gb&d Issue 58: September/October 2019

G R E E N B U I L D I N G & D E S I G N SE P T E M B E R+OC TO B E R 2019

JOBBER’S NEXTGENERATION SOFTWARE SAVES TIME & MONEY P. 1 2

INSIDE LG'S VRF HVAC SYSTEMS P. 2 6

THE BENEFITS OF ALUMINUM WINDOWS & DOORS P. 6 6

DESIGNING FOR DISCOVERY ZG F S ETS A N EW BA R FO R S U STA I N A B I L I TY

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY'S BIODESIGN INSTITUTE C P. 48

Breaking ground on groundbreaking communities

Break new ground with a geothermal community Geothermal communities are gaining popularity all around the country. In fact, several of these new communities are completely sold out and new homes are being snapped up well before construction ever begins. Geothermal is simply the most efficient way to heat and cool a home, and economies of scale for all-geothermal communities make them more economical to install. Whether potential homeowners are tech savvy, environmentally conscious, or looking to save money, geothermal has something to offer. Let WaterFurnace be a resource to provide best practices, help avoid mistakes others have made, and help your development become successful.

Learn more at waterfurnace.com/neighborhoods

WaterFurnace is a registered trademark of WaterFurnace International, Inc. Š2019 WaterFurnace International Inc.

In This Issue September+October 2019 Volume 10, Issue 58

Stepping Up This house in Mexico City from architecture firm Taller Paralelo is full of light and interesting nooks.

PAGE 60

Designed to be Open

Table of Contents 36 Inside VRF HVAC Systems An expert at LG digs into the world of

FischerSIPS offers a more energy-efficient solution for your next building project.

22 4 Things to Consider When Integrating Kennels Into Design

Mason Company talks functionality and aesthetics in kennels.

26 Optimize Your Business with Next-Generation Software

Jobber saves companies significant time as it streamlines their processes.

30 5 Ways Window Treatments Can Boost Form and Function

4

Indoor Sky is transforming spaces with sleek, smart window treatments.

september–october 2019

74 Ask the Expert: EZ-Access What is the real value of ADA-compliant ramps?

variable refrigerant flow systems.

How one company is revolutionizing heat delivery

18 The Benefits of Structural Insulated Panels

PAGE 54

Practice

Products 14 5 Benefits of Efficient Biomass Furnaces

A West Hollywood residential building takes an inventive approach to stairs and more.

76 Ask the Expert: Laurel Custom Grating Why and where should designers implement heavy-duty steel grating?

Projects 40 Going Big at Hudson Yards A new residential tower connects the community while being sustainable.

48 Designing for Discovery

A new Arizona State University building beautifully houses some of the most exciting work happening on college campuses today.

66 Impressive Airport Design

Firms like Brooks + Scarpa and HOK are pushing the limits of design at top airports and transportation centers.

88 Ask the Expert: Western Window Systems Why should I use aluminum for my windows and doors?

90 Ask the Expert: Lifebreath

What is an ERV or HRV, and why does it matter?

92 Architect to Watch: Camilla Cok, Hennebery Eddy Architects

This Oregon architect is making sustainability attainable and attractive at community projects.

gbdmagazine.com

Make wellness standard.

Make resilience standard.

Make sustainability standard.

Let’s make a new living standard.

Join thousands of building professionals with one mission: raising the standard for resilience by putting green first.

REGISTER TODAY: GREENBUILDEXPO.COM/GBD

B U I LT W I T H

NOVEMBER 19-22, 2019 gb&d

september–october 2019

5

TWO DATES, TWO LOCATIONS, TWO CHANCES TO ATTEND. GREYTOGREENCONFERENCE.ORG

NETWORK WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

LEARN THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS AVAILABLE

SPONSORS:

6

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

gb&d

Contributors

Green Building & Design gbdmagazine.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Christopher Howe

Eric Canan

Matt Watson (“5 Benefits of Efficient Biomass Furnaces”) is a Chicago-based writer who specializes in creating research-based stories on topics related to architecture, urban planning, and sustainable design. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a degree in journalism, Matt has more than five years of experience working with numerous publications and nonprofits, including the Chicago Tribune and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. He previously lived in San Francisco, where he crafted written content for tech start-ups.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER INTERN

PG. 14

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Laura Heidenreich

MANAGING EDITOR

Laura Rote

ART DIRECTOR

Kristina Walton Zapata ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Julie Veternick

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Ciara Gomez, Christian Van Epps EDITORIAL INTERN

Shane Tolentino CONTRIBUTORS

Colleen DeHart, Jewel Fraser, Stephen Gossett, Cap Green, Kate Griffith, Lori Lovely, David Miller, Mikenna Pierotti, Margaret Poe, Julia Stone, Mike Thomas, Sarah Treleaven, Matt Watson, Jessica Zuniga MAIL

Green Building & Design 1765 N. Elston Ave., Suite 202 Chicago, IL 60642 Printed in the USA. © 2019 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.

Lori Lovely (“How to Optimize Your Business with Next-Generation Service Software”) is an award-winning journalist, writer, editor, and photographer with a specialty in motor racing and technical topics. Lori is also the caretaker of a historic farm, where she raises alpacas and operates a bed-and-breakfast. She is also the author of a children’s book, Isadora’s Dance, a long-standing PETA member, and a 25-year member of CARA Charities.

PG. 26

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.

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.

Kate Griffith (“Open Sourcing is the Key to Sustainability”) is a writer living in Seattle, where her love of natural beauty and sustainable living found a home on the shores of the Puget Sound. She works in energy policy by day and freelances for gb&d magazine by night.

Her favorite stories focus on subjects who mix artistry with practicality and innovation with a bit of blue-collar plain-talk. She’s fascinated by bridges, public ferry systems, and house plants.

PG. 34

gb&d

september–october 2019

7

Editors’ Note Share your comments on this issue.

Tweet us @gbd_mag

G R E E N B U I L D I N G & D E S I G N SE P T E M B E R+OC TO B E R 2019

JOBBER’S NEXTGENERATION SOFTWARE SAVES TIME & MONEY P. 1 2

INSIDE LG'S VRF HVAC SYSTEMS P. 2 6

THE BENEFITS OF ALUMINUM WINDOWS & DOORS P. 6 6

DESIGNING FOR DISCOVERY ZG F SETS A N EW BA R F OR SUSTAI NABI L I TY

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY'S BIODESIGN INSTITUTE C P. 48

ON THE COVER ZGF Architects designed this new building at Arizona State University— Biodesign Institute C—targeting LEED Platinum.

Photo by Nick Merrick, Hall + Merrick

15 Hudson Yards

The plans for

West Hollywood

You take an

Camilla Cok’s

has almost too many green features to list.

High-performance glass and insulated shadow boxes increase the overall thermal transmittance efficiency while the curtain wall is engineered to meet LEED. The building uses filtered fresh air and a greywater recycling system. At 88 floors, the building offers efficient, high-speed elevators, too. 15

ASU’s Biodesign Center C attacked LEED Platinum head on. Systems were designed to respond to the local climate and reduce the need for fossil fuel-generated heating and cooling; consolidate preheat, energy recovery, and cooling coils to reduce the length, fan horsepower, and internal static pressure drop of the supply air handling unit; and more. BIODESIGN

has a long history of celebrity residents and modern architecture. Tours lead from the Sunset Strip to points of historical interest, passing countless examples of the major styles of the past century. The team at LOHA Architects is always being pushed by the neighborhood’s excitement over progressive architecture to create new structures that fit in by standing out.

estimated 23,000-plus breaths every single day. That’s a lot. It’s part of why Lifebreath is so concerned about what’s in the air. In winter, Lifebreath’s HRV transfers heat from outgoing stale air to incoming fresh air. In the summer, the HRV works in reverse, removing heat from the incoming air. HRVs offer up fresh, clean air without wasting precious energy, too.

work at the future Yellowstone Youth Campus is ongoing and inspiring. Just one highlight of this project’s many sustainable features is the hydronic radiant heat in the floor slabs with an air-to-water heat pump, instead of using any in-ground heat exchange system, as the park service was sensitive to the park’s natural geothermal features.

SAN VICENTE935,

LIFEBREATH, PG. 90

ARCHITECT TO

HUDSON YARDS, PG. 40

8

CENTER C, PG. 48

september–october 2019

PG. 54

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HENNEBERY EDDY ARCHITECTS

5 Things We Learned During the Making of This Issue

WATCH, PG. 92

gbdmagazine.com

2019 AASHE Conference & Expo

Editors’ Picks News

Co-Creating a Sustainable Economy October 27 - 30, 2019 Spokane, WA

Learn, Share and Network Access Cutting Edge Sustainability Strategies Discover Ways to Innovate

Toronto’s Union Centre

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BJARKE INGELS GROUP

Green roofs are appearing all over the world, but what about rooftop forests?

Bjarke Ingels Group has designed Union Centre—a 1.7-million-square-foot skyscraper planned for downtown Toronto—with a multi-tiered forest on the roof. Featuring trees and other plant life, this next-generation green roof will place the natural world front-and-center in Toronto’s skyline. big.dk

Register today aashe.org/conference gb&d

september–october 2019

9

Mean Green Mowers Since 2008 Mean Green Mowers has been on a mission to replace gas-guzzling, CO2-emitting commercial lawn mowers with fully electric, emission-free models. The CXR 52/60 is a full-size, zero turn mower with power to match gasoline powered models. Charged overnight, it can run for a full day of quiet, fuel-free work. An optional solar canopy shades the driver while extending the life of the mower between charges, and an optional blower cleans up debris with no gasoline needed. meangreenproducts.com

LUUM Tilt Shift

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MEAN GREEN MOWERS; COURTESY OF LUUM

Part of LUUM’s Future Tense textile collection by Suzanne Tick, Tilt Shift looks to the future of fabric. Fast fashion yields hot looks, cheap clothes, and tons of wasted material. But what if we gave that throwaway fabric a second life? Tilt Shift is made from apparel waste that is color sorted, shredded, and respun into 11 color schemes.

Featuring a stain repellent finish and an isometric print designed to shift your perspective, this fabric embodies a future with less waste and more foresight. luumtextiles.com

10

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

Olympic House

PHOTOS: ADAM MORK, COURTESY OF IOC

The International Olympic Committee isn’t just committed to health in athletics—they also care about making the world as a whole more sustainable and healthy. Their new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland proves it. Olympic House is packed with sustainable features: solar cells, rainwater collection and reuse, even heating and cooling strategies using nearby lake water. It’s no wonder the building has earned the highest v4 LEED rating for a new construction project to date. While the Olympic Games continues to honor the greatest accomplishments in sport, the IOC can take pride in an accomplishment of their own—one of the greenest buildings in the world. olympic.org/olympic-house

gb&d

september–october 2019

11

Caia

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SOLENICA

This solar-powered robot is being developed by Solenica to effortlessly bring natural light into the dark corners of your home. Using artificial intelligence to track the sun throughout the day and bounce its light to a specified location, Caia lets you turn the lights off and catch some natural rays. Track Caia’s path to production, or back the product yourself, online. solenica.com

12

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

Directory

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? Contact Laura Heidenreich at laura@gbdmagazine.com for more information about advertising in our print magazine, online, and newsletter, as well as custom media.

