gb&d Issue 6: January 2011

Green BuildinG & desiGn JAn 2011

The essential guide for sustainable projects and ideas

10/’10

Green BuildinG & desiGn

gb&d

Our favorite creations, concepts, and innovators from the past year, P. 66

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commercial

residential

University of Tennessee - Thompson-Boling Arena Luxury Suites & Lindsey-Nelson Stadium Knoxville, TN

Residence of Kent C. Nelson, retired Chairman & CEO - UPS Atlanta, GA

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graphics

Bluegreen Corporation - Wilderness Club at Big Cedar Ridgedale, MO

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www.lauderdaledesigngroup.com Lauderdale Design Group

3008 Topside Business Park Drive, Suite C

hospitality

ph. 865.233.5020

finishes FF&E/FF&A

Louisville, TN 37777

interior design consultants

9/17/10 6:17 PM

U N R I V A L E D. 1.888.845.3487 BOSTON

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NAPLES

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CALIFORNIA

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& eco-friendly engineered wood from managed forests. made in Italy by ,7/$6 .

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Geothermal Heat Exchanger Design and Installation

Conductivity Testing, IGSHPA Certified and State Licensed Drillers Engineer Licensed in GA, SC, and FL

Solar Thermal and Solar Photovoltaic Systems NABCEP Certified Designer and Installers

Icynene Spray Foam Insulation Thermal Envelope Testing and Commissioning HERS Raters Blower Door, Duct Blaster, Infrared Camera

Energy Monitoring Systems

Verification of Energy Use, Production, and Savings

With over 18 years of experience in the industry, our company has evolved to offer Comprehensive, Custom, Integrated Renewable Energy Solutions based on each projects’ unique circumstances and our customers’ specific goals.

22 W. Bryan Street, Suite 304 • Savannah, GA 31401 Office: 912.826.0278 • Fax: 888.240.1451 www.earthcomfort.net • office@earthcomfort.net

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contents

gb&d GREEN buILdING & dESIGN JAN 2011

profile 25/

GEORGE PENNIMAN On the why and how of New England’s need for more geothermal systems

27/

CHRISTOPHER P. WILLIAMS On his eponymous firm’s chameleon-like qualities—and why they’re necessary

28/

JOSEPH R. HEWGLEy A Q&A on Midwestern culture and the inevitable evolution of green building

discussion board 30/

MATERIAL MATTERS Spring Valley Construction’s Freddy Zylstra suggests true green means quality materials

31/

SAFETy FIRST Maxxum Construction Corp. talks safety in response to its founder’s background

33/

bRICk by bRICk Great Southern LLC illustrates how retrofits and renovations are key to a greater lifespan

launch pad 34/

SySTEM CONTROL Green building Automation LLC reports 100% growth after just two years

taking shape 35/

FORM FOLLOWS FuNCTION The Resource Access Center is Holst Architecture’s defiant answer to an underserved population

inner workings 39/

STRENGTH OF SCION Two epic legacies converge in Hearst Tower, Turner Construction’s much-hyped marvel

community 41/

POWER OF THREE New Orleans’ recovery is spurred onward by H3 Studio’s visionary urbanism

43/

EyE FOR AFFORdAbLE dESIGN Ellisdale Construction & development leverages a powerful partnership in Washington, dC

45/

MAIN STREET GETS A FACELIFT A small-town tale, katherine Austin saves the day with a long-awaited downtown renovation

net zero 46/

CuSTOM MAdE Ferrier Custom Homes meshes worlds with Zero Energy Casita

48/

A PROTOTyPE FOR dESIGN The Hoehlein Residence, by Galbraith builders, is a model of efficiency and affordability

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FEATuRES the prime of life, p. 50 kurt klimt’s life has taken him from kansas to Copenhagen to Hawaii, now working with longtime friend and partner Steve Gajadhar. With the design of the new Lux Art Institute outside San diego, the two are riding out a long wave of success.

adapt + evolve, p. 56 The humans behind Architekton are just one species of eco-industrious designers in the Arizona desert. Through a rich portfolio of revolutionary design, the firm’s region-specific, sustainable architecture is both a pioneering effort and a borrowed concept from the creatures around them.

10/‘10, p. 66 A look back at our favorite people, projects, and progressive design of 2010. Airships, flying greenhouses, wind-powered skeletal creatures; intersperse these daring projects with visionaries like Chad Oppenheim, developments like CityCenter, and events like Living Future, and our collection will make you realize what a year 2010 was—and we really don’t even scratch the surface.

+

12/ editor’s note 15/ commodities 18/ bookshelf 18/ agenda 19/ memo 21/ defined design

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contents

index of people & companies

SPACES 78/

work/ M+A ARCHITECTS COPE ASSOCIATES J. GRAHAM GOLdSMITH ARCHITECTS dOMOkuR ARCHITECTS IEI GROuP

A A4 Architecture & Planning, 110, 111 Ameni, dario Nunez, 20 Architekton, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 Ash, kevin, 43 Austin, katherine, 45 Axion International, 20

93/

103/

120/

play/ kALIA LLC JOHN PRuETT ARCHITECTS C2 LIMITEd dESIGN ASSOCIATES FLOWER STREET bIOREACTOR STuTTGART SkATEPARk live/ HISTORICAL CONCEPTS kOdIAk ENTERPRISES COx, kLIEWER & ASSOCIATES A4 ARCHITECTuRE & PLANNING bRANAGH INC. SANTA ELENA RESIdENCE kAAS WILSON ARCHITECTS PASQuALE dESIGN ASSOCIATES heal/ PHELPS & PHELPS CONSuLTING

b Bade Stageberg Cox, 73 barrientos, Rodolfo Muñoz, 22 bauer, Matthias, 102 bellerjeau, Michelle, 88 ben-zvi, Ori, 16 bennett, Phillip, 27 bertil Harström, 21 Bjarke Ingels Group, 19 Blanco, 17 BNIM Architects, 71 Branagh Inc., 113, 114 Butterfield Construction, 30 butterfield, Mike, 30 C C2 Limited Design Associates, 98, 99, 100 Cann, Ross, 110, 111 Cantebury, Matt, 78, 79, 80 Cantrell, John, 18

121/

learn/ SELExyZ dOMINICANEN JOHN HARA ASSOCIATES HECHT buRdESHAW ARCHITECTS HuTTON ARCHITECTuRE STudIO kELL MuñOZ ARCHITECTS, INC. ROdGERS buILdERS, INC. kAEyER, GARMENT & dAVIdSON ARCHITECTS solutions

137/

THE ECONOMICS OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGy Comfort Zone Heating & Air’s Randy Mathern holds the key

Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC, 27 Clark, John, 81, 82 Clark, kevin P., 103, 104 Comfort Zone Heating & Air, 137, 138 Coogle, Trey, 33 Cope Associates, 83, 84, 85 Cope, Lanis, 83, 84, 85 Cordogan, Clark & Associates, 81 Cordogan, John, 81, 82 Cosentino, 17 Coverings, Etc., 16 Cox, Kliewer & Company, 108, 109 Crypton Care, 16

139/

THE MECHANICS OF THE PROJECT MANAGER Vision Mechanical displays its unparalleled team of leaders

141/

THE bENEFITS OF dESTRuCTIVE TENdENCIES kinsale Contracting Group’s deconstruction work pays dividends

builder to watch 143/

ALIx kOGAN

Hailed as one of the Top 20 builders under 40, the mountain man speaks on why smaller footprints are defining his custom homes

Cyrén & Cyrén, 21 d dahan, Amnon, 93, 94, 95 daniels, Mark, 78, 79 davidson, Russell A., 134, 135 dillon, Elizabeth, 104 Domokur Architects, 89, 90 domokur, Mike, 89, 90 duermit, Robert, 141, 142 E-F

146/

last look

COuNTdOWN 10 things to do no matter how much—or little—time you have

8

JAN 2011

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Edwards, Geof, 130 Ellisdale Construction & Development, 43

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Emergent, 101

kane, John F., 57, 58

Sarte, bry, 18

Joseph R. Hewgley & Associates, Inc.,

Español, Rosemary, 91, 92

kaplan, Scott, 34

Schwartzberg, Andrew, 43

24

Favretto, Cristiana, 23

Kell Muñoz Architects, Inc., 129, 130

Siegl, Thomas, 20

K&G Architects, 54

Fentress Architects, 19

kelley, Wes, 124

Signature Carpets, 16

Kaas Wilson Architects, 117

Ferrier Custom Homes, 46, 47

kennedy, Robert F., 18

Singleton, bill, 139, 140

Katherine Austin, AIA, Architects, 44

Ferrier, don, 46, 47

Kieran-Timberlake, 72

Smith, Craig J., 98, 99, 100

Lauderdale Design Group, 2

Ferry, Robert, 20

Kinsale Contracting Group Inc., 141,

Sofan, Antonio, 115

Lincoln Construction, 80

Fort, Steve, 39, 40

142

Sovereign Consulting Inc., 19

Lithko Contracting, Inc., 38

kliewer, duff, 108, 109

Spring Valley Construction, 30

Marshfield Door Systems Inc., 140

G

klimt, kurt, 50, 54

Stone Forest, 17

Maxxum Construction Corp., 31

Gajadhar, Steve, 50, 54

Kodiak Enterprises, 106, 107

Studiomobile, 23

MEH Corporation, 123

Galbraith Builders, 48

Kogan Builders, 143, 144, 145

Stuhr, Jeffrey, 37

Mesa Plumbing & Heating Inc., 140

Galbraith, Mark, 48

kogan, Alix, 143, 144, 145

GENIVAR, 19

koons, david R., 106, 107

George Penniman Architects, 25, 26

Metro Waterproofing Inc., 125 T-u

Mid Atlantic Framing LLC, 44

Tectonic Engineering & Surveying

Napco, 135, 136 New Horizon Shutters, 105

Girardi, Antonio, 23

L

Consultants P.C., 19

Goldsmith, Graham Jr., 86, 87, 88

La Machine, 67, 75

Templeton, Allan, 22

Newport Geothermal, 112

Great Southern LLC, 33

Lesniewski, Laura, 71

Tham & Videgård Architects, 21

O’Dea Lynch Abbattista Consulting

Green Building Automation, LLC, 34

Lovegrove, Ross, 17

Thomas, Jim, 139

Engineers, 136

Green, Michael, 67, 69

Lundberg, Louise, 19

Trow Global, 19

Olde World Cabinetry, Plumbing &

Turner Construction, 39, 40

Hardware, 13, 119

M-O

Tzortzi, Thomas, 67, 68

Paris Ceramics, 4

M+A Architects, 78, 79, 80

Urban Green Energy, 15

Pratt & Larson Ceramics, 100

H-I

Mahabeer, Michael, 31, 32

URS Corporation, 19

Professional Ceramic Tile, 142

H3 Studio, 41, 42

Marge Architects, 21

Halpert, Noam, 95

Marvel, Penelope, 27

V-Z

Inc., 88

Greenleaf Book Group Press, 18 Guevara, Christian, 120

R.T. Hampton Plumbing & Heating,

Hankins and Anderson, Inc., 19

Mathern, Randy, 137, 138

Velux, 17

Saunders Construction Inc., 128

Hara, John, 122, 123

Mau, bruce, 18

Vision Mechanical, 139, 140

Selena Group, 97

Hecht Burdeshaw Architects, 124, 125

Maxxum Construction Corp., 31, 32

Wiley & Sons, 18

Sheet Metal Specialties, 138

Heikkinen, Alan, 113, 114

MBA/S Associates, 102

Williams, Christopher P., 27

Solar Hot USA, 105

Hewgley, Joseph R., 28, 29

McGlamry, Mike, 33

Williams, Mike, 92

Spectrum Interiors, 131

Hilfer, Megan, 72

McLennan, Jason F., 72

Wilson, Edward O., 18

Spring Valley Construction, 31

Hill International, Inc., 19

Mead & Hunt, Inc., 19

Wilson, Robin, 18

Square 134 Architects, 148

Historical Concepts, 103, 104

Merkx + Girod, 121

Zylstra, Freddy, 30

Sto Corp., 109

Hoal, John, 41, 42

Mizrahi, Ofer, 16

HOK, 18

Monoian, Elizabeth, 20

AdVERTISERS

Superior Comfort Inc., 26

Holst Architecture, 35, 36, 37

Muñoz, Henry, 129, 130

ABHT Structural Engineers, 38

The Earth Comfort Company, 6

Superior Comfort Inc., 26

Hutton Architecture Studio, 126, 127,

Nevins, Al, 87, 88

Acoustic Sound Company, 138

The Lazzaro Companies Inc., 140

128

Oppenheim, Chad, 68

Alliance Concrete Sawing & Drilling IV,

Z-Best Wallcoverings, Inc., 120

Hutton, Paul, 126, 127, 128

Orr, david W., 18

Inredningsgruppen, 21

LLC, 142 ASSA ABLOY, 55

IEI Group, 91, 92 P

B.R. Kreider & Son, Inc., 100

Pasquale Design Associates, 118, 119

Builders First Source, 105

J

Pasquale, Franco, 118, 119

Carlisle, 95

J. Graham Goldsmith Architects, 86,

Patel, Sudhir, 124

Chad Stewart & Associates, Inc., 13, 85

87, 88

Paul C. Rizzo Associates, Inc., 19

Christopher P. Williams Architects,

Jaga Climate Systems, 16

Pauley, Erin, 118

PLLC, 26

Jansen, Theo, 67, 74

PECO, 91, 92

Cordogan, Clark & Associates, 80

Jensen, Tim, 124, 125

Penniman, George, 25

Damiano Barile Engineers, P.C., 136

John Hara Associates, 122, 123

Phelps & Phelps Consulting, 120

Double L Plumbing Services, 47

John Pruett Architects, 96, 97

Predock Frane Architects, 20

Entegra, 88

Predock, Hadrian, 20

Fiandre Architectural Surfaces, 14

k

Pruett, John, 96, 97

Forbo Flooring Systems, 112, 114 Generated Power Systems LLC, 44

K&G Architects, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 Kaas Wilson Architects, 116, 117

R-S

Green Building Automation, 38

kaas, Collin, 116, 117

Reichard, Eric, 132, 133

H.A. Bowen Electric, Inc., 112

Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson

Richardson, Mary, 18

H3 Studio, 42

Architects, 134, 135

Rodgers Builders, 132, 133

Halford Busby, 130, 131

Kalia LLC, 93, 94, 95

Sandell Sandberg, 21

Horning Roofing, 38

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CALL FOR ENTRIES Registration Deadline: January 24, 2011

APPLY TODAY: ELigibiLiTY: The ABQ Building Excellence Awards recognize achieve1) Projects must have been completed between ments in architecture, design, and community planning.

December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2010.

Winning projects will receive featured coverage in the 2) Entries are limited to construction firms headquartered in November/December 2011 issue of American Builders the United States; however, projects constructed abroad will Quarterly速, in addition to prize packages available exclusively be considered. to Building Excellence Award winners.

CATEgOriEs: One residential and one commercial project will be designatFor more information, a complete list of categories, ed as the Project of the Year, and awards and honorable menand downloadable entry forms, visit: tions will be given in over 15 categories across all residential americanbuildersquarterly.com/awards and commercial building sectors.

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gb&d editorial

research

EdITOR-IN-CHIEF Christopher Howe

dIRECTOR OF EdITORIAL RESEARCH

MANAGING EdITOR

Jeffrey Powell jeff@bgandh.com

Amie kesler amie@bgandh.com

FEATuRES EdITOR darhiana Mateo darhiana@bgandh.com

ASSOCIATE EdITOR Timothy Schuler

CORRESPONdENTS Erica Archer Thalia Aurinko-Mostow Zach baliva daniel Casciato Anne dullaghan Joyce Finn Peter Fretty Scott Heskes kelsey Higginbotham Jennifer Hogeland david Hudnall Russ klettke Jamie Ludwig Lauren Mckay Jamie Morgan Courtney boyd Myers Matt Petrusek Zipporah Porton Julie Schaeffer Suchi Rudra

EdITORIAL RESEARCH MANAGERS dawn Collins Carolyn Marx

EdITORIAL RESEARCHERS Holly begle Genevieve bellon Emily bowman Anthony d’Amico Amy Gaydo Laura Heidenreich dan Hopman Ryan Jones Ellie kim Jessica Lewis Heather Matson Will Megson bronwyn Milliken Matt O’Connor Hayley O’Hara brian Panezich Issa Rizkallah Natalie Taylor dane Vanderlaan katie yost

EdITORIAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT Justin davis

art CREATIVE dIRECTOR karin bolliger

SENIOR dESIGNER bill Werch

SENIOR PHOTO EdITOR Zach Huelsing

ASSOCIATE PHOTO EdITORS Samantha Hunter Courtney Weber

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INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW

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

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editor’s note

the annual review

T

his time of year is always one of reflection for most. An opportunity to look back at the past year and examine what we did best, where we fell short, and how we can make this year even better than the last. The editors of gb&d are thrilled to bring you our first ever Top 10 recap (p.66). We have compiled a collection of our favorite architects, artists, designs, and events that were either completed or honored in 2010. From a floating greenhouse design by La Machine in Nantes, France, to one of the homes funded by the Make It Right Foundation in New Orleans to an underground artists’ haven in California—we cover it all.

In addition, don’t miss our feature project portfolio displaying award-winning Arizona firm Architekton’s dynamic and inspiring work (p.56). Drawing connections between the firm and the harvester ant, two industrious designers both found in the Sonoran Desert, our writer Daniel Casciato delves into what inspires this firm and the secret to their success while working in one of the harshest environments in the country—creating a symbiotic relationship between humans and the environment through adaptation.

If you’re looking for an art museum that redefines the typical museum experience, you’ve come to the right place. The Lux Art Institute in Encinitas, California, was completed by K&G Architects and opened to the public in 2007 (p.50). With a $2 million budget, Kurt Klimt of the Hawaii-based K&G served as the project’s LEED coordinator and was able to obtain Lux one of the first LEED certifications for an art museum in the country, and the first LEED-NC certification for an art museum in California. Located on a scenic site, Lux was created to engage visitors in the artistic process by offering patrons the opportunity to attend studio sessions with artists, and if the museum itself isn’t enough, as an added bonus, visitors who ride their bicycle to the museum receive free admission.

Keeping in line with our Top 10 theme, our editors have also pulled together our favorite 10 commodities from the past year for your viewing pleasure (p.15), and if you’re looking for inspiration for your New Year’s resolution (for the long term or the short), see our suggestions on p.146, where we countdown some ideas for sustainable accomplishments to tackle in 2011.

We at gb&d hope your new year is off to a great start. We look forward to what the following year will bring and will continue to present you with the most inspired and creative designs created and executed by you, our readers—an everstanding resolution at gb&d.

Enjoy,

Amie Kesler Managing Editor amie@bgandh.com

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publishing

advertising

bOWEN, GuERRERO + HOWE, LLC

dIRECTOR OF SALES

Cory bowen, President Pedro Guerrero, COO Christopher Howe, CEO & Publisher

subscriptions + reprints Printed in South korea. Reprinting of articles is prohibited without permission of bG+H, LLC. To order reprints, call karen Tate at 312.450.2129.

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up front 15/ 18/ 18/ 19/ 21/

COMMODITIES AGENDA BOOKSHELF MEMO DEFINED DESIGN

MOST MEMORABLE

01

In keeping with our 2010 recap theme this issue, gb&d editors selected a mixed collection of the most innovativeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and stylishâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; eco-conscious products and materials from the past year. From flooring to furniture, bio-glass to recycled wood, and all points between, this class of forwardfacing creations made a lasting impression on us, as we hope it does for you.

01/ Eddy Meet Eddy: a different kind of wind turbine from Urban Green Energy. Whisper-quiet and vibration-free, it looks more like a modern work of art than a windmill. Its vertical-axis design allows it to produce energy regardless of the wind direction or cleanliness of the surrounding wind. Eddy has a maximum safe wind speed of more than 120 mph and an engineered lifetime of 20 years. urbangreenenergy.com

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up front/commodities

02/ Play The colorful, stylish Play from Jaga Climate Systems is both child-safe and ecofriendly. This radiator uses the latest in

03

sustainable energy technology to provide a heating solution that is also safe for the environment. Its thermostat control is cleverly locked into the design, preventing undesired temperature changes, and it is equipped with Jaga’s low-H20 heat exchange technology, so Play can produce heat more efficiently and at lower

03/ Bio Glass

temperatures. jaga-canada.com

Layers of compressed glass pieces, fused through heat, create unique patterns through which light permeates for a “lit from within” effect in Bio Glass, designed by Ofer Mizrahi for Coverings, Etc. A winner of Red Dot’s 2010 Best of the Best for product design, Bio Glass is made from 100-percent recycled glass derived from wine, beer, and water bottles. The versatile material may be used for flooring, countertops, partitions, and façades, as well as other decorative surfaces and is available in six colors. coveringsetc.com

02 04

05

16

04/ Stump Series

05/ Signature Crypton Carpet

The aptly named Stump Series by Tel Aviv industrial

Weaving Crypton’s technology and Signature’s carpet design

designer Ori Ben-Zvi is composed of stools and tables

expertise, the two companies launched a line of high-performance,

made from fully recycled wood scraps discarded by

high-fashion, and highly sustainable carpets for both the hospitality

local carpentry shops. Shown here: the side table,

and healthcare sectors. All carpets from this new line are manufac-

Dodo, and stool, Oli, are made of processed wood

tured with up to 46-percent recycled content. The eco-friendly carpet

glued in an accurate matrix in a factory that employs

blocks fibers from stains, odors, mold, and mildew. cryptoncare.com,

disabled persons. studioubico.com

signaturecarpets.com

JAN 2011

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up front/commodities 06/ Western Red Cedar There’s a new alternative building material in town that’s generating a lot of buzz. Beautiful, durable, and versatile, Western Red Cedar can be used in siding (as shown here), interior wraps on posts, ceiling and other finishes, and outdoor pergolas and gazebos. Knots and other natural features define the visual character of the

07

material; its straight grain and texture make it one of the easiest woods to work with. It is also naturally resistant to moisture, decay, and insect damage. wrcla.org

07/ Velux Sun Tunnel Designed by the legendary Ross Lovegrove and manufactured by Velux, this organic lamp funnels natural light for a dynamic effect,

06

sans electricity. Just like any conventional lamp, the natural light of this lamp can be directed and adjusted according to the user’s needs. The Sun Tunnel is also a winner of the Red Dot’s 2010 Best of the Best award for product design. velux.com, rosslovegrove.com

08/ Adagio Chaise Lounge Part of Stone Forest’s Siena Collection, the curvy and organic Adagio Chaise Lounge is designed to support the natural contours of the reclining body. Both ergonomic and inviting, it absorbs the ambient room temperature when indoors, and outdoors absorbs only enough sun as is pleasant. All of the company’s furniture is made of sustainable hardwood; the absence of machines and minimal use of chemicals in the manufacturing process ensures that no harmful

08

emissions are released into the atmosphere. stoneforest.com

09 10/ Solon Compost System Introduced by German manufacturer Blanco, the Solon Compost System is made from the highest-grade recycled stainless steel and effortlessly collects organic waste below the counter. Its

09/ Eco by Cosentino

stunning design allows homeowners

This line of recycled countertops is made of 75-percent post-consumer and

to beautifully incorporate green living

post-industrial recycled raw materials, such as glass, mirror, porcelain, and

into their kitchen. Solon is the winner of

industrial-furnace residuals. It is bound by an eco-friendly resin, derived in part

the prestigious international iF award

from corn oil. Eco by Cosentino reutilizes materials that have reached the end

for product design; it installs conve-

of their life cycle, thus minimizing the consumption of natural resources. Building

niently next to sinks and its minimalist

teams can gain points toward LEED Certification from the USGBC for a project

style makes it suited for diverse décor

that utilizies Eco surfacing. ecobycosentino.com

schemes. blancoamerica.com

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up front/agenda/bookshelf

JAN 2011 1.3–1.24

delhi urban Workshop

Tbd delhi, India

This inaugural three-week session brings together a diverse group of urban professionals—including architects, designers, urban planners, educators, and students—to explore current urban challenges facing this ancient and legendary city. The themes of planning and development, transportation, environmental conditions, social and economic change, and metropolitan growth will all be explored. Workshop activities consist of lectures and discussions, field trips, and small group projects. delhiurbanworkshops.org

1.17–1.20

World Future Energy Summit

Abu dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu dhabi, uAE

One of the world’s foremost events for the renewable energy and environment industry, WFES includes a world-class summit, two exhibitions, a young future energy leaders program, round-table discussions, industry investment seminars, corporate meetings, and social events. The must-attend event promotes innovation and investment opportunities surrounding renewable energy and the environment. worldfutureenergysummit.com

NEW REAd Bry Sarte’s new book, Sustainable Infrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and Design, explores the increasingly interlinked roles of engineers and designers. Offering an in-depth look at sustainable engineering practices in urban design, Sarté addresses the challenges of meeting growing human needs in the face of dwindling resources. Integrating the ideas of ecologists, architects, planners, regulators, and community groups, the book includes an exploration of the Presidio Housing project in San Francisco and master planning in

1.23–1.26 Interiors

1.27–1.30 IdS11

National Exhibition Centre, birmingham, uk

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON

The United Kingdom’s largest event for interiors professionals offers retailers, interior designers, architects, and contractors the chance to compare an array of inspiring products from more than 600 exhibitors, including international trendsetters, big brands, and leading interiors manufacturers and suppliers. This event also includes free seminars. interiorsbirmingham.com

Marking the New Year by providing 2011’s first opportunity to experience the latest trends, materials, and products in interior design, IDS11 features the work and ideas of some of the world’s most influential designers in a four-day event, the first night of which is the notoriously entertaining Opening Night Party. interiordesignshow.com

Guangzhou, China. Wiley & Sons, Published: 09.27.10, $80.00.

With a foreword by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Robin Wilson’s Kennedy Green House: Designing an Eco-Healthy Home from Foundation to the Furniture, offers methods, details, and design ideas from the ecorenovation of an American landmark. The book chronicles the transformation of Mary Richardson and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s historic home— ravaged by black mold—into a model of eco-health, complete with LEED certification. The book aims to serve as an educational tool for homeowners, builders, and interior designers. Greenleaf Book Group Press, Published: 05.10, $30.00.

RECOMMENdEd REAdING 1.29–2.2

ASHRAE 2011 Winter Conference

Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas

The extravagant setting of Sin City serves as a unique contrast to ASHRAE’s Winter Conference theme, A Safe Bet: Zero-Energy Design. The technical program focuses on efficient use of energy; different design approaches; and other topics related to refrigeration, standards and codes, and HVAC systems, equipment, applications, and fundamentals. ashrae.org/events

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1.31–2.2 AHR Expo

Top designers and architects on what you should have on your reading list

Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas

John Cantrell, IIDA, LEED AP, is the sustainable design manager and

Billed as the blockbuster HVACR event of 2011, the expo will bring together more than 1,800 exhibiting companies and dozens of industry organizations.

With thousands of new products on display, from the most energy-efficient systems to more sustainable building technology, and more than 100 product presentations and industry seminars, the expo offers professionals an unmatched business and educational opportunity. ahrexpo.com

ers: The Green Line, Fort McPherson Redevelopment, Center for Civil

resident LEED expert in the Atlanta office of HOK, a global architecture firm. His current project list in Georgia includes a list of blockbustand Human Rights, and Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

books/ Massive Change by Bruce Mau / The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson / The Nature of Design by David W. Orr

blogs/ People, Planet, Profit: triplepundit.com / Local eco-movement: ourgreenatlanta.com / I (heart) New York: designtrust.blogspot.com / Nonprofit media company: worldchanging.com

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Global Competition Champions Clean Energy Winning entry of the Land Art Generator Initiative’s competition to be unveiled this month Abu dhabi and dubai’s dramatic landscapes are getting electrified: a photovoltaic-solar system, on an airport road, that offers an artistic interpretation of the position of the planets on december 2, 1971—the day the united Arab Emirates were founded; a shape-shifting, energygenerating kite park on a public beach; and a deceptively whimsical field of windstalks that harvest kinetic energy from the wind are just some of the several thought-provoking entries for the inaugural Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) competition.

Conceived by husband-and-wife team Robert Ferry, architect, and Elizabeth Monoian, interdisciplinary artist and designer, LAGI is described as solution-based art practice that brings together artists, scientists, landscape architects, and engineers from across the world to reimagine what renewable-energy generation looks like.

The goal of the LAGI project is to encourage the design and construction of large-scale public art installations that have the added benefit of clean-energy generation. Each sculpture could continuously distribute renewable megawatt-hours of electricity in the electrical grids around the world, and could potentially provide power to thousands of homes.

TOP: Windstalk consists of 1,203 stalks, standing 55 meters high and anchored on the ground with concrete bases that range between 10 to 20 meters in diameter. The stalks are made of carbon fiber reinforced resin poles lit by an LED array that glows and dims depending on the wind.

BOTTOM: Third-place winner Solaris is conceived as a sensitive draping tissue whose shape responds to the local natural forces of the Arabian Desert. Like the woven hair of a Bedouin “black tent,” a field of intelligent solar modules form a veil that covers the entire site.

Got Milk?

Plastic milk jugs and detergent bottles have found a surprising second life—recycled into industrial-strength I-beams, pilings, and decking for bridges. Yes, bridges. Axion International, a New Jersey-based company is recycling these plastics to create a new building component they call Recycled Structural Composite (RSC).

RSC has most recently been used at Fort Eustis, Virginia, where the Department of Defense commissioned two 100-percent recycled plastic

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The competition strives to answer the question: can renewable energy be beautiful as well as practical? Hence art is envisioned as part of the solution to the problems facing the world, able to evoke strong reactions and stimulate creative dialogue.

Participating artists were able to choose between three sites: one in dubai and two in Abu dhabi. Hundreds of designs from more than 40 countries were submitted by the entry closing date of June 2010. The design teams behind the concepts include some of the world’s top firms and artists.

