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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN
In This Issue July+August 2018 Volume 9, Issue 51
The Art of Plaster
Master of Plaster explores what you may have never realized about designing with the ancient art form.
PAGE 78
Collective Impact A closer look at how companies like Google and Aquafil are partnering creatively to create a more sustainable world.
PAGE 65
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UP FRONT
Creative Steps
Vans’ new headquarters in California inspires innovation.
PAGE 48
Forever Floors
Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies brings history to life.
PAGE 74
The Modern Garage Family-run Fimbel Architectural Door Specialties thinks outside the box.
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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN
Amazing Fireplaces Earthcore’s efficient fireplaces are made using Icelandic pumice.
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Table of Contents Sustainable Solutions
Trendsetters
Approach
18 Why Install a Cool Roof System
54 Leading the Field
92 Add Versatility to the Open Office
Boral Cool Roofs are beautiful, energy efficient, and last a long time.
30 Software Designed for Designers
ForeverLawn delivers individual solutions and innovations for the turf industry.
58 A Greener Way to Play
Newforma’s Project Center improves how you work.
Nature of Early Play has transformed the market for the youngest players on the playground.
Moderco’s flexible partition solutions can improve any space.
96 How to Choose the Best Industrial High Bay Lighting
The experts at Flex Lighting Solutions have just what you need.
34 Entrematic’s Keys to Cool
A closer look at what makes Entrematic’s HVLS fans stand out
Spaces 85 Sports, Redefined
Typology 46 The WELLness Factor
Studio One Eleven transforms a vacant storefront into a high-tech office.
50 Gold Standard
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This Chicago office building is full of tenant-focused technology.
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The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is changing the way we think about sports venues.
86 Smart Parking
Atlanta’s oldest traditional park gets a facelift.
88 The Best of Camp
Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground leads by example, from what it teaches to how it’s built.
Plus 12 In Conversation 14 Editors’ Picks 15 Event Preview 16 Defined Design 104 Person of Interest 106 Lessons Learned 108 In the Lab
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UP FRONT
Up Front
Typology
Inner W
The Originator 12 In Conversation Susan Inglis, executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council
34 Efficient Appliances 56 An Expert’s Guide 70 Beko US makes our to Green Roofs everyday appliances more Sika Sarnafil experts offer sustainable with forwardto anyone looking Explore: 100+advice interactive, leading-edge thinking technology. to go the green roof route.
educational sessions. 14 Editors’ Picks 36 The Functional 60 Building Better by gb&d staff IFMA’s World Workplace is Curated the most all-encompassing  Discover: Product & service solutions Aesthetics of Precast Planters Event DeepStream 74 learning and networking 15 event onPreviews facilities and how Concrete among 300+ exhibitors.Designs Fabcon’s precast concrete Mark your calendars for raises the bar for rooftop to manage them. panels elevate projects NeoCon, AIA, and BOMA. projects Dive with durable  Scrutinize: Deeper classes offer with rich color and modular planters. greater insight into FM hot topics. texture. 16 Defined Design The Southern Utah 64 How to Create an Enjoy: Welcome Reception 40 Why to Build  with Museum of Art (SUMA) Outdoor Oasis will feature NUDURA’s ICFs a NASCAR simulator minimizes its carbon Techo-Bloc’satpermeable the NASCAR 78 Insulated concrete footprint with green pavers turn unusable features. forms save time andHall of Fame.spaces into beautiful outdoor retreats. money—and they  Engage: With peers at social and 18 Bathrooms of generate less waste. the Future networking events. 44 The Power of Passive Scranton Products’ Immerse yourself in all things FMcreate — from Fire Protection partitions elegant, 82  Probe: Creative problem-solving, HOLDRITE’s firestop sustainable spaces with groundbreaking discoveries impacting to systems and projects as you tour solutions offer benefits privacy in mind. the industry, like improved air quality facilities. achievable strategies 22 forMeeting your daily to-do list. and water savings. Fire and Sound Codes  Inspire: The next generation of FMs at 86 Discover a new way to dowith it, aGypsum different place to 48 Going Beyond Green student-focused activities. Advanced solar solutions USG’s gypsum concrete source it, a cool tool to fix it or an action from Sol are reliable underlayment is the plan to solve  Grow: Start with pre-conference and durable—trumping perfect solution for multiit. Whatever your “it” is,family pursue, perfect or attain it traditional on-grid credential courses & dynamic housing projects. lighting. this October at World 26 Workplace. workshops. Consider Turf for Your Next Project 90 ProGreen’s beautiful and durable synthetic grass is the next generation of turf.
Register today at
Get involved.
Networking » Awards of Excellence » Social Events »
30 Benefits of Working with Stainless Steel Drains Stainless steel drains make retrofits easier, perform well in harsh Get informed. Get inspired. environments, and more.
Education » Facility Tours » Expo & Solutions Arenas »
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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN
Editor’s Note Chris Howe Collaboration and innovation are two big themes in the July/August issue of Green Building & Design, especially as we looked, in part, at some of the most unusual, powerful, and daring partnerships that are fostering sustainable innovations today. Just check out our “collective impact” feature on page 65. Take, for example, Aquafil (page 70). A top supplier for commercial and residential carpet manufacturers, Aquafil doesn’t just produce product like nylon—it also strives to reduce waste. Just one of the company’s many collaborations pairs them with Genomatica, a San Diego–based biotechnology company. The two companies are working to create 100% sustainable nylon using plant-based renewable ingredients instead of the fossil fuel–based materials traditionally used in the industry. Google (page 66) is also a leader in inspiring partnerships, to say the least, with collaboration like that of its work with Building Product Ecosystems and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The mega tech company is working to push the boundaries with recycled glass, poured concrete, gypsum, and wallboard, with an emphasis on using post-consumer glass as a cement replacement in concrete. Innovations like these are happening all over the country. We were recently struck by the work of Juan Carlos Idrobo (page 108), a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Idrobo measures temperature changes on the nanoscale and says advances in nanotechnology could lead to greener building materials. Idrobo told gb&d writer Shay Maunz that he was part of a team that earlier this year discovered a new way to determine the temperature of a material that’s just a nanometer
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(or 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair) wide. They did it using something called a high-energy resolution monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy-scanning transmission electron microscope—or HERMES, for short. “That allows me to better understand a material’s properties,” he told Maunz. Overall, the technique could help experts develop more efficient building materials by helping them understand how the materials perform on the atomic scale. We look forward to seeing how clever partnerships and research like this continue to push the envelope. Sincerely,
Chris Howe, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
ON THE COVER MASTER OF PLASTER BRINGS AN ANCIENT CRAFT TO LIFE WITH MODERN, INSPIRING DESIGN P. 78
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Pink plaster is a highlight of Restaurant Tu in Charleston, South Carolina.
BEHIND THE SCENES AT HASBRO P. 12
R EVIVING AN ART FORM
VANS' NEW GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS P. 48
Photo by Katie Charlotte Photography
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Publisher’s Note Laura Heidenreich
gb&d Green Building & Design gbdmagazine.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Christopher Howe ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Laura Heidenreich
MANAGING EDITOR
Laura Rote
The history of many building materials and styles runs deep, from plaster and steel to terrazzo and even pumice. We explore all of these and more in this issue of gb&d, as we recently had the opportunity to spend time with decision-makers at Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies, Earthcore, and Master of Plaster, among many others. Terrazzo dates back to ancient times, but today’s terrazzo is modeled after 20th century Italian work, according to the team at Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies (page 74). With minimal maintenance, these sustainable floors can last more than 40 years without losing their beauty. You can see examples of Terrazzo & Marble’s finest work everywhere from the 911 Memorial Museum to the Gateway Arch. Terrazzo & Marble also manufactures its own epoxy, which holds the chips together and provides architects with countless design options. With the evolution of their epoxy resin technology, the
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company is able to incorporate materials like aluminum, zinc, and brass as well as exotic aggregates like motherof-pearl. “There’s a lot of color and design flexibility because Terrazzo is poured in place. It’s limited only by the imagination,” Meyer told gb&d Associate Editor Julia Stone. Interestingly, many companies in this issue are also family- or employee-owned. Terrazzo & Marble is 100% employeeowned, for example, while Master of Plaster (page 78) is run by Kirk Dillon and two daughters. Daughter Lauren Dillon shared a bit of her experience with us this issue, recounting how she fell in love with the ancient artform. She was first exposed to ornamental plaster when she discovered the elaborate interiors of Irish artists dating all the way back to the 17th century while studying abroad. As Kirk says, “The aesthetics of plaster are just so pleasing, and the history is just so fascinating.” Some of the materials used by Earthcore (page 22) date back even further, considering we’re talking about pumice from Icelandic volcanoes. The team at this Florida-based company shared just some of what makes their fireplaces special. Aside from using materials that are as ancient as 6,000 years old, Earthcore’s products are lightweight, assembled easily, and heat up quickly. It’s just one of the many beautiful finishing touches we discovered this issue.
ART DIRECTOR
Kristina Walton Zapata ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Julia Stone
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Edgar Rios
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Julie Veternick
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
Brianna Wynsma
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Briagenn Adams Ciara Gomez
EDITORIAL INTERN
Brooke Nagler, Maia Welbel CONTRIBUTORS
Brian Barth, Anthony Brower, Rachel Coon, Colleen DeHart, Kate Griffith, Zack Harold, Holley Henderson, Russ Klettke, Shay Maunz, Margaret Poe, Nichole Reber, Carolyn Sewell, Mike Thomas, Sarah Treleaven EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Anthony Brower, Gensler; Jason F. McLennan, International Living Future Institute MAIL
Green Building & Design 1765 N. Elston Ave., Suite 202B Chicago, IL 60642 Printed in the USA. © 2018 by Green Advocacy Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. The Green Building & Design logo is a registered trademark of Green Advocacy Partners, LLC. Green Building & Design (gb&d magazine is printed in the United States using only soy-based inks. Please recycle this magazine. The magazine is also available in digital formats at gbdmagazine.com/current-issue.
Sincerely,
Green Building & Design is a certified B Corp. B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit BLab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Laura Heidenreich, Associate Publisher
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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN
Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List
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12 In Conversation Q&A with Hasbro’s senior vice president of global government affairs and corporate social responsibility.
14 Editors’ Picks Curated by gb&d staff
15 Event Preview Mark your calendar for Intersolar North America.
16 Defined Design See what you can learn from WRNS Studio’s design of this beautiful, high-tech Intuit building.
18 Sustainable Solutions Discover cool roofs, resilient fireplaces, high-end garage doors, and more.
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UP FRONT
In Conversation Kathrin Belliveau Hasbro’s toy-making isn’t the only thing that’s inspiring. Their senior vice president of global government affairs and corporate social responsibility tells us about their recycling and manufacturing, too.
By Brian Barth
PHOTO, PREVIOUS PAGE: COURTESY OF HASBRO
Hasbro, which has made playtime a little more fun since 1923 with products ranging from classic board games like Candy Land and Monopoly to fanciful figurines like My Little Pony and Mr. Potato Head, also happens to be the world’s most sustainable toy company. That’s according to Newsweek’s 2017 Green Rankings, which ranked the company third out of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. on overall environmental performance; no other toy company is in the top 10. Hasbro is carbon neutral across its U.S. operations, built a LEED Gold headquarters in Rhode Island, and occupies LEED-certified office space in multiple other cities. The company conducts life cycle assessments (LCAs) on its products to identify ways to reduce environmental impact, and earlier this year they announced a slew of ambitious initiatives to raise the sustainability bar on their product line. For example, they’re phasing in bio-based plastic in their packaging and have created the first dedicated toy recycling program in the industry. Municipal waste management services are typically not outfitted to recycle toys, so the company launched hasbrotoyrecycling.com: parents can ship out a free shipping label, box up old, unused toys, and Hasbro will see to it that they are recycled. Mr. Potato Head will live again. We recently spoke with Kathrin Belliveau, Hasbro’s senior vice president of global government affairs and corporate social responsibility, to learn more.
gb&d: How does sustainability relate to Hasbro’s larger mission of toy-making? Belliveau: Our purpose is to make the world a better place for children and their families, and when we talk about “the world” we are talking about our planet and the environment, and conserving natural resources for future generations. Not only do we care deeply about sustainability, we know this is a shared value with our consumers and all of our stakeholders. It’s a win-win and core to our purpose, mission, and how we operate around the world. gb&d: What has the response been to the new toy recycling program so far? Belliveau: We’ve seen a tremendous response to the Hasbro Toy Recycling program, the first of its kind in the industry thus far. Consumer interest, feedback, and participation rates have been overwhelming. We are using 2018 as a pilot year to get some learnings under our belt and, if all goes well, we hope to expand the program to consumers globally in the future. gb&d: How does the recycling program work? How are the toys broken down and what are they recycled into? Belliveau: Most municipalities in the U.S. do not offer toy and game recycling, so we introduced this free pilot program to offer our consumers an opportunity to recycle their well-loved Hasbro toys and games. Once participants sign up online, they can collect and box up their toys and games, print out a free shipping label, and send their box to TerraCycle, who will sort and recycle the products. The program is open to all Hasbro toys and games, including face-to-face games, electronic toys, wood/ plastic/metal toys, action figures, dolls, plush toys, and more. All toys and games collected through this program will be recycled into new materials for the construction of new playgrounds, play spaces, park benches, and other innovative uses. gb&d: What did it take to get the company to carbon neutral? What are the next steps for Hasbro in terms of energy use?
This conversation continues on p. 15
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Editors’ Picks Curated by gb&d staff
PRODUCT POWER GROUT This Tecspecialty product is a powerful material in construction. The grout works well in wet conditions, as it has the lowest absorption of water and it resists mold and mildew. It’s also stainproof and never requires sealing. Power Grout resists cracks and shrinking so its structure stays strong. The grout can support high foot traffic—it can exceed 10,000 psi compressive strength—so it can be used in many settings, from residential to heavy weight-bearing commercial sites. The grout sets fairly fast, performing most functions within four hours of placement. tecspecialty.com
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PROJECT AIRBNB ENVIRONMENTS TEAM The Airbnb Environments Team designed a truly inspiring workspace for its San Francisco headquarters. It’s not only a collaborative workspace; it represents the international community the company fosters. Each floor reflects a city—Kyoto, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, and so on—with colors, materials, and patterns inspired by the location. The office is further divided into neighborhoods, each with meeting spaces designed to look like living or dining rooms. Individual workspaces have eye-catching designs, too, like camping-themed spaces enclosed by tents. You’ll also find yoga and workout studios for blowing off steam. airbnb.com
PRODUCT BRODY WORKLOUNGE The Brody Worklounge provides a comfortable way to work in any office. This lounge desk has a padded chair with patented LiveLumbar™ support technology, so your back has support no matter how long you work. The chair includes a moveable desk so you can bring your work to eye level for minimal neck strain. The enclosed space also enhances performance. The Brody Worklounge is made from 14% recycled materials, and Steelcase has received sustainable-focused certifications like Cradle to Cradle, SCS Indoor Advantage, LEVEL® by BIFMA, and OEKO-TEX. steelcase.com
PRODUCT AERELIGHT A1 This desk light has no bulbs or heavy metals. Instead, the Aerelight A1 uses LED technology, producing light through organic carbon-based dyes—it’s the world’s first consumer-ready OLED lamp. This technique creates light without creating heat, so the lamp will never burn your finger. Its brightness is adjustable, so it can produce anything from super bright light to a softer glow. The design is elegant, with a wooden base where you can adjust brightness. The base also acts as a wireless charger so you can charge your phone simply by placing it on the lamp. aerelight.com
PRODUCT OUTLIER Texture and pattern make this new, modular carpet from Bentley Mills pop. Its blend of geometry and color adds fun to any room while maintaining a sophisticated look. The carpet is sustainable and has received many environmental certificates, including Cradle to Cradle, NSF® 140, and CRI Green Label Plus. It comes in many cushion tiles and hardback tile sizes so you can customize your floor. “Offices and hospitality and retail spaces are responding to our desire to infuse more of the design elements we love most about our homes,” says Todd van der Kruik, Bentley’s vice president of design. bentleymills.com
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF STEELCASE
Steelcase’s Brody Worklounge is comfortable, good-looking, and incorporates recycled materials.
UP FRONT
Event Preview Summer 2018 By Brooke Nagler
IN CONVERSATION with Kathrin Belliveau Continued from p. 13
Belliveau: Hasbro uses 100% renewable energy and is carbon neutral across its U.S. operations and has achieved 99.6% across all global operations. In addition to purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Hasbro purchases carbon offsets to address its global carbon footprint. We’re pursuing a set of ambitious environmental goals for 2025 across our owned/operated facilities (based on a 2015 baseline year), including reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 20%. gb&d: What other sorts of green features might one find at a Hasbro facility? Belliveau: In the U.S., our preference is to lease LEED-certified buildings. Our LEED Gold headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island includes reclaimed wood flooring made from barn wood siding sourced in New England and PVC-free carpet tiles. Our Burbank, California office features ventilation control systems that monitor carbon dioxide levels and circulate fresh air to maintain a healthy interior environment, while helping reduce energy demand and LED lighting with controls that automatically measure natural light and dim the fixtures accordingly, further reducing electricity consumption.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF INTERSOLAR NORTH AMERICA
gb&d: What is the Sustainability Center of Excellence?
Intersolar North America DETAILS This three-day conference connects solar busiWhen July 10–12 nesses and professionals from all over the solar powWhere San Francisco, CA er industry. The event hosts more than 500 exhibitors, Web intersolar.us from project managers to manufacturers, and draws in approximately 15,000 visitors, whose specialties include policy, architecture, and so much more. You can expect to learn all of the latest about photovoltaics, PV production technologies, smart renewable energy, and solar thermal technology when you attend Intersolar. While the event is focused in North America, Intersolar also hosts international conferences in other areas of the world like India and Europe, making it part of a global community of solar industry leaders.
Belliveau: Hasbro is committed to helping build a safer, more sustainable world for future generations, and the Sustainability Center of Excellence is Hasbro’s blueprint to guide our efforts and drive continuous improvement across every aspect of our business. Our Center of Excellence is based around three pillars. The first pillar is called “Design for the Environment,” which focuses on reducing the environmental impacts of our products and packaging. The second pillar is “Sustainable Supply Chain” to drive sustainable sourcing and eco-efficient logistics and natural resource conservation. And finally, our third pillar is all about “greening” Hasbro facilities and building an eco-minded culture. gb&d: What are some examples of materials in your products that represent sustainable alternatives? Belliveau: Earlier this year we announced that we will begin using plant-based biopolyethylene terephthalate (PET) for blister packs and plastic windows in our product This conversation continues on p. 17
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UP FRONT
Defined Design
Marine Way Building By Maia Welbel
Workplace environments play a key role in employee comfort, productivity, and culture. That’s why financial technology company Intuit prioritized connection and wellbeing in the design of its new Mountain View campus. WRNS Studio and Clive Wilkinson Architects worked together to build a space for Intuit employees that encourages collaboration and fosters innovation. The 185,000-square-foot Marine Way Building is organized into “neighborhoods” that are flexible enough to accommodate teamwork without compromising focus. Communal spaces on each of its four floors function as living rooms, creating opportunities for spontaneous interaction and allowing for moments of relaxation. Completed in 2016, The Marine Way Building is LEED Platinum–certified and closely connected with the surrounding landscape. Natural light filters in through rows of high windows.
Electrochromic glass regulates the intensity of the light by automatically adjusting its opacity, providing consistent ambient light throughout the day. Sunlight sensitive LED lights dim or shut off when not needed. Employees can customize temperature in any part of the room by adjusting the underfloor air distribution (UFAD) system with spinners on the floor. Radiant ceiling panels along the edge of the building keep temperature control efficient and low energy. Terraces and green roofs make use of Mountain View’s temperate climate, serving as outdoor workspaces with views of the bay. They are part of the natural landscape strategy designed to preserve native ecology. Naturalized wetland bio-filtration areas and native plant gardens help preserve the local saltmarsh and grassland ecosystem. For the Intuit community, innovation is built in. gb&d
Clerestory A windowed wall that sits higher than the surrounding roofs to light a space.