AASHE, 9

Jobber, 26

aashe.org 888.347.9997

Getjobber.com 888.934.3361

APV Engineered Coatings, 82

Laurel Custom Grating, LLC, 76 laurelcustomgrating.com 855.520.5178

apvcoatings.com 800.772.3452

CONSTRUCT, 39

LG Air Conditioning Technologies, 36

constructshow.com 866.475.6707

lghvac.com 212.880.5324

EZ-ACCESS, 74

ezaccess.com 800.258.8503

Lifebreath, 90 lifebreath.com 855.247.4200

Fabcon, 86

The Mason Company, 22

fabconprecast.com 800.727.444

masonco.com 800.543.5567

FischerSIPS, 18 fischersips.com 502.778.5577

Mermet, 84

GCP Applied Technologies, 80

Newforma, Inc., xx

gcpat.com 617.876.1400

newforma.com 877.875.8252

GETTING TO

Getting to Zero Conference, 97

SunOrShade, 34

FORUM 2019

gettingtozeroforum.org 503.761.7339

sunorshade.com 800.742.3372

GREENBUILD, 99

Water Furnace, 2

greenbuildexpo.com/register 866.815.9824

waterfurnace.com 800.GEO.SAVE

zero

Grey to Green Conferences, 7 greytogreenconference.org 416.971.4494

mermetusa.com 866.902.9647

western window systems

Western Window Systems, 88 westernwindowsystems.com 877.268.1300

HeatMasterss, 14

Wilsonart, 100

heatmasterss.com 204.325.9792

wilsonart.com 800.433.3222

Indoor Sky LLC, 30

indoor-sky.com 570.651.5105

NEW CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ADDITION DESIGNED FOR HEALING

As northeast Ohio’s largest pediatric healthcare provider, Akron Children’s Hospital

gb&d

13

one step ahead of ever-expanding healthcareseptember demands. Envisioned nearly a decade –october 2019

Hospital recently completed an impressive seven-story addition to their William H. C

PRODUCTS

5 Benefits of Efficient Biomass Furnaces HeatMasterss is revolutionizing heat delivery with simple but smart solutions.

BY MATT WATSON In Manitoba, Canada, a family-owned company called SteelTech ss Inc. under the brand name HeatMaster has been manufacturing outdoor furnaces since 2001—pushing the envelope with innovative products and setting an example in the industry to do better. While their previous outdoor furnace models primarily burned wood byproducts, the existing technology presented a problem. “The focus on burning wood and all of the emissions that result from that process was troubling to us and our customers,” says Blair Groening, head engineer at HeatMasterss.

Thus, the B Series Multi-Fuel Biomass furnaces from HeatMasterss were born—changing the way large spaces are heated and educating the public on the benefits of using alternative fuels. The compact size, touchscreen controls, and hands-off automation of the B250 makes the model an excellent fit for any homeowner, while the B500 and B1000 are geared toward commercial and industrial applications.

The engineering team began developing the B Series based on extensive feedback from customers. These included numerous upgrades to digitize and automate the process while helping the machines achieve carbon neutrality. And unlike previous models, the B Series can burn wood chips, pellets, agricultural screenings, and more. “There’s a long list of fuels the R&D department is working on, including egg shells, manure products, cherry pits—you name it,” says Jake Friesen, founder and CEO of HeatMasterss. “We want our customers to be able to utilize any potential fuel that’s available to them.”

While HeatMasterss continues to upgrade its offerings, the benefits of the B Series are easy to see. >

14

september–october 2019

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HEATMASTER SS

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

The B Series Multi-Fuel Biomass furnaces are fully automated and easy to use.

gb&d

september–october 2019

15

16

1. Diverse Applications

2. Environmentally Friendly

Due to the flexibility of hot water as a heating source, the B Series can be used for residential, light commercial, and heavy industrial scenarios.

“Whether it’s a warehouse, a pool, or a manufacturing facility, you can do it all with hot water, which is a universal heating application,” Friesen says.

Groening says the team is always finding new ways to utilize this carbon-neutral heat.

“Buildings at construction sites are often heated with diesel, which ends up using hundreds of gallons of fuel on a given site. With a wood chip application, you’re heating at a fraction of the cost and bringing down your carbon footprint as well,” he says.

Traditional biomass furnaces are rather simple machines, designed around a system of wood combustion that’s used to heat water. However, anyone who’s stood near a campfire understands the negative effects of burning wood products.

The HeatMasterss team poured resources into developing more efficient technology in which combustion occurs in a controlled environment with very high temperatures.

By optimizing the fuel burn rate and fine-tuning the level of combustion within the furnace, the B Series burns as clean and efficiently as possible. “We’re able to achieve a lot more energy out of the same amount of fuel, with a fraction of the emissions,” Groening says.

september–october 2019

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HEATMASTER SS

PRODUCTS

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

The B Series quickly pays for itself and lowers energy bills throughout the furnace’s lifetime.

4. Energy Independence The cost of heating a space with fossil fuels like oil, coal, or natural gas can fluctuate wildly with commodity prices. Plus, these types of fuels are often imported, making them volatile in the event of a foreign crisis.

“One huge benefit of the B Series is energy independence,” Friesen says. “You can switch fuels based on what’s available locally.” This is especially important in rural areas, where the types of fuels in abundance change throughout the year.

5. Ease of Use

3. Quick Return on Investment

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HEATMASTER SS

Utilizing alternative fuels for heat isn’t just environmentally friendly. “It has a very logical return on investment from a cost perspective,” Friesen says.

For example, Friesen explains burning wood chips costs about one cent per kilowatt of energy, compared to anywhere from 10 to 20 cents per kilowatt with natural gas or other fossil fuels. At this rate of energy savings, the B Series quickly pays for itself and lowers energy bills throughout the life of the furnace.

gb&d

The fully automated B Series solves one of the major problems that has stifled the widespread use of outdoor furnaces—reducing the intensive labor involved in loading fuel materials into the machine.

“With our previous models, some of the responses from our customers were that the process involved too much work, and many wondered how we could automate the process,” Friesen says.

The fuel is delivered from the truck to the fuel storage bin with conveyors, and from there the fuel is automatically loaded into the furnace and burned based on the customer’s desired temperature setting. The ash is also cleaned from the unit automatically, and advanced safety procedures prevent the fire from burning back into the storage bin.

september–october 2019

17

PRODUCTS

TKTK

The Benefits of Structural Insulated Panels Hewitt all-terrain stairway solutions are built to last in any environment.

FischerSIPS continues to evolve the energy-efficient building material.

BY MATT WATSON

BY MIKE THOMAS

18

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

SIPS were used at this passive house in Indianapolis.

Thick roof SIPS allowed for not only a fast and strong installation, but an energyefficient structure that uses barely any resources to heat and cool.

More than three decades have passed since Louisville builder Fred Fischer was inspired to use structural insulated panels (or SIPs, for short) to build his home. The result was so pleasing—sturdy and energy-efficient, among other qualities—it sparked the idea for his next business venture. The following year, 1987, FischerSIPS was born.

Starting out with condos and single-family homes, the company soon expanded into commercial construction and, in 1990, helped form the Structural Insulated Panel Association. FischerSIPs now serves a regional market that extends from Florida to Texas, along the East Coast and westward to Kansas and Iowa. Its products have even been used as far away as South Korea, Ireland, Russia, and the Bahamas. And in 2015, when Super Bowl XLVI came to Indianapolis, FischerSIPs was there, too, providing product for two buildings in the Super Bowl Village complex. “SIPs have really come a long way,” says current FischerSIPs owner Damian Pataluna, who began with the company as a salesperson in 1993 and bought it in 2007.

And the future, he notes, looks promising. These are some of the benefits of using SIPs.

>

gb&d

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FISCHERSIPS

september–october 2019

19

PRODUCTS

20

Resiliency

Fast Installation

Used for walls and roofs, FischerSIPS are made with what’s called oriented strand board (OSB) inside and out that give the resulting laminated panel extreme load-bearing properties that can withstand higher winds than stick-frame structures. “The way SIPs are tied together with the long panel screws creates incredible sheer strength,” Pataluna says. “You won’t typically have situations where the trusses or individual pieces of sheeting can be ripped off the roof because the roof panels are one solid sheet inside and outside that are screwed down to the walls. You’d almost have to pick up the entire house to rip it off the foundation.”

The panels also perform exceedingly well in earthquakes. “We’ve got pictures where the last house standing after an earthquake was a SIP house. Since it’s made of flexible wood and plastic and everything is essentially one big piece, you literally have to take the entire foundation out from under it before it starts to come down. Concrete, which is obviously stronger, is so rigid that when it starts to go, you’ve got issues.”

Because FischerSIPS allows builders to install drywall directly on top of panels, they can skip the step of custom-cutting it to meet studs— there are none. And when it comes to electrical installation, pre-drilled holes for switch and plug height streamline the process.

Most significantly, FischerSIPS employs specialized computer numerical control (CNC) technology (essentially a CAD machine) that quickly and accurately pre-cuts and fabricates SIPs prior to shipping.

That means less labor for installers as well as no more costly, time-consuming, on-site cutting. The company also has begun framing out windows, doors, and connection splines to further speed up the process.

“A lot of time on jobsites you see guys out there scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to cut a complex angle and make it work,” Pataluna says. “Or you may have a situation where it’s dangerous because it’s high in the air. If we can get it figured out in a safe factory setting and then ship it out to a jobsite where it’s pre-assembled on

september–october 2019

the ground, think of the time-saving safety factors that are involved with that.”

Says builder and FischerSIPS client John Barrows, president of J. Barrows Inc., “We cut installation time considerably depending on complexity. But the biggest benefit is that the process forces the design and construction team to work out any inconsistencies or changes prior to panel fabrication. Combine that with the fact that we are also framing and insulating, and the time savings adds up.” gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FISCHERSIPS

SIPs at this LEED Platinum house in Texas were pre-assembled on the ground and set in place as a full wall. All SIPs were pre-cut in the factory with lumber installed to increase installation speed.

PRODUCTS

Energy Efficiency

Environmentally Friendly

The Future of SIPs

Pataluna says SIPs are typically 30 to 50% more energy-efficient than standard construction with fiberglass insulation—which means lower costs from day one. That’s because fiberglass is a porous material that allows air to pass through it. SIPs, on the other hand, benefit from solid foam insulation that Pataluna likens to “living in a big igloo or cooler that will maintain heat or cold, which means homes and buildings can downsize their HVAC systems.”

Not long ago, a FischerSIPS home was one of 10 showcased at a Homearama event in Louisville. It was 90 degrees outside, and at one point the entire block lost electricity. “As customers were coming into our SIP home they kept saying, ‘Oh, you guys still have power,’” Pataluna recalls.

“We said, ‘No, it’s been out for an hour.’ But because ours was built out of SIPs, it maintained that coolness, and customers could instantly feel the difference.”

Unlike traditional homes that are built with lumber from old-growth trees, SIPs are constructed in part with ground-up young trees that are regularly replanted. Coupled with the lower energy consumption that’s made possible by the product’s superior insulation properties and far less jobsite waste due to factory pre-cutting, and the environment benefits greatly. Even the air quality in a SIPs home is better.

“Because SIPs are more airtight than your typical structure, you don’t have a lot of air passing in and out of your house. The resulting reduction in dust and pollen makes it cleaner air to breathe,” Pataluna says.

But don’t just take his word for it. Another FischerSIPs builder, Don Ferrier of Ferrier Custom Homes, prefers working with SIPs. Properly installed, he says they guarantee “exceptional air tightness, insulation, and structural strength. These are foundational to high performance/ green construction.”

Looking forward, Pataluna says there will ideally be more architectural involvement in the SIP prefabrication process. “I hope we get to a point where architects are actually doing the drawings for SIP panels like they do in other industries, so when an order goes to the manufacturer, they’re sending complete files and saying, ‘Hey, can you produce these panels for this project? Here it is.’”

He’s also confident the use of SIPs will rise considerably, especially as energy regulations (like California’s net zero mandate) get stricter nationwide. “We’re looking to get into more commercial projects,” he says.

“And we’re certainly looking to get into more multifamily ones. SIPs are barely 2% of the new residential construction market now, so there’s a ton of room for growth.”

PHOTO: COURTESY OF FISCHERSIPS

This energy-efficient project built by Ferrier Custom Homes in Fort Worth includes solar as well as SIPs, which allow for wide open spaces on the interior.

gb&d

september–october 2019

21

PRODUCTS

22

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

4 Things to Consider When Integrating Kennels Into Design The Mason Company merges beauty and functionality for safe and thoughtful kennel design.

By Colleen DeHart

There’s a quote that frequently pops into Greg Taylor’s head when he’s working on kennel design. The Mason Company CEO can’t remember exactly who said it, but in his experience, it’s proven true: “You can tell how far a civilization has advanced by how well it cares for its animals.”