A prestigious jury panel consisting of 20 local and international artists, architects, academics, industry leaders, and writers have reviewed all entries, and have already announced the two runner-up entries (pictured here): Windstalk by dario Nunez Ameni and Thomas Siegl received second place, and Solaris by Hadrian Predock, of Predock Frane Architects, took third place. The first place winner of the $15,000 prize, sponsored by Masdar, will be unveiled during the 2011 World Future Energy Summit in Abu dhabi, taking place January 17–20. To check out the other entries and the winning designs, go to LAGI’s blog: landartgenerator.org/blagi

railroad bridges to replace two deteriorating, decommissioned wood bridges. With the exception of the steel bolts, the entire bridge is constructed of RSC and supports a live load of 130 tons. Two other RSC bridges were built last year at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, also commissioned by the Department of Defense. The bridges are designed to support 70-plus ton M-1 tanks and 80-plus ton wheeled vehicles.

RSC is stronger than steel or concrete. It will never corrode or rot, nor leach toxic chemicals making it a perfect substitute for heavy-duty building applications.

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Raise the Roof BIG’s 8 House wins 2010 Scandinavian Green Roof Award Architecture firm bjarke Ingels Group’s (bIG) sprawling 8 House project—a mixed-use development designed in the form of a figure eight in Oerestad, Copenhagen—has earned the 2010 Scandinavian Green Roof award for its dramatic 1,700-square-meter (approximately 5,577 square feet) roof.

The moss-sedum roof blankets a long, steep and sloping surface that descends 11 stories to the edge of a canal in Oerestad South, opening up the interior courtyard to a view of the protected open spaces of kalvebod Commons nature resort. Green spaces upon the roof and within the courtyard are strategically placed to reduce the urban heat island effect, as well as to provide a visual relief to inhabitants. “bIG has demonstrated a very clear and conscious use of the green roof by successfully integrating it into the visual identity of the building,” says Louise Lundberg, Scandinavian Green Roof Association’s superintendant.

ABOVE: BIG’s 8 House project’s most unique design feature is its sloping green roof, which adds an exclamation point to the arresting architecture.

RIGHT: The mixed-use development earned the 2010 Scandinavian Green Roof Award.

The project’s green roof is contracted by Veg Tech, a leading green-roof manufacturer in Scandinavia. The roof serves as a living exclamation point to the experimental architecture, where the gardens, trees, and the system of paths follow the body of the structure all the way to the roof. The shared spaces presented throughout the structure culminate in the combined mountain path and rooftop garden.

“The parts of the green roof that remain were seen by the client as integral to the building as they are visible from the ground. These not only provide the environmental benefits that we all know come from green roofs, but also add to the visual drama and appeal of the

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sloping roofs and rooftop terrace in between,” says bjarke Ingels, parter-in-charge, bIG. The Scandinavian Green Roof Association, based in Malmo, Sweden, has been giving out the award since 2000 to promote the

increased use of green roofs in Scandinavia.

In addition, the association and its members educate the public about the positive impacts of green roofs on urban ecology and provide inspiration for legislation and building standards.

Firms on Fire

TOP 10 WINNERS

Despite the shaky economy, some architecture, engineering, and environmental-consulting firms are going against the grain and reporting record profits. The Zweig Letter released its 2010 Hot Firm List, honoring the 175 most successful firms at a special awards ceremony at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, DC, in October 2010. We at gb&d are looking forward to what these firms have to bring to the table in 2011. For the full list, check out zweigwhite.com.

1/ Fentress Architects 2/ GENIVAR 3/ Trow Global 4/ Paul C. Rizzo Associates, Inc. 5/ Sovereign Consulting Inc. 6/ Hankins and Anderson, Inc. 7/ URS Corporation 8/ Mead & Hunt, Inc. 9/ Tectonic Engineering & Surveying Consultants P.C. 10/ Hill International, Inc.

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HIGH ExPECTATIONS

When artists and architects dare to dream big, their creations can serve as blueprints for a brave new world—one without limits. Whether a scientific response to a global crisis or a purely fantastical refuge from the real world, these designs take us to soaring heights previously unimagined. When and if we come down to reality, we’ll do so with a fresh new perspective borrowed from our view from up top.

Mirrorcube

The Cabin

TREEHOTEL Harads, Sweden

The tree house of your dreams just got a serious upgrade.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of northern Sweden’s forests, the Treehotel—which debuted July 2010 to great clamor—reimagines a childhood refuge into a modern, luxurious experience. A group of cutting-edge designers and architects collaborated on this unique concept, which aims to allow visitors to literally live in nature while still enjoying all the comforts and amenities of a high-class hotel. Prefabricated treehouses are given an artistic makeover while implementing the most eco-friendly building strategies. The hotel consists of six uniquely themed Treerooms nestled atop pristine pine trees, created by five separate architects. The rooms each offer a distinct feel and point of view: Mirrorcube; The Cabin, The Nest; UFO; The Blue Cone (which, curiously, is actually red); and The Room with a View. The Treehotel also houses a sauna—the first tree hotel in the world to boast this amenity.

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architects Mirrorcube

by Tham & Videgård Architects The Cabin

by Cyrén & Cyrén The Nest

by Inredningsgruppen UFO

by Inredningsgruppen/Bertil Harström The Room with a View

by Marge Architects AB The Blue Cone

by Sandell Sandberg opening date July 2010 photography courtesy of Treehotel

UFO

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bOEING 727 FuSELAGE, HOTEL COSTA VERdE San Jose, Costa Rica

A refurbished 1965 Boeing 727 airframe has a new calling as an exotic, exclusive hotel suite tucked into the Costa Rican jungle. Salvaged piece by piece from its airport resting place, the airframe was resurrected into a one-of-a-kind lodging inside the Hotel Costa Verde in the Manuel Antonio National Park. Perched on a 50-foot pedestal, the suite offers scenic views of the ocean and jungle from the hardwood deck built atop the former right wing. Inside, nearly the entire plane has been gutted and paneled with locally sourced woods. Despite the raw façade, the inside of the plane is decidedly modern: the air-conditioned two-bedroom suite includes a kitchenette-dining foyer and a lounging area with a flatscreen TV.

project leaders (design & construction) Rodolfo Muñoz Barrientos, Allan Templeton general manager Rodolfo Muñoz Barrientos opening date December 2009 photography courtesy of Vincent Costello

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SEAWATER VERTICAL FARM dubai, united Arab Emirates

Science, high-design, and an unbridled imagination converge in the Seawater Vertical Farm—a structure conceptualized by Italian architecture firm studiomobile as a response to the shortage of food and fresh water sprawling urban metropolises settled along coast lines, such as Dubai, could predictably face. This vertical-farm design, based upon the British technology called Seawater Greenhouse, taps natural resources and fundamental laws of physics to help cities like Dubai become self-sufficient in regards to food. The Seawater Vertical Farm uses seawater to cool and humidify greenhouses, and to convert sufficient humidity back into fresh water to irrigate crops, hence creating a height-defying ecosystem where crops can thrive amid the clouds. The concept, presented on March 2009 to the Chamber of Commerce of Dubai, provides for five cocoonlike greenhouses fixed to five branches—making an arresting statement against the Dubai skyline. Vertical seawater farms such as this one are thought to have the potential to be vital problem solvers in urban hotspots grappling with food shortages, while also packaged in an edgy and aweinspiring design—feeding both body and soul.

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architect Cristiana Favretto and Antonio Girardi of studiomobile photography courtesy of studiomobile/ favretto+girardi architects

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Joseph R. Hewgley & Associates is a small but aggressive architectural firm located in North Platte, Nebraska. Founded in 1985 to serve the needs of our neighbors in central and western Nebraska, the firm has grown from a one-man office to an office staff of five very dedicated and experienced individuals. Over the past twenty-five years, our firm has been involved in sustainable design and the construction of literally hundreds of projects throughout the Midwest.

702 South Bailey Street North Platte, NE 69101 Voice: (308) 534-4983 Fax: (308) 534-4944

www.jrharchitecture.com

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profile

George Penniman On his reliance on natural resources and why New England needs geothermal

After working at several well-known architectural firms in New England, George Penniman decided it was time to open his own practice. In 1994, after securing a project with consistent, guaranteed income, he founded George Penniman Architects.

The Connecticut firm has since grown to five architects. Projects range in scale from small renovations to significant estates in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New york, and Massachusetts. While George Penniman Architects works primarily on residential homes— many second homes—it also designs small commercial and institutional projects when opportunities become available.

For Penniman, sustainability means taking advantage of natural resources and green technologies. Geothermal systems have changed the entire building environment, he says. When he established his firm, Penniman was aware of the benefits of geothermal systems; he tries to push the technology to homeowners. “It wasn’t until 1998, when I had a client who was interested in it and brought it to the table, that I was able to do install my first geothermal system,” Penniman says. “That was very unusual at that time for this location.”

Of the 10 custom homes currently underway, about half of them have committed to geothermal in one form or the other. Penniman also has installed a geothermal system in his own home, the design of which is circa 1850.

Homeowners choose geothermal for a variety of reasons. Having no fossil fuels on site is a huge reason to go with a system. “If a homeowner’s level of interest is engaged, they understand geothermal is a highly efficient way to heat and cool the house,” Penniman says. Aesthetically, geothermal systems eliminate the need for air conditioning condensers outside the house, which tend to be unsightly and hard to locate.

“Some people are more interested in doing things that make sense environmentally,” he adds. “All the arguments for geothermal come into play, depending on the homeowner.”

The upfront costs for geothermal is nearly the same for other systems; the well is the incremental cost. Homeowners, however, can reap the payback within several years. “There are great incentives and tax credits that vary from state to state,” Penniman adds.

From an energy-savings perspective, George Penniman Architects runs calculations for clients considering a geothermal system over a conventional fossil-fuel boiler and air-conditioning system. Penniman explains the savings could be as much as 60 percent. Large-scale

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profile

Superior Comfort Inc. Heating • Cooling • Refrigeration Geothermal Certified

“If a homeowner’s level of interest is engaged, they understand geothermal is a highly efficient way to heat and cool the house.”

Geothermal certified, Cooling, Heating, Residential & Commercial, Refrigeration, High Efficiency Specialist, Installation, Sales, Licensed & Insured, Service, Ri License # 7096, Sales/Service/Installation,

—George Penniman, Founder

renovations and major retrofits are a notable firm offering. The firm has lifted homes and put in new foundations. They’ve reinsulated, plumbed, and wired structures, incorporating sustainable systems along the way. “Renovations may be more challenging, but there are a lot of fine homes around and not a lot of raw land available for people to build on,” Penniman says. Older homes along the coast have an undeniable appeal, especially the waterfront, shingle-style houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

3 Shannon Ct, Unit 302 Bristol, RI 02809 Tel: 401-396-9171 • Fax: 401-396-9491 superiorcomfortinc.com | superiorcomfort@cox.net

Penniman and his team recently completed a major renovation of a 1917 stone home located on the coast of Rhode Island. The residence consisted of 12,000 square feet of conditioned space. “It had not had any significant renovations in decades,” he says. “We stripped it down to the stone, sprayed in a closed-cell foam insulation, and improved the building envelope tremendously.” The home’s geothermal system was run off a deep-standing column well.

For George Penniman Architects, sustainable design means building and siting a house well. “you could strip all the technological advancements off, and it becomes all about building sensibly for the environment that you are in,” the principal says.

Penniman suspects the demand for sustainable design will become more prevalent as homeowners realize the long-term energy savings.

The firm is currently working on the design of their smallest project to date, in which the homeowners requested they incorporate sustainable design practices—solar photovoltaics, domestic hot-water systems, and geothermal. “It is showing signs that no matter the scale of the project or the resources of the homeowners, they are interested in sustainability,” he notes, “which is exciting.” —by Jennifer Hogeland

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S

ince 1984 our award winning firm has provided innovative, unique and environmentally friendly design solutions for our clients. We are dedicated to using sustainable building practices, along with local craftsmen and materials, to build a home designed to suit your needs, lifestyle and budget. We offer expertise in incorporating solar, geothermal and other green systems into client projects to enhance and protect the ecosystem and conserve natural resources. Our team includes certified LEED© AP architects who will help make your dream house a real home.

Christopher p. Williams architects, pllc PO Box 703 • Meredith, NH 03253 • 603-279-6513 www.cpwarchitects.com

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profile

Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC embodies the motto “whatever the client wants, the client gets.”

common to lose power for days. both Marvel and bennett says this system along with all the other features helped make the house a success. “There isn’t anything individually that was outstanding or cutting edge,” bennett says. “Rather it was the combination that allowed for such high energy efficiency.”

This dedication to sustainable design is built into the heart of CPWA— starting with its leadership. When Williams designed his own house, he cut down trees to be used in the construction because he knew it couldn’t get any more local than that. He’s served on several boards concerning historic preservation and sustainable design in New Hampshire. but more than that, his loyalty to sustainable architecture precedes the technology and media awareness that spurred the green trend in the early 2000s.

Christopher P. Williams On his team of architects and how they do it all—sustainably

Whether it’s traditional Norwegian and Finnish architecture or Adirondack-style homes, Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC (CPWA) embodies the motto “whatever the client wants, the client gets.”

Christopher Williams founded the New Hampshire firm in 1984 and says that over the years it has developed a reputation for specialty designs. “People used to ask me what kind of architecture we design, and I didn’t know what to say,” Williams says. “Now I say it depends on what somebody wants. We’re chameleons. We have to be.” Within all those different design styles, CPWA makes sure to incorporate sustainable design—a mainstay at the firm since its foundation.

In June 2010, construction wrapped up on a New Hampshire residence. Architect Penelope Marvel says the complete renovation combined the home’s traditional charm with modern eco-friendly elements. “We wanted to capture the essence of the older home where they had spent many summers as a family, combined with a very energy-efficient home,” she says. The home is projected to become a LEEd Platinum house—a status to be achieved through Hallowell heat pumps, cellulose and rigid-board insulation, a steel roof, FSCcertified wood, and recycled tile.

Phillip bennett, AIA, a LEEd AP who’s worked with the firm for 11 years, helped with the project’s LEEd documentation-and-requirement process. The house included an electric-heat system that will provide electricity during particularly harsh New England winters when it’s

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In 1991, CPWA designed the Thorne Sagendorph Art Gallery at keene State College. The $1.4 million, 13,000-square-foot project included glass walls in the south lobby that acted as a passive solar collector providing heat for most of the building. Sun permeates through skylights in the gallery area, and lighting-management controls allow staff to focus illumination on the gallery walls. It received regional, national, and international lighting-design awards. The project not only highlighted the gallery’s work, but CPWA’s capabilities as well, leading to a host of other green projects.

In 2000, CPWA completed the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

It’s a $1.2 million, 7,500-square-foot project equipped with a solar hotwater heater and demonstration photovoltaic system. When technology finally caught up to the progressive firm, the architects designed a 2005 project for the Tin Mountain Nature Center, for which they won the 2007 PlanNH Merit Award for Excellence and an Honorable Mention for Sustainable design in 2008 from AIA New Hampshire, Integrated design/Integrated development. The zero-energy $3 million center includes proprietary solar-thermal and photovoltaic systems.

Twenty different native wood types were infused into the center’s construction—a feature both sustainable and educational.

Recently, CPWA completed a conceptual design for an estimated $17 million, 20,000-square-foot simulation laboratory and technology center for a local college. The preliminary design includes a photovoltaic system that will power the geothermal pump used to heat the facility, thus offsetting the laboratory’s energy use.

With such a wide array of work—niche homes, nature centers, museums, and laboratories—CPWA continues to prove that it has the capability to design anything—and always with a focus on sustainability.

—by Jamie Morgan

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profile

Q&A with

Joseph R. Hewgley On why, despite the Midwest’s tough crowd, the founder of Joseph R. Hewgley & Associates is optimistic about his firm’s future

gb&d: How has the year been so far in the area of sustainable building?

Hewgley: Interesting! With a majority of our practice in the center of a very conservative, Midwestern agricultural state, there really is not that much opportunity to have projects certified in the area of sustainable design.

While we have been fortunate enough to actually take three sustainable projects all the way through the construction-document phase, we have only had one project proceed to actual construction. We, however, remain optimistic, and know it is really just a matter of time before sustainable design will be required with all projects in the public sector. With our firm it is already the norm, and to do anything less, we feel, is doing a disservice to one’s client. That has been our firm’s perspective since we began practicing in the mid-1980s. That, however, is not necessarily the view of many rural clients who really need to keep the initial first cost of a building to the bare-bones minimum.

Can you tell me more about your initiatives for the coming year?

First and foremost is to have everyone in our small firm become a LEEd AP. We have made that a priority for this year. Another important initiative would be to continue something we began earlier this year, and that is to continue (with other LEEd personnel in the mechanical and electrical disciplines) educating the public to the many ecological and monetary advantages possible through the use of good sustainable design.

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How does designing educational facilities differ from other types of buildings?

It really is not that much different. In fact, on many of our projects, you would have a hard time telling the two apart. ... If we just break these items down to their most basic forms, architects or master builders have been incorporating these features since the Middle Ages. Just think about efficient use of light in some of our earlier cathedrals, considering their structural systems of the day consisted primarily of vaulting and buttresses. yet they were able to get daylight into the inner areas of these magnificent structures. Rainwater collection or green roofs have been in use for hundreds of years in Europe and throughout the world.

Even the relatively new plains architecture in this country incorporated sod roofs and rainwater collection. The use of daylighting sensors and solar tubes...are tremendous tools, but they are just that—tools. I think good design principles—starting with building orientation, solar positioning, and topographical maximization of our site—are principles we should all strive to achieve on each and every project.

Describe a couple of recent or current projects that especially stand out in your portfolio.

I think one project would be the 72,000square-foot addition we are doing for the Ponca Public Schools. It was originally designed to be LEEd Silver but has not been certified at this time. This project presented an even greater challenge in that our new building would be required to span an existing city street. The street drained from a very large hilly neighborhood behind the school, and the lack of an underground storm-water system necessitated surface drainage be used in this area of town.

Rather than hide this “natural element” of gravity drainage, we chose to incorporate it into our design process. We spanned the street with our enclosed “bridge” or connecting corridor between the new and existing building and put glass walls down either side for the students to see this feature actually work. This did take a little creativity on the inlet and discharge sides to keep it a safe place for children to observe. We also like to allow students to learn not only about, but also from their built environment. by emphasizing various exposed structural elements, electrical components, and HVAC ductwork, we allow the students to better understand the skeleton, veins, and arteries of this “beast” we call a school.

Each classroom, regardless of orientation, is designed to be illuminated entirely by natural light...accomplished by the use of a series of light tubes, light shelves, overhangs, and the sloping of ceilings in the classrooms themselves.

Another project would be the transportationstorage facility for the City of North Platte, Nebraska’s bus-transportation [hub]. ... The project, as designed, would achieve LEEd Gold and includes daylighting through the use of clerestory windows and translucent panels, photovoltaic lighting, rainwater retention to replace existing irrigation, living roofs and xeriscaping in new areas. One of the most energy-efficient systems allowed us to share any excess geothermal capacity with a neighboring indoor swimming pool and recreation complex also owned by the city.

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Joseph R. Hewgley

“Green building has not even scratched the surface in this country.”

How did you get to the point of doing 100 percent BIM projects and work?

—Joseph R. Hewgley, Founder How do you manage to keep your projects below budget? What range of costs do you usually work within?

AbOVE: The Ponca Public School, designed over an abandoned city street in Ponca, NE, posed a major challenge due to drainage issues in the area, says Joseph Hewgley, founder of Joseph R. Hewgley & Associates. The school was designed to reach LEEd Silver certification.

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profile

I spent several of my earlier years working in construction management, and having scheduling and cost estimating as part of my daily duties helped me realize the importance of good, accurate cost estimates. We also keep an extensive log of project costs, by building type and occupancy, as a good reference or as a second check to our estimates before they go out the door. The newer Revit software that allows the costs from RS Means to be incorporated into the design is also an excellent tool and really quite reliable. It, however, is only as good as the person that is inputting the information into the computer. I think most of our current work probably runs in the range somewhere between $120 and $150 per square foot.

We began about four years ago by attending classes and starting out slowly on a couple of smaller, less complex projects. We then made the decision that in order for us to really be proficient, we could not serve two masters and made the change from AutoCad to Revit at that time. ... I think one of the main reasons for making the switch was to better coordinate all elements of the drawings. ... It allows us to spot those trouble spots or “pinch points” above ceilings we all have a tendency to dread once the documents have been released and bid.

Where do you see green building heading in 2011?

Green building has not even scratched the surface in this country. I see it much like the early days of the transistor radio or personal computer. Its use will only continue to grow as people begin to realize the many advantages—not only to themselves, but to our communities as a whole. —by Suchi Rudra

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discussion board

Material Matters California homebuilder Freddy Zylstra of Spring Valley Construction argues that using quality materials is the often-overlooked foundation of going green

“Our tagline, ‘Homes built to last through the generations,’ is truly what we hope to see.”

—Freddy Zylstra, Owner

CONCRETE COuNTERS— bEFORE THEy WERE POPuLAR One of the best parts of being a green builder, says Freddy Zylstra of Spring Valley Construction, is the opportunity to work with new sustainable products before they become popular. In 1987, for example, Zylstra’s husband, Mike Butterfield—who then operated Spring Valley Construction’s predecessor, Butterfield Construction—built a home that won the prestigious Napa Valley Home of the Year award, and sold for $8 million in 1989. “The home included concrete countertops, which you hear about now, but they just weren’t used back then,” Zylstra points out. “Mike even had to use a piece of PVC pipe to create the countertop’s curve.”

“One of the most crucial elements of being green—seemingly forgotten by many—is the purchase of the highestquality materials possible within the client’s budget,” says Freddy Zylstra, owner of Spring Valley Construction.

“This increases the longevity of the home, which translates as far less into our landfills over time.”

To keep material quality high, the California homebuilder—typically working on only one project at a time— takes a very hands-on approach. “I take clients shopping for each and every item that goes into their home, such as tile, hardwood, carpet, appliances, plumbing fixtures, and electrical fixtures,” explains Zylstra, who also offers interior-design services through sister design firm Abundant Earth Design. “We want these products to last, so our tagline, ‘Homes built to last through the generations,’ is truly what we hope to see—that a home we have crafted and nurtured is passed on in a family to the next generation.”

The employees of Spring Valley have especially high hopes for one 12,000-square-foot home in Penn Valley, California, which was completed in 2001 and remains a favorite of the firm. “It’s a beautiful Moorish-style home that wraps around a 75-foot swimming pool with a waterfall,” she says. “But it’s also amazing to look at how many green features the home utilized before sustainability was even popular and LEED even came into existence.”

Although it wasn’t common to track energy savings when the house was built, Spring Valley was able to determine energy efficiency in an unconventional manner.

“We let the homeowners stay in the house for two weeks over Christmas before the house was finished and before the solar panels were up,” Zylstra says. “The home’s utility bill for those two weeks was more than $700. But since the home has been completed, its highest utility bill has been $4 a month—and that includes heating and cooling for the entire home, including the pool area, which is all glass.”

After such a success, Spring Valley is looking forward to its next green home. “We find that clients are becoming better educated, and part of our job is to reinforce that education,” Zylstra says. “Becoming involved at the design stage allows us to work with the client and architect to ensure the home functions as a cohesive unit.” For that cohesive unit to remain functional however—well past the need of the intended owner—Spring Valley knows only the best materials can be used—inside and out.

—by Julie Schaeffer

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discussion board

Safety First “The art of building a Dream Home is backed by the science of teamwork, collaboration, and exacting standards to which we all adhere.”

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Homes Built To Last Through The Generations

Maxxum Construction Corp. leverages its founder’s experience as a safety engineer

As founder and president of Maxxum Construction, Michael Mahabeer has used his past experience and education in safety engineering to grow his Central Islip, New York, general-contracting business into a firm providing its clients with green construction services. Maxxum began in 2001 and is certified by Empire State Development as a Minority Business Enterprise.

The 11-person company has recently completed projects for the Army Corp of Engineers and the New York City School Construction Authority.

“We have experience in commercial, institutional, and residential construction throughout Long Island, New York City, and Lower Westchester County, emphasizing quality service while building lasting relationships,” Mahabeer says. He holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology and is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers. He has furthered his education by taking project-management courses at New York University and trainings and certifications from OSHA.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • GENERAL CONSTRUCTION • DESIGN BUILD

Maxxum Construction Corp. (Maxxum) is a full service Construction Management and General Construction firm certified by Empire State Development as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). Maxxum has experience in commercial, institutional and residential construction throughout Long Island, New York City and Lower Westchester County. Licensed and fully insured, Maxxum is committed to complying with industry standards and regulations. Maxxum provides individuals, organizations and institutions with quality service while building lasting relationships. We have satisfied the needs of previous clients as we look forward to future prospects.

Maxxum Construction Corp.

2 Bark Avenue | Central Islip, NY 11722 P: 631.582.2155 | F: 631.582.2155 | E: info@maxxumcc.com

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The aforementioned school project was the remodeling of an auditorium that incorporated curtains and wood seating made from sustainable materials. Mahabeer says that Maxxum is particularly keen on waste management for its projects, mentioning the company averages 40 percent on the recycling of its construction debris. “We send reusable items to Habitat for Humanity, like doors and trim,” Mahabeer says.

“We cull out scrap metal and other materials to be recycled in scrap yards.”

In addition, Maxxum focuses on air quality both during and after construction. “When you upgrade a school you want to make sure there is no health or environmental concern,” Mahabeer says. “The New York City School Construction Authority has some stringent guidelines, and we take that very seriously. We establish a dust protocol using a combination of HEPA

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Maxxum Construction Corp.

ABOVE: This auditorium upgrade was completed for the New York City School Construction Authority. The renovation included incorporating wood seating by Irwin Seating Company and curtains made from sustainable materials. In keeping with the company’s waste-management policy, the old chairs were sent to a local metal recycling center in Brooklyn, NY.

“They [clients] need to see the longer-term return on investment, not just for energy savings, but also quality of the environment that people work in.”

—Michael Mahabeer, Founder and President

filters and temporary partitions to isolate the construction areas. Our employees are educated on the proper use of personal protective equipment and avoiding any contamination of the surrounding area.”

Safety is a practice Mahabeer is very familiar with. From 1999 to 2004, he served as the assistant project manager and safety engineer for Gottlieb Skanska, Inc. In this capacity, Mahabeer conducted inspections and safety meetings to ensure compliance with the company’s safety program and OSHA. Mahabeer says Maxxum does a lot of education with its subcontractors and clients. Showing subcontractors how to manage waste, taking appropriate safety measures, and learning to be energy efficient during construction is an ongoing training process. Clients also need to

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be educated. “They hear about green building,” Mahabeer says, “but are not familiar with the products or practices.”

A lot of times, his clients don’t see the entire picture and balk at the initial cost. That’s when Mahabeer uses his experience as a project coordinator for the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York, where he managed the grounds and facilities division.

“If clients don’t embrace the entire sustainable program, maybe they will do two or three components and transition into a bigger effort when they understand it better,” Mahabeer says, noting he learned from his experience on Roosevelt Island, that clients require time to absorb the big picture. “They need to see the longerterm return on investment, not just for energy savings, but also quality of the environment that people work in.”

Going into the project, the Army Corp did not have green building practices in mind. Through educational efforts, Maxxum built out the 4,900-square-foot space for the Army Corp of Engineers utilizing adaptive technology in lighting, with motion sensors and T-8 lamps; sustainable copper products; low-VOC finishes and noformaldehyde plywood. All interior walls were insulated to save on heating and cooling cost and the client had the opportunity to receive rebates form the local power company.

“Maxxum Construction Corp is up and coming,” Mahabeer says, “We deliver on time. We recommend and implement energy-efficient and sustainable services keeping in mind safety for our employees and clients.” —by Scott Heskes

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Brick by Brick Great Southern LLC overcomes the learning curve of its first geothermal and solar installations

Georgia-based Great Southern LLC, owned by Mike McGlamry, has employed the same goodbuilding practices for more than 20 years—little did the construction company know that two decades later their methods would be characterized as green. “Great Southern believes the construction process should consider sustainability while doing quality work,” says Trey Coogle, a consultant with Great Southern.

Great Southern specializes in the construction of multifamily projects, the majority of which are within the state of Georgia. The company prides itself on taking the extra steps necessary to deliver a project beyond its client’s expectations. They seek out high-quality construction materials and ensure all buildings are properly insulated—taking time to research how to do the project well rather than just getting the job done.

“The buildings have existed for over 20 years, but with the remodel, we are adding another 30-plus years to their life span— that is pretty significant.”

—Trey Coogle, Consultant

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In 2009, Great Southern began the installation of its first geothermal and solar systems for a multifamily retirement community called Woodvale, in Cordele, Georgia. The more than 20-year-old property was in need of a major overhaul and upgrade. Great Southern’s task was to replace the existing air-conditioning systems with a sustainable geothermal system and use solar panels as an alternative form of energy. Coogle was brought in to assist with the implementation and secure the contractors to complete the work.

“The intention was to renovate all the existing units, to make them more energy efficient and comfortable for the residents while reducing their overall energy bills,” he says. “The reduced environmental impact is integral.”

Great Southern overcame the learning curve associated with the installation of geothermal systems. “It isn’t a system you can install simply the same way everywhere. There are major considerations you have to account for,” Coogle explains. “You start by pulling the information about the local geology, then you can contract with a company capable of installing the system on your specific site.” They tested the conditions and ran diagnostics. “There are a multitude of factors to take into account. It is a specialty that you need to get a handle on at the beginning of the project,” he adds.

Woodvale requested Great Southern install solar panels to offset the energy needed to operate all the commercial property-management features—lighting in the parking lot, the community center, and the laundry room.

The buildings were reinsulated; they now far exceed code-mandated levels and replacement low-E glass windows were installed. Programmable thermostats and automatic bath fans balance comfort with efficiency. Water-saving faucets and fixtures were installed in the kitchens

and bathrooms. Energy Star appliances are used throughout the property.

The improvements bring Woodvale up to modern living standards, making the buildings among the most efficient in the region. “The buildings have existed for over 20 years, but with the remodel, we are adding another 30plus years to their lifespan—that is pretty significant,” Coogle says.

The completed remodel will meet the Energy Star standard because of the equipment used and its tighter building envelope. “We have yet to tackle a LEED project,” Coogle says, but adds that the Energy Star level and Great Southern’s other rating, Earth Craft, the company is producing similar structures. Even so, Coogle and another Great Southern consultant, Connie Rea, are both LEED APs. The accreditation has proven valuable in building their background knowledge of sustainable construction.

