent educational commissions for ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge recognize the importance of both interior and exterior environments. Robert H. Quigley, a principal at Cambridge, Massachusetts-based ARC and the lead architect on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Global Village project, says many colleges and universities in the Northeast turn their back on the outdoors. But RIT’s new mixed-use facility, which comprises housing, classrooms, and fitness, food-service, and retail facilities—and which opened for the 2010 fall semester—is spread out over six acres adjoining the school’s existing suburban campus. The area may average 93 inches of snow per year, but “RIT’s vision is to celebrate the outdoors,” Quigley says.

A firepit in the outdoor lounge allows students to gather and warm their hands in a friendly circle, and the lounge is part of a central plaza styled after a European town square, functioning as a daily draw to the diverse and international student body. Quigley’s partner and ARC’s president, Philip L. Laird, had a more temperate climate to deal with when designing the Episcopal School of Dallas’ Stephen B. Swann Athletic and Wellness Center, also completed in 2010. Following a campus master plan that promotes walking between buildings, the design for the 90,000square-foot addition and 24,000-square-foot renovation of existing fitness facilities includes an outdoor dining terrace with a central fireplace, shaded by the building’s overhangs and surrounding trees.

NOV/DEC 2011 137

7/15/11 10:05 AM

spaces/learn

TOP: The RIT Global Village was designed to manage soil erosion, and now 90 % of rainwater is captured to irrigate the landscape’s plantlife.

RIGHT: at the Swann athletic Center, lighting and cooling efficiencies save the Episcopal School $26,500 annually.

“In educational environments, we often see the term ‘wellness’ used broadly. But we had not seen one where fitness was tied to nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and dining.”

—Philip L. Laird, President

The Episcopal School tasked ARC with creating a building that would attract all students, not just athletes. Forwardthinking parents involved in school fundraising, including former Dallas Cowboy Daryl Johnston, requested that the school build a comprehensive facility for health, wellness, and nutrition, creating a prototype for other college preparatory campuses. “In educational environments, we often see the term ‘wellness’ used broadly,” Laird says.

“But we had not seen one where fitness was intrinsically tied to nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and dining.” A small teaching greenhouse, where fresh herbs are grown, is situated just steps away.

RIT Global Village was built carefully, in order to prevent soil erosion, and 90 percent of rainfall is captured to irrigate the water-efficient landscaping. Paving materials with a solar reflectance index of at least 29 were used, and

138 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 138

ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge the building envelope, HVAC, and lighting systems achieve energy efficiency 30 percent above baseline standards. The design incorporates brick and an exterior rain-screen system of panelized cement fiberboard in mustard and terracotta tones. It establishes a distinct aesthetic with eco-friendly features that are affordable, including a sculptural water fountain—a new campus landmark.

At the Episcopal School, lighting and cooling efficiencies save the school $26,500 annually in energy costs.

Occupancy and daylight sensors are utilized, and 70 percent of energy purchased for the Wellness Center is from green power sources. An electrical infrastructure is in place to incorporate photovoltaics when future technologies and incentives make doing so cost-effective, and more than 75 percent of the roof already uses heat-deflecting white material. Water use, too, is now reduced by half thanks to waterless urinals and low-flow fixtures. Meanwhile, a quarry adjacent to the campus—which saw its water levels recede in recent years—is now replenished from rainwater collected on campus.

Both campus projects were designed to achieve LEED certification: RIT is seeking Gold, and the Episcopal School has already reached the same level. In both facilities’ first years, the goal to encourage students’ use of outdoor space has proven successful. And Quigley has even heard that for the students at RIT—many of whom come from warmer climates abroad—“meet you at the fountain” has become a familiar phrase. gb&d

Engineering PC Building Systems

Sustainable Design

Energy Services

LEEDTMAccredited

www.ibceng.com

IBC Engineering PC Engineer Innovator Partner Congratulations on the inspiration and success of RIT’s Global Village.

3445 Winton Place Suite 219 Rochester NY 14623 585 292 1590 2495 Main Street Suite 318 Buffalo NY 14214 716 836 2315

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:05 AM

spaces/learn CENTRE FOR ENERGy INNOVaTION

trapping the temperature Canadian thermal-energy specialist TermoBuild is creating smarter buildings by employing Stone Age technology—with a twist

by Seth Putnam

Thermal storage is a technology that dates back to the Stone Age. But when humans moved from caves to condos, the concept somehow fell off the cliff. Now, thanks to Jack Laken and his Ontario company, TermoBuild, it’s being revived as one of the most green and efficient practices on the market today, and its application at the University of Windsor’s Centre for Energy Innovation can teach others the value of the process.

TermoBuild has skyrocketed into a place of prominence and influence through its use of smart floors and ceilings—hollow-core slabs of concrete that trap air and store it until it’s pushed out by a ventilation system, thus controlling the temperature and refreshing the building.

Practically applied, this means that during the winter season the slabs soak up warm air, storing it to warm the home or office space; in the summer months, it works the opposite way. The process amps up the quality of the indoor air, increases general comfort, and allows engineers to use an estimated 60 percent less building material. So it’s little wonder TermoBuild is growing at 100 percent per year.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 139

Think of it as a hybrid car. “At night, we supercharge the ‘battery,’ which in this case are the floors and ceilings,” Laken says. “During the day we try to use very little supplementary energy. It also allows standby heating and cooling. It’s like a spare tire in the car in case you have a flat.”

The technology comes with a bundle of benefits, including thermal storage, radiant heating and cooling, smaller mechanical equipment, and improved energy efficiency, among others.

Activating the process at night is strategic, too. The sun is down, lights are off, and costs are lower because the system isn’t competing with other energy tasks. “Nighttime is our prime time,” Laken says. “We’re making music as opposed to noise. Mechanical systems could clash with each other by having heating and cooling running at the same time, but with this technology there is no need for that. It’s like conducting an orchestra. What we’re doing is the ‘tuning’ of the building.”