There’s no question times have changed.

Since the company began designing and manufacturing animal enclosures in 1892, pet owners have pushed to house their animals in the kinds of inviting, beautiful spaces that even they might want to be in. “Many millennials consider animals their first children,” Taylor says. “The market has moved away from housing a cat in a small stainless steel cube, or putting a dog behind metal bars that look like a prison. The market wants more secure, better, but beautiful housing.”

These are some of the key points to consider when setting out to add kennels to your next project. >

gb&d

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASON COMPANY

september–october 2019

23

PRODUCTS

1

2

Size

Smart Layout A smart layout is key to getting the most revenue out of a facility and having happy, healthy animals. Positioning dogs so they’re not facing each other—or using plants or other features to block their direct view—will also reduce anxiety and barking. Housing animals in multiple small rooms rather than one large room is also helpful to reduce noise, Taylor says.

The smell and sound of a facility can be the “kiss of death,” Taylor says. “If you walk in and it stinks to high heaven, that’s off-putting to staff, customers, or the general public. If you want to adopt a dog and the facility is deafening, you won’t want to stick around long.” Full-length tempered glass gates and high-side panels make it difficult for animals to interact with humans, which may promote anxious behavior. Incorporating a two-foot gap of wire at the bottom of doors allows dogs to interact and communicate without barking, while also increasing air flow that will reduce odors.

Not every dog is the same size, so every run shouldn’t be the same either. It’s important to do the proper research before determining the size of kennels for a space and offer options. Often shelter dogs are larger breeds and require larger runs, while dogs at pet resorts are smaller, Taylor says. Design flexibly and you can change kennel size as needed by installing side-to-side transfer doors—allowing one run to turn into two, for instance, to help maximize space. Smart sizing can also help facility owners stretch their facility’s footprint.

Taylor encourages designers to take advantage of vertical space, too—building up rather than out. Smaller enclosures can be stacked, and larger runs can utilize stairs to access upper levels.

“There is a lot of wasted space going up to the ceiling. You can double your holding capacity and double your revenue by building up.”

24

september–october 2019

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASON COMPANY

Flexible design ensures you’ll be able to maximize space and get the most out of your facility.

Incorporating half-wire and half-glass lets dogs interact with humans.

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

3

4

Drain Design

Quality Materials Consider the type of facility. Animal control facilities will likely take on more aggressive dogs than pet resorts and therefore will need stronger, more durable materials. Stainless steel side panels, concrete blocks with two-part epoxy, or structural glazed tile are good choices.

Dogs who are less aggressive and more acclimated, like those at a vet’s office, adoption center, or pet resort, may benefit from more aesthetic options. Taylor recommends fiberglass reinforced plastic or Wilsonart panels, both of which come in Fear Free® colors (colors that have been shown to reduce stress in pets). Regardless of the facility type, Taylor suggests all have at least a couple of stainless steel-paneled runs with top covers for destructive or escape-artist dogs.

Effective drain design is crucial in kennels.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MASON COMPANY

The overall health of the animals comes down to the cleaning and drain system. “Dogs don’t use toilets, so things get messy,” Taylor says.

“Cleaning is critical in a facility, and it happens all the time.” All that water and harsh chemicals need somewhere to go. Drain type and placement should be a top priority.

Taylor recommends a rear, individually plumbed trench drain that extends along the back of each run. But, more often—due to cost—he sees facilities using a rear continuous trench drain with a sloped floor so all debris can be filtered into the drain and removed. Installing a removable drain cover or swing-up rest bench will guard the drain while allowing for easy access. Pressure wash systems or overhead hoses can help to direct debris to the drain trench. “There is no right or wrong way to do it, just make certain things get cleaned,” Taylor says.

gb&d

Stainless steel, fiberglass reinforced plastic, or Wilsonart panels are all highly recommended.

september–october 2019

25

PRODUCTS

HOW TO

Optimize Your Business with Next-Generation Service Software Jobber’s field service management software saves companies time and helps them bring in more money.

BY LORI LOVELY

Since 2011 Jobber has been helping small businesses improve their efficiency by offering a one-stop field service management software (FSM) platform to conduct all transactions. “You can send quotes, schedule work, create routes, communicate with clients, and receive payments seamlessly,” says Edward Ramsden, product marketing strategist at Jobber.

Ramsden, a longtime Jobber customer and owner of Enviro Masters Lawn Care before he himself became a Jobber employee, emphasizes that the platform is not fundamentally changing the way business owners do things. Instead, he says it offers a generational shift. “We’re evolving the process,” he says.

Ramsden values the increased productivity provided by the software.

“By eliminating pen and paper, I get back time.” Saving time affords small business owners the freedom to work on whatever they want instead of doing paperwork. They can spend more time on marketing, work in the field, or invest time in growing their business.

Jobber’s FSM software benefits field service businesses that require service technicians to visit a client’s home or business, like HVAC companies, plumbers, landscapers, painters, and contractors. Explore how you can improve your small business with this technology.

26

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

1

Improve Quotes Not only can quotes be stored; they can be sent electronically from the software platform or sent as a text message. Quotes can be customized with company branding and list details like discounts, deposits, and contract terms. The customer can review the quote, sign it, pay a deposit through Jobber Payments, and receive a receipt that allows him to track job progress. “They check out online like they would with any e-commerce site,” Ramsden says, adding that the process is quick, secure, and can double how many quotes a business wins.

2

Optimize Routes When a technician is dispatched, she is given directions that reduce mileage to get to jobsites more quickly (so you can possibly fit more jobs into the day’s schedule). “The software indicates the best routes to all jobs,” Ramsden says. “It also lets the office know when work is done.”

3

Text Invoices The work order can be quickly converted to an invoice in the system and texted to the customer. “Texting the invoice gets you paid 20% faster,” Ramsden says. “That helps cash flow.” Templates also make it easy.

“Type in line items such as parts or labor times, and it automatically fills in the cost.” > gb&d

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOBBER

september–october 2019

27

PRODUCTS

4

Organize Information Jobber’s client manager allows you to store photos and job notes, organize your invoices, capture full billing history, and more. “You can organize all the customer’s information and work history—past quotes, past jobs, visits, contact information, personal details, et cetera,” Ramsden says.

Jobber’s client hub allows customers to self-serve. They can check appointment details, pay invoices, request work, and more using the platform.

5

Automate Receipts A receipt is automatically generated when the customer pays the bill through Jobber Payments. Because it’s integrated with QuickBooks, records update automatically.

Ramsden estimates this feature saves him up to nine hours each week versus using pen and paper as a Jobber customer.

6

Communicate with Customers The office can send the customer a photo of the assigned technician, who can send “on my way” text messages to the customer. There’s also a feature that lets customers see past appointments, upcoming appointments, and request new work in a client portal.

28

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

7

Access It Anywhere Jobber’s mobile app enables the owner and the crew to see the day’s schedule. It also allows anyone to create a quote quickly and easily in the field.

8

Schedule Work & Dispatch Crews An approved quote can be easily converted into a job order. Jobber’s color-coded drag-and-drop calendar clearly shows which jobs need to be done and who is available to work, facilitating scheduling. A filter can be applied to assign colors to particular users or specific tasks. Calendar items can be sorted by status: unscheduled, overdue, upcoming, and completed.

9

Manage Work Online Jobber’s client hub is a 24/7 workflow management portal, allowing customers to preview appointments and request new work or reschedule.

You can access it via a secure email link or a login button on the site without needing to remember a password. “They simply go online to book work. No phone call needed,” Ramsden says. Customers can also pay online using the client hub.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JOBBER

Jobber manages the dayto-day work teams need to get the job done by automating workflow.

gb&d

september–october 2019

29

5

PRODUCTS

W AYS WINDOW TREATMENTS CAN BOOST FORM AND FUNCTION Indoor Sky has the solutions to block heat and allow the entry of glarefree daylight, all while being aesthetically pleasing.

BY MARGARET POE

30

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

Traditionally, window treatments have served two purposes: shade and privacy.

It’s essential to prevent outsiders from seeing what they shouldn’t, of course, and reducing glare is a must. But as for how traditional treatments achieve these goals? It’s a high price to pay. Because in the pursuit of shade and privacy, a whole lot of mood-enhancing, energy bill–reducing daylight is shut out.

“Once you deploy the shade, whether it’s a blind, roller shade, or even drapes, they all do one thing: They lose the benefit of the daylight as soon as they are deployed to block the heat gain,” says Paul Moulton, president of Indoor Sky. Moulton was tired of the status quo. So he set out to find another way—a way to prevent solar heat gain, eliminate glare, and ensure privacy while simultaneously tapping into the power of one of our most valuable resources: natural daylight. Thus, Indoor Sky’s Dayliter Shading System was born. The Dayliter combines roller shades with a three-dimensional lightshelf that can be adjusted to any configuration to provide full light management. Its modern fabrics block out heat, while the lightshelf reflects daylight onto the ceiling from which it’s distributed deeper into the room.

Since Indoor Sky’s products hit the market in 2015, they’ve been revolutionizing the way health care facilities, banks, schools, and spaces of all kinds manage daylight. Across every project, the window solutions achieve the same five benefits. gb&d

september–october 2019

31

PRODUCTS

1. Block Solar Heat Gain In order for a window treatment to be successful, it needs to keep out heat. Indoor Sky works with only the best suppliers in the industry to choose the high-performance fabric that’s right for a given project. One such fabric used in both shades and lightshelves features metallic thread that increases the amount of solar energy reflected back off the shade and daylight reflected onto the ceiling.

And the results are substantial.

Shades can result in energy savings between 21 and 38%, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

The treatments can be wand or crank operated, motorized, or fully automated—whatever the building owner and architect think is best for the space, Moulton says, because a shade won’t serve its occupants if they never adjust it up and down.

2. Maximize the Power of Daylight The sun’s rays are powerful, both for brightening rooms and moods. The lightshelf taps into this power by “bringing the daylight in and using the ceiling as a luminare to spread the diffused daylight from the ceiling. We’re always trying to use the daylight rather than just block it,” Moulton says. Indoor Sky also makes a Skyliter product designed for large expanses of glass in lobbies or along sloping facades.

Because the treatments reflect the light deeper into the room, they reduce energy costs. Whereas on its own daylight may reach 8 to 10 feet into a particular space, the addition of a lightshelf can increase that range to 10 to 20 feet, Moulton says.

These quadruple 28inch lightshelves with motorized roller shades were used at Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center.

32

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

Colorado Doorways in Denver incorporated dual and single lightshelves.

3. Eliminate Glare The Dayliter and Skyliter products allow for glare-free daylight to infuse a space. It’s all the benefits, but none of the downsides.

Moulton has seen the industry evolve in its approach toward fabrics.

Over the past decade, some designers have opted for window shades with openness levels of 18% or more, he says. But while these allow lots of natural light in, they also create much maligned glare. Indoor Sky typically recommends fabrics with an openness of 3%. Moulton says that’s often the right balance between letting glare-free light in and being able to see out.

gb&d

4. Keep Your Rhythms in Check

5. Add Architectural Interest

Whether it’s a workplace, business, or hospital, the physiological impact of daylight can’t be discounted. Without an adequate amount of daylight, the circadian rhythms of the body are thrown off. And this, in turn, can lead to stress, reduced productivity, and fatigue.

A well-designed daylighting system can help prevent these negative outcomes. With Indoor Sky’s lightshelves, health-boosting daylight is reflected into the space, allowing occupants to keep their bodies in tune with their natural rhythms. It’s particularly important to get daylight into the space at the right time of day, especially the morning hours, Moulton says.

No longer is a window treatment a two-dimensional affair. With a fully operable lightshelf, you get a refined style while diffusing the light. And with both the Dayliter and Skyliter systems, you can create a tiered structure that brings visual interest to your space. Where once there was nothing but a plain window, the addition of a lightshelf can add the dramatic interest a room needs.