While not spared from the tough economy, Great Southern still completed four to five projects in 2010. Remodels top the company’s project list.

“Of course the construction business is driven by the larger economy. Very little ground-up building is going on in our region, although I’ve heard a lot of real conversations about new construction that wasn’t there six months ago—that is a positive first step,” Coogle notes.

Coogle predicts that clients will be paying more attention to what they are building and that sustainable construction will be the standard going forward. Geothermal and solar systems are expected to be in great demand. They plan to explore new opportunities and green-building innovations. “We will continue to work with owner/developers,” Coogle says, “by providing cost-effective sustainable items as this becomes standard practice in the future of design and construction.” —by Jennifer Hogeland

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launch pad

System Control Green Building Automation, LLC celebrates 100% growth in sales after just two years in service

Who: Green Building Automation installs energy-management systems. These systems provide controls for HVAC equipment, lighting systems, power monitoring, and data acquisition. The company has the ability to see how much energy a building is using and use that as a benchmark.

When retrofitting the building, it makes the necessary adjustments by adding controls and adjusting control sequences to offset the amount of energy that is used.

What: Green Building Automation works

launched 2008 location Detroit website gbautomation.com

within commercial facilities, office buildings, sports complexes, and industrial sites, but its true niche? Service. Competitors tend to be large businesses just focused on the task at hand. “We’ve been able to develop an intimate understanding of the workings of the facilities. We know our clients,” says Scott Kaplan, founder of Green Building Automation. Beyond relationships, the company presents clients with an extensive list of service offerings. “We do so much more than HVAC controls,” Kaplan adds. “We do work with everything—wind turbines, solar panels, and security. We are able to package the systems for our clients.”

With the company’s success and expertise in the commercial market, it was able to apply the same approach to the residential market.

“We work with developers to provide complete home automation and we have the ability to integrate our commercial automation,” Kaplan notes. From the residential side, Green Building Automation is able to reduce the energy usage on new construction and existing homes.

With costs within reason, homeowners quickly realize their return on investment.

Kaplan explains one of the deciding factors to get into the housing market was the advancement in smart-phone technology. The system used by Green Building Automation has applications for the common iPhones and iPads to control products within the home via the Internet.

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When: A determination to deliver superior service—above and beyond that offered by the big businesses already in his field—inspired Kaplan to start his own business in 2008.

Experience at a design-build-mechanical firm and having completed several major automation projects prepared Kaplan for the challenge. “I felt like I’d be able to offer a better quality of service to clients than anyone else out there. And I think it has been proven true,” he says. Over the past two years, Green Building Automation recorded a growth in sales of 100 percent.

Where: Just after its launch, Green Building Automation began working on the Michigan Department of Natural Recourses and Environment building in Bay City, Michigan, when it was in the construction phase. In mid-2010, the company got approval to install an energy-management system to integrate all of the building’s systems. HVAC and lighting controls, wind turbines, electricity from the grid, and eventually the solar panels will be part of the central system.

This building will serve as a model for future structures; it is on track to earn LEED Gold certification.

Last year Kaplan and his crew completed a project for a Marriott Hotel in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Green Building Automation installed a control system for the hotel at the same time it upgraded its mechanical system. Green Building Automation made the data accessible to the hotel to monitor energy use through a webbased system.

How: Kaplan’s firm is a member of the USGBC and ASHRAE to stay current in the ever-changing building industry. “When we are designing energy-management systems it gives us an edge,” Kaplan says. “We’re aware of the newest products and the latest techniques to make buildings even more efficient.”

—by Jennifer Hogeland

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taking shape 1

Form Follows Function Holst Architecture’s LEED Platinumtargeting Resource Access Center exhibits a winning, aesthetic functionality

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location Portland, OR size 107,000 square feet estimated completion date summer 2011 key services day center for people transitioning out of homelessness; 24-hour men’s shelter; permanent housing

Jeffrey Stuhr set out to accomplish a short list of things. To focus on design. To be good at managing through the construction process.

And to take on projects that are exciting.

So far, so good. The principal and cofounder of Holst Architecture, an 18-year-old firm based in Portland, Oregon, has a portfolio of cultural, residential, commercial, and restaurant and retail projects that proves the practice’s principles are right for the time.

One of these principles is sustainability— not surprising in a town that is already recognized for its eco-consciousness. Holst’s

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taking shape 1/The exterior of the RAC is designed as two brick masses, one light and one dark. Eight shades of green accent glass frame the windows to deinstitutionalize the building and give a personal touch to each studio apartment, which comes furnished and includes a full kitchen, bathroom, and bike rack.

2/ An aerial view of the RAC illustrates its role as a gateway to downtown Portland via its location adjacent to Portland’s MAx light rail, multiple bus lines, and the historic Union Station train depot.

3/ A diagram of the RAC’s various energy conservation measures; it anticipates LEED Platinum certification.

4/ Extensive glazing, board-form stained concrete, and custom lasercut screens create a warm and lively ground level with a human scale and sense of craft.

5/ The exterior courtyard—featuring shade trees and carved stone artwork—provides a welcoming space for guests.

Holst Architecture

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76,000-square-foot headquarters for Ziba design turned a brownfield into LEEd Gold development, and next up, the Resource Access Center (RAC), a 107,000-square-foot, eight-story overnight shelter and transitional-housing facility, is shooting to be the first LEEd Platinum-certified public housing facility in the country. “We’re aiming for net-zero energy use in each apartment,” Stuhr says.

The aesthetic elements of the RAC are no less functional in serving resident needs. An internal courtyard provides a social hub; an onsite kennel serves residents who own dogs; and variable window-trim colors add whimsy to both internal and street views.

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k

A/ Green Roofs B/Solar Hot Water C/Heat Recovery Ventilators D/Interior Relites E/“The Perfect Wall” F/Fiberglass Windows G/Green Roofs H/Stormwater Planters I/Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures J/Efficient Lighting with Daylight Sensors K/Greywater Collection for Toliet Flushing

RAC wasn’t a first for Holst, neither in terms of multifamily housing or sustainability. The belmont Lofts in southeast Portland, completed in 2004, “sought to end the need for air conditioning with solar shades,” Stuhr notes. An urban infill project, it is credited for blending a modern structure within an established neighborhood. Separately, a two-unit, three-story rowhouse in the Clinton/division commercial district of the city uses natural daylighting to improve energy efficiencies—and to maximize views of the Tualatin Mountains.

says. “We can share data between designers and mechanical engineers in real time, which helps us make smarter decisions faster. “but it can be rather insular to depend on screen images,” he cautions. Instead, Stuhr and cofounder John T. Holmes still employ pinup boards in their offices, where they can post drawings for reference and to aid the creative process. Stuhr says they walk clients through the same posted-paper drawings to reach key decisions.

Stuhr credits digital technologies for substantially changing the nature of designing. “And it makes designing green much easier,” he

This method speaks to the firm’s collaborative style. Stuhr says he’s always been reluctant to use hierarchical titles. “We have no single big

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taking shape 5

designer,” he says, adding that “the best idea wins.” Teams carry the design through, from beginning to end—furthering the firm’s goal of solid construction management.

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A NEW kINd OF SHELTER RAC will contain administration offices for Transition Projects Inc., offices for the Housing Authority of Portland, a community space, and extensive courtyards. In addition to these tenants, Holst will be incorporating these additional sustainability factors, including: ⁄ Photovoltaic cells, solar thermal collectors that heat 95% of the entire building’s hot water system, reducing the use of heating oil by 95% ⁄ A greywater-recycling system that reuses shower and clothes-washing water in toilets ⁄ Wheatboard cabinetry ⁄ FSC-certified fir siding ⁄ Low- and zero-VOC and formaldehyde-free paints and sealants ⁄ Fluorescent and LED lighting ⁄ Energy Star appliances ⁄ Occupancy sensors ⁄ 2” to 3” wall continuous exterior insulation ⁄ Heat-recovery ventilators in apartments ⁄ Storm-water filtering through green roofs that reduces the strain on the city’s water-filtration sewer systems

As with many architects, sustainability is nothing new. Stuhr’s team has long studied indigenous architecture. “but the watershed event was when LEEd was developed,” he says. “It gave us one language, one system.” Though he tempers that statement by noting LEEd’s evolution has come with pros and cons, he admits that it has stimulated discussion.

Much of that discussion presumably happens in Portland’s local chapter of the AIA. Situated in a refurbished historic carriage house, Holst Architecture designed the conversion to a LEEd Platinum structure that accommodates administrative functions, community gathering spaces, and a gallery. What was once stables is now a design hub in this Pacific Northwest hotbed of hip, Earth-friendly architecture.

Visitors to Portland might get a taste of another transformation by Stuhr and his colleagues.

The Hotel Modera, completed in 2008, is an über-hip, boutique hotel that teases the senses with a vertical plant wall, street-connected atrium, acclaimed restaurant, and wooden boardwalk. In its previous incarnation, it was an aging, down-market chain hotel.

It’s those kinds of transformations—from tired to refreshed, brownfield to green, energy hogs to clean efficiency—that the firm does best. Something to cross off the list.

—by Russ Klettke

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ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, is the premier society for engineers and others who work in this complex and evolving field. The technical expertise of ASHRAE members positions it as a highly credible source of research, standards, publications, education, and other products.

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Changing technologies, rising energy prices, and the increased focus on sustainability in the building industry have challenged ASHRAE to stay at the cutting edge of the field. At the same time, competition has increased and ASHRAE needs to focus its efforts to ensure that its products, services, and organization are timely, relevant, and appropriately positioned to serve the changing marketplace.

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This strategic plan identifies four principal strategic directions that define where ASHRAE will focus its efforts and resources in the next several years, in addition to its commitment to ongoing programs and services. The plan also contains supporting strategies for these directions and the organizational commitment necessary to achieve them. Grounded on ASHRAE’s core values and consistent with its mission, the plan not only addresses the challenges and changes occurring in the current environment, but will move ASHRAE forward towards fulfilling its vision of a better future.

INNOVATIVE | RESPONSIVE | COMPREHENSIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT ASHRAE leadership will make organizational and governance changes to accomplish this Strategic Plan.

This plan calls on ASHRAE to move in some new and ambitious directions.

Some ASHRAE governance processes are presently cumbersome, and the times require a more agile system of volunteer leadership to drive changes and new directions.

ASHRAE’s organization and governance must be nimble and effective at all levels. This will require assessing and providing the necessary governance structures, systems, and processes. The structure and processes must foster effective use of volunteer time and leadership development. The Society must reallocate and develop the financial, volunteer and staff resources needed to implement the Strategic Plan. This may include redefining volunteer and staff roles to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

ASHRAE is committed to making the organizational and governance changes necessary to accomplish this Strategic Plan.

iii

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ASHRAE Strategic Plan

ABHT is proud to be associated with Holst Architecture.

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Founded in 2002, ABHT is dedicated to providing the highest level of client service from project conception through construction.

ABHT Structural Engineers is an MBE | DBE certified firm.

1640 NW Johnson Street Portland, Oregon 97209

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Tel. 503.243.6682 Fax 503.243.6622

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inner workings

Strength of Scion

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In 1887, William Hearst began building his publishing empire, and not 15 years later, Henry C. Turner started Turner Construction in the same city Hearst would later call his home. As it’s been for almost its entire existence, Turner Construction is the nation’s largest general contractor and currently maintains a nationwide network of 46 offices. Its 5,000 employees work on an average of 1,100 projects per year and did $8.2 billion of business during 2009.

The pioneers at Turner Construction Company have inherited their founder’s strength of spirit—proven by Hearst Tower, which carries a similar legacy project Hearst Tower

“Turner believes green buildings are not only good for the environment, but they also provide immediate and long-term benefits for developers, building owners, and occupants,” explains Steve Fort, vice president, who oversees Turner’s offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. “This year marks the sixth year since our company formally committed to increase our green-building practices. Our accomplishments include 145 of our clients’ projects achieving LEEd certification by the uSGbC, including more than 60 projects in the last year alone.”

location New York City size 861,100 square feet general contractor Turner Construction Company architects Foster + Partners, Gensler structural engineer WSP Cantor Seinuk 0 0

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On Manhattan’s Westside, a reflective honeycomb echoes the sky above and river below.

Hearst Tower, all 46 stories of it, arrived in 2006 and forever altered the New york City skyline. The building is a great success both inside and out, complete with a three-story waterfall fountain, the first thing one sees upon entering. A light and airy structure, full of natural light and home to some of today’s most well-known magazines including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and Town & Country, Hearst Tower is more than the castle of William Hearst’s kingdom, it is a LEEd Gold-certified palace that illustrates for others that high design can also be sustainable.

The general contractor behind Hearst Tower was Turner Construction Company, who preserved the original 1928 façade and added another 40 stories. According to the company, “The existing landmark façade was integrated into the tower. The structural frame, standing 598 feet tall, is enclosed with a panelized, glass-curtain wall system with stainless-steel diagrid cladding. The triangulated steel frame

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uses 21 percent less steel than a traditionally framed building.”

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Many of those projects are incredibly high in profile and include work on; The Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing, kroon Hall for yale university, and Stanford university’s Graduate School of business.

Turner Construction also employs 1,100 LEEd APs, more than any other construction company, and encourages green practices in all of its offices through programs like their Green Workplace Checklist. This checklist uses a system that contains ideas and actions each office can take to further improve energy efficiency and jobsite health and productivity and reduce the environmental impact of their activities. Each action further demonstrates Turner Construction’s commitment to environmental leadership and sustainability.

Since completing Hearst Tower, Turner Construction has incorporated many similar techniques and technologies into other projects. The Hearst building includes such green features as an atrium floor paved with heatconductive limestone; a rain-collection system on the roof, which stores water for the cooling

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inner workings

Turner Construction Company

1/2/ Drawings highlight Hearst Tower’s incredible diagrid cladding. All drawings and renderings: Foster + Partners.

3/ This photo shows the interplay between the structure’s glass curtain wall and the frame. Photo: Nigel Young, Foster + Partners.

4/ The tower’s dynamic steel beams define the exterior and interior spaces, yet the structure used 21 percent less steel than a similarly sized building.

Photo: Karl Loeffler.

5/ A cross-section of the structure shows the new tower rising from the original building.

6/ Floor plan of the interior, which features an atrium floor paved with heatconductive limestone.

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system, plants, and the water feature in the lobby; and polyethylene tubing embedded under the floor, which is filled with circulating water for cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. The building was designed to save 25 percent more energy than the minimum requirements for New york and was built using 80 percent recycled steel.

Currently, the firm is trying to maximize value for its clients by marrying its strong core construction business with the adoption of newer, strategic processes like bIM technologies, its Facilities Management Services group, and equipment planning and procurement capabilities through Turner Logistics. “We want to be more than a builder of great buildings,” Fort says. “We want clients to be able to see us as a facilities solutions partner. ... That is value creation.”

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It is often said that Henry C. Turner referred to his clients as “respected friends.” based on this premise, Turner Construction has always worked to deliver work that is personalized, no matter how large the project, leading to the creation of long-term business relationships with clients, architects, and other partners. —by Thalia Aurinko-Mostow 0 0

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Lobby Level Plan

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community

NEW ORLEANS

Power of Three From New Orleans to South Africa, the three h’s—healthy, holistic, and humanistic—define H3 Studio’s visionary approach to urban design

AbOVE: A conceptual rendering for the unified New Orleans Recovery Plan following the devastation of Hurricane katrina.

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John Hoal, AICP, is more than the founding principal of H3 Studio and more than an architect and planner. Hoal is a visionary. A user of the Swedish sustainable planning method called The Natural Step. Chair of the Masters of Urban Design Program. And an associate professor at the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design and the College of Architecture at Washington University.

Born in South Africa, Hoal began his career in both the private and public sectors on largescale urban design projects as well as residential, institutional, environmental, and recreational projects. In the late 1980s, Hoal served as a member of the city’s architectural team and worked on the revitalization of the Historic Civic Center in downtown Durban, participating in the revitalization of Durban’s coastal waterfront. After leaving South Africa, Hoal co-founded the City of St. Louis’ first Urban Design Department in 1990, and between 1993 and 2000 he was the director of urban design for the city. By 1999, Hoal had founded H3 Studio and began building what would become the eight-person company it is today, completing upwards of 20 projects a year.

In Hoal’s words, H3 Studio specializes in “civic sustainability, sustainable urbanisim, and education of communities,” which means its work combines environmental aspects of green

design with economic and civic elements. The majority of its work is in landscape design and helping urban neighborhoods thrive. Hoal named H3 Studio after his design approach and belief structure; healthy, holistic and humanistic. “Our objective is to build healthy cities, communities, environments, and buildings,” Hoal explains. “Our method is holistic in that we systemically integrate all the disciplines and citizens in the design and planning process to shape their places for the long term. Our philosophy is humanistic in that we strive to shape, enhance, and develop authentic, diverse, and creative environments that emerge from the unique combination of people and place, responding to each client, institution, or area’s special combination of diverse culture, geography, history, and spirit.”

Though the majority of its work is along the Fourth Coast—the Mississippi/Missouri watershed—H3 Studio has a diverse portfolio including projects from New Orleans to Chicago to South Africa. Its goal is to “integrate architecture, landscape, and economic/community development into a framework of sustainable urbanism developed through a deep and ongoing engagement with the community,” Hoal says, “with work focused mainly on the revitalization, restoring, re-wealthing of existing communities, landscapes, and cities.”

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community

H³ Studio

H3 Studio’s work in post-Katrina New Orleans represents this holistic approach as it moves from a broad understanding of regionally built and natural systems to the city, neighborhood, and street.

In 2006, H3 Studio first worked with the residents of Central City, a neighborhood in New Orleans, during the city’s Unified New Orleans Recovery Plan process. In a continued relationship with the community, H3 Studio is currently working with civic leaders, business owners, and various developers from both for-profit and nonprofit organizations to create a consolidated development plan and land-use framework.

The firm also worked on the recovery of the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard/Dryades Street Corridor, one of Central City’s most significant cultural attractions; the corridor was the center of the New Orleans civil-rights movement. The design plan stage took nine months; throughout the process, H3 engaged residents, stakeholders, and the public at large. The goal was to consolidate all current and proposed development and recovery projects into a single strategic development framework. H3 Studio hopes to see a holistic revitalization of the neighborhood, one of the most challenged in New Orleans.

Winning a number of awards and grants—including four National Endowment of the Arts grants for the Mayors’ Institute on City Design: Midwest, as well as the Healthy, Active & Vibrant Living Community Toolkit, supported by the Missouri Foundation for Health—H3 Studio showcases its civic commitment. For the latter grant, H3 Studio assisted community organization Trailnet in growing the Public Education Toolkit for the Healthy & Active Communities Initiative. This toolkit includes multiple recommendations to prevent obesity through the design of the community. “We are currently working with three communities in the St. Louis region to apply, develop, and implement policies promoting healthy and active living,” Hoal says.

Though they have won multiple awards, it was their 2002 award for their work with the Confluence Greenway Master Plan—one of three projects in the country selected by the US Secretary of Agriculture for presentation at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa— that meant the most to the team, bringing Hoal’s work, dreams, and efforts full circle.

—by Thalia Aurinko-Mostow

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AbOVE: H3 Studio’s Pagoda Circle and historic bandstand in front the St. Louis Municipal Theater in the city’s Forest Park. The project was completed as part of the Forest Park Master Plan.

H3

sustainable urbanism healthy holistic humane

Studio

urbanism | architecture | landscape | engagement | codes

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community dC METRO AREA

Eye for Affordable Design Partnership with nonprofit housingpreservation foundation drives business growth for Ellisdale Construction & Development

The partnership between Ellisdale Construction & Development of Rockville, Maryland, and the National Foundation for Affordable Housing Solutions, Inc. (NFAHS) proves something important about sustainable development: that well-executed nonprofit development can be as sustainable as any other kind.

Here’s how they do it: The foundation identifies aging, government-assisted, multifamily properties that can be preserved and last another 20–30 years as decent, safe, and smartly managed affordable housing. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, NFAHS employs financing techniques (which vary by state) that give it a competitive advantage over other buyers in the marketplace.

Next, enter Kevin Ash, owner of Ellisdale, a company that has developed its own expertise at renovating these occupied properties. The company is able to replace kitchens and bathrooms on a per-unit schedule in a five-day turn. Tenants need not move out, but simply have to endure disruptions while construction crews replace baths (in two days) and kitchens (three days).

the renovation had to feature major energy-cost reductions.

The team did it with four features: 1) All units are heated and cooled by a geothermal system; because the low-density suburban location is set on approximately 5.5 acres, finding the land on which to drill for a geothermal system was relatively easy. 2) Photovoltaic cells on roofs electrify and light common areas throughout the complex. 3) Windows were replaced with low-E, argon-filled glass. 4) New roofing includes a high R-value insulation membrane.

And as a bonus, 30 garden plots are included so residents can grow their own vegetables.

“We wouldn’t do any of our projects without a green solution,” explains Andrew Schwartzberg of Preservation Services LLC, the developer and consultant to NFAHS on the Glenview and several other projects. Schwartzberg explains that the combined geothermal and photovoltaic costs were about $2.25 million, but state and federal incentive rebates and grants reduced those costs by about $900,000. The nonprofit nature of affordable-housing preservation provides an additional advantage where it comes to sustainability features. The timeframe for achieving savings over investment costs can stretch up to 12 years—unlike a shorter ROI more typically demanded by market-rate developers and owners.

As it turns out, this preservation work is smart business in many ways in the current economy.

Ellisdale is partnering with NFAHS on five current developments that constitute 800 units of

housing, from the Washington, DC, area up to New Jersey. Ash attended a conference on affordable housing in the spring of 2010, where a representative from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation predicted an overall shift in the marketplace to subsidized units, due to foreclosures. Reportedly, tax credits to owners in this sector will also increase. “But it comes with a steep learning curve,” he cautions.

“Working with a mix of state and federal agencies, there is more paperwork and administrative detail. Not all general contractors want to get into this. It’s a necessary part of the multifamily expertise.”

Ash adds that it wasn’t just luck that landed Ellisdale into this market segment. “We developed expertise in rehabbing work in anticipation of the housing crash,” he explains. “Since then, more public money has come available, so there is relatively good volume to the work.”

Revenues in 2010 are the firm’s highest to date.

Still, Ellisdale maintains a foothold in marketrate residential and commercial sectors. “It’s important to be diversified, to maintain a reasonable mix,” Ash says. Green features are almost always included, even though certification applications for multifamily units aren’t cost effective for the developer. However, Ash says he can usually offer something green at equal cost to the traditional product. That can include white TPO roofing, low-VOC paints and finishes, use of renewable materials for floors, and FSC-certified woods. In either segment of the market, it’s good to know that the numbers are making green sustainable. —by Russ Klettke

“We’re extremely efficient,” Ash says. “We start with one or two demo units, just to get our subs in sync. A coordinator helps tenants move their personal items around while plumbers and cabinet installers are scheduled by the hour.”

A current example of this efficiency in action is the Glenview Garden Apartments in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Built in the early 1970s, the foundation and owner of the 204-unit complex— which includes 17 separate buildings—wanted a green renovation. Affordable housing tenants don’t typically pay for their utilities, however those costs are ultimately passed on via the rent.

To achieve healthier, more affordable housing,

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RIGHT: king Tower provides Washington, dC, with 129 units of affordable housing. The project includes a new 35 kW photovoltaic system, a white TPO reflective roof with R30 insulation, and two elevators with regenerative drives.

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Affordable Housing & Green Building Design Pictured Below: Meadow Park Subdivision, Santa Rosa, CA, an infill 44 lot, 50 unit, development at 8 units per acre. Katherine Austin, AIA specializes in creating attractive, walkable neighborhoods of smaller “right sized” homes on infill parcels near shopping and transportation.

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community townhouse apartments in the rear and one commercial building in the front. They decided to take a similar approach with this new Main Street project. She had the idea to completely rehab the buildings inside and out and to remove the connecting hallway. To make room for a small parking lot in between, one of the front buildings needed to rotate 90 degrees. Both were moved closer to the street creating room for four additional townhouses in the back.

LEFT: The eyesore of Main Street in an early stage of rehabilitation.

SEbASTOPOL, CA

Main Street Gets a Facelift Once upon a time, in quaint Sebastopol, Katherine Austin transformed an eyesore into a vibrant mixed-use development. And they lived happily ever after.

There’s a well-known saying in business: “It’s who you know.” As former mayor of Sebastopol, California, city council member and architect Katherine Austin, AIA, certainly has the right connections to transform a nightmarish monstrosity into a lovely, mixed-use, Main Street addition. “It’s the story of historic renovation combined with new construction as an infill parcel that helped to heal a small-town main street,” she says of her current effort.

The city of Sebastopol is a quaint, semi-urban community that was formed in the 1850s around a single US Post Office and a small trade center for the farmers in the surrounding agricultural region. As the state’s population swelled due to westward expansion and the Gold Rush, more and more settlers drifted into the fertile California valleys north of San Francisco to try their hands at farming.

Today, Sebastopol continues to host a vibrant, creative, green-focused community. In addition to serving as the creative hub of West Sonoma

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County, Sebastopol is a leader in the area’s efforts to address climate change. The community’s dedication to energy and water conservation can be seen throughout the local businesses and residences.

Though her specialty is in designing affordable green housing for non-profits and private developers, Austin’s experience in creating neighborhoods was one of the things that drew her to improve her own neighborhood. “The one ‘main street’ in town—appropriately named Main Street—is where I have my office,” she explains, “and where for years I had to look directly at an absolute eyesore next door. It was comprised of two 19th-century homes, one of which is a 1895 French Empire-style building, which had been joined and horribly remodeled two decades earlier by the previous owner.”

Blue stucco covered the original wood siding; tiny aluminum windows replaced the original single-hung, old-glass windows; there was asphalt paving everywhere instead of landscaping; and a strange hallway in the back connected the two buildings. “The wood-shake roof on one even had moss and weeds growing out of it—it was an early green roof.” she laughs. Over the years, Austin had worked on a number of projects with a real-estate developer who was born and raised in the town and who had a lot of pride in the community. “I always told him if this particular building ever came up for sale to please buy it. Well, it went into foreclosure, and thankfully, he did buy it.”

Austin and her client had previously designed and developed a project featuring four

“When we took off the stucco, we could see the ghost of where the original windows were, and we used that as a guide to install the new ones.

Unfortunately, the siding underneath was in such bad shape that we had to take the buildings down to the studs, put in sheer walls, and bring the buildings up to current code.” In keeping with Austin’s green-building philosophy, she was able to recycle the siding and match the profile of the siding with HardiePlank lap siding.

A new porch and other historic exterior details added much-needed curb appeal and made a significant contribution in bringing the buildings back to their 19th-century charm. But inside there was little to salvage. “Inside, the historic details weren’t that great, but we essentially kept the same room layouts and structure while adding an updated, fully modern office space,” Austin says.

The four new townhouses—one of which is fully ADA-compliant—are energy efficient through and through. The building materials are as green as possible and units include tankless hot water heaters, highly efficient heating, and dual-flush toilets. But because the buildings are located in an extremely shaded spot, it was not possible to install solar panels. The next steps are to take out the asphalt and add landscaping to create enjoyable yard space for the tenants.

“We’ve exceeded what is required in the area’s green-building program,” Austin notes. “By saving the existing buildings, we also saved the embodied energy that had previously gone into them and diverted as much waste as possible from the waste stream. My goal is to approach ‘cradle-to cradle’ sustainability, which moves beyond environmental efficiency by the reuse of existing buildings and materials that can be reused as much as possible. By bringing these historic buildings back to their original splendor—with the added energy and water efficiency—we’re staying true to Sebastopol’s past and helping to improve its future.” —by Anne Dullaghan

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net zero

Custom Made

Ferrier Custom Homes reinforces its niche in high-performance homes with the celebrated Zero Energy Casita

bELOW: The rustic front porch of the Zero Energy Casita, showing the recycled barn siding.

All photos: Travis Laminack Photography.

OPPOSITE: A kid’s room inside the home, showing the bed made from rough-hewn, natural looking timber.

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project Zero Energy Casita location Fort Worth, Tx sustainable features / rainwater catchment for irrigation / tankless water heater / 3.7 kW Skystream wind turbine / passive-solar orientation / variable speed air handlers, fresh air intake, HEPA air filtration system, central dehumidification / recycled barn siding and beams and reclaimed interior wood flooring / a reflective metal roof

Don Ferrier’s passion for sustainability is palpable. The president of Fort Worth, Texasbased Ferrier Custom Homes has become somewhat of a celebrity in the area’s residential-construction business. The title of Green Advocate of the year aside, Ferrier dipped a toe in the green building before he even knew to call it that. back in 1999, at a Leadership Trust conference at duke university, Ferrier remembers another attendee asking, “don, are you a green builder?” “I had never thought about it applying to me,” Ferrier recalls. “but I said, ‘you know, I guess I am.’” Ferrier’s interest and concern about energy efficiency runs deep. In fact, he was first involved in building a nearzero energy home in 1982. He started Ferrier builders in 1984 with no interest in building “cheap” homes. Instead, Ferrier carved a niche out of building high-performance homes.

The eco-pioneer thinks back to the years when green building was not yet en

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Ferrier Custom Homes vogue: “back then, it was a little niche,” Ferrier says of the size of the green-building market. “I had slow times when I couldn’t find a client, and I had so many friends and family members say, ‘Why don’t you build real homes?’” Fortunately, these doubts were ignored; he continued on, embracing energyefficient construction with SIPs, and in 2005, Ferrier builders launched a custom-homes business fully dedicated to high-performance structures: Ferrier Custom Homes.

because of its luxury features and wind-turbine technology.

Ferrier says clients and prospects rarely struggle to justify the cost of energy efficiency. “The common comment I hear is, ‘I know it’s going to be more expensive upfront, but it will be one of the wisest investments we will ever make.’” Ferrier, not devoid of accolades for his efforts and excellence, won the 2007 builder Advocate of the year award from the NAHb and serves on its Green building Subcommittee board.