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IN CONVERSATION with Kathrin Belliveau Electrochromic glass Glass that uses electricity to change between a transparent and a tinted state in response to the light hitting it, regulating how much light and heat passes through.
Continued from p. 15
packaging starting in 2019. This shift in material builds upon Hasbro’s efforts to continuously enhance the sustainability of our packaging and enables us to develop packaging that is less reliant on nonrenewable resources. This step is one of many advancements we have made to enhance the sustainability of our packaging over the past decade. Additional actions include eliminating wire ties in 2010, replacing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with PET in 2013, and achieving 90% recycled or sustainably sourced paper for packaging and in-box content in 2015. gb&d: How is the company leading the toy industry in sustainability?
UFAD system Underfloor air distribution systems utilize space between the building’s core structure and a raised floor to condition air and distribute it through floor diffusers throughout the building.
Belliveau: For more than 20 years, Hasbro has pioneered company-wide initiatives and industry standards in the areas of product safety, ethical sourcing, and environmental sustainability. Beyond our industry, we are proud to have been recognized by some of the world’s most prestigious business rankings for our CSR and sustainability commitments and advancements. For example, Hasbro ranked number 3 on Newsweek’s 2017 Green Rankings, which assesses the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. on overall environmental performance. We have been ranked among the top five on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine for four consecutive years, which assesses the top 1,000 publicly held companies in the U.S., and we have been one of the very few consumer products companies named a “most ethical company” by Ethisphere Institute for the past seven consecutive years. gb&d: What have been the greatest challenges in your sustainability journey thus far? Belliveau: One of the challenges we face in our business is in the exploration of alternate materials. There are myriad considerations that we need to take into account, from our high quality and safety standards to our requirements for aesthetic design and consumer experience. Additionally, new materials must also comply with new and rapidly changing regulatory restrictions. Finally, we must always bear in mind that innovative products must maintain competitive pricing for our consumers. It’s quite a complex arena. gb&d
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PHOTOS: JEREMY BITTERMANN
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UP FRONT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
Boral Cool Roof systems breathe.
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UP FRONT
Why Install a Cool Roof System Boral Cool Roofs in clay and concrete use tried and true principles of physics to cool modern, energy-efficient homes.
By Russ Klettke
Students of biomimicry love how nature provides techniques for natural ventilation and cooling. Termite mounds, for example, with their internal chimneys and gas-permeable walls, are the model for passive, non-mechanical ways to cool commercial buildings in Harare, Zimbabwe. Warm air rises, regardless of whether it’s in a termite mound or human habitat. Boral Cool Roof Systems work a bit like termite mounds and indigenous building systems like those devised in equatorial regions that allow rising heat to escape from structures. The roofing tiles’ design is passive—no mechanical devices or energy are required to power the system—and yet it saves 22% off cooling costs. Wade Shepherd, a chemical engineer who now works as a senior business development manager for Boral Roofing, explains that the Boral Cool Roof System elevated batten system previously existed to keep the roof system dry. “We elevated the battens that the tiles hang on by adding pads to the bottom of the battens to prevent trapping moisture and allow drainage, which preserves the roof system beneath the tiles,” he says. “It was three-fourths of an inch and we added another three-eighths of an inch while also using higher quality wood for the batten to improve resiliency.” But the Boral Cool Roof System has even more benefits. gb&d
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BORAL ROOFING
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It’s a roof that breathes. The thermodynamics of rising air—flotation, because warm air is less dense—is the guiding principle for Boral Energy Efficient Cool Roof Systems. The mechanics are simple: An elevated batten system creates a continuous space sandwiched between the tiles and the underlayment (over the roof deck), providing a channel for air to flow up and out. The air feeds in through a vented eave riser, passes under the tiles, and flows out via passive exhaust ventilation at the ridge.
An elevated batten system creates a continuous space between the tiles and the underlayment.
It works with different roofing styles. The Boral Cool Roof Systems are easily understood with Mediterranean-style clay roofing tiles. Characteristically used in warmer climates, the Spanish mission barrel shape allows for that flow of air from the lower intake to the upper roof vent. The elevated batten system that allows that airflow can also be incorporated into slate and shake styles, expanding the system to additional architectural styles. Boral also manufactures a clay-like barrel tile out of concrete, as well as slate and shake tiles that similarly shed hot air.
It saves money in multiple ways.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF BORAL ROOFING
The Boral Cool Roof System shaves costs off of cooling bills by shedding up to 86% of the heat that the sun-facing roof absorbs on a clear day. But that isn’t achieved solely through the airflow design. Boral Roofing Clay and Concrete Cool Roof tiles radiate heat before it’s even absorbed; up to 53% of the sun’s solar energy bounces off the tiles’ and shakes’ high solar reflectance surfaces. By comparison, an asphalt-shingle roof reflects less than 10% of solar energy. Perhaps the best illustration of this roofing system’s efficacy is from the company’s measurement of attic temperatures. All other factors being equal, an attic in a standard asphalt shingle home registered 139 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot day while one under the Boral Cool Roof System was 94 degrees Fahrenheit —a 32% temperature reduction.
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PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS: COURTESY OF BORAL ROOFING
Roofs like these last longer— made to last as long as the building itself.
California loves them. The Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards stipulate that low-sloped roofs have white or light-colored reflectivity. However, steep sloped roofs present challenges to architects because darker roofs are often a preferred aesthetic. To address this, Boral collaborated with the California Energy Commission to write standards for roofs that are able to shed heat in ways other than color. “The Commission recognizes this system as another great way to reduce energy in addition to light colored surfaces,” Shepherd says.
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Longer-lasting roofs.
Manufacturing is green, too.
The lifespan of asphalt shingle roofs is between 15 and 30 years, depending on product quality, climatic conditions, adverse events, and other factors. Clay and concrete tile roofs are permanent features of a home, designed to last as long as the structure itself and requiring little to no maintenance. “Systems that breathe and dry out last much longer and, if installed correctly and maintained, won’t need to be replaced,” Shepherd says.
Boral Roofing Clay Tiles are made from actual clay, and up to 59% of the material in the products is recycled content (upon demolition, the clay tiles are 100% recyclable). In a recent year, the company used 48 million tons of recycled materials. Boral Roofing was the first roofing tile manufacturer to achieve the Cradle To Cradle Gold certification. Tiles and shakes are made of concrete as opposed to asphalt shingles, and actually absorb carbon dioxide from the air—to 20% of the CO2 emitted in manufacturing over the life of the roof.
There’s an energy calculator for builders and homeowners. Of course, homes and their roofs vary and face different climatic conditions. To identify the relative savings with the cool roof system, Boral provides an online calculator to check for multi-year savings.
Cool roofs are easy to install. “There is no significant change to the installation procedure,” Shepherd says. The roofers who work with the system are not required to use exotic materials or tools. Boral’s recommended underlayment has an extremely strong polyester surface, which meets the high Miami-Dade (Florida) standards for wind and moisture resistance.
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Finding the Perfect Fireplace Earthcore makes efficient, costeffective, and beautiful fireplaces from the land of ice and fire. By Zack Harold
Along Iceland’s southern shore sits Mt. Hekla. It’s an impressive snow-capped ridge shaped like an upturned boat, a popular place for hiking, skiing, and rock climbing. But Hekla is also the most active of Iceland’s many volcanoes, erupting more than 20 times over the last 1,000 years. Those eruptions have created huge deposits of pumice at the mountain’s base, as glowing red magma infused with gas bubbles cooled off to form highly-pressurized, porous, and lightweight stone. The process has gone on for millenia. But it was only about 80 years ago that a Danish chimney company realized this pumice— Mother Nature’s own firebrick—made highly effective chimney insulation. The company then began building fireboxes from pumice, too, and the Isokern fireplace was born. It wasn’t until the 1990s that Isokern products became widely available in the U.S. Carl Spadaro, who’d cut his teeth in the investment business, took over the company’s North American operations. He formed his Jacksonville, Florida–based company Earthcore and started traveling the U.S. and Canada, attending trade shows and touting the benefits of his product to any architect, government building official, or contractor who’d listen. Unlike a traditional brick-and-mortar fireplace, Isokern fireplaces and chimneys are made with organic pumice aggregate, which go together quickly thanks to their inter-locking construction. “Nobody knew what modular masonry technology was,” he says. It didn’t take long for customers to realize Earthcore’s Isokern fireplaces didn’t just go together quickly. They also looked great and were more fuel efficient than traditional fireplaces. And since the material comes from the belly of the earth, they will last forever. Isokern’s popularity has inspired some knockoffs over the years, but these competitors make their modular components from concrete, not pumice. “Fire and concrete don’t like each other. It eventually cracks and fails,” Spadaro says. Pumice, meanwhile, is incredibly resilient. “You’re using materials that are 6,000 years old,” he says. “Nothing beats a volcano.” Earthcore has a network of 10 solution centers across the country and is available through more than 400 dealers nationwide.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF EARTHCORE
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“THEY GO TOGETHER LIKE L I N C O L N L O G S .” BRIAN THOMPSON TEXAS-BASED HOME BUILDER
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Because it is so lightweight and well-insulated, Earthcore’s Bvetto series can be installed directly onto wood flooring. It is the tallest of the company’s fireplace options, with a 52-inch finished opening height. And, like all Isokern models, customers can choose from a variety of hand-laid firebrick options to suit their decorating style.
Pumice is so plenteous around Mt. Hekla that harvesting the stone requires little more than scraping off a few feet of black soil and digging up the loose rock. Trucks move the stone to a nearby port where it is loaded onto ships, bound for Earthcore’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chesapeake, Virginia. Once there, the pumice is pressed into a mold under intense pressure in an automated plant to form the 23 unique pieces used to construct the line Isokern fireplaces. Houston, Texas–based homebuilder Brian Thompson has been using Earthcore products for 15 years. He says customers appreciate Isokern’s efficiency and appearance but really love the cost savings. Materials for Isokern fireplaces cost more than brick but can be built so quickly the labor costs are drastically lower. “Masonry might take a week,” Thompson says. Isokern fireplaces, meanwhile, are assembled in less than a day. “They go together like Lincoln Logs,” he says.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF EARTHCORE
“ YO U ’ R E U S I N G M AT E R I A L S T H AT A R E 6 , 0 0 0 Y E A R S O L D . N O T H I N G B E AT S A V O L C A N O .” C A RL SPA DA RO, E A R THCORE CEO
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Earthcore’s gas-burning Vent Free series can be installed in places where a typical fireplace would not go, such as a multi-story high-rise where there are no outlets for venting. This model, like the Magnum and Standard series, is available with a double-sided visibility option and can be used in indoor or outdoor applications. Isokern’s pumice fireplaces heat up quickly and retain that heat. Not only does this make them more efficient than traditional masonry installations, it reduces creosote buildup since the smoke stays warm as it escapes the chimney. Earthcore’s GreenTech solution, a proprietary catalytic combustor that is easily installed on Isokern’s Magnum and Standard series fireplaces, creates the world’s cleanest-burning open hearth masonry fireplace. The combustor reduces emissions by up to 80% and qualifies under the EPA’s Phase II Voluntary Wood Burning Fireplace Program. gb&d
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF EARTHCORE
The Magnum series can be used for indoor or outdoor installations and will burn either gas or wood. It is available in widths up to 72 inches and can be installed on a wood sub-floor using Earthcore’s proprietary Fire-Lite stand, making this product versatile for even a secondfloor installation.
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What Defines a Modern, Green Garage Door The experts in family-run Fimbel Architectural Door Specialties tell us why vinyl doors are the most sustainable. By Russ Klettke
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The Fimbel family knows its garage doors. Ed Fimbel III, the outgoing CEO of Fimbel Architectural Door Specialties (Fimbel ADS)—whose daughter Erin is taking up the helm as company president alongside daughter and vice president Michaela—recalls the wood doors his grandfather made when the company was founded in 1924. He understands the evolution to steel in the 1970s and is resolute on the green benefits and strong aesthetics of vinyl and vinyl-clad doors they sell today. But Fimbel cautions that at least one measure of garage door sustainability—the R-value used to report insulation properties—may not tell the story homeowners, builders, and architects want to hear. It’s a little more complicated than that. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF FIMBEL ADS
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FIMBEL ADS
class houses all looked the same. Garage doors are very large and most often face the street. There was value in upgrading from ‘plain Jane’ to something more architectural.” Today the company sells nearly 2,700 doors, manufactured in a plant that adjoins its Whitehouse, New Jersey headquarters with a second plant in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, each year in a good economy.
CUSTOM, HIGH-END DOORS First, consider how garage doors have evolved into something visually important, and how sustainable manufacturing and longer-lasting products make for a better environment. This is not Fimbel’s father and grandfather’s company; it’s a whole new building world with higher expectations for quality and design. Fimbel ADS’s higher-end doors can be made any way a customer wishes. Priced from $2,000 for a single door to $11,000 for a custom double—doors measure about 16 feet wide by 8 feet tall, but not every garage comes in a standard size, hence the need for customization—a Fimbel ADS door is recognized by architects and homeowners for playing a key role in curb appeal. “A garage door can constitute 30 to 40% of a home’s façade,” Ed says. Peruse the company’s catalog and you’ll see a range of styles—from carriage house swing doors to overhead doors in a variety of designs, including carriage house, traditional, modern, flush, and full custom. The array of options is especially important as people increasingly want something unique—no one wants to look just like their neighbor. Fortunately, Fimbel ADS’s cutting-edge construction methods and manufacturing techniques allow them to customize to make almost anything you could dream of. “We always sold to a select, niche market of high-end customers,” Ed says. “But that changed in the 1990s. Middle gb&d
GREEN BENEFITS From a sustainability standpoint, garage doors made of wood simply don’t make sense. Wood rots, particularly in wet and humid environments, resulting in more frequent replacements, Ed says. The garage doors made popular in the mid-20th century were made of steel, but steel rusts in the same places where wood rots. It also dents easily and has an undesirable fake woodgrain stamped into the face. Fortunately, there’s a better, more beautiful option. Fimbel ADS’s garage doors are made of petroleum-based vinyl (solid composite vinyl sheets and vinyl-clad steel), and that makes a lot more sense. Chris Birdyshaw, vice president of sales and marketing for Fimbel (and also Ed’s son-in-law), explains why it’s the preferred, and greener, choice. “We use vinyl because it will not rot or rust,” he says. And while vinyl experiences seasonal
Fimbel ADS uses vinyl to make intricate designs at a reasonable price.
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“A G A R A G E D O O R C AN CONS TITUTE 30 TO 40% OF A H O M E ’ S FA C A D E .”
expansion and contraction, it does so without cracking. The vinyl surface can also be painted in standard or specified colors and repainted as desired. “We also use top-grade components such as 11-gauge hinges,” Birdyshaw says, noting that the industry standard is the thinner 13-gauge material. He says many high-end homes are using low-maintenance materials like cement board siding and vinyl trim boards, columns, and soffits. “Vinyl garage doors are a natural progression to that way of thinking,” Birdyshaw says. “Vinyl offers us the ability to make a high-end product with the look and feel of a wood door, but our doors are maintenance-free and can survive in harsh environments, like the coast, where a wood door would deteriorate.” Fimbel ADS also uses vinyl to make beautiful, intricate designs at a reasonable price and offers an expansive finishing program. But those big doors are increasingly expected to offer temperature insulation, too—in part because garages are sometimes heated and often under a second story of the house. Some garages also house more parties than automobiles. The problem, the Fimbel family says, is that a simple R-value to indicate insulation presents a false story. It has been said that an R-value of 6 is 91% energy-efficient and an R-value of 17 is 93% energy-efficient, so consumers don’t really need to get hung up on it, Birdyshaw says. Consider, for example, looking around the sides of your garage door from the inside. “You’ll probably see some daylight peeking
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FIMBEL ADS
ED FIMBEL III, FIMBEL ADS
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The Custom Modern Euro with V grooves features acid-etched glass and a red mahogany faux stain finish.
WHY THIS MATTERS 1 While it may be surprising to some, vinyl may be one of the smartest building materials out there. It’s resilient, it can be painted, and it holds insulation well.
2 Resiliency is a green principle, but it’s also an aesthetic: salt/coastal environments are bad on steel, and wood rots. If a door has to be replaced after 10 years, that’s twice the resources required (and costs double, too).
3 Using vinyl and CNC technology presents endless design possibilities, with precise work that costs less and is built to last.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FIMBEL ADS
through here and there. That’s normal because the door needs to be able to move,” he says. Birdyshaw adds, “The only thing keeping the weather out are those pieces of molding with the rubber flap along the edge and the rubber on the bottom of the door. In truth, a consumer only needs an insulated door in areas where it gets fairly cold in the winter and only needs insulated glass if the garage is insulated/heated. The insulated glass is to prevent condensation—it doesn’t actually increase the R value very much at all.”
LEADING BY EXAMPLE The embodied energy in the door manufacturing, as well as the green practices in Fimbel ADS’s administrative offices, contribute to their products’ green story. The company’s New Jersey headquarters and manufacturing plant draws 80% of electricity from solar panels on the roof. The company is also a member of the USGBC and had its operations successfully reviewed by The Institute for Green Business Certification on the basis of recycling, water and energy conservation, waste reduction, and environmentally friendly purchasing. Birdyshaw attributes these sustainability initiatives to the newest generation of company leadership, Erin Fimbel. It would likely make her great-grandfather proud. “He always was waste conscious,” Ed says. “He burned wood scrap to heat the building.”gb&d gb&d
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Software Designed for Designers Newforma is streamlining project information management for architects and engineers with convenient, collaborative technology.
by Julia Stone
Newforma’s technology came on the scene in 2004, and they’ve been changing the game for the project information management (PIM) software industry ever since. Newforma Project Center helps design teams organize and find project information quickly and easily. Architects and engineers often have complex folder structures containing terabytes of data generated per project that abecome difficult to search and manage. “Newforma’s server is looking at all of the content of those folders, indexing the information, and then providing a way for users to search that material,” says Aaron Kivett, solution consultant at Newforma. Founded by design engineers, Project Center is the only product on the market created specifically for construction design teams.
EMAIL MANAGEMENT Architects, engineers, and project designers are constantly alternating between many projects at once, so email management is key. Project Center can easily file emails into project folders. Their email management services index all your project-related
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Newforma offers userfriendly solutions for email management and more.
emails, offer prime search capabilities, and allow you to relate your emails to other project documents. Many project managers have a very limited view of email correspondence on a project. “If you’ve got a project team with five or more people, they are all getting emails,” Kivett says. “We give you a way to file those emails into the project and give visibility to all those team members of all of those emails.” TP Bennett, a leading architectural design practice in London, decided to go with Newforma to better manage their Outlook email. They needed a solution to help them file emails with other project inforgbdmagazine.com
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file attached to an email. No matter where the data is on your network, Project Center puts all project files in one convenient portal. “The Project Center search capability is an application almost everyone uses in the course of a day,” Yates says. “It finds information whether it’s in an email, in an attachment to an email, or in the notes on drawings.”
MITIGATING RISK Project Center can help address urgent situations and manage risk, too. You can quickly deal with pressing issues instead of having to hold a meeting or dig through five employees’ inboxes. Kivett says one of the principals at his previous architectural firm applauded Project Center for saving him time and money. He had finished a project in Kansas City, when, unfortunately, the parking garage started leaking and the owner threatened to sue the firm and the contractor. “The principal had vaguely remembered a conversation about the waterproofing choice for the project,” Kivett says. “In two minutes, after opening Project Center and searching for ‘waterproofing,’ he found an email from the contractor to the owner that someone on his team had been copied on.” In the email, the contractor requested they use a different waterproofing material than the firm had originally specified, and the owner had agreed to it in a follow-up email. “He probably could have found that email without Project Center, but it would have taken a long time, and by then, maybe lawyers would have been involved,” Kivett says. “But with Project Center, he was able to do that right away while he was still on the phone with the owner.”