People are noticing. One of TermoBuild’s educational buildings came in as one of the best-performing schools out of 400 different universities examined by EnerLife’s “Saving Our Energy for Education” survey in May 2010.

Another of TermoBuild’s educational projects, this time at

BELOW, RIGHT: Renderings show the University of Windsor’s Centre for Energy Innovation, which TermoBuild designed to teach engineering students about the concepts of thermal storage.

NOV/DEC 2011 139

7/15/11 10:05 AM

spaces/learn

TermoBuild

RIGHT: The elements of thermal storage. a. Precast hollow core planks store the air.

B. air is funneld into the supply-trunk duct.

C. air circulates from the trunk duct through small pipes.

D. air diffuser ventilates air into room. a D C B

“Mechanical systems could clash with each other by having heating and cooling running at the same time, but with this technology there is no need for that. It’s like conducting an orchestra.”

—Jack Laken, Owner

the University of Windsor in Ontario, is raising eyebrows as well. The company partnered with B+H Architects to craft the $160 million Centre for Energy Innovation, which utilizes smart floors and ceilings so that Windsor engineering students can use the very structures around them as their text to learn about thermal storage.

“It’s a largely educational process because we’re not introducing new technology, we’re not introducing new building materials, we’re not introducing new equipment,” Laken says. “We believe a lot of students will be able to learn hands-on and carry out a lot of sustainable initiatives.” The company is integrating these puzzle pieces into real-world application. “We managed to assemble the confusing bits and pieces that were available in mainstream literature and handbooks in a way that it makes sense,” he says. “Then we translated that into practical buildings.”

Laken, who began a career in engineering consultancy back in 1979, has shifted his focus in the new millennium toward specialized and integrated solutions. You wouldn’t send a patient with a brain tumor to a family doctor, so why should you send a client who needs an integrated thermal solution to a general engineer? In Laken’s mind, you wouldn’t. You’d send the client to TermoBuild. This fall, Laken plans to launch a net-zero energy plan for homes, which will employ radiant temperature control without wet systems to heat, cool, and provide residents with fresh air for a better night’s sleep—all of which can be manipulated at the touch of a smart phone’s button.

Not quite the Stone Age anymore. gb&d

ETE CONCR G& COOLIN G HEATIN OLOGY TECHN

We’re Redefining Your Green ROI

Learn How. Contact greenteam@termobuild.com or call: 347.905.0865 (USA) or 416.993.5225 (Canada)

140 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 140

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:05 AM

spaces/learn

TOP: The Petersburg Public Library will be 56,000 square feet and focused on water conservation with waterless urinals and dual-flush toilets.

LEFT: The Prince George Library will have optimized daylighting thanks to wraparound windows.

PETERSBURG aND PRINCE GEORGE LIBRaRIES

four fundamental elements Incorporating expression, rhythm, order, and structure into all his work, Gil Entzminger of Enteros Design is transforming Petersburg, VA

by Tina Vasquez

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 141

When Gil Entzminger decided to create his firm, Enteros Design, P.C., in 2003, he had a clear angle from the get-go. Each project would incorporate what he believed to be the fundamental elements of design: expression, rhythm, order, and structure. For eight years now Entzminger has stood by his original vision, and not only is business booming; Enteros Design is also building strong roots in the community of Petersburg, Virginia, and creating a legacy there.

While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true that most small firms have a variety of project experience, Enteros Design has focused on and raised the bar in the design sphere of civic structures.

From animal shelters and nonprofits to parks and libraries, the firm has done it all, most of it hyperlocal and all of it sustainable. Two projects in particular are generating a lot of buzz for the small design firmâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and for good reason. The new Petersburg Library is a 56,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art contemporary edifice built in the historic context of Petersburg, and the Prince George Library is a

NOV/DEC 2011 141

7/15/11 10:05 AM

spaces/learn

Enteros Design

aBOVE: The Petersburg Library (seen here in a cross section) is an important project in the city’s historical context.

Entzminger’s work on the Petersburg Library has made him a central public figure in the area; community meetings, focus groups, and public presentations were held in order to determine exactly what types of spaces and programs would be required of the facility.

12,000-square-foot building designed to capture the county’s move from a rural agricultural economy to a technological, industrial one.

Both of these projects are capitalizing on green technology with guidance from Entzminger and his team. Taking each site’s rich history into account while also implementing modern-day functionality and incorporating commonsense sustainable features was a bit of a challenge—but one that Entzminger was up for. “We try to design architecture that is compatible with its historic context, but it is still expressive of its time and function,” Entzminger says.

“The challenge is determining what features are most appropriate for the project. The budget is always an issue, but educating the public on the long-term value of energy efficiency and sustainability has also been a challenge.

The good news is that more clients are aware of and expectant of green design.”

Entzminger’s work on the Petersburg Library has made him a central public figure in the area; community meetings, focus groups, and public presentations were held in order to determine exactly what types of spaces and programs would be required of the facility. Because the library is located on an urban industrial site with soil contamination, it qualified as a brownfield redevelopment.

142 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 142

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development pressures off greenspaces and working lands. Entzminger also focused heavily on energy efficiency and water conservation by implementing plans for energy-recovery systems, waterless urinals, and dual-flush toilets, all of which helped in achieving LEED credits.

The Prince George County Library focuses heavily on the use of natural lighting, like many of Enteros’ projects.

Entzminger achieved optimal use of natural light by incorporating a lighting-control system and a continuous clerestory window that wraps around the length of the facility.

Also, as with all of the firm’s projects, The Prince George Library incorporates rapidly renewable, recycled, and lowVOC materials wherever possible.

Many small and large firms alike have yet to incorporate sustainability into their designs—despite how good it is for the environment and for the bottom line of each business. Such is not the case at Enteros, where sustainable planning has been just as much at the firm’s philosophical core as Entzminger’s fundamental elements of design.

“We have always been focused on good design, which by definition incorporates sustainable principals,” he says.

“If we can take simple steps that protect our global environment and improve the quality of the experience in the built environment, then we are fulfilling our obligations as good architects and good human beings.” gb&d

B U I L D I N G H I S T O R Y

Daniel & Company, Inc. congratulates Enteros Design on its accomplishments in Green Building & Design and is pleased to participate as General Contractor on these well designed Projects.