“We were fortunate to be there when it was a niche, and we didn’t give up on it,” Ferrier says of sustainability. “All of the sudden, it’s mainstream and we are uniquely positioned with a long history.” Ferrier’s expertise in energy performance has led to involvement in several near-zero and net-zero homes. Most recently, Ferrier Custom Homes completed what it calls Zero Energy Casita, a highperformance home on Fort Worth’s Eagle Mountain Lake that blends recycled-barn elements, local landscape, and modern energy technologies. The home’s open house brought nearly 450 spectators and was kicked off with a presentation by Energy Star for Homes National director Sam Rashkin.

The home—rustic in appearance yet modern in operation—incorporates a 45-foot Skystream 3.7-kilowatt residential wind turbine that generates all necessary power.

“A project such as this has to have a lot of planning,” Ferrier explains. ”There’s not a single silver bullet...it’s looking with a critical eye at everything.” First and foremost, the builder takes into account the climate and the orientation of the home. In the hot Texas weather, insulation is critical, he says, but so is making the house as air tight as possible. Normally, Ferrier says he uses 4.5-inch SIP walls, but with Zero Energy Casita they went with 6.5-inch SIP walls and a 10.25-inch SIP roof.

The home, aiming for LEEd Platinum and ANSI Emerald, includes an ERV that pulls in fresh air on a routine basis; an 18 SEER, variable-speed, air-conditioning unit; and all Energy Star appliances. Ferrier reports that budgets occasionally get in the way of going “over the top” green, but Ferrier Custom Homes averages a reasonable $150 per square foot for its high-performing homes.

Zero Energy Casita comes in at a higher cost

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net zero

“Our goal remains: be a trusted advisor for people wanting to put this complex, highperforming green home together,” Ferrier says. “Our goal is that in the end they will look back and say ‘I can’t imagine doing this successfully without Ferrier’s help.’”

—by Lauren McKay

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net zero

A Prototype for Design Galbraith Builders designs with the hope it can provide a framework to further popularize green building project Hoehlein Residence location Durango, CO sustainable features / passive solar configuration / highly energy-efficient building envelope / solar-thermal panels for 100% of domestic hot water / two solar photovoltaic arrays totalling nearly 6 kW / geothermal system / insulated concrete forms / foam insulation

Galbraith Builders, located in Durango, Colorado, is a custom residential general contractor, incorporating architectural, interior, and landscape design into its varied portfolio.

President Mark Galbraith provides designbuild and turnkey construction for most of his projects, and the company’s focus is on energy-efficient, environmentally sound construction. Its projects routinely exceed built Green Colorado and Energy Star standards. And, as a green-certified builder, the company builds homes that use less energy, utilize sustainable materials and technologies, and are healthier and more comfortable for occupants.

With this sustainable focus, Galbraith and his associates are taking it a step further—Galbraith builders has created a 2,200-squarefoot, net-zero prototype, known as the Hoehlein Residence. built for Jill and Rich Hoehlein, this home is the first LEEd home in the area and most likely its first net-zero home.

Working with LEEd certification is part of a greater goal for Galbraith builders. The

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company’s fundamental goal is to address the high level of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility that the future demands.

According to Galbraith, the approach is not simply limited to the use of green-building materials and techniques. The company addresses accessibility and comfort issues for people who want to build new homes or who want to bring their homes up to date.

LLC. “The house is estimated to produce more energy than it consumes over an annual period. The project design and implementation by Galbraith builders to achieve an affordable, LEEd-certified home was impressive.

The entire team was dedicated to attaining this goal,” he says.

The home’s two photovoltaic arrays serve different purposes: one uses 10 bifacial panels to produce 1,950 watts for the normal house loads; the other uses 22 roof-mounted panels to produce 3,960 watts, powering the groundsource heat pumps. According to Galbraith, the geothermal system then provides 100 percent of the house’s heating. With this synergy, no backup system is needed.

delving into LEEd has had some great benefits for Galbraith builders. “The benefits include learning some very effective design and building strategies and setting ourselves apart from many other builders who are not building under a system that provides verification of air-infiltration rates, properly sealed ductwork, and other factors important to the end user,” Galbraith says. “knowing how to achieve this “Two solar-thermal panels, manufactured by very high performance and energy efficiency Heliodyne, have been designed to supply has led to more work.”

100 percent of the domestic-hot-water (dHW) needs, but the geothermal desuperheater can One important issue, affordability, is adalso generate hot water for dHW if augmendressed by the Hoehlein Residence. “We have tation is needed,” Galbraith explains. Addidesigned a modest-sized house of 2,200 tionally, the company’s choice to utilize foam square feet, which has architectural interest insulation provides very high R-values and exand character, but is relatively straightforward tremely low air-infiltration rates. to build. The design is based on a passive solar configuration with a highly energy-efficient The core idea behind the net-zero prototype building envelope,” Galbraith says. is that it makes it easy for purchasers to buy Galbraith builders’ plans and hire a builder This net-zero residence also includes two sets in their area to build it for them. According to of photovoltaic panels, geothermal and Galbraith, most of the “homework” will have solar-thermal applications, foam insulation, been done for them beyond the plans: the insulated concrete forms, and low-VOC paints considerations for built Green, Energy Star, and adhesives. The Hoehlein Residence’s iniand LEEd will have already been addressed. tial HERS rating was -3. “This is the first proj“This makes the process more easily achievect I have been involved in that has achieved able for a builder who has yet to take that a negative HERS Index,” says Mike Frisoni, a plunge,” Galbraith says, “and more affordgreen rater with Annadel building Solutions able for the owner.” —by Kelsey Higginbotham

RIGHT: designed utilizing an open plan, this moderately sized home has an enhanced sense of space. The polished concrete floors are heated and cooled by a ground-source heatpump system. Photo: Paul boyer.

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FEATURES 50/ THE PRIME OF LIFE 56/ ADAPT + EVOLVE 66/ 10/’10

bELOW THE SuRFACE. designed by bade Stageberg Cox of New york City, the Art Cave houses a striking collection of contemporary art in an underground cave— minimizing energy usage while delivering serious drama. Shown here is a view of the Art Cave’s Main Gallery in Napa Valley, CA. For more on this IAA-winning project for best New Global design in 2010, turn to p. 73. Photo: © Jason Schmidt. gbdmagazine.com

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THE PRIME OF LI FE After a journey that stretched from Kansas to Copenhagen, Kurt Klimt of K&G Architects is in a place of plenty—designing high-profile projects with a longtime friend in Hawaii story Daniel Casciato

S

ince its founding, K&G Architects has constantly strived to create architecture that will continue to be aesthetically pleasing, functional, efficient, and durable for its entire life. Based in Kamuela, Hawaii, the firm’s two principals, Kurt Klimt, AIA, LEED AP, and Steve Gajadhar, integrate energy-efficient design and creative spaces that are sensitive to the environment. This leads to significant energy savings for the client and an enhanced working environment for occupants and visitors.

The two business partners have been friends for years and were partners together in a firm before deciding to start K&G Architects. Klimt was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in nearby Independence, hometown of Harry Truman. At Truman High School, he fell in love with drawing and architectural design. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Kansas in 1988, Klimt studied architecture overseas at the University of Copenhagen.

Klimt became a project manager for several large A/E firms in Southern California before launching K&G Architects. Gajadhar brought a similarly varied trajectory to the table; he has over 12 years experience specializing in construction documents for architectural and civil/structural projects ranging from multimillion-dollar institutional work to private residences. His experience translates to in-depth knowledge of building materials and systems and the construction techniques involved in their application. He has worked on many design-build and fast-track projects requiring good judgment; time-management skills; effective, on-site decision making; and close working relationships with contractors.

As part of a full-service architecture firm providing service to clients around the globe with expertise in net-zero-energy design, both partners understand that they have a unique opportunity to create groundbreaking design while reducing their ecological footprint.

“Whenever possible we integrate natural daylighting, natural ventilation, and sustainable materials into our projects to enhance the environmental quality of the space and greatly reduce or eliminate off-site energy needs,” Klimt says. Ω

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THIS PAGE, OPPOSITE: The Lux Art Institute, outside San Diego, CA. gbdmagazine.com

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the prime of life

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the prime of life

MODERN ARTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HILLSIDE HAVEN

The Lux Art Institute, in Encinitas, California, is one of the first LEEd-certified art museums in the united States. The hillside museum is luxuriously luminous at night, a geometric lighthouse over El Camino Real. Transcending the requisite low-VOC materials and high-efficiency HVAC, topping the art institute like turrets are light towers that capture daylight and disperse it throughout the art space within. Also iconic of the new structure is its floating roof, which provides shade to its southern façade, and the operable barn door, which provides fresh air to the interior studio space.

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the prime of life

“We are now more focused on stretching the limits of design in terms of efficient use of material resources and the realization that we need to minimize our impact on the environment.”

—Kurt Klimt, Principal & Founder, K&G Architects

The firm’s widespread experience traverses all project types—from commercial, residential, educational, and hospitality design to master planning entire communities. Some of its key clients include Hilton Hotels, Time Warner Cable, and The Marine Mammal Center.

“We pride ourselves in our attention to detail, our repeat client base, and our ability to provide projects that are innovative and energy efficient while working within tight budgets and schedules,” Klimt says.

ABOVE: The Lux Art Institute sculpture garden.

Two recent sustainable projects include the Lux Art Institute in Encinitas, California, and a new facility for Oceanic Time Warner Cable in Hilo, Hawaii. Klimt served as LEED coordinator for the Lux Art Institute, located outside of San Diego, which is one of the first LEED-certified art museums in the country. The museum makes effective use of low-VOC materials, a high-efficiency HVAC system, and the use of solar light wells to capture natural daylighting in the art gallery space. He is also LEED coordinator for the Oceanic Time Warner Cable office building and warehouse. The two-story office is seeking LEED Silver certification. Among its sustainable features are solar PV panels, a solar water heater on the roof, low-VOC materials, and a steel frame with a high percentage of recycled content.

“We are committed to sustainability and environmentally responsible design, and treat every project as a contributor to a sustainable environment,” says Klimt, who also enjoys giving back to the community. He is a founding member of the ReGreen Hawaii organization and a member of the Youth Horizons group that provides resources to at-risk youth.

K&G

rchitects

Keeping up with the latest technologies, Klimt says that K&G Architects takes full advantage of state-of-the-art software, including BIM programs like Revit. “We have seen dramatic efficiencies realized by integrating the wide variety of systems in the building model at the earliest stages in the design process,” he says. “And the benefits increase as the design progresses from the earliest conceptual design sketches to contract documents.”

By staying current on the latest breakthroughs, Klimt says they have more time to think outside the box. “We are now more focused,” he says, “on stretching the limits of design in terms of efficient use of material resources and the realization that we need to minimize our impact on the environment while providing innovative design solutions.” gb&d

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SHAdy buSINESS. These canopies—for Architekton’s Civic Space Shade Canopies in Phoenix—are characterized by their subtle warp, formed by slight variation of linear construction materials. For a closer look at this project, turn to p. 64. Photo: Winquist Photography.

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adapt + evolve There are two groups of industrious designers in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert and one isn’t human. Architekton dives deep into the anthill to create dynamic solar shades and explore design that—like its fellow eco-advocates—adapts. story Daniel Casciato

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In the sizzling Sonoran Desert, which spans the southwestern corner of Arizona, there are at least 10 different ant species. Historically, ant colonies have served as examples of vast, complex societies that operate equally efficiently and sustainably. Architekton, an architectural and interior design firm that also calls the Sonoran Desert home, is trying to create a similar culture.

At the macro level, Architekton’s design philosophy includes an understanding of and response to the needs of the global community in each and every project, be it urban, suburban, or rural. The team asks how design can knit people together, connect to other projects, or encourage pedestrian walkability in such a harsh environment.

Large-scale ideas require intensely symbiotic inner workings, just like an ant colony requires every ant to participate. Breaking down the plans of Architekton, each of its daringly designed buildings operates like a truly living organism. “At the building level, we’re looking at how the building can defend itself from the extreme climate; save, conserve, or reuse water; reduce energy costs; minimize maintenance costs; and easily adapt to change over time,” says John F. Kane, FAIA, and LEED AP. +

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ddapt + evolve

An examination of The Tempe Transportation Center sheds light on the firm’s industrious adaptation to its ecosystem. The project is a 40,000-square-foot multimodal transportation hub—a mixeduse building that integrates ground-floor retail, a “bike cellar,” city transportation offices, leasable office space, and a community room. Completed about a year ago, Kane says the LEED Platinumpending project uses 52 percent less energy than a similar building per the ASHRAE baseline. This was accomplished through myriad interconnecting strategies: a desert vegetated roof, unique solar response for each orientation, a raised floor, and natural ventilation. The building, which was a recipient of the 2009 EPA National Smart Growth Achievement Award, also incorporates an integrated storm-water and greywater system.

Like its designs, Architekton has adapted to changes in its own environment. The firm was founded in 1989 by four architects on an indestructible foundation of three equally important, integrated core principles: exceptional design, exceptional technical administration, and exceptional client service. “Like most firms when starting up, we had a shared vision of starting a firm that created the best architecture possible for our clients and community,” says Kane, who received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Arizona State University in 1985.

+

At the building level, we’re looking at how the building can defend itself from extreme climate.

—John F. Kane, Founding Partner & Design Principal, Architekton

Today, its staff of 40 includes 10 registered architects and 12 LEED APs. Since its formation, the firm has evolved into an extremely collaborative practice; everyone—from the client to the staff to the consultants and contractors and even other architecture firms— works together early, with the goal of achieving integrated solutions.

“Through early, consistent, and inclusionary collaboration, we are able to provide creative, ecologically sensitive, and functional architecture that exceeds our client’s expectations and contributes to the communities they are constructed within,” Kane explains.

“Client, climate, context, program, budget, and sustainability are among the many issues carefully considered and reconciled to create regional-appropriate architectural solutions.”

Perhaps without such a heady lexicon, this is precisely what ants do—they create regional-appropriate architecture for their communities by working together. “Collaboration is important,” Kane notes. “We want to get everyone around the table as early as possible and work together to find the right solution. There are no egos or preconceived ideas.” What further sets the firm apart from the competition is its people, passion, and process.

As a firm committed to maintaining a sustainable corporate culture, Architekton works on climate-responsive architecture that reinforces the pedestrian environment and considers the future life of projects over time. “Buildings have a major impact on our energy and water usage,” Kane says. “They have relatively large carbon footprints. With most of our projects set in the public realm, we have the opportunity to design buildings that can set examples for those that use the facilities to show better ways to build.”

Farmer Studios, where the firm is housed, is setting such an example. The 13,000-square-foot, mixed-use, “flex” building was designed to evolve with the surrounding neighborhood. Acting as a catalyst for additional pedestrian-oriented development in an underutilized part of town, the project augments the urban form of the street, which two subsequent projects have now further reinforced.

The building has been designed for office, retail, or live/work use, depending on the needs of the neighborhood, which Architekton realizes will change. A uniquely interactive shading device gives the building a unique character designed to never go out of style.

Kane is optimistic about the future, noting that careful, sustainable growth is possible by continuing to work hard to keep its clients happy and maintaining a strong reputation for consistently producing region-appropriate architecture. “We are constantly evolving, relative to the sustainability of the company itself, either through the building we work in or through the process of our typical workday,” Kane says. “We also want to become more transdiciplinary—[weaving] industrial design, engineering, and landscape architecture into a truly integrated, collaborative environment that works at the myriad scales of the built environment.” Natural selection won’t weed out these architects any time soon. gb&d

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Photo: Architekton.

project portfolio/ Architekton

Photo: Jeff beene.

FARMER STUDIOS

Photo: Jeff beene.

Photo: Architekton.

Flexibility defines the spaces within Farmer Studios and the structure itself; the clean, inconspicuous, but imaginative two-story building has been designed and zoned to never concede functionality: it can literally and legally hold any combination of retail, residential, or office space. A custom solar shade and salvaged steel reinforce a refined, urban palette while adding to the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unimposing character. In its first incarnation, the 13,000-square-foot complex houses an architectural studio and three executive suites.

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Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

project portfolio

In a desert locale, where little surplus can be found, Architekton’s new Tempe transit hub blends into its natural environment. Sited to respect and preserve nearby Hayden butte, sacred to some of the region’s native peoples, the sculptural—at times almost whimsical—structure marries the rational organization of transportation with more welcoming spaces for community gathering. The community’s new icon seeks LEEd Platinum certification with 50 percent energy reduction, a vegetated roof, and a solar veil.

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Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

TEMpE TRAnSpORTATIOn CEnTER

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Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

Photo: Š Al Payne/A. F. Payne Photographic, Tempe, AZ.

Exploded axonometric projection of the Tempe Transportation Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Room. Rendering: Architekton.

Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

First (top) and second (bottom) floorplans. Illustrations: Architekton.

Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

project portfolio

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Photo: Architekton.

CGCC IROnwOOD HAll

Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

Photo: Timmerman Photography Inc.

decked out in shades of green, tangerine, and blue—echoing hues found throughout the Arizona campus—the Chandler-Gilbert Community College campus’ Ironwood Hall draws on sustainable materials and strategies to create a LEEd Silver building. Inside, three parallel bars are positioned to create an interactive classroom building that houses a unique mix of programs: chemistry, physics, geology, engineering, ceramics, and faculty offices. Insulated concrete and commodity metal siding are the backbones of this forward-facing project.

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Photo: Winquist Photography.

Photo: Architekton.

Photo: Architekton.

project portfolio

CIvIC SpACE SHADE CAnOpIES A new public space in downtown Phoenix offered an enticing civic playground for visitors but required extensive shading to make the site hospitable. Mimicking the undulating topography of the park, the concept of shade canopies emerged as the perfect solution. The intent was to create a parallel, overhead plane spanning the entire site and hence, unifying the sprawling space. Photovoltaic panels placed on top of the structure provide additional shade, enhancing the dancing shadows cast below, which form an intricate and ever-changing pattern throughout the day.

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Photo: Winquist Photography.

Photo: daniel Watts, Next World Media.

Solar shade rendering: Eric Vollmer, Architekton.

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01/ architect 02/ transportation 03/ design element 04/ building 05/ event 06/ residence 07/ art gallery 08/ development 09/ art installation 10/ living design words David Hudnall list compilation Amie Kesler, Darhiana Mateo, and Timothy Schuler

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For years, people have preached about the potential of the green movement: the green jobs that can be the engine of a new economy, the alternative fuels that can power our cars, the new ways of building that can make our homes and offices less reliant on the energy grid. All these things are becoming more of a reality every day, as readers of gb&d know well.

What was perhaps less anticipated was the way a green lifestyle could infiltrate a culture—how it could socialize with the arts and spark entirely new genres, how it could unite unlikely creative minds, how it could inspire designs that fuse the past with the future in unimaginable ways.

We’re a building and design magazine, so we’ve omitted examples of the green influence in the wider swath of the artistic world—like the popular indie-rock band Cloud Cult, who tours in a biodiesel van and has formed a nonprofit record label called Earthology Records that’s headquartered on an organic farm powered by geothermal energy and donates all profits to environmental charities. Or REI, an outdoor clothing outfitter that produces fashionable gear from low-impact, organic, and recyclable materials and uses an eco-sensitive labeling system.

Instead, we’ve turned our eye to what we know best: structures, projects, and art installations built with sustainability in mind.

And what a year it was for those. 2010 saw the grand opening of the largest privately funded construction project in the history of the United States: CityCenter, on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s a massive, luxurious, mixed-use project—but it’s also admirably green; 40 sustainability consultants were

hired for the job, ensuring the six LEED certifications it eventually received.

If CityCenter was an instructive lesson in merging sustainable design with an upscale aesthetic, Michael Green’s use of old paperback books as the building blocks of a washroom/changing room for the LYNNsteven retail store in Vancouver is at the other end of the spectrum: a humble, but wildly imaginative, repurposing of found objects. And the fact that Green’s project—which cost all of $8,000 and took less than three weeks to design—received the International Interior Design Association’s award for Project of the Year in 2010 is surely a sign of the respect designers increasingly have for work that merges inspired concepts with a sustainable approach regardless of prestige.

We’ve also examined projects whose designs are less about use and more about artistic impression, for instance Theo Jansen’s Strandbeesten—kinetic sculptures brought to life by the wind—or the flying greenhouse that French street-theater company La Machine propped into western France. And we’re always excited by the big thinkers, like London industrial designer Thomas Tzortzi, who has conceived a design for a zero-emission solar blimp—air travel without the great environmental cost.

It’s both correct and misleading to characterize 2010 as the most progressive year yet for green building and design, because 2011 will surely bring with it works of art that trump even the most glorious designs we’ve featured in this section. But those have not been completed yet—maybe haven’t even been dreamed up yet—so for now, have a look at our favorites of 2010.

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01

top 10 of 2010 One look at the COR Building (shown right)—a mixed-use Miami high-rise shaped like a cheese grater—and you understand that the mind behind it is exceptionally daring and inventive.

What you might not immediately grasp is that the building seamlessly integrates a variety of green technologies, like wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and solar hot-water generation. Green design is a hallmark of Oppenheim’s buildings, but he prefers to think of his work in terms of how it relates to the natural world.

architect

Chad Oppenheim

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Discussing his body of work, Miami-based architect Chad Oppenheim comes across as perfectly modest—humble even. Yet his designs are far from modest; they’re among the most progressive buildings being constructed in the world today.

“Energy efficiency and sustainability are an important part of architecture today,” he says. “but we also try to respect the beauty of the natural world, and want our buildings to celebrate that beauty—while also making sure that beauty is sustained for future generations. So our general philosophy comes down to enhancing the world we live in—creating an enhanced ecosystem.”

In 2010, Oppenheim put the finishing touches on a project where he was able to quite literally enhance an ecosystem: a Tree Museum, located on the shores of Lake Zurich in

Switzerland. Oppenheim collaborated with landscape architect Enzo Enea, designing both the museum and Enea’s adjacent new headquarters. “The idea was to make a building that was a backdrop to these amazing gardens, which are the real focus of attention,” Oppenheim says. Many of the usual suspects—geothermal climate control, a green roof, triple-insulated glass, all-local materials— were incorporated into the design. “It’s an idyllic setting, and we knew the less intrusive our design was, the better,” he says. “And even on an urban project, we’d be very concerned with how the design interacts with nature. You want to be very sure you’re not taking anything away from the planet.”

transportation

Eunoia Airship Airplanes release 600 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, making them one of the world’s leading sources of greenhouse gases. But air travel need not be so ecologically harmful, says Londonbased industrial designer Thomas Tzortzi. He’s designed a prototype for a modern, zero-emission zeppelin— he’s calling it the Eunoia Airship—that’s powered by solar panels and elevated into the stratosphere via helium, no runway necessary.

As of now, the design for Tzortzi’s solar blimp accommodates eight people, but he believes that future iterations will have a capacity of up to 60. For speed, it won’t be able to compete with an airplane, but that’s not really the point. For now at least, the Eunoia—with its viewing capsule in the gondola, a sun deck across the top of the vessel, and a viewing room in the nose of the blimp— is more about journey than destination. Think of it as a cruise ship in the sky.

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design element

Repurposed Books It’s pretty common these days to salvage and creatively reuse items like tiles and flooring as part of a renovation or a new build. Less typical is to incorporate items that aren’t related to building at all— say, paperback books. Which is why Michael Green’s design of a

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washroom/change room at the LYNNsteven retail store in Vancouver is so creatively inspiring—and why the International Interior Design Association awarded it Project of the Year in 2010.

“It’s compelling to look at goods that aren’t being used in today’s market and find a way to repurpose them,” says Green, who

Green purchased a haul of used pocket paperbacks from a supplier on Craigslist—5,600 in all—sorted them by height and thickness, stacked them like bricks, and glued and screwed them together. The finished product is a 10-foot-high cylinder of books in the center of the store. The project cost a grand total of $8,000; it took a week to design, and three weeks to build.

“Obviously, it’s the most modest project [the IIDA] has given an award to on that level,” Green says. “But

I think it says something about this moment in time—that a design doesn’t need to be the most expensive or even the most beautiful, that applying creativity to found objects is just as valid.”

03

designs for Vancouver-based MGB Architecture. “On a previous project, we repurposed skinny skis, because everyone has them sitting in their basements because they’ve switched to fat skis. At [LYNNsteven], we knew we wanted a strong statement that was aesthetically simple. And I realized old paperbacks could be an interesting way to achieve that.”

Currently at work designing a city in Tajikistan, Green says he’s continually encouraged by the possibilities of reuse. “What I find most fascinating is that the less developed a country is, the better it is at using what’s around,” he says. “The other day, I saw an old car door being used as a gate. That’s inspiring to me.” Photos: Arnaldo Rodriguez.

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04

building

The Omega Center for Sustainable Living The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies has been dedicated to wellness and personal growth since its founding in 1977; today, it’s the nation’s largest holistic center. In 2006, it hatched a plan to develop a sustainable wastewater filtration facility for its campus, a 195-acre plot in Rhinebeck, New York, near the Hudson River basin—one of the most vital watersheds on the planet.

To accomplish this, it hired Kansas City, Missouri-based BNIM Architects, who proposed using Living Building Challenge guidelines (see Living Future, also a top 10) as a yardstick for the project.

The Omega Center for Sustainable Living is pursuing Living building status through the Living building Challenge. Located in Rhinebeck, Ny, it is a wastewater treatment facility that uses biological processes to treat 52,000 gallons of wastewater per day.

All photos: © 2009 Assassi.

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“It worked out very well, because it was clear from the beginning that Omega was already aligned with our sustainable way of thinking,” says Laura Lesniewski, the project leader at BNIM. Both parties agreed to showcase the wastewater system in a building that would also include a classroom and laboratory.

For the system itself, team implemeneted an Eco-machine—an invention wherein wastewater is “run through treatment zones where all major forms of life are represented, including microscopic algae, fungi, bacteria, snails, and fishes, naturally cleaning the water without the need for hazardous chemicals.” The building uses site-harvested renewable energy to achieve a net-zero effect; a geothermal heating system, radiant flooring, natural ventilation, and daylighting were all part of the design.

Omega is utilizing the space as an opportunity to educate its students about ecological matters. “There’s lots of educational signage around the building, with information about the materials we used and the energy saved and how that was done,” Lesniewski says.

The project won an AIA Green design award in 2010 and was one of only four designs in 2010 to meet the Living building Challenge.

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05

top 10 of 2010

event

Living Future Since its inception, the green movement has been driven by unconventional, untraditional solutions to the predicament presented by the state of our planet. So it makes sense that one of the most influential gathering forums of that movement, Living Future, bears little resemblance to the typical PowerPoint-and-cocktails industry conferences held at convention centers across the country.

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An annual event hosted by the Cascadia Green Building Council, Living Future—referred to as an “unconference” by its organizers—strives for “more of a thinktank atmosphere,” says Megan Hilfer, a representative for the event. “There’s a desire to preserve the opportunities for real, one-on-one conversations and connections.”

“In a very short period of time we have become the go-to conference for those who want to push all the boundaries and understand that the time for baby steps is long past,” says Jason F. McLennan, CEO of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. “These are the boldest and most forwardthinking people involved in building.”

The fourth annual—and largest— Living Future gathering (pictured above, right) was held in Seattle in 2010, attended by a crowd of 800 architects, engineers, and interior designers, as well as representatives from governments and nonprofits. The theme was “Build Hope, Revaluing Community,” and topics included urban and vertical agriculture; affordable, sustainable designs; and living buildings.

The Cascadia council challenges designers to produce living buildings, defining such a building as

a structure that “generates all of its own energy with renewable, nontoxic resources, captures and treats all of its water, and operates efficiently and for maximum beauty.” Currently, there are more than 70 proposed Living Building Challenge projects, with four completed, one of which is the Omega Center for Sustainable Living.

The 2010 conference also marked the announcement of the launch of the Living City design Competition, an opportunity for architects,

designers, artists, and builders to submit designs for “cities of the future”—ideas for taking the current urban landscape and improving it from an ecological standpoint.

The 2011 Living Future conference will be held in Vancouver from April 27 to 29. The theme is “Our Children’s Cities: Visualizing a Restorative Civilization,” and it will almost certainly be the breeding ground for a host of new, innovative ideas about green living.

Photo: Tom Twigg.

residence

Special No. 9 House Five years after Hurricane Katrina, the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans remains a site of ruin. Nothing can change the destruction the storm caused, but the Make It Right Foundation, an organization founded by Brad Pitt, has spearheaded an effort to bring housing back to the area. The Special No. 9 House, designed

by Philadelphia-based architecture firm KieranTimberlake, stands out as a symbol of the potential of this culturally rich area.

Named as a Top Ten Green Project by the AIA and the Committee on the Environment (COTE), the Special No. 9 House earned LEEd Platinum certification. With a roofmounted solar array, geothermal heating and cooling, and high-efficiency HVAC systems, it uses 65 percent less energy than comparable homes. Most significantly, it’s not an anomaly; the home is being prepped for mass production in the area. Sustainable, affordable housing in New Orleans—there is hope after all.

Rendering: © Kieran-Timberlake.

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art gallery

07

View of Main Gallery with Adjustable Wall Bra (Vito Acconci, 1990).

Photo: © Jason Schmidt.

Art Cave bored into the side of a hill on a 17-acre site in Napa Valley, California, the Art Cave—designed by New York architecture firm Bade Stageberg Cox—is a breathtaking juxtaposition between modern design and the natural world. Inside the cave, whose otherworldly, almost haunting entrance could be a portal into another dimension, is a voluminous collection of contemporary art. Many of the pieces are installations that require advanced technology and care, and the designers used the cave’s qualities to the advantage of the project.

Tunneling techniques informed by the history of vineyard architecture allow for an interior free of columns, and its underground location provides a natural atmosphere that requires significantly less energy to heat and cool. It received an International Architecture Award for best New Global design from the Chicago Athenaeum in 2010.

View of West Side Gallery with works by bonvicini and Tiravanija.

Photo: architekturfoto.net.

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Photo: © Jason Schmidt.

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top 10 of 2010

development

CityCenter Nearly $9 billion. 16 million square feet. 67 acres. The numbers on Las Vegas’ CityCenter—the largest privately funded construction project in the history of the united States—are nothing short of staggering. But rather than being a gaudy symbol of American excess, it’s instead a gorgeous testament to the possibilities of merging a luxury lifestyle with sustainable design.