Whether you’re motivated to save energy, enhance productivity, or simply make a space more beautiful, an integrated shade and daylighting solution may be just the solution you’re looking for.

september–october 2019

33

PRODUCTS

Professional Perspective

Open Sourcing is the Key to Sustainability

BY KATE GRIFFITH

We interview lighting expert Marti Hoffer for her thoughts on what it takes to truly make the best interior spaces.

34

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

Open sourcing—it’s key to the future of sustainability and a pain point for a green building industry that’s both hell-bent and reliant on brand recognition. The struggle is real, but there are minds working to overcome it. Marti Hoffer, CEO of natural lighting firm lumenomics and manufacturer of SunOrShade window treatment systems, knows the only way to create a truly successful transformation in green design and construction is to open the windows and let some fresh air, not to mention bright ideas, inside.

“Thoughtfully transforming interior spaces with a well designed daylight system requires more than just buying a brand,” she says. “You wouldn’t rent a dump truck to get five bags of mulch for your home garden project.”

Project owners and designers need to consider the functionality of products in their intended spaces and systems like HVAC, energy management, and lighting as a whole.

Can occupants control the systems if needed? How? Are they intuitive? Are key features integrated, or do they stand alone? Are you getting the right bang for your buck? We’re back to the metaphor of renting a dump truck for an afternoon of puttering around flower beds, but the results of not thinking through these issues in advance could range from a simple waste of money to an expensive buy that meets the code or LEED contract requirements but just doesn’t work as intended, or a $50,000 change order to make your space habitable. “Instead of subjecting projects to a cut-and-paste spec approach, it’s important to look at the needs of individual projects in creating a performance shade system, be they offices, multi-family housing, health care facilities, or schools,” Hoffer says.

The key is to open up and expand the product search with performance, not brand, in mind. SunOrShade window treatment systems, for example, can meet any high-performance design objectives using the same underlying protocol of well-known brands. But what makes SunOrShade particularly stand out is the products’ flexibility with design and options for customization, not to mention it’s the only window covering brand that bears the Women Owned logo on its packaging and products.

The mechanical SunOrShade window coverings are powered by Somfy or Rollease Acmeda’s low-voltage and line-voltage motors and controls, industry standards each. They’re operated by remote controls and wall control panels that allow building occupants to easily control the openness of their views and the amount of light coming in. Meanwhile, SunOrShade fabric options, translucent to opaque, offer varying colors and varying degrees of solar performance, light and heat filtration, to fit into your interior design, window glaze, and building code needs.

The SunOrShade system controls allow for minimal to total smart automation with the integration of lighting, tubular daylighting devices, heating and cooling, sun sensors, and timing technologies, controlled separately or altogether using computer software and user-friendly interfaces. When energy efficiency is maximized through smart lighting systems, summertime energy costs decrease while occupant comfort increases. “Our solutions are occupant centric, and they’re automated to deliver a high-performance illumination system,” Hoffer says. “SunOrShade is an open source solution that looks at the entire building system.”

Read more from SunOrShade in the November/December issue of gb&d.

SunOrShade window treatment systems offer the open-source natural lighting solution the industry needs. gb&d

september–october 2019

35

PRODUCTS

Professional Perspective

Inside VRF HVAC Systems

BY DAVID MILLER

We interview VRF expert Chuck Hughes for a closer look at how variable refrigerant flow systems really make a difference.

36

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRODUCTS

At the heart of any building is its HVAC system—that essential collection of compressors, coils, fans, and controls that has such a hand to play in energy costs, air quality, and occupant comfort. LG Air Conditioning Technologies understands this, and when it comes to perfecting all three, it’s hard to beat their LG MULTI VTM VRF series.

VRF—or Variable Refrigerant Flow—systems differ from traditional HVAC solutions in a few key ways. Most importantly, their fans and compressors run on inverter motors attached to computerized control systems, meaning their speed can be precisely controlled. In essence, rather than merely flipping on and off like a typical AC unit, the inverter technology enables VRF systems to respond in real-time to changing conditions in a space and adapt accordingly.

LG’s VRF technology powering the award-winning Multi V 5 outdoor condenser unit is the ideal all-year solution for climates across the U.S. gb&d

To put that into perspective, imagine a time when you reached for your thermostat to shut off a blast of frigid air only to find the room too warm five minutes later. With a VRF’s smoother operations, such dilemmas are a thing of the past. “The big difference between traditional AC systems in the U.S. and a VRF is simply that the VRF is far more technologically advanced,” says Chuck Hughes, director of commercial sales for LG Air Conditioning Technologies. “It’s like the difference between a computer in the 1980s and a computer in 2016.”

But VRF systems are good for more than just improving occupant comfort—they also allow for much quieter operations and tremendous energy savings, Hughes says. It’s not difficult to understand why: Slam your foot down on your vehicle’s gas pedal and the engine will roar, but press it softly, and you’ll hear only a gentle hum. Moreover, when a motor spins more slowly, it consumes less power.

VRFs can even use heat recovered from one room to warm another, an ability that makes for particularly energy-efficient operations in hospitality settings and multi-family housing. Imagine, for instance, a crowded hotel in the winter with a lobby that needs to be kept warm and a bustling kitchen in the back lined with hot stoves that need to be cooled. A VRF system is up to the task.

When it comes to pricing, VRF systems may initially appear more expensive, but when life-cycle energy savings and total building expenditures are taken into account, they quickly prove themselves to be the more affordable option. Take, for example, the construction costs incurred by a chilled water system, which requires heavy structural steel and concrete in order to support, or the ductwork utilized by a simple rooftop system, which can take up two to three feet of space between each floor of a building. By contrast, a typical refrigerant line used by a VRF is a mere two to three inches in diameter, allowing for significantly greater architectural flexibility. With the superior performance, comfort, and energy savings VRFs offer, Hughes says they’re a bit like the Ferraris of the HVAC world—streamlined, powerful, and flawlessly engineered.

“It’s like the difference between a computer in the 1980s and a computer in 2016.” september–october 2019

37

Want to stay up-to-date with green industry news?

Stay informed on the top news in sustainability, available weekly. gb&d’s The Brief, Green Building & Design’s weekly newsletter, is direct to your inbox and online. Sign up today.

Join the conversation! linkedin.com/company/green-building-&-design facebook.com/gbdmagazine twitter.com/gbd_mag instagram.com/gbdmagazine

gbdmagazine.com

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE

BUILT ENVIRONMENT Refine your skills and increase your knowledge by exploring new ways to solve issues facing the AEC industry today.

EDUCATION

NETWORKING

EXPO

CONSTRUCT offers the opportunity to network with peers from all disciplines, share best practices, explore innovative projects, and learn the latest in commercial construction design and processes.

Join us for three days packed with: • Education: Select from 50+ sessions featuring 18+ hours of CEU’s - including AIA LUs/HSW, BOMI, GBCI, ICC, IIBEC, and/or NARI • Exhibits: Explore the latest in products, services, and technology from top companies • Expo Hall Learning: Experience live product demos, attend accredited educational sessions, and participate in hands-on workshops • Networking: Forge new relationships and connect with others that face similar challenges, and participate in small group discussions in the new Coffee Talk Lounge • Social Events: Mix and mingle with peers at the CONSTRUCT Welcome Reception, CSI Night Out, and other events

CONSTRUCT

AEC EDUCATION & EXPO

EDUCATION: October 9-11, 2019 EXHIBITS: October 10-11, 2019

National Harbor, MD, USA Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

Official Show Partners:

®

Register today and join your colleagues at CONSTRUCT 2019.

www.constructshow.com/GBD

PROJECTS

40

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Going Big at Hudson Yards The new residential tower is set to become a pivotal anchor for a changing neighborhood.

BY JEWEL FRASER

gb&d

P H OTO S B Y T I M OT H Y S C H E N C K

september–october 2019

41

PROJECTS

Tower The 15 Hudson Yards tower sits among a dense cluster of tall towers, so there was a natural desire to transform it by having it open out into four lobes as it ascends to the top floors where residential units are located. The morphing of the tower begins in the middle, where the architecture firm located the building’s shared amenities to draw people together. “It becomes a place that your eye is gradually drawn to when looking at the building,” says Benjamin Gilmartin, DS+R partner.

42

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Manhattan’s Hudson Yards welcomed one of its most stylish new neighbors when residential tower 15 Hudson Yards opened in early 2019.

It’s all part of the ongoing development in the community that includes the beloved High Line and new cultural center The Shed.

At more than 900 feet tall, 15 Hudson Yards is a beautiful glass behemoth with soft lines that morph into a clover at the top. Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) designed the project to LEED Gold standards. The architecture firm previously worked with interior architect Rockwell Group on The Shed, and in 2012 accepted the commission for 15 Hudson Yards, according to Elizabeth Diller, partner at DS+R, creating an opportunity to have a conversation with the area’s other projects. “We thought it was an interesting opportunity to negotiate with ourselves—and with the High Line—to have three projects for three different clients and programs interlock as an urban ensemble,” she says. “We considered

gb&d

the project within the context of the High Line specifically, and interrogated how we could make an interface between a commercial property and the public realm.

And then we considered the project from the point of view of The Shed and considered how we could create a level of transparency and be a good neighbor.”

Describing 15 Hudson Yards and The Shed as “Siamese twins—very different but connected and sharing vital systems,” DS+R Partner Benjamin Gilmartin said the firm opted for an envelope made of bent glass as a “tribute to the tradition of modernist towers in the city.” But the building’s graceful lines also match the softness of The Shed. “Where The Shed structure docks at the tower expresses the interconnection—the two buildings fit together there—as the tower bends inward to receive the shape of The Shed,” he says.

september–october 2019

43

PROJECTS

44

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

gb&d

september–october 2019

45

Interiors “Given the building’s linkage between the plaza, The Shed, and the High Line, we wanted to transition residents and visitors from more public experiences to more private ones,” says Greg Keffer, partner at Rockwell Group, the project’s interior architect. Keffer says the transition was achieved by creating public spaces—including the lobby, lounge, and fitness area—that are “simultaneously calm and strong.” They used sealed travertine and French limestone to create an effect of carving and engraving throughout the interiors. Other materials include dyed oak and stones from Carrara, Italy, in the residential units’ kitchens. But Keffer says the real star of the interiors are the views. “The interiors are designed to underline them, making the most out of the orientation and daylight.”

Glass Using the cold warping technique allowed DS+R to achieve sinuous lines without expending additional energy. The Hudson Yards tower is about 50% vision glass, and the team incorporated high-performance glass and highly insulated opaque walls to mitigate some of the heat transfer. The building also uses a microgrid with cogenerator plants that is said to be twice as efficient as conventional electricity generation sources.

The Lobby The lobby features Este Light travertine stone as well as resin and metal arrival screens. Small Axon floor lamps and rugs, wall art

by Katharina Grosse, and a sculpture by Joel Shapiro above the fountain complete the decor.

46

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SCOTT FRANCES FOR RELATED-OXFORD

PROJECTS

PROJECTS

Project: 15 Hudson Yards Location: New York City Completion: January 2019 Size: 960,000 square feet Lead Architect: Diller Scofidio + Renfro Lead Interior Architect: Rockwell Group Facade Design Consultant: Neil Thelen Architect Executive Architect: Ismael Leyva Architects Structural Engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk MEP Engineers: Jaros Baum & Bolles Contractor: Tutor Perini Building Envelope Consultant: Vidaris

DRAWING: COURTESY OF DS+R

Lighting: L’Observatoire International, Cline Bettridge Bernstein, LightBox Studios

gb&d

september–october 2019

47

PROJECTS

Designing

for Discovery 48

september–october 2019

ZGF Architects helps Arizona State University take its research to the next level.

B Y L AU R A R OT E

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Biophilic Design The building has a 35% window-to-wall ratio and transparent layering of spaces to ensure daylight floods the abovegrade interiors. “The direct visual connection between high technology laboratory spaces and the campus is made possible by the neighborhood plan in conjunction with the high-performance facade,” says Gary Cabo, principal of ZGF Architects.

