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DIMENSION WALLS
TYPE II
ACOUSTIC
DURATEC
DESKING SOLUTIONS
In This Issue Fall 2020 Volume 11, Issue 62
Architect’s Guide to Porcelain Tile Florim USA can make any space luxurious.
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Essential Design
Table of Contents Products 12 Designing for Style and Safety
We ask the experts at GALE Pacific about flame retardant fabrics.
Features 60 Forces of Change
Sustainability drives ASSA ABLOY, the leader in door opening solutions.
66 Building the Flexible Office Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects built Salesforce Tower in San Francisco for the future.
104 Why should I consider home energy storage?
Q CELLS is leading the charge with innovative solar solutions.
106 Why should I rethink my commercial air filters?
Filtration Group explores total cost of ownership and energy consumption.
Cleveland Clinic uses patient-centric design and holistic thinking to reach better outcomes.
Teknoflor provides durable, easy-toclean flooring for health care that is also aesthetically pleasing.
88 The Silent Side of Design
Acoustical Surfaces and ASI Architectural drown out the noise in health care settings.
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Ambius explores the needs of commercial spaces, especially after COVID-19.
110 What’s the difference between polyiso insulation for roofing and walls?
84 Ground to Stand On
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EZ-ACCESS shares how modular access systems meet all your code compliant needs.
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102 How do aluminum ramp systems lead to safer projects?
108 How does biophilic design make better spaces?
78 Health Care by Design
Practice
72 The Modern Workplace is Modular How to create safe, private solutions with SnapCab Workspace.
Health care facilities meet the adapting needs of patients and physicians.
Rmax knows polyiso is highly effective at meeting continuous insulation requirements for wall applications.
112 What are the environmental benefits of using reclaimed refrigerants?
Hudson Technologies shares its expertise around recycling and reusing refrigerants.
114 How is glass sustainable?
Binswanger Glass on how choosing the right glass maximizes daylight and reduces energy usage.
116 What new storage ideas have improved the mobile workforce?
Digilock looks at how the changing way we work demands secure storage.
118 How do gypsum boards enhance acoustics?
National Gypsum shares the inner workings of its SoundBreak XP Wall Board.
120 How do clear room dividers help healing spaces?
Screenflex explores the top options for the health care industry and beyond.
123 Architect to Watch
IA Interior Architects’ John Hopkins shares his love of architecture and making better interiors.
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Contributors Green Building & Design gbdmagazine.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Christopher Howe ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Laura Heidenreich MANAGING EDITOR
Laura Rote ART DIRECTOR
Kristina Walton Zapata ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Julie Veternick ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Ciara Gomez, Isabel Ilbuga, Christian Van Epps
Julia Stone (“Upgrading a Masterpiece”) is a freelance writer and aspiring librarian currently living in Ohio. She was previously an associate editor at gb&d and Sixtysix in Chicago. She just finished her first year earning her Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at Kent State University while serving as a graduate assistant at the Reinberger Children’s Library Center. When she isn’t writing or working on schoolwork, she enjoys spending time with her rescue dog, reading, and hiking. PG. 42
MARKETING MANAGER
Sophia Conforti EDITORIAL INTERN
Jada Ward GRAPHIC DESIGNER INTERN
Spencer McNabney CONTRIBUTORS
Eric Canan, Hilary Daninhirsch, Colleen DeHart, Cap Green, David Miller, Lucy Miller, Jessica Mordacq, Margaret Poe, Julia Stone, Matt Watson MAIL
Green Building & Design 47 W Polk Street, Ste 100-285 Chicago, IL 60605
David Miller is a writer living and working in Chicago. Half sheen, half grit, he harbors diverse interests and has written about topics ranging from arts and culture to manufacturing and industry. In addition to his work at gb&d magazine, he contributes to a variety of publications, including Electrical Apparatus Magazine and Automation World. Ever the eccentric, he holds ardently that he can be reached via phone, email, or telepathic inquiry. PG. 110, 116
Printed in the USA. © 2020 by Green Advocacy Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. The Green Building & Design logo is a registered trademark of Green Advocacy Partners, LLC. Green Building & Design (gb&d) magazine is printed in the United States using only soy-based inks. Please recycle this magazine. The magazine is also available in digital formats at gbdmagazine.com/current-issue. Green Building & Design is a certified B Corp. B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit BLab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
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Cap Green (“Designing Essential Spaces”) is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. She researched spatial and societal constraints in 19th century French literary characters as a Tow Fellow in France and continues to write about the relationship between literature and the earth’s environment. She works full-time as the director of a nonprofit organization that provides charitable services internationally. Cap’s favorite stories are inspired by her Cajun French roots, which she shares on Southern Wild. PG. 92
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Editors’ Note Share your comments on this issue. Tweet us @gbd_mag
D E S I G N I N G F O R T H E C H A N G I N G N E E D S O F T H E H E A LT H C A R E I N D U S T RY
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ON THE COVER We go inside the design of the new University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute with Perkins and Will. Photo by Mark Herboth
5 Things We Learned During the Making of This Issue Walter Netsch’s interest in geometry flourished after
Studio Gang’s Solar Carve (40 Tenth Ave.) in New
environments at Cleveland Clinic, he thinks big. “The health care of the future is much more about prevention than simply cure, and that requires a lifelong relationship with people.” That means health care designers are considering people’s lives outside of just hospitals. “There’s no point in providing the perfect environment in a hospital if people don’t have a decent environment for well-being in their own homes or workplaces.”
he designed the US Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in 1962. Enclosing the upper level of this 150-foot-tall chapel are glass and aluminum spires, each consisting of 100 tetrahedrons, or triangular pyramids. Stained glass panels cover the pipe-like tetrahedrons, allowing diffused light to travel into the space. The Cadet Chapel received the Twenty-five Year Award from the American Institute of Architects in 1996.
PATIENT-CENTRIC
RESIDENCE,
York City was built to ensure occupant wellness, from narrower floorplates that allow for plenty of natural light to outdoor spaces on nearly every floor that bring in fresh air and allow users to step or even work outside. Adjacent to the High Line you’ll also find an 8,000-square-foot planted terrace, and at the top of the building, you can explore a 10,000-square-foot planted roof deck that provides a shared space with windscreens and trees. STU-
CARE, PG. 78
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NETSCH PG. 42
DIO GANG, PG. 26
When Glenn Bostock, who has a background in fine woodworking, started SnapCab in a barn with his wife in 1983, it was all about custom cabinetry work. In the ’90s the company transitioned into elevator remodeling, and in 2016 they saw a need for modular workspaces. Today SnapCab is poised to solve an even greater need in open offices, caused in part by the need for social distancing in the time of COVID-19, with solutions that allow you to work safely.
SNAPCAB WORKSPACE, PG. 72
Binswanger Glass started in 1872 when Samuel Binswanger opened a small glass store in Richmond, Virginia. The new business thrived following the Civil War. Soon his four sons joined him, and the company began serving clients throughout the South. Fast-forward to today and Binswanger Glass has more than 60 locations in 14 states, and the company continues to expand. Binswanger Glass is one of the biggest installers of glass and glass-related products for residential and commercial use.
PHOTO: ROGER MASTROIANNI
When Chris Connell thinks of designing healthy
BINSWANGER GLASS, PG. 114
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Editors’ Picks News
Monteverde Inn
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MONTEVERDE INN
Everybody who checks in at the secluded Monteverde Inn learns about permaculture, or the system that works to integrate human life in nature in a way that’s self-sufficient and doesn’t harm the environment. “We’re using tourism as a microphone to talk about sustainable practices, whereas other places are just trying to keep businesses open and attaching the word ‘eco’ to it,” says owner Jonah Chaffee. Monteverde Inn was one of the first hotels to open in this region of Costa Rica 35 years ago, but Chaffee says it’s not like other “eco” lodging options out there. Beyond having an incredible trail system with phenomenal views, waterfalls, and hammocks in the trees, the property is no frills and every amenity is considered for how it relates to nature. You’ll find solar water heaters and a solar drying room for towels, a massive greywater project, composting projects, aquaponics, and more. Chaffee says the simplest way to live better is to be conscious of your consumption and give back. “We want to keep our prices accessible to family travelers. I never want to be a boutique hotel.” monteverdeinncr.com
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Sandtown Furniture Volunteering on a job site in Baltimore, a future founder of Sandtown Furniture Co. was shocked to see so much good wood being left in the dumpster. So he hauled it off and started Sandtown, where he and his team have been creating one-of-a-kind pieces for the last eight years. “As almost all our pieces are, this table is built from wood that was salvaged from the City of Baltimore,” says Will Phillips, who runs Sandtown with James Battaglia. “The city runs a yard where they take fallen trees the city forestry service had to take down. We got lucky and scored this beautiful old black cherry tree.” Dining tables, coffee tables, desks, and more are among the handmade furnishings made from reclaimed wood Sandtown delivers. sandtown.com
McMurdo Station
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF SANDTOWN FURNITURE; RENDERING: COURTESY OF OZ ARCHITECTURE
Collaboration and creativity are key to successful architecture, according to Tom Obermeier and Alan Zeigel, who cofounded Colorado-based OZ Architecture in 1964. An upcoming project will have the firm collaborating on a global scale—at the US Antarctic research station on Ross Island. OZ Architecture will build upon what was established in 1956 as a temporary settlement, consolidating more than 100 buildings into six to improve the efficiency, residency, and sustainability of McMurdo Station and provide for the the estimated 1,250 workers who are there each year. ozarch.com
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The Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation Fayetteville architecture firm Modus Studios and recent Pritzker Architecture Prize winners Grafton Architects are adding on to the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. The Anthony Timberlands Center will be Grafton Architects’ first project in the US, and the project hopes to showcase the possibilities of using natural products to create urban architecture. The project will cost an estimated $16 million and will house the school’s recent graduate program in timber and wood design. graftonarchitects.com
Unika Vaev Textiles
PHOTOS, FROM TOP: COURTESY OF MODUS STUDIOS, COURTESY OF UNIKA VAEV
Since 1975 international textile company Unika Vaev (that means “unique weave” in Danish) has been making durable, high-quality upholstery textiles and products. What started as a small textile mill in Denmark has since expanded to reach several countries while maintaining the same Scandinavian commitment to quality. The durability of Unika Vaev’s textiles are matched by their commitment to environmental sourcing, as the fabrics in their LIFE collection and all of their wool is LEED and Green Star–certified. The wide range of textures and colors like Feel and Mystic also give the textiles an inviting and warm feel. unikavaev.com
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NEWS
Copenhagen Islands
DIR ACOUSTIBUILT™ SEAMLESS CEILINGS
PHOTO COURTESY OF: MARSHALL BLECHER + STUDIO FOKSTROT
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This international collaboration between Australian architect Marshall Blecher and Danish studio Fokstrot is making us rethink the way we interact with public spaces. Denmark is already home to more than 400 islands, and these fun, interactive “parkipelagos” add to that. Each island is made in the style of traditional Danish wooden boat buildings. The first of these islands, named “CØ,” as “Ø” is the Danish word for island, was introduced in 2018 and quickly became popular to the Copenhagen harbor. Future projects—named CPH-Ø1, CPH-Ø2, and CPH-Ø3 respectively—were set to be revealed by the end of 2020. copenhagenislands.com
SUSTAINABILITY COMES IN MANY SHAPES & FORMS The Sustain® portfolio features over a thousand products that meet today’s most stringent industry sustainability standards – including new shapes and forms to maximize your building performance and aesthetics. Explore the many options at armstrongceilings.com/sustain
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Directory Interested in advertising? Contact Laura Heidenreich at laura@gbdmagazine.com for more information about advertising in our print magazine, online, and newsletter, as well as custom media.