09

The mixed-use project on the Las Vegas Strip is the largest LEEd job ever completed, with six separate Gold certifications. FSC wood is incorporated not just into the staircases and walls but the art and sculptures. Out in the desert, water conservation is especially important. At CityCenter, water use is 60 percent less than in conventional buildings, a drip-water irrigation system nourishes the landscaping, and low-flow plumbing is a staple throughout. Another staggering number: 40 full-time sustainability professionals were hired during the development process to ensure the LEED process went according to plan. It’s hard to think of a more efficient way to go green than that. Photo: MGM Resorts International.

art installation

Strandbeesten Dutch artist Theo Jansen’s kinetic sculptures are an innovative fusion of engineering and nature—as living as art could possibly seem to be. His strandbeesten, roughly meaning “beach beasts,” as he calls them, resemble skeletons and are designed in such a way that they are propelled by the wind to “walk.” Jansen started out as a scientist, and his beasts are an extension of a computer program he created years ago to investigate evolutionary design.

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To accomplish the effect, Jansen uses plastic yellow tubes, into which gusts of air are pumped, which in turn powers the legs of the creatures, propelling movement. He’s designed the strandbeesten with enhanced capabilities as time has gone on and says he hopes one day they will be able to evolve without his intervention. It sounds crazy, and it is, kind of. But it’s also brilliant, and something that should be seen to be fully understood. [Watch clips from filmmaker Alexander Schlichter at strandbeestmovie.com] Photo: Loek ven der Klis.

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living design

L’Aéroflorale II In the spring of 2010, in Nantes, a city in western France, a greenhouse made to look as though it was floating in the air (but which was actually supported by a gigantic tripod) appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It turned out to be the work of La Machine, a French street-theater company known for bewildering European citizens with public art that weaves the mechanical and the natural into futuristic, sciencefiction demonstrations. (Other demonstrations have included a 50-foot spider it attached to a Liverpool building, or the wooden elephant it released to the streets of Nantes.) For the greenhouse, called L’Aéroflorale II, the second iteration of the concept, the tripod carried the plants on suspended platforms. It’s not the most practical design, but that’s not the point. The greenhouse is a think piece more than anything— a way of coaxing us into thinking about the evolving structure of the living world.

Photo (left): flickr user: Stéfan Le Dû (cc).

Rendering (below): François Delaroziere.

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MOuNTAIN MAGIC. Nestled in the mountains of Santa Elena in Colombia, the Santa Elena house designed by Antonio Sofan blends in—indeed, almost disappears—with the scenic landscape.

The house is accessed through an almost imperceptible opening on the roof deck, emphasized by a pink mosaic wall. For a closer look at this subtle architectural statement, turn to p.115. Photo: Carlos Tobon.

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/work MuLTIuSE FACILITIES

rebranding loyalty M+A Architects stays true to its 30-year history while reinventing itself and expanding its horizons, looking to new sectors as well as new countries

by Zach Baliva

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Dennis Meacham and Bob Apel started Meacham and Apel Architects in central Ohio more than 30 years ago; four partners acquired the firm in 2000 and have rebranded the practice as M+A Architects. Matt Canterbury, director of business development, says president Mark Daniels continues to focus on Meacham and Apel’s past strengths in industrial, spiritual, mixed-use, and civic projects while also repositioning the company to grow into new areas.

The original company grew throughout its entire history. As it stands today, that core group of four employees has expanded into a diverse collection of 43 partners, associates, architects and designers, and human resources and support staff. Daniels and his fellow partners believe their comprehensive rebranding efforts will continue that tradition of growth as the markets continue to rebound. “We’re taking what we’ve been good at and using it to target new clients,” Canterbury says. Roughly half of M+A’s jobs last year were with first-time clients.

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spaces/work

As the rebranding push commenced in 2009, Daniels decided to increase his company’s reach in civic and spiritual projects because these could be financed in the down economy. M+A leadership then looked to expand outside of its four core market sectors and identified international projects, affordable-housing work, higher-education projects, and commercial-office buildings as new growth opportunities.

“We’ve used our strength in sustainability, bIM, and universal design to open doors to new areas.”

—Matt Canterbury, Director of Business Development

Now, the company is building two large manufacturing plants in Russia and advised on sustainable and universal design guidelines for OHFA, a group that sets standards for affordable housing projects. “We’ve used our strength in sustainability, BIM, and universal design to open doors to new areas,” Canterbury says. By advising on the OHFA guidelines, M+A has established itself as a leader in the marketplace and from that position has been invited to speak at gatherings like the Ohio Housing Conference.

Sustainability may be important to the rebranding, but it isn’t a new concept for the firm. “Bob Apel had solar-photovoltaic panels and an envelope designed to far exceed homes built in 1977 at his own home,” Canterbury says, “so we’re built on a foundation of energy-efficient and sustainable thoughts. But professionally, we’ve approached it from a client-driven perspective.” Years ago, Canterbury and some co-workers, realizing clients and municipalities would eventually demand and mandate green

practices and sustainable initiatives, had approached the partners, who then recommitted to focusing on the technology.

OPPOSITE: M+A Architects recently designed a corporate headquarters in Ohio that is registered with the uSGbC for LEEd certification.

AbOVE: The interior of the headquarters.

Afterward, Canterbury and Nikki Wildman, an architect and sustainability specialist with the firm, analyzed deliverables to create a base specification that defines M+A’s quality of work. “We look at materials, recyclables, durability, energy ratings, vendors, and manufacturers to make sure they meet our standards on every single project,” Canterbury explains. M+A sets sustainability goals with its clients and then achieves those goals through methods that are best suited to a specific project. “We can set a goal to be 30 percent more efficient than code, for example, and that goal can be reached a thousand of different ways depending on the building owner’s program,” he says.

Though many companies excel at solely documents or

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spaces/work design, M+A bills itself as a “smart-design” company centered on collaboration because Canterbury believes the company is good at both. “We think with both sides of our brain, and we deliver a turnkey product,” he says.

To complete its rebranding, M+A is moving into a LEED Silver building, which the company designed for a developer in Columbus. M+A’s new offices will serve as a hub for clients, and the designers have constructed a space 20 percent more efficient than code using passive energy design, intensive lighting controls, sustainable materials. The building is on a repurposed brownfield site in an urban, walkable community.

Additionally, M+A is working on a LEED Silver K–6 school that was programmed around learning environments of the future: open areas, outdoor classrooms, multi-use spaces, and a media center. Another project, Prologis Etna #3, was the first LEED Silver distribution

center in Ohio. The building of nearly a half million square feet houses energy-efficient lights that dim to achieve necessary foot-candles based on natural light from the skylight’s operation. M+A maxed out LEED credits in energy and atmosphere, as the building is 60 percent electrically more efficient than code.

With the culmination of the rebranding efforts, management has placed M+A in a position to capitalize on emerging industry trends. M+A’s success, however, is built upon its employees. “We have great people in our company, and our diversity allows us to maintain a balanced portfolio,” Canterbury says. The rebranding has succeeded in bringing more business to M+A—the company had 62 new projects in the first quarter of 2010 compared to just 23 in 2009. gb&d

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w w w. c o rd o g a n c l a r k . c o m CHICAGO 716 North Wells St. • Chicago, IL 6O654 • T: 312.943.73OO • F: 312.943.4771 AURORA 96O Ridgeway Ave. • Aurora, IL 6O5O6 • T: 63O.896.4678 • F: 63O.896.4987

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spaces/work PubLIC SERVICE buILdINGS

sustainability’s second coming With a versatile portfolio that spans both public and private sectors, Cordogan, Clark & Associates is helping shift popular opinion regarding sustainable design

by Julie Schaeffer

When John Clark first became interested in sustainable design, the world viewed it differently. “In the 1970s, when I first began working with solar technology, there wasn’t a deep interest in sustainability from a business standpoint, so it never really took off,” explains Clark, principal of Cordogan, Clark & Associates Inc. “This time around, there’s been a profound shift in thinking.”

The new attitude is music to Clark’s ears. “Early in my career, I became interested in Buckminster Fuller’s ideas about global thinking, and the second coming of sustainability illustrates the extent to which these ideas have become part of the business culture,” says Clark. “Today, people are thinking more broadly about how something that happens in one part of the world affects something in another part of the world.”

Clark credits this sea change to the USGBC and its LEED program. “The USGBC was able to do something the architectural community had not: effectively channel public interest in green design,” Clark says. “It was time for it, certainly, but somehow LEED struck the right chord.” Cordogan, Clark & Associates’ workload, which spans the public and private sector, is evidence of sustainable design’s wide acceptance.

One of the firm’s most notable public projects—designed in conjunction with McClaren Wilson and Lawrie, nationally recognized specialists in law-enforcement architecture—is a $100 million police headquarters in Aurora, Illinois.

The project consists of a 154,000-square-foot headquarters that includes a branch court and a 911-emergency-call center; a 41,000-square-foot training-and-support center with a firearms range; an evidence-storage facility and forensic-examination labs; and a 204,000-square-foot parking structure. Sustainable design features include photovoltaic panels, green roofs, daylighting, and innovative wastewater techniques, to name just a few.

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Cordogan, Clark & Associates

Where the Aurora mayor’s decision to make the new police headquarters a sustainable facility represents governmental commitment to green design, Cordogan, Clark & Associates’ design for Devon Bank’s Wheeling, Illinois, branch represents a similar commitment from the business community.

Although the project comprises just 6,500 square feet, Clark says it illustrates “an intense application of sustainable design features per square foot.

“Everywhere you look, you see some sort of advanced sustainable technology,” he explains of the bank, which is designed to LEED Gold standards. “Adjacent to the building there’s a field of six 35-foot wind turbines that look like kinetic sculptures. The roof houses a 1,200-square-foot planted surface and 36 solar panels. And the building’s exterior incorporates a Kawneer curtain-wall system with integral sun-shading devices.”

“The uSGbC was able to do something the architectural community had not: effectively channel public interest in green design. It was time for it, certainly, but somehow LEEd struck the right chord.”

—John W. Clark, Principal

In addition to being good for the environment, these features advertise themselves—Clark says they’ve helped the bank achieve its business goals. “The sustainable aspects of the building show the community that the bank is progressive,” he says. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this branch has been very successful attracting new business.”

Recently, Cordogan, Clark & Associates has become involved in larger-scale master-planning projects that incorporate its skills in both public- and private-sector design.

One example: the West Washington Park Lifestyle Center on Chicago’s South Side. The multi-use project, if funded and built, will feature commercial, residential, and educational facilities that span 160 acres.

PREVIOuS PAGE: The interplay of materials, volumes, texture, and color in natural light enlivens internal circulation in the Aurora Police Headquarters.

AbOVE: View of the police headquarters lobby interior, with generous natural light and a historic police car. Photos: James Steinkamp.

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The headquarters also houses the state’s first municipal jail to offer “flex dorms,” a unique solution to a state law that requires detained men, women, and juveniles to be separated.

“By constructing cells from smart glass—liquid-crystal glass that changes from transparent to translucent through the press of a button—prisoners can be held in the same area instead of separate detainment areas,” explains Partner John Cordogan. “This reduced the building’s footprint and resulted in significant cost savings.”

The new facility—which is expected to use 30 percent less water and 27 percent less energy than a similar-size building—is registered for LEED Gold certification.

“The sustainable aspects of this project create a new archetype in urban real estate,” Clark says. “In keeping with the [Chicago] mayor’s commitment to sustainable design, the project will include a range of sustainable architecture, from LEED Silver to Platinum.”

It will also illustrate the architects’ commitment to sustainability across many sectors, Clark says. “Our client base spans many sectors, but sustainable design provides a unifying theme for all of our work,” he says. “We care about how buildings are constructed, how they work from passive and active energy standpoints, and their relationship to nature and the environment.” gb&d

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spaces/work RESEARCH LAbORATORIES

visionary work in niche markets Seeking out a project’s uniquely suited sustainable elements, Cope Associates envisions a future where industries understand and implement the emerging technologies of the day

by Jennifer Hogeland

Lanis Cope prides himself on being a strategic marketer.

For more than 25 years, Cope Associates has endured the ups and downs of the economy with its intentionally diverse service offerings. “I stand back and look at the world—I see where the world is going, and I try to capture those markets,” Cope explains. “We don’t have the extreme peaks and valleys because of our diversity.”

Of course, the world went green. The firm became seriously involved in sustainable design in 2001; Cope himself became actively involved in USGBC initiatives early on. “I was on the founding board of the East Tennessee

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bELOW: The 52,000square-foot, LEEd-certified, Research Support Center houses a stateof-the-art conferencing facility. As the gateway for the new East Campus complex of buildings, this AIA Honor Award project is unique in its architectural expression.

Chapter. One of my employees was the charter president of the organization,” he recalls. At the time the USGBC chapter was forming, Cope Associates began the design of its first LEED-certified building, the Research Support Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Complete in 2002, the center was the second LEED-certified building in eastern Tennessee.

The project initiator, the US Department of Energy, was tremendously interested in energy efficiency. “I’d like to think one of the reasons we were selected was because we were on the forefront of endorsing the environmental design initiatives that were promoted by the USGBC,” Cope says. The design exceeded ASHRAE guidelines. It incorporated specialty lighting and sustainable water initiatives; water use was reduced by 20– 30 percent; a brownfield was chosen for the site. The building earned points for alternative transportation as well as minimizing heat-island effect. The building materials contained recycled content, and construction waste was recycled. And the architects put high priority on indoor air quality and incorporated plenty of natural daylight into their design.

These green features bolster Cope Associates’ specialization: the niche markets of North Carolina and Tennessee—educational, correctional, institutional, and

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healthcare facilities, as well as governmental structures and commercial properties. To give the firm a competitive edge, Cope Associates supports these industries by participating in selected conventions and seminars.

“We try to be proactive, helping them to understand the emerging things happening in their world,” Cope says.

AbOVE: The Living Well Center, which received an AIA East Tennessee Honor Citation, is a private facility for an exclusive gated community on a portion of the original Vanderbilt estate in Asheville, NC.

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The progressive vision of Cope Associates enhanced the design of a three-story, multiuse facility for the Melton Valley Campus at ORNL. The sustainable structure has office space, conference space, and a high bay area with a crane to bring in heavy equipment. At 30 percent completion, the motor vehicle maintenance facility is on track for LEED Gold certification. Also located on a brownfield, the structure will earn sustainable site points; its storm-water and water-efficiency initiatives will reduce water use by 40 percent; and through energy optimization the building’s performance is expected to improve by 30 percent. “We incorporated 20 percent recycled content and 20 percent of the materials used were regionally manufactured,” Cope adds.

Cope Associates has also been called on to design several sustainable projects for the University of

Tennessee. The first was a $40 million football-training facility. Required to follow the Tennessee’s sustainable guidelines, Cope Associates is employing design decisions that are as environmentally responsible as possible. “We are in a position to conserve energy and water,” Cope says. “There is also an opportunity to use recycled materials.”

The firm is becoming adept at taking advantage of all such opportunities. The second project for UT is a $17 million animal hospital for the College of Veterinary Medicine that is also bound by the state’s sustainability guidelines. “While we are early in the design process, I do expect it will certainly meet energy-efficiency standards,” Cope says. He suspects they will explore unique, creative options for the ventilation system.

The firm has done remarkable work with historic preservations, restoring old buildings while installing modern systems. The original character is retained despite sizable alterations. One 1934 middle-school building was converted into a multi-tenant office building and now houses the Cope Associates offices. “We put it on the national historic register,” Cope notes. “It has the

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spaces/work RIGHT: Cope Associates worked to expand the university of Tennessee’s Small Animal Clinic to broaden the veterinary medicine practice and offer services that are at the forefront of veterinary medicine.

These new spaces were catered toward avian and zoological medicine, physical therapy, chemotherapy, nuclear medicine, and additional support areas.

“I stand back and look at the world—I see where the world is going, and I try to capture those markets.”

—Lanis Cope, Founder

distinction of being the only building in our area that has ever qualified for 100 percent of the tax credits offered by the National Historic Preservation.”

Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the high-performance, Class A office building utilizes cutting-edge sustainable systems while preserving the integrity of the structure.

Cope Associates has done similar renovations for other buildings in town, including the downtown federal courthouse and post office. “We make them energy-efficient,” Cope says, “and breathe new life into them.”

To remain distinct from other firms, Cope Associates has developed its own set of sustainability guidelines.

“There are many clients out there who want to be environmentally sensitive and responsible, but they don’t necessarily want to pay the cost for the LEED certification,” Cope explains. “What we’ve done—because we’ve done enough of this—is we know what our clients need to do that doesn’t cost any money and what they can do that costs just a little bit of money. We look at the things that have payback and the things that don’t have payback.” The architects implement the no-cost or lowcost features into all of their designs, whether the client asks for them or not. “But if a system has an impact on their budget, we explain why it would be to their benefit to add those features,” he adds. “Ultimately it is up to them to decide.”

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Some are no brainers for both company and client.

“There are things you can do that not only cost you no money but they save you money—such as choosing materials that are locally or regionally produced,” Cope says. Without trucking costs, the products are often cheaper, and from a sustainable standpoint, the local materials reduce the reliance on foreign oil because transportation is kept close. The impact on the ozone layer decreases. And the local economic base is kept strong.

“I think being a proactive solution provider is part of the architect’s role,” Cope says, explaining that beyond the brick and mortar, the firm strives to take a holistic approach, delivering solutions that will serve the client for many years to come. “One of the things that we try to do when we design buildings is to be sure they are designed not only to be sustainable but that they are also operationally efficient.” gb&d

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We have over five years of experience using BIM software and have implemented the use of Revit Structures on 100 percent of our projects. Our courteous and professional design staff consists of licensed structural engineers and engineering interns with over 40 years of collective experience that allows us to provide the expertise our clients demand.

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buSINESS PARk

raising the stakes At a time when many architecture firms hunkered down to weather the recession, J. Graham Goldsmith Architects launched a development group focusing exclusively on green projects

by Erica Archer

AbOVE: The former Rossignol uSA Headquarters in Williston, VT, is now the White Cap business Park, an incubator-like space rather than the conventional office layout.

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As the luxury custom-home market drastically dropped in 2008, architecture firms everywhere needed to look beyond this once lucrative market. For J. Graham Goldsmith Architects, the decision was natural: stake a larger claim in the green-building market by starting a development group.

The firm’s involvement in green building had gradually ramped up over time. In eco-conscious Vermont and affluent Nantucket, Massachusetts, the firm’s luxury-home and commercial-office clients have long shown an interest in energy-efficient and green design. “As an architect I think the qualities of green building and good design have always been synonymous,” explains Graham Goldsmith, Jr. “When I studied with Louis Kahn at the University of Pennsylvania, we always talked about natural daylight, efficient use of materials, and designing appropriate area of space. It is wonderful to be part of the green-building movement, which brings all of this to the next level.

“Because most people are now familiar with the benefits of green design,” Goldsmith adds, “I find that offices and private homes have the most interest [in it]. This is where a majority of people work and live for the longest periods

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J. Graham Goldsmith Architects

spaces/work LEFT: The site plan of the White Cap business Park indicating additional parking as part of the adaptive reuse. Stateof-the-art, underground storm-water-retention structures were installed. bELOW: An illustration of the energy features at the business park, including components of a tight building envelope.

of the day. As a result they become familiar with buildings that have good air quality, natural daylight, and an overall feeling of well being.”

For its foray into green development, with a project called the White Cap Business Park, the architecture firm created development firm White Cap Ventures, LLC. At press time, the business park is nearing completion with 80 percent occupancy. The building is expected to achieve LEED-CS Silver.

The project renovated the 143,000-square-foot former Rossignol Ski Company headquarters in Williston, Vermont.

Repurposing obsolete warehouses is a common challenge in the firm’s market, says Al Nevins, senior architect in the firm’s Burlington, Vermont, office. By creating an incubator space rather than a conventional office building, the architects and developers maximized the unique features of the old warehouse. “This is a low-bay warehouse,” Nevins notes. “It’s just perfect. It just gives a nice airy feel to the space. Large, central 20-foot-wide by 40-foot-long skylights give light to two central atriums that have botanical gardens with a water feature as an accent. This makes a formerly dark warehouse into a lively and attractive space to be in.”

The White Cap Business Park also includes standard green features like energy-efficient lighting, low-flow toilet-room fixtures, and shower rooms for those riding bikes to work, as well as a white roof to reflect sunlight and reduce energy consumption. The project used locally manufactured building products wherever possible. With these features, the

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The Future of Real Estate is Green.

“I find that offices and private homes have the most interest [in green design]. This is where a majority of people work and live for the longest periods of the day.”

Entegra is a new real estate company dedicated to environmental efficiency and sustainability.

—Graham Goldsmith, Jr., Principal Architect designers calculate that they have cut energy use by 24 percent and saved 44 percent of the building’s potable water that would ordinarily be used for non-potable purposes.

The firm will take on a new construction project with the Waterfront Plaza, a four-story office building in Burlington. In the planning and permitting stage as of press time, the project will be breaking ground late fall or early spring and is scheduled for a 2011 completion. With energy-efficient windows, eco-friendly building materials, and storm-water control through pervious pavement, the Waterfront Plaza is aiming for LEED-NC Silver.

Although the Burlington codes offer building height and FAR bonuses to projects that follow green guidelines, the developers of Waterfront Plaza aren’t motivated by potential bonuses.

“In this particular project,” Goldsmith says, “the developer isn’t going for any of the bonuses that are offered from the city; they’re just doing it as a part of conscientious construction [practices].”

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In the firm’s hometown, building green is such a part of the local codes that adding LEED certification is just icing on the cake. However, complying with LEED guidelines can be costly; Nevins estimates that LEED construction added 10 percent to the capital costs of building White Cap Business Park.

For both Waterfront Plaza and White Cap Business Park, the firm has been advised by LEED AP Brian Salazar of Entegra Development & Investment, LLC. Nevins notes that for commercial spaces, LEED certification is a marketing asset and an energy-efficiency-cost-control measure. Adds project architect and designer Michelle Bellerjeau, “A lot of our clients in Nantucket don’t want their houses LEED certified necessarily, but they are interested in energy efficiency, and they recognize and appreciate the fact we are members of the USGBC. There are, however, many green building enhancements that are incorporated into the residential designs as a natural evolution of our design philosophy. Natural daylight, low-VOC carpeting, energy-efficient mechanicals, and well-insulated structures all contribute to the green movement.”

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“Our customers show appreciation for cost savings of efficient lighting and equipment,” Goldsmith says, “but also get the feeling that they are participating in something good for our environment.” gb&d

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spaces/work A rarity, it seems, in contemporary American culture, Mike Domokur is a man that has long made it a point to practice what he preaches. In 1980—well before the green movement became popular—he designed and built his own passive-solar house that, had they existed at the time, would have met LEED standards. It was a watershed moment in his firm’s development. “Sustainable design changed from a service we provided to how we practice,” he says.

Since then, Domokur and his team of 32 employees have built a firm with a national reputation for providing innovative, environmentally friendly design solutions for a diverse clientele, including higher education, corporate architecture, healthcare, and youth and religious camps. The firm offers architecture, landscape architecture, planning, interior design, and asset management services, and, as a whole, its professional staff has more than 250 cumulative years of experience. Domokur takes particular pride, however, in the green credentials his crew boasts. “Our environmental expertise is obvious by the number of LEED APs on staff,” he says. “We integrate this expertise into every project, from planning, site and building design, to operations.

Domokur complements this culturally ingrained environmental awareness with an overarching design philosophy built on integrity, simplicity, openness, and a “courage to feel.” “These are the touchstones upon which our relationships with one another and with clients are built,” he says. These foundational pillars find unity in a simple but powerful commitment to meet and exceed expectations for what quality, greenminded design can accomplish. “Our designs reflect each organization’s culture and aspirations,” Domokur adds. “We create physical environments that are intimately connected to function and context to achieve a degree of craft and detail that elevates our designs to the highest level of beauty and practicality.”

VISITOR CENTER

food for thought Ohio architecture firm Domokur Architects draws on decades of experience to give a leading national food company a healthy makeover

by Matt Petrusek

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An apt example of this sustainable blending of form and function appears in the firm’s recent work for the J.M. Smucker Company. Smucker’s—famous for its jams and jellies but also the owner of leading food brands including Folgers, Jif, Crisco, and Pillsbury—contracted Domokur to design a new visitor store and café near its 90-acre corporate campus in northeastern Ohio, as well as the company’s “Renewal Building,” which was needed to satisfy a growing workforce of more than 1,200 employees.

Green thinking permeates the whole project, from the outside in. Seeking to preserve and enhance the headquarters’ naturally bucolic location, Domokur started by removing a centrally located warehouse and replacing it with vegetation.

This change alone created a dramatic visual and environmental effect: visitors, employees, and local wildlife alike can enjoy a corporate campus that is now more than 40 percent green space, including a large apple orchard. The landscaping, moreover, includes a mixture of local plants and a species of

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grass that requires little irrigation and fertilization. Careful storm-water management, parking spaces for fuel-efficient vehicles, ample bicycle racks, and solar-reflective roofing also contribute to an outdoor environment that is as sustainable as it is welcoming.

“We create physical environments that are intimately connected to function and context to achieve a degree of craft and detail that elevates our designs to the highest level of beauty and practicality.”

—Mike Domokur, President

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PREVIOuS PAGE: The J.M. Smucker Company store and café’s distinctive red roof sports a high solar reflectance index. The apple orchard in the foreground was planted as part of the building addition in 2007.

AbOVE: Smucker’s Renewal building, built to satisfy a growing employee population.

RIGHT: Green elements were incorporated throughout the exterior and interior to create a package that earned LEEd Silver certification.

These kinds of eco-friendly elements continue indoors. In addition to using local materials and reusing or recycling 93 percent of the construction waste, the firm incorporated daylighting extensively (natural light, for example, reaches 75 percent of the store and café) and installed individual lighting and thermal controls throughout all the work areas, significantly reducing the amount of energy used. Low-flow faucets and toilets can also be found throughout the buildings, which, in total, have helped Smucker’s save over 18,000 gallons of water annually. Low-emitting carpets, paints, and finishes, as well as advanced HVAC systems, also ensure a constant supply of clean, fresh air. The cumulative effects of these sustainable indoor and outdoor elements ultimately earned the café and store a LEED-certified designation while the Renewal Building earned LEED Silver.

Domokur highlights the Smucker’s project as an example of what thoughtful, eco-friendly design can achieve for the environment. But, he is quick to note, the benefits of green thinking and action ultimately go far beyond the natural world.

“The most rewarding aspect of our work,” he says, “is to experience the positive impacts we have created for our clients, the people who work for them, and our own staff.” gb&d

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spaces/work CORPORATE HEAdQuARTERS

public good The pioneering IEI Group partners with PECO on high-profile corporate projects that not only earn the LEED nod, but enhance the region as a whole

by Courtney Boyd Myers

In 2005, a partnership was formed to begin work on some comprehensive, $15 million corporate sustainability initiatives. The two entities involved, IEI Group, an award-winning architectural and interior design firm out of Philadelphia, and PECO, a utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation that has been an IEI client for more than 15 years, are working together on a number of new initiatives, which include LEED certification for PECO’s service center buildings, installation of a new green roof on the corporate headquarters in Philadelphia, and an upgrade to a more energy-efficient Crown lighting system atop the headquarters.

To date, five of PECO’s service center buildings have received LEED-EB Gold certifications, and another earned LEED-NC Silver. Together, PECO now operates six LEED-certified buildings, which represents nearly half of all LEED-EB certified buildings in Pennsylvania. The upgrades will reduce energy and water consumption by 40–50 percent at each site. IEI’s team of professionals continues to work with PECO to secure additional LEED certifications for service buildings, as well as for the main headquarters.

IEI specializes in such work but also offers a range of services that include facility planning and project management. Rosemary Español, the group’s president, has been in the design business for more than 25 years. With 15 professionals on staff and nearly $3 million in annual revenues, IEI specializes in corporate, education, healthcare, and residential design and is a member of the USGBC. It especially emphasizes a balanced design process along with a strong business sense. “We try to bring sustainability to every project,” Español says. “Even if we’re not designing a project to target LEED certification, we select sustainable materials, furnishings, and energy-efficient fixtures that will improve the space while also being environmentally responsible. Green design enhances the human performance in the workplace and improves the client’s environmental profile.”

At times, it enhances an entire city. The replacement of PECO’s iconic Crown lighting system is a landmark change to the Philadelphia skyline, which has been displaying community messages since July 4, 1976. The original electronic messaging board consisted of 2,600 screw-in bulbs. The new system utilizes more than 2 million energy-efficient LEDs, providing enhanced messaging capabilities and energy savings of approximately 40 percent. IEI provided project management on the project.

bELOW: PECO’s new green roof comprises 43,000 square feet of “extensive” (thin) vegetation and 2,000 square feet of “intensive” (thick) planting areas. Photo: Margaret Funderburg.

As important as energy savings and sustainable design is IEI’s culture, Español says. “Selecting the right staff and promoting team participation in the design process enhances the end result,” she notes. “This is what makes projects successful, as well as a company successful.” She looks not only for seasoned designers but also for new designers entering the profession. “I obviously look for talent in a designer but also for their ability to understand different types of projects and their creative ability to solve problems.”

An impressive example of this talent and creative problem solving is the massive green roof at PECO’s main headquarters. Completed in December 2008, PECO’s roof became the largest urban green roof—measuring 45,000 square feet—in the state of Pennsylvania. The project was a successful transformation of a lifeless, unattractive roof into a fantastic environmental and aesthetic amenity for the city.

The new roof includes a thin vegetation of sedum species; 2,000 square feet of intensive planting areas, filled with native perennials and grasses; and an ADA-accessible outdoor terrace with built-in seating areas that can be used for a variety of events, from business gatherings to field trips. PECO’s green roof absorbs 60 to 70 percent of the approximate 1.5 million gallons of annual rainfall. Other benefits include cooler and cleaner air, habitat for birds and insects, increased longevity of the

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RIGHT: A rendering of PECO’s 45,000-squarefoot green roof, the largest ever installed on an existing urban building in Pennsylvania. BELOW: Sedum like this shown helps absorb 60–70% of the area’s approximately 1.5 million gallons of annual rainfall. Photo: Helen Chung.