1800 Roseneath Road Richmond, VA 23230

Tel: 804-213-0400 Fax: 804-213-0401

E-mail: dci@danielco.net Website: www.danielco.net

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:05 AM

spaces/learn

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

an experiment in architecture Rope and shadow are nearly the only two elements MMx used in its winning design for the ECO Pavilion 2011, at the ECO Experimental Museum in Mexico City. The design studio opted for a nonstructural “extension” of the original museum building, which many agree is an icon of 20th century architecture in Mexico. On the museum’s main patio, MMx’s pavilion is a series of rope systems, a repeating geometric ceiling that completely alters the space and experience.

The angular sloping structure also fills the courtyard with shadows, which change with the sun.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 143

NOV/DEC 2011 143

7/15/11 10:05 AM

/heal INSTITUTE FOR REGENERaTION MEDICINE

building on the brink The University of California–San Francisco’s new medical building, designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects on a site many thought uninhabitable, is a fortress against seismic events with a fantastic view

by John Ziza

144 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 144

The hills behind the University of California–San Francisco’s (UCSF) medical center are lopsided, steep, even treacherous. At first glance, they would scarcely be considered an optimal building site for the university’s $100 million Institute for Regeneration Medicine. But with California’s recently relaxed regulations on stem-cell research, UCSF needed a fully functioning lab adjacent to the existing medical center to allow researchers to travel back and forth with ease, and the university ended up accepting a design from Rafael Viñoly Architects (RVA).

“The program requirement was relatively simple,” says Chan-li Lin, one of the project’s lead architects. “To create a flexible life science laboratory for stem-cell research.”

Headquartered in New York City but with offices on the West Coast, RVA does not bill itself as a specialty architecture firm, nor does Rafael Viñoly himself, according to Lin, have a signature style. Viñoly is personally involved in every project and relishes the challenge of inventing customized solutions for each one. For his part, Lin’s past experience includes, among other things, convention centers, a stadium, performing-arts centers, hospitals, and three other labs. “What is common among these diverse projects is that we approach each one with the idea that we can bring an integrated solution for a challenging set of problems, producing a building that delivers more than the sum of its program parts,” he says.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:05 AM

Rafael Vi単oly Architects

spaces/heal

name Institute for Regeneration Medicine location San Francisco size 68,500 square feet architect Rafael Vi単oly Architects

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 145

OPPOSITE PaGE, THIS PaGE: The Institute for Regeneration Medicine is linked to other USCF medical buildings to encourage an atmosphere of collaboration and connection.

NOV/DEC 2011 145

7/15/11 10:06 AM

spaces/heal

Rafael Viñoly Architects

RIGHT: The institute, which sits on a steep hill overlooking the city, makes use of seismic isolators, which help protect the lab’s invaluable equipment.

“Instead of membrane roofs, surrounding buildings look down on landscaped terraces, and the UCSF’s researchers have new outdoor spaces they can enjoy next to their laboratory.”

—Chan-li Lin, Project Director

Nowhere is that more evident than in RVA’s project for UCSF’s Institute for Regeneration Medicine. Because of the irregular nature of the building site, cantilevered support columns were constructed to allow the facility to stand atop angled ground, reducing excavation. “By decoupling the building’s superstructure from its foundation using seismic isolators—basically self-centering slide bearings—the seismic forces on the superstructure was reduced dramatically,” Lin says, “allowing for a significant reduction in the tonnage of steel used to construct the building.” The system offers great protection to the laboratory’s occupants, equipment, and research in the event of seismic activity.

Lin explains that green design is a natural part of his and RVA’s approach, his goal being to make the most of what is available, whether that’s land, material, or human resources. “Green design,” he says, “is not something applied to or layered onto a building; rather, it’s an integral part of the approach itself.”Literally speaking, the structure is layered—with a tiered, landscaped roof.

“Instead of membrane roofs, surrounding buildings look down on landscaped terraces, and the UCSF’s researchers have new outdoor spaces they can enjoy next to their laboratory,” Lin says. Although the roof was not given any LEED points, Lin considers it one of the structure’s greatest assets, green or otherwise. More than anything else,

146 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 146

Lin says, the building’s most specifically green feature is that it was constructed on a particular site that was long thought to be unbuildable. “The design-builder team of SmithGroup and DPR Construction did a wonderful job in turning what we originally considered a LEED Silver project into [one that’s] Gold-eligible by diligently identifying and documenting many additional sustainability features,” Lin says. “They were our great partners on this project.”

The facility is organized around several research “pipelines,” connecting the surrounding buildings with the Ray and Dagmar Dolby structure, the idea being that the people inside would benefit from collaboration between the research groups. This also led to the split-level solution between laboratories—four lab spaces connected by half flights of stairs so that everyone could work together in one continuous space. A bridge was designed that spans between the ninth floor of the existing medical center complex and the new building, and it also serves as the main entrance to the institute.“In Japanese,” Lin says, “the phrase mottainai means ‘such a shame to waste’ and can be applied to many things and opportunities wasted. I grew up in Tokyo, raised by a generation who had experienced the poverty of war, so the resource-conservation aspect of green design is something that resonates naturally with me.” gb&d

a MESSaGE FROM THORNTON TOMaSETTI Thornton Tomasetti is a leader in engineering design, investigation, and analysis—serving clients worldwide on projects of all sizes and complexity. Our 550-person organization with practices in building structure, building skin, building performance, construction support services, and property-loss consulting addresses the full lifecycle of a structure from offices worldwide.

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:06 AM

GBD14_book.indb 147

7/15/11 10:06 AM

www.smithgroup.com

No need to rip off the Earth

International LEEDers Architects + Engineers

A R C H I T E C T S E N G I N E E R S

+

CLEVELAND

|

Munich

PHOENIX

More steel is recycled each year than aluminum, paper, glass and plastic combined, making it the most recycled material in North America.