STOP NOISE
ACOUSTICAL
AASHE, 93 aashe.org 888.347.9997
GALE Pacific, Ltd. , 12 galecommercial.com 800.560.4667
Acoustical Surfaces, 88 acousticalsurfaces.com 800.854.2948
Hudson Technologies, 112 hudsontech.com 845.512.6000
Ambius, 108, 132 ambius.com 877.552.1865
MDC Interior Solutions, 2 mdcwall.com 847.437.4000
Armstrong Commercial Ceiling & Wall,10 armstrongceilings.com/sustain 877.276.7876
Milestone (Florim USA), 14 milestonetiles.com 931.553.7500
ASI Architectural, 88 asiarchitectural.com 888.258.4637
National Gypsum Company, 118 nationalgypsum.com 704.365.7300
ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions, 60 assaabloydss.com 800.377.3948
Q CELLS, 104 q-cells.us 949.748.5996
Binswanger Glass, 114 binswangerglass.com 800.365.9922
Rmax – A Division of the Sika Corporation, 110 rmax.com 972.850.3604
S U R F A C E S I N C.
Commercial ▪ Residential
Construct Show, 131 constructshow.com 866.920.0208
Screenflex Portable Partitions Inc. , 120 screenflex.com 800.553.0110
Digilock, 116 digilock.com 800.989.0201
EZ-ACCESS, 102 ezaccess.com 800.258.8503
SnapCab Workspace, 72 workspace.snapcab.com 855.762.7222
T E K N O F L O R®
Teknoflor, 84 teknoflor.com 800.522.9166
Filtration Group HVAC, 106 hvac.filtrationgroup.com 800.739.4600
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PRODUCTS
We ask the expert how flame retardant fabrics offer design flexibility. By Hilary Daninhirsch
GALE Pacific offers a wide range of color palettes in flame retardant fabrics and multiple weights.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SHADE INDUSTRIES
Designing for Style and Safety
Color, durability, peace of mind. These are some of the benefits of GALE Pacific’s newest lines of flame retardant fabrics. It won’t be long before flame retardant fabrics are not just preferred, but required on many projects, and, as usual, the Australian-based company is getting ahead of the curve with its many options. “It’s only a matter of time before performance characteristics like this will be mandated, so we wanted to get ahead of widespread regulations and make products that are relevant while providing more choices to architects and engineers,” says Andrew Nasarczyk, research and development manager for GALE Pacific. “We want to provide the market with the same options and be able to demonstrate to the market that flame retardant does not limit the aesthetics or options.” We talked to Nasarczyk as part of our Ask the Expert series to learn more.
Safety First
GALE Pacific has been manufacturing durable knitted shade fabric for the commer-
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We’re launching three styles and materials, effectively in unison. We’re also launching this range with the full breadth of colors that are available.”
Consistent Color
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF GALE PACIFIC
GALE Pacific’s commercial shade fabric undergoes extensive testing across colors. The company offers three distinct products designed for different sized projects and applications.
cial market for 40-plus years, initially for agricultural, crop, and produce protection. Over time they’ve broadened the application for people protection—manufacturing a comprehensive line of architectural shade fabrics. As GALE Pacific places safety above everything else, it was a natural extension of the company’s line to manufacture flame retardant shades that meet the most stringent global fire standards. GALE Pacific’s latest range of flame retardant fabrics comes in a wide array of colors and knit patterns. The newest lines are the Commercial NinetyFive 340 FR, Commercial Heavy 430 FR, and Commercial DualShade 350 FR, representing 50 colors—the widest range of flame retardant knitted fabrics globally. Nasarczyk says the flame retardant nature of the designs does not limit the consumer’s choices but on the contrary provides an expansive selection. “What makes the current positioning unique to GALE Pacific is the breadth of products,” he says. “Most manufacturers have one style of flame retardant material. gb&d
Nasarczyk says, traditionally, additional flame retardant impacts color matching. But with GALE Pacific’s new range, you can take the flame retardant options and nonflame retardant options, put colors side by side, and not see a discernible difference. “We’re trying to make this a seamless experience from a consumer’s perspective, so when they’re selecting from colors, they shouldn’t expect to see a big color difference from non-flame retardant to flame retardant.” The color palette within each GALE Pacific range is broad. Choose from Commercial NinetyFive, their most versatile fabric line with 22 colors, or DualShade®, a twotone range with 12 color combinations. Within those 12, the fabric has a unique aesthetic as two color yarns are combined to create a single fabric with a shimmery effect in the sunlight. “We’re the only manufacturer to offer this iridescent effect that we know of globally,” Nasarczyk says. Commercial Heavy, GALE Pacific’s heavier weight fabric, has 16 colors. Nasarczyk says no other company offers such a range of color in flame retardant fabrics in multiple weights to support virtually any design need. GALE Pacific provides a plethora of choice to architects or specifiers in the styles and materials they need, so they can achieve the looks they want. gb&d
Read more in the winter issue of gb&d when GALE Pacific explores where and when flame retardant fabrics work best.
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An Expert’s Guide to Porcelain Tile By Colleen DeHart
Porcelain tile can be much more than a flooring option. It can serve as an accent piece, wall covering, tabletop, shelving unit, fireplace, pool covering, or even a driveway. Want the look of wood without the upkeep? Tile. It can be manufactured to look like nearly any other floor or wall covering—even carpet—with significantly less maintenance. “It’s limitless,” says Jana Manzella, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Florim USA. “We can take any other flooring option like stone or hardwood and make it better. We can mimic the texture and take out the imperfections. The result is beautiful.” Transforming spaces using tile is what the family-owned, Italy-based company has been doing for almost 60 years. That passion and expertise came to the US in 2000, later becoming the Milestone brand. Florim USA has since invested more than $60 million to turn its Tennessee plant into a state-of-the-art facility to meet all design requirements for commercial and residential projects. It’s the first US tile manufacturer capable of producing fully-polished porcelain tile with an anti-stain surface. The Florim USA facility is the largest single-site factory in the US helping to maintain uniformity among products. All sizes are produced in one location under one roof. “If you produce in different factories you end up with different results. The tile production process is not closed to humidity or other environmental factors that can impact end results. Having everything in one location helps to maintain consistency in the finished product,” Manzella says.
The Epic collection (seen on floors, side wall, and back wall) comes in four sizes and four colors in bullnose and mosaic options.
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Where Can Porcelain Tile be Used?
How Can Porcelain Tile Complement Design? Trying to achieve a rustic look? Milestone’s Charleston collection gives the appearance of reclaimed wood. Looking for something sophisticated? The Luxury collection resembles sleek marble. Prefer the classic hardwood look? The Vintage collection is a por-
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celain interpretation of wooden floors. Milestone has 34 core collections— mimicking cement, wood, marble, metal, stone, and fabric—with a vast array of sizes, thicknesses, and colors to choose from. And if you don’t see what you want, Florim engineers will work with architects and designers to create a tile that suits your needs. “Designers can get creative. They can mix and match different designs and concepts. They can combine concrete with marble or fabric with a gentle stone. The options are endless. There are so many combinations that can create a truly unique installation,” Manzella says. “We really want to spark creativity and inspire designers to put their own flair into projects.” Florim engineers can put words
and logos into the tiles to help with branding. They have even been known to honor employees—many who’ve been with the company for decades—with a personalized tile of their own. “There is nothing we can’t do,” Manzella says. Custom designs can be turned into tiles in just a few weeks.
How is Porcelain Tile Sustainable? Sustainable practices have always been a top priority for Florim and Florim USA, which was recently awarded Tennessee Valley Authority’s Carbon gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MILESTONE
Inside or out, porcelain tile can be used just about anywhere. The tile does not support the spread of flames, making it a suitable option for pizza ovens or fireplaces. It’s impervious to water and doesn’t need to be sealed when used on swimming pools or showers. It’s chemical- and fade-resistant. Tile is unaffected by salt and other environmental factors when used on a driveway or outdoor patio, and it holds up to freeze/thaw cycles. “It’s considered to be the most durable flooring product for indoor and outdoor use,” Manzella says. “Most outdoor products eventually pit, chip, or harbor mold and mildew growth. Tile doesn’t. It really is the best long-term solution.” It’s scratch- and dent-resistant, making it ideal for use in high-traffic areas or places with pets. Milestone tiles were used at the Tampa International Airport to give Here the Epic the rugged look collection is seen of natural stone in Dolomite in while also being polished hexagon slip-resistant. mosaic on the walls The tiles are and in Apuano in easy to wipe matte hexagon clean with wamosaic on the floors. ter alone—no chemicals needed—and don’t trap dust and debris like carpet. Capco Tile & Stone in Denver used multicolored tile from Milestone’s Charleston collection to cover both the walls and floors of its kids’ playroom, assisting in cleanliness and long-term durability while offering a playful design.
PRODUCTS
Reduction Award. The company—a US industry leader in sustainable practices—recycles 99.9% of materials internally. Water used throughout production is collected through grates on the floor and reused in other processes. Powders, pastes, and residues are all recycled, and glass bottles are purchased from a local landfill. The company reused more than 60 million pounds of material in 2019. All equipment is regularly updated to ensure top energy efficiency. Most Florim USA product lines contain 20 to 40% recycled, pre-consumer material. Florim products also contain 3% post-consumer recycled content from various recyThe Luxury cling facilities. collection comes The company is in multiple sizes the largest sinand trims and four gle industrial modern colors, user of recycled including Amani Grey, pictured glass in Tenneshere. see due to participation in the Tennessee Materials Marketplace. All Milestone products are Greenguard-certified. The tiles are also a safe choice for those concerned about indoor air quality. They contain no plastics and release no VOCs. At the end of their lifespan, they can be removed and recycled. “We want a clean environment to live in. We want our products to be sustainable long-term, for us now and for our children later. It’s how we look at our business and the world around us,” says Don Haynes, environmental/ sustainability manager at Florim USA. The company is an active member of the USGBC and Tennessee Green Star Partnership.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MILESTONE
How Does Tile Stand the Test of Time? Porcelain tile generally lasts 60-plus years. “It’s essentially a one-and-done type of product,” Haynes says. Milestone tiles, unlike some of its counterparts, are fade- and stain-resistant. The tiles are polished with state-of-the-art anti-stain technology.The technology works by filling the pores of the tile so it’s impenetrable to any staining agents. “It doesn’t wear off like other tile products because it’s down in the pores of the tile. It holds the polished finish for the life of the product,” Manzella says. gb&d gb&d
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In the Woods
— Mass timber and local materials make this outdoor recreation center a standout example for projects all over the region.
BY LAURA ROTE PHOTOS BY J O N AT H A N H I L LY E R
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The Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Recreation Center at Clemson University is designed to run on minimal heating and cooling loads to conserve operational costs. Large windows offer plentiful light with sensor-controlled lighting. Large fans reduce cooling loads, and passive cooling is used for boat storage spaces. Mechanical
systems, monitored lighting, and passive cooling position the building to be netzero ready, and it has the potential to be operated off-grid with photovoltaics. The project also incorporated environmentally sensitive design principles like orientation, large overhangs, recyclable materials, and carbon storing materials.
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From the moment you enter the new
Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Recreation Center at Clemson University, you’re hit with a feeling of warmth and a sense of well-being on the lake. That’s partly because Southern yellow pine and local cypress make up the bulk of this project, while substantial windows offer plenty of daylight and impressive views. No matter where you look, you’re reminded of nature. “These biophilic elements are emphasized to encourage student wellness, activity, and interaction. We believe the center will become a hub for those looking for an on-campus escape,” says Brian Campa, principal at Cooper Carry, the architecture firm behind the center on this South Carolina campus. Making a facility that supports Clemson’s commitment to the mental and physical health of its students was at the heart of this project. Cooper Carry collaborated with Clemson University’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute to bring this mass timber construction to life. “As advocates for sustainable, wood-based architectural design, the team was armed with a breadth of research to help inspire the Clemson leadership community to have an open mind to this level of innovation,” Campa says. The design team met often with the institute’s director to get her perspective in response to the structure. Campa says it was their research that led to the initial investigation into using Southern yellow pine for the structural base of the facility. The center was designed to emphasize natural materials—most prominently mass timber—as the project sits on an expansive site in a forest and lake area. The building is designed as two wings that stretch along the lake’s edge. Large porches and patios are located along the building, too. As for mass timber, this sustainable material is a wellness-driven and costeffective alternative to other common building materials. As the first mass timber structure at Clemson, the recreation center serves as a symbol for using innovative design materials in the region. “We hope our fresh approach to the recreation center implores other universities, government agencies, and private developers to consider innovating through their new buildings with the material,” Campa says.