“Green design enhances the human performance in the workplace and improves the client’s environmental profile.”

—Rosemary Español, President

roof system, reduced energy use, enhanced property value, and increased comfort indoors.

According to Mike Williams, director of real estate and facilities at PECO, “IEI’s overall support and leadership has been very beneficial in guiding us through all the details of the LEED certification process. They have been instrumental in helping us figure out how to operate efficiently—not only today but also for the future.”

Other IEI sustainable design projects include a renovation of Aramark Corporation’s existing headquarters— earning it LEED-CI certification—and new construction for a green home in Love Ladies, New Jersey, one of the first new homes in the town to apply for LEED Gold certification.

IEI Group is a certified WBE and ranks regularly in the top 200 national design firms, as recognized by Interior Design Magazine. Not only does IEI believe in sustainable design, it goes one step further on its commitment to the environment as a certified Silver member of the Greater Philadelphia Green Business Program, making a public promise to reduce impacts on the environment at the local level. gb&d

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the ecology of luxury For its new Costa Rican eco-villages, Kalia LLC works tirelessly to find the perfect point of convergence between an eco-friendly and luxurious lifestyle

by Jamie Morgan

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Living as one with nature is a goal people have sought to achieve for centuries. In the past, it meant sleeping in thin tents and cold cabins, but with more than 1,000 acres of Costa Rican land and four residential eco-luxury villages, perfect for vacation or second homes, one development firm has transformed the whole idea.

Kalia Modern Eco-Living was founded in 2006 by CEO Amnon Dahan and his business partner Mati Timor.

The two formed a brand dedicated to what they call the “ultimate luxurious ecological lifestyle”—sustainable villages blending seamlessly into lush landscape while boasting lavish resort amenities. Kalia’s developments represent the best of both worlds, an attractive point of convergence.

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Kalia LLC

PREVIOuS PAGE: View of the ocean from kalia’s Luna model in black beauty Village.

TOP LEFT: A bedroom of one Costa Rican model home.

TOP RIGHT: These lighting and fixtures are technologically advanced and eco-friendly.

CENTER LEFT: An example of kalia’s landscaped, rooftop patios. bOTTOM LEFT: Exterior view showing modern design style employed throughout all kalia’s eco-village homes.

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Sitting on a high mountain ridge is Emerald Woods, a 335-acre community graced with natural waterfalls and Pacific Ocean views. Ruby Sky’s dense forest setting is perfect for the nature recluse; it’s Kalia’s smallest community but has large estates, each averaging an acre and a half of land. The Black Beauty village will delight animal lovers, with its tropical forest terrain and abundant wildlife spread across 227 acres overseeing Nosara Bay. And Diamond Cove’s beach-front peninsula offers homeowners a front seat on the shoreline. Within these eco-villages there are nine model estates to choose from.

Though it offers several options, Dahan says each village is developed with the same guiding principles. “We design like Michelangelo,” he says. “We only take [away] the pieces that do not belong, and we look to find the ‘David’ within every master community. Where and how should we designate the areas for the villas and the restaurants?

All of that comes into play as a discovery, and we allow the design to manifest itself.”

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“We design like Michelangelo. We only take [away] the pieces that do not belong, and we look to find the ‘david’ within every master community.”

—Amnon Dahan, CEO

The company made a commitment to only develop 7 percent of its land, leaving the rest untouched. What is touched is still green. Sustainable technology such as greywater-recycling systems and solar energy complement passive sustainable techniques like strategically placed windows and doors to maximize cross ventilation and green roofing systems that are beneficial in creating better insulation and welcoming to local animal life. Other green features include furniture made from natural materials, recycled-content countertops, and teams of local workers.

How does it pull off such a massive undertaking of exotic luxury? The company has its own construction, design, marketing, and sales team, which has sold 90 properties in the last two-and-a half years during a time of real-estate slowdown. “Kalia was born just before the world economic crisis started,” Dahan says. “However because we came out with a futuristic, artistic, and winning concept, we’ve managed not only to survive in today’s economy but thrive with more and more international buyers every day.”

Now that the upper echelons of homeowner hierarchy have adopted the Kalia concept, Dahan seeks to grow his company and spread its ideals across Costa Rica and to other parts of the world. At a time when developers squeeze as many condos as possible into a single space to maximize profits, Kalia first maximizes owner benefits and lets the profits follow. “We’re constantly re-evaluating the market,” Dahan says. “We evaluate ourselves, what we do, the sites, and our clients’ feedback. We aim to improve all the time and constantly reinvent ourselves.” gb&d

Noam Halpert, director of the company’s design department, says that building green was never a debate, instead it was only a question of how to best manifest sustainable living in Costa Rica.

“It was part of the vision of giving the feel that you’re living in nature,” she says. “You’re surrounded by nature and you can step out of your house and see ocean views and mountains and not see another roof.” The company also designed different models to match with certain terrains: clients can choose a lot, and Kalia will recommend a suitable model; or one can choose a model, and Kalia will suggest the best location.

CARLISLE’S

ROOFGARDEN

Building for the estate homes has already begun. In June 2010, the firm’s own construction team finished six homes in three villages and have multiple estates in various construction stages. Once complete, the current, master-planned communities will have 432 custom homes and 985 condominium units. Each owner will have access to full concierge services such as a private chef, daily maid service, in-house massages, grocery shopping and trip planning. Community amenities include a residence clubhouse, boutiques, spas, restaurants, and outdoor recreation.

A pedestrian park will connect each village via trails, walkways, and community gardens. Both Halpert and Dahan say it was important to foster cooperation within the development, the same cooperation seen within Kalia. “We are committed to continue creating a community and giving residents plenty of opportunities to interact with the magnificent surroundings and each other,” Halpert says.

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concrete structure reflects a brutal aesthetic that likewise doomed energy efficiency.

what’s old is new again Regardless of the project’s scale, Memphis firm John Pruett Architects specializes in green repurposing of existing structures

by Russ Klettke

Although conditions were favorable to convert the building into an international brand name hotel “not all older structures can be,” Pruett explains. “Building codes favor new over old, in part because they focus more on safety issues. Sometimes there are asbestosand lead-removal issues. And it’s often challenging to meet the letter of the law to satisfy ADA requirements.”

They didn’t set out to be recognized for effectively and efficiently repurposing existing buildings, says John Pruett, who leads an eponymous architecture firm out of Memphis, Tennessee. Yet the firm has established a name for itself in this area, facing down challenges that are just as big as the opportunities. “Adaptive reuse is in increasing demand by owners and developers,” Pruett says. “Particularly in this economic environment.”

But the firm more than just responds to difficult economics. It renovates existing buildings to achieve energy efficiencies with an aesthetic that appears fresh and contextual. The firm rethinks space entirely even while preserving some of the beautiful concepts of the past.

And when new buildings are what the owner wants, John Pruett Architects wins awards for making modern structures fit beautifully into their historical context.

Pruett’s own 1930s Craftsman-style house is a good example. Situated in the Evergreen Historic District of Memphis, there were restrictions as to what could be done to the building’s exterior. With a north-facing living room and main entrance, the original layout failed to make the best use of rooms with a southern exposure. “We built out a family room facing south to take advantage of the natural light, while preserving the architectural character of what was already there.” The expansion features open interior space planning, large expanses of glass with views to the garden, and exterior flourishes that recall the original architecture, such as exposed rafter tails and open soffits. The new footprint consumes about a third of the original backyard (the remainder of which was turned into a garden). Large overhangs shade the windows from summer sun.

So Pruett and his team overlaid the cast-in-place, exterior concrete façade with metal rainscreen panels and perforated screens that reduce solar heat absorption.

They used rooftop photovoltaic cells to heat between 75 and 100 percent of the building’s hot water and the rooftop pool, and they employed innovative regenerative-drive technology, which generates electricity from descending elevators. Low-E tinted-glass windows also reflect solar heat, and half the lobby is a greenhouse, irrigated by stormwater captured on site.

Of course, reusing an existing structure is considered a plus by LEED standards, but the additional challenge is that the building’s site is clearly established, which could defy optimal sun orientation.

bELOW: The adaptive reuse of Memphis Place Hotel, a 20-story building originally built in 1968, sits on a public transportation line.

RIGHT: A drawing of the adaptive reuse project, featuring a rain screen on its façade.

The Pruett firm doesn’t allow parameters to become barriers. Other buildings in Memphis they’ve revitalized include a school and a working fire station, both from the 1930s. Each has large windows that allow good natural daylight. Both were updated with window glazing or low-E replacements, new insulation, energyefficient heating and cooling systems, heat-reflective roofing materials, and low-water-use plumbing. The school’s original transom windows even bring natural light to corridors.

When called upon to create new structures, the firm is more than capable of doing so. Its Memphis Regional

On a much grander scale, the firm has been commissioned with the revitalization of the Memphis Place Hotel in the city’s medical district. The developer is focused on achieving LEED certification upon completion. With 164 existing rooms plus 35,000 square feet of conference and commercial space, the 1960s-era

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“Adaptive reuse is in increasing demand by owners and developers.”

—John Pruett, Principal

Gamma Knife Center outpatient facility, part of the Memphis University Hospital, is a thoroughly modern building. John Pruett Architects were also design consultants for the 200,000-square-foot, three-story library on the University of Memphis campus. And the firm has won awards for four new residences built in the city’s Evergreen Historic District.

In Collierville, Tennessee, a relative’s historic farmhouse reflects the 19th-century character of the National Register of Historic Places-designated town square. Pruett designed a guesthouse that sits adjacent to the existing structure. It has a rural, outbuilding feel but includes 1,200 square feet of loft-like space and numerous green components that make it a modern, sustainable home: passive solar, indigenous materials, and second floor clerestory windows provide natural ventilation.

Regardless the scale or age of the building, John Pruett Architects always discovers opportunities to make the structure friendly to people and the environment. gb&d

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story time The world is a playground for C2 Limited Design Associates, spinning tales of high design and eco-sensibilities with every upscale hospitality project it takes on

by Jamie Ludwig

Taking the time to notice the finer details of a project is more effective than diving straight in. “It begins with the story. Every project or property has a story to tell, whether it is a unique historical legacy that needs to honored and romanced for the modern world or a client who is building new with a sustainable approach that introduces a fantastic array of reclaimed materials. Once you have your story, we begin to strategically weave a design that is contextually based with a strong emphasis on design, which at its core is truly based on the clients operational philosophies and financial goals.” This is the strategy of Craig J. Smith, cofounder of the award-winning C2 Limited Design Associates, LLC, out of Fairfield, Connecticut.

Founded in 1990, Smith and his business partner Christina H. Romann have discovered the hidden stories of more than 350 globe-spanning design projects, including luxury homes, exclusive resorts, historic hotels, and private clubs, many of which have historic or environmental significance. C2 Limited’s continued focus on this niche market has resulted in an eight-year period of exceptional business growth, largely through word-ofmouth. “Ninety percent of our work is repeat business or direct client referral,” Smith says. “Clients hire C2 Limited Design Associates to be a partner in the process.

We are committed to their success. Our designs generate a return on investment while enhancing a property’s aesthetics and the daily experiences of its users.” For many of C2 Limited’s clients, this commitment has also included signature furniture and lighting systems designed by Romann.

C2 Limited is a member of the USGBC, and everyone on staff is actively pursuing LEED accreditation. “As environmentally conscious individuals as well as environmentally responsible designers, C2 Limited Design Associates’ staff strive to specify eco-friendly products and maintain a firm-wide commitment to ongoing, professional continuing education to stay abreast of the latest green-building practices and principles established by the USGBC,” Smith says. “Sustainability and being

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environmentally consciousness is no passing fad. As design professionals, we all have an obligation to the planet and its inhabitants to do the right thing.”

AbOVE: The private dining room at The Hotel Hershey, in Pennsylvania. The room is conceived as a closedin porch and features reclaimed timbers and a natural field-stone hearth.

OPPOSITE: Aerial view of Calico Jack’s Pavilion, a contextually blended, modern-day resort amenity; the restaurant, bar, and saltwater-pool complex is set within the natural landscape of a private Caribbean island.

With their combination of knowledge, professionalism, and eye for context and detail, the team at C2 Limited is able to beautifully incorporate modern technologies and environmentally friendly building systems into historic sites. Several of the firm’s recently completed projects exemplify these strategies, including two projects at the historic Hotel Hershey, in Hershey, Pennsylvania (home of the chocolate company of the same name), that are up for LEED Silver certification. The first project is a series of 10 four- and six-bedroom cottages and a meeting cottage as part of the hotel’s Grand Expansion.

C2 Limited tailored the project to meet the demands of the hotel’s diverse clientele and to be flexible for any future expansions while reflecting its classic, 1930s style and adhering to LEED standards.

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C2 Limited Design Associates

GLObAL PLAyGROuNd In recent years, C2 Limited brought its expertise in blending contextual accuracy with sustainability and luxury to an increasing number of international clients. For Calico Jack, an exclusive, fine-dining establishment located on Ambergris Cay on the Turks and Caicos islands, in the British West Indies, the firm played off the restaurant’s natural surroundings and combined indoor and outdoor dining to create a one-of-a-kind feel.

“Ambergris Cay was an uninhabited 1,100acre stretch of sand at the southern end of the Turks and Caicos chain, with no infrastructure, running water, electricity, or labor source,” Smith says. “Literally, everything needed for a major construction project had to be brought to the island. The logistics involved a tremendous amount of coordination with everything from international-shipping regulations to local island customs and more.”

C2 Limited strategically made use of sustainable hardwoods and weather-resilient fabrics to ensure that the restaurant would withstand often-harsh environmental conditions like tropical heat, storms, and hurricane winds. Lighting was another major consideration with the design of Calico Jack; it had to be adequate and ambient enough to create a comfortable outdoor dining experience and subtle enough to keep light pollution to a minimum. C2 Limited’s lighting-design team worked with these considerations by combining lighting around the perimeter, muted lights integrated into thatched ceilings, and torches and candles. Today, the restaurant is a favorite destination for the island’s visitors.

After the success of Calico Jack, Smith is excited about two new projects in the Caribbean. “We have just returned from visiting two potential clients, one in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and another in the British West Indies,” he says. “Both clients are interested in designing green spas.

One of the clients is also interested in creating new guest accommodations set to the highest LEED standards.” The fact that these two international clients are searching out an experienced US-based resort-design firm to create new and sustainable facilities is truly a testament to the appeal of green building and its future.

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spaces/play In order to complete this mission, C2 Limited utilized a modern interpretation of classic Amish styles throughout the cottages to embrace the region’s heritage, an approach that created a homey feel and incorporated sustainable materials such as reclaimed antique chestnut for flooring, and fireplaces built with locally quarried Pennsylvania fieldstone.

For the Harvest Restaurant, C2 Limited’s second project at the Hotel Hershey, the firm once again looked to regional heritage and materials for inspiration. For the 20,000-square-foot, multiuse building, the team designed three separate dining rooms, a tavern complete with billiard tables, meeting rooms, and a children’s arcade. Amish craftsmen were hired to build authentic, custom items such as tables and chairs, and locally sourced materials were used throughout the facility in everything from menu covers to decorative lighting to employee uniforms. gb&d

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

green algae on polycarbonate On Flower Street, in Los Angeles, aquarium-, topographical map-, and nightclub-like features are all blended into a single, three-dimensional art installation mounted onto a renovated building. This photobioreactor, as it’s called, was created by international design firm Emergent and is more than a mesmerizing addition to the streetscape—it is a living installation meant to both inform and attract the viewer. Colonies of green algae live within the installation’s molded polycarbonate world—sharp grooves and ridge-like relief characterize its façade—and produce biofuel via photosynthesis, which is then used to power LEd lights, while an adjacent tree houses inconspicuous solar panels that capture sunlight to feed the process. but it gets more complex; a technology developed by OriginOil allows the algae to communicate what it needs to the LEd system, creating a bio-feedback loop that encourages fully organic, self-adjusting growth.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

extreme playplace Past experience as a professional skateboarder wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get someone too many jobs: but it did no doubt earn MbA/S Associates the opportunity to design a new skatepark for the City of Stuttgart in Germany. Founder Matthias bauer is a European skateboard champion and therefore had the perfect mix of expertise for the project, which is divided into three major sections: street-plaza, bowl areas, and a vert ramp. The site used to be just a 50-foot-high pile of war debris; now it includes the skatepark as well as an open-air youth center. beneath the center, the vert ramp is covered by a 3,700-square-foot roof made from overlapping sheets of translucent fiberglass. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the project is that it was created from a single material: concrete. both existing and spray concrete were used to form the molded curves of the new park.

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COMMuNITIES

original green Historical Concepts looks to the past for timeless design inspirations that make the best use of native settings in its speciality: preserving the South’s historic architecture

by Russ Klettke

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The classical, traditional designs of the American South are surprisingly green. How so? To begin with, the architects and builders who were responsible for constructing the handsome homes and other structures in the 18th, 19th and early-20th centuries didn’t have mechanical air conditioning to provide relief from a hot, humid climate.

“Traditional design is light-years ahead of understanding and promoting sustainability compared to modernist contemporaries,” says Kevin P. Clark, LEED AP and partner with Historical Concepts, an architectural, planning and “place-making” firm based in Atlanta. “At its root, traditional architecture strives to use locally sourced materials constructed in a way that is inherent to their nature and configured to be respondent to the site’s climate and culture.”

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Historical Concepts dehumidification system with a fresh-air intake is utilized as well.

“This shows that a house doesn’t have to ‘look green,’” says Elizabeth Dillon, also a LEED AP and an architectural designer with the firm. Instead, the house and the village itself meet many of the expectations of the Original Green concept. These include accessibility—where the car is but one option for getting around town—and lovability—where the home is so well-designed that future generations will appreciate it as much as those who built it.

“At its root, traditional architecture strives to use locally sourced materials constructed in a way that is inherent to their nature.”

—Kevin P. Clark, Partner

The firm’s work reflects the philosophy “Original Green,” coined by Steve and Wanda Mouzon of the New Urban Guild in Miami Beach, Florida, which promotes “the design of true traditional buildings and places native to, and inspired by, the regions in which they are built.” The philosophy and its followers are averse to “gizmo green,” the use of technologies when a broader, more holistic approach to sustainability can often draw from what builders knew hundreds of years ago.

A good example is Historical Concepts’ 2,300-squarefoot Idea Cottage, situated in Charleston, South Carolina’s Lowcountry in the new urbanist village of I’On, which has been recognized for its smart growth.

Featured in Coastal Living magazine for its ability to “live large in a small footprint,” the home achieved LEED Gold certification—even without solar collectors in the sunny locale.

“In-town lots preclude perfect solar orientation,” Clark explains. “Besides, solar panels take a lot of energy to construct.” Instead, this beach-style, canal-fronted home achieves sustainability through other features, like its narrow structure that allows for cross ventilation in all rooms and its tankless water heaters, pervious paving, and light-imprint driveway. Inside, the home uses cork flooring and locally sourced woods, and the structure has polyisocyanurate insulation, deep overhangs that shade from summer sun, and transom windows to optimize breezes and provide shared light to interior spaces. A

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PREVIOuS PAGE: deep overhangs and screened porches create a functional outdoor room, while tall transom windows allow daylight into the coastal cottage.

AbOVE: Inspired by main-street buildings in nearby historic towns, the chapel and general store anchor the village square of the South Carolina resort community of Palmetto bluff.

Dillon offers the traditional Southern courtyard as a clear feature of sustainability. “Plants and water features in the courtyard create an evaporative cooling effect,” she notes. Raised garden beds, whose walls add seating to living and dining furniture arrangements, border the Idea Cottage courtyard. Plantings between pavers further soften the hardscape.

Historical Concepts also practices sustainable design in its broader applications—that of planning and place making. Examples of these include an engagement with the historic town of Senoia, Georgia. An hour outside Atlanta and faced with encroaching development, the city planner contacted Historical Concepts in 2005 to conduct a historic precedent analysis, create imagery and character sketches, develop conceptual architecture and streetscapes, and write design guidelines to protect and enhance its historic district. The firm performed similar functions for the Fairburn Education Campus, a historic infill site also in Georgia that intends to make education accessible to local citizens while serving as a catalyst to commercial investment in the community.

With the vast inventory of pre-20th-century towns and buildings in the South, it is smart business for the firm to focus its work on this aesthetic. Clearly, there are plenty of opportunities to achieve sustainability by either working with existing structures or building new in a compatible style that works intelligently in the region’s climate. “Historic structures are much more attentive to human scale and proportions,” Dillon says, noting that the compact nature of historic downtown areas also are built on this scale.

The firm’s architects are bullish about the future.

“Younger people grew up in suburbs and now yearn for a more vibrant lifestyle—less slaves to cars,” Clark says.

“They want mixed-use, diverse, walkable neighborhoods where they can invest care and love into their homes. Unlike in the past, people now want one community where they can stay for years.” Truly, it is hard to imagine why anyone would ever choose to leave a coastal cottage like the one Historical Concepts designed in I’On. gb&d

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MOuNTAIN RESIdENCES

going once, going twice Custom-home builder Kodiak Enterprises puts all its money on energy audits and retrofits until bids for new homes start boosting business

by Suchi Rudra

“When you are focused and knowledgeable about energy efficiency, a myriad of other sustainable features fall into place,” says David R. Koons, president of Kodiak Enterprises in Silverthorne, Colorado. Koons explains that the philosophy of his luxury mountain-home-building firm is to “emphasize efficiency first before renewable-energy systems,” so features such as low air-leakage rates, highperformance insulation systems, low-energy lighting and appliances, and high-efficiency space-and-water heating systems are Kodiak’s primary focus. Once these features are achieved, only then are renewable energy systems valid, Koons says—and at that point, they can bring a house to net-zero energy.

Kodiak’s clients are usually affluent families looking to build a second home near one of the surrounding ski resorts in the Central Colorado Rockies. But Koons admits that since the spring of 2009, Kodiak produced more

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In the fall of last year, the builder received his Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification as a professional building analyst, or home-energy auditor, which was the basis for the establishment of his new business endeavor, Comfort by Kodiak, a home-performance-contracting company.

Comfort by Kodiak specializes in air sealing and retrofit-insulation systems, because Koons says he finds this to be the most important element in improving a home’s efficiency. “Working in Climate Zone 7, the coldest of American climates, our audits have revealed that most existing homes, both old and new, are not as well-sealed or well-insulated as they should be for the weather conditions of the high alpine environment,” he explains.

Koons also has been able to conduct home-energy audits on homes built by his firm’s competitors, enabling him to pinpoint “a myriad of gross errors from an energy perspective. I have also discovered details that will improve our own home-building methods and processes. Educating tradesmen and clients in the finer points of energy efficiency and the house as a system approach by creating a new path with Comfort by Kodiak has been both challenging and exciting,” he notes.

But Koons points out that it is important to follow the steps in the correct order to ensure that the HERS scores actually approach zero. Along the way, sustainable elements like ERVs, radon-mitigation systems, moisturemanagement strategies, water- and material-resource conservation measures “all become second nature to the process,” he says.

The homes built by Kodiak in the last five years range in construction cost from $600,000 to $1.6 million and range in size from 3,000 to 5,200 square feet. In Koons’ mind, one project truly stands out from the rest of Kodiak’s portfolio: a home at 82 Victory Lane in Breckenridge, Colorado. For this residence, the builder received the Energy Star New Homes Award and the Green Building Award in the 2008 Parade of Homes. It trumped other homes via its HERS score of 34, low air-leakage rate of 0.13, 4.05-kilowattsolar-photovoltaic array, and Knauf Perimeter Plus blow-in, blanket-system insulation.

than a dozen proposals for new construction and remodeling projects with very little success. He understands that competition for work is fierce at the moment, leading many clients to focus on cost alone, “believing all else among builders to be equal. It most certainly is not,” he says. Yet despite the current economic trends in the residential-building industry, Kodiak has survived and expanded “on certain levels, as a result of creative endeavors,” Koons points out.

OPPIOSITE PAGE: This home employs a sun-tempered design technique, reducing heating and cooling needs by orientation and control of the fenestrations. The north elevation glass area was designed to be less than or equal to 4% of the finished floor area of the home.

Expanding into the arena of home-energy audits is a solid move, Koons believes, given the rise of energyefficiency rebates, tax credits, and loan programs, in combination with the fact that buildings in Summit County were not constructed in accordance with an energy code until last year. Koons was able to hire four new “green-collar” employees based on the expected energy efficiency projects from the growing number of home-performance clients.

Regardless of the ups and downs of the economy for builders, Koons believes that the future of green building is certain. “It is the future,” he emphasizes. “In fact, it also happens to be the present. Hopefully, the lowenergy home building that we see in Colorado and other areas of the country will continue to grow nationwide,

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Kodiak Enterprises

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“Working in Climate Zone 7, the coldest of American climates, our audits have revealed that most existing homes...are not as well-sealed or wellinsulated as they should be.”

—David R. Koons, President

and people will begin to understand that green building is at its best when energy conservation is the focus.

Green-building ideas have been around for years, but they are just recently becoming more mainstream with rising energy costs, rebates, tax credits, and local programs encouraging homeowners to be proactive in sustainable building.”

Currently, Kodiak is beginning work on a project at 542 Doris Drive, which already has a “particular success story” from the project’s planning, Koons points out, referring to the fact that the design optimizes wood-frame construction to use approximately 20 percent less lumber than standard framing techniques. In addition to being an EPA Indoor Air Plus-qualified home, an Energy Star-qualified advanced-lighting package will be included. The firm also is performing a Home Performance with Energy Star remodeling project at 1821 Falcon Drive, where upgrades include sealing of thermal bypasses in the attic and added insulation for a total R-value of 60, reduction of the home’s air-leakage rate by 0.15, installation of new compact fluorescent and LED lighting, and installation of Energy Star appliances and a new 96-percent-efficient boiler. gb&d

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point of convergence Recently celebrating 25 years, Virginia Beachbased Cox, Kliewer & Company integrates interior design with architecture for its diverse clientele

by Lauren McKay

bELOW: The south elevation of retail and residential development beach Center in Virginia beach, VA. All units will feature materials with recycled content and energyefficient lighting.

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Combining the skills related to interior design and architecture is logical, yet Duff Kliewer, principal at Cox, Kliewer & Company, P.C. (CKCo) recalls a time when the two studies were kept isolated. “When I went to architecture school in the 1970s, I couldn’t understand why it seemed, with a few exceptions, that architects didn’t spend any more of their energy and focus on the part of the building the client was living in,” he says.

The architect bucked the tradition and has embraced both practices. “I knew that if the time ever came that I owned my own firm, I would want to structure it to integrate architecture and interior design,” says Kliewer, one half of the Virginia firm.

Kliewer joined partner Gerald Cox in 1986. In its twoplus decades, the company has completed projects in nearly every sector, excluding medical and institutional building. The firm has carried licenses in as many as 26 states and has 18 employees. CKCo never sought to be a 100-plus-person firm, Kliewer says. “We wanted to be directly involved, and we wanted a firm that was fairly broad based because we appreciate the variety.” Though it’s nimble in size, CKCo has taken on same hefty clients in the past—the Pepsi Bottling Group, Sara Lee, and Nestle to name a few.

When Kliewer talks about sustainable building he means two things: building with the environment in mind and building with the climate in mind. “This [Virginia Beach] area we live in is actually one of the most difficult to design for climactically,” he says, explaining that Virginia Beach incurs an 80-degree temperature swing from winter to summer. Humidity rests at about 90 percent in the summer, and it can be around 40–50 percent even in the winter. Plus, the area’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean means a heavy presence of salt content in the air.

The caustic air situation means that statuary metals and other traditional building materials don’t hold up.

Thankfully, in the 25 years it’s been in business, CKCo has been able to nail down materials that suit the locale’s conditions. One of the most sustainable materials

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Cox, Kliewer & Company

“When I went to architecture school in the 1970s, I couldn’t understand why... architects didn’t spend any more of their energy and focus on the part of the building the client was living in.”

—Duff Kliewer, Principal

the firm has found turns out to also be one that is indigenous to the area—red-cedar shingle siding. “It is without a doubt—for the money and from a sustainability standpoint—the best product...because it offers a totally durable end result,” Kliewer explains.

roofing is standing-seam aluminum. The HVAC is a mix of high-efficiency heat pumps and variable-air-volume systems. All of the apartments will feature carpeting and porcelain tiles made from recycled content as well as energy-efficient lighting.

Kliewer notes that the firm has completed a multitude of residential projects, and mixed-use building seems to be becoming more popular. In fact, in June it broke ground on a mixed-use building called Walls Fargo Center in Norfolk, Virginia, which is a garden-apartment rehabilitation project funded by the Virginia Housing Development Corporation.

“I look forward to the day when the USGBC achieves the goal to have its LEED program effectively written into city and state building-and-development codes,” Kliewer says. “It will be a part of everyday life.” gb&d

Kliewer says his firm has been sourcing out environmentally friendly systems, particularly for heating, climate control, and external-housing materials, for a long time now. Just recently, though, has there been a shift in the supply and demand. “It’s interesting that the American population is finally embracing this cultural shift to sustainability and environmental awareness,” he says.

Prices have been pushed down and more economically stable materials are available for use. ®

CKCo is in the midst of a large-scale redevelopment project called Beach Center. Located one block off the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, it’s part of an area-wide $60 million revitalization effort. Beach Center, which faces Laskin Road and is the gateway for all points west, will feature both retail and residential complexes. Ground was scheduled to break in October 2010 as of press time.

Although not seeking formal LEED certification, the Beach Center developers have insisted that designers and contractors employ as many elements of sustainability and responsible energy usage as possible. The project, Kliewer says, uses fiber-cement siding with Azek trim in addition to a significant percentage of Sto EIFS and a Hardie siding-and-panel product. The

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reconstructive surgery Like a surgeon, A4 Architecture & Planning peels back a building’s façade to install sustainable features—a literal facelift for historic neighborhoods

by Jamie Ludwig

bELOW: A new bedroom with views over the wall into the gardens of the historic Elms Estate.

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New England’s historic neighborhoods are changing.