SCREENSHOT: COURTESY OF NEWFORMA
mation and easily access project-specific details. “It ticked all the boxes,” says Stephen Yates, IT director at TP Bennett. “People could file email. They could find it again with ease. The software does not replicate already-filed emails. It recognizes attachments and ties them to the email they came with. It allows us to take the email out of one person’s inbox and make it available to the rest of the team.” With this software, you can locate project emails in seconds, even when they originate from employees no longer at the firm. Project Center’s search function even finds the search term when it’s in a ZIP gb&d
SUBMITTALS MADE SIMPLE Project Center makes the submittal process run smoother, too. Architects now have an easier way to handle different submittal systems for multiple projects. “Architects would rather not have to rely on the contractor to manage these processes. What we do is provide them both with an alternative way to work together,” Kivett says. “They want to know what they need to do, when they sent it back, so if they get in a dispute with that contractor, they can show up at a meeting and have the evidence behind whatever it is that they did.” For this reason, many of Newforma’s clients admit managing their own logs through Excel before using Project Center. But entering data is time intensive and relies completely on team members to remember every detail. If you forget to log something into Excel, it’s off the radar. “A lot of our competitors force everyone to use the contractor’s tools—the architect, subcontractor, and engineer—they want them all in their system,” Kivett says. The Newforma team realized firms prefer to use their own ecosystem of AECO solutions. That’s why Project Center imports submittals from july–august 2018
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TP Bennett used Newforma Project Center to help design Skype’s London office.
EASE OF INTEGRATION Other software systems require you give up applications you use every day or radically change existing processes and workflows. Project Center integrates with what you already use and replaces services that fall short, like FTP and generic cloud-sharing technology. “Think of Project Center as a digital blanket that lays on top of your company’s information,” says Kivett. With Project Center, architects and engineers can keep using their project folders and file things the way they usually do. But when they need to find something, instead of having to dig through file after file, they use Project Center’s search function to streamline the process. “Design teams just want to get the work done. They don’t want to be burdened with learning a ton of new technology on the job,” Kivett says. “One of Project Center’s biggest strengths is that you don’t have to change the way you work.” Newforma offers an on-premise and a cloud-based system, which sets them apart from many competitors who only offer cloud-based systems. “Most of our competitors don’t provide for project data that may still sit behind the firewall—they’re all cloud-
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based, which is good for some reasons, but one of the major downsides is you have to move all of your project data to the cloud,” Kivett says. “We want to fit into what you’re already doing.” Additionally, projects can’t have data stored off-premise for security reasons. Once a project is completed the data must be retained for legal purposes. Finally, it can be cost prohibitive to leave this data on cloud-based systems.
THE FUTURE Newforma’s team is always meeting with design professionals, architects, and engineers to discuss where they want the product to go and where the design industry is heading. They’re also focused on product development. “We’ve developed a cloud platform to connect to our on-premise solution,” Kivett says. “Later this year, our cloud platform will work without any on-premise servers. This will lower that barrier to entry for customers who aren’t interested in deploying the servers on their networks.” Newforma believes a hybrid approach with both on-premise and cloud-based capabilities is the better approach for most projects. Newforma already integrates with many enterprise resource planning (ERP) software applications, but Kivett is looking forward to expanding these integrations as well as integrating with more. “The project budget in the accounting ERP system is really separate from the design work,” he says, adding that Newforma is working on integrating project activity information to help inform the planning and budgbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEWFORMA
their competitors’ systems with just a few clicks— eliminating the need to manually log something into Excel and run the risk of something falling through the cracks.
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THE IMPACT
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEWFORMA
Find everything you need in one place with Newforma Project Center.
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geting processes, so you can get a better idea of how close your team is to finishing a project. Kivett says many tools have been surfacing in the industry over the last several years that help with a single project task like Dropbox for file sharing. “It’s hard to homogenize a company into using one standard tool for things, so we’ve been working on what we call ‘connectors’ for a while now. Connectors are easy to talk about, but they are hard to get right,” he says. “Our connectors ensure project information is available when you need it and wherever you need it, whether you are in the office or in the field. It is important to us that our connectors deliver real value to a project team.” Instead of trying to compete with other AECO technologies, Newforma wants to ensure their solutions connect to them and make sure people can use the tools they feel are most effective and efficient for them. gb&d
Companies relied on manual processes and disconnected systems before Newforma solutions, according to Aaron Kivett, solution consultant at Newforma. Without Newforma solutions, designers couldn’t take an email from the contractor and convert it automatically into an RFI, which resulted in a more complex workflow. “Someone had to read the email, go to an Excel file, enter that in, save that file in a project folder, then remember to go take care of it later.” Furthermore, when email communications aren’t incorporated into the entire project record or are difficult to find, making timely and accurate decisions isn’t possible. There are also many technical issues with this method. “If you have two emails with the same subject line, they will override each other or you would have to manually rename them. It’s a terrible experience,” Kivett says. Plus, once the project emails were in the folder, there was no easy way to find them. “You just had a folder with a whole bunch of emails in it,” he says. “You couldn’t go in and say, show me all the emails that the contractor sent the owner, but with a Newforma solution you can do that.”
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Origin Climbing & Fitness Center in Las Vegas utilized Entrematic fans.
ENTREMATIC’S KEYS TO COOL EDITED BY LAURA ROTE
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The heart of Entrematic’s fan is its unique spinning component, which the University of Texas at Arlington’s aeronautical engineering group helped them develop. “The whole design of this fan closely mimics the design of a helicopter,” Hoofard says.
DOWNTURNED WINGTIP
This promotes airflow efficiency, funneling turbulent air away. “Early helicopter blades had a flat end, but they found that as the blade moves it lifts, so the tips fly up,” Hoofard says. Entrematic’s blade was designed to be relatively stiff, and they wanted the blade to stay as horizontal as possible without flexing throughout operation. They added downward winglets to reduce the wingtip vortice, allowing the blades to keep moving air down. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ENTREMATIC
You may not always think to notice, but look up at the ceilings of countless major retailers, athletic facilities, and even warehouses and you’ll undoubtedly see sleek, often colorful, five-blade fans spinning overhead. They keep you cool and comfortable without overwhelming a space or its occupants. These are the clever engineering of Entrematic, the company that has reinvented the HVLS (highvolume low-speed) fan in the last decade. “From 2010 to 2012 the industry hadn’t really innovated,” says Richard Hoofard, director of engineering at Entrematic. “There were a couple of companies and they were the only ones in the race ... We felt there was an opportunity for us to come in and innovate.” Entrematic took a fan that was similar in nature and optimized it for the environment, improving its performance efficiency and energy consumption while also giving customers more options. But just how is Entrematic’s HVLS fan better? These are the facts.
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HELICOPTER BLADE THEORY
5 BLADES
To produce the most efficient fan, Entrematic used “helicopter blade theory” and an odd number of blades. Hundreds of hours of testing and computer modeling revealed an odd number of blades is more efficient and less costly to operate. Conversely, competitors’ HVLS fans have an even-numbered blade configuration, causing more turbulence and less efficiency.
SERIOUS SAVINGS 3% ENERGY SAVINGS ESTIMATED FOR EACH DEGREE OF TEMPERATURE CHANGED BY INCREASING OR DECREASING THE TEMPERATURE SET POINT AND HAVING ADDED AIRFLOW CAUSED BY FANS
15%
ENTREMATIC: BY THE NUMBERS
12 FEET
COMMERCIAL FANS ARE SUITABLE FOR CEILINGS AS LOW AS 12 FEET
72” UP TO 168”
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250 OR 1850 8
WATTS USED BY C-CLASS OR I-CLASS FANS AT MAX PERFORMANCE
AVAILABLE COLORS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST
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LARGE OPERATING DIAMETER
TYPICAL INDUSTRIAL SPACING FOR COMMERCIAL FANS
HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE ON A TYPICAL COMMERCIAL SPACE’S ENERGY BILL IF YOU ADJUST THE THERMOSTAT SET POINTS
40% PERCENTAGE OF MAX POWER REQUIRED FOR THE FANS TO ACHIEVE 4 TO 7 DEGREE PERCEIVED TEMPERATURE CHANGE
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The Lark hotel in Bozeman, Montana was transformed by Bridger Steel.
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Building a Gateway Bridger Steel’s siding and roofing panels look great and last long. By Mike Thomas
There are lots of lodgings in Bozeman, Montana, but none as unique as an eye-popping establishment called The Lark. Located on Main Street in Bozeman, it was created using the skeleton of a long shuttered motel that had seen better days. Phase one of the rehab was completed three years ago; phase two is slated to wrap in July. From the start, 22-year-old Montana-based Bridger Steel has supplied the roofing and exterior panels—Ultra Batten panels in a Bonderized finish and custom panels in Old Town Gray—that comprise a large portion of the Lark’s exterior and help it stand out from the competition. “In the downtown core of Bozeman, one of the design guidelines is to have durable materials that can stand the test of time,” says Erik Nelson, one of the Lark’s architects and cofounder of THINKTANK Design Group.
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PHOTO: DAN ARMSTRONG
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BENEFITS OF BRIDGER With Bridger’s panels, durability also means cost savings. Not only is the material itself cheaper than many other cladding and siding options—which is particularly advantageous for projects (like the Lark) with an expansive surface area that needs covering—it’s longer lasting and maintenance-free, which also saves money down the road on repairs caused by leaks, mold, and rot. Bridger’s panels come with a 40-year warranty. Sustainability, too, has become an increasingly important facet of Bridger’s work, and it doesn’t hurt that steel is 100% recyclable—scraps included. As Bridger’s technical product specialist Chris Babcock explains, nearly all of the company’s projects are formed on-site from a contractor’s cut list, which eliminates potentially wasteful guesswork. “If we have a panel that’s modified,” he says, “if they have to cut a hole in it, that hole goes into scrap and then that’s recycled. So there is very little construction waste. That’s probably the number one sustainable feature of steel. There isn’t any product waste, and if there is, then somebody missed it.” In terms of energy efficiency, steel is both a good wind barrier and an effective reflector of sunlight when coated with Bridger’s various metal paints (metal prints and natural finishes are available as well). Those qualities are particularly useful in warm weather conditions, and some of Bridger’s products have even earned the Energy Star label.
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THE EVOLUTION But Bridger Steel’s metal panels aren’t just an option for exterior and interior walls on residential and commercial projects; they’re also an excellent choice for roofing. In fact, steel roofing is vastly more popular than other metal roofing metals, including tin, copper, zinc, and aluminum. Longevity-wise, it’s far superior to traditional shingles. “The most you’re going to get out of a shingled roofing product is 20, maybe 30 years,” Babcock says. “But they’re also more susceptible to hail and other weather elements that metal isn’t. So when people put this on, they’ve really got a product for quite some time. The best analogy is when you see an old barn with a corrugated steel roof. Even though it may look rusted, that level of protection is still there. It doesn’t compromise.” While metal has yet to be widely accepted for use in residential roofing, Babcock says there’s been a huge evolution in terms of siding. “Especially in the past two or three years, you have to applaud people for their innovation. It’s really incredible,” he says. Aside from being durable, economical, and sustainable, modern metal siding and roofing—made of galvanized, galvalume, or weathering steel—has evolved tremendously from a design perspective. Bridger’s offerings include numerous gauges, styles, and colors to suit any function and vision. “There’s not just the standard old panel that you screw on,” Babcock gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: DAN ARMSTRONG
Metal also blends well with materials like wood and board form concrete at the Lark.
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WHY IT MATTERS Made from American steel, Bridger Steel’s roofing and exterior/interior panels are durable, economical, sustainable, and versatile. Not only do they last far longer than traditional siding and roofing materials (up to 200 years for metal roofs versus 20 to 30 years for traditional ones) with no decrease in strength, they’re often cheaper, maintenance-free, and can help save a significant amount on utility costs by keeping structures cooler in warm weather and warmer in cold weather. Environmentally friendly, Bridger’s steel panels are 100% recyclable and meet the requirements of a LEED certified project material. Whereas an average 2,000-square-foot home requires 40 to 50 trees, steel-centric homes use the equivalent of about six scrapped cars. Functionally and aesthetically, Bridger’s large variety of versatile products means there’s a good fit for all residential, light commercial, architectural, interior, and agricultural applications.
PHOTOS: DAN ARMSTRONG
says. “The architect has a vision and we’re able to create that for them. We’re allowing a creative element that not a lot of other products can.”
REINTERPRETING AN OLD MOTEL From an aesthetic standpoint, Nelson adds, metal also blends well with the other exterior materials—including wood and board form concrete, both of which are incorporated into the Lark’s facade—to create an eye-popping structure that has become a local hangout as well as somewhere to rest. It is, Nelson says, “emblematic of a very progressive piece of architecture and a thoughtful reinterpretation of a motor lodge.” Among the Lark’s most inventive features, balcony fins made from Bonderized metal (galvanized G90) reflect car headlights away from the building to eliminate a common motel nuisance and enhance the privacy of guests. “It’s added so much to downtown,” Babcock says of the Lark. “On a summer evening, it’s the greatest thing to walk downtown and to remember the old gas station that used to sit on the corner that is now a shop and all the reuse in this bright new entrance to what I consider our Main Street. It becomes almost a gateway. And the people standing outside the Lark, waiting for ice cream or just enjoying the facility—it’s the most warm and inviting place and you’re like, ‘I want to be a part of that.’” gb&d gb&d
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7 Benefits of Precast Concrete Wall Panels
Fabcon’s precast concrete wall panels save projects time and money while being ultra durable and efficient.
Fabcon’s modular concrete panels make buildings stronger and easier to install. By Julia Stone Fabcon Precast provides front-to-back service for modular construction projects, and their team is growing to meet the market demand for precast concrete wall panels. “In the last two years, we’ve seen volumes that are unprecedented in the company’s history,” says Tyson Intile, business development senior project lead at Fabcon. “Our growth in the near future will help us make more of what our customers want and get it to their job sites faster.” It’s no wonder demand for precast is rising, especially considering the numerous benefits Fabcon’s panels feature— from quick installation to fire resistance.
SQUARE FEET OF PRODUCT PRODUCED FOR
372 TOTAL PROJECTS 31 TOTAL STATES IN
MN
3,927,845 ft
KS
1,011,885 ft
OH PLANT LOCATIONS PROJECT LOCATIONS
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PHOTO AND INFOGRAPHC: COURTESY OF FABCON
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THERMAL INSULATION
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All elements in Fabcon’s products work together to provide a high level of insulation. Fabcon uses a combination of concrete and EPS foam that maximizes the foam in the concrete piece—increasing insulation capabilities. Fabcon has also modified its concrete to take advantage of the air inside the concrete for additional thermal resistance, says George Miks, director of engineering. Regular concrete usually has a thermal resistance rating of about 0.11 per inch of thickness, while Fabcon’s concrete provides double the resistance—0.22 per inch of thickness. Fabcon’s panels are also capable of meeting all R-Value requirements—regardless of the climate zone. The sandwich panel is the company’s highest R-Value product; in addition to the core and web insulation pieces, it also features a continuous insulation piece across the width and length of the panel (or bedfoam).
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
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With the exception of some of the raw materials that go into the panels’ insulation, materials in Fabcon’s products are locally sourced, including the cement, the coarse and fine aggregates, and the steel. Most of Fabcon’s projects are also within 200 miles of their plant, reducing shipping waste and the company’s overall carbon footprint.
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Precast allows flexibility for expanding and modifying existing buildings. With Fabcon’s precast concrete panels, you can do everything from add a pedestrian door to remove 75% of a wall. And unlike other companies, Fabcon has a full staff of professional engineers. “We’re able to offer design and then execution in the field all internally,” Intile says. “If you were to go to a general contractor, you would need a saw-cutting company, a patching company, and an external engineer to do the design.” Intile points out that external engineers wouldn’t have the same knowledge of Fabcon’s product either. Fabcon’s engineers know the design parameters and can design more efficiently. “We’ve seen designs come through that other people have done that have two, three, or four times the reinforcements necessary just because they don’t know enough to be able to design with our product efficiently.” Fabcon has always offered expansion services to its customers, but now they’re creating business units that focus specifically on work-to-existing projects. “We’re going to have dedicated project management, design, and field staff,” Intile says. “So we’re going to be in a much better spot going forward to meet customer demands and be more available.”
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UP FRONT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
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QUICK INSTALLATION
“Fabcon can establish a larger completed footprint in a shorter amount of time,” Miks says. “If you think of a masonry wall, what they send out to the site are a bunch of blocks that have to be assembled and constructed out in the field.” When Fabcon sends panels to the job site, the pieces are ready to install. As a result, some companies are able to open their doors for business months in advance, Miks says, which is much faster than construction methods like block or stud frame. If things go smoothly out in the field, Fabcon can install 20 to 30 eight-foot panels in a day.
Fabcon uses high-strength concrete, too. Many of the company’s precast concrete wall panels have a compressive strength of approximately 7,000 PSI. You can apply loads in excess of 100,000 pounds to the panels, Miks says Fabcon’s precast panels can support roof structures for dead and live loads and act as the building’s lateral stabilizing piece to withstand seismic shaking. The wall panels also support the building structure for mezzanines and multiple floors. “When you build steel buildings, for instance, you have to put up perimeter beams and columns and then put steel skin against it. All of that steel has to support those enclosure panels,” Miks says. “With our system, you don’t need any of those perimeter beams and columns. You can just tip up the panel and have the roof steel members themselves attach to the precast.” Fabcon designs to safeguard buildings—even in tornados with flying projectiles and winds up to 250 miles per hour. Fabcon’s precast concrete panels have also been implemented in large data centers that require high wind resistance to protect servers.
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LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS
Fabcon recently completed a project in Iowa that included the tallest wall panels they’ve ever produced—nearly 73 feet. They used their 12-inch VersaCore+Green technology and an exposed aggregate finish. And that’s just with a single panel. Fabcon has also constructed buildings as high as 120 feet tall (generally you have stacked panels and some additional supporting floors to reach those heights).
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FIRE & SOUND RATINGS
Concrete itself is an effective barrier for fire. Fabcon’s precast concrete wall panels are capable of providing a two- to four-hour fire rating. And their precast walls stay intact even in hot chemical fires. Warehouses often use Fabcon’s wall panels as dividers to protect goods on the other side of fire-prone areas. “The more delay you can create from one side to the other, the better chance of getting people out safely without having any incident and also the higher probability of protecting goods and services,” Miks says. gb&d
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PHOTO AND ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY OF FABCON
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LOAD-BEARING CAPABILITIES & WIND RESISTANCE
FRONT GREEN BUILDING UP & DESIGN
Up Front Typology Trendsetters Features Spaces Approach Punch List
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46 The WELLness Factor
Studio One Eleven and Retail Design Collaborative made sustainability the focus of their new office.
48 Stepping into Creativity
Vans’ new global headquarters is an inspiring example of a collaborative, engaging, and sustainable workplace.
50 Gold Standard
Goettsch Partners helped to design a high-tech, sustainable building with a narrow footprint in Chicago.
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TYPOLOGY
SUSTAIN [ABLE]
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Able to design with healthy materials. Able to create quiet. Able to increase light. Able to enhance air quality. Able to inspire. Able to create sustainable spaces with the Sustain Portfolio. Learn more at armstrongceilings.com/betterspaces
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ERIC LAIGNEL
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TYPOLOGY
T H E N E W, MODERN OFFICE MERGING SUSTAINABILITY WITH TECHNOLOGY BY COLLEEN DEHART
Being a sustainable office building does not mean skimping on technology. In fact, the demand is growing to mix the two for an even greater impact. A study released in April 2018 by the World Green Building Council
found office spaces with more natural light, access to greenery, improved air quality, and high-tech amenities had happier employees. And, the happier employees are, the more productive. Employee absenteeism was reduced, operating costs were minimized, and employees felt more productive, according to the report. Whether it’s maintaining air quality through a “living lab,” replacing paper with digital alternatives, encouraging electric vehicle use with charging stations, or installing intuitive heating and cooling, there’s no doubt the office spaces featured in this series are raising the bar.