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Many biophilic design features were implemented to benefit student wellness on this project, including the consistent view of the exposed mass timber structure throughout the building. Expansive views to the lake, tree canopies, and natural landscapes provide a frequent reminder of place. The building’s
covered terrace and second-level deck overlooking the lake give everyone a chance to be outside. The center supports student engagement with nature by anchoring a master planned precinct on-campus, including 140,000 square feet of synthetic turf fields, woodlands for hikes, beaches, and lake access.
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PROJECTS
Cooper Carry used glue-laminated structural framing for the beams and cross-laminated timber slabs for the floors and roof structure. “The material is lauded for its ability to achieve long spans. This was one reason the cost of the material was competitive,” Campa says. “In terms of sustainability, both glue-laminated and cross-laminated timber framing offers significant sustainable advantages, including lower carbon footprint. In fact, wood will sequester carbon over the life of the building.”
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Designed by Cooper Carry’s Higher Education Studio, this facility is the second mass timber facility in the US to use Southern yellow pine as the primary building material, according to the firm. “Through the inspiration of Clemson University’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute, we sourced the Southern yellow pine from an Alabama supplier. It was an opportunity to set a precedent for a locally
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sourced, responsibly harvested base material,” Campa says. By sourcing from Alabama, the team was able to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of shipping materials, and Campa says they experienced less construction costs, too. This project also incorporated local cypress, which performs well in exterior humid conditions, for the screen walls around the boathouse.
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First Floor Plan
Project: Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Recreation Center at Clemson University Location: Clemson, SC Completion: August 2019 Size: 16,000 square feet Architect: Cooper Carry Structural Engineer: Britt, Peters and Associates
Second Floor Plan TKTK
Landscape & Civil Engineers: SeamonWhiteside, Koons Environmental Design MEP Engineer: RMF Engineering Contractor: Sherman Construction
DRAWINGS: COURTESY OF COOPER CARRY
Sustainability: Pattern R+D
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Modern Design is Changing Shape — How Studio Gang’s first ground-up building in New York tackled public space and occupant wellness.
PHOTO: NIC LEHOUX
Studio Gang has been developing the strategy of solar carving for years as a way to enhance connectivity in tall buildings. As a body of research, solar carving looks broadly at how shaping architecture in response to solar access
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and other site-specific criteria can expand its potential to have a positive impact on its environment. This building is sculpted at the angle of the sun in order to preserve solar exposure on the adjacent High Line Park.
BY LAURA ROTE
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“We articulated the carved areas of the building with a faceted glass facade that rationalizes the complex geometry of the solar carve and also lends the building a striking gemlike appearance,” says Weston Walker, partner and design principal at Studio Gang. “Inside the building the carves create dynamic spaces that are well suited for private offices or employee collaboration spaces, supporting the various needs of office tenants in the building.”
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River,” Walker says. “The coastline curves around our site, so when you are in the empty floorplate it feels almost like you are on the prow of a ship looking out at 180-plus-degree water views. People are amazed—it is unlike anything they have ever seen in Manhattan.”
PHOTOS, FROM TOP: TIMOTHY SCHENCK, TOM HARRIS
“It has been a delightful surprise to see the reactions of people when they see the interiors for the first time. With unusually high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glazing, the floorplates immerse occupants in natural light and dramatic views of the High Line and Hudson
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When the High Line opened in New
because it’s already changing people’s thinking about how buildings can forge positive relationships with their context,” he says. “Several advocacy groups are using the project as a case study to demonstrate how we can think about zoning differently in New York City and beyond, and how we can leverage technology to make buildings more responsive to their sites.” Just how is the project changing the way people think? For starters, NYC zoning regulations didn’t anticipate a mid-block public space like the High Line, and the allowable building envelope for the Solar Carve project would have permitted Studio Gang to build right up to the High Line and the site’s edges—blocking a significant stretch of the High Line Park from sunlight and views of the Hudson River. The design team understood these regulations were designed to protect fresh air and light on the street; such regulations would typically create towers that are set back incrementally as they get higher. But as they studied the site, they realized its unique shape and location required a different approach. They decided the High Line would be best served by a building that inverted the setbacks in response to solar movement.
PHOTO: TIMOTHY SCHENCK
York City in 2009, it ushered in an era of transformation for everyone around it. The success of the historic freight rail lineturned-hybrid public space led to increased development, and with added density came the need for more high-quality open spaces. Even as buildings continue to go up, architects search for ways to not only add high-quality office space but also protect the nearby spaces that made this area so sought after in the first place. “We set out to design a building that could bring added density and new amenities to the neighborhood while also preserving the quality of space on the High Line and the ecosystems it supports,” says Weston Walker, partner and design principal at Studio Gang. “Our site along the High Line is certainly one that calls for amazing architecture, and our mission was to find a way for it to work with the park in a symbiotic way.” Solar Carve (40 Tenth Ave) was Studio Gang’s first ground-up building in New York. The 12-story commercial/office building was particularly meaningful for Walker, as he leads the New York office. “Our work always aims to make positive change, and this project is particularly significant
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Many design decisions in this project were aimed at ensuring occupant wellness, from plentiful natural light to outdoor spaces on nearly every floor. PHOTO: TOM HARRIS
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PHOTO: NIC LEHOUX
Walker likes to call this area the “Eye Line.” “At around 200 feet tall, this building is not so much about impacting the Manhattan skyline as it is interested in revealing the relationships between buildings and open space in New York,” he says. “We recognize the prominence of the site along the park, and that people come here to look at buildings. With so many eyes on this project we knew it was an opportunity to demonstrate a new kind of relationship between architecture and open space.”
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Project: Solar Carve (40 Tenth Ave)
BPP Consultant: Sullivan Group
Location: New York City
OER Consultant: HarPar Engineering
Completion: 2019 Size: 145,500 square feet Architect: Studio Gang Structural Engineer: Arup Geotechnical Engineer: RA Consultants
Lighting Consultant: Fisher Marantz Stone Awards: LEED Gold, Architecture Merit Award, AIA New York Design Award
Landscape Architect: HMWhite
PHOTOS, FROM TOP: NIC LEHOUX, TOM HARRIS
“We designed the floorplates to be flexible and allow for a variety of layouts. Tenants are able to have lots of smaller offices around the perimeter that have an abundance of natural light and views,” Walker says. “We used the carved areas as features that are uniquely laid out on each floor to allow for a more tailored experience.”
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A Beacon of Light
— Built on the site of an old church, this affordable apartment building embodies its predecessor’s mission.
BY JESSICA MORDACQ EXTERIOR PHOTOS BY DAVID SUNDBERG/ESTO INTERIOR PHOTOS BY ARI BURLING
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St. Augustine Terrace is integrated into the surrounding public areas as it’s next to a park and playground, further engaging the community around it. But it’s simultaneously removed from the bustling city as it’s also on elevated ground. The building rests in
the middle of the block and has a landscape buffer between it and the street on three sides. Stairs rise up from the sidewalk, leading to the apartment’s entrance almost a floor above the street and reflecting its importance in the community.
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Solar shades positioned outside at floor level shield the elevator lobbies from the sun to help control the building’s temperature. But they serve more than one purpose. “They help extend the floor visually out to help you feel secure and sheltered in that space. It’s a nice part of that integrated design concept,” says Rachel Simpson, senior associate at MAP.
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Built at the location of a demolished, revered church, St. Augustine Terrace exudes light and celebrates the site’s history as a modern landmark in The Bronx. Catholic Homes New York , a mission led by Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of New York, planned for this supportive and affordable apartment complex to pay homage to its predecessor, both through its purpose and design. In building St. Augustine Terrace to be LEED Gold–certified, Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) wanted to integrate sustainable requirements. “The longevity of this building and supporting that mission is part of why we try to think of it as a whole building, as opposed to a checklist,” says Rachel Simpson, senior associate at MAP. St. Augustine Terrace’s 12 floors offer 112 one- to three-bedroom units, onethird of which are reserved for adults with mental illness. For these tenants, and any other residents in St. Augustine Terrace, in-house Beacon of Hope workers provide various support services. Their on-site offices, and their mission, are reflected in the building’s integrated sustainable design elements.
MAP wanted to honor the site, prominently located at the neighborhood’s highest point, so they designed low seating from the church’s iconic rocks and incorporated the steeple’s bell into the front entrance. While rocky terrain makes The Bronx a difficult building location, that made the end result all the more special. “It’s
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a challenging site, but now we’ve integrated these pieces and all of a sudden they’re at the heart of the project,” says Matt Scheer, director of communications at MAP. “It’s tied into that natural landscape of the community and provides this interesting, natural counterpoint to the building itself, which is very angular.”
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Elevator lobbies boast floor-to-ceiling windows. “At night these little lobbies glow and create the effect of a beacon of light,” says Fernando Villa, MAP principal. Every floor has a lookout, which MAP was able to implement because the building offers affordable housing. “Those views in a market-rate development would be sold to the highest bidder,” Simpson says. “In this building everyone benefits from everyday beauty.”
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Project: St. Augustine Terrace Location: New York City Completion: February 2019 Size: 117,290 square feet Architect: Magnusson Architecture and Planning Landscape Designer: Terrain NYC
integrate green features into architecture and design,” Villa says. While they do not offset all of the building’s electrical load, they do make much of what goes on inside it possible. “The photovoltaics are directly powering the beacon of light concept in that sense,” Simpson says.
DRAWING: COURTESY OF MAGNUSSON ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Apart from offsetting the house meter (which includes the common area lighting, heating, and cooling), the building’s photovoltaic panels are integral to the design on both the roof and the facade, where they notably cascade down the front of the building. “It’s a way to
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Windows throughout the building and in every unit highlight the importance of light in this design. “These big windows open the whole room out onto the city and give you all this beautiful, natural light and make it feel more wide open, light, and airy,” Simpson says. “It’s
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also highly insulated. There are beautiful views, but it’s still quiet inside.” Residents can appreciate their city while having security and saving energy. The insulated, high-performing windows were just one feature that helped St. Augustine Terrace achieve LEED Gold.
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Upgrading a Masterpiece
— How the home of a celebrated architect pays tribute to the old while embracing the new
“(Current homeowner) Mark (Smithe)’s family owns Smithe Company Furniture, so it was fortuitous for us to be able to work with a craftsperson to build new custom furniture for the house,”
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says Brian Lee, design partner at SOM. The living room includes a new bespoke sofa, which is a custom SOM design. SOM also helped design side tables for the master bedroom.
BY JULIA STONE PHOTOS BY DAVE BURK
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Netsch used natural light to animate the space, positioning windows in room corners to allow direct and indirect light to bounce off the walls. A skylight on cross diagonals also tracks the unique geometry of the
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house. Netsch also deftly placed windows to frame selected views, including the beautiful St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Old Town. SOM preserved the house’s natural lighting but upgraded to higher performing windows.