“The researchers in this building who have chosen to work in an academic environment get to appreciate the campus from their workstations.” The facade also contributes nicely to the overall biophilic design, as the untreated copper will patina over time, emulating the colors of the desert.

gb&d

september–october 2019

49

PROJECTS

Incredible work is happening at Arizona State University (ASU), so it’s only fitting that the design of the buildings themselves there also push boundaries. Inside ASU Biodesign Institute C, efforts to fight other disease all over the world are happening; the tone for the design of this new building was set early on with the help of ZGF Architects.

“From the beginning, ASU intended for the Biodesign Institute C building to make a powerful visual statement at a campus gateway, set a new bar for sustainability and spatial efficiency, and serve as a new venue for groundbreaking scientific discovery to take place,” says Gary Cabo, principal at ZGF Architects.

Cabo says ASU wanted Biodesign Institute C be a “workhorse” addition to the campus’s existing research facilities and significantly expand the research and discovery happening there. “The building was specifically designed to promote and enable the creation of cutting-edge, collaborative research clusters comprised of research faculty, staff, and students,” he says.

Aspirations for the project were high— including targeting LEED Platinum and delivering a new building that was highly flexible and adaptable. “We targeted LEED Platinum by ensuring all design elements and building systems contribute to Biodesign C’s exceptional performance,” Cabo says, adding that incorporating the active chilled beam was one primary energy conservation measure. Overall, the project’s sustainable design allowed for more than 60% energy savings for the campus, more than $350,000 annually in avoided energy costs, and more than 40% indoor water savings.

Cabo is perhaps most excited not just by the project’s design, but by the high-tech innovations inside it. “The building will house the first compact linear accelerator (compact x-ray light source) ever built,” he says. “The high level of science, technology, and engineering that went into creating it is inspiring, as are the talented researchers who will use it and the incredible leaps in scientific discovery and human health that will result from its use. It’s a powerful feeling to know that a building you helped create could be the venue for life-changing discoveries.”

50

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Angled White Columns Cabo says these columns are 100% functional but also 100% stunning.

“The columns were a design solution implemented in order to create a shaded public space at the west end of the building. This novel solution was obligatory to deal with the requirement to maintain research level vibration control at the upper floors of the building. Structural engineers at KPFF suggested that if we sloped the columns, they would brace the building laterally, eliminating the need for shear walls. While the series of white cement,­square-cornered columns was an elegant design solution, it provided a unique construction challenge—some columns are angled, some are upright, and one is a full three stories in height, reaching from the basement to the second floor. The McCarthy team went above and beyond employing multiple large-scale mockups until they got the mix and formwork exactly right for each condition.”

gb&d

PHOTOS, THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS SPREAD: NICK MERRICK, HALL + MERRICK

september–october 2019

51

PROJECTS

Double Skin Facade The outer copper screen

Screen

Primary Building Envelope

PHOTOS: NICK MERRICK, HALL + MERRICK

wraps around a primary skin of insulated metal panels to create a high-performance dual facade. The screen modulates daylight, shades the facade, and creates a vented cavity that lowers the temperature of the skin. The screen is made up of thousands of copper panels with eight levels of perforation. “The way we arranged the perforations varied by facade, allowing a uniform appearance at first glance,” Cabo says. As a shading device, the screen reduces the surface temperature of the inner facade by roughly 65 degrees on hot summer days. This reduces the interior surface temperature of the wall by three degrees, significantly reducing the cooling load on perimeter spaces. Incorporating vertical fins on the east and west facades provides shading from lower sun angles providing both solar control and visual comfort for daylighting in workspaces.

Plinth

52

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Project: ASU Biodesign Institute C Location: Tempe, AZ Completion Date: 2018 Size: 188,447 square feet Lead Architect: ZGF Architects Associate Architect: BWS Architects Civil Engineer: Dibble & Associates Consulting Engineers MEP Engineer: Affiliated Engineers, Inc. Structural Engineers: KPFF Consulting Engineers, Advanced Structural Engineering Contractor: McCarthy Building Companies Landscape Architect: Trueform Landscape Architecture Studio Acoustical Consultant: Colin Gordon Associates EMI Consultant: VitaTech Electromagnetics Awards: AIA Los Angeles, 2018 COTE Honor Award

gb&d

september–october 2019

53

PROJECTS

Designed to be Open LOHA Architects adapted the concept of a classic courtyard rental building into a modern, sustainable haven.

B Y E R I C CA N A N P H OTO S B Y PAU L V U P H OTO G R A P H Y

54

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

gb&d

september–october 2019

55

PROJECTS

Great design and meaningful sustainability should go hand in hand. That’s something Lorcan O’Herlihy, principal-in-charge at LOHA Architects, has always felt strongly about.

O’Herlihy and his team recently used that mindset to update the classic idea of a courtyard rental building. The result is San Vicente935, a striking residential building that balances high-density living with openness and efficiency. Designed around a dramatic cross-sectional cut, or “strategic void,” the building connects residents to the courtyard and eliminates the need for climate controlled corridors, all while decreasing the visual impact of a heavy box on an already crowded street.

“It’s much more open by virtue of having this big cut in the front,” he says. “We kind of weaved the building around these outdoor textures.” In the process, they brought natural light, cross ventilation, and passive cooling to every unit.

Sunlight streams into the living spaces from at least three exposures, and air conditioning is rarely used. “You can open one window in the courtyard and one window on the other side, and you don’t need mechanical units; you don’t need AC. You can simply use a breeze,” O’Herlihy says. All units are designed to be open, allowing the sun and air to reach as much of the living space as possible. Sliding doors allow bedrooms to flow into the larger living Residents are encouraged to get out of their personal units and interact in common outdoor spaces. “The geometry is really about flowing people up into the courtyard and then going vertically to encourage them to use the stairs,” which residents can follow up to a rooftop hangout. Or they can take advantage of the dappled light in the main courtyard to relax and connect with one another. “All of our work is interested in this idea of social and civic activity, so within the building itself it has opportunities for people to see each other and engage each other,” O’Herlihy says.

O’Herlihy believes architects should consistently create work that fuses inspired design with sustainability. “This building has both and that’s something I’m very proud of,” he says.

56

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Stairs to the Roof “Sometimes stairs are not really architecturally inventive,” O’Herlihy says. The stairs in San Vicente935 serve the courtyard as a visual anchor and invitation—not only to walk up to a unit instead of taking the elevator, but also to keep going to the roof, where residents can connect and relax amid stunning views of the city.

gb&d

september–october 2019

57

PROJECTS

Site Plan Project: San Vicente935 Location: West Hollywood Size: 9,200 square feet Lead Architect: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects Structural Engineer: Amir Pirbadian Electrical Engineer: Amelect Energy, HVAC, and Plumbing: MNS Engineering

DRAWING: COURTESY OF LOHA

Landscape Architect: LINK Landscape Architecture

58

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Social Connection In a climate where

creating shade is important, the exterior wooden screen serves to tone down the sun’s rays in the walkways. But residents aren’t isolated as they walk to their units or up to the common-use roof—cutouts in the wooden slats provide small moments for residents to connect as they move through the space. “It’s kind of like a peak-a-boo opportunity,” O’Herlihy says.

Maximizing Light The team at LOHA Architects

strategically folded back hard edges on both sides of the courtyard to fill it with as much sunlight as possible over the course of a day. “Where possible we manipulated the geometry to bring in light,” O’Herlihy says. “And that was really nice to think that the form of these wood slats was predicated by the sun and bringing light into the courtyard.”

Multiple Functions The sleek curved entryway serves to invite people from the street into the courtyard and, conversely, to funnel people from the courtyard out into the city. It also hides mechanical units that would otherwise be on the roof. The materials serve many purposes, too—local forest managed wood and powder coated fiber cement board are sustainable, inviting, and visually interesting.

gb&d

september–october 2019

59

PROJECTS

60

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Stepping Up A 1960s house comes back to life with modern, minimalist decor and environmentally friendly features.

B Y J E S S I CA Z U N I G A P H OTO S B Y R A FA E L G A M O


gb&d

september–october 2019

61

PROJECTS

Courtyard In the entry courtyard, a floating staircase ascends over a pool of water.

Natural light shines through the open space, casting shadows in the water below. Like so much of the house, the space is filled with art—reminiscent of a gallery.

62

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Longitudinal Section

First Level

Most architects will tell you, it’s easiest to start with a blank slate. Fortunately Mikel Merodio doesn’t shy away from a challenge, and he knows good bones when he sees them—like at this circa 1960s home, the Cachai House project, in Mexico City.

“Taking advantage of an existing structure makes it a little more interesting,” says Merodio, the founding partner and director of architecture firm Taller Paralelo. Using what they already had also meant producing a lot less waste.

Merodio and his team utilized the existing layout to preserve the original structure and stay true to the split level design with three staggered floors connected via short staircases. Merodio says the atypical degb&d

sign was challenging but rewarding as the team managed the relationships between the spaces. The house is designed with the client’s big family in mind, as every communal room can be used as a guest room.

You’ll also find terraces on every level, bringing to life the client’s dream of connecting with the outdoors. Merodio and his team also designed a multi-use space that’s unattached to the house—a totally independent apartment designed to benefit guests who may be less mobile and unable to navigate the main house with its many staircases.

Mexico City’s rainy season is taken full advantage of in this home, as rainwater is collected for all of the house’s potable

needs. During the drier period, additional reserves can last another month. The irrigation system itself uses treated water and doesn’t use potable water from the system any time of year. The owners knew they wanted their home to be as self-sufficient as possible, and they managed to avoid using city water for at least half of the year.

As architecture continues to be a booming, innovative industry in Mexico City, Merodio says technologies that utilize renewable resources are becoming more affordable and accessible to homeowners.

He says he and his team always emphasize the importance of finding environmentally friendly solutions in their projects.

september–october 2019

63

PROJECTS

Interior Patio The house makes the most of its southern orientation, using solar energy and incorporating cool areas like the courtyard.

Project: Cachai House Location: Mexico City Completion: 2018 Site Area: 770 square meters Architect: Taller Paralelo Structural Engineering: Cafel Lighting: G-Tech Landscape: Alux Rain Harvesting: SPL Water Treatment: TIM Solar Energy: Solar City

64

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PROJECTS

Wooden Facades A mix of materials works together to balance the minimalist aesthetic in the home. Exterior walls are primarily white, and exposed concrete elements create a neutral palette.

Textured tiles embellish the rooftop terrace, and a black steel staircase runs through the center of the house. Accent walls, skylights, and wooden louvres bring warmth.

gb&d

september–october 2019

65

TYPOLOGY

66

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

TYPOLOGY

Impressive Airport Design Travel hubs like Seattle Tacoma International Airport are leading by example when it comes to sustainable development.

BY CAP GREEN

gb&d

september–october 2019

67

Sea-Tac’s new Concourse D Annex is a calming environment for travelers.

68

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

RENDERING: COURTESY OF ANKROM MOISAN ARCHITECTURE

TYPOLOGY

TYPOLOGY

PHOTO: HEYWOOD CHAN, Y-EH PHOTOGRAPHY; PREVIOUS SPREAD: BEN BENSCHNEIDER

Innovative design at the Annex includes using a glulam timber truss system that crosses over the roof and connects to steel columns.

Airport terminals are likely not the place you’d imagine going to feel calm, but that was a primary goal for Sean Quinn, HOK’s regional sustainable design leader for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s new Terminal D concourse.

Sustainable airport design is quite different from designing a relatively sedentary home or office space, as airport terminals generally see 30,000 to 50,000 people per day. For Quinn, creating a sustainable building for such a large volume of visitors means far more than just building a sound structure. “It’s about creating a calming environment that’s a good experience for both the seasoned traveler getting on their fifth flight of the week and the nervous traveler who has never flown before,” he says.

Quinn’s specialty is in performance design or, as he explains, “the integration of science into the design process.” His role in Sea-Tac’s Terminal D project covers the general sustainable management of the project, which ensures Sea-Tac’s LEED certification goals are met and also maintains a close collaboration with HOK’s architectural team. Although the Annex is still in the final stages of certification, it’s on track to become the first LEED v4 Silver certified airport in the U.S. Gaining LEED certification on an airport design is no easy feat. “A lot of things about LEED are built around the development of buildings in an urban environment,” Quinn says. “There are several prequalified credits with location and site that airports simply cannot achieve.” Airports, by their nature, need to have a long runway for proper landing and takeoff, which requires space that is not typically available in an urban area.