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TYPOLOGY
THE WELLNESS FACTOR
When architecture firms Studio One Eleven and sister company Retail Design Collaborative decided to trade in their digs, they wanted to be engaged with and inspired by the world they worked in. While they were in a downtown Los Angeles high-rise with beautiful ocean views, they didn’t feel it fit them or what they do. Instead, it seemed more fitting to transform a vacant Nordstrom Rack in Long Beach for their 34,000-square-foot office space. “We thought this could be our place to make a difference,” says Michael Bohn, design director and senior principal at Studio One Eleven. The new office is the second architectural firm in the country— the first on the West Coast—to achieve the WELL certification. “We had heard about it and wanted to test it out for ourselves before recommending it to clients, and it has had a significant impact on our operations and the well-being of our staff,” says Sara Hickman, sustainability director and senior associate at Retail Design Collaborative and Studio One Eleven.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF STUDIO ONE ELEVEN
HOW ONE GROUP OF ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS MADE SUSTAINABILITY THE FOCAL POINT OF THEIR OFFICE
TYPOLOGY
Skylights, open space, energyefficient lighting, and more helped this building earn LEED.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF STUDIO ONE ELEVEN
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER With sustainability—the building is LEED Platinum—and productivity at the forefront, the office was designed with open, light-filled spaces and 20 skylights. The team went from its previous office space of 47 private offices to having one private office for their human resources director. “It has really been phenomenal,” Hickman says. There is no physical distinction of power in this space; the staff and principals all have desks equal in size. “Everyone has equal access, and the collaboration between groups has been incredible. It really has been a lot of fun.” In order to achieve WELL certification, the space had to meet certain air, water quality, and materiality requirements—limiting the chemicals in textiles and furniture used around the office and using products that can be recycled or reused. An on-site “living lab” allows the sustainability department to examine the quality of air, water, light, acoustics, comfort, and utility consumption, among other things, in real time. It also meant a change in office culture—encouraging fitness and overall wellness through exercise classes, in-office sports teams, and healthy eating. “The last thing you want is someone home sick and not focused on their work,” Hickman says. “That has been a big change for us. People are more focused and have more energy throughout the day.”
The practice also switched from making models with their hands to using a 3D printer. The printer uses gypsum and glue to make property models and engage the client in the creative process. “It really has been an effective tool from any stage of the design process to show and communicate with the client,” Bohn says. Virtual reality has also helped make clients feel more involved, allowing them to experience the space before it’s built.
PROOF IS IN THE PAYOUT Approximately 90% of the firms’ operating budget is spent on people. While reducing energy consumption and saving in utility areas is important, it all comes down to the people. “We are a service-based industry and we really value our staff. A 1% increase in productivity results in what could be an upwards of 20% profit,” Hickman says.
HIGH-TECH ADVANTAGES Having a new space also opened the doors for new technology— beyond low-flow fixtures, energy-efficient lighting, and HVAC. Installing Optoma touchscreen projectors—which use infrared technology to turn any wall into a full touchscreen experience— has led the firm to reduce paper usage by upwards of 75%. “It has been really life-altering for our practice,” Bohn says. The technology allows you to pull property plans up on any wall around the office, make changes, and save those to the cloud. The switch has virtually eliminated those stacks of paper that once dominated the office while making drawings more accessible and realistic. gb&d
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TYPOLOGY
STEPPING INTO CREATIVITY VANS’ NEW GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS INSPIRES INNOVATION.
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PHOTOS: ERIC LAIGNEL
When sports fashion brand Vans needed more room for its global headquarters, they knew it had to be a space that encouraged the creative expression that has made the brand successful. “It needed to inspire,” says Cheryl Van Doren, vice president of human resources and leader of the project team at Vans. The company found a vacant property with potential in Costa Mesa, California—across the street from where owners, the Van Doren brothers, went to high school. Working with architectural firm Rapt Studio, they transformed the 182,000-square-foot building, formerly a biotech research and development facility. “The goal was to design a sustainable workplace that would be unique to the culture and work processes of Vans’ growing workforce and yet be flexible to allow for growth and evolution of processes and team makeup,” says David Galullo, CEO and chief creative officer of Rapt Studio. The LEED Platinum space was designed around the Vans brand—art, music, sports, street culture, and fashion. It provides natural light for each of its 500 employees, a communal kitchen, fitness center, meditation space, skate park, fully equipped BBQ grill, and even a jam room. “We didn’t want people to have to go to another location to do the things they love. We wanted to provide opportunities for people to make this part of their lives,” Van Doren says. The project team wanted to celebrate people at its core. Various art installations from local artists and employees alike adorn the walls to encourage creativity, passion, and expression. “People love having it around them and they are very passionate about it. We have a lot of talent here,” Van Doren says. gbdmagazine.com
TYPOLOGY
PHOTOS: ERIC LAIGNEL
Vans’ new global headquarters is virtually net zero.
A GREEN MOVEMENT Creativity comes from being energized and healthy, which is why the Vans team was adamant about having their new facility be as green as possible. The facility is one of the most sustainable in Orange County. The space is open and uses minimal artificial light. Each employee has their own personal lamp they can use, if needed, to limit overhead lighting. The design team installed cutting-edge lighting, heating, and cooling technology to make the building 48% more efficient than required by building code. More than 4,000 solar panels provide 90% of the energy needed to run the headquarters. “The complex is virtually net zero, with no carbon footprint,” Galullo says. You’ll also find nearly 40 solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations, encouraging employees to use sustainable transportation and bringing employee-owned electric vehicles from 17 to 50. An on-site recycling and composting program encourages employees to make smart choices when it comes to trash. The landscaping was replaced with more native and low-maintenance landscaping to reduce water consumption. “It was a simple but smart decision,” Galullo says. gb&d
ELIMINATING THE CONFERENCE ROOM The space was designed to encourage collaboration, too. The Vans team replaced some of the traditional office space with communal areas. Wi-Fi extends to the parking lot. Employees can choose to work outside or move around the common places. “You can feel it. Employees don’t feel quite as weighed down with working,” Van Doren says. “They can get up, shake it off, and move to a different environment and be more inspired.” Each function of the Vans team has its own “neighborhood” inside the facility, with a public loop around the center so employees aren’t walking—or skateboarding—through work areas. A red staircase sits in the center of the open atrium connecting all “neighborhoods” and employees. “The property is not elaborate, but it is very Vans,” Van Doren says. There are enough communal areas for each employee to find a place to work away from their desk. An on-site working library also provides a quiet location for anyone who needs a place to focus. Pink noise machines are used around the work areas to minimize sound—often a problem in open concepts—and Sound Domes allow employees to plug their music in while eliminating the travel of sound. july–august 2018
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150 N Riverside in Chicago has a narrow footprint and high-tech offerings.
NO CHALLENGE IS TOO GREAT FOR THE TEAM BEHIND THIS TECHSAVVY CHICAGO OFFICE BUILDING.
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Developers of the state-of-the-art 150 N Riverside office building in Chicago’s West Loop had one goal in mind—to be the best. “We wanted to quite literally build the absolute best building not only in the city of Chicago but in the country,” says Tony Scacco, executive vice president of Riverside Investment & Development, developer of the LEED Gold property. They had their work cut out for them. The two-acre property, while one of the most sought after in Chicago, posed many challenges. To the east of the property is the Chicago River, which comes with a requirement for a 30-foot wide river walk, and to the west are the exposed rails for seven active train lines coming into the busiest commuter station in the city, Union Station. Developers worked with architects at Goettsch Partners to design a high-tech, sustainable, core-supported building with a narrow footprint to fit the site. Only 25% of the site is occupied by enclosed structure. “It is a building in a park,” says Joachim Schuessler, design principal at Goettsch Partners. “Its iconic shape and urban experience is not just a feat for the building but for the city at large.” gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: TOM ROSSITER
GOLD STANDARD
TYPOLOGY
PHOTOS: NICK ULIVIERI; JAMES FLORIO
TENANT-FOCUSED TECHNOLOGY The 54-story building has 1.25 million rentable square feet, an extensive green roof system, and some of the most advanced technology systems available. It has a destination dispatch elevator system, unlike any in Chicago, Scacco says. The property also has a state-of-the-art fiber-optic system for tenants and carrier-neutral vaults to greatly increase multiple provider presence. “We wanted to substantially reduce the build cost for tenants as well as increase provider competition in the building to result in lower costs to the tenants when procuring telecommunication service,” Scacco says. Currently there are 12 telecommunication providers onsite, with room for up to 20. The building has Bluetooth-enabled access control and security, so tenants can use their mobile devices to get in and out. Because of its proximity to the train station, the building was constructed with the highest performing acoustically enhanced glass available. And Scacco says its shape was achieved by using a structural steel that has never been used before on the Western Hemisphere. The Riverside office has fully integrated building management systems that are unique to the property, allowing for all systems to be remotely controlled, and 360 feedback that gives building managers the ability to control and respond to utility performance outputs as efficiently as possible. “What is really interesting about technology infrastructure is you only notice it by its omission,” Scacco says. “What we are really trying to do is provide enhancements to our tenants and their employees’ day-to-day lives without them noticing it.”
that we make the interior and exterior come together in some way—for them to interconnect and intermingle,” he says. “We feel, especially in urban environments, that it is important for there to be public and private spaces and for the public spaces to activate the private space. It makes it much more interesting.” The transparent, glass fin hung walls, described by Schuessler as a “shower curtain made of glass,” that make up the structure’s lobby are one of the tallest in North America, at 77 feet. The walls allow people passing by to see into the lobby, and those in the building can take in the river view. You’ll also find various art installations in the lobby, adding to the awe. gb&d
A BUILDING IN A PARK To make tenants and employees even happier, secure Wi-Fi is available throughout the property—even in the acre-and-a-half of park space outside. Meetings don’t have to be held at a desk or in an conference room; the building is designed so employees can work anywhere, including the on-site restaurant and fitness areas. “We understand people spend a lot of time at the office and wanted to support a comprehensive work-life balance,” Scacco says. While it’s common for architects to focus on how the building meets the sky, Schuessler and his partners put much of their focus on how the Riverside building meets the ground. “It is important gb&d
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2018 AASHE Conference & Expo Global Goals: Rising to the Challenge October 2–5, 2018 Pittsburgh, PA
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GREEN BUILDINGTYPOLOGY & DESIGN
Up Front Typology Trendsetters Features Spaces Approach Punch List
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54 Leading the Field
ForeverLawn delivers solutions and innovations in turf, from K9Grass to its Landscape line.
58 A Greener Way Nature of Early Play has transformed the market for the youngest players on the playground.
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TRENDSETTERS
ForeverLawn’s turf solutions are realistic and environmentally friendly.
LE ADING THE FIELD
By Laura Rote
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“Where there’s a problem, there’s an opportunity.”
It’s something Ken Karmie says often, working closely with his three brothers to develop the best products in the turf industry. That way of thinking is how their company ForeverLawn has been able to create unique solutions to meet specific needs—and it’s made them the leader in their field. When the two younger brothers—Dale and Brian Karmie—started the company 15 years ago, they weren’t afraid to shake up the industry. “Everyone was trying to do one size fits all and trying to do it cheaper. They came in and said, ‘Let’s do something different,’” Ken says. STANDOUT SOLUTIONS “Something different” runs the gamut from ForeverLawn’s K9Grass— artificial grass designed specifically for dogs—to Playground Grass Ultra with XStatic antistatic technology—making it safe for all kids to play, even those who rely on electronic devices like cochlear implants, as the invention reduces static buildup. “We can create playgrounds that are accessible for children who were otherwise left out,” says Jim Karmie, Landscape brand manager for ForeverLawn. No matter what they’re working on, the company takes a solution-oriented approach that includes unique products, installation, and maintenance. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF FOREVERLAWN
ForeverLawn focuses on individual solutions and innovations, unlike the rest of the “one size fits all” turf industry.
TRENDSETTERS
100 5M Final layer of premium backing threelayer system made from 100% recycled plastic
K9Grass is one of ForeverLawn’s most innovative and popular solutions, as it not only helps to eliminate mud and increases cleanliness and safety, but it’s also antimicrobial and non-toxic. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of K9Grass, though, is how it ensures nasty pet waste actually goes away. Ken, K9Grass brand manager, and the ForeverLawn team, spent more than a decade developing the very best artificial grass for dogs, and he knows proper drainage is key. No one wants that odor lingering, for example, and competitors’ “dogfriendly grass” wasn’t cutting it with its sporadic drainage holes. “That will suffice for a football field but for dogs that was not sufficient,” gb&d
Ken says. ForeverLawn resurrected technology that allowed the urine to drain everywhere—switching from a tufted to a knitted product with edge to edge draining throughout. This also means you can hit the turf with a water hose and it will drain quickly, and that’s huge. Independent tests show K9Grass can drain at 2,000 to 3,000 inches per hour, or up to 100 times the typical turf’s capability. The turf’s blades are also antimicrobial and don’t require the infill, sand, or rubber of competitor products that harbor waste and slow drainage. Another K9Grass breakthrough is the solution for indoor applications. Many pet facilities are limited to only having indoor activities
More than 5 million square feet of ForeverLawn turf to be installed in 2018
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More than 14,000,000 square feet installed over 10 years
due to local regulations or space limitations. ForeverLawn solved that by installing K9Grass over an AirGrid platform (also created by ForeverLawn) that elevates the grass to allow for drainage and incorporates a patented under-grass flushing system to move liquids under the grass to the drains. This system, combined with good HVAC and proper maintenance, has benefited indoor facilities across the country. ForeverLawn’s most exciting new product, though, is Fusion, which uses Legacy fiber blades that resist the deformation caused by reflective heat from Low-E windows. It’s perfect for use around glass buildings, on rooftops, and around new construction without the fear that it will be damaged from that reflective heat. Fusion is ideal for high-traffic areas like event lawns, amusement parks, and shopping centers because it’s extremely durable. It’s a product ForeverLawn has been working on for years. “No one else has anything like it,” Jim says. “It provides a solution to an issue that has been a problem for the turf industry for a long time.” It’s the first innovation with the look of a polyethylene product in a nylon product, but that withstands twice the temperature of the polyethylene products on the market, all while having a realistic look and feel unlike other nylon offerings on the market. ForeverLawn’s unique premium backing is another innovation that separates it from other companies, and it’s environmentally friendly. While most synthetic grasses use a single unitary backing, their premium backing has three layers that provide product stability, july–august 2018
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REMARKABLE R&D The ForeverLawn team is constantly looking for a challenge, be it dog parks or playgrounds. Playground Grass Ultra with XStatic came about after someone told them about the static that hurts many children on the playground. Ken says the group did some research and soon realized the problem warranted a forensic scientist. “It was not cheap. We also engaged an independent think tank expert in plastics and polymers.” Within a couple of years, ForeverLawn had a new, static-free product unlike anything else in the industry. It’s one of countless examples of ForeverLawn rising above the competition. When the familyowned company first entered the industry, there was no such thing as “playground grass,” for instance. They attended a national parks and recreation show and were the only turf company in attendance. These days, you’ll find multiple turf companies at such shows, though not all of them understand the unique needs of playgrounds. “There are a lot of playgrounds that show really premature wear; the seamwork does not hold up to the challenge. People think they’re getting something that’s designed for playgrounds, but it’s not,” Ken says, adding that the competitor’s product may look fine at first, but come back a few years later and it’s a different story. ForeverLawn also guarantees a safer product. Their Playground Grass has been certified to meet and exceed the ASTM 1292 fall height requirements for up to 12 feet. It also meets ADA requirements. “ForeverLawn holds our Playground Grass to a higher standard than the industry,” Ken says. “The industry has certain ‘fall safe’ standards, and we’re 43% above what those standards require.”
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BREAK THE MOLD
First artificial grass designed specifically for dogs First product with multicolored blade structure and tan thatch First product with Alphasan antimicrobial technology
Only playground surfacing product with patent-pending anti-static technology First ASTM 1292 safetyrated grass system
ForeverLawn also thinks of solutions no one else would dream of—like introducing tan thatch in its artificial grass for realism. “When we first came up with it the manufacturers were saying, ‘That’s dumb. Who wants tan in their grass?’” Jim says. But, the thing is, adding a touch of tan to the grass looks good. It looks real. ForeverLawn forged ahead despite naysayers. “It’s revolutionized the industry. Now you see a lot of brown thatch turf.”
ForeverLawn has turf solutions that are tailored to your needs, from K9Grass to SportsGrass to SplashGrass.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS All of this started when Dale and Brian moved to Albuquerque to work for a subsidiary of a turf company that ultimately went bankrupt. It was one of those classic “one size fits all” concepts— there was no such thing as dog turf or playground turf then. But the Karmies wanted to approach things differently, as projects have different needs. When that company went under, they jumped at the chance to do something new. “Instead of retreating back to their previous jobs, they had seen a lot of opportunity in the turf market,” Ken says. In 2004, they launched ForeverLawn. While there may be many more turf companies in the industry today than 10 years ago, Ken
PHOTO: COURTESY OF FOREVERLAWN
cushioning, and longer life. In addition to the primary coating, a foam layer made from soybean plants using BioCel technology protects the backs of the blades. A third layer made of recycled plastic bottles is applied as part of the micromechanical seaming system ForeverLawn uses to join multiple rolls of grass together.
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TRENDSETTERS
making a difference, too. “The company continues to break barriers,” Jim says. “Dale and Brian are very forward-thinking. They don’t just think about what’s there and what to do with it, but what could be.” WHAT’S NEXT For ForeverLawn, innovation never stops, as the company is continually working to improve its products. At the same time, R&D is focusing on additional technology to produce even more durable, realistic, and softer synthetic grass products to stay at the forefront of the industry. “We’re continually looking for things that will not only meet our high expectations and make the customers happy but also make the people who are recommending our products look good,” Jim says. “We pride ourselves on being that company that puts out product that’s specifically designed for the application number one, but that’s also going to give them the long life and performance they expect.” gb&d
PHOTO: COURTESY OF FOREVERLAWN
cautions people to be wary about their claims, especially when they use terms like “pet-friendly.” “I challenge people to ask them the question, ‘What is different about this turf?’ They usually have very few answers.” Since breaking out on their own, the company has grown to nearly 50 employees at its home office in Ohio and is approaching 60 independent dealers across the U.S. They expect to have more than 100 across North America soon. ForeverLawn will install more than 5 million square feet of turf in 2018. Everyone from Home Depot to Google to HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines have reached out to ForeverLawn for their realistic, solution-based turf and beautiful Landscape products. DuPont also recognized the uniqueness and quality of the ForeverLawn products and now cobrands with the ForeverLawn Select line of landscaping products, further proving the quality of products the company offers. The brothers say the experience has been a ton of fun, but they’re
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Nature of Early Play designs creative play equipment that connects children with the natural world. by Julia Stone
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Dennis and Rebecca Beach, owners of playground equipment company
Nature of Early Play, have been warm-hearted environmentalists from the start. The couple raised and homeschooled their five kids in the heart of nature on 23 acres of land in Kentucky. The entire family used to work together at their mom-and-pop shop in the family barn. Dennis drew his designs by hand and the kids helped cut and paste the drawings. The children grew up outdoors, running down to the creek, gardening, and raising animals. “We got to experience the real ‘getting back to nature’ concept that’s at the heart of our products today,” says Tabitha Beach Sani, director of marketing at Nature of Early Play. “When my parents developed the early childhood product line for Nature of Early Play, it really was just bringing it full circle.” gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NATURE OF EARLY PLAY
A G REENER WAY TO PL AY
TRENDSETTERS
“
We want to build infrastructure that helps caregivers.” She says her parents were truly hippies who wanted to save the world, always wanting to foster “messy little scientists.” “We want to build infrastructure that helps caregivers easily take care of young children while letting them experience nature,” Dennis says. When it comes down to it, Nature of Early Play embodies the same green passion as its owners, giving young children who aren’t surrounded by nature the chance to learn about the natural world through innovative playtime products.
PHOTOS: PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM COURTESY OF NATURE OF EARLY PLAY
Nature of Early Play playground equipment gives young children a chance to play, learn, and engage with nature.