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The renovation of the late SOM design partner Walter Netsch’s house in Chicago involved a delicate balance between preservation and design updates. New homeowners Will Forrest and Mark Smithe wanted to preserve the sensibility of the original house while also making it their own. Brian Lee, the design partner at SOM who led the project team, renovated the space with a light touch to preserve as much as possible. “We wanted to match what Will and Mark believed in, being stewards of the house and developing something that was sensitive to the original intent,” Lee says. Netsch, who’s known for designing the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in Colorado Springs, built his house in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood in 1974 with geometry at the forefront. “Netsch developed a design concept that is loosely tied to field theory, which is really about geometry as a driving force in the design process,” Lee says. The house is an economical cubic form
based on a 40-by-40-foot square and rotating squares. In the center of the residence is the service core, with the kitchen, bathrooms, and utilities. Rotating around the service core is a series of trays for various living spaces that step up or step down, forming a corkscrew-like shape. “The trays act as a series of platforms that are open to each other, supporting his idea of ‘one big space,’” Lee says. Forrest and Smithe were very pleased with the renovations and have hosted a number of events in the house since. For what would have been Walter’s 100th birthday, the couple organized a symposium with the nonprofit MAS Context, a Chicago-based nonprofit that addresses issues that affect urban context. The project itself exhibits the respect the new homeowners have for their home’s legacy and history. Lee asked Forrest and Smithe what they wanted to name the residence. “I asked, ‘Should we call it the Forrest/Smithe house?’ And they said, ‘No. Let’s call it the Netsch House.’”
Netsch originally included plenty of wall space to showcase his art collection, but Forrest and Smithe wanted more of a clean space to appreciate the beauty of the light, the walls, and the house itself, Lee says. Tying Netsch’s love of art together with the new couple’s love of technology, they commissioned Chicago-based Luftwerk to create a digital art installation. “The house was painted all white, so it really becomes a theatrical backdrop/ screen for this digital piece that can work during both the day and evening,” Lee says.
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The original house was sustainable to begin with due to its small surface area and efficient exterior wall made of concrete block with a brick face. “Because the window-wall ratio is quite
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low, the efficiency of the building envelope is high,� Lee says. After the renovations, the house is even more sustainable with LED lighting and new efficient heating, cooling, and water systems.
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SOM brought life into the kitchen and two bathrooms with new cabinetry, lighting, smart appliances, and countertops. Inspired by Netsch’s powerful use of simple, modest materials, SOM used a single 22-foot piece of oak for one of the kitchen countertops. SOM also redid the floors and put in new trim. Minimalist railings were installed for safety, and concealed sliding doors were designed and installed in the master bedroom to enhance privacy without sacrificing the open concept floor plan.
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Netsch Residence, 1970s
Floor Plan RESTORATION FLOOR PLAN
ENTRY
OFFICE
Project: Netsch Residence STORAGE AND LAUNDRY
STAIRS TO UPPER LEVEL
MASTER BATH
Location: Chicago Completion: 2019 Size: 3,500 square feet Architect: SOM Interior Design: SOM
ARCHIVE PHOTOS: WILLIAM LUKES; DRAWING: COURTESY OF SOM
MASTER BED + CLOSET
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The Laurel Hills Residence Meets Privacy with Scale — This Studio City home provides inward reflection in a city focused on outward appearance.
BY JADA WARD PHOTOS BY M AT T H E W M I L L M A N
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Unlike many iconic LA homes that orient themselves around panoramic city views, the Laurel Hills Residence sits in the foothills of the
Laurel Canyon, where the property offers a secluded and inwardly focused experience with a majestic backdrop of lush and mature trees.
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When you think of LA you think about image. Larger than life people, panoramic views, and sites you have to see to believe. This perception can put pressure on sustainable residential spaces to focus on image rather than substance, but David Thompson, founder of LA architecture firm Assembledge+, wanted to create a house that focused on another type of experience. Playing with scale and seclusion, the Laurel Hills residence in Studio City provides intimacy and privacy in a city devoted to publicity. The neighborhood itself was built upon the Laurel Canyon, and Thompson, wanting some seclusion for his growing family, saw the landscape as an asset. “We really were looking to create a living space that would connect us with the natural surroundings,” he says, adding that his children, a teenager and a preteen, are his biggest priorities. The family wanted a space that would best accommodate them while giving them all the opportunity to en-
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joy the Southern California environment. The Thompson family lived in the house for two years before the firm’s founder decided to rebuild. “For all intents and purposes the house is brand-new,” he says, noting that they tried to do as little as possible to change the surrounding environment. Before entering the home you walk along a walkway of concrete pavers lined with wild grasses to reach a serene courtyard complete with olive trees picked by Thompson and his wife themselves. Inside you remain connected to nature with large windows, skylights, and pocketing doors that flood the space with natural light that bounces off wooden floors and marble counters. Back outside, the family pavilion opens to a 40-foot pool and a series of spaces for outdoor entertaining. A minimalist palette of charcoal-colored panels and Western Red Cedar serves as a neutral canvas, complementing the home’s landscape and featuring California native species.
While rooms meant for communal experiences have larger windows, the residential pavilion scales down the window size to provide more privacy while still allowing in plentiful light. Skylights and a low overhang keep sunlight in the home while shielding from heavy sun exposure. The house’s large surface area allows for more than 50 solar panels, so the residence is sustainable and doesn’t have to rely on to the city’s power grid.
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Thompson wanted the residence to feel fluid, with the hallways connecting the pavilions reminiscent of the creek that once flowed through the
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property. The breakfast room, kitchen, and family room are all found in the living pavilion, creating a space of communal experience.
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Three pavilions connected by a series of glass hallways make up this residence and create the feeling of walking through nature. The guest house/garage pavilion made of Western Red Cedar connects with the living and sleeping
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pavilions, made using charcoal-colored board, batten extira, and cement board siding. “There’s a warmth to it that feels accessible and that people really seem to respond to,” Thompson says. A deep overhang mitigates solar heat gain.
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Floor Plan
Project: Laurel Hills Residence Location: Los Angeles Completion: June 2019 Size: 4,900 square feet Architect: Assembledge+ Engineer: CM Peck Interior Designer: Susan Mitnick Design Studio
DRAWING: COURTESY OF ASSEMBLEDGE+
Landscape Architect: Fiore Landscape Design
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The ASSA ABLOY manufacturing facility and warehouse in Berlin, Connecticut is committed to sustainability. The solar array spans more than four acres of land.
ď‚€
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W H AT D R I V E S A S S A A B LOY ’ S S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y E F F O R T S ? BY MARGARET POE
Forces
of
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ASSA ABLOY
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When you’re a global leader in access solutions, one made up of operating companies that have been manufacturing for more than 150 years, you don’t turn on a dime. “It’s not like we can wake up one morning and say, ‘OK, we’re going to change all of our operations,’” says Amy Musanti, business development director of sustainability at ASSA ABLOY. Instead, what you do is listen to what your customers—be they architects, contractors, or designers—are saying about their desire for sustainable products. Then you respond. 62
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Ten years ago sustainability wasn’t really on the map. Now it’s a huge part of the construction industry. “As a manufacturer, you can either see this as a hurdle or see it as a differentiator in the marketplace and a competitive advantage,” Musanti says. “Those details and that data educated consumers are asking for are driving us in a more positive direction.” ASSA ABLOY, which sells a complete line of door opening solutions for commercial, residential, and institutional markets, has long prioritized environmentally friendly practices, having issued its annual sustainability report since 2006. And the company constantly evolves how it thinks about these issues, responding to customer, market, and global demand. Customer demand has continuously propelled ASSA ABLOY forward, but it’s not the only driver of its sustainability initiatives. It’s just one of several key forces that have led the company to be a leader in this space.
Certification Programs
For the last 20 years the LEED program has pushed the world to a more comprehensive, nuanced understanding of what it takes to be a green building. LEED isn’t alone, howgbdmagazine.com
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ENERGY SAVINGS The ASSA ABLOY Sustainability Compass ensures the next generation of products is more sustainable than the previous one.
default. And these improved products are winning over even the skeptics. “Even folks who maybe initially were not motivated by sustainability, when they saw they could reduce the power consumption by more than 95% and the lock itself didn’t cost them any more to be sustainable, there’s no reason not to,” he says.
PHOTO AND INFOGRAPHIC: COURTESY OF ASSA ABLOY
Corporate Citizenship
ever. Programs like the Living Building Challenge and the WELL Building Standard are raising consciousness around the impact of our built spaces on the environment and on human health. These programs have encouraged the increased use of environmental product declarations, documents that reflect the impact of a given item throughout its life cycle. To date ASSA ABLOY has completed 132 of these declarations, which builders and architects request to achieve LEED or other green building certifications. It’s a virtuous cycle: Certification programs lead consumers to demand environmentally friendly products, which leads manufacturers to continuously improve their products. This, in turn, encourages consumers to pursue even more sustainable approaches. And because of the rigorous documentation required by these programs, customers can easily track how products today compare—and can continue to push for improvement in years to come.
Product Leadership
Certifications define how sustainable a given product is once it’s created. But how do you get there? “If you really want to look at gb&d
where you can make the most effective product, start early in the development process,” says Zeljka Svensson, director of global innovation for ASSA ABLOY Group. “From the design, start to think how to do it.” That means rethinking everything—and asking the right questions. From the materials used (how do we avoid conflict minerals?) to engineering and product specifications (can we make a lock that consumes less energy on a day-to-day basis?), a willingness to upend traditional ways of operation can allow for important leaps. Increasingly ASSA ABLOY’s product development has been guided by a desire for resiliency. The company thinks about it in two major ways, says Peter Boriskin, chief technology officer for ASSA ABLOY Americas. First it’s a product with less embodied carbon—meaning it has a lighter impact on our environment. Second it’s a product that can sustain whatever conditions it faces out in the world, whether that’s a flood, hurricane, or other calamity. Ultimately a resilient product is simply a better one. For example, Boriskin says solutions ASSA ABLOY developed as part of a special eco-friendly line were so much higher performance, they eventually become the
For ASSA ABLOY, being a responsible global citizen entails walking the talk, says Dan Picard, director of innovation at Sargent Manufacturing Company, an ASSA ABLOY company. “At the product manufacturing site level, the practices we use to make the parts and pieces and products, we want to be using sustainable techniques, we want to be using sustainable materials,” he says. Not only do the finished products consume less energy, they’re produced in a more sustainable way. For example, at the company’s Berlin, Connecticut manufacturing facility, an on-site solar farm produces 75% of the energy needed to run the plant—and a future expansion will push that to 100%. That’s just one example of how ASSA ABLOY is constantly driving toward a better, more sustainable future. And in today’s world, that mindset is simply the obvious choice, Boriskin says. “There are only so many resources available planet-wide,” Boriskin says. “The more we can be stewards of those resources—and the less of them we can take in any given product in terms of power, transportation, carbon footprint, energy, and materials— the more there is for our company and other companies going forward. It’s both good for us and for our customers and our planet.” gb&d fall 2020
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Space to be You SnapCab Focus Flexible, stand-alone workspace for wherever you work.
See our complete product line at Workspace.SnapCab.com
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Make Room for Design Having safe and private workspace is more important now than ever. P. 65-75 gb&d
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Building the Flexible Office San Francisco’s tallest building combines sustainability with adaptability.
PHOTO: JASON O’REAR
By Matt Watson
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S
an Francisco is a city known for its landmarks—the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transamerica Pyramid Center, and Coit Tower to name a few. But one of the newest high-rises to grace the city’s skyline has transformed its center of gravity and provided a new focal point for the entire Bay Area. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Salesforce Tower was inaugurated as San Francisco’s tallest building with much fanfare in 2018. “When you have the opportunity to design the tallest building in a city, you have a civic and a social responsibility,” says Ed Dionne, principal at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. “That’s the mindset we took to this project.” And while it may be a new landmark for those who view the building from afar, Salesforce Tower’s interior space incorporates the flexible and sustainable features that embody the office of the future.
Breaking the Rules
PHOTO: VITTORIA ZUPICICH
Along with the Salesforce Transit Center that adjoins it, the tower was originally conceived in 2007 as part of a plan to revitalize the neighborhood around the now-demolished San Francisco Transbay Terminal. According to Dionne, the city and the Transbay Joint Powers Authority needed to go big with the office portion of the project in order to finance the transit center. There was just one problem. “In the 1970s the voters enacted a citywide height limit because they didn’t want San Francisco to turn into Manhattan,” Dionne says. In order to gain public approval for removing the height limit, “the city and transit authority realized they needed to gain momentum behind the project, so they created a sort of spectacle out of the process,” Dionne says. This took the form of a highly publicized joint architect/developer competition to build the proposal. After many months of presentations and reiterations, and multiple rounds of competitor eliminations, Pelli Clarke Pelli and their development partner Hines were chosen. “What we had was a real opportunity to turn this into a functional, thriving neighborhood,” Dionne says.