Sustainability is ingrained in the culture of Majestic Steel USA. We view environmental responsibility as both an ethical obligation and a best business practice. So we partnered with Hengst Streff Bajko to design our state-of-the-art, energy-efficient headquarters in Cleveland, creating a workplace as sustainable as our steel.

Budapest

More Information:

www.hsbarch.com Bonn

www.majesticsteel.com 1.800.321.5590

Look for us on

GBD14_book.indb 148

7/15/11 10:06 AM

spaces/heal

LEFT: For the Norterra office in Phoenix, aZ, HSB consolidated six smaller medical offices into a 200,000-squarefoot, two-building facility.

NORTERRa

healing healthcare rifts In its 16-year relationship with CIGNA, Clevelandbased HSB Architects + Engineers has ‘solved the process’ for designing medical clinics that are affordable yet sustainable

by Scott Heskes

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 149

HSB Architects + Engineers covers a lot of bases. Offering LEED consulting, architecture, MEP engineering, and estimating/scheduling, it’s hard to imagine the firm hasn’t stretched itself too thin. Yet it continually achieves excellence, as evidenced by its 16-year relationship with major healthcare provider CIGNA and a recent project for the company Norterra.

HSB has been handling national corporate real-estate work for CIGNA since 1995, working in 40 different states—and often in 10–12 at a time. Norterra, a concentration of CIGNA real estate in Phoenix, Arizona, is a good example of how HSB conducts its work. The area contained several small clinics, places where doctor involvement is much higher. “The doctors were getting uneasy with the responsiveness of the firm they were working with,” managing partner Jim Streff says.

“There were critical projects with deadlines that needed to be met, so CIGNA asked us to step in.” HSB was to consolidate six offices into a 200,000-square-foot, twobuilding facility; and the firm’s ability to get LEED certification for the project was icing on the cake.

NOV/DEC 2011 149

7/15/11 10:06 AM

spaces/heal

HSB Architects + Engineers

“as more of our clients’ needs and deadlines were not being met by other service providers, we started assuming greater responsibilities beyond architecture. We just said, ‘Lets start figuring this out ourselves.’”

—Jim Streff, Managing Partner

aBOVE: CIGNa headquarters’ open-office design maximizes views and daylighting and incorporates a raised floor for more flexibility.

150 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 150

“CIGNA has had a very good experience with HSB providing LEED services,” says Susann Geithner, a LEED AP at the firm. “Norterra was a natural progression of any overall mandate from CIGNA to build sustainably.

They were comfortable going for LEED certification on the project because HSB was involved.”

It’s easy to see why CIGNA entrusts a lot of its work to HSB. One reason is the sense of urgency and desire for proficiency it gets from HSB staff members. “It’s not rocket science,” Streff says. “When our clients bring us into projects, we know what questions to ask, who to meet, who to know. We meet the right people, find the decision-makers, and make things happen. We get started at the first meeting. We are here to make everyone better at what they do.”

HSB started regionally and grew nationally and internationally by evolving over time. “As more of our client’s needs and deadlines were not being met by other service providers, we started assuming greater responsibilities beyond architecture,” Streff says. “We just said, ‘Lets start figuring this out ourselves.’ It began with technical support for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services, and we started our engineering group. Then we realized that so many of our clients’ decisions revolved around cost and time, so we brought on estimating and scheduling services. Sustainable design requires an integration of disciplines, and with these services in-house we can be more nimble and responsive to our clients needs.”

International projects came with the addition of Geithner. Originally from Germany, Geithner’s measurements of success echo Streff’s. “It’s most important to establish the relationship early with all the stakeholders,” she says. “Good communication is key.” For Norterra and other properties, CIGNA’s sustainable mandate came and continues to come from its CEO, who wants the company to obtain LEED certification for selective projects. HSB had been the LEED consultant hired for CIGNA’s pilot project in Pittsburgh, which was completed in 2009 and surprised everyone not only by attaining LEED Silver but also by saving 60 percent of its energy costs with lighting alone.

“It convinced CIGNA … that LEED was not going to hold up the process,” Geithner says, “that LEED could be done without changing the whole game for them.”

“Initially the mandate was more of a PR move,” Streff says. “There is a natural push back from the people that have to get it done. CIGNA does straightforward, breadand-butter space. Not high-end. They would typically spend money in public space, and the costs are low for tenant build-outs. So we had the task of reconciling the real estate, the money, and the mandate. That’s why we are getting LEED work at CIGNA. We have solved that process.” gb&d

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:06 AM

solutions

More Americans are now choosing bicycles

as their primary form of transportation, and as they do, urban planning and transit design has been forced to change. Thus far it’s been slow going, but in a major leap forward in 2006, KGP Design Studio started work on the design and development of a multiphase transit hub in Washington, DC, using Union Station as its nucleus. First up—the Union Station Bike Transit Center, a sleek new structure that both enhances Daniel Burnham’s design of the existing station behind it and hints at the future of American urban centers.

BACKGroUnDer Bill Gallagher and Don Paine were classmates at Harvard. after graduating, they seized an opportunity in Hawaii and joined kenneth kajiwara to found kGP Design Studio. The three have been working together since and recently were joined by another Hawaii native, Florencio Paraon. The firm has worked around the world and is known for major transit-based projects. “We try to blur the line between architecture and urban design,” Paine says. “Our goal is to deliver solutions so residents within communities are able to walk or bike … rather than drive.”

Developed in conjunction with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, amtrak, Marc, VRE, and a host of other public and private organizations, the DC transit design positions Union Station as the major connector of intercity rail and bus systems, the Metro system, the DC Streetcar system, and taxis and bikes.

ChAllenGe Faced with the challenge of designing a series of stations for the future multimodal transit network, kGP’s multidisciplinary team decided to kick off the project— which will span the next 20 years—with the Union Station Bike Transit Center.

SolUTion

aBOVE an axial loading diagram shows how the structure was designed like a bike wheel.

BELOW: a cross section of the parking area shows how the bikes will be stacked.