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BRANCHING OUT Every family member has made a positive impact on the business: one daughter helped them develop their software system, one son helped build their sales representative network, and another daughter helped them get certified by the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association. “However, after being homeschooled and working in the family business for years, a lot of the kids wanted to spread their wings,” Rebecca says. While she now lives several states away, Dennis and Rebecca’s daughter Tabitha still designs graphics and creates the company’s catalogs; she also helped design their website. “Being homeschooled and then working with the company helped each one of us kids develop our own career path and skill set,” Tabitha says. Nature of Early Play branched out from Dennis and Rebecca’s original company, Play Mart, which designs products primarily for children from ages 5 to 12. In 2006, the Beaches went to an advanced summer design course at Harvard University. It was there that the couple realized there were very few U.S. manufacturers with
age-appropriate equipment for infants and preschoolers. They began developing a product line to fill the great need for early childhood play equipment in the marketplace. These early childhood products eventually became the standalone company Nature of Early Play, Inc. THE BEST MATERIALS When Rebecca and Dennis first began making playgrounds, they used wood. But wood has many problems—it cracks, splits, and rots. That’s why they switched to high-quality recycled lumber. “We had a problem with our vendor taking forever to get the lumber to us, so we said, ‘Let’s do it ourselves,’” Rebecca says. The couple bought a 120-foot long machine that extrudes plastic lumber out of milk jugs. They have since saved millions of pounds of plastic from going into landfills. “The materials we use are recycled, and they’re definitely a part of Mom and Dad’s passion to conserve both energy and materials,” Tabitha says. “Every item that’s designed is put through Dad’s conservation brain.” In the early days, Dennis created a materials efficient modular deck, post, and component design system. This simple system allowed even the kids to help create new playsets by copying and pasting paper components. Later he used this same modular concept to design the molds for the recycled plastic lumber profiles, which allow for ease in designing and installing play equipment. All of the components fit together down to one-sixteenth of an inch. This modular design makes it easy to rearrange all of their products, allowing for great flexibility and efficiency, too. THE DESIGN PROCESS Much of their design inspiration comes from observing how kids play and from raising their own family in the heart of nature. Dennis and Rebecca recently visited their new grandchild in California and took him to an infant park. “Most places don’t really have any early childhood public parks, so it was fun to watch this whole herd of july–august 2018
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TRENDSETTERS
really little ones play with sand and lots of little plastic toys,” Dennis says. “That’s where creative ideas come from—when you see the things the kids don’t play with and, vice versa, the things they’re really attracted to.” One interesting thing they noticed was that barely any of the children played on the wooden playset. Most of the children were using individual push toys, tables with sand, or digging in the dirt. “It used to be that people just wanted one really big playset, but kids don’t want to just hang out on a big playset,” Rebecca says. That’s why Nature of Early Play focuses on providing different, more age-appropriate play experiences.
“
This equipment gets kids away from iPads and into the dirt.”
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NATURE OF EARLY PLAY
CREATIVE & VERSATILE EQUIPMENT One Scandinavian saying inspired Dennis and Rebecca’s outdoor equipment designs: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” Whether it’s warm or cold outside, Nature of Early Play aims to bring real natural materials—like mud and snow—back to playtime. “Our philosophy is that we’re not going to build concrete trees or something that looks like it’s a natural product,” Rebecca says. The Nesting Table is a perfect example. It’s a simple table that varies by height with age. Waterproof and on wheels, it’s easy to move inside and outside as needed. “It’s what we like to call ‘the infrastructure’ because it’s up to the caretaker to bring in natural materials,” Rebecca says. One day the kids could make mud pies, and then during the winter they could build snow structures.
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TRENDSETTERS
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NATURE OF EARLY PLAY
Innovations like the Nesting Table (center) and farmers’ market stand make playtime interactive and educational.
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The tables also work for storing small toys like Legos. The reversible lid can be used as a scoop to dump the blocks into the bin, and it closes for easy cleanup. “Our products make life easier for caregivers to give much more hands-on, active play without wasting all the time cleaning up everything,” Dennis says. Some products even include cleanup stations, so when the kids are done playing in the mud, they can wash their hands. Nature of Early Play also encourages gardening with a little farmers’ market, raised garden beds, and tables where kids can sort vegetables. On top of that, they offer arts and crafts areas, musical instruments, and tricycle paths. Eric Evans, owner of Total Recreation Solutions in Virginia, has installed Nature of Early Play’s products all over the U.S., bringing gardening and water play into countless playgrounds. “We do a lot of tricycle paths with trike garages and tunnels at preschools and daycares,” he says. “This equipment gets the kids out of the classrooms and away from iPads and tablets and video games and into the dirt, sand, and water. I really believe in this product and the initiative behind it—the quality and the green aspect.”
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING Nature of Early Play’s manufacturing process is green, too. They recycle all scraps by grinding them up and putting the plastic back into the plastic extrusion system. A county recycling company comes in weekly to collect all of their single-stream recyclables. “We use many tractor trailer loads a year of post-consumer milk jugs from city recycling companies and dairies,” Dennis says. The manufacturing plant itself has 64 skylights that produce abundant natural daylight, meaning overhead lights are less needed. “All the high bay lighting we had before was really energy inefficient, so we’ve done lots of LED lighting down low over work areas,” Dennis says. The plastic extrusion system used to be cooled by a chiller, which used a lot of electricity for fans and compressors. But now Dennis and his team cool the plastic extrusion machines with a 10,000-gallon water tank hooked to several pumps with recirculating groundwater. This greatly reduces their carbon footprint. Wasting gas and mileage isn’t an issue either. The dairies they source the plastic
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TRENDSETTERS
DESIGNING for the
MILITARY AN AGENCY
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The Chime Panel encourages a love of music in children of all ages in comes in multiple sizes.
from are close to the plant, which is in a central location—Somerset, Kentucky. A local trucking company hauls their products to nearby projects, usually within a day’s drive. THE FUTURE As Nature of Early Play continues to grow internationally, they also look to expand by finding new distributors in Europe, Asia, and South America. Currently Nature of Early Play is expanding its line of infant playground equipment, as not many manufacturers are designing products that meet ASTM F2373 standards for the six months to 23 months age group. They recently manufactured tiny slides for infants that fit within their modular systems. They designed another unique product called the Infant Mod Space—an outdoor pad with protective low walls
where an infant can safely crawl, learn to stand, or simply lie outside. It allows babies to play outdoors and have natural sensory experiences. They also developed a belly swing. It’s just a few inches above a cushioned pad with a pivot point of about two-and-a-half feet. Infants can lay in the belly swing and gently push their legs back and forth just a few inches for a safe, pleasant time. “We had a swing inside our house, and one of our daughters used to just lay there on her belly and swing back and forth,” Dennis says. “When we saw it in this standard, we thought, ‘How cool. We have to design that.’” They took the belly swing to a trade show and the woman who wrote the ASTM standard came up to them crying, Dennis says. She said they were the first ones who had ever built such a thing—and she couldn’t be happier. gb&d gbdmagazine.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NATURE OF EARLY PLAY
contacted Nature of Early Play through a prime contractor for the U.S. Army and asked them to help with their initiative to revamp the military’s child development centers. Dennis and Rebecca Beach traveled to the sites in their new electric car, saving about 70% of their total carbon emissions. “There was a visionary from the army, and she had a heart that was very similar to Rebecca’s for giving children imaginative and creative places to play,” Dennis says. When they rebuilt a network of 14 play areas at a base in South Carolina, they designed every playground for each age group with interactive, age-appropriate play equipment. “Some of the children have both parents deployed in the army, so the kids would actually live at the daycare centers off and on around the clock,” Dennis says. That’s why this project was so important—not only were the child development centers a place to play; they also acted as second homes.
GREEN BUILDING TRENDSETTERS & DESIGN
Up Front Typology Trendsetters Features Spaces Approach Punch List
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65 Collective Impact Unexpected collaborations inspire sustainable efforts in the built environment.
74 Forever Floors Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies brings history to life in every installation.
78 The Art of Plaster How an ancient art form has modern staying power in contemporary designs
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FEATURES
Around the world,
Gilbane is committed
to making a
positive impact on the
environment through sustainable practices and dedication
to the environment. Our customers face many challenges in the life cycle of their facilities and long-term impact on the environment. We are partnering with them on solutions to reduce or eliminate waste, promote sustainable outcomes and advance environmental changes to
safeguard
the
environment.
Gilbane Building Company has gone beyond the status quo to reach our sustainability objectives and to reduce environmental impacts on our projects. IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Pictured: The award-winning, LEED Platinum California State University Associated Students Sustainability Center California. 64in Northridge, july–august 2018
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FEATURES
BY
K AT E G R I F F I T H gb&d
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y
C A R O LY N S E W E L L july–august 2018
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FEATURES COLLECTIVE IMPACT
M E E T T H E P L AY E R S Google is in the business of glass, and we don’t mean Glass of the high-tech optical variety. In its partnership with Building Product Ecosystems, the tech giant is exploring the world of recycled glass, poured concrete, gypsum, wallboard, and the sustainability of its built environments. It’s an inspiring collaboration with two parts: The first is piloting the use of post-consumer glass as a cement replacement in concrete. If successful, the project would divert waste from landfills worldwide and help break the building industry’s dependency on byproducts from fossil fuels. The second wants to close the loop on the manufacturing of gypsum wallboard. By recovering some or all of the thousands of tons of wallboard scraps that end up in U.S. landfills each year, Google and BPE hope to minimize waste and the environmental impacts of gypsum mining. By recycling wallboard from construction and renovation sites, they hope to maximize product reuse within regional supply chains. Post-consumer glass recycling, concrete, and gypsum wallboard don’t sound nearly as sexy as the boundary-pushing technology Google is most known for, but the work is absolutely foundational. “Sustainability is Google’s quiet moon shot. Tough problems, long bets, and innovation are part of the company’s culture,” says Robin Bass, lead of the Google team spearheading this collaboration. “If we can prove sustainable business techniques just make sense, we hope the industry—from manufacturers and suppliers to real estate developers—will decide to invest in these techniques as well.”
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BUILDING PRODUCT ECOSYSTEMS + AMANDA KAMINSKY
GOOGLE [E]TEAM + ROBIN BASS + KAREN BURBANO
In 2014, Amanda Kaminsky founded Building Product Ecosystems with the Durst Organization, one of New York City’s oldest and largest real estate firms. BPE was founded as a public-private partnership with City University of New York and The New School, among others. With Durst, BPE began its initial exploration of flame retardants and codes, evolving wallboard systems and using glass in concrete. Eventually the organization outgrew its one-buildingat-a-time approach to change-making. In 2016, BPE expanded to become an independent LLC focused on collaborative consulting. This was around the same time Google came onboard.
“We focus on the people in our buildings the way Google engineers focus on the user,” Bass says. In 2015, Google approached BPE about its work to use post-consumer glass in concrete, as [e]Team sought an alternative to the coal plant byproducts often found in concrete mixes. “Our glassin-concrete pilot whet our appetite for circular economy solutions,” Bass says. Google began working with BPE to close the loop on wallboard; procurement will begin in 2019. “Shaking up the status quo can be fun,” says Karen Burbano, Google’s wallboard team lead. “We need to reimagine how we produce every building product because resources are finite.”
THE CHALLENGE
G
OOGLE AND BPE join major players looking at sustainability through collaboration by asking: Can finely ground post-consumer glass be used as an additional substitute material in concrete to reduce carbon footprints, minimize exposure to potentially toxic materials, and find a much-needed use for post-consumer glass?
FEATURES
2015 Google approaches BPE about its work to incorporate post-consumer glass in concrete.
MARCH 2016
T H E FA C T S More than 60% of generated glass in the U.S. ends up in landfills each year, the EPA says. Cement is a fine powder produced by heating and grinding limestone and clay minerals and mixing them with gypsum. About 84 MILLION TONS of Portland cement were produced in the U.S. in 2017, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, resulting in approximately 84 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Post-consumer glass can be used to produce glass pozzolan, which can replace cement in concrete.
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Google and BPE host a glass-inconcrete work day with development project teams and performed a sidewalk pilot pour at Google’s main campus in Mountain View.
JULY 2017 Early stages of job site-generated debris being source separated at Google’s Charleston East project.
THE NEAR FUTURE Small to medium glass-in-concrete pours around Google campuses to further familiarize concrete partners with the material.
AUGUST 2015 Google kicks off Global Partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, helping to broaden the company’s involvement with glass-in-concrete.
JANUARY 2017 Google and BPE begin partnership to use gypsum from a Bay Area manufacturer to develop closedloop wallboard; procurement to begin in 2019.
LATE 2017 New glass pozzolan manufacturer Sioneer receives financing to set up shop in the Bay Area.
THE NEAR FUTURE Large hardscape flatwork pours (plazas, sidewalks) on Google’s upcoming development projects.
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PA R T N E R I N G
W I T H A C O M PA N Y T H AT C A R E S GILBANE WORKS WITH STUDENTS TO CREATE A SUSTAINABILITY CENTER WITH A BIG IMPACT.
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student groups, partners in architecture, construction, and consulting, and other community stakeholders. The goal was to create a multi-functional space to serve as a campus recycling collection station, a hub for student sustainability programs, and an administrative home to the Institute for Sustainability. In short, the vision was to become the focal point for the university’s and surrounding community’s environmental and sustainability programs. Approximately 30 students participated in the programming phase of building the center, including members of the student government organization Associated Students and students who would be working at the center. Gilbane Business Development Manager Evan Synstad says students pushed the sustainability aspects of the project, which included a gray water irrigation
Karen Burbano, Google [e]Team
system, composting toilets, and the building’s solar roof system. “Those working at the sustainability center were driving for better work environments,” Synstad gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GILBANE
hat is the right thing to do? At Gilbane Building Company, this question has driven interactions with clients around the world. At Salisbury University in Maryland, it meant diverting 90% of construction waste from landfills. At a high school in Washington, D.C., it meant ensuring more than 90% of classrooms and offices enjoyed natural light. At California State University, Northridge, this question led to the creation of a LEED Platinum, student-funded, student-driven sustainability center that is winning awards and attention throughout the design world for its community impact. The collaboration behind the CSU Associated Students Sustainability Center—a 9,275-square-foot, $4.5 million build—was an unusual one, involving campus leadership, the CSU Institute for Sustainability,
Risk is challenging. Building manufacturers do not feel a need to change if the product performs. Communication, building trust are key.
FEATURES
“Innovation is equal parts optimism and realism,” says Amanda Kaminsky, BPE founder. “Meeting regularly to establish trust among collaborators is important.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GILBANE
GILBANE ’s sustainabil-
says. “What makes collab building’s occupants ity push is led in part oration successful is to lead healthier lifeby its Sustainability having a common goal styles as well as opand working together portunities to lower Council, which works in carbon footprints. to achieve that partnership with con“Corporate projects common goal.” struction project teams are usually very budThis student-driven project, which was recentget-driven,” he says. and project owners to “You have to get ly awarded a silver honor make sure goals like them to look at the for sustainability by the bigger picture, and Los Angeles Business Journal, construction waste diat Gilbane we take has become a point of version hit max impact. that approach. It’s inspiration for Gilbane’s In 2017 Gilbane divertunderstanding that work, especially in corposustainability is the rate environments. “There ed more than 90% of will be challenges on the right thing to do and construction waste. way, but through rough educating clients that waters we have to keep it’s possible.” The company has thinking of what’s best for Currently Synstad completed more than the project,” Synstad says and the Gilbane team of taking sustainability to are fired up about an300 LEED certified commercial construction. other CSU project, one buildings, including Often the biggest that also focuses on challenges are budgetcollaborative design several at the platiary constraints. Or at and build. Scheduled num level. least the way we think to be finished in late 2019, the new Stuof them. When it comes time to line-item project dent Union building plans with a red pen, the at California State Unisolar panels, bike racks, versity Monterey Bay and showers start to look a little superfluous. will house activity and retail spaces, meeting “They’re thought of as a luxury, rather than a rooms, lounges, dining services, bookstores, and necessity to move the bar and shift to a new student organization spaces as well as adminnormal,” Synstad says. istrative areas. If all goes as CSU students and A good partner, he says, is tough-minded— their partners plan, the new student union will someone who can encourage partners to remeet both LEED and Living Building Challenge Petal certifications. member they’re creating opportunities for a gb&d
Sustainability Center LEED Platinum Design Features
Solar panels cover a 5,000-squarefoot yard space, providing 25 kilowatts of energy, enough to meet the building’s needs and support the university’s goal of becoming a carbon-neutral campus. The solar roof provides hot water for the center’s sinks and showers. Used water feeds into a gray water collection tank that irrigates native and drought-tolerant landscaping around the building. The center’s air conditioning system uses a connection to windows to maximize ventilation. Restrooms include composting toilets that convert waste into clean compost.
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Q&A WITH GIULIO BONAZZI 70
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Q: Over your years of working on diverse projects with diverse groups, when have you found collective action and partnerships to work best or to be most beneficial?
models of partners. Everyone does what they know best and what they need to do from a business standpoint. All together, they are also helping the environment and improving production processes.
A: The most beneficial collaborations are the ones that are connected to the business
Q: What makes a good sustainability partnership? What makes a bad one?
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF AQUAFIL
Approximately onethird of all the nylon 6 yarn made by Aquafil is made with ECONYL.
A MODEL OF COLLABORATION HOW ONE SUPPLIER FOR CARPET MANUFACTURERS IS MAKING RADICAL CHANGES TOWARD A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
A: It goes back to a connection to a partner’s business model: So the partnership is not something special that you do once and then forget about. It’s something that brings a profound change in the way you manufacture your product and in the way you do business.
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Business culture is also important. It’s fundamental that people in the partnership have a similar DNA and a common, clear goal that is beneficial for everyone and for the community. This leads to longer commitment, which is what is needed for a real system change.
Q: What about these partnerships keeps you inspired? A: Entities in different industries and with different backgrounds coming together for a common goal!
ifty-three years ago, few could have guessed that a company founded to create yarn for textile flooring in Arco, Italy, would become an international leader in creating sustainable, circular economies. Even fewer may have guessed that organization would become a model for creative partnerships. “At the beginning it was quite a traditional business,” says CEO Giulio Bonazzi, second generation leader of the family-owned Aquafil, a top supplier for commercial and residential carpet manufacturers. As the business expanded, Bonazzi moved quickly up its leadership chain. He started first as an assistant production manager at the Arco plant before taking over division management and then moving on to spearhead the company’s move into its Slovenia operations. Bonazzi soon reached the helm of the family business, where, in 2011, he had the idea to combine waste reduction with the production of nylon, Aquafil’s primary product. At that point, the company morphed into something decidedly nontraditional. NEW MODEL(S) Nylon 6—or polycaprolactam—is one of the most commonly used nylon products across industries, from aircraft to electronics to clothing and construction. Aquafil’s standout product, ECONYL®, is a nylon 6 fiber derived fully from regenerated waste materials. It’s been loudly featured in products like Speedo swimsuits and designer Stella McCartney’s Falabella
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FIBERS OF EXCHANGE ATLANTIS
AQUAFIL’S MANY PARTNERSHIPS FEED ITS MISSION OF SUSTAINABILITY.
Aquafil’s ECONYL plant in
Slovenia sends heat generated
during production to the nearby Atlantis waterpark in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The excess heat provides enough thermal
energy to supply all of the water park’s needs. Aquafil estimates that nearly 4.5 million
pounds of CO2 emissions
ECONYL PLANT IN SLOVENIA
NGOS
are avoided each year.
HEALTHY SEAS & NET-WORKS
TAKE-BACK PROGRAMS
In 2013, Aquafil, with
partners, established the Healthy Seas initiative to extract old fishing nets and other marine litter
Aquafil partners with
AQUAFIL CARPET RECYCLING
from the seas. These
materials are removed by volunteers and recycled
manufacturers to collect
scraps and fiber waste— that would otherwise end
up in landfills—for recycling
into new textile products.
into new nylon. Partners
Before that, in 2012,
Aquafil whet its appetite
include Speedo and
Aquafil is investing $20 million into U.S. carpet
for recycled nets by joining
Interface.
recycling programs. In the Cartersville, Georgia
the award-winning Interface
plant, they extrude yarn from mostly ECONYL resin
and Zoological Society of
made in Slovenia. “This yarn is destined for our U.S.