Among the colonial and Victorian homes throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut communities, a number of them are being retrofitted with green elements in ways that even the most classically minded homeowner would find appealing. “The goal is not project oriented, but neighborhood oriented: building welldesigned, historically accurate places where people can live, work, and shop in the same area,” says, Ross Cann, AIA, LEED AP, and founder of A4 Architecture & Planning, the mastermind behind the retrofits.

Cann, who holds degrees from Yale, Cambridge, and Columbia universities and was an early supporter of the New Urbanism and GrowSmart movements, has long been an advocate for environmentally friendly design.

His impact on his community can be seen through his versatile career as an architect, educator, and columnist for a local paper. After becoming an LEED AP in 2006, he even launched an incentive program to encourage any staff member who desires to follow suit.

A4 works on a combination of residential and commercial projects in highly developed areas, which in addition to 18th and 19th century homes, include a number of buildings from the 1950s and ’60s. This combination puts the firm in a unique position. “[It] allows us the opportunity to be creative problem solvers, historic advocates, and sustainable design supporters all at the same time,” Cann says. “By keeping the most that can be kept, we hope and think that we are giving the owner and the environment the best value.”

Ironically, it’s the newer homes that have the poorest design and often show the most deterioration, Cann says. The firm specializes in helping owners make these less-historic structures blend in better with their

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A4 Architecture & Planning

“[Our historic work] allows us the opportunity to be creative problem solvers, historic advocates, and sustainable design supporters all at the same time.”

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to a Victorian-looking house that fits nicely with the neighborhood.”

surroundings. “We’re redeveloping sites that already have infrastructure in place,” he explains. “In some cases, we’re building by essentially stripping the façade and taking the roof off. We’re able to retrofit the building and at the same time make it look more appropriate for the neighborhood.”

As with the majority of its projects, A4 has found ways to make environmentally friendly changes that are costneutral or come with the promise of future savings. For example, “We used Hardie Plank and Azek for the trim on the house,” Cann says. “Azek is artificial recycled material that has plastic and wood content but, in its white state, doesn’t need to be painted.” In addition to the materials used for the project, Cann expects that the house will earn even more LEED points due to its location in an already-developed neighborhood. “It’s getting points for being on a redeveloped site, near lines of public transportation, close to stores. It’s not always just what you build, it’s where you build it.”

A4’s latest project perfectly reflects these standards.

The team is expanding and retrofitting a 1,700-squarefoot, early-20th-century residence located next to one of the famed Newport mansions. For the first time, A4 is seeking LEED certification on a home. The residence’s windows originally looked out at a stone wall, so one of the first changes A4 made was to give the occupants a better view. “If we added a second floor, instead of looking into a blank wall, they could look into the garden, and take advantage of this spectacular site,” Cann notes. “We kept the entire existing foundation and a lot of the wall planes. ... We’re trying to give the owners a house that feels spacious and large, despite the space and budget restrictions. It’s now a complete transformation—from an extremely modest cottage

Although some argue that sustainability and building are inherently opposites, Cann strongly disagrees. Time and environment may take their toll on existing structures, but new technologies are making it possible to create longer-lasting, lower-maintenance buildings. “It is nice to be able to put that historic, architectural, and technical education to good use,” he notes proudly. “If we can rebuild the structures that have lost their purpose, practicality, and marketability—and transform them into new wonderful homes, offices, and stores— we have not only saved the entrained energy in the original structures, we have helped revitalize the buildings and neighborhoods around them. It is in this particular kind of synergy that we see sustainability being achieved most completely.” gb&d

—Ross Cann, Founder

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AbOVE: barclay Square, in Newport, RI, is connected to its historical context even after its renovation.

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spaces/live AFFORdAbLE HOuSING

breaking ground Family-owned Branagh Inc. pushes the envelope with forward-thinking projects, including senior- and affordable-housing complexes in Central California

by Lauren McKay

With 80 years of construction under its belt, Oakland, California-based, family-owned Branagh Inc. has incurred a number of firsts. Being the first to construct a LEED multifamily home in the state of California is certainly an achievement the company will keep to its credit. Alan Heikkinen, lead estimator at Branagh, has been with the firm since 1985, when he started as a carpenter’s apprentice. bELOW: The main entry of Jack London Gateway utilizes shading features such as the large wing wall and Trex window boxes.

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In the mid-90s, Heikkinen recalls, Branagh was introduced to the concept of sustainable construction through a development partner, First Community Housing. The majority of Branagh’s work is within affordable-housing

and apartment projects, and many recent projects incorporate green elements. In 2003, Branagh completed Betty Ann Gardens, a family apartment complex in San Jose, California, upholding USGBC standards.

Betty Ann Gardens set the stage for green projects to come. Notably, Jack London Gateway, a 60-unit seniorhousing complex built in conjunction with the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, was completed and registered for LEED certification in June 2009. It was originally slated for 80 points with Built It Green, but as development commenced, stakeholders decided to push the envelope, adding some unique features. The project came in at 167 points—California’s highest-rated multifamily project.

Because of Jack London Gateway’s close proximity to a freeway, developers emphasized clean-air features and introduced a filtered system that brings fresh air into the building. Other LEED efforts include use of lowVOC paints and finishes and recycled flooring materials such as cork. The plumbing within units is all low-flow and dual-flush and the landscaping uses minimal turf and is drought resistant. The units, Heikkinen explains, are built according to green standards but are also built for longevity and health.

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bELOW: Shinsei Gardens’ courtyard uses recycled materials for benches that serve as transfer platforms for wheelchair tenants and guests. Local, droughtresistant landscaping was used to minimize irrigation water use.

Branagh Inc. Branagh has plenty of experience building multifamily complexes, but Heikkinen insists that it’s important to keep the residents as the focus of the project. “When you are dealing with seniors, you are looking at the health and welfare of the units themselves,” Heikkinen says.

“One of the big things that LEED has done has been in pushing...for far healthier materials in building.” In addition to healthier materials, Branagh pushes for products that last. For instance, Heikkinen advocates using natural linoleum versus sheet vinyl. It may cost more at the time, but it will outlast the inexpensive product by 10–15

“We want apartments to be healthy and we want them to last. That’s one of the biggest things you can give a client.”

—Alan Heikkinen, Lead Estimator

years. “We want apartments to be healthy and we want them to last,” Heikkinen says emphatically. “That’s one of the biggest things you can give a client.”

While Branagh was working on Jack London Gateway, it was concurrently involved with a 39-unit affordablehousing complex in Alameda, California, called Shinsei Gardens. The mixed-use, multifamily project, headed by the county’s Resource Conservation District (RCD), was designed with emphasis on the outdoor environment.

Built on a former naval shipyard, Heikkinen says that a lot of work needed to be done to the soil. Branagh and RCD adhered to Bay-friendly landscaping practices to ensure that the soil’s organic-matter content increases (through use of compost) and that a radon-barrier protected the soil membrane.

Navy veterans are given rental priority at Shinsei Gardens.

Given that many of the building’s tenants are living on fixed incomes, Heikkinen says that controlled utilities are an important aspect of inclusion. The building includes high-efficiency appliances and everything, according to Heikkinen, is rated 36 percent above the Title 24 Standard. “Shinsei Gardens shows how far you can push a project,” he notes.

A decade ago there wasn’t an emphasis on sustainable building, Heikkinen recalls. “People would look at new products, but they wouldn’t look at the long-term benefits,” he says. “[Branagh] believes in helping people build the best projects for the money.” He insists that Branagh’s family-oriented culture enables him to stretch the limits and move forward with green building. “I am supported 200 percent in developing green processes and using green materials—right from the owner in the fourth-generation company,” he says. “There’s a lot of strength in that position.” gb&d

A MESSAGE FROM FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS Forbo Flooring Systems is proud to partner with Branagh Inc. Branagh’s level of professionalism and demanding requirements in terms of performance, value, and sustainablility align with the core principles of Forbo. Forbo looks forward to continued success with Branagh as the demand for high-performance, sustainable buildings continues to increase.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

colombian charm This Antonio Sofan-designed hillside retreat in Santa Elena, Colombia, echoes its stunning backdrop. At just 1,140 square feet, the vacation home offers a harmonious connection to the surrounding landscape. A key design element is the sprawling outdoor deck on the roof, dramatically expanding the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living space.

Earth-bermed walls keep the interior cool while reused beams support the concrete roof, which was cast in place using bamboo boxes. Thoughtful details like a pink mosaic tile wall on the decked roof and pixilated window treatment tempts passersby to take a peek at the equally stunning interior, including the cork flooring found throughout. Photos: Carlos Tobon.

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it takes a village Within its niche of senior housing, Kaas Wilson Architects merges a preschool with a home for the elderly, a symbiotic model for a sustainable, social future

by Lauren McKay

For architects Link Wilson and Collin Kaas, falling into the senior-housing niche market has made perfect sense.

Wilson’s 26-year experience runs the gamut from nursing facilities to assisted-living and memory-care centers to senior co-ops and apartments. Kaas, his partner, has been around senior-living facilities since he was a child, observing his mother’s doctoral studies, which were focused on elderly mental health, exposing him to many senior environments.

The duo founded the Minneapolis-based Kaas Wilson Architects in 2007, after having collaborated on a number of family and senior-housing projects at a different firm. At their relatively young, nine-person firm, Kaas and Wilson share their vision for sustainability: “For us, sustainability is a natural byproduct of trying to create the best possible living environments for people,” Kaas says. “Green design is about creating healthy living spaces.”

bELOW: Exterior shot of Inver Glen Senior Living, the first LEEdcertified senior-living project in Minnesota.

OPPOSITE: The community room at Inver Glen Senior Living, a facility that in addition to its majestic appearance, houses a preschool on the grounds.

Kaas adds that multifamily housing is an inherently sustainable way to develop land and housing, in comparison to the development of single-family homes common in suburbs around the country. Kaas Wilson, having designed approximately 10 senior facilities since the firm’s inception, has been able to hone specific strategies and best practices in designing for seniors.

“There’s a diminished level of capacity with senior adults,” Kaas notes. “They aren’t able to reach certain areas or navigate corridors to the same extent as an able-bodied individual can.” Kaas Wilson keeps a senior’s dexterity in mind in all its design details: from high-contrast colors in kitchens to ample clearances in bathrooms, the goal is to make the spaces more usable and comfortable for its residents.

Inver Glen Senior Living, a recently completed project located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, is the first LEED-certified senior-living facility completed in the state. It also breaks another boundary by uniting the old with the young; the project incorporates an intergenerational preschool where seniors living in the building can volunteer and help with preschool-aged children on a daily basis. “In many instances, you get into senior housing projects and [the residents] are isolated,” Kaas says. “It’s a refreshing change of pace.”

Completed in October 2009, Inver Glen is now close to full occupancy, due in large part to the appealing nature of the design. “We had to figure out how to make the [greenest] building we could in the most residentialconstructed model,” Kaas says, stressing the desire for the building to have a familiar residential look and feel for its occupants. “Often this is the fist step for seniors moving from single-family homes to something else. If it looked like an office or school, it wouldn’t work—it has to feel like a home.”

Kaas strove to include as much recycled content in the building materials as possible. He stresses that the green attributes of Inver Glen—water conservation, increased ventilation—also make it a healthy environment for its residents. “Seniors’ sensitivity to heat and cold is potentially more elevated than other people,” Kaas says, noting that they installed large windows for daylight and views of the landscape.

Many of Inver Glen’s interior finishes are low-VOC materials to further promote health, and its flooring includes materials such as natural linoleum, bamboo, and Green Seal-certified carpet. Kaas says they also spent a fair amount of time educating the future users of the building by creating training materials and instructing staff on procedures for the sorting of recyclables and garbage.

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Kaas Wilson Architects

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“If [Inver Glen] looked like an office or school, it wouldn’t work— it has to feel like a home.”

—Collin Kaas, Principal

Kaas Wilson Architects has a number of sustainable projects in progress or on the boards and is embracing more than just the LEED-certification criteria. The firm also follows the Green Communities criteria for its design and architecture projects. Green Communities is a national system that has been adopted by several municipalities in the state of Minnesota, as well as the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, as a sustainable standard for housing projects. One such seniorhousing project is Wooddale Pointe, a 115-unit facility in St. Louis Park. As Wooddale Point sits on a former urban industrial site, Kaas emphasizes the importance of building up rather than building out. The mixed-use building will include retail on the ground floor and senior housing above.

Mixed-use projects are less common with senior housing, but Kaas sees a number of benefits for the Wooddale Pointe development, among them the fact that the businesses will compliment and serve the needs of the seniors above.

It will be mutually beneficial to both [the retail stores and the residents],” Kaas says. “It gives seniors the ability to come out of their apartments down to lower level and into retail establishments without having to walk outside.” Even more exciting is that the site is a block away from a future light-rail transit, so staff and residents of the project will have reliable and close transit that connects to such areas as the Mall of America, the airport, and downtown Minneapolis. gb&d

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COASTAL RESIdENCE

tenets of faith Never doubting its chosen course, four basic principles continue to light the way for Pasquale Design Associates as it pursues unique projects in diverse locations

by Thalia Aurinko-Mostow

He isn’t surprised. He never doubted that his firm would one day celebrate its 15th anniversary, as it is this year.

The founder of Pasquale Design Associates believes the company’s attention to detail and its four core principles have been the key to its success. “We strive to approach each project in a creative and individualized manner, but also make sure to apply the basic tenets of architecture and good design to create functional and pleasing spaces,” says Franco Pasquale. “There are four principles we consider for every project—color, texture, form, and comfort—which allow us to create homes and spaces that are conscious of our client’s lifestyle. We complete every project with the utmost attention to detail and customer service. We have also been fortunate enough to obtain most of our work through referrals and repeat business from our customers.”

The Pasquale Design Associates team is composed of five employees, including a licensed interior designer and a LEED AP, and it works on an average of 10–15 projects per year. Pasquale founded the practice in 1994 in Tampa, Florida, and has grown the business over the last couple of years to include new homes and remodels throughout Florida and beyond, as well continuing the work that gave it its excellent reputation—interior design.

“We were involved in the four-year process of a custom residence in Paradise Island in the Bahamas and were also responsible for the renovation of a custom yacht for one of our clients. We are very interested in working on more unique projects and diverse locations in the future,” Pasquale says of the team’s future goals. Also in

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the future is an addition and remodel of Pasquale’s own home, which will incorporate sustainable design practices and act as an additional tool in his design portfolio.

Green building and design has always played a major role in Pasquale Design Associates’ work. “We feel that one of the most important parts of green building is being aware of the short-term and long-term effects that decisions have on the environment, whether it be using recycled materials instead of new products or finding local vendors who are able to fabricate pieces without long-distance transportation needed,” explains Erin Pauley, a project manager. “In doing so, we are striving to educate our clients to think about their decisions from a different perspective.” Since 2009, Pasquale Design Associates has also been a member of the USGBC and has been seeking vendors and resources with which to work that are fellow members.

This year Pasquale Design Associates will complete work on a coastal home in Key West called the Shirley Residence. The project is a historic renovation of an existing 800-square-foot home with a 2,000-square-foot addition in the downtown area of the city. The estimated timeline is a yearand a half from the initial planning phases to the final installation of materials and boasts an experienced team including Brad and Jody Shirley of JoMar Development, the real-estate company that initiated and oversaw the entire process; Craig Reynolds, the Key West-based landscape architect; Nancy Braamse of Olde World Cabinetry, who provided all the custom cabinets for the home; John Kiefer with E3 Building Sciences, who acted as the green rater; and DEX Studios with its specialized customfabricated countertops for the space. “The client was conscious of using locally based vendors as much as possible, but due to the location, some travel was required for the installation of materials,” explains Pauley, who oversaw the sustainability aspects of the project.

The green features for this project will include countertops made with concrete and broken, recycled glass bottles; locally manufactured millwork items; Energy Star appliances; low-flow faucets and toilets; and low-VOC adhesives and paints. A strong environmental awareness was required for all those working on the project, including the homeowners. The project has been submitted to LEED for Homes for evaluation, but the team expects at least a Silver certification.

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EXTRA RDINARE Pasquale Design Associates also plans on finishing up a LEED-CI project, a nine-month build-out of an existing shell in an office park in Largo, Florida. It includes the offices of a real-estate-development company and a dental practice. These clients also desired visually pleasing construction that was functional as well as being environmentally aware. The project is in the process of being submitted to the USGBC and is awaiting certification as well. The Largo office project features energy-efficient lighting, daylighting in common areas, preferred parking for carpools, as well as low-VOC adhesives and paint products.

Recently, Pasquale Design Associates was recognized

by Miami Home and Décor Magazine for its Ocean Club Estates, the Bahamas project, and has received two Southeastern Building Conference Aurora Awards, including winning the 2008 Large Custom Home Design award and the 2008 award for Custom Landscape/Pool Design. gb&d

“We strive to approach each project in a creative and individualized manner, but also make sure to apply the basic tenets of architecture.”

—Franco Pasquale, Founder

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/heal MEdICAL RESEARCH LAb

conclusive results With a new project for the National Cancer Institute, Phelps & Phelps Consulting has seen the evidence: sustainability means flexibility, and flexibility means business

More and more, it looks as though sustainable projects like these will be a bigger part of Phelps & Phelps workload moving forward. “The green-design process has really begun to change the way we approach all of our projects,” Guevara says. “We’ve actually come to find that, in some instances, products and materials that were specified for LEED credits also work well on projects where LEED certification isn’t even the goal.”

In 2010, the firm is seeking to target new clientele and break into more private-sector business. “We expect to have 10 LEED APs on staff by the end of 2011,” Guevara says. “It’s important to have that flexibility on projects.

I really believe that flexibility and a general willingness to work with customer needs and wants is what is going to keep us busy.” gb&d

by David Hudnall

The first LEED-certified project on the campus of the National Institutes of Health, in Washington, DC, will be the National Cancer Institute’s Stem Cell Research Lab. It will also be the first LEED project (it’s aiming for Silver) under the belt of full-service, constructionand-relocation company Phelps & Phelps Consulting.

Founded in 2004, Phelps & Phelps has grown rapidly in the past few years—staff jumped from 20 to 48 between June 2009 and June 2010.

The firm works on commercial, high-end residential, and government projects, like the research center. “We started out as a relocation management company— moving offices and relocating people,” says Christian Guevara, assistant project manager. “But sometimes when you’re moving cubicles and furniture, you end up needing to move an outlet or a wall, and so we kind of fell into construction. We can build out your space and move you in or out.”

Of the LEED aspects of the Stem Cell Research Lab project, Guevara says, “It’s very different than what we’re used to, because it involves a greater understanding of the products used, as far as their origin and the manufacturing process. Everyone at the company has come to appreciate how things affect the sustainability aspect of materials used for construction.” Phelps & Phelps used wheat-based doors, bamboo flooring in the huddle space, cork boards that come from easily recyclable products, as well as locally manufactured casework that exceeded USGBC requirements.

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/learn

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

religious experience Originally constructed in 1294, this old dominican cathedral in the heart of Maastricht, The Netherlands, has been renovated into a thoroughly modern bookstore. Local architecture firm Merkx + Girod led the Selexyz dominicanen transformation. A towering, three-story, black-steel book stack stretches up to the stone vaults, competing with the stunning 14th-century frescoes on the ceiling. In a tongue-in-cheek move, a cross-shaped reading table invites visitors with a sense of humor to flip through the magazines and newspapers kept in the slats at the table. The heavenly bookstore even won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize.

Photos: Roos Aldershoff (roosaldershoff.nl).

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spaces/learn ELEMENTARy SCHOOL

island-style education Honolulu firm John Hara Associates is behind some of city’s greenest learning institutions, fostering eco-consciousness in the young minds that attend

by Russ Klettke

John Hara shares a piece of his personal history with President Barack Obama. The president of John Hara Associates Inc. is a fellow alumnus of Honolulu’s prestigious Punahou School, a 3,750-student college-preparatory institution, and, in what has to be an honor for anyone who attended the school, Hara’s firm has been designing many of the significant buildings for the 76acre campus since the 1980s.

But speak with Hara about Punahou, and he seems to be more focused on how architecture can foster an environmental consciousness among students and how the physical space can promote sustainability than about personal satisfaction. For the Case Middle School complex of Punahou, which is actually a series of nine buildings that were completed in 2004, John Hara Associates designed buildings to be naturally ventilated, with air conditioning as a back up. “The students have told their teachers they didn’t need to have the air conditioning turned on,” he says, adding that the school has made environmentalism a part of the education process.

BELOW: The entry plaza into Case Middle School at dusk. The school was certified LEED Gold in 2006.

Photo: David Franzen.

OPPOSTE: The proposed library building at the University of Hawaii–West Oahu campus, designed to mimic the landscape’s natural contours.

sustainability. The gentle trade winds of the archipelago have traditionally meant that buildings didn’t require interior climate controls. But that has changed in recent decades. For example, hotels that at one time had open-air lobbies now are closed and air-conditioned to appease tourist expectations. “It never gets very hot or very cold here,” Hara says. “We are able to live without air conditioning. But air conditioning is pretty much expected in every building today.”

Underscoring this frustrating trend, Hara was commissioned with the restoration of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, a renowned modern structure designed by Skidmore Owings Merrill and built in 1965 by scion Laurance Rockefeller. Hara revitalized the resort after it sustained damage in the 2006 Hawaii earthquake. A central atrium and louvered doors in the original structure negated the need for mechanically cooled air, and yet the desires of present day clientele made it a necessary inclusion.

“We kept the spirit of the 1960s building intact,” Hara says of the battles the firm did win. “Guests who have been staying at the resort for many years have thanked us for not messing it up.” Amenities such as television and Internet, not included in the original hotel, were effectively concealed in custom cabinetry, preserving the intent of the original design.

The Case Middle School achieved LEED Gold certification in 2006, and Green Guide magazine ranked Punahou as the “greenest school in America” that same year, earning the distinction through its waterless urinals and sensor-operated electronic faucets and water closets; photovoltaic panels; clerestory windows, rooms, and hallways situated to employ the Venturi effect (which aids the movement of air); digital sensors that shut down the air-conditioning system when windows are opened; thermal-energy-storing ice-plant system, which creates ice at night for use in cooling the building during the day; recycled materials like concrete, steel, flooring finishes, furniture, toilet partitions, countertops, lockers; and wood from sustainable sources.

The fact that some building users indiscriminately use air conditioning speaks to a cultural shift in Hawaii that presents challenges when designing for

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John Hara Associates

“The students have told their teachers they didn’t need to have the air conditioning turned on.”

–John Hara, President

On the flipside, nature at times must be dealt with differently: indoor performance spaces at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, a facility designed by Hara, are separated from the natural environment in order to create the sound and visual controls necessary for concerts, plays, and other productions. The firm connected different components of the facility through an open-air arcade of walkways, which keeps visitors in touch with surrounding mountains and beaches.

In another multi-building facility, Hara has designed the all-new University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus, currently under construction on a gently sloping, 41-acre former sugar plantation. Aiming for a LEED certification, Hara says, “We didn’t flatten the land. We wanted to use the natural contours, including an existing drainage canal transformed into a pedestrian walkway as an organizing element. Philosophically, it respects the uniqueness of the environment. The built structures are compatible with their surroundings.”

Hara acknowledges what must confront every architect: that a certain degree of green ultimately depends on the behaviors of building occupants. But when the firm gives them a choice—and as new generations of users become more conscious of the Earth and its needs— sometimes, perhaps most of the time, the sustainable option will be chosen. gb&d

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spaces/learn SCHOOL dISTRICT OFFICES

teacher’s pet New district headquarters are a cornerstone of the community, thanks to Hecht Burdeshaw Architects

by Zach Baliva

When it came time to update its office facilities, members of Georgia’s Muscogee County School Board decided to incorporate many of its divisions under one roof. The centralized building, called the Muscogee County Public Education Center, helps the district improve on economics and efficiencies. Two companies, Hecht Burdeshaw Architects, Inc. (HBA), and Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors, brought sustainable features to the project, which is becoming a community highlight.

HBA, a full-service architecture and interior-design firm, is celebrating its 50th year in business and has 26 employees split between offices in Columbus, Georgia, and Auburn/Opelika, Alabama. The firm has extensive experience in education projects, municipal facilities, and performance venues. Company president Tim Jensen says sustainability is not a new idea for his colleagues. “We’ve always approached projects from a green point of view, but we don’t want to force the mission of our firm on a client that doesn’t share the approach,” he explains. However, most of HBA’s clients are now embracing sustainable design attracted by lower utility bills. Customers receive lifecycle data so they can make informed choices about energy usage before construction begins.

Thankfully, Muscogee County’s officials were on board from the start, so Principal Sudhir Patel led the design team in infusing the project with sustainable principles that would address energy efficiency, occupant health, and other key issues. The building, 96,000 square feet in Columbus, Georgia, was completed with cast-stone masonry and green materials.

Patel explains that the firm originally planned to take the administration building through LEED certification but found the owners were more interested in using the program’s ideas than receiving recognition. “If LEED certification isn’t required, clients can still benefit from the practices behind the program,” he notes. Low and no-VOC paints, FSC-certified wood, recycled-content carpet, expansive views, extensive daylighting, a high-efficiency HVAC system, and energy-efficient light fixtures are just some of the many features found in the school board’s new headquarters. Additionally, the partnering architecture practices executed comprehensive wastemanagement programs on the build site and recycled more than half of all construction waste.

Wes Kelley, project manager at Brasfield & Gorrie, says the three-story office building took 14 months to complete. His full-service company was founded in 1964 and boasts 243 LEED APs who have completed 41 green projects. In Columbus, Kelley’s team used recycled precast concrete from the site’s old building. Material from its

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Hecht Burdeshaw Architects, Inc.

OPPOSITE: Exterior corner detail in cast stone provides interesting interplay of lines and shadows, while the secondary entrance’s archway detail looks more to texture and pattern.

LEFT: The school district offices preside over the site in a stately manner. The slightly angled front entrance hints at a more modern design.

“The idea is to give an impression to every visitor regarding the quality of education in the community.”

—Tim Jensen, President

demolition was used as base for paving, construction roads, and various grades.

The center’s building skin is comprised of locally produced cast stone, which makes the project stand out in an area where brick is the staple. “People not only enjoy interesting spaces, but in a business setting, an interesting building makes them better employees and better team members,” Jensen says. Notable designs, effective daylighting, high-quality air, and good views all combine at Muscogee to create a healthy work environment.

The final product succeeds in addressing environmental and financial concerns. The $15.6 million building cost just $163 per square foot including the site. The low cost can be attributed to HBA’s thorough planning—completed with cost consultants at every step of the way— and Brasfield & Gorrie’s quick pace, made possible by years of experience and large resources.

The client is happy and its new headquarters communicates an important message to Columbus: education continues to lead the way. The site is not done—three buildings including a library remain—but the offices alone mark a substantial start. “We wanted the elegant building to engender pride in the community,” Jensen says. “It is highly visible, and the idea is to give an impression to every visitor regarding the quality of education in the community.” gb&d

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Green roof systems

Serving the Southeast Since 1972

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ELEMENTARy SCHOOLS

solar houses while attending graduate school in 1979– 80. “I’ve been designing almost exclusively energy-efficient and sustainable projects ever since,” he notes.

masters of light Denver’s Hutton Architecture Studio has established itself as an expert in strategic daylighting in schools

by Peter Fretty

Many people spend much of their adult life trying to develop a passion to help them reach the proverbial next level. Not the case for Paul Hutton, AIA, LEED AP, and principal of Denver’s Hutton Architecture Studio.

Hutton is one of the lucky few who was able to solidify a lifelong commitment and passion during his formative years.

“I read the influential book The Limits to Growth and decided I needed to make a difference on the planet,” Hutton says. The interest only blossomed as Hutton continued his education, including a stint designing and building

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THIS PAGE, OPPOSITE: The new Aspen Middle School building features outdoor eating areas, new science classrooms, and architectural design as breathtaking as its surroundings. Energy modeling illustrates that the design saves approximately 890,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year when compared to a building built to code. The site is also prepared to accommodate a 45kW photovoltaic array, which would lead to a reduction of a million pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

As a result, Hutton and his team have developed tremendous expertise in this area. “We are still learning of course, but we believe that our ability to integrate energyefficient technology and excellent architectural design is far advanced compared to the many firms that have adopted sustainability comparatively late,” he says.

Hutton’s commitment to embracing daylighting as a fundamental strategy for energy conservation in large buildings is a prime example. “I did research on daylighting schools and published that at the first two international daylighting conferences in 1983 and 1986,” he says. “We have continued to advance our understanding of daylighting through application and have pioneered the use of new products and technologies. We consider ourselves to be masters of daylight design, even as we seek new ways to improve it.”

This expertise continues to shine through in the firm’s various designs. Take, for instance, the award-winning Douglas County Elementary School Prototype. The

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Hutton Architecture Studio

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“We have continued to advance our understanding of daylighting through application and have pioneered the use of new products and technologies.”

—Paul Hutton, Principal

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Hutton Architecture Studio ongoing project started in 2006 when Douglas County Schools recognized a need for numerous new elementary schools to meet its growing student population. Hutton and design partner RB+B responded by offering a high-performance, high-efficiency design that features daylighting in every classroom, utilizes off-the-shelf materials and technologies, and adapts well to each diverse and challenging site.

the building succeeds on a final level. “Plus, the design seamlessly blends traditional and LEED-friendly building materials and systems.”

“The result is an affordable, sustainable elementary school that reduces energy consumption, utility costs, improves indoor air quality, and enhances student performance,” Hutton says. To date, the project has received the 2009 Colorado Sustainable Design Award as well as the 2008 Impact on Learning Award, School Planning & Management.

One notable aspect of the Aspen design is its remarkable carbon-dioxide savings, which has played a key role in netting the 2009 Colorado Sustainable Design Award, 2009 AIA Colorado, West Chapter Merit Award, 2008 AIA Colorado Citation Award, 2008 AS&U Citation Award, and the 2007 Gold Hard Hat Award. “Energy modeling illustrates that the design saves approximately 890,000 pounds of CO2 per year over a comparable building built to code,” Hutton proudly notes. “The site is prepared to accommodate a 45-kilowatt photovoltaic array, which would close the gap to a million pounds of CO2 reduced per year.”