The bike center sits directly above the Metro, in front of Union Station. “This is the logical location for the first bicycle transit center,” Gallagher says, “because Union Station is located along the Metropolitan Branch Trail, which connects to Silver Spring, the Purple Line, Crescent Trail, and Green Trail as well as the National Mall.”

Originally, the intent was to attach the structure to Union Station, but this conflicted with historical-preservation efforts. “as a result, we recommended a shift into a vehicle-oriented location 18 feet above the structure of the Metro tunnel below,” Paine says. “During construction we actually had to place sensors on the vault of the Metro station. any movement or cracking would have stopped construction.

Fortunately, nothing happened.”

Throughout the design, the intent was to remain as discreet as possible, visible yet

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 151

NOV/DEC 2011 151

7/15/11 10:06 AM

solutions/bicycle transit design

KGP Design Studio accessories. “Some people keep a bike at the bicycle station, come into town using the trains, and ride their bike to work,” Paine says. “Or they could come to the bike station, park, and take the train to another destination. It’s a great first step.”

Many of the components of the umbrella project focus on greening transportation within Union Station. Each mode of transit is dependent on close proximity to others.

“It is exciting to see everyone working together to make the entire station better,” Gallagher says. “Understandably, there are a number of issues with who owns what, easements, etc. Fortunately, everyone has agreed to figure out the best solution and worry about ownership and maintenance later. We are connecting parts that right now do not have any connection. The ultimate goal is to create a national network of transportation that will provide an alternative for pedestrians and lessen the need to drive.” —Peter Fretty

“The ultimate goal is to create a national network of transportation that will provide an alternative for pedestrians and lessen the need to drive.”

—Bill Gallagher, Principal

sensitive to the buildings on each side.

“Both the post office to the west and Union Station to the east were designed

by Daniel Burnham, making them some of the more respected buildings in the city,” Paine says. “We wanted to contrast these structures while relating to the landscape.”

aBOVE: The Union Station Bike Transit Center incorporates the arch theme of Union Station in a more modern fashion.

DDOT, the owner, originally intended the building to mimic Union Station, built out of concrete block and attached to the portico.

“However, we knew that as soon as we made this a building, it would conflict with Union Station, so we decided to create a non-building glass structure,” Gallagher says. “There is really nothing you can call a wall, and its low profile still gives you an unobstructed view of Union Station.”

The structure does mimic Untion Station in its use of the arch as a design element.

Using low-E glazed glass and a double frit pattern to act as louvers, the structure resembles a bicycle wheel with its rotating steel-tube compression members and its stainless-steel tie rods.

With construction now complete, the structure is a well-visited, secure space housing more than 140 bikes, a changing room, and retail space for bike rentals and

152 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 152

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:06 AM

solutions/site remediation

Hidden costs are never good news

for builders renovating commercial or residential properties, but they were exactly what neyer Properties faced soon after acquiring a parcel near Cincinnati, which turned out to be an environmental hazard of unexpected proportions.

BACKGroUnDer The 16-year-old Ohio-based Neyer Properties was founded by real estate developer Dan Neyer, and it has built a solid reputation for incorporating sustainability into redevelopment of commercial and residential properties. It employed this knowhow to transform the Cincinnati brownfield site into Central Pointe on the Lateral, a brand new office campus. But the operation wasn’t without obstacles.

Central Pointe’s expansive contamination was due largely to the site’s previous tenants. Situated between the I-71 and I-75 highway corridors, the 10-acre area was once home to two businesses, a laundry operation and a woodworking manufacturer. “We discovered that the property’s former underground storage tanks had leaked gasoline, [and] solvents used by the dry-cleaning operation had leached into the environment,” says Jeff Chamot, land development manager for Neyer Properties. “Because it was a brownfield site, we knew it possessed environmental issues. However, we weren’t aware of the extent of those concerns.”

ChAllenGe Neyer Properties needed to remediate and reclaim the badly marred site in order to move forward with the plan for Central Pointe, an office campus that would include 120,000 square feet of flex space designed to LEED standards.

A/ GATeWAY 75’S SolAr-PAnel rooF B/ 7 eXiSTinG loADinG DoCKS C/ ProPoSeD DriVe-inS/DoCKS D/ eXPAnDeD reTenTion AreA e/ 4 neW loADinG DoCKS F/ neW TrUCK ACCeSS

SolUTion

eAST KeM

PeR ROAD

E

a B

CANAL ROAD

F

C D

Neyer Properties approached Clean Ohio, a state program subsidizing cleanup of contaminated brownfield locations, to begin remediation, and it successfully obtained a grant from the organization to replace the existing soil. “We contracted with a licensed environmental remediation firm to remove the poisoned soil and, at the same time, replaced it with approximately 8,000 cubic yards of fresh, clean dirt,” Chamot says. The soil is being used in renovation of two existing buildings on the property. In the meantime, Neyer has applied for a second grant from Clean Ohio to be put toward sustainable renovations of the remaining two buildings on the site.

Beyond the extensive process of soil cleanup and removal, Neyer is also heightening community awareness—and appreciation—of the environmental

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 153

and commercial viability of brownfield properties such as Central Pointe. “There are hundreds of these properties in any major urban area which, with responsible cleanup methods, could once again be locations for jobs and businesses,” Chamot says. To get this message across, Neyer representatives have met frequently with local key stakeholders who might benefit from Central Pointe.

“We’ve attended public forums and had meetings with everyone from commercial real-estate brokers to community activists and municipal authorities to let them know that, yes, Central Pointe will be an environmentally safe place to do business,” Chamot says. “We’re making significant progress in educating those within the community about the value of Central Pointe and what it means to the local economy.” The property is scheduled to open by the end of 2013.

The motivation behind Neyer’s ecological practices is simple: cost effectiveness.

“It is easier to interest a potential tenant in an existing building that has been redesigned and renovated,” Chamot says.

“Instead of having to visualize a building from blueprints, clients can walk through hallways or offices that are in place.

In addition, the building is even more appealing by increasing its sustainability and energy efficiency.” Like most Neyer projects, Central Pointe’s new structures will have numerous eco-friendly elements.