London partnership called Net-works.
customers who want to buy a product with
a great, sustainable story,” says Franco Rossi, Aquafil USA president. “And in Arizona and
California, we contribute to the sourcing of raw materials to feed the ECONYL system.”
#1
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Here Aquafil deconstructs used
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California offers special
nylon 6 carpet and extracts
incentives for collectors
ECONYL plant in Slovenia.
carpets to make their work
the raw material to feed its
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and recyclers of used economically viable.
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“These problems are enormous; it can make it hard to know where to start,” Google’s Robin Bass says. “My advice is just to start.”
GO bags. More quietly, ECONYL fabrics meet almost every need across the residential and commercial building sectors: Interface , Milliken & Company, Desso, and Modulyss are all using ECONYL fibers. Today, approximately one-third of all the nylon 6 yarn made by Aquafil is made with ECONYL. This is no side project. But despite his viRobin Bass, Google sion for a closed-loop nylon economy, or perhaps because of it, Bonazzi knew Aquafil couldn’t collect and recycle nylon on its own. The story of ECONYL’s development is also the story of Aquafil’s breakout into the world of sustainability partnerships. “We needed to find partners outside of our supply chain to develop a reverse logistic that could assure a constant supply of waste material to a plant running 24-7-365,” Bonazzi says. As it turns out, Bonazzi’s team found many.
WHAT’S NEXT Aquafil’s success with its ECONYL partnerships are exciting, but they aren’t the end of Bonazzi’s vision. He’s mostly secretive about what’s coming down the line, but he is excited about the upcoming partnership with Genomatica, a San Diego–based biotechnology company and manufacturing innovator. The two companies have announced a multi-year agreement to create sustainable caprolactam, an organic compound and an ingredient integral to producing 100% sustainable nylon. The collaboration will work to develop a commercially advantageous caprolactam using plant-based renewable ingredients, instead of the fossil fuel–based materials more traditionally used by the nylon industry. “This is a project we will be involved in for the next several years and we are very excited about,” Bonazzi says, underscoring his real goal: radically transforming the carpet industry through partnerships and circular economy. gb&d
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AQUAFIL
We want to solve problems in a way that extends into our communities, hometowns, and around the world.
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Forever
Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies transformed the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in DC with pouredin-place epoxy terrazzo.
TERRAZZO & MARBLE SUPPLY COMPANIES BRINGS HISTORY TO LIFE WITH THOUGHTFUL ARTISTRY AND DURABILITY EMBEDDED IN EVERY FLOORING INSTALLATION. B Y J U L I A S TO N E
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TERRAZZO FLOORING— WITH ITS MOSAIC STYLE AND SMALL PIECES OF MARBLE OR GRANITE SET IN BEAUTIFULLY POLISHED CONCRETE OR EPOXY RESIN—IS KNOWN FOR ITS DESIGN FLEXIBILITY AND REMARKABLE DURABILITY, SO IT’S NO WONDER THE METHOD HAS BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES.
“There are terrazzo floors that were installed in the early 1900s that are still nice looking jobs,” says James Bateman, terrazzo division manager of Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies. With a little bit of maintenance, these sustainable floors can last 40 years or more without losing their brilliance. Brad Meyer, national sales manager at Terrazzo & Marble, calls them “forever floors” because they last the lifetime of a building. References to terrazzo date all the way back to ancient times, but the origins of today’s terrazzo are modeled after 20th century Italian work. Italian masonry workers used to quarry marble and granite using dynamite. After the explosions, many marble pieces would crumble and fall to the side of the quarry, where workers gathered them and mixed the chips with cement. They poured the mixture on their terrazza (or terrace, in Italian) and ground the material with carborundum blocks to expose the marble inside. “At the time, marble was reserved for the Italian aristocracy—certainly not the laborers at the marble quarries,” Meyer says. But terrazzo gave the working class access to a higher design aesthetic. As people migrated from Europe to the States, traditional terrazzo workers brought the trade with them, though the industry has certainly evolved over the years. Original terrazzo was set in cement, but now 90% of terrazzo floors are made with an epoxy resin, Bateman says.
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PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS SPREAD: TERRAZZO & MARBLE SUPPLY COMPANIES
A Colorful History
FEATURES
Terrazzo’s durable floors can be seen all over—from Time Inc.’s headquarters to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
PHOTOS: TERRAZZO & MARBLE SUPPLY COMPANIES
A Long Life While Terrazzo flooring may carry a higher upfront cost, its durability and life expectancy often make it the most affordable option in the long run, Bateman says. When you add up the life cycle costs for carpet, porcelain, or other flooring materials, terrazzo typically ends up saving you money. “It’s definitely the Cadillac of flooring options,” he says. “A lot of people see that initial price tag and they think, ‘Oh, wow. That’s five times the value of carpet.’ But you’re probably going to replace that carpet six times in the life of one terrazzo installation.” Terrazzo’s resilient flooring solutions are used in high-traffic areas like schools, stadiums, and airports. Fortunately, they’re also very easy to clean—warm water and a bucket is all you need. And because the terrazzo is poured in place, the flooring is one seamless surface, alleviating hygiene issues. “With Terrazzo, unlike many hard surface materials such as porcelain or ceramic tiles, it doesn’t have grout joints, which is where bacteria and dirt collect,” Meyer says. gb&d
Meyer estimates a crew of five men can install 10,000 square feet of Terrazzo in 30 days or less in several easy steps. For floors of multiple colors, each adjoining color is poured one at a time and must cure (or dry) prior to installing the adjacent color, meaning timing can depend on the design’s complexity.
A Sustainable Design Terrazzo & Marble, which is 100% employee-owned, manufactures its own epoxy that acts as a binder holding the chips together— and it’s the secret to the countless design options available to architects and designers. With the evolution of their epoxy resin technology, the company is able to incorporate materials like aluminum, zinc, and brass as well as exotic aggregates like mother-of-pearl, which consists of crushed seashells. “There’s a lot of color and design flexibility because Terrazzo is poured in place. It’s limited only by the imagination,” Meyer says. Aggregate options also include recycled products like glass, porcelain, marble, and
even beer bottles. “We take a lot of things that would be put into the waste stream that we can reclaim and reuse in a terrazzo floor,” Bateman says. Most of their epoxy products also emit zero VOCs, so you don’t have to worry about indoor air quality. Just as the 20th century Italian workers recycled materials from quarries, some floorings are still made from material scraps. Terrazzo & Marble has a large quarry operation in Texas and often utilizes quarried marble chips for regional projects. This helps minimize the carbon footprint on shipping by using a natural, local product that’s beautiful, too. Beyond adding whatever you want to the floor, terrazzo is also customizable in terms of color. “You can select any paint manufacturer’s color from their fan deck and we’ll match the epoxy to it. We have people who will send us a piece of fabric and say, ‘Hey, can you match this?’” Bateman says. “We can match virtually any color under the sun.” gb&d july–august 2018
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Pink plaster walls at Restaurant Tu in Charleston, South Carolina used a threecoat process of lime plaster.
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THE ART OF PLASTER
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Master of Plaster shares six things you never realized about designing with the ancient art form. BY SARAH TRELEAVEN
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PHOTO, PREVIOUS SPREAD: KATIE CHARLOTTE PHOTOGRAPHY. THIS PAGE, PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MASTER OF PLASTER
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auren Dillon grew up around plaster, but it wasn’t until she was studying abroad in Dublin, working on a master’s in urban design following her landscape architecture degree, that she truly opened her eyes to the beauty of the material. “That was the first time I was exposed to the truly ornamental plaster interiors created by the Irish artisans of the 17th and 18th centuries,” she says. “This exposure is when I really started to invest in plaster as both art form and trade.” Nine years ago, Dillon returned from Ireland to join her father, Kirk Dillon, in an artisan tradition that stretches across centuries but is constantly being reinterpreted. Kirk started out working for a specialty contractor but was also enamored by plaster’s historic charms. About a decade ago, he bought Master of Plaster from ninth-generation plasterer Michael Kempster—purchasing not just the institutional knowledge, lime plaster formulations, and legacy of work on Windsor Castle and Oxford College, but also artifacts like the original molds from Mark Twain’s house. Master of Plaster is now headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina but sells and ships their handcrafted plasters throughout the U.S. and into Canada. This family business—Kirk’s other daughter, Kirstie, also works for the company—is now at the forefront of the plaster revival movement. As plaster becomes a more wellknown material within the design realm, Kirk hopes more individuals will begin to include lime plasters in their repertoire of building materials. “People are starting to understand the benefits to plaster that you just can’t get from other materials, and it’s coming to the forefront of design,” he says. “When people understand how healthy and sustainable it is, we’ll get away from building things as quickly as possible and start building for beauty and longevity.”
FEATURES
Kensington Mansion in Eastover, South Carolina features restored white plaster.
material,” Lauren says. “It does take a craftsman to install, and it can be daunting to understand the nuances as an architectural finish.” Those nuances include skilled usage of a plasterer’s two main tools: the hawk and trowel. “The trade hasn’t changed very much from the beginning, which I find to be really beautiful,” she says. Lime plasters are all about layering, so skilled application techniques are particularly crucial. “You can actually see the artisan strokes in the final finish.”
FROM TOP RIGHT: Master of Plaster projects include everything from this living room remodel to restoring the U.S. Customs House.
It’s wildly versatile. Those
PHOTOS: ZIO & SONS CREATIVE STUDIO; COURTESY OF MASTER OF PLASTER
Some of the world’s most spectacular buildings were built and restored using plaster. Plaster’s repu-
tation was built through its use, over centuries, in some of the world’s most iconic buildings. Master of Plaster has been involved in several restoration projects involving these key historic structures, including Grand Central Station and the Hirshhorn Museum, the SOM design that serves as the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of Modern Art on the National Mall. For these projects and others, Master of Plaster was able to honor the historic integrity of the buildings while updating the aesthetic.
It’s a highly skilled trade. “People
understand paints and wallpapers, but there isn’t a broader knowledge base about this gb&d
handmade artisan strokes can be used to create a wide variety of textures and hues, leading to endless indoor and outdoor versatility through a range of Master of Plaster’s different product lines. The Restoration, the Venetian, the Caenstone, the Veneer, and the Limewash all have unique compositions and formulations. Natural materials like marble dust and colored sands can also be added. For one recent project, a hotel in New York, Master of Plaster added a local black river sand to create a unique contour effect. “You can start manipulating the material and create some very beautiful finishes,” Lauren says. And those finishes can range dramatically. “You can get everything from a matte finish to a high polish where it’s as smooth as glass,” Kirk adds.
It’s a living thing. Unlike clay or paint, hydrated lime plaster doesn’t simply dry out. Instead, it reabsorbs carbon dioxide and, the longer the lime slakes (or ages), the more carbon july–august 2018
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Master of Plaster restored the Greyfield Inn in Cumberland Island, Georgia.
It’s a natural, healthy, and sustainable material. Plaster is
a wholly natural earthen material that releases zero VOCs. Lime cures out to a PH of between 10 and 12, notes Lauren, which prevents mold and bacteria from growing—making plaster increasingly desirable for restaurant, kitchen, and bathroom projects. Also, unlike drywall, traditional lime plaster does not require sanding. “It’s an incredibly clean material to work with,” Kirk says.
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You can actually see the artisan strokes in the final finish.
It’s a uniquely beautiful complement to contemporary design. Many artisans and
designers come to love plaster through a historical lens, but plaster is increasingly relevant to modern design projects. High-design restaurants, art galleries, hotels, and homes are increasingly gravitating toward plaster and its place in the sustainable design realm. At one art gallery in New York City, Master of Plaster’s Venetian plaster line was used to prepare the walls for an array of works by Andy Warhol; another project, a high-design home in Portland, Oregon, utilized plaster as part of a commitment to American-made, all-natural materials. “The aesthetics of plaster are just so pleasing, and the history is just so fascinating,” Kirk says. “From a design perspective, it gives you so much more to work with.” gb&d gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASTER OF PLASTER
dioxide can be reabsorbed. As a result, plaster can retain and release moisture, regulating humidity and temperature— hence a traditional preference for plaster in balmy coastal regions. And because it cures instead of drying or going through a chemical set, as a material it is able to move and settle along with a structure, and is less prone to cracking. Hence, it has greater longevity.
GREEN BUILDINGFEATURES & DESIGN
Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List
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85 Sports, Redefined
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is changing the way we think about sports venues.
86 Smart Parking
Atlanta’s oldest traditional park gets a facelift—and long-term sustainability is key.
88 The Best of Camp
Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground leads by example, from what it teaches to how it’s built.
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Leading the Way
Atlanta’s latest initiatives ensure its place as one of the U.S.’s most sustainable cities. BY RACHEL COON
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H E A M E R I C A N S O U T H is known for many things—Antebellum architecture and the Civil Rights Movement, the SEC and Jimmy Carter, fried chicken and southern drawls. But Atlanta is making a name for itself by striving to become one of the greenest cities on the planet. “Atlanta has made incredible strides to become a greener and more resilient city,” says Stephanie Stuckey, chief resilience officer for the City of Atlanta’s Office of Resilience, where they are committed to transitioning to 100% clean energy, enacting the largest municipal solar program in the state, electrifying the city’s fleet, and turning abandoned city lots into community gardens. A new city ordinance also requires new construction and major renovations to be at least LEED Silver certified. For local leaders, working to be more sustainable means reconciling developmental goals with long-term environmental limits. We recently explored a few of the city’s latest endeavors: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Grant Park Gateway Project, and Camp Southern Ground.
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Spor ts, Redefined Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta’s new professional sports venue, raises the bar when it comes to sustainability and worldclass entertainment.
When Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, and his team of designers envisioned the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, they set out to do what had never been done. “We wanted to redefine the stadium experience,” says Scott Jenkins, who joined the team in 2014 as stadium general manager, just as they broke ground. “Every step of the way, while we were focused on the fan experience, we were also focused on making the venue as environmentally smart as we could,” says Jenkins, a pioneer in the green building movement in sports and chairman of the Green Sports Alliance.
Platinum Performance The 2 million-square-foot, $1.5 billion project was designed by HOK, who worked with BuroHappold Engineering and Hoberman Associates to complete the stadium in July 2017. Home to the Atlanta Falcons and the new Atlanta United soccer club, Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened its doors to a sell-out crowd of 72,000 for its first soccer match in August 2017. In November 2017, the stadium was awarded LEED Platinum, making it the first professional sports venue in the world to achieve that level. To be LEED certified, a building must acquire 40 points—to reach LEED Platinum, an additional 40 must be acquired. Blank and his team scored 88 points, carefully considering every line item in categories like building materials, energy, water, and site location. Jenkins says, “Our approach was to go after everything.” Most visibly, the stadium’s sustainability features include 4,000 solar panels placed not on the rooftop but, as part of the aesthetic, at eye level on ticket entryways and parking lot canopies. The panels generate enough energy to power nine Falcons games or 13 United matches. The advanced storm water management program includes an on-site 2.1 million gallon storm water vault, bioswales, and a 680,000-gallon cistern for collecting and reusing rainwater for a cooling tower and irrigation. This combined with water-efficient fixtures resulted in a 47% reduction in domestic water use. Plus, given the stadium’s location west of downtown—where neighborhoods have been plagued by flooding for years—it was important to Blank and his team to reduce the venue’s contribution to local storm events. Raise the Bar Transportation and renewable energy were key to reaching Platinum. The stadium boasts two MARTA metro train stops, electric car charging stations, bike valet on major event days, and pedestrian-friendly pathways. Of course, if you’ve heard anything about Mercedes-Benz Stadium, you’ve heard about the halo board—at 350 tons and 58 feet high by 1,100 feet around, the stadium’s impressively massive video screen is more than 63,000 square feet of LED lighting. In fact, all of the venue’s lighting is LED, which
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The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is the first LEED Platinum professional sports venue in the world.
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“This building was designed very intentionally to be innovative.” incorporating edible landscaping and a recycling program. “It’s nice to have a highly visible building doing things the right way,” Jenkins says. “It was Arthur’s vision from the beginning to challenge the whole project team to push the envelope.”
Elevated Entertainment As with any major construction, Blank and his team faced challenges due to the project’s complexities in size, time, and budget. “When you’re building a sports venue in a downtown urban environment, it’s already complex,” Jenkins says. “When you’re trying to design a building that’s architecturally stunning, you have to get creative. It’s credit to the whole project team for its great collaborative effort and commitment, but first and foremost, to Arthur for his vision,” says Jenkins, noting that Blank has been a leader in sustainable and socially responsible building practices for years, having constructed the first LEED Gold building in Georgia in 2004—the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation office in Atlanta. Mercedes-Benz Stadium has experienced stunning success so far, with a college football championship under its belt, the overwhelming reception of Atlanta United, and hosting the upcoming NFL Super Bowl LIII in 2019. “We have exceeded our own expectations—people are inspired by the building and entertained at a world-class level,” Jenkins says, highlighting that they will continue to invest in water and energy conservation, efficient waste strategies and material sourcing, and evolving the stadium’s green cleaning program. “We’ve built this beautiful LEED Platinum venue. Now we want to focus on how we can operate as efficiently as possible while continuing to elevate the fan experience.”
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A new parking deck in Grant Park will be smart, convenient, and aesthetically appealing for neighboring homes.
S M A R T PA R K I N G
I t w a s a t a ll o r d e r from city leaders when they solicited for a design team to create a plan for a new parking deck in Grant Park. Home to Zoo Atlanta, the city’s oldest traditional park is one of the area’s most popular destinations with more than a million visitors annually. The new structure had to be smart, convenient, and aesthetically appealing for neighboring homes—a typical abovegrade, cement monstrosity wouldn’t do. Plus, like all new construction in Georgia’s capital city, the structure needed to be at least LEED Silver certified while simultaneously increasing parking capacity, incorporating the latest technology, and most importantly, blending seamlessly into the natural landscape. While, on its face, a parking garage may pale in comparison to some projects in a firm’s portfolio, what Atlanta’s leaders had in mind was anything but ordinary—and the experts at Smith Dalia Architects were up to the challenge and gladly accepted the award to design the Grant Park Gateway Project.
From Gray to Green
Along with HGOR landscape architects and general contractors Winter Johnson Group, Smith Dalia’s design marries the city’s and Zoo Atlanta’s needs with neighboring residents’ wishes. Today, homes overlook a sprawling concrete parking lot, visitors circle endlessly looking for a parking spot, and storm water runoff is always an issue. Once complete, the new three-tier, 1,000-space parking deck will feature electric car charging stations and a smart parking system that detects space availability. But even more importantly, the structure is being built into the existing hillside along Boulevard Avenue and will boast a rooftop green space with a restaurant, bicycle parking, new pedestrian pathways, and a 67,000-gallon cistern for collecting and reusing rainwater. The new design takes equal measures to correct current erosion issues, and even the façade that is visible won’t be concrete. “Basically, we’re converting an 8-acre surface parking lot into a multi-level, multi-purpose
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RENDERING: COURTESY OF SMITH DALIA ARCHITECTS AND WINTER JOHNSON GROUP
lasts 10 times longer than standard lighting and reduces energy usage by as much as 60%. “Everything about this building was designed very intentionally to be innovative and groundbreaking from an environmental standpoint,” Jenkins says. Visitors love the sustainable elements as well as the architecture and technology—like the eight-petal ocular roof. Then there’s the stadium’s food and beverage experience—number one in the NFL and MLS,
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parking garage, transforming the fourth level into a 7-acre green space that will be fundamentally different from the rest of the park while still connecting the park to the community,” explains Amy Phuong, commissioner for the City of Atlanta’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
A Sustainable Future
Thoughtful consideration was given, too, to the parking deck’s long-term usability. “There was this classic conversation that, in 50 years, what do you do with a multi-level parking garage,” Phuong recalls. So the parking deck was designed so that, if desired, the next generation of leaders can easily convert the structure into another facility based on its intelligent design and construction. The Grant Park Gateway Project broke ground in spring 2018 and completion is expected in 2019. “Atlanta wants to be a top-tier sustainable city, and our leaders have made major strides toward that goal,” Phuong says. The Parks and Recreation team traveled to Dallas to study the nationally renowned Klyde Warren Park, an
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urban green space known for its innovative design over a recessed freeway. That’s where the idea for Grant Park’s green roof and restaurant were born. Phuong’s team also visited a parking garage project in a community near Dallas Arboretum to gather notes on its unique design and smart technology. The greatest challenge so far for the Grant Park project has revolved around community support, particularly around blending the new parking deck into the existing landscape. The design-build method has been a hard delivery method to explain. Community input and design decisions were made early in the planning process, and now that the project is underway, it’s taken some by surprise. It has also proven challenging to convince the community that the city is, in fact, going to deliver what it promised—that is, a sustainable, engaging green space. Tree loss has been a controversial topic. Minimizing the number of trees lost is key. Phuong says, “For every tree impacted, a new tree will be replanted as part of the green roof or throughout the rest of the park.”