The 111,000-square-foot Aspen Middle School is another example of the firm’s ability to integrate sustainability into educational designs. Designed in conjunction with Studio B Architects, Aspen Middle School is the first K-12 school in Colorado to earn a LEED-NC Gold certification. “The resulting design responds to the district’s progressive educational mission, meets their high-performance design goals, and vastly improves the educational spaces while capitalizing on the site’s spectacular setting,” Hutton says, noting that

According to Hutton, educational facilities are great projects in which implement sustainable design for a number of reasons. “Schools inherently use less energy than most other building types due to their more limited hours and months of operation, and the owners expect to own and operate the building for decades, so they are more willing make a long-term investment in building quality,” he says. “Plus, sustainability aligns with the educational mission and can even be incorporated into the curriculum.” gb&d

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Photography Credit: Terry Shapiro

Photography Credit: Terry Shapiro gbdmagazine.com

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spaces/learn HIGHER EduCATION

deep in thought Evolving since its founding in 1927, a think tank first led Kell Muñoz Architects to focus on energy— now comes 5 million square feet of work with the University of Texas

by Jennifer Hogeland

As one of the oldest architectural practices in Texas, Kell Muñoz Architects, Inc. is known for its commitment to public and community-based architecture.

The San Antonio firm began working with environmentally minded clients in 1927. Its design philosophy has evolved over the years, earning it more than 100 awards of recognition for its accomplishments.

As the firm grew, it sought innovative ways to design sustainably. It devised a plan to transition from its old-fashioned common-sense design to sustainable design—an internal think tank was created and given the name Project Verde. Conversations among the principals included how to successfully deal with the issues of sustainable design and how to make sustainable design friendly to the users and operators of their buildings.

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bELOW: For Texas A&M university–San Antonio’s multipurpose office building, shown below in a rendering of the west façade, kell Muñoz Architects is incorporating LEEd principles into the design.

“We developed an attitude about how to not only get our buildings to work within the environment of the South Texas border region but also how to ensure, on behalf of our clients, that the operations and maintenance of these buildings are achievable,” says Principal Henry Muñoz.

Project Verde became a subsidiary of Kell Muñoz Architects; it began targeting existing public buildings that needed retrofitting to make them operate more efficiently. “We began being awarded projects that allowed Project Verde to go in, make an analysis of the building, and perform the update work required,” Muñoz explains.

The firm took charge of the region’s young sustainable movement. Three years ago, Kell Muñoz Architects collaborated with Zachry Construction to build a conference center on the construction company’s campus. Sustainable techniques were applied to an existing warehouse, and the opportunity allowed both firms to demonstrate their proficiency and willingness to complete a sustainable structure.

The building, as a place of training and education, sends a message of a sustainable commitment to the company’s employees, clients, and the San Antonio community.

Though the conference center was a pioneering project for reuse, it was also one of the first in the region to focus on water recapture. Kell Muñoz Architects explored alternative methods for irrigating the center’s landscape.

“It was a major commitment as a large corporate citizen to focus on water preservation,” Muñoz says. “Other

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Kell Muñoz Architects

“The cultural statement of the [Texas A&M] building needed to reflect not only the unique architecture of San Antonio but also the historical importance of water.”

—Henry Muñoz, Principal

corporations began to follow their lead.” The Zachry Conference Center became the first LEED-certified building in South Texas, qualifying for Gold.

Kell Muñoz Architects is a diversified architecture practice with governmental, institutional, higher education, public education, and corporate clients; their higher education practice has especially prospered throughout the decades. The architects have designed 5 million square feet of land for the University of Texas system, three million for Texas A&M alone. “We love working in education,” Muñoz says. “We’ve been very fortunate our relationship with our first university client, Trinity University, began in 1949—we still work with them today.”

The firm has the privilege of using its sustainable expertise at the moment, in the initial design phases of a new Texas A&M campus in San Antonio. A multiuse building serves as the first building in an aggressive master plan to serve as a model for the future of the University. “The cultural statement of the building needed to reflect not only the unique architecture of San Antonio but also the historical importance of water,” Muñoz says.

“Here the curriculum and the idea of sustainable design marry each other,” Muñoz adds. The building’s design addresses the preciousness of water in the landscape of South Texas—with components evaluating the use, reuse, and recapture of water. These lessons will be taught in the building and experienced as part of the campus. The firm set out to allow students to see sustainability in practice. Large water collectors will be left above ground as a visible reminder to the students and community that the university is taking steps to preserve water. The university is even developing a program on irrigation technology.

“Texas A&M wants to be seen as good stewards of the water resources in the area,” adds Geof Edwards, chief operating officer at Kell Muñoz Architects. Both rain water and condensate water from the air conditioning systems will be used to water the landscape so the

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university isn’t depleting the city’s resources for drinking water. Native and adaptive plant species will be scattered throughout the landscape since these varieties thrive on very little water.

Keeping the building cool is critical as students study in the scorching hot region. Selecting an energy-efficient HVAC system, insulating the building, and shading the structure with glass were all employed to decrease the heat load on the building. “This building, like many of the others we are working on right now, have lighting sensors that will turn the lights off so they aren’t increasing the heat load in the areas where there is adequate lighting,” Edwards adds.

The Texas A&M project is being designed to LEED Silver standards although the school doesn’t intend to chase the formal certification. “We are incorporating the normal energy conservation and green methods such as using renewable resources and locally sourced materials to meet the LEED credits,” Edwards says, “although the one thing that everyone has agreed to focus on is the water conservation.”

Not far away, Kell Muñoz Architects has begun the design of a $100 million Federal Courthouse in San Antonio.

The government adequately budgeted for the building to become LEED certified and intends to seek the highest level possible. “We will probably pull out all the stops... and let that project serve as an example of what can be done in this area,” Edwards says.

The firm uses each project as an opportunity to remind the community of the growing need to be environmentally conscious. “We try especially hard to be aware of the community and design thoughtfully around the things the people in our region are most sensitive to,” Muñoz says. Its legacy speaks to the success of such a goal. gb&d

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spaces/learn uNIVERSITy ExPANSION

new growth in known markets Rodgers Builders travels to Sweden to investigate new technology for a strategic expansion that need not veer outside its traditional markets

by Joyce Finn

The Charles H. Towne Center for Science at Furman University is pending LEED Gold certification. The project, completed by general contractor Rodgers Builders, Inc. consists of a major renovation of an existing 120,000-square-foot 1960s science building and two new additions totaling 80,000 square feet. Construction included not only classrooms, lecture halls, and laboratories but also a planetarium and greenhouse, increasing the size of the center by 50 percent.

Rodgers Builders, for 46 years, has been perfecting its abilities in five market sectors: healthcare, education, commercial and mixed-use, cultural and community, and senior living. According to Eric Reichard, COO, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our recipe for expansion is to go with the

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markets where we have a proven track record.â&#x20AC;? The company has more than 300 employees in four offices throughout North and South Carolina and completes more than 100 projects annually, ranging in cost from less than $10,000 to more than $200 million. In 2009, with 50 percent of its work in the healthcare industry and 30 percent in the education sector, revenue exceeded $420 million.

For the Towne Center for Science building, Rodgers Builders installed chilled beam systems for cooling.

Chilled beams are common throughout Europe, but this was the first project in the southeast United States to use this technology. Representatives of the company, along with the client and project architects, went to Sweden to review the technology and to decide whether it would be a good fit. They also visited universities in the northeast United States where the technology has previously been used. It turns out it fit perfectly. Cost savings through the use of chilled-beam technology amounted to approximately $1 million. Long-term energy savings are estimated at 30 percent.

Other green features include solar panels, mulch walkways, a wastewater treatment center called The Living Machine, and rooftop heat-recovery wheels. More than 90 percent of the construction waste was recycled.

Low-VOC and products containing high-recycled content and low-E windows were used alongside occupancy sensors. Many of the systems were highlighted for educational purposes. Students are able to see how the wastewater is pumped through the living wetland

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Rodgers Builders, Inc.

Keeping the owner in mind has been vital in winning awards and repeat clients. “When we’re working in a building that’s occupied, we’re very sensitive to that environment. We feel it’s one of the things we do best,” Reichard says. “We once put an addition on the top of a building where they were conducting surgery on the floor below. We’ve worked underneath existing occupied buildings and added floors below. We’ve fast-tracked schedules to complete projects in weeks instead of months. We do whatever it takes to meet our client’s needs.”

“Our recipe for expansion is to go with the markets where we have a proven track record.”

—Eric Reichard, COO

plants and then the greywater is reused for the toilets and washing lab cages.

Rodgers Builders has more than 50 LEED APs, and 20 to 30 percent of its projects are on track for LEED certification. “As we were setting up our training courses to help our employees get their LEED accreditation, we offered the same courses to our clients,” Reichard says.

“Many of our clients and architect partners came to our classes, or we went to their offices and taught their employees. Sustainable practices and building information modeling [BIM] are two of our biggest focus areas.

BIM is no longer innovative, it’s expected. Most of our requests for proposals require it. We have found BIM to be beneficial to our overall coordination efforts on the projects, which is a direct benefit to the owner.”

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OPPOSITE: Exterior of Furman university’s new South addition.

AbOVE: (clockwise from left) The new lecture hall and auditorium, in front of the new two-story kohrt Commons corridor; The Towne Center for Science reading room; Auditorium interior showing millwork panel; Exterior of the science center. All photos: dennis Nodine.

Clients and third parties have taken note of the company’s dedication. Modern Healthcare magazine has ranked Rodgers Builders among the top 10 national healthcare general contractors for the past 10 consecutive years, and Engineering News-Record ranks Rodgers Builders among the top 100 CM-at-Risk firms in the nation. In 2010, Rodgers Builders, in joint venture with H.J. Russell & Company, was presented with an award for leadership by the North Carolina Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses at the 29th Annual State Construction Conference in Raleigh, which was attended by nearly 1,200 contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, and representatives of state agencies. gb&d

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spaces/learn HIGH-PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS

a client’s first words Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects pulls out all the stops when one school district utters a phrase the firm had never heard before: ‘spend more to make it green’

by Anne Dullaghan

Listen. Design. Build. That is the cornerstone philosophy behind every project taken on by Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects, PC (KG&D). When the firm’s president and managing partner, Russell A. Davidson, AIA, and his team set out to replace the Post Road Elementary School in White Plains, New York, they definitely did a lot of listening—to community residents, to board of education members, and to teachers. And what they heard was, “Spend more to make it green.”

“It was the first time that I’ve ever had a client say that,” Davidson notes. “However, after reviewing the studies, the White Plains community knew that a green school would ultimately be more cost effective and better for the children. They pushed the school board, and we were given the go-ahead to increase the budget for what became a $39 million project.”

The Mount Kisco, New York-based KG&D is a mid-sized firm of approximately 30 licensed architects, professional engineers, interior designers, construction inspectors, and support personnel. The firm was first founded nearly 70 years ago and specializes in education and non-profit work.

OPPOSITE: Trinity Pawling Prep School’s new Scully Hall was designed to meet LEEd Silver criteria. This New york school’s new dining facility replaced an aging building within the same footprint and yet is more than 30% more energy efficient than the previous structure.

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In 2005, KG&D and the White Plains City School District conducted district-wide, master-planning studies that included careful evaluation of elementary-space needs and the most critical building issues within the district. The study included lifecycle cost analysis and the exploration of multiple design options that would accommodate the elementary-education program. The result became a plan for infrastructure upgrades at several buildings, two athletic stadiums with synthetic turf fields, and replacement of the Post Road Elementary School.

Built in the early 1900s, the classic neighborhood school—to which the majority of students still walk to school every day—had aged into an asbestos-filled, poorly ventilated, energy-inefficient building. After

considering the options, the decision was made to replace the school completely. “People often think a green site is where someone needs a new facility on a brand new lot,” Davidson says. “But the greenest thing you can do is renovate on existing land.”

The new Post Road Elementary School is among the first sustainable, high-performance school buildings in the State of New York. Major sustainable elements of the building include a geothermal system, rooftop solarphotovoltaic panels, low-impact plumbing fixtures, and the use of recycled and natural materials. Large windows in every classroom and at the end of every hallway flood the spaces with daylight, making it a cheery, environment conducive to learning. The classrooms step down a hill, so the kids can look out the windows onto the green roof and enjoy a bit of nature.

Davidson notes that the school’s underground geothermal system saves more than energy. “With a 90,000square-foot building to heat and cool, the neighbors would definitely hear a traditional system. The new system is silent. Additionally, the school district was able to save money by consolidating summer school locations from five partially used buildings to holding classes in the updated, air-conditioned school.”

According to the school’s energy modeling, the building uses 50 percent of a conventionally designed building and is 62 percent more energy efficient than a building designed to meet the baseline energy code. This level of efficiency has translated to approximately $72,000 savings on current gas and electricity costs since the building opened in September 2009. “The second grade music class even wrote a song saying Post Road Elementary was best school in the world. What could be better feedback than that?” Davidson adds.

A second high-profile green project was the construction of the new 15,000-square-foot Trinity Pawling Prep School dining hall. It’s a tradition at the Pawling, New York, all- boys boarding school for students to share their meals together. However, due to the school’s increased enrollment over the years, they’d simply outgrown the original dining hall, and the students had to eat in shifts.

“The arrangement affected the unity that the school wanted to achieve,” Davidson explains. “We researched renovation options but decided the best decision would be to tear down the existing building and create one large, central dining hall.” The laminated timber from upstate New York, combined with the massive banks of windows, create a warm, welcoming environment that encourages lively dinner-table discussions. Like the Post Road Elementary School, KG&D specified a geothermal system for maximum energy efficiency.

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Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects

spaces/learn

“People often think a green site is where someone needs a new facility on a brand new lot, but the greenest thing you can do is renovate on existing land.”

—Russell A. Davidson, President & Managing Partner

A good plan turned into a great one when, after a third party determined that Trinity Pawling’s new Scully Hall would be 34 percent more efficient than what is required by the baseline energy code, the school realized an even greater savings, hitting 35 percent and higher. The project is expected to be designated as LEED Silver.

Davidson notes that it’s a unique challenge to design for an educational environment versus a business office.

“The buildings have different use schedules—office buildings are used evenly throughout the day while schools have a before-school and an after-school life. With the Post Road Elementary School, we placed the gym, cafeteria, and auditorium in one section of the building and the classrooms in another. This way, community groups can use the non-classroom portion of the school after hours or without disrupting the teaching,” he says. “Designing for education is very rewarding. To me there’s no more important population to teach about green building and sustainability than the children.” gb&d

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Napco has a more efficient, greener way for architects, engineers, and contractors to share project files. Better than hardcopy, email, CDs, and FTP. The design-build world isn’t paperless yet, but with Napco’s file sharing, digital delivery, tracking, reporting, revision controls, time/date stamping, etc., we can save time and reduce errors and the waste associated with them. Our solutions can help from the design phase, through contractor selection, subcontractor bidding, and construction administration. All built specifically for the AEC industry. Learn more at iShareDocs.com and BidSet.com. Ask your Napco office about these services and our no-ozone wide-format printers to print those plans greener, or call us at 866.752.6766.

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solutions

The economics of GeoThermal enerGy

facT: The international Geothermal association (iGa) estimates that projects will reach 18,500 mW worldwide by 2015. according to Bertani/iGa, the countries with the greatest increase in installed capacity from 2005 to 2010 were the United states with 530 mW; indonesia with 400 mW; iceland with 373 mW; new Zealand with 193 mW; and Turkey with 62 mW.

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Geothermal is an exotic form of alternative home energy, right? Maybe it works best in regions with volcanic activity, where tectonic plates collide or perhaps where other energy sources are prohibitively expensive. And high-installation costs mean only the well-to-do can afford it.

Try telling that to Randy Mathern and his customers at Comfort Zone Heating & Air in bismarck, North dakota. “Geothermal now constitutes between 60 and 70 percent of the business,” he says. This is in a state that already exports its traditional energy resources of oil, coal, and natural gas; has a known reserve or uranium; and is developing a wind and biomass fuelproduction infrastructure as well. So why should geothermal be so popular?

“Historically, most homes are heated with forced air, with the second method being radiant heat,” says Mathern, who established his business nine years ago and has worked in heating and cooling for 35 years. What’s driving homeowners to choose geothermal—aside from the environmental benefit—is a combination of two factors: generous tax incentives that bring down the cost of installing a geothermal system and the clear advantage of miniscule monthly heating-and-cooling charges.

The numbers tell the story: installation costs for a geothermal system in a 2,000-square-foot home are about $20,000–30,000, about twice that of a traditional forced-air or radiant-heat system. but a federal tax incentive, available

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solutions/geothermal

Sheet Metal Specialties through at least 2016, shaves 30 percent off that installation cost. Add to that an additional 15 percent incentive offered by the state of North dakota, plus various rebate programs, and the cost differential from traditional systems disappears.

Once in place, a geothermal system only requires an electric pump to distribute heat and cooling. Operating costs to the homeowner are about 25 percent of what a traditional system would cost.

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All that is required is enough property— three to five holes, 15 feet apart that extend 200 feet into the ground—to allow a vertical-loop field of plastic pipe to be laid underground. A water solution circulates through those pipes, bringing coolwinter or hot-summer temperatures into contact with the consistent Earth temperatures (50–60 degrees), which then circulate back to the home. The pipes need to be at least 6 feet deep, however some systems run as deep as 1,000 feet to accommodate the necessary length of pipe.

Horizontal-loop fields and pond-water systems can also be engineered. All numbers vary by region.

Mathern says that commercial applications benefit just as much as homes. A system recently installed in a 7,800-squarefoot office building will likely qualify it for LEEd certification. The owner paid about $200 in heating-and-cooling costs per month last december and January— about one-sixth of what a traditional system would cost.

The bismarck area experiences both hot summers and frigid winters, ideal for Mathern’s company, since the technology works for both. “but it works differently in different regions,” he notes. “Everyone wants lower operating costs with comfort and good air quality. Millions of existing homes can make this switch when the time comes to replace an old system.”

—by Russ Klettke

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solutions/mechanical

facT: according to the mcaa, mechanical contractors play a primary role in at least 22 of the available leeD points, and at least a secondary role in an additional 11 leeD points of new construction.

The mechanics of The ProjecT manaGer “Being a mechanical contractor and understanding the efficiency of the equipment and designs enables us to represent cost- and energy-saving alternatives to our customer base,” says Jim Thomas, project administrator at Colorado-based Vision Mechanical. The company, which was founded 13 years ago by Bill Singleton and his wife, Nickie, specializes in full-service mechanical systems including plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and dust collection, as well as structural and steel fabrication services. Since the company’s inception, Vision Mechanical has been installing geothermal systems, but only within the past two years has the company begun making the green technology a focus.

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backgrounder/ In the fall of 2008, Vision Mechanical began work on the Pueblo-City County Health department, which states its mission as “Promoting the health and protecting the environment for the people of Pueblo City,” a philosophy it shares with Vision Mechanical.

assignment/ Complete all mechanical work for the $1.13 million, 45,000-square-foot project, with a target of LEEd Gold certification.

solution/ Vision Mechanical set to work on the three-story structure—plus roof and basement—and its HVAC and duct systems.

“Vision Mechanical managed the project using our own LEEd-accredited managers.

Not only did our estimator need to look for the lowest and best-valued cost, they also had to think green to verify the application of LEEd points. Lowest bid, best value, and the owner’s interest make estimating sustainability a more difficult estimate to assemble,” Thomas explains. “Managing a project of this nature requires a very detailed manager; a manager can never take his eye off the intent to build green. building green requires a team approach that general contractors and owners need

to consider; it requires mechanical contractors to be part of the process.”

Vision Mechanical included low-VOC paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and carpets, as well as easy access to public transportation, bicycle storage, light-pollution reducers, innovative wastewater technologies, on-site renewable energy, and recycled materials. The team understands the importance of incorporating as many green procedures as possible, and was thrilled to be able to showcase its abilities for such a worthy cause. “Green means to us being able to provide alternatives to the conventional mechanical systems, thus ensuring environmentally friendly buildings for our customers,” says Thomas, who appreciates the company’s green initiatives and construction approach.

Singleton’s vision has been clear since he founded the company, and projects like the county health department job continue to prove that this dream is not only doable but the road to incredible success. “I am a second-generation tradesman and was fortunate to be part of and witness many exciting ventures in the trades from the time I was a little boy. I never had the second thought that we couldn’t do anything,” Singleton says. “I was very fortunate to

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work for good contractors that allowed me to learn. Having this attitude proved to be a strength—[but] also a weakness that caused many bumps, bruises, and sleepless nights.”

The can-do attitude is alive and well as the company plots its way into the future. “We find ourselves to be moving forward as a progressive company; we don’t want to be a spectator,” Singleton continues. “More important than Nickie and I and our vision is the vision that has now become that of the various managers of this company. They plug the gaps in all of the many areas [in which] I am deficient. We have bought many pieces of equipment and tooling; each of those can be replaced tomorrow. but it would be impossible to replace the managers; they are absolutely the most valuable resource.”

—by Thalia Aurinko-Mostow

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solutions/recycling

facT: according to a report by Pike research, a 10-year retrofit program for Us commercial spaces could save $41.1 billion in energy expenses.

The BenefiTs of DesTrUcTive TenDencies “Our abilities to identify and act upon recycling opportunities are quite extensive. As we approach each project, our overall goal is to always recycle as much as possible so that we can reduce the amount of material going to landfills and help our customers achieve LEED designations they seek,” says Robert Duermit, vice president of Kinsale Contracting Group Inc., adding that the most difficult factor in complying with established green principles is time. “It takes time to catalog all the items and find acceptable recycling partners or reclaimers. And understandably, when jobs are awarded the client wants to keep the job moving. They expect you to start and complete the demolition as quickly as possible so that the follow-up trades can perform the new build out.”

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backgrounder/

assignment/

In the continually maturing world of green building, kinsale Contracting fills a true market niche: the industry’s labor-intensive work, including selective demolition within high-rise office buildings, hospitals, processing plants, factories, high-tech computer centers, schools, and other institutional settings. In addition, the nearly 10-year-old, Westmont, Illinois-based firm is highly experienced with asbestos abatement, lead mitigation, mold remediation, and hazardous-waste cleanup.

Completely gut three floors—roughly 70,000 square feet—of a building in downtown Chicago on Wacker drive.

The biggest challenge? An extremely tight timeframe, pressuring kinsale Contracting to work even harder to achieve target recycling rates.

It’s difficult to find homes for otherwise unwanted materials, especially in a down economic environment, duermit explains. Fortunately, over the years kinsale Contracting has developed a number of different marketing avenues and productive relationships with key vendors, which allow the firm to have an understanding of what its partners expect.

Success within kinsale Contracting’s market sector depends in part, duermit says, upon knowing the materials. “The top priority is to keep items from going to the landfill,” he says. “Instead of breaking down wood millwork for disposal, you can remove it in whole pieces for reuse.”

solution/ “In a project of this nature, you cannot just go in and immediately destroy everything,” duermit says. “The key is to remove everything in components that are reusable. For instance, breaking down and repackaging the furniture for reuse.”

The care with which kinsale Contracting works—even under deadline— pays off for company, client, and the environment. “ultimately, we were able to divert 388 tons of material for a 96 percent recycle rate,” duermit says. This number was slightly higher even than normal, he notes. The company can typically achieve recycle rates of 80–85 percent; the higher rate on the Wacker drive project was a direct result of the office furniture involved.

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reGUlaTeD TrenD a city steps up to the plate While leeD initiatives have prompted more firms to embrace expansive recycling efforts, the city of chicago has stepped up as well. it first instituted an ordinance that requires recycling of construction debris a few years ago, mandating the following minimums:

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Going forward duermit foresees an increased emphasis on documented recycling and proven usage. “This is a good thing when the economy can support it but is costly when the economy does not support it,” he says. “For instance, as some recycling facilities no longer accept certain products, due to capacity limits, we have situations where we now have to pay increased fees to comply with some recycle requirements.

“We are constantly keeping a pulse on the market. The recession is making recycling more difficult. As new construction activity has dropped, vendors within this market have accumulated an abundance of recycling goods that are just sitting, and accepting more is almost impossible,” duermit continues. “Recycling is all about the circle of life. When any part of this loop is removed or disrupted there are problems. The loop is only complete when we can take a product out and others can reuse or recycle it into another setting.” —by Peter Fretty

142 JAN 2011

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CERAMIC TILE Quality Products, Service & Installation Guaranteed!

PO Box 4112 | Durango, Colorado 81302 Phone: 970.769.1782 Fax: 970.375.6292

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builder to watch

Alix Kogan The celebrated Colorado builder knows good things come with small footprints

by Thalia Aurinko-Mostow

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builder to watch

Alix Kogan 1

2

3

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builder to watch

“Some clients are interested in carbon footprint, while others are purely interested in reducing energy bills. It is our job to educate the client and let them decide how to allocate their resources.”

1/ The angled window wall (supporting a rooftop solar photovoltaic system that sold energy back to the grid this past winter) became an important design element of this Durango residence that blurs the distinction between exterior and interior spaces and enhances the “top of the world” feel of this unique home.

2/ Locally quarried stone graces many walls both inside and out, complementing the low-maintenance exterior stucco. The home successfully marries warm mountain finishes and contemporary materials with a focus on sustainability.

3/ The home showcases amazing views of Lake Nighthorse and the La Plata Mountains while simultaneously achieving a 5-star energy rating from Built Green Colorado and a HERS rating of 56.

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For the past 10 years, Alix Kogan has been building quality homes in the durango, Colorado area, but his design-build career began many years before. As a boy, kogan learned the trade from his father, also a builder, for whom he later worked with alongside his brother in Chicago. He credits his time with the family business for providing him with a solid foundation in construction.

Currently, kogan builders works on five to six custom projects per year, and has recently changed its business strategy to include smaller projects. “We have been focusing on the $400,000–600,000 market and have been successful in designing smaller and more efficient homes,” explains kogan, who is an NAHb Certified Green Professional. He also acknowledges that the integrated design-build process, strong systems, staff, and uncompromising attention to detail, quality, and design have greatly benefited his business. kogan makes a point of budgeting time for continued education, seminars, and workshops on an annual basis in order to stay current with the latest technologies and other methods of construction management. He is also dedicated to learning about new green technologies and sustainable techniques, and utilizing them to add value to each project.

“We are committed to meeting individual clients’ green-building objectives. Some clients are interested in carbon footprint while others are purely interested in reducing energy bills.

It is our job to educate the client and let them decide how to allocate their resources,” kogan says.

In december 2009, kogan builders finished a 4,600-square-foot custom home built for an environmentally conscious client. It all started with a simple request from the homeowner: “I want and need to build a unique contemporary home with energy and environmental sensitivity.” kogan and his team knew they could meet the client’s demand.

They embarked on a six-month planning period. From the beginning of the project, kogan builders enlisted the talents of a number of local green-building-certified auditors. With their guidance they selected qualified trade contractors to build the unique final product.

The construction took 12 months and wound

up with a HERS rating of 56. “The home was constructed by our in-house framers, trim carpenters, superintendents, and project managers—all with a single focus of building the best and most energy-efficient home,” kogan says.

The team paid special attention to the home’s final site location and placement on the lot and protected existing features like natural drainage, trees, and rock formations.

Specific framing techniques were utilized to eliminate waste and create a better building envelope, and kogan used recycled or engineered framing products that limit the use of new lumber. The home also features high R-value insulation and a healthy interior exchange of air, as well as a unique heating/ cooling product new to the Southwest Colorado area: an air-to-air heat pump rated for performance at 30 degrees below zero. kogan builders has also recently finished his own house, a Craftsman bungalow originally built in 1935. The 2,300-square-foot full renovation took six months to complete and is located in downtown historic durango, just a few blocks off Main Street. For kogan, it’s “a very private setting in the middle of downtown. We wanted a contemporary meets Craftsman design,” he says. The space includes three beautiful outdoor spaces: a patio, deck, and terrace, which feature a garden, fire pit, and hot tub. Per his commitment to sustainability, kogan used reclaimed flooring and eco-friendly cherry cabinetry.

As one of the largest builders of custom homes in durango, kogan builders’ work has not gone unnoticed. The company has been twice featured in both Mountain Living Magazine and Log Home Living and also has won six Parade of Homes awards, including “First Place People’s Choice” and “Overall best Home.” kogan himself has been noted as one of the “Top 100 Mountain Architects” and “Top 20 builders and designers under the age of 40” by Mountain Living. but maybe the most exciting award of late was the builder’s win as the 2009 Recycler of the year, a highlight which greatly encouraged kogan, who sees green building as a huge element of what defines kogan builders as a company. gb&d

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last look

countdown you would be amazed what sustainable feats you could accomplish in a short amount of time—or a lot of time. From major moves to small steps, the important thing is getting started.

10 months

you could prepare to pass the LEEd exam with flying colors.

9

months

6 hours

Research other green businesses in the area with whom you could partner.

Expectant mothers to be can brush up on The Huffington Post’s “Surprising Tips for a Green Pregnancy,” part of the site’s Eco Etiquette blog. Highlights include learning to cook organic food; foregoing maternity clothes in favor of adaptable outfits—such as the en vogue stretch leggings; switching to safer cosmetic products; and walking whenever possible.

5

minutes

2

hours

Read up on Frank Lloyd Wright, the original green architect.

Sign up for your free subscription to gb&d at gbdmagazine. com/sub.

1

second

Flip the page! you’re officially done with this issue of gb&d.

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8

7

weeks

Embark in a summer-long inspirational voyage to take in the most sustainable structures, designs, and installations around the world [check out this issue’s Project Spotlights, defined design department, and Top 10 of ‘10 feature for sources of inspiration.]

4

days

brush up on the latest green books and blogs to stay up to date on this ever-changing subject. [See our Recommended Reading on p.18.]

years

If you set aside $20 each week, you will have saved enough for a hefty downpayment for a new hybrid car to drive to your office in eco-style.

3 days

Rethink your sustainable business plan to better position your company for future growth.

*IN THE NExT ISSuE

How are lighting and sound connected? Ron Harwood, of Illuminating Concepts, discusses his high-profile design projects and how his love of music informs his visionary entertainment strategies.

PLuS... Repurposing takes on a whole new meaning with Australia’s quirkiest design pair: Ben Edwards and Juliet Moore. A look at their Adolf Loos-inspired Cubby House and all its secret spaces.

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