Inspiring Design
Nearly 13 years after the competition, Salesforce Tower finally soars over San Francisco, reaching an apex of 1,070 feet.
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Salesforce Tower has 10 feet of uninterrupted glass windows on each floor, with metal sunshades on the exterior to reduce solar gain.
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Project: Salesforce Tower Location: San Francisco Completion: 2018 Size: 1.4 million square feet Height: 1,070 feet Architect: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects Owner/Developer: Boston Properties, Inc., Hines Interests LP Civil Engineer: BKF Engineers Structural Engineer: MKA Engineers Contractor: Clark Construction and Hatheway Dinwiddie Facade Consultant: Morrison Hershfield
PHOTO, LEFT: JASON O’REAR; THIS PAGE: VITTORIA ZUPICICH, STEELBLUE
The clear glass and bright metal exterior finishes combine to form a facade that changes in color throughout the day. In peak daylight the tower evokes the slender white obelisks that anchored the great cities of antiquity. In fact, the obelisk was a primary inspiration for Pelli Clarke Pelli. “We wanted to pay respects to and join the ranks of buildings like the Transamerica Center, giving an impression of a white tower sloping to reach lightly into the sky,” Dionne says. The top 170 feet of the tower is unoccupied and features an art installation by San Francisco native James Campbell. This unprecedented array of 11,000 LED fixtures utilizes indirect light to display low-resolution color imagery across the peak of the building each night. Cameras across the city capture elements of urban life, which are then featured along the LEDs on rotation.
Endless Possibility Inside Salesforce Tower is more than 1 million square feet of flexible office space.
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Inside the tower is approximately 1.4 million square feet of office space, much of it currently occupied by the building’s namesake anchor tenant. And while the exterior design of the building was carefully curated to respect the surrounding cityscape, the interior was conceived as a blank slate
that would remain flexible for tenants well into the future. “We try to allow for as much flexibility as possible for tenants to lay out their space,” Dionne says. “Trends in office layout come and go. A building needs to have the ability to learn from the changing of these trends and allow all possible conceptions to happen within a space.” For example, in the past large corner offices were a high priority, while companies of late have turned to value having extensive communal areas. In order to facilitate changing trends, a space must be free of obstacles. “What you don’t see [inside Salesforce Tower] is actually more important. There are no outriggers, or other things that would dictate how the space is used,” Dionne says. But regardless of the current trends in office design, “access to daylight will always be key.”
Light & Air
Salesforce Tower features 10 feet of uninterrupted glass windows on each floor, complete with metal sunshades on the exterior that reduce solar gain and thus energy consumption. With LEED Platinum certification, the high-rise reaches the pinnacle of urban sustainability. “It’s also the largest backwater recycling project in the US,” Dionne says. And 100% of toilet and faucet water is recycled, reducing the building’s water footprint by 76%. Access to fresh air was another priority for Pelli Clarke Pelli—both inside and outside the tower. High-efficiency air handlers bring fresh air into the building, where it’s filtered and distributed through a raised floor system. Unique to most high-rises, tenants of Salesforce Tower have direct access to a beautifully curated 5.4-acre urban park that sits atop the adjacent transit center. “The tower and the transit center are symbiotically linked, and together have transformed an entire neighborhood of one of our greatest cities.” gb&d fall 2020
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The Modern Workplace is Modular PHOTO: COURTESY OF SNAPCAB WORKSPACE
SnapCab Workspace’s modular workstations bring flexibility to the open office and give you the space to be you. By Matt Watson
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Building the Brand
Bostock, who has a background in fine woodworking, started his business in a barn with his wife Cheryl in 1983. “We began with custom cabinet work and in the 1990s transitioned into elevator remodeling,” he says. A national contract with Otis Elevator
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launched SnapCab from a four-person outfit to the global operation it is today. Yet it wasn’t until the 2016 AIA Conference, when a WeWork consultant commented on the possibility of modifying their elevator cabs into work pods, that the company jumped into designing modular workspaces. Even before the pandemic, the drawbacks of an open office layout were becoming evident. “Prior to the virus we were heavily focused on solving the problems of the open office environment,” says Jack Burkom, sales manager at SnapCab Workspace. “We like an open office, but you’re going to run into issues with privacy and concentration when too many people occupy a common space.” Tasks like taking a confidential phone call or holding a small group meeting become a challenge, and finding a quiet area to focus on complex tasks is nearly impossible.
SnapCab provides innovative working solutions at Fractal Workspace.
Timely Products
The company’s existing product line is geared toward solving these pain points and creating a more flexible work environment. For example, the SnapCab Focus acts as an acoustically controlled single-person workspace. The Meet 4 and Meet 6 are—as the names imply—ideal for small team meetings of four and six people and breakaway sessions. All models are constructed around a durable aluminum frame and equipped with sound-dampening glass, motion activated lighting, and air ventilation. The pods themselves are set on caster wheels for increased mobility.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SNAPCAB WORKSPACE
F
or much of the last decade, the trend in workplace design was toward the open office environment. The bottom-line benefit was obvious: Without cubicles and spacious corner offices, companies could fit more employees into a given space. It was also thought that an open office, free of physical barriers, would break down creative barriers between employees and lead to a more collaborative work environment. Yet the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has upended this model and caused organizations to reconsider the future of their workspaces. Few companies are better positioned to shape that future than SnapCab Workspace, a leading manufacturer of modular workstations. “Our first thought after the coronavirus outbreak was, ‘Will we be able to stay in business?’” says Glenn Bostock, CEO and founder of SnapCab. “But we quickly realized our workstation pods could be an excellent solution to the challenges of getting people back to work.” The company immediately began investing in research and development to further modify its product line with the challenges of the coronavirus in mind.
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SNAPCAB MEET 4 The SnapCab Meet 4 is a mobile, standalone workspace for up to four people that is made of high-quality materials and allows for work to get done quietly and safely. It features a sound-blocking glass front door and is designed to interconnect with SnapCab Connects.
In a world deeply affected by the coronavirus, SnapCab Workspace has been moving with diligence to design the next generation of modular workstations. “We’re currently working on a new ‘consultation pod,’ which will seat two people separated by a glass partition, equipped with a fresh air supply,” Bostock says. By fitting the pods with HEPA filters, employees who return to work can hold face-to-face meetings without needing to wear a mask or sit 6 feet apart. The company is currently investing in a system that will easily convert the Meet 4 and Meet 6 into spacious one-person “office isolation pods” for use in a shared workspace. They’ve also developed a demountable wall system that easily attaches to any pod, allowing companies to further adapt an open office setting. “With SnapCab Connects, you can create flexible neighborhoods within a space while promoting social distancing,” Bostock says. And with the further acceleration of the work-from-home movement, SnapCab Workspace is designing a single-person home office pod, known as the Meet 2. “Using a smaller frame than our standard collaboration pods, this pod has been designed to cater to those looking for a personalized home office solution,” Bostock says. “Even working from home can be a challenge with different distractions going on.” SnapCab Workspace is hardly the only player in the modular workspace market, but it quickly gained traction with Fortune 500 companies for one reason: “We’re uniquely positioned because of the flexibility of our pods,” Burkom says. This quality is evident from the installation process. “Building out an office the tra-
ditional way takes time,” says Kyle Mullin, product manager at SnapCab Workspace. “You have codes to follow, drywall installation, inspections, electrical. With our pods you can have this up in a day.” That doesn’t mean the system lacks safety features—quite the contrary. “The pods are based on the design of elevator cabs, and elevators require a lot of regulation,” he says, adding that the pods are seismic certified and UL Listed.
Flexible Design
The flexibility of SnapCab Workspace’s modular workstations extends to their design as well. “Designers love us,” Burkom says. The clean classic lines and variety of aesthetic options “really allow designers to take control and create what they want out of the product.” The workstations can be modified to fit the client’s specific needs by adding custom features, including those suited to nursing mothers in the workplace. The full effect that the coronavirus will have on the commercial office sector is yet to be seen, but the trend toward flexible, human-centric workspaces will likely continue. The potential of SnapCab Workspace to facilitate that trend caught the attention of the Institute for Human Centered Design, which is collaborating with SnapCab on a coworking project. “As a byproduct of the global pandemic crisis, we’re poised at the point of reinventing work,” says Valerie Fletcher, the institute’s executive director. “SnapCab Workspace is uniquely positioned as an asset to that effort. Their focus on quality construction and continuous innovation positions them to be responsive to a world in which we will demand flexibility and safety in where and how we work.” gb&d
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SNAPCAB WORKSPACE
Easily transform the layout!
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Healing Power How people-centric health care design impacts recovery P. 77-91
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Health Care
Cleveland Clinic prioritizes patients and designs health care systems that work. 78
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It’s often tricky for Chris Connell to explain his work to people who aren’t familiar with health care. As the chief design officer for the Center of Design at Cleveland Clinic, he’s not a doctor, a nurse, or a technician. He’s a designer, and he works on designing everything.
Art and natural light fill Glickman Tower at Cleveland Clinic.
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In a health care setting, the need for efficient, safe, and effective spaces is obvious, but what’s less obvious is the need for those spaces to feel just right. “It’s really important for people to feel like they’re not in a facility of some sort, with the sterility that implies, and not feel like they’re being bombarded with contraptions,” Connell says. The ease of use and peace of mind that comes with good patient-centric design reduces stress for everyone in the health care environment and improves outcomes. So while it’s understandable that most of the design work that goes into health care spaces is focused on functionality, Connell says it’s important to get all the aesthetic details right for people whose outcomes depend on their levels of stress and anxiety. “It isn’t enough to just go in and nail a television to the wall and call that a patient room. We want to try and give it the same thought and care that you would give to your own personal environment.” The focus, then, is on answering two questions: How do you create a calm, technically proficient environment that is reassuring to patients and their families? And
how do you help caregivers perform their jobs without passing stress on to vulnerable patients and other workers? It’s a major balancing act that Cleveland Clinic solves by focusing on simplicity, flexibility, and a holistic approach to problem solving.
Calm & Elegant
“We try and take away the clutter, and we keep it simple, and clean, and minimal,” Connell says. That means focusing on timeless, relatively neutral approaches with close attention to all-important details. From carefully locating the new cancer center to ensure patients have beautiful natural views to custom-making hospital bed headboards that integrate all the necessary equipment into one calming and comforting package, Connell’s design team knows small touches pay off in big ways. Furthermore, a simple approach to aesthetics helps inspire confidence in patients by lending an air of forward-thinking to the environment. “It’s visibly timeless, and you don’t feel like you’re going into a facility that has a decade to catch up to where we are now. You feel like you’re going somewhere that’s fall 2020
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Cheerful color and light also dominate the design at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, as seen above.
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for the future,” he says, noting that in a world struggling with a pandemic, that confidence is more important now than ever.
Cleveland Clinic invested in flexibility, they were able to complete the education center’s life-saving transformation in just 14 days.