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TH E BEST OF CAMP
Summer camp just got a lot cooler—and not just because of air conditioning. On 400 acres of rolling pastureland in the heart of Georgia, 35 miles south of Atlanta, Camp Southern Ground is transcending the everyday camp experience for children—especially for those with neurological and behavioral challenges and those of military families, as well as those developing typically. And at the heart of camp is the iconic Peterson Dining Hall.
Blend of Opposites Designed by Perkins+Will and constructed by DPR Construction and Structor Group, the camp’s structural centerpiece was completed in fall 2016. “The idea for the appearance of the building was to create
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAMP SOUTHERN GROUND
Camp Southern Ground in Georgia combines LEED facilities with sustainable teaching.
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MORE S U S TA I N A B L E OPTIONS
G Eat & Drink RESTAURANT EUGENE HERBAN FIX TRUE FOOD KITCHEN CACAO ATLANTA CHOCOLATE COMPANY
A Stay
THE ELLIS HOTEL EMORY CONFERENCE CENTER HOTEL THE WESTIN BUCKHEAD ATLANTA
something that was a blend of opposites—derived from familiar forms like gable roofs and brick chimneys, yet interpreted in a new and artistic way,” says Christopher Sciarrone, Perkins+Will senior project architect. “It should be a little bit jarring and surprising but also very familiar and comfortable at the same time,” Sciarrone says of the 20,000-square-foot hall with cathedral ceilings. Indeed, the very placement of the long, rectangular dining hall is like an openarmed welcome to kids arriving at camp. The building’s extremely durable, all-zinc skin was key to meeting camp founder and Grammy Award–winning musician Zac Brown’s goals for building sustainably—as was the building’s orientation. The dining hall’s east-west placement offers great views and daylight and decreases heat gain from the sun, while on the north side, high-performance glass allows for the best indirect ambient light— meaning less energy expended on burning light bulbs—and on the south side, specially designed shading mechanisms block most of the heat and ultraviolet radiation from entering the building. Peterson Dining Hall achieved LEED certification by implementing other sustainable features as well, like a geothermal loop to regulate the camp’s domestic water temperatures, walk-in kitchen coolers, and a low-volume, low-displacement HVAC system that introduces air near the floor—cooling only the areas where people are, with a low-volume flow instead of high-volume air blasting from vents. “The nice benefit of the two systems combined is that it’s much quieter—there are no compressors. So instead of walking outside on a hot summer day in Georgia and hearing those buzzing condensers everywhere, we’ve maintained the placid, natural character of the land,” Sciarrone says.
Food for Thought Elements throughout the camp have their own story—like the wood ceiling in Peterson Dining Hall. Most materials were sourced locally, but this wood also happened to be donated by Bob Taylor of Taylor gb&d
B Play THE ATLANTA BELTLINE CHATTAHOOCHEE NATURE CENTER THE HOMESTEAD ATLANTA MADE AGAIN
Guitars. The wood wasn’t quite right P R OJ E CT for making musical instruments, but it was perfect for Brown’s camp. LOCATION The design team also avoided many Fayette County, Georgia chemicals, adhesives, and paints in completing the dining hall. “Children SIZE 20,000 square feet already spend way too much of their time indoors in their regular lives, so COMPLETION September 2016 when they come to camp, they’ll hopefully be outside most of the time—but AWARDS when they are inside, they’ll have a very AIA Georgia Honor Award 2017; healthy environment,” Sciarrone says. Atlanta Magazine It’s the food and dining experience, Groundbreaker however, that Camp Southern Ground Award 2017 truly revolves around—and that proved most challenging for Perkins+Will. A tremendous amount of thought was given TEAM to the family-style dining and custom-designed dumbwaiters that operate vertiARCHITECT cally between the dining hall and lowPerkins+Will er-level kitchen. The architects worked LANDSCAPE closely with food service consultants to ARCHITECT create a kitchen process flow and design Perkins+Will a space that could function as one large GENERAL open room or a multi-purpose space for CONTRACTOR Joint venture: DPR; smaller groups, all while concealing Structor Group kitchen activities. STRUCTURAL Teaching children about the food ENGINEER they’re eating when they sit down Uzun+Case for a meal is at the heart of the Camp MEPFP ENGINEER Southern Ground experience. A 12Integral Consulting acre, on-site organic farm helps them Engineering learn the benefits of growing their own FOOD SERVICE food and involves them in the overall CONSULTANT process, from planting and growing to Camacho composting with a sophisticated grindAssociates er-extractor system that recaptures everything from chicken bones to banana peels, resulting in zero waste. “The kids learn the benefits of growing what they eat—seeing firsthand what it’s like to pick their dinner, help make their dinner, eat their dinner, and then compost it back into the soil to grow more,” says Alyssa Goodman, Camp Southern Ground communications manager. “It’s an amazing thing to see a child come into the garden having never eaten a fresh green bean, insisting they’ll never try one—but then, once they’ve pulled that green bean out of the ground themselves, they eat it and love it.” gb&d july–august 2018
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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN
Up Front Typology Inner Workings Features Spaces Approach Punch List
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92 Add Versatility to the Open Office Solutions like Moderco’s operable glass partitions vastly improve the workplace.
96 How to Choose the Best Industrial High Bay Lighting Flex Lighting Solutions breaks down the key considerations to installing the best lights.
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ffice design is constantly changing. Ten years ago it was all about openness—large shared office spaces that encouraged interaction and collaboration. That was until people realized the open office meant more distractions and minimal privacy. “Once we opened spaces, people started to realize there was too much noise. They were distracted by all the talking,” says Jean-Martin Roy, vice president of operable partition designer and manufacturer Moderco. Moderco is making strides in improving the open office concept by giving companies the ability to have a little more privacy when needed. Their operable glass partitions meet acoustical ratings while still allowing sunlight to flow through, keeping occupants happy. The partitions provide the versatility to close a room for a meeting or open the space to accommodate an office party. “We needed to close the spaces, but we also wanted to keep the daylight in and allow people to see outside,” Roy says. “They needed partitions you could move, but they also needed them to be made of glass.” The first acoustical-rated glass partition Moderco produced was in early 2000—at a time when demand was minimal, though they gradually saw an increase. Over the past 20 years, Moderco’s acoustical glass partition sales have quadrupled. “Architects and designers want to ensure light is coming in,” Roy says. “Human beings are like that. They feel better and act better when they can see outside. No one wants to be closed up in an office.” Being environmentally conscious is extremely import-
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ant to Moderco. The company utilizes LEED v4 criteria in the production of all partitions. They use as much raw, recyclable material as feasible. Currently, 80% of their product can be recycled. Moderco is also working on developing a new product that will be even more environmentally friendly than the substrates they currently use, Roy says. “It is important for everyone, especially for the next generation, to pay attention to the environment,” he says. “We want to do something on our side to make sure our kids get to live in a clean environment.”
LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES No task is out of the question—at least not to start—with Moderco. The company will take on any special request and work with the architect and designers to find a way to make dream s come true, Roy says. They enjoy the challenge and the design possibilities. “Our materials are always evolving,” he says. When designing Quantico Middle/High School on a U.S. Marine Corps Base in Virginia, architect Frederic Bishop of Waller, Todd, Sadler called on Moderco to see if they could help in the design of the operable glass partitions with doors, a special lock system, and blinds integral to the partitions. “It was the first time we have worked with a system like that, and Moderco was very cooperative and accommodating,” Bishop says. Moderco recently walked us through some of the most exciting ways they have used operable glass partitions to increase versatility in the open office. gbdmagazine.com
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HOW TO
Add Versatility to the Open Office MODERCO CAN IMPROVE ANY SPACE WITH FLEXIBLE PARTITION SOLUTIONS. By Colleen DeHart
q Moderco adapted the Rivero Mestre law office space to allow for more daylight and better acoustics.
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Moderco developed a new solution for 3CInteractive’s space in Florida.
QUANTICO MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL, QUANTICO, VIRGINIA 3CINTERACTIVE, BOCA RATON, FLORIDA > The mobile marketing company 3Cinteractive
reached out to Moderco for help when they decided to divide their centrally located meeting room. The building had already achieved LEED Gold status and the owner did not want to add anything that would disrupt the flow of sunlight. They also wanted marker boards inside the partitions to use during meetings. Moderco had never installed marker boards inside their crystal partitions before but decided to take on the challenge. The engineering department developed a special channel to secure the marker boards inside the partitions and make sure room occupants could not see any gaps.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MODERCO
> The U.S. Corp of Engineers designed classrooms in Quantico to open up into large areas where kids can interact during the day. They came to Moderco because they wanted operable glass partitions to divide the classrooms that could be easily moved to create larger spaces. They also wanted the partitions to contain a special locking system to use during a potential lockdown and inner blinds that could come down to increase security and privacy. Adapting the lock to the partitions was a challenge for Moderco, whose engineers had to re-adapt the locking system to make it fit. A special redesigned locking system acceptable to the U.S. Corps of Engineers was developed, approved, and installed.
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RIVERO MESTRE, LLP IN MIAMI, FLORIDA > The Rivero Mestre, LLP law firm wanted to add two
meeting rooms to its lobby area. The firm already had a fixed glass-wall meeting area that’s common in many office spaces but wanted additional space, with the option to open up the space and use the front lobby for functions. It was important to the company to keep the flow of daylight while also meeting acoustic requirements. Moderco was successful in adapting their panels so that when they were opened they could all be pushed away into a corner.
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WPP OF TORONTO, CANADA > Advertising and marketing company WPP want-
ed more than just a room for a meeting space. They wanted to be able to easily convert the space from a meeting room to an open area as needed. Moderco helped them get there by installing their operable glass partitions and adapting the color and design elements of the panels to fit the current decor of the office. Moderco designed the partitions such that they could be easily moved out of the way to accommodate larger functions that may be held in the center of the office space. gb&d
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q Replacing old fluorescents with Flex Lighting Solutions' Essentials Series 4.0 LED High Bays increased light levels by 80% at Dana Incorporated.
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HOW TO
Choose the Best Industrial High Bay Lighting IN A LARGE INDUSTRIAL SPACE, SELECTING THE WRONG LIGHTS CAN WASTE SIGNIFICANT ENERGY—AND DOLLARS. By Margaret Poe
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t’s a good time to be shopping for industrial lighting. That’s because in just the last few years, LED technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, leading to dramatically higher efficiencies with improved consistency and longevity. Half a decade ago it would take three years or more for reduced energy costs to pay back an average investment in LED lighting for an industrial or commercial space, according to Christopher Stratas, general manager of Flex Lighting Solutions. Today, you get that return on investment in almost half the time—the LED lighting is that much more efficient and cost effective. “We consider it kind of a no-brainer to upgrade,” he says. “You’re not going to be sitting here three to four years from now saying, ‘I wish I waited.’” In addition to the increased efficiency, modern LEDs don’t depreciate like fluorescent or high-intensity discharge (HID) sources did in the past, so consistent light levels are maintained for a much longer time, without the need for lamp replacements. The time is right. But how do you know where to begin when you’re shopping for lights for your factory, warehouse, commercial, or industrial space? “First and foremost, we want to understand the light levels a customer needs,” says Greg Aufderheide, director of business development for North America at Flex Lighting Solutions. Some customers will have a target light level, while others may not know exactly what they want. That’s where the experts at Flex come into play, creating a computer simulation to show customers exactly how various light options would look in their space. For Dana Incorporated, the results of replacing old fluorescents with Flex Lighting Solution’s Essentials Series 4.0 LED High Bays were clear immediately, with light levels increased by 80%. “From day one, since the new Flex high bays were installed, the employees have been really happy and mentioned how bright it is,” says Paula Zuccaro, engineering assistant at Dana Incorporated. “They have increased visibility in their work cells, which improved their performance.” And beyond boosting employee morale, the sustainable solution will pay off for the manufacturing facility, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new lights are expected to save 449,880-kilowatt hours of energy each year.
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF FUTURE ENERGY GROUP
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3 WAYS FLEX LIGHTING’S LUMINAIRES ARE SUPERIOR
They can take the heat. Flex Lighting’s luminaires have better thermal management and perform well in harsh environments. Flex Essentials Series 4.0 LED High Bays have up to a 65ºC (149ºF) max. ambient rating. They’re reliable. Flex Lighting’s luminaires are durable and built with high-quality components, leading to much longer, maintenance-free operation than competitors’ products.
Flex Lighting Solutions has transformed countless spaces, from Pentastar Aviation to Delaco Steel.
They’re compact in design. The low-profile luminaires are small but mighty, with high lumen output and high efficacy.
AS YOU BEGIN YOUR SEARCH, CONSIDER THESE KEY FACTORS:
If it’s a new build, you can configure the lighting to precisely meet the needs of the space. When replacing existing lighting, however, you are faced with fitting the new lights into the existing configuration or rewiring the facility. Given the expense of rewiring, most customers will opt for new lights that fit directly into the existing layout. Flex’s products are designed to be used both in new installations and one-forone replacements, Stratas says, making for a streamlined installation.
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2 Is the space airconditioned? Many industrial spaces aren’t climate-controlled, resulting in what’s known as a high ambient condition. In other words, it’s hot. Typical high bay lights are installed some 25 feet in the air, Aufderheide notes, and temperatures can rise well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit up there. In order to perform optimally, the lights need to be rated to meet these conditions. Flex’s products feature a thermal management technology that makes sure the light will operate efficiently even on the hottest days.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FLEX LIGHTING SOLUTIONS; FUTURE ENERGY GROUP
Is it a new project or a retrofit?
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The HT1 Series is perfectly suited for auto showrooms, big-box retailers, convention centers, and more. These High Bay LED luminaires come in a stylish troffer design for high ceiling applications that require superior lumen output, ultralong life, and high quality of light.
APPROACH
ALL OF THE LIGHTS What you need to know about the three main types of high-bay lighting. High-Intensity Discharge (HID): Traditional lights, often metal-halide or high-pressure sodium, degrade fairly quickly. They also have a long warm-up time. In order to achieve the same lighting level in a 250,000-square-foot facility, HIDs would consume 229,216 watts of power.
Flex Lighting Solution’s Essentials Series 4.0 is the newest generation of the Essentials Series. These LED fixtures deliver best-in-class thermal management for ambient temperatures up to 65°C, provide the highest reliability and best lumen maintenance, and offer the lowest TCO.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FLEX LIGHTING SOLUTIONS; FUTURE ENERGY GROUP
3 Is there any safety concern? A bright, well-lit workspace will boost employee productivity, and it can also keep them safe. When Dana Incorporated set out to replace the lighting in its 1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility, safety was a top priority. The team worked with Flex to design a system that featured a lighted path of egress that would allow workers to evacuate in case of an emergency loss of power. gb&d
Fluorescent: While it was introduced as an alternative to HID lights, fluorescent is no longer the most efficient option. In order to achieve the same lighting level in a 250,000-square-foot facility, fluorescent lights would consume 181,764 watts of power. LED: LEDs offer instant-on lighting, and the lumen output will remain consistent over time. Technology gains mean these lights consume far less energy than HID or fluorescents. In order to achieve the same lighting level in a 250,000-square-foot facility, LEDs like Flex’s Essential Series 4.0 consume just 48,642 watts of power.
4 What about controls? Depending on how the space is used, a simple on-off switch may be the only control you need. In areas that aren’t always occupied, fixture mounted sensors can turn off or dim the lights when the area is vacant. In other applications, though, you may want to connect your lighting system to an Internet of Things (IoT) network or building management system, so the lighting can be controlled and monitored remotely. gb&d july–august 2018
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APPROACH
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GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN
Up Front Typology Trendsetters Features Spaces Approach Punch List
gb&d
102 WSLA Insights
How WELL and Fitwel support a healthier work environment
103 Net Zero Everywhere
Gensler’s director of sustainable design looks at how changing building codes impact energy independence.
104 Person of Interest
Joanna Frank shares how the Center for Active Design is raising the bar for healthy workplace design.
106 Lessons Learned
Meet Anthony Guerrero, director of facilities and sustainability at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
108 Better Building Materials
This nanotechnology research is paving the way for more sustainable building materials.
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How WELL and Fitwel Support a Healthier Work Environment Taking a closer look at the similarities and differences between health and well-being standards
TKTK WSLA WINNER
Holly Henderson Founder of H2 Ecodesign
Some days we have a hard time simply getting to the gym and attempting to eat healthy. While we’re inundated with mechanisms to actively become healthier, what if our built environment also supported us in making healthy living easier? Intelligent buildings are doing just that by integrating certification systems like Fitwel and WELL. Both systems focus on:
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Human-centric building strategies, asking, “How does design impact the people in these spaces?”
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Research and outcomes, asking, “Can we confirm the strategies in these certification systems have real positive results for people? Are these strategies simple anecdotal observation or are they rooted in evidence-based design?”
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BUT WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FITWEL AND WELL?
FITWEL • Designed by General Services Administration and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) • Perkins + Will met Fitwel standards for renovations and new offices in North America and London • Reduced cost and documentation • Certified or registered projects in 20 countries • Customers include Bloomberg and Lendlease WELL • Administered by the International Well Building Institute • Certified or registered projects in 32 countries • Customers include CBRE, TD Bank, Teknion, and Wells Fargo
Whether pursuing Fitwel or WELL, spaces should be designed to support occupant health. Plus, both systems parallel and integrate well with other environmental building rating systems, like LEED and the Living Building Challenge. INSPIRATIONAL STRATEGIES IN FITWEL AND WELL:
FITWEL • Imagine standing at a hotel elevator and seeing a sign that tells you about the health benefits of taking the stairs just around the corner. If you saw this sign,
would you take the stairs? You just might. That’s the kind of action Fitwel promotes with its Stairwell Strategy 5.4. • Have you ever traveled to an airport that has water refilling stations for your water bottle? That refilling station could save you $8 by avoiding the purchase of the airport’s plastic encased water. This strategy in Fitwel is known as Water Supply 9.2. • Each strategy in Fitwel is tied to CDC research demonstrating health advantages. Plus, all of the points in the system are weighted based on the real benefits to people. WELL • WELL creates more adaptable spaces for building occupants. Have you ever needed a private space to talk about a health issue or family matter at work? WELL’s Feature 89 Adaptable Spaces encourages designers to include quiet spaces that are enclosed or semi-enclosed so you can have a private phone call in a place more comfortable and acoustically private than a toilet stall. Beyond noise reduction, another aspect of this feature considers the need for “nap time,” similar to the European siesta. WELL emphasizes creating spaces with furniture that accommodates for the occasional nap, like couches, sleep pods, or hammocks. More adaptable spaces yield
health benefits for cardiovascular and immune systems. • If you ever feel wide awake at night after using your phone or computer, it could be the blue light these devices emit. Another strategy in WELL promotes the use of circadian rhythm lighting to provide appropriate lighting levels to align the light fixtures in the space with our natural sleep and wake cycle. This is called #54 Circadian Lighting Design. • WELL also shows the designer how the feature they choose specifically affects human anatomy and physiology. Both Fitwel and WELL support an easier, quicker methodology to a healthier workplace and a healthier you. gb&d
Holley Henderson is the founder of H2 Ecodesign. She received the Women in Sustainability Leadership Award (WSLA) in 2017. She is the author of Becoming a Green Building Professional and has presented for many events, including Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, NeoCon, and IFMA’s World Workplace. Henderson has a wealth of experience in sustainability and the LEED certification process.