When asked the significance of Sea-Tac’s foreseegb&d

able LEED Silver certification, Quinn is pleased with the success of his team’s design. “The needle has to be thread quite well in order to get any airport LEED certified—let alone certified on an upper level,” he says.

DESIGN STRATEGY AT SEA-TAC The 32,400-square-foot Annex opens six new terminal gates and is expected to relieve peak airport congestion while highlighting the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Quinn’s sustainable design strategies include everything from the shaping of the roof to handle wind loads and air intake to a daylighting system that not only lights the terminal but also the building’s interior plants.

Quinn worked in close coordination with HOK’s structural engineers to advance the building’s superstructure from that of a typical airport to a hybrid timber and steel system. The innovative design uses a glue-laminated (glulam) timber truss system that crosses over the roof of the building and connects to steel columns. “I wouldn’t call it the first of its kind, but it is the first installation of glue timber at an international airport in the United States,” Quinn says.

The timber is locally sourced from Douglas Fir trees in Washington and will reduce the building’s embodied carbon. Most large-scale assembly spaces don’t allow for timber use, so the design required extra work from HOK’s higher architectural team. After a life cycle analysis for Washington State code reviewers, the team proved steel beams typically result in terminal bridging, while timber is both more resistant and cost effective.

Quinn says, “The sustainable idea is often the straightforward one.”

P R OJ E CT NAME Seattle Tacoma International Airport Concourse D Annex LOCATION Seattle COMPLETION 2018 SIZE 32,400 square feet ARCHITECT HOK STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Lund Opsahl MECHANICAL ENGINEER Notkin Mechanical Engineers ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Casne Engineering CIVIL ENGINEER Osborn Consulting GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER Hart Crowser CONTRACTOR The Walsh Group

september–october 2019

69

TYPOLOGY

1

Insulated metal panel

2

Insulated glazing

3

Glulam king-post truss

4

Standing seam roof

5

Structured polycarbonate canopy

4 3 2 1

5

ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Not far from Sea-Tac’s new Annex is the recently completed Angle Lake Station. The 400,000-square-foot complex is the first station south of Sea-Tac and the southern terminus of the Central Link light rail. It’s intended to be part of a greater extension that will continue southbound over the next decade.

Larry Scarpa, of architectural firm Brooks + Scarpa, says the extension could take a decade or more to complete, which is why he designed Angle Lake to be an adaptable structure. As a terminus, the station’s current traffic mostly consists of passengers parking at Angle Lake to take the train into Seattle. However, once additional stops are constructed south of Angle Lake, Scarpa anticipates some design elements will adjust to meet new needs.

“When Angle Lake is no longer the end station it will see a significant decrease in park and ride travelers, which opens the parking lot for future development,” he says.

“Angle Lake station has a lot of public space, like a plaza and event space, that will likely become more useful as the station transitions from a terminus to a stop along the line.” Future development at Angle Lake could include a hotel and housing, turning the station into a fully integrated mixed-use site.

Angle Lake took two-and-a half years from design to completion, which Scarpa says is very fast by industry standards. The LEED-certified project features a 400,000-gallon stormwater retention tank built into the lower level, high efficiency lighting, and landscaping that accommodates migratory birds, which Scarpa says is critical given its location near the airport.

70

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTO: HEYWOOD CHAN, Y-EH PHOTOGRAPHY; DRAWING: HOK

SEA-TAC East-West Section of Concourse D Annex

TYPOLOGY

Angle Lake Station serves more than 2,500 passengers daily and more than 4,000 people living within a half-mile of the station.

P R OJ E CT NAME Angle Lake Transit Station and Plaza LOCATION Seattle COMPLETION 2017 SIZE 402,500 square feet ARCHITECT Brooks + Scarpa Structural Engineer BergerABAM Electrical and Lighting Engineer Stantec Mechanical Engineer Sazan Group

PHOTOS: BEN BENSCHNEIDER

Lighting Engineer Luminescense Civil Engineer: BergerABAM Geotechnical Engineer Shannon & Wilson Contractor Harbor Pacific/Graham

gb&d

september–october 2019

71

TYPOLOGY

MORE INNOVATION But it’s not just Sea-Tac pushing the limits of modern airport design. In December 2018, LaGuardia Airport opened the first 11 gates in its new Terminal B concourse. The concourse is more than 1.3 million square feet and is the first stage in a multi-phase construction plan for an airport overhaul. The renovated Queens airport, which sees 30 million passengers a year, will enhance the passenger experience and achieve impressive LEED certification.

72

september–october 2019

“LaGuardia Airport’s New Terminal B is designed to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver certification and is one of just a few airports of its scale to seek the more stringent LEED v4 distinction,” says Robert Chicas, director of aviation and transportation at HOK. “Sustainable design strategies focus on ensuring optimal building orientation, providing flexibility for change, using natural and locally sourced materials, and making the terminal resilient to major storm events by placing critical systems above flood levels.” The design plan also includes an operation to reach 80% greenhouse gas reduction by 2050, an overhaul on LGA’s baggage handling system that will use magnetic motors to save at least 37% of energy compared to traditional baggage carousels, and new EPA plumbing fixtures to achieve a 42% reduction in potable water use.

Many of the airport’s sustainable design strategies will also improve the passenger experience.

Chicas says, “Indoor green space is modeled after New York City’s urban pocket parks and includes lush landscaping and sculptural benches.

Incoming and outgoing passengers share soaring, airy, grand-scaled sequences punctuated by 55-foot-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the space with natural light.”

P R OJ E CT NAME LaGuardia Airport Terminal B LOCATION Queens COMPLETION Ongoing SIZE 1.3 million square feet ARCHITECT HOK ENGINEERS HOK, Thornton Tomasetti, WSP, ARORA CONTRACTOR Skanska-Walsh JV

gbdmagazine.com

RENDERING: COURTESY OF HOK AND WSP

The design was also inspired by American dance choreographer William Forsythe, whose improvisational piece “Dance Geometry” creates geometric forms through light and movement. “The facade appears to be moving and complex, but it is really just a series of lines connected to curved top and bottom cords,” Scarpa says.

The guaranteed maximum cost required Scarpa and his team to deliver innovative design within a fixed budget. Large planks for the facade were built from more than 8,000 smaller pieces using ruled surface geometry, which enabled the design team to build the spatial facade with no cranes or large equipment.

TYPOLOGY

PHOTO: JEFF GOLDBERG, ESTO, COURTESY OF LAGUARDIA GATEWAY PARTNERS; DRAWING: COURTESY OF HOK

LAGUARDIA AIRPORT Level 4 Plan

Additional taxi lanes may reduce aircraft fuel consumption and pollution. Inside, daylighting and clear lines of sight highlight important destinations.

gb&d

september–october 2019

73

PRACTICE

Don Everard CEO, EZ-ACCESS

Ask the Expert What is the real value of ADA-compliant ramps?

74

september–october 2019

We all know someone who is blind, hearing impaired, or unable to walk without assistance. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was the country’s response to identifying the daily struggles for disabled people and our need as a nation to provide inclusion to every-

day activities.

The ADA is a civil rights law that, in part, ensures public and commercial spaces are accessible to all. But that doesn’t mean a small business or historic building needs to find the money and the space to install an elevator. Different types of buildings have different

requirements, and aluminum ramps offer solutions to meet these requirements both sustainably and cost-effectively.

The material is recyclable, reusable, and, perhaps most importantly, far more durable than other materials.

In the end it’s important to remember the ADA is a civil rights law, and noncompliance can be met with a civil lawsuit. On the other side of compliance, we have usability and liability from unmaintained accessibility structures. Exposure

to civil or liability lawsuits could cost a company hundreds to thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The cost of ADA compliance is a small fraction of that, and frankly businesses can’t afford not to be compliant.

Beyond the bottom line, your business is about people. And people need access. People are mobile with wheelchairs and canes. They’re hearing impaired or visually impaired. Accommodating all walks and all people is just good business. gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF EZ-ACCESS

Do it right the first time—it could easily be Don Everard’s mantra. The CEO of aluminum ramping manufacturer EZ-ACCESS has spent a career fixing, tweaking, and promoting accessibility features for buildings across the country. He and his team have replaced numerous poorly designed ramps made of deteriorating materials with state-of-the-art aluminum products that fit buildings and their occupants’ lifestyles. After more than 30 years in business and with locations in Washington state and Kentucky, Everard and the EZ-ACCESS team have developed access solutions to meet most, if not all, federal access requirements and associated local building codes.

Today the company is poised to expand even further into the accessibility market. Everard explains the full value of making sure your ramps are ADA-compliant.

PUNCHPRACTICE LIST

You don’t have to install an elevator to be compliant.

Aluminum ramps offer a durable, sustainable solution that is also less costly.

gb&d

september–october 2019

75

PRACTICE

Bill Adams Sales Team Lead, LCG

Ask the Expert How is heavyduty steel grating manufactured?

76

september–october 2019

Hand-welded, heavy-duty steel grating offers design versatility and a quick manufacturing process, so the products can make their way to construction sites faster. Our 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at LCG features large capacity hydraulic presses with automated feed lines and

high-production robotics. By using robotic technology, we maintain our competitive edge in the steel grating market.

Our high-capacity hydraulic presses are precise and economical, providing users with reliable, heavy-duty steel grating products at an affordable price.

Automation allows us to maximize productivity

and efficiency. Our robotic welder can weld commercial steel grates from start to finish. This means less time needed for staging materials—and less people needed for the job. Instead of having to do the fitting process and the welding process in two different areas, the robotic welder puts all of the material into the fixture and then it welds it on the spot.

This hand-welding process is very efficient and allows for customization, too. First off, LCG’s team cuts the steel to size, and then punches

in the bearing bars to allow the cross bars to fit in. Then they fit the steel grating to spec and assemble it. The welders complete all of the final touch-ups to ensure the gratings are in compliance with National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers’ standards, and the customer’s specific requirements. Our manufacturing facility in Everson, Pennsylvania, also offers convenient access to major interstates, which makes the shipping process even simpler and more energy-efficient. gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LAUREL CUSTOM GRATING

Heavy-duty steel grating can be integrated into an extensive range of industrial projects, from airplane hangars to drainage grates. Contractors rely on steel grating products for roadway inlet gratings and other industrial applications. With its high demand in industrial construction, steel grating needs to be made as quickly and efficiently as possible. Laurel Custom Grating (LCG) is at the forefront of automated steel grating manufacturing. The company’s modernized fabrication process ensures their products are of the highest quality—and that they arrive on time. Bill Adams, sales team lead at LCG, recently discussed how LCG combines hand-welding and automated technology to produce versatile, durable steel grating products.

PRACTICE PUNCH LIST

Get the heavy-duty steel grate you need with Laurel Custom Grating.

gb&d

september–october 2019

77

PRACTICE

Aaron Kivett, Technical Manager for Strategic Partnerships, Newforma

Ask the Expert How can I reduce my administrative workload?

78

september–october 2019

Designers spend a lot of time doing menial tasks. Research in the AEC industry shows that employees can spend up to 60 work days a year searching for and gathering project information.

That’s a massive amount of time spent doing what people don’t like doing. Taking that away has a huge effect, which is why Newforma

spent a lot of time perfecting search capabilities. Now everything is quickly available from what we call the single pane of glass. When you log into Newforma, you can easily see all your projects and quickly get to specific emails, RFIs, and action items from one location. If the info you need isn’t a click or two away, our search bar

can get you there quickly.

We automate other time-consuming tasks, like automatically creating a record copy of files when teams share project files.

To alleviate risk, most firms have a policy that if you share something externally, you need to document it. Instead of manually creating transmittals from a Word template and folders of duplicate files, we document external sharing automatically.

We’ve done everything we can to be as least disruptive as possible. Our software adapts to the way project teams and AEC firms want to work.