Prepared for the Unpredictable
Bringing It All Together
When Cleveland Clinic was designing a new education facility for medical students, they had no idea they would soon need to use that same building as a surge hospital for COVID-19 patients. Thankfully the team designed that building with flexibility in mind. It was built with raised floors, modular rooms, flexible ceilings, lots of natural light, and a ventilation system that works well in the heightened sensitivity of the new environment. At a bigger scale, the building was intentionally designed to house four schools in one building, positioning them around a flexible-use courtyard that now houses temporary patient beds. These decisions weren’t made to address specific patient needs—they were made to address the fact that no one can predict exactly what patents will need in the future. However, this kind of forward thinking is always under threat by the realities of budgets. “Flexibility requires some upfront investment in order for it to pay dividends later, and very often it’s one of the first things to go when people are trying to take costs out of budgets,” Connell says. But because
Another pillar of Cleveland Clinic’s design approach is holistic thinking. Connell says achieving real balance in design is being able to see functional efficiency, economy, safety, and elegance as elements of the same thing. It’s all good design, and all of it applies to the entire health care environment, “whether it’s the art program, the sustainability of the space, the safety of the materials, the safety of the layouts, or the modes in which people are able to work within those environments,” he says. “By looking at them together, they all strengthen one another.” And Cleveland Clinic has been thinking holistically for years. Since the ’70s they’ve worked to maintain a consistent master plan across their buildings and campuses, learning from one project to the next and applying those lessons to everything that comes after. So even though the health care industry in general is facing all sorts of new challenges, Cleveland Clinic has been successfully putting patients at the center of their wide-ranging, detail-driven design process for years, and they’ll continue to meet the challenges of the future head on. gb&d fall 2020
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF TEKNOFLOR
Teknoflor’s sheet products offer heat-welded, seamless installation for easy cleaning and infection control.
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Ground to Stand On How Teknoflor meets the needs of the health care environment By Eric Canan
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eknoflor has earned its reputation in the health care industry by providing reliable, durable products that solve the problems people inside the industry need solved. Decades ago Teknoflor led the way in bringing low-maintenance, no-wax, nobuff floors to market. Tony Barzycki, vice president of sales who has been with Teknoflor for nearly 20 years, has seen the kind of loyalty a dependable product paired with constant innovation instills in clients. “When you have a floor that can still look brand-new after five, 10 years—that’s what we’re known for,” he says. Today Teknoflor is continuing to innovate by combining high performance with high design. The challenges health care environments face are daunting, but Teknoflor has always been committed to overcoming them with a variety of specialized products. Specifically, Teknoflor first made its mark in the commercial flooring industry with its high-performance sheet vinyl that dominates health care facilities. In health care facilities, and especially patient care areas, surfaces must be able to be easily cleaned and maintained, as anywhere bacteria can grow or a virus can hide presents a life-threatening problem. Teknoflor’s sheet products offer heat-welded, seamless installation for easy cleaning and infection control. However, hospitals are often on tight budgets and the cost of sheet flooring and the expert installation it requires can add up. As such, Teknoflor also offers easy-to-install tile and plank products for less sensitive areas like hallways, cafeterias, and waiting rooms. Navigating the options for tile, plank, and sheet products to optimize flooring for a hospital that might be 400,000 square feet in area can be a dizzying prospect for a designer—and a painful prospect for a patient in a gurney wheeling over bumpy transition strips between flooring surfaces. In response to this problem Teknoflor recently launched the award-winning Coordination Collection—a line of sheet, tile, and plank products that are designed to easily coordinate both visually and physically throughout the health care landscape without transition strips. It’s another industry problem with another top solution from Teknoflor. Before the Coordination Collection, designers were on their own to match the sheet flooring they needed for sensitive areas with the tile and plank flooring they needed for other areas, according to Nicolette Grieco, vice president of regional sales at Teknoflor. Because the manufacturing processes for sheet and plank flooring are completely separate, the patterns and colors between the two would often be
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mismatched. “When you’re standing 10 to 20 feet away, it’s screaming at you,” Grieco says. Designers needed versatile products with floor patterns in one material that coordinated with floor patterns in another, and now they have it, with Teknoflor going so far as to make sure the widths of the faux panels imprinted into their sheet flooring products are the same as the widths they offer in their modular flooring products. Responding to the needs of health care designers is something Teknoflor prides itself on. “It’s really second nature to us,” Grieco says. From working with Johns Hopkins designers on what materials and patterns would best suit their needs to studying the ongoing fluctuations and changes in the marketplace, Teknoflor pays attention to what stakeholders in the health care environment are asking for. This rigorous process of listening and learning has led to the creation of the company’s newest collection of luxury vinyl tile, Icon Tile, a visually innovative product that offers a warm, carpet-like visual designed to give patients comfort and ease as well as the
Teknoflor Icon Tile HPD brings a new dimension of design to any commercial setting. Pictured here is Denim.
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The Coordination Collection allows designers to match products visually and physically throughout the health care space without transition strips.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF TEKNOFLOR
benefits of being a 100% virgin vinyl, hard surface floor. “The wearability is superior, the cleanability is superior, and the visuals are truer. They’re not going to give you the problems of carpet,” Grieco says. Andrew Heeter, Teknoflor’s vice president of strategic sales, says different clients need different things, and as new standards like the Health Product Declaration are rolled out, Teknoflor is eager to make sure their products comply. That’s meant working to remove harmful ingredients like phthalates, chlorine, and in some instances vinyl from their products, and it’s led to products like the Naturescapes HPD Resilient Sheet line meeting the requirements for REACH and Living Product Challenge Petal certification. Heeter is glad to know all the work Teknoflor has put into improving the materials in its products is paying off in the health care environment. “I really can’t think of a more important or appropriate setting when it comes to the importance of vetting your material selections,” he says. “Healthy design is creating products that positively influence the health and comfort of the building occupants—that’s the main goal. And then sustainability is achieving that healthy design with a beneficial approach to the environment.” Teknoflor is committed to quality by maintaining ongoing collaborations with health care providers and a reliable body of time-tested products. Recently Barzycki was visiting a hospital and happened to notice some Teknoflor sheet flooring in a couple of radiology rooms. He wasn’t surprised the floors looked good, but he was surprised when he realized this particular color had been discontinued 15 years earlier. “They looked brand-new,” he says. “They just flat out work.” gb&d
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The Silent Side of Design ASI pays attention to the secret world of sound.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ASI
By Eric Canan
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Alumiline helps manage sound and sets the tone in this office foyer.
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“Sound is one of the survival mechanisms we depend on to let us know if we’re in danger,” says ASI’s Director of Marketing and Communications John Calder. “Most people don’t have a language of acoustics and sound,” he says, but this invisible aspect of the built health care environment can have profound effects on patients’ feelings of safety and comfort, even if they can’t explain why. “It’s just a feeling they get of unease,” he says. “But a quiet space is usually calming.” Although the name of the umbrella company is Acoustical Surfaces, “we’re called on often to think about what’s underneath the surface, what’s really going on in the room,” Calder says. Whether it’s not being able to understand the information coming from the paging system in a waiting room or subconsciously noticing that the sound in a hospital hallway is unnaturally echoey and harsh, patients take
all kinds of emotional cues from the sounds around them. “People need to feel safe, and comfortable, and calm. And a good sounding room will subconsciously add to that feeling,” Calder says.
High-Tech Solutions
ASI, along with its sister brands like ASI Architectural, offers products and services that aim to solve acoustical problems without creating aesthetic ones. Health care environments are full of easy-to-clean but hard surfaces, and those hard surfaces reflect sound waves very well. Echoes can add up, creating a tense atmosphere that puts patients and caregivers on edge. Acoustical products reduce the sound energy that bounces off a surface by absorbing or redirecting it. Calder says that even though unsightly foam products have come to be seen as the acoustical go-to, a nice sounding room gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ASI
In many cases great design is completely invisible, and at Acoustical Surfaces Inc. (ASI), that’s the point.
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The lobby of the Prudential Tower in Newark, New Jersey incorporates Microperf technology to manage the sound generated in a bustling space.
(an acoustical industry first) with spaces between each plank for sound to pass into a hidden acoustical backing. StrandTec is made of wood strands from renewable forests and portland cement pressed together using recycled water. This offers a sustainable, low-cost, versatile wall covering that can be custom-painted and cut to fit any design brief, all while mitigating unwanted echo and reverberation.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ASI
A Custom Approach
This up-close view shows the tiny holes perforating the surface of the Microperf panels, which allow the sound energy to pass through to an absorbent material installed either above or behind.
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doesn’t have to look like a recording studio. ASI uses a technique called microperforation to turn beautiful, natural-looking materials into acoustic panels. Each Microperf panel from ASI features a real wood veneer with thousands of tiny holes perforating its surface. These holes allow much of the sound energy that would normally bounce off the panel’s face to pass into a sound-absorbing fiberglass core, and because the holes are so small, you’d have to be inches away to see them. ASI also offers Silk Metal panels, which feature the same tiny holes perforating an aluminum panel. Silk Metal panels don’t require a sound absorbent core, making them especially useful in a setting that requires deep cleaning. Either way, both Silk Metal and Microperf panels give designers the flexibility of high-aesthetic surfaces that also work to beneficially dampen sound. For a bolder look, ASI Architectural also offers the Linear Alumiline or StrandTec coverings for ceilings and walls. Linear Alumiline features long aluminum planks that offer the toughness of extruded aluminum
While ASI works to design products that solve problems, ASI Architectural works with clients directly to create custom solutions from scratch. “All of our stuff is made to order—we have zero inventory of finished products. So every one of our products gets run through a design phase with the architect or the design team,” says Chris Blanchard, national sales manager. That custom approach allows for a huge amount of flexibility. On one end of the spectrum contractors can order materials they install themselves, and on the other end, the ASI Architectural team will work with designers through an iterative process that balances technical performance, budget, and design intent, while producing a supply of custom-made materials with site-specific shop drawings that dictate the placement of every panel and piece of custom hardware. In order to complete a seamless acoustical retrofit, ASI Architectural can stain their panels to match control samples, or they can even select a particular wood veneer from a particular veneer house, matching an existing veneer down to the very same log before turning it into an acoustical product. “It can be short and sweet, or it can be fairly complicated,” says Blanchard. These kinds of services aren’t easy to come by. “It’s rare that you find an architectural or a design firm, or a contractor, certainly, that has an acoustician on staff,” says Calder. “We function, often, as the acoustical consultant on a lot of these jobs.” And while it may be tempting to think you can avoid design problems associated with sound by simply ignoring it, Calder warns we are more sensitive to sound than people realize. “You can close your eyes and go to sleep, but your ears are always on.” gb&d fall 2020
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PHOTO: MARK HERBOTH
Designing Essential Spaces
Health care facilities meet the adapting needs of patients and physicians. BY CAP GREEN
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Jerry Johnson and Amy Sickeler of Perkins and Will combined their shared interest in health care, education, and research design to deliver a patient-centered facility for the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. The duo saw past the vacant 1970s hotel and was inspired by the site’s biggest challenge—a steep slope that spans the entire city block. The main vision—to create a place for people to gather—came from the Gardner family, who wanted to have a home for patients, staff, and clinicians to learn about neurological disorders. The Gardner’s vision became a barometer for Johnson and Sickeler’s design discussions, and the team was able to bring 15 centers of excellence previously scattered across UC Health’s campus into one central facility. Johnson describes the design as “a simple glass box on a limestone plinth.” But the simplistic design was intentional, and it checked several non-negotiables for the patient advisory group, like the 80,000-squarefoot parking facility that allows patients to go right from their parking spot to the
appropriate clinical floor, individual bathroom stalls with sliding doors for mobility needs, and geometric tensile mesh around the building’s exterior that filters daylight for patients who are sensitive to high-contrast light. “It’s all just design,” Sickeler says. “It’s taking a problem and trying to make spaces better.” The team stayed away from traditional, segmented workspaces for physicians and staff and designed a communal break area that allows employees from all clinics to interact, train, and take breaks in one bright, central space. “We said to ourselves, ‘Can we just take the walls off?’” Sickeler recalls. The workspace was originally intended to be mobile, giving physicians the capability to move from shared spaces into clinical or private rooms. “The idea was nobody owns a desk, but that’s shifting a little bit,” Sickeler says. “People want to own their desks, and post COVID-19 we might find that coming to pass.” The UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute features outside corridors that help with wayfinding by keeping patients connected
Tensile mesh scrim acts as the building’s outdoor blinds and offers soft, museum quality lighting inside the institute.