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Net Zero Everywhere California is leading the energy independence revolution with changes in building codes.
Anthony Brower Director of Sustainable Design Gensler
shift from incremental energy conservation and efficiency measures for buildings to energy independence. Few places are more aggressive than California, where new single-family residential buildings in Santa Monica are already required to meet energy balance requirements. Net Zero Energy (NZE) buildings are high-performance developments that do not consume any more energy than they can produce by renewable means, which generally is expected to occur on-site. A BUILDING’S PURPOSE
As young architects learn the basics of design and the craft of the built environment, one of the first things we underscore is the importance of connections. The moments where things change are of vital importance, and how they change, connect, and move often represents an opportunity for design. A hinge in a door, a knuckle in a building, even a bend in the road represent times where we move from one state to the next. We regularly celebrate exceptional projects that push boundaries, but it’s the everyday projects that have the greatest potential for impact at scale, and incremental changes in building codes can make huge strides to improve the market. A MOMENT OF CHANGE
A new phenomenon in the built environment seeks to align the everyday and the aspirational—and it will help us transform the industry across the globe. Several municipalities are working to gb&d
Why start with residential? When we unpack different building uses through the lens of energy demands we find there are essentially two types of buildings—internal load dominated and external load dominated. Internal load dominated buildings regulate the temperature of the building by offsetting the output of people and equipment contained within them. This application makes up much of the commercial development market. External, also known as skin load dominated buildings, like single family homes, generally have just a few people and not a lot of equipment, so the conditioning of the space is driven by the temperature and other impacts from outside the building. Skin load dominated buildings are generally easier to design to this level of performance, especially considering the advances of building envelope materials and improvements in residential equipment efficiency. Combined with new smart home connected devices that allow us to control conditioning in
“It’s the everyday projects that have the greatest potential.” more intuitively, it’s easy to understand this typology as the starting point. LEADING BY EXAMPLE
To spur the advancement of Net Zero Energy for internal load dominated buildings, California plans to lead by example. Half of all new government projects are required to implement NZE design by as early as 2020, and the balance—including existing government building retrofits and all new commercial projects—will be phased in by 2030. These code requirements will likely be triggered at the point of permit, which means a project that breaks ground in 2020 under these new codes will have had to have started its high performance design integration as early as 2017. No, that’s not a typo—we’ve already started designing for this future change. As the cost of energy continues to rise and manufacturing becomes streamlined on solar panels, making them more cost effective, the financial cost for on-site renewables will become more attractive than simply plugging into the local utility. At this point, the challenge will become one of space. Large projects on constrained sites with high energy demands may not have the ability to produce enough to offset their needs. These prop-
erties may need to purchase over-generation from other properties. Much like selling air rights, where one property sells unclaimed usable area to another through a covenant process, low energy consumers may be uniquely positioned to do the same. Parking garages and warehouse spaces, with minimal loads beyond lighting and elevator movement, are prime opportunities for overgeneration sales. It’s something Amazon, for example, could easily consider. CNN has reported Amazon’s scaled approach to solar includes a plan to generate nearly 300 megawatts. I am excited to see the aggressive vector we are setting for residential, government, and commercial development as we strive to make the exceptional projects of today the new minimum performance expectations for tomorrow. What are you doing to prepare for Net Zero Everywhere? gb&d
Anthony Brower is the director of sustainable design at Gensler and leads their high-performance design practice out of the Los Angeles office with a focus on data integrated solutions. Anthony currently sits on the USGBC-LA board of directors, LA Metro Sustainability Council, and is a co-author of Impact by Design.
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Person of Interest Joanna Frank
gb&d: What makes a healthy workplace?
The Center for Active Design is raising the bar for healthy workplace design. Interview by Maia Welbel
Joanna Frank is the president and CEO of the Center for Active Design (CAD), an organization that translates public health research into practical design strategies for the built environment. “This is knowledge that has been
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Frank: Promoting health in the workplace starts with where it is located. If it’s in a highly walkable neighborhood with access to public transit, well maintained outdoor spaces, and nature, all of those impact employee health. The space between public and private—the design of the sidewalk and how the entry area connects back to the neighborhood—is an important aspect of equity and community health. Making outdoor spaces restorative and social, by building a community garden for example, offers physical and mental benefits. And then there are design strategies for the indoor environment—like making it tobacco-free, monitoring air quality, and minimizing noise pollution. It’s important that employees are able to see nature, can stand up periodically while working, and have access to shared spaces. gb&d: How has workplace culture changed over the last five years? Frank: We have seen a complete shift in demand for workplaces that prioritize quality of life. Five years ago we were taking a top-down approach to health-promoting design, looking at it from the policy and city level. Individuals were less aware that the design of where they worked and lived was having an impact on their health. Now there is much greater understanding, so employees are demanding more of their employers. gb&d: How does CAD’s new building certification, Fitwel, address this demand?
Frank: It is important that the health-promoting design strategies implemented are empirically shown to be effective. That’s why Fitwel has been so popular. Employers want to promote the health of their employees in a holistic and measurable way. The Fitwel certification is supported by more than 3,000 published research studies. This wealth of knowledge is translated into design strategies that address one or more of seven outcome categories: community health, reduced morbidity, social equity, well-being, healthy food, safety, and increased physical activity. The model is not one size fits all. Different strategies can be applied to different properties depending on the context. For example, a suburban property might not be in a walkable neighborhood, but it probably has more square feet per employee than an urban property, so there can be gym spaces and quiet spaces within the actual footprint of the building. That’s just as legitimate and health-promoting as a smaller urban property that is in a highly walkable neighborhood. Design needs to reflect the unique needs of the people that it’s serving and it’s exciting to be able to codify that. gb&d: What is one design choice that would make for a happier and healthier workplace? Frank: Stairwells. If you enter a building and immediately see a well-designed stairwell, you’re many times more likely to go up those stairs. And just six flights of stairs a day is enough to offset the annual average weight gain of an American. So this is the kind of small change that has a big impact on a person’s overall health. But there are strategies at every level. Some are very simple, like putting up hand-washing signs in the bathroom, and others are much more capital intensive. gb&d: Why is workplace wellness important to you? gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE CENTER FOR ACTIVE DESIGN
garnered for years, and we feel it’s our responsibility to make it as accessible as possible,” she says. Frank and her team are transforming the building industry to support healthier and happier communities.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF KILROY REALTY CORPORATION
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Frank: I think it’s possible to address and reverse global health trends using our built environment. The belief that we can make a difference is something that inspires me. We want this to be available to as many people as possible and bring about market transformation. We’re not as interested in just having one or two great projects; we are committed to raising the bar because health is something that impacts everybody. gb&d: What’s next for CAD? Frank: We are coming out with a gb&d
new set of civic design guidelines called Assembly. Assembly marks the next chapter for us, looking at social health. We are thinking about building trust between neighbors and stewardship of the public realm. There are cues in our built environment that impact our behavior, like whether or not we pick up litter. For the last four years we have been working with communities across the country, researching the relationship between design and social health. We will be publishing that this summer. gb&d
Westside Media Center in Los Angeles received a Fitwel certification in 2017.
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Anthony Guerrero LESSONS LEARNED Interviewed by Julia Stone
Focus on low-income housing. The Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC) is working to promote green buildings nationwide with the NRDC Resilient Communities Team and many other initiatives focused on energy efficiency. “I’m very excited about the fact that now the NRDC is also focusing on low-income communities. I grew up in kind of a tough neighborhood. You never really correlate environmentalism with low income, but those communities are the most adversely impacted—when the energy bills are expensive, you have to do without heat.” Humanize building certifications. “When you talk about
certification names like LEED Platinum or the Living Building Challenge (LBC), it becomes less about the people. Any time you’re talking about the standard you pursued, you need to humanize it. It’s really about building the most sustainable project you can. It’s about a workplace that is healthy and toxic-free. It’s about architectural design that brings joy, and that spurs comfort and creativity.” When you start talking about how sustainable building helps increase productivity, stakeholders also become more invested in the process, and in turn, more patient and flexible with your team as you make design decisions, Guerrero says. Listen to new voices at the table. “I’ve noticed I have a
lot of star players who don’t
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always speak up or aren’t always at the table. So I’ve been inviting them to the table
“You never really correlate environmentalism with low income, but those communities are the most adversely impacted.” Director of Facilities & Sustainability at NRDC
and giving spaces for them to voice their opinions, which has improved how we work as a team.” Guerrero met with a few architects, an engineer, and a general contractor to discuss
possible building certifications to pursue for their interior build-out in Chicago. The conversation wasn’t moving too far from LEED because it is well-known, but Guerrero had invited a young professional to the meeting and she brought up the LBC and the Petal Certification. None of the experienced building professionals in the room thought it was possible to pursue the LBC for an interior build-out, but Guerrero wanted to consider it. “If I wouldn’t have listened to her just because she wasn’t the seasoned professional there, we would have just went ‘status quo’ with LEED. But in fact, giving her the space to speak and allowing her to give explanations of why the LBC was possible was a huge benefit for us. It changed our whole approach to construction and it’s still something we talk about today.” Walk the walk. “If we’re going to ask people to advocate for what we do, in the least, we have to walk the walk. I always appreciate when our operations work is aligned with our programs.” When the NRDC partnered with Energy Efficiency for All, Guerrero and his team contributed to important discussions based on what he’s discovered in real-world applications. They brought up the importance of healthy building materials in projects with tight building envelopes using what they had learned from the LBC about materials that off-gas toxins and VOCs.
Don’t lose your attention to detail. Business moves at
a breakneck speed and if you let it pass you by, you can lose your attention to detail. “You can lose your ability to think more creatively and more holistically because you just need to get to that deadline.” Guerrero is now focusing on being more mindful and intentional in his work. “While it may feel like I’m slowing down by saying I’m going to focus on this first, I feel like I actually work faster because I’m more deliberate in what I’m actually doing and I make less errors. It’s kind of like that carpenter’s saying, ‘Measure twice, cut once.’ It’s important to be able to control your stress and focus on the priorities.” The bottom line matters, too. Guerrero spearheaded
the NRDC’s internal operations sustainability policy and helps achieve the “triple bottom line” in their offices across the globe. “Here at the NRDC we pride ourselves on making sure we still have the business case, too. We want the things we do to be scalable. We often do case studies of the work that we’ve done, what we’ve protected, and what actually materialized.” Guerrero and his team use a portfolio-wide dashboard that tells them their energy and water consumption levels in real time, as well as their waste goals. By measuring their energy with this tool, they were able to accurately audit their consumption. “We actually learned that one of our buildings was being overcharged for electricity. We were able to track about a year’s worth of data to prove that we were overpaying by double. Getting reimbursed for that overage was a huge example of when technology and sustainability align with business and the bottom line.” gb&d gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: REBECCA GREENFIELD, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
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PUNCH LIST IN THE LAB
gb&d: I f we met at a dinner party and I asked you what you do for a living, how would you describe what you do? Idrobo: I study materials at the atomic scale using an electron microscope. Basically, I take pictures of atoms and electrons, using the electron microscope as my camera, in order to understand how they control the material’s properties and how these properties can be enhanced. gb&d: How did you get interested in studying nanomaterials and developing new electron microscope technology? Idrobo: It was little bit of an accident. I was interested in doing a PhD in astrophysics, using telescopes to study the cosmos. But during my PhD classes my interest changed, and instead I began using the [electron] microscope to study the universe, albeit one atom at a time.
For nanotechnology researcher Juan Carlos Idrobo, measuring temperature changes on the nanoscale is part of his everyday work.
Better Building Materials Advances in nanotechnology could help experts develop more efficent building materials. By Shay Maunz
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Juan Carlos Idrobo: First, let’s think about a thermometer you’re used to, like a mercury thermometer. The way that works is that the mercury is in a cylinder of glass and there are marks on the glass, whether it’s in Celsius or Fahrenheit, for all the measurements—40, 50, 60, 70 degrees. And depending on the temperature in the area, the mercury will expand. The higher the temperature, the more the mercury atoms expand and that causes the mercury to rise up in the glass. And you can
gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: JASON RICHARDS FOR OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY, U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY
gb&d: How is taking the temperature of a material with an electron microscope different from using a standard thermometer?
IN THE LAB PUNCH LIST
calibrate how to correlate that expansion with the temperature marks on the glass. That will tell you the temperature. When we take temperature with an electron microscope, we do this completely differently. You can think of a scanning transmission electron microscope like this: All the electrons are focused in a really small area, similar to the light of a laser. But instead of the size of a laser, which might be a few millimeters, the size of the electron beam is on the order of an atom. That is basically one tenth of a billion of a meter—100,000 times smaller than the width of a hair. So, very small. gb&d: Can you walk us through how you actually use the electron microscope for measuring temperature? Idrobo: So what we do is we shoot this beam of electrons through a material. There are tons of electrons—millions of electrons per second—we are bombarding this material. And the electrons interact with the atoms in the material. And as they interact with the atoms in the material, the electrons lose energy, but they can also gain energy. The amount of energy they gain depends on the temperature of the material they’re interacting with. Then the next thing that happens, you can imagine like light going through a prism. When white light passes through a prism, a rainbow of different colors comes out the other side. The same thing happens when the electrons goes through the material. But instead of an optical prism like you’re imagining, we have a magnetic prism. We separate the electrons based on how much energy they have lost. And then we take a reading of how much energy the electrons have lost, and sort them into buckets. It’s like measuring how much purple we have, how much blue we have, how much red, how much yellow, green. We’re able to measure the temperature of the material by measuring how much energy the electrons have gained and lost. gb&d: Why does this technique matter, and what is most exciting to you about your research thus far? Idrobo: The thing that is most exciting to me is that with this technique, we don’t care about what the material is. In order to use a thermometer with, say, mercury, you need to know what the properties of the mercury are—how much volume the mercury gains when the temperature
gb&d
JUAN CARLOS IDROBO Researcher, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
â A nanometer is one billionth of a meter— think 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. That’s the scale where Juan Carlos Idrobo conducts his research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Studying materials
on this small scale can lead to big advances in technology.
increases, for instance. With this technique, we don’t care about that. We can just point the laser at the material and tell the temperature. The second thing is that because it is very small, we can look at very tiny pieces of material and take the temperature of just a very tiny, specific volume of the material. Another thing we can do is heat up a material, then stop the heating and let the material cool down. When the material is cooling down we can measure the temperature and see how the material responds when it’s cooling down. Why is important? Because we want to know how materials behave when they heat up or when they cool down. Is the material changing? What are the thermo-properties of the material? What are their electronic properties? What’s the strength? So now we can determine all those things by using this technique—and on a very small nanoscale. gb&d: How can this new technique for measuring temperature on the nanoscale affect green building practices?
“I see where the atoms are, what the atoms are doing. That allows me to better understand a material’s properties.”
â Idrobo and his research team discovered a new way to determine the temperature of nanomaterials. They use a high-energy resolution monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy-scanning transmission electron microscope—or HERMES, for short.
//
Idrobo: One good example is transistors. Transistors are shrinking all the time. As technology advances, they are getting smaller and smaller and smaller. But as they become smaller there are issues with thermo-management. There are parts of the transistor that get warmer, and how do you measure how hot these parts are? But even as they become smaller and smaller and smaller, we don’t have a problem measuring the temperature with an electron microscope—our electron probe is tiny. So this will help in advancing those transistors. And that’s really exciting. gb&d: How will your research impact energy efficiency in the HVACR industry? Idrobo: Any technological advancement in society is based in a large amount of basic science research, where materials properties are first characterized and clearly understood. The goal of my research is to provide that basic understanding in new materials so that novel devices can be made. This also apply to HVACR systems, where they can present an enhanced performance because they can rely on these new materials. gb&d
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Directory & Index ADVERTISERS
PEOPLE & COMPANIES
A Aquafil, 70 aquafil.com +39.0464.581111
A Atlanta Falcons, 85 Atlanta United, 85 Aufderheide, Greg, 96
B Boral, 18 boralamerica.com/roofing 800.669.8453 Bridger Steel, 36 bridgersteel.com 855.388.2500 E Earthcore, 22 earthcore.co 800.642.2920 Entrematic, 34 entrematicfans.com 866.352.8541 F Fabcon USA, 40 fabcon.com 714.881.2000 Fimbel A.D.S., 26 fimbelads.com 908.534.1732 Flex Lighting Solutions, 96 flexlightingsolutions.com 913.851.3000 Forever Lawn, 54 foreverlawn.com 866.992.7876 G Gilbane Building Company, 68 gilbaneco.com 312.614.4100 M Master of Plaster, 78 masterofplaster.com 800.352.5915 Moderco, 92 moderco.com 450.641.3150 N NeoCon, 15 neocon.com N Nature of Early Play, 58 Natureofearlyplay.com 800.437.5297 Newforma, 30 newforma.com 603.625.6212 T Terrazzo & Marble Supply, 74 tmsupply.com 312.421.4949
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B
Babcock, Chris, 36 Bass, Robin, 66 Bateman, James, 74 Beach, Dennis, 58 Beach, Rebecca, 58 Belliveau, Kathrin, 12 Birdyshaw, Chris, 26 Bishop, Frederic, 92 Blank, Arthur, 85 Bohn, Michael, 46 Bonazzi, Giulio, 70 Brower, Anthony, 103 Brown, Zac, 88 Building Product Ecosystems, 66 Burbano, Karen, 66 BuroHappold Engineering, 85
C Camp Southern Ground, 88 Center for Active Design, 104 Clive Wilkinson Architects, 16 D
Dana Incorporated, 96 Dillon, Lauren, 78 Dillon, Kirk, 78 DPR Construction, 88 Durst Organization, 66
E Evans, Eric, 58 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 66 F
Fimbel III, Ed, 26 Fimbel, Erin, 26 Fimbel, Michaela, 26 Frank, Joanna, 104
G Galullo, David, 48 Genomatica, 70 Gensler, 103 Goettsch Partners, 50 Goodman, Alyssa, 88 Google, 66 Grant Park Gateway Project, 86 Green Sports Alliance, 85 Guerrero, Anthony, 106 Gyr, Andreas, 66 H H2 Ecodesign, 102 Hasbro, 12 Henderson, Holley, 102 HGOR, 86 Hickman, Sara, 46 Hilti, 40 Hoberman Associates, 85 Hoofard, Richard, 34 HOK, 85 Idrobo, Juan Carlos, 108 Institute for Green Business Certification, 26
I Intersolar, 15 Intile, Tyson, 40
V Van Doren, Cheryl, 48 Vans, 48
J Jenkins, Scott, 85 K
Kaminsky, Amanda, 66 Karmie, Jim, 54 Karmie, Ken, 54 Kivett, Aaron, 30 Klyde Warren Park, 86
M Manufacturers Association, 58 Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 85 Meyer, Brad, 74 Mikos, Veronika, 70 Miks, George, 40
W Waller, Todd, Sadler, 92 Winter Johnson Group, 86 World Green Building Council, 44 WRNS Studio, 16 Y Yates, Stephen, 30 Z Zoo Atlanta, 86 Zuccaro, Paula, 96
N National Precast Concrete Association, 40 Natural Resources Defense Council, 106 Nelson, Erik, 36 O Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 108 P
Perkins + Will, 88 Phuong, Amy, 86 Play Mart, 58 Precast Concrete Institute, 40
R Rapt Studio, 48 Retail Design Collaborative, 46 Riverside Investment & Development, 50 Rossi, Franco, 70 Roy, Jean-Martin, 92 S Sani, Tabitha Beach, 58 Scacco, Tony, 50 Schuessler, Joachim, 50 Sciarrone, Christopher, 88 Shepherd, Wade, 18 Sioneer, 66 Smith Dalia Architects, 86 Spadaro, Carl, 22 Stratas, Christopher, 96 Structor Group, 88 Stuckey, Stephanie, 44 Studio One Eleven, 46 Synstad, Evan, 68 T THINKTANK Design Group, 36 Total Recreation Solutions, 58 TP Bennett, 30
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