Highlights include energy-efficient building envelopes, low-flow toilets and sinks, and expansive window space that capitalizes on daylighting to curb electrical costs. another Neyer project, Gateway 75, informs projects like Central Pointe and could essentially serve as a business model for going green. Neyer is allowing renewable energy start-ups Third Sun Solar and Solar Vision to install 10,000 solar panels across a warehouse/office building’s extensive 1.1 million square feet of rooftop. The two megawatts of power generated by the panels will be purchased

by Neyer Properties for use throughout the building, guaranteeing predictable electric rates for tenants over a 10-year period.

Looking ahead, Neyer Properties sees more green opportunities. “as the recession eases, greater attention will be paid to sustainability,” Chamot says.

“Consequently, developers with strong sustainability portfolios like us will have a competitive edge in the real-estate marketplace.” —Mark Pechenik

NOV/DEC 2011 153

7/15/11 10:06 AM

architecture for

LI ING

Urban Planning Residential Mixed Use Hospitality Commercial

Navigating th e B a r r i er s to S u cces s f u l Re d ev e l o p m ent Our team has successfully procured and managed more than $35 Million in site assessment, cleanup, and demolition grants for our clients’ acquisition and development projects.

We are dedicated and responsive, and we take pride in knowing how to successfully overcome the environmental obstacles that can complicate your project – costing you valuable resources, opportunities, and peace of mind. Call us to learn more about the assistance we can offer you, or visit us online at www.srwenvironmental.com

jsa architects 6465 S. 3000 E. 205 SLC, UT 84121 8 0 1 . 7 3 3 . 2 5 0 0 www.jsa-llc.com

3x4 add.indd 1

6/7/2011 5:10:36 PM

SRW PROVIDES THE SOUND ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING EXPERTISE YOUR PROJECT DEPENDS ON. SRW Environmental Services, Inc. 800.577.8447 www.srwenvironmental.com

GBD14_book.indb 154

7/15/11 10:06 AM

solutions/multifamily residential

A single bungalow is easy to build green,

but what about large-scale developments? on 4,000 acres of Utah soil, Daybreak is one of the country’s largest new master-planned communities, and, according to real-estate advisor robert Charles lesser & Co., llC, it’s one of the best-selling. A highly anticipated aspect of the project is Crossing at Daybreak, a 326-unit multifamily residential development that is answering an important question: can a project of substantial size achieve true sustainability? JSA inc. says it can.

aBOVE: JSa, Inc. designed Crossing at Daybreak as a largescale multifamily development that would still be sustainable, largely thanks to an ultra-efficient building envelope.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 155

BACKGroUnDer

ChAllenGe

Founded in 1982, JSa Inc. made a name for itself in the niche of high-end residential design when it started doing work for Sundance, Robert Redford’s Utah ski resort. Today, the 13 employees of the Salt Lake City-based boutique firm design “architecture for the living,” principal and CFO Corey Solum says. “We like spaces that are comfortable, functional, and have a human purpose to an end. We want people to use them rather than walk through them.”

JSa got to implement its new sustainable initiative when working on the Crossing at Daybreak, a large multifamily rental property in South Jordan, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Owned by Western National Group of Irvine, California, the complex is an important part of Daybreak, which includes more than 250 acres of park land, 22 miles of walking and biking trails, and a 65-acre man-made lake. The task for JSa was to determine just how sustainable they could make a project of such ambitious size.

Working in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah, JSa prides itself on attention to detail and distinctive architectural design. “We never create the same concept or idea,” Solum says. “We think our best ideas come from our clients. We sit with them and listen to what they’re looking for—then take it 10 times farther. Exceeding their expectations is something we’re always talking about here.” In 2006, the company implemented an internal philosophy called “appropriate design,” under which it rewrote its operations manuals to include sustainable daily working practices. Today, all employees are either LEED-accredited or working toward accreditation. The firm is also an Energy Star partner.

SolUTion The Crossing at Daybreak was completed in July 2011, and the primary green feature of the project is the building envelope, designed to conserve energy with its increased wall depth, R-21 wall insulation, R-36 ceiling insulation, and high-efficiency, low-E insulated windows. The team coupled this envelope with other energy-efficiency elements, including air-conditioners that are 19 SEER and furnaces that are 90 percent efficient. Each of the 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments is separately zoned and controlled by programmable

NOV/DEC 2011 155

7/15/11 10:07 AM

solutions/multifamily residential

JSA Inc.

The clubhouse, which includes lighting- and energy-control systems, was also designed to get people out of their homes and to promote a sense of community. In all, it contains a gym, a pool, a hot tub, a living room with a built-in theater, and a game room with shuffleboard and a pool table.

THIS PaGE: The Crossing at Daybreak development includes myriad public and in-unit features, including 19 SEER air-conditioners; large personal decks; and a clubhouse with a pool, a gym, a theater, and a game room.

“We wanted the community to appear to be very light on the dependency of autos and make a statement that it was walkable. As you drive around the block, you don’t see any parking lots.”

—Corey Solum, CFo

156 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 156

an additional challenge was that the owners were used to building in California and didn’t have experience with the harsh Utah winters. “They were great developers, but they were unaware that we couldn’t have things like washers and dryers outside on the deck,” Solum says. “So we had to educate them on the area and revise the typical way they were used to doing things on the plans. But, Western National was a great client and were very involved in the design process and were very receptive to everything we had to say.” digital thermostats, and an active radon-mitigation system was installed to protect the health of the occupants. To encourage eco-friendly transportation, the property includes covered bike lockers and is just one block from a new light commuter rail line. Plus, the property itself promotes walkability. “We wanted the community to appear to be very light on the dependency of autos and make a statement that it was walkable and incorporates well into the fabric of the master development,” Solum says. “So we designed and built the buildings in C shapes and hooked them together on the end. as you drive around the block, you don’t see any parking lots, unlike most apartment buildings, where those are the first thing you see.”

The units, whether 800 square feet or 1,300 square feet, each have a large deck.