University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute
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Project: UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute
Contractor: Messer Construction Company
Location: Cincinnati
Construction Manager: Hplex Solutions, Inc
Completion: April 2019 Size: 114,000 square feet Structural Engineer: Shell + Meyer Associates Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Heapy Engineering Civil Engineer: The Kleingers Group
Curtain Wall: Pioneer Cladding & Glazing Systems Tensile Mesh: Valmex façade by Mehler 3 4 5 Texnologies / Structurflex 2 1
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a serene oak grove. Although the building shares a campus with INTEGRIS Health Edmond hospital, Arcadia Trails was designed to feel more like a nature retreat than a rehabilitation facility. “Part of the initial issue was how to work within the landscape of where the facility was going to be zoned because it’s a forested area on a hill,” Castillo says. To that end, the unique sloping terrain prompted a split-level design that implements the site’s geography to craft both private patient rooms and inviting public areas in the center. Visitors and families, for instance, enter through a conference center that faces the medical campus, while residents have a secluded entry that’s intuitive with the building’s natural surroundings. The center’s main entrance is south facing and the building is nestled in trees, so the team knew one of their biggest design challenges would be pulling in natural light. After several light studies HKS was able to understand the building’s interaction with the sun and build a clever, calm design that communicates with nature.
“The design team drew inspiration from the site’s natural surroundings in order to cultivate a sense of calm and tranquility within each interior space,” Castillo says. Large windows draw in natural light and bring the outdoors into the 40 mid-century style rooms. “The use of locally sourced stone, timber column overhangs, and wood planks further enhances the structure’s place within the surrounding hillside.” The design became an extension of the center’s overall purpose to promote mental, spiritual, and physical healing. “Arcadia Trails’ mission is to take the residents on a journey of health and wellness pulled aside from their day-to-day, so they are spending the night for as long as it takes them to heal,” Castillo says. The center’s layout provides different modalities for therapists and staff members, including private therapy offices, group therapy areas with varying furniture layouts, and outdoor healing gardens. Stantec is using its expertise to meet the needs of patients, physicians, and students in the Bay Area. The LEED Gold–certified
Project: Arcadia Trails
Civil Engineer: MKEC
INTEGRIS Center for
Contractor: Robins &
Addiction Recovery
Morton
Location: Edmond, OK Completion: Summer 2018 Size: 60,000 square feet Cost: $23,522,493 Architect: HKS Architects MEP Engineer: WSP
Kitchen Designer: SDI Interior Designer: HKS Architects Landscape Architect: MKEC
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PHOTOS: DARYL SHIELDS; DRAWING: COURTESY OF HKS ARCHITECTS
to outdoor landmarks. Keeping the corridors on the perimeter allowed the team to design exam rooms inboard, which conveniently eliminates the need for costly blackout curtains. To reduce heat gain Johnson wrapped a geometric tensile around the building. “You could look at it like we put the blinds on the outside,” he says. “We did,” interjects Sickeler. “It almost was an exact budget swap.” The interesting outer scrim, the signature element of the building, came about as a way to create diffused light for patients but ended up being a remarkable architectural feature that significantly cuts down on the building’s solar gain. In Oklahoma, Jamie Castillo, senior interior designer at HKS, designs healing spaces using the nature around them. Her recent project, Arcadia Trails INTEGRIS Center for Addiction Recovery, is a response to the state’s overwhelming need for a substance abuse and addiction recovery center. The 60,000-square-foot, split-level building is positioned on a sloping terrain between a busy stretch of Interstate 35 and
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PHOTOS: DARYL SHIELDS
The facility projects a lower, more modern profile with its eased roofline and horizontal louvers.Â
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“ The use of locally sourced stone, timber column overhangs, and wood planks further enhances the structure’s place within the surrounding hillside.” JAMIE CASTILLO, HKS
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learn and grow from the research that’s being brought in the process of giving care?” Those questions led to an integrated design between patient care, physician research, and sustainability, with each factor driving and influencing the other. The zero-lot line site offered many challenges for the team but also led to some of their more creative sustainable components, like the custom-designed bioretention planters that are more than eight feet in depth in order to create a proper filtration system. The creative idea required impressive collaboration with the project’s civil and structural engineers as well as the landscape architect. “Getting the three LEED points for that was one of the big accomplishments,” Shaver says. In addition to making impressive strides in sustainable design, Stantec is also considering how its role in health care design might change in a post COVID-19 world. “It has been very busy responding to a lot of surge in emergency conditions,” Hanson says. Now the team is thinking about buildings as systems that process people, considering how future design plans might prepare for future crises. gb&d
Stantec designed the new outpatient cancer center to act as a central hub for patients receiving cancer treatment.
PHOTO: DAVID WAKELY
UCSF Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building (PCMB) is a 180,000-square-foot outpatient cancer center with 120 rooms for exams and consults, 45 infusion rooms for chemotherapy treatment, 19 imaging modalities, and two linear accelerator vaults for the radiology oncology department. The impressive new center designed by Stantec creates a central hub for patients receiving cancer treatment, which eases the burden of traveling across San Francisco for various clinical appointments and treatments. “On a high level, this project is allowing the three different campuses that have individual departments to really come into one building,” says Stantec’s project manager, Scott Shaver. “UCSF really saw this as an opportunity to serve the majority of their cancer treatment in one place.” UCSF wanted to ensure every decision made in the design plan contributed to the overall mission to cure cancer. To support those efforts, the team had to pay attention to the many parts that go into providing meaningful, innovative care. “The patient experience is one thing, but how well can we support the staff in giving their care?” says Erik Hanson, principal and health care sector leader at Stantec. “How well can they
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PHOTOS: DAVID WAKELY; DRAWING: COURTESY OF STANTEC
DEPARTMENT PLAN, LEVEL 1 OCTOBER 23, 2017
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MA WORKSTATION
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Project: UCSF Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building
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PRINTER
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UCSF Medical Center - Mission Bay Precision Cancer Medicine Building
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Location: San Francisco
Construction Management/Project Management: Cambridge CM
Completion: September 2019
Design Build Mechanical/ Plumbing: Southland
Size: 179,000 square feet
Design Build Electrical: Cupertino Electric
Cost (Construction): $154,200,000 Architect: Stantec Structural Engineer: Rutherford + Chekene
Contractor: Rudolph and Sletten Landscape Architect: CMG Landscape Architecture
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Mike Johnson, Vice President of Commercial and Industrial Sales, EZ-ACCESS
Ask the Expert How do aluminum ramp systems lead to safer projects?
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We understand all too well the nuances of compliance codes. We take great pride in working with our clients on a project by project basis, making sure they get exactly what they need. Safety is critical to providing the best environment at every location, and our products are built to offer that. Using aluminum for ADA ramp solutions is a must because it can create a truly compliant solution
that will outlast other materials, offering continual compliance over the course of many years. Beyond ADA, we can meet compliance standards like IBC, OSHA, and most local codes. EZ-ACCESS Modular Access Systems have a permanent, slip-resistant surface and smooth, continuous handrails for safe traversing in all weather conditions. They provide maximum stability by utilizing their own
base rather than being buried into the ground. Our systems ship within 24 to 48 hours and can be installed the same day, making sure every project has a prompt, safe solution. Another safety benefit? Aluminum ramps won’t warp or deteriorate over time like wood. An aging, misshapen ramp is both a tripping hazard and an impasse for individuals reliant on a mobility device like a wheelchair. Our durable ramp systems are made of high-quality aluminum that is corrosion-resistant and ready for years
of maintenancefree use. Our TITAN™ Code Compliant Modular Access System is suited for all of your code compliant egress needs, whether you’re replacing a wood ramp system or steps due to wear and tear or adding compliant access to an existing structure. Our modular parts allow for safe, creative solutions. We offer up smart ways to get systems around tricky corners or fit ramps on sites with limited space. No matter the project, we have the experts and the products to make your site safe. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF EZ-ACCESS
When a person can’t easily access a place, whether it’s work, a voting location, or any number of public spaces, they risk injuring themselves trying to do so. EZ-ACCESS Modular Access Systems are designed for safe ingress and egress. They’re code-compliant, following specific guidelines to ensure safe public access, and made entirely from aluminum, a material that can offer unmatched durable ramp construction. We recently spoke to Mike Johnson, national vice president of commercial and industrial sales at EZ-ACCESS, about how the company’s aluminum ramp and access systems meet compliance standards set by the ADA, IBC, and OSHA—and how important that is to every project.
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EZ-ACCESS Modular Access Systems have a permanent, slip-resistant surface and smooth, continuous handrails for safe traversing in all weather conditions.
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Ralph Alvarado, Product Manager for PV Products, Q CELLS
Ask the Expert Why should I consider home energy storage?
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Electricity costs are rising in markets all over the US. Utility companies are hitting up users for time-of-day and peak-demand charges. Home energy storage systems give homeowners the control so they can intelligently save on the cost of electricity. These storage systems, like the Q.HOME+ ESS HYB-G1 released earlier this year, are a lot more affordable than people
may assume. The system monitors the electrical grid to know the rates and demands and enables homeowners to purchase energy during the most favorable times. Every three seconds the system is optimized, so it’s always monitoring the health of the power for your home or business. The system stores, in a battery backup, the net solar energy and then uses it during peak times,
so instead of paying for the most expensive grid power, you can use the stored solar power. It’s much more economical. Additionally, the Q.HOME+ ESS is flexible. It can store anywhere between 4.5 and 18.9-kilowatt hours. The homeowner can start small but add more storage capacity over time. It can give users hours or days of autonomy for backup purposes. In certain areas, like California where the power is shut off during times of fire risk, homeowners with an energy storage system can keep their lights on. You can’t go wrong with the cost
savings. Typical return on investment for solar is around seven years, and a storage system can easily knock two or three years off that payback time. Also, the system is remotely monitored via an online application, so if anything were to go wrong, Q CELLS can troubleshoot the system and determine how to correct the problem. Unlike other companies, we are a one-stop shop for solar panels and an energy storage system. Q CELLS is the manufacturer and thus the single point of contact for all postsales processes regarding product support. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF Q CELLS
Usage of renewable energy sources has quadrupled over the past decade with solar leading the way, according to the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment report. Yet many who utilize solar are still purchasing increasingly costly electricity from the grid. Home energy storage systems, like the one made by leading global solar company Q CELLS, can help cut back on grid purchases and ultimately keep the lights on. The company’s Product Manager for PV Ralph Alvarado has been working in the solar industry for more than half a decade. Here he shares some of the benefits of home energy storage.
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Storage systems like the Q.HOME+ ESS HYB-G1 can store anywhere from 4.5 to 18.9-kilowatt hours.
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Michael Bruce, Vice President of Marketing and Engineering, Filtration Group
Ask the Expert Why should I rethink my commercial air filters?
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Many of us need to upgrade our air filters to meet new MERV 13 ASHRAE guidelines. It’s important to consider the indoor air quality protection rating (MERV) and total cost of ownership (TCO). You’ve got the upfront cost of the filter, the labor to replace the filter, the disposal costs at the end of the filter’s life, and, most importantly, the cost of energy consumption. It
takes energy to push air through a filter, and typically the cost of that energy is over 80% of the TCO. As an air filter extends past its service life, not only does it offer less respiratory protection, but the energy required to push air through it increases. So while using an air filter longer will save on the first three costs (and reduce the nuisance factor of replacement),
if you make an air filter last too long, your TCO goes up. In extreme cases, when an air filter is getting full and is overdue to be replaced, you may sacrifice product performance in a couple of weeks or even days. You’ll pay so much on energy you could have essentially bought another filter. Some people are still deciding when to change their filters based on old rules and arbitrary round numbers, like waiting for your initial pressure drop to double. These one-sizefits-all rules need to be modernized to meet today’s safety and efficiency
requirements. They ignore the factors that go into a complex TCO analysis for a sustainable commercial building. Among other things, local energy costs, local labor rates, and the dust loading characteristics of the actual application can drastically affect how efficient and cost effective a filter changeout is. We recommend the more media in your filter the better, generally; the initial pressure drop starts lower and stays lower as it takes longer for the media to fill up. Outside of that, it depends on your unique TCO analysis. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO, THIS PAGE: COURTESY OF FILTRATION GROUP-HVAC; PIXABAY, RIGHT
Filtration Group is a US-based leader in the filtration industry. Their commitment to investment, innovation, and cross-pollination among their many filtration-focused businesses allows them to offer a robust line of industry-best indoor air filtration products that work with existing equipment. The traditional Enduro-Pleat® filter is built to last, the GeoPleat® offers tons of media in a compact size, and the FP V-Bank Minipleat offers the complete package of high filtration, energy efficiency, long life, and savings. For gas phase filtration, the FP Dual-Pak version offers advanced air pollutant removal. Michael Bruce, vice president of marketing and engineering for Filtration Group-HVAC, tells us why you should pay attention to air filters.