When Nelson Worldwide needed a platform to collect and organize data from all of its many projects and disciplines—tenant/ landlord, tradi-

tional architecture, design, and branding—they turned to Newforma because of the efficiency the software provides.

Prior to Newforma coming onboard, Nelson’s processes were manual, and no one could find information or coordinate amongst teams about project communication and transfers. We streamlined that for them.

A lot of what Newforma does is aimed at eliminating the drudgery that people have to deal with, so they can focus on what they like to do—designing things. And what that translates to is administrative tasks.

Read more from Newforma in the November+December issue, when Kivett shares how software can make you money.

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NEWFORMA

Designers are in the game to design. An artist’s purpose is their art—not the emails, contracts, deadlines, and check-ins that eventually get them there. So how can companies reduce the drudgery of administrative tasks? That’s a question project information management software company Newforma has been working on since 2004. Here Aaron Kivett, a solutions consultant at Newforma with more than 20 years of experience, discusses how integrating project information and processes—from design to construction—can automate minutiae and let your talent get back to doing their best work.

PRACTICE

NEWFORMA’S SUBMITTAL NEXT ACTION

Use Newforma’s built-in workflow tools to determine the best way to handle the next step in a Contract Administration (CA) item, which is automatically logged, saving you time and freeing you from manual data entry.

Newforma has also been utilized by a civic building in Kuwait.

gb&d

september–october 2019

79

PRACTICE

Klaus-Alexander Rieder, R&D Director of Concrete Technologies, GCP Applied Technologies

Ask the Expert How is GCP using concrete technology to reduce waste?

80

september–october 2019

How do you reduce waste and improve sustainability across the life cycle of concrete? That’s been one of the central questions we’re focused on at GCP. It’s been no easy task. One must consider the CO2 that’s emitted in the mining and transportation phases, the water that’s used to make concrete, and the large amount of material that’s often left over. Up to 3 to 5% of concrete production gets returned to the plant where it was produced. That’s

why we’ve taken a multi-faceted approach to waste reduction, one that utilizes various concrete technologies to achieve a shared goal.

One of the biggest problems facing the industry is the diminishing amount of high-quality aggregate, with quarry reserves often contaminated with clay. In response, GCP developed the CLARENA® portfolio of materials management solutions to mitigate the negative effects of clay and reduce the amount of

wasted aggregate.

The CLARENA® chemical additive improves the workability and flow of concrete made with aggregate that has high clay content. Another area of focus is reducing the amount of water used for making concrete.

This is especially important in states like California that have tougher standards for water use after suffering years of drought.

With our ADVA® water-reducing admixture technology, we help customers use up to 35% less water while maintaining the workability of the concrete.

These additives are highly versatile and have the added benefit of extending workability by up to three hours, without impacting the strength development of the concrete.

ADVA® products also reduce the use of cement in each cubic yard of concrete, making the best use of that critical component.

The VERIFI® in-transit concrete management system, which is installed on the ready mix truck, monitors, measures, and manages each concrete batch’s properties in real time, from the plant to the jobsite. This enables concrete producers to deliver more consistent concrete quality to the jobsite using less cement, less energy, and having fewer rejected concrete loads.

GCP recently introduced CLARENA® RC40, a new additive to treat and reuse returned concrete as aggregate. It converts the returned and unused plastic concrete into a hardened granular state that can be broken up and reused in fresh concrete as a partial replacement for fine and coarse aggregate. This granular material can also be used as a high-quality compacted fill material for end uses such as road base. gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF GCP APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES

Throughout the processes of creating, transporting, and eventually receiving leftover plastic concrete, there’s a lot of room for improvements in sustainability and waste reduction. In order to steer the concrete industry in a more eco-friendly direction, Klaus-Alexander Rieder, R&D director of concrete technologies at GCP Applied Technologies, and his team have developed a number of innovative concrete solutions at their research hub in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

PRACTICE

The CLARENAÂŽ chemical additive improves the workability and flow of concrete made with aggregate that has high clay content.

gb&d

september–october 2019

81

PRACTICE

Rex Dean, Global Director of Facade Restoration, Stuart Dean

Ask the Expert How important is coating application with respect to metal restoration?

82

september–october 2019

In coastal areas, we often see what’s called filiform corrosion on exterior coating systems of factory finishes and architectural aluminum.

It looks like blisters and bubbles, and often those blisters break and you’ll see aluminum oxide as well as a buildup of chloride. But the solution isn’t to re-clad over the issues.

Instead, it’s important to address the problems.

When filiform corrosion is present on architectural aluminum, you need to ensure all the corrosion is exposed. We mechanically abrade the finish to discover any hidden corrosion. Then we wash the surface with a Chlor-Rid® to remove salts. If you don’t remove the salts, you’ll ultimately sand those chlorides into the metals, causing failure at a later date.

Next, we mi-

cro-blast using a small handheld blaster and aluminum oxide to flush out the corrosion.

We do this because the corrosion cell is below the surface, so you can’t wire brush or sand the contaminants from it—you have to reach the crevices. The mitigation done, we typically use a pre-treatment similar to something that would be applied in a factory in an AAMA 2605 specification, like a phosphate wash or a chrome pretreat. Both of those substances are recognized as a step that retards and fights corrosion as well as creating adhesion, so when the primer coat is applied, it will properly adhere to the substrate.

When it comes to the coating application process, APV’s NeverFade is

highly flexible. The Kynar Aquatec® polymer in NeverFade allows us to ensure the performance of an AAMA 2605 factory coating standard with a field-applied system. It can be sprayed, brushed, or rolled, depending on project needs.

Climate is also important. In the case of field-applied coatings, the substrate temperature should be 50 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, and the air temperature and relative humidity should be monitored in relation to the dew point. We monitor conditions throughout the project.

Read more from APV Engineered Coatings in the November+December issue, when the experts show how coating buildings doesn’t have to disrupt business.

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF APV ENGINEERED COATINGS

About 75% of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coast, and most of the metal structures in those regions are subject to coating degradation like chalking or fading caused by extreme ultraviolet or other types of harsh environmental exposure. For more than three decades, Rex Dean, of NeverFade® certified applicator Stuart Dean, has inspected and consulted on more than 4,000 facade projects around the world. As the company’s global director of facade restoration, he specializes in on-site metal restoration. Here, Dean notes major factors to consider in the metal coating process—from corrosion mitigation and surface preparation to final applications.

PRACTICE

The right coating application—like NeverFade from APV Engineered Coatings— is key to protecting your building.

gb&d

september–october 2019

83

PRACTICE

Colin Blackford, Director of Strategy & Innovation, Mermet USA

Selecting the right windows is an important step in designing an energy-efficient building. But windows alone won’t create an exterior facade solution, explains Colin Blackford of Mermet USA. To ensure optimal thermal performance, you also need to consider how your shade solution works together with the windows. That’s a message he shares far and wide when working with customers. The global leader in Sun Control Textiles, Mermet offers a wide range of fabrics that offer both energy-saving benefits as well as adding aesthetic appeal. Here, Blackford explains just how important these fabrics are in creating sustainable environments.

How do shade fabrics affect thermal performance?

84

september–october 2019

How effective is the window and shade in blocking solar energy? Mermet partnered with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to find out. The scientists used the RAT equation— which measures reflection, absorption, and transmission—to determine the combined solar heat gain

coefficient of the glass and shades. Compared to a low-e double-glazed window without a shade, the same window with a light color E Screen shade in a 3% openness factor improves the SHGC by 59%. That’s a lot less heat in your building that you then have to cool.

So how do you capitalize on these

Technology fabrics, can block more of those rays. The key is to put the right performance shade exactly where you need it. As with every consideration, you need to choose the one fabric, or combination of fabrics, best suited for your situation.

Tailoring your window treatments to your specific situation will result in a well-managed, energy-efficient solution.

Check out the November+December issue of gb&d, when Blackford explores occupant comfort.

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTO: BARRY RUSTIN

Ask the Expert

types of energy savings? Start by considering the space.

How much protection from the sun do you need?

Is it a north-facing window? You won’t face direct sunlight, therefore, you won’t need the highest level of shading. A standard E Screen shade is probably a great choice. If it’s a south- or west-facing one, however, you may face a constant flood of light.

That will require a shade solution that blocks that energy, preventing it from heating up your room. A high-performance fabric, such as Mermet’s KOOLBLACK

PRACTICE

This Triangle Window with custom motorized FlexShade systems and wheeled hem bar, side tracks, and intermediate rollers from Triangle Window Fashions was the solution the Herman Miller headquarters in Michigan needed.

gb&d

september–october 2019

85

PRACTICE

Dave Stanton Regional Sales Manager, Fabcon

Ask the Expert How does precast improve building performance?

86

september–october 2019

Fabcon offers a wide range of R-values. We’ve built from Canada to Florida, in different climates and building types, from office buildings to food storage—where they need an extremely high R-value. We have everything from our minimum R-value of 13.6 all the way to over 28. To have an R-28 wall panel, or a fully integrated insulation wall sys-

tem from interior of the wall to exterior—there’s nothing comparable. To get that R-value, you usually have to have multiple layers of building material and added insulation.

We don’t need to do that because our 12-inch thick VersaCore+Green Sandwich panel has in some areas 7 inches of insulation.

With our Sandwich panel, you

have continuous insulation from edge to edge. We recognize the demand for continuous insulation and, as energy codes get more stringent, we’re rolling out a new product—VersaCore Edge. It’s a thinner continuous insulation precast panel. It’s 8 inches thick.

We’re prepared to build in any state across the country efficiently. The VersaCore+Green Sandwich panel is one of our premium products. It often won’t work in budgets because it’s expensive, but we now offer a less expensive, higher value continuous insulation panel. If there’s a requirement to have con-

tinuous insulation, you don’t need to go all the way to an R-28. You can get a thinner, more cost effective, higher value panel for that individual budget. We recently used the Edge panel to expand our Kansas facility and the R-value is in that 16 range.

Research shows that if a building owner is willing to invest upfront, the return comes quickly. In most cases, it’s two to five years. If you’re building a building, especially if an end-user is going to be there for 30 or more years, it’s a no-brainer. You’re investing in your company when you build a building that’s green. gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FABCON

For nearly 50 years, Fabcon—the largest structural precast wall manufacturer in the U.S.—has been making building projects more efficient. Fabcon’s panels are capable of meeting all R-Value requirements, regardless of climate. All of the elements in Fabcon’s products work together to provide a high level of insulation. While regular concrete usually has a thermal resistance rating of about 0.11 per inch of thickness, Fabcon’s concrete provides double the resistance—0.22 per inch of thickness.

Fabcon Regional Sales Manager Dave Stanton recently walked us through why this matters.

PRACTICE

Fabcon is prepared to build in any state across the country.

gb&d

september–october 2019

87

PRACTICE

Ty Cranford, Architectural Sales Director, Western Window Systems

Ask the Expert Why should I use aluminum for my windows and doors?

88

september–october 2019

Contemporary design means open layout, clean lines, narrow profiles, lots of glass, and disappearing walls. When you design a contemporary home, the objective is to see out—not for the eye to be drawn to the window.

Aluminum finishes are dark, with thin lines. And since aluminum is stronger than wood, you can go bigger with

your sizes to truly speak the contemporary language.

Aluminum has not historically been considered energy-efficient, but with the technology of our Series 7000 performance line of moving glass walls and windows, that’s changed. Products in the Series 7000 performance line achieve across-theboard low U-value ratings and feature low-E, argon-filled

dual-pane glass.

They also comply with California’s rigorous Title 24 requirements. We all know energy requirements keep getting stricter, and our performance line meets today’s energy values by default, so you don’t have to make tradeoffs.

Generally aluminum requires very little maintenance, while wood has the potential to deteriorate without ongoing refinishing to the unclad surface. The condensation resistance of our Series 7000 performance line is competitive to that of clad wood windows, as we utilize a thermal strut system and specify the proper glass makeup. In fact, most of our Series 7000 door systems and windows meet or

exceed the condensation resistance factor (CRF) of leading wood window manufacturers.