“We thought it was very important for people to be able to go outside,” he says.

Crossing was originally designed with LEED Silver certification in mind, but Western National chose not to apply because of budget constraints. additionally, because of the economic downturn, it took 18 months to complete the financing, which caused the team to cut back on building features such as photovoltaic panels, which are slated for a later date. “We had to do a cost analysis on all those things we wanted to do and what the new economy would allow us to do,” Solum says, noting that the firm’s budget was cut by roughly 10 percent. Ultimately, because of Western National’s solid reputation for apartment development and its strong financial statement, JSa was able to get the Crossing at Daybreak done in a recession that put many other apartment projects on hold. and not just get it done—but achieve such energy efficiency that the bar for largescale developments has been raised.

—Lynn Russo Whylly

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:07 AM

architect to watch “People work at factories, the factories become defunct, the water and soil become polluted—it’s a very thick plot to work with.”

JuLIE BARGMANN

The landscape architect finds more than memories in scarred toxic landscapes

by Laura M. Browning

Julie Bargmann works on damaged landscapes: old mines, landfills, and even Superfund sites. Trained as a sculptor and landscape architect, she sees beauty in scarred terrains, and her work unravels the mysteries of their complicated histories. In 1992, Bargmann founded D.I.R.T. Studio, through which she renews brownfield sites, closed quarries, and fallow factories. Her strong love of community results in a deeply collaborative approach to making toxic landscapes usable and unconventionally beautiful.

Here, gb&d speaks with Bargmann about her passion for gritty landscapes and the people whose lives have been defined by them. >

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 157

NOV/DEC 2011 157

7/15/11 10:07 AM

architect to watch

Julie Bargmann

a

B

C

D

158 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 158

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:07 AM

architect to watch

“I look at the relationship between the social and natural histories. I trace the flows of the industries into the neighborhoods and into the soil and water.”

Tell me more about the idea of “industrial forensics,” the process you use when you first approach a site. Is it more art than science?

When did you start to see the creative potential in damaged landscapes?

I grew up in a nice town in New Jersey, but of course I noticed all the refineries whenever we would drive into the city. I just had this innate interest in them—I thought they were so cool. I went to college in Pittsburgh, and I loved the grittiness of the city. I remember going on a tour of one of the steel mills and being absolutely blown away.

Project D.I.R.T. A/MATERIALS. Building on the industrial scale of the yard, steel commonly used in shipbuilding was sculpted to shape the Philadelphia project’s flagship field.

B/PATHWAYS. Historical traces, such as the sweeping curves of rail lines, were unearthed and orchestrate the new flows of production and civic life on the river.

C/WETLANDS. Constructed wetlands take the place of ships in the dry dock, filtering water and providing habitat.

D/CONTEXT. The central drydock serves as a public landing for Philadelphia’s Broad Street civic axis, terminating at the Delaware River.

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 159

How did you go from steel mills to Superfund sites?

When I was in graduate school, I became obsessed with artist Robert Smithson and studied with landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. I worked on projects with him like the Mill Race Park in Columbus, Indiana, which is on the site of an old cannery. I was awarded research money during a teaching stint in Minnesota, and that’s when I did the Project D.I.R.T. [Design Investigations Reclaiming Terrain] road trip to look at the reclamation of mining sites. and I thought, “This is what I want to do.” I moved back to the East Coast and became more interested in the intense social and cultural contexts of manufacturing sites. People work at factories, the factories become defunct, the water and soil become polluted—it’s a very thick plot to work with.

I wanted to work with real people, in real places, in real time.

It’s really not scientific, but it’s not willy-nilly, either. When I teach my students about this process, we start by researching the site histories and looking at what’s happened there, who’s lived and worked there, whether there have been multiple industries on the site, whether there’s a river nearby where they were dumping waste. But then we’ll get to a site and realize that there’s no physical evidence for a lot of what has gone on there. That’s why you have to become an investigator and gather evidence. But you uncover more than just toxic memories. absolutely. There are cool things like rail lines, vaults, and secret chambers. I look at the relationship between the social and natural histories. I trace the flows of the industries into the neighborhoods and into the soil and water. you’ll see a worker’s house—they would have lived right near the site, and they probably got the sickest because of it. There might be a bigger house on the river, where the superintendent probably lived. Minorities lived on the other side of the track. Historians can look up the census and find that somebody may have had his whole family working in the factory or mill or wood shop. The whole story is like reading a great novel.

As your influence on this kind of landscape architecture grows, what advice do you have to others in the field?

Both my practice and my teaching have shown how incredible true collaboration is. you need to assemble a team that can tell you a deep history of the place where you’re working and can be creative with that story.

It’s essential to include social and cultural historians who can really address the complexity and depths of these landscapes.

This usually means involving a lot of local folks—you really can’t underestimate the value of working with people with local expertise and knowledge of folklore. and, of course, we face so many hurdles and obstacles in the form of regulations.

Regulations come out of fears. a lot of those fears are concern for health and safety, but if we really do our homework and are transparent, then we can educate people about the parts of these scarred landscapes that are safe and usable—and that are a part of their history. gb&d

NOV/DEC 2011 159

7/15/11 10:07 AM

material world sustainability/ Farmers extract cork every 9–12 years without the need to cut any trees down, making it a natural, recyclable, and renewable material.

Cork cultivation represents an interesting relationship between agricultural husbandry and the ability to achieve high yields, says Brooklyn, New york-based designer Daniel Michalik, who first used cork when he had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a supplier’s overstock. “Normally when sourcing natural materials, we tend to oversource and deplete,” he says. “With cork, you need to achieve a balance of keeping your system healthy if you want to keep it profitable. The process of cork agriculture is a model for proper material sourcing.”

Cork It No longer only a bottle stopper, cork’s use has evolved into building and interior design. But is it as sustainable as they say?

geography/ Cork is commonly cultivated from forests in Spain, Portugal, algeria, Morocco, France, Italy, and Tunisia. known scientifically as suberous parenchyma, the wood is found in the Sobreiro’s (or cork oak’s) suber-phellodermic meristem, which constitutes the covering over the tree’s trunk and branches. attributes/ Cork is a light, elastic material, practically impermeable to liquids and gases. a truly versatile material, cork can serve as a thermal and electrical insulator as well as an acoustic and vibrational absorber. It is also nontoxic, resistant to rot, and can be compressed with practically no lateral expansion. “after six years of researching and working with cork, every time I start to design a new product, I find some exceptional aspect or characteristic to explore,” says ana Mestre, founder and principal designer of Portuguese home-design firm Corque Design. “It is an amazing material that challenges the creativity of any designer or architect. With each project, we celebrate cork as an indigenous resource of Portugal and as a renewable, recyclable, and nontoxic material with economic, social, and environmental advantages.”

160 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 160

PROS (+) + Cork is eco-efficient. As part of Corque Design’s research process to develop the new product collection, Mestre did an extensive life-cycle analysis comparing Corque’s product to products of similar functionality (tables, desks, seats) that were made from different materials (metals, plastics, other woods). In 92% of cases, cork was a more eco-efficient choice. + Cork is versatile, possessing such varied properties as flexibility, thermal insulation, acoustic absorption, and distinctive texture.

CONS (–) – Cork is costly. Harvesting the wood from tree bark is a very labor-intensive process still done by hand, and mechanizing the operation would damage the trees.

– Cork is highly sensitive to UV, and without surface protection it gets dirty easily.

uses/ The Corque Design collection comprises 15 innovative furniture pieces and home accessories made from different cork materials and composites, including agglomerate cork, rubber cork, and expanded cork. The firm’s most recent products include a spherical and infinitely customizable modular seating system known as Lagarta, made from agglomerated expanded cork and finished with a waterbased varnish; the Toni Grilo-designed Vinco chair, which combines natural agglomerate cork with rubber cork in an angular design to achieve a sophisticated yet natural aesthetic; the whimsical Puf String, a springy seat made of coiled rubber cork cut into curved strips; and Wallcork, which combines cork texture with repeated patterns to create a distinctive wall covering.

The Cortiça chaise lounge has been one of Michalik’s most successful pieces. The chair is made from a system of cut sheets of cork, allowing it to bend in two directions simultaneously. “Sheet materials routinely resist this type of behavior,” he says. “It allows it to be three-dimensional and bend. When it is laminated together it becomes very rigid and structural. There is a matter of finding balance between flexibility and structure.”

One of Michalik’s newest pieces is a chair called 3-1. It consists of cork that is machined out to fit plywood sheets as the chair’s back and legs. The cork accepts the paneling and is strong enough to hold it in, a shining example of the wood’s versatility. “With each design, my goal is to highlight what cork can accomplish, especially in areas where other materials fail,” Michalik says. “This is usually a direct result of cork’s flexibility and friction properties.” —Peter Fretty

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:07 AM

CLOCKWISE: Corque Design’s Wallcork 2; Michalik’s 3-1 Chair; Vinco by Toni Grilo for Corque; Cortiça, by Michalik; Massimo, via Corque.

“With cork, you need to achieve a balance of keeping your system healthy if you want to keep it profitable. The process of cork agriculture is a model for proper material sourcing.”

—Daniel Michalik, Furniture Designer

gbdmagazine.com

GBD14_book.indb 161

NOV/DEC 2011 161

7/15/11 10:07 AM

last look

Ultima Revisited It was 20 years ago that Chinese-American architect Eugene Tsui first outlined his biomimetic wonder, the Ultima Tower, but its architectural and ecological ambition is worth revisiting. Population growth has met or exceeded predictions, so Tsui’s concentration on building up, and bringing nature with him, to create an entire city in the sky is even more pertinent. Two miles high and housing a million people—imagine the entire city of Dallas living in one giant structure. More striking even than the stats are the cellular cross-sections, floor plans that announce a natureinspired design. The tower is more a series of ecosystems than building systems, and it responds to meteorological conditions via structural glass. It also sits on a large lake, whose water is drawn up through the structure as if through a plant’s xylem. The world isn’t necessarily any closer to seeing the Ultima Tower built than it was in 1991, but architects and engineers should explore what usable ideas might be culled from Tsui’s design. Perhaps a smaller-scale version of the edifice will one day be realized.

162 NOV/DEC 2011

GBD14_book.indb 162

gbdmagazine.com

7/15/11 10:08 AM

Builders Manhattan Community Districts 1/2/5/ Garage New York, New York

PS 276 New York, New York

The DeMatteis Organizations has been responsible for hundreds of millions of square feet of residential and commercial real estate and public projects throughout New York, Long Island the U.S. and the World - including many of our area's most celebrated spaces. From luxury high-rise apartments and multifamily housing to many of our area's most advanced office developments.......from establishing landmark air rights towers to completing budget-and time-critical governmental and industrial buildings, specialty projects and combined-use structures.

DeMatteis Organizations

820 Elmont Road | Elmont, NY 11003

info@dematteisorg.com

516.285.5500

www.dematteisorg.com GBD14_book.indb 163

7/15/11 10:08 AM

Outpost United States

Pedestrian Footbridge Evry, France

De Nieuwe Liefde Amsterdam, Netherlands

Debowa Housing Estate BPA Katowice

Heathdale House Toronto, Canada

Bamboo Forest House Taiwan, China

Tokyo French Embassy Tokyo, Japan

Boa Nova Church Estoril, Portugal

Das Aigner Ybbsitz, Austria

Zeidler House Aptos, United States

architizer.com

gb&d.indd 1 GBD14_book.indb 164

Calabar International Center Calabar, Nigeria

The Factory Rives de Seine, France

Bene Flagship Store Vienna, Austria

House in Vandans Vandans, Austria

Lucke Orozco House Guadalajara, Mexico

Fukoku Tower Osaka, Japan

MarchĂŠ Lier Lier, Norway

UPLOAD YOUR WORK AND GET SEEN.

7/15/11 5/10/11 10:08 5:01 PM AM