Aluminum is a great option when you consider the environmental impact. Our products are backed by the Energy Star rating; it takes just 5% of the energy needed to recycle aluminum than it does to produce new. It’s one of the most renewable materials out there. And it’s a very eco-responsible material when you need to replace it. However, considering the way aluminum windows are designed today, I’d be surprised if you need to replace them anytime soon.

Read more in the November+December issue of gb&d, when Cranford tackles aesthetics.

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF WESTERN WINDOW SYSTEMS

Wooden windows and doors may look beautiful on traditional buildings, but when it comes to contemporary spaces, aluminum is the way to go.

Western Window Systems has done the research and enhanced the technology to make aluminum a smart choice. Ty Cranford, the company’s architectural sales director, knows. Before Cranford started at Western Window Systems in 2007, he spent 15 years selling wood clad windows for one of the top companies in the industry. Cranford is the third generation of his family to be in the window and door business. Here, he dispels misconceptions about aluminum and shares just some of the benefits.

PUNCH PRACTICE LIST

OPPOSITE: This living room features two multi-slide doors, seamlessly blending the indoors with the outside. THIS PAGE: The library, with its 10-by10-foot window wall, is the home’s centerpiece.

gb&d

september–october 2019

89

PRACTICE

Rob Kingshott, Vice President of Sales, Lifebreath

Ask the Expert What is an ERV or HRV, and why does it matter?

90

september–october 2019

Airtight homes trap everything.

And while that’s good for energy-efficiency, it may mean stale air and pollutants get trapped inside the house. ERVs—like HRVs—recover heat and ventilate air while also recovering humidity.

When you’ve got the air conditioning running and need to bring fresh air in on a humid day, Lifebreath’s ERVs redirect ap-

proximately 50% of moisture outside.

This not only lets you breathe easier; it lowers the load on the air conditioner, reducing your energy costs.

An HRV will transfer a high percentage of heat to the cooler air stream.

It’s important to get rid of stale air inside the home not just for health reasons, but also for building longevity. As houses get tighter and more

energy-efficient, you’re basically living inside of a bag with draft-resistant doors and high-efficiency windows. Fortunately, an HRV is now running up to about 93% recovery efficiency, and the technology keeps getting better.

In Ontario, for example, building code requires HRVs to have a minimum efficiency of 75%, which is a difficult efficiency number to get to, but outside market forces like these inspire us to strive toward the best possible indoor air quality solutions.

A Lifebreath ventilation unit can be installed anytime, but the best time to consider an ERV or HRV is at initial construction, as it allows for options like exhausting from

bathrooms and kitchens—tasks that are more difficult during a retrofit.

We’re seeing more people replace bathroom exhaust fans with dedicated ductwork, as HRVs are designed to provide fresh and healthy air while enhancing moisture levels in the home. As houses get tighter and moisture levels tend to go higher in winter, there’s more of an opportunity for mold to grow. An HRV or ERV helps control that humidity level so that doesn’t happen. Lifebreath ventilation units turn houses into healthy homes.

Read more about the benefits of Lifebreath’s ERVs and HRVs in the March+April issue of gb&d.

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: CAMILO GUTIERREZ; COURTESY OF LIFEBREATH

Lifebreath is improving the air quality you breathe inside the home with its premium ERVs and HRVs— energy recovery ventilators and heat recovery ventilators. Vice President of Sales Rob Kingshott hears from customers who say time and again that once they have Lifebreath, they can’t imagine life without it. “Some customers even call it the most important appliance in the home,” he says. The average person takes more than 23,000 breaths a day, and Lifebreath wants to make sure those breaths don’t include allergens, mold, and pollutants. Kingshott explores just how ERVs and HRVs improve the air we breathe.

PUNCH PRACTICE LIST

gb&d

september–october 2019

91

PRACTICE

Architects to Watch Camilla Cok, Hennebery Eddy Architects

This Oregon architect is driving the conversation around sustainability for community projects that affect us all. has been working to advance sustainability across projects since she arrived at HENNEBERY EDDY ARCHITECTS in 2011. As part of the firm’s sustainability committee, she and her colleagues host speakers and also speak themselves at conferences to further the dialogue.

“We create tools to help teams fully integrate sustainable strategies into the design process,” she says. “And we make sure our office is doing everything we can to reduce waste and be energy-efficient.” The process, she says, has been invigorating, as Hennebery Eddy not only focuses on improving metrics for things like water and energy savings but also strives to have a positive effect in communities overall. “It goes beyond some of those metrics,” she says, adding that recent projects address the community, place, beauty, and more human-centric side of sustainability. “That’s a very important piece to sustainable design.”

92

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAMILLA COK

CAMILLA COK

PRACTICE

Cascades Academy

PHOTOS: JOSH PARTEE; DRAWING: COURTESY OF HENNEBERY EDDY ARCHITECTS

This private school just outside of Bend, Oregon was Cok’s first big project with Hennebery Eddy. Built in two phases, the second phase added on a third 11,600-square-foot wing and outdoor play area. Considering the school’s emphasis on experiential learning—field trips and nature are huge here, as are the arts—the team wanted to show its commitment to being good stewards of the environment. “From day one the owner was committed to creating a school that would be sensitive and responsive to the natural landscape,” Cok says. The Hennebery team used locally sourced materials inspired by the landscape, including cedar, and natural daylight was a huge part of the project. “As designers, this was an extremely exciting client to have—a client who also cares deeply about the environment and things we try to do on every project.” The nearly self-sufficient building itself isn’t your average rectangle, either. “These three wings pull off of the main core running north-south,” Cok says. “They angle to fit amongst natural trees and boulders that were already on the site. Within each wing, the wing steps down as the landscape steps down to be as light as possible on the land.”

Project Details Location: Bend, Oregon Completed: 2017 Size: 51,600 square feet Phase 1 Civil Engineer: D’Agostino Parker Phase 2 Civil Engineer: DOWL Structural Engineer: Walker MEP Engineer: Interface Engineering General Contractor: CS Construction Landscape Architect: Mayer | Reed Awards: Portland AIA award and IIDA

gb&d

september–october 2019

93

RENDERINGS: ASHLEY MCGRAW

PRACTICE

94

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PHOTOS: JOSH PARTEE; DRAWING: COURTESY OF HENNEBERY EDDY ARCHITECTS

PRACTICE

Clackamas Fire Station 16 When Cok and team set out to design this new fire station, they faced a unique challenge: Replace the outdated station (which also had mold issues) with something that could be used as a potential prototype for future stations. “We wanted a design that would be flexible and accommodate any changes to operations and address issues of gender equality in fire station design,” she says. The firm also wanted to design something that would stand the test of time—and we’re talking about durability. While the owner didn’t set out to build sustainably necessarily, a Path to Net Zero program from the Energy Trust of Oregon (a nonprofit essentially funded by utility companies) made it possible. “It essentially incentivizes owners to pursue buildings that may go a little bit beyond your energy code baseline. And it gives owners cash incentives for doing this.”

Through that program the building was able to achieve a 70% better than national code average fire station. The project was awarded nearly $30,000 in cash incentives.

“They now own a building that will function so much more efficiently than your normal fire station and that will save them money going forward in their operational costs. It’s a win-win.” gb&d

Project Details Location: Oregon City Completed: January 2019 Size: 12,700 square feet Civil Engineer: PACE Engineers MEP Engineer: Interface Engineering Structural Engineer: Nishkian Dean General Contractor: Emerick Construction Landscape Architect: Lango Hansen Sustainable Design Consultant: Sora Design Group

september–october 2019

95

DRAWING AND RENDERINGS: COURTESY OF HENNEBERY EDDY ARCHITECTS

PRACTICE

Project Details Location: Mammoth, Wyoming Completed: Anticipated 2022 Size: 52,000 square feet Civil Engineer: Stahly Engineering & Associates Structural Engineer: Catena Consulting Engineers MEP Engineer: Interface Engineering Landscape Architect: Walker Macy Sustainable Design Consultants: Biohabitats, Brightworks

96

september–october 2019

gbdmagazine.com

PRACTICE

GETTING TO

zero FORUM 2019

October 9-11 Oakland, CA

RENDERING: COURTESY OF HENNEBERY EDDY ARCHITECTS

Yellowstone National Park Youth Campus Winning a design competition in 2014 propelled Cok and team to design this campus of living buildings. From the very beginning, the park service and Hennebery Eddy approached this as a sustainable project. While the campus is still in the fundraising phase, goals include targeting 115% net positive energy and designing to Passive House standards—especially important considering the region’s climate. “They have very harsh winters and their power regularly goes out. We designed for winter resiliency with a hyper-insulated roof and wall,” Cok says.

The building utilizes hydronic radiant heat in the floor and heat recovery ventilators to recover some heat from the commercial kitchen exhaust. CorTen metal siding makes up the exterior, allowing for a rich color inspired by nearby Mammoth Hot Springs, and local FSC-certified wood siding will be used on the dorm. “We’re exposing a lot of the interior wood timber and CLT construction throughout to keep the material palette really clean and natural,” Cok says. “Then we’re bringing natural daylight in and providing views out to the natural landscape.”

Join us at the premier global event on zero carbon, zero energy buildings!

REGISTER TODAY! gettingtozeroforum.org gb&d

september–october 2019

97

PRACTICE

Event Preview Fall 2019

By Eric Canan

Solar Power International SOLAR POWER INTERNATIONAL is the heart of North When Sept 23–26 Where Salt Lake City America Smart Energy Web solarpowerinternational.com Week. Industry leaders in solar and energy storage will come together for a week of powerhouse collaboration featuring more than 100 education sessions, 700 exhibitors, and 19,000 attendees.

Lightshow West will host LIGHTSHOW WEST more than 250 internaWhen Sept 25 & 26 tional lighting manufacWhere Los Angeles turers focusing on trends Web lightshowwest.com and solutions across the lighting industry. The keynote panel will pit interior architects against commercial lighting designers as they reveal the collaborative process behind their work.

CONSTRUCT brings all CONSTRUCT sides of the architecWhen Oct 9–11 ture, engineering, and Where National Harbor, MD construction industry Web constructshow.com together for three days of education, demos, and coffee talks. There’s something for everyone in this wide-ranging construction expo.

98

september–october 2019

With 100-plus speakGETTING TO ZERO FORUM ers and 550 key When Oct 9–11 actors across the Where Oakland building and energy Web gettingtozeroforum.org landscape, these events will support the push toward zero-energy and zero-carbon buildings. Topics range from scalability and financial concerns to retrofitting, energy storage, and the latest industry research.

This year the AsAASHE CONFERENCE & EXPO sociation for the When Oct 27–30 Where Spokane Advancement of Web www.aashe.org/conference Sustainability in Higher Education is focusing on co-creating a sustainable economy. Approximately 2,000 participants will have the chance to learn and share new ideas at these events. Attendees can even visit local campuses and communities to explore current sustainability initiatives. gbdmagazine.com

PHTOTO: SIMONE RIDDLE

This year’s Living ProdLIVING PRODUCT EXPO uct Expo from the InterWhen Oct 8–10 national Living Future Where Nashville Institute features three days Web productexpo.living-future.org of events designed to educate attendees on healthy, beautiful, biophilic design and materials. The expo will bring together more than 700 leaders and 60 speakers covering zero-carbon materials, green chemistry, circularity, affordability, and more.

Keynotes from football star Ovie Mughelli and Lauren Yarmuth, director of circular economy at IDEO, round out the schedule.

Make wellness standard.

Make resilience standard.

Make sustainability standard.

Let’s make a new living standard.

Join thousands of building professionals with one mission: raising the standard for resilience by putting green first.

REGISTER TODAY: GREENBUILDEXPO.COM/GBD

B U I LT W I T H

NOVEMBER 19-22, 2019

DISCOVER MORE wilsonart.com/lujo

THE LUJOâ„¢ COLLECTION | WHITE RIVER FOREST 8227K

With dynamic textures that bring the tactile qualities of the natural world to indoor spaces, this forest-inspired collection is the essence of affordable luxury.