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Airborne pathogens and aerosolization have become household phrases as the pandemic has taken hold, according to the experts at Filtration Group. Visit indoorairhygiene.com for practical recommendations on steps building architects, designers, and managers can take to protect occupants.
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Chris Karl, Design Specialist, Ambius
Chris Karl has been working with Ambius for more than 25 years and has been in virtually every role. While he’s seen biophilic design evolve, he expects it to play an even more crucial part in the design of commercial and office spaces given the need for social distancing. As part of Ambius’ elite design team, Karl is currently researching the future of biophilic design and developing new and exciting ideas—from using plant containers as barriers to rethinking wayfinding to how to incorporate plantlife into plexiglass. We recently talked with Karl about how biophilic design strategies may transform how we work in the future.
How will biophilic design make for better, healthier commercial spaces?
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experienced globally. Our environment is changing, and if health is our top priority, biophilic design is paramount—it’s as necessary as the computers we work on and the chairs we sit in. Biophilia is essentially our love of nature. It’s a genetically hardwired relationship; we need it. As our time in built environments increases, our need
amusement parks found using video on monitors lessened the perceived wait time in lines. Similarly, biophilic design will help with spacing by replacing the retractable barriers you may know and hate from waiting in lines with something beautiful. The harsh realities of global pandemics and climate change are driving us into built environments, at the same time forcing the need for biophilic design. This is our time to realign with the environment and design a way that supports our innate love of nature.
Read more from Ambius in the winter issue of gb&d when they explore the possibilities of largescale living walls.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF AMBIUS
Ask the Expert
As we learn to live in what we call “the new normal,” one silver lining is that we are more in touch with our needs. Our health can no longer be ignored, and incorporating biophilic design that’s proven to improve well-being and productivity into workspaces is critical. This is the first pandemic we’ve
for nature increases. I and the team at Ambius expect a lot of spaces will revisit their needs, asking, “How do we reconfigure what we’ve done?” or “How do we introduce biophilia for the first time?” When businesses reopen, space will be a new reality. Green walls will be more in demand, and we’ll rethink the open office—especially the idea of incorporating plexiglass. If we’re creating barriers, bordering with plants is important. We want to reduce the tension of plexiglass. How we enter spaces, the direction we navigate, and six-foot social distancing will create some new challenges. The living plant will be the TV monitor of the ’00s. Airports and
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The Ambius team transformed one unused space in a Zappos building (left) to attract employees from other more crowded areas in the office. “I incorporated green walls, increased lighting, added plants, and it worked. People migrated over,� Karl says.
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Laurie Hill, Vice President of Technical, Rmax
Ask the Expert What’s the difference between polyiso insulation for roofing and walls?
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Polyiso has long been the insulation of choice for roofing due to its high R-value and superior fire resistant properties, yet many don’t realize it’s also highly effective at meeting continuous insulation requirements for wall applications. Continuous insulation requirements, which are increasingly prescribed by building codes, require that insulation is consistent across the entirety of
a structure, lest thermal bridges— gaps in a building’s envelope caused by conductive surfaces like wall studs and cladding—allow heat to flow in and out, lowering occupant comfort and raising energy bills. Simply put, utilizing continuous insulation on a rooftop but not a structure’s walls would be like putting a plastic lid on an icebox made of wood. It would be an ineffective product. But with so
many options available for wall insulation, like extruded polystyrene and mineral wool, why choose polyiso? For the same reason it has been utilized in 75 to 80% of roofing applications for decades, it remains the first-rate choice for wall applications. With an R-value of 6.5 per inch and a service temperature of 250º Fahrenheit, it is head and shoulders above other rigid foam insulation products. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, polyiso is also highly moisture-resistant. Often when employed in roofing applications, polyiso utilizes less expensive paper facers that have been criticized for their poor moisture resistance.
But this is only because, in these instances, roofing membranes encapsulate the polyiso, acting as their own air and water barriers. When transitioning to wall applications, foil facers are often used instead, which effectively prevent water and vapor absorption. Not only do foil facers make polyiso a flexible material, capable of acting as both insulation and an air and water barrier for roofing and wall applications, but they also reduce redundant materials like exterior gypsum and other air and water barrier membranes, cutting costs and shrinking a project’s overall environmental footprint. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RMAX
Technical Vice President Laurie Hill knows a lot about polyisocyanurate insulation. She’s been at Rmax—a market leader in polyiso for roof and wall applications—for 20-plus years. She also chairs the C1289 polyiso task group at the American Society for Testing and Materials, where she’s contributed to developing standards for the material. Laurie sat down with us recently to explain that, while polyiso has long been commonplace in roofing applications, it’s only in the past decade or so that increasingly stringent building codes prescribing continuous insulation for entire building envelopes have begun to make it popular in wall applications as well.
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Polyiso remains the first-rate choice for wall applications, with an R-value of 6.5 per inch and a service temperature of 250ยบ Fahrenheit.
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Jonathan Stack, Director of Environmental Services, Hudson Technologies Company
Ask the Expert What are the environmental benefits of using reclaimed refrigerants?
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Reclaiming refrigerants means recycling and reusing them so manufacturers don’t have to make even more. One of the main environmental benefits of refrigerant reclamation is displacing virgin refrigerant production. There are numerous emissions associated with manufacturing new refrigerants— greenhouse gas emissions, energy emissions from
the power used during the process, and emissions from refrigerants leaking into the atmosphere. Not only does reclamation offset the production of millions of pounds of virgin refrigerant, but it also prevents this virgin gas from potentially leaking into the atmosphere over the next decade, so you get double the savings. A majority of refrigerants utilize imported components, so the
reclamation process avoids fossil fuel emissions from overseas shipping, too. Practically speaking, using reclaimed refrigerant allows a building owner/ operator to continue to use their equipment with the refrigerant it was designed to be run on, keeping it running optimally. The vast majority of used refrigerants can be reclaimed to help save the environment. Hudson Technologies can reclaim refrigerants an unlimited amount of times with no inherent degradation to the refrigerant itself. Every time Hudson reuses refrigerant, we prevent a new pound
of refrigerant from being manufactured. Reclaimed refrigerants have low or zero global warming potential because of how they offset virgin production and the associated greenhouse gases from processes afterward. Hudson sees more and more clients asking specifically for reclaimed refrigerant and refusing noncertified reclaimed refrigerant to do their part in helping the environment. At the end of the day, the inherent environmental benefit of reclaimed refrigerant is netpositive and a perfect alternative to virgin manufacturing. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HUDSON TECHNOLOGIES
Hudson Technologies, the largest refrigerant reclaimer in North America, reclaims refrigerants in an effort to reduce the unintended release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The company stresses the importance of safely disposing refrigerants by recycling them, largely because of the large environmental impact associated with producing new virgin refrigerants. The reclamation process offsets greenhouse gases both from virgin production and the various procedures after manufacturing that have negative environmental impacts. Jonathan Stack, director of environmental services at Hudson Technologies, explains how North America’s number one resource of refrigerants helps to fight climate change in their recycling process.
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Reclamation offsets the production of millions of pounds of virgin refrigerant and also prevents the virgin gas from potentially leaking into the atmosphere over the next decade.
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Ken Hallam, Regional Contract Manager, Binswanger Glass
Ask the Expert How is glass sustainable?
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As you think about the environmental impact of a commercial building, glass may not be the first consideration that comes to mind. But that’s an oversight. Glass, in fact, is an essential part of the equation. By choosing the right glass, you can maximize the natural daylight in
your space while minimizing unnecessary heat transfer. Not only does this make conditions more comfortable for the occupants, it also significantly reduces the heating and cooling load for the building. And this, of course, reduces the overall energy usage—benefiting both the owner’s bottom line and
the environment. Glass technologies have improved greatly over the last decade. One particular area of innovation is in the different coatings that can be applied to glass to block out specific parts of the solar spectrum. At one end of the spectrum is ultraviolet light— these are the rays that cause fabrics and other interior materials to fade. At the other end is infrared light, which transfers heat into the space. In the middle is visible light, which is what you want to maximize in your interior, both for its mood-boosting properties as well as its ability to cut your electricity bill. The glass coatings target ultraviolet and infrared light while preserving the transfer of visible light. In doing so they reduce the U-value of the window. The U-value measures
the rate of heat transfer (the lower the value, the more efficient it is). And, amazingly, these coatings are incredibly thin—some are just 2 microns thick, which, for reference, is 1/50th the diameter of a human hair. Not only do these innovations reduce heat transfer and cut your heating and cooling costs, they also protect the interior, preventing furniture from deteriorating due to sun damage. By choosing the right glass for your project, you can reduce the building’s energy consumption while improving the comfort for everyone inside. What could be more sustainable than that?
Read more from Binswanger Glass in the winter issue of gb&d when Hallam explores the latest commercial glass solutions.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BINSWANGER GLASS
As in many areas of construction, glass technology has evolved and improved over time. This is definitely the case as the industry has moved to green building strategies. Ken Hallam has witnessed this firsthand over his 40-plus years in the industry. As he works with clients at Binswanger Glass, he educates them on how to choose the most efficient, effective, and attractive glass solutions for their projects. There are so many promising technologies out there today that make sustainability more accessible than before. Here Hallam offers his insights into how glass is a critical component of a green building.
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Binswanger Glass of Charlotte, North Carolina’s contract division installed the curtain wall facade in this 10-story mixed-use building in downtown Raleigh. One Glenwood sits at one of the highest elevations in the city at the intersection of Raleigh’s two most prominent streets—Glenwood Avenue and Hillsborough Street.
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Florizel Hancox, Managing Director, Digilock
Florizel Hancox has been involved with almost every element of Digilock products, from design to deployment, for the global leader in high-performance electronic lock solutions. Bringing such diverse experience to her role, Hancox is particularly well-equipped to help building managers overseeing the workplaces of the future understand how the increasingly adaptable electronic security solutions Digilock offers can help them make a 21st century office that seamlessly balances openness, flexibility, and privacy. Hancox recently caught up with us to explain the ins and outs of electronic locking and storage in workplace settings and the value they offer.
What new storage ideas have improved the mobile workforce?
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capable of rising to the task. Take, for example, a scenario in which one employee occupies a desk from 9 to 5 and another takes over for the night shift from 5 to midnight. With a keyless electronic lock capable of assigning access, authorizations for each employee can be set independently, maximizing use of space and allowing for painless changeover. Not only that, but filing cabinets
mobile workforce. With such arrangements becoming increasingly common, personal lockers can ensure employees’ personal items remain secure as they migrate to several office neighborhoods to collaborate throughout the day. Simply put, as we reimagine the ways in which we work, storage and security are no longer afterthoughts but fundamental aspects of design. These shifts require flexibility, and electronic locking solutions provide it.
Read more from Digilock in the winter issue of gb&d, when they explore how industries are evolving to focus on personal security.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DIGILOCK
Ask the Expert
Ten years ago when you went to your office, it was always your office. Now, as flexible work arrangements and telecommuting become more common, employees may find themselves spending a day in a pod that might not be theirs tomorrow. And while workers may enjoy this greater mobility, with it comes a new set of security challenges. Luckily electronic locking solutions are more than
containing sensitive material can make use of the same functionality to assign access and confirm that those who need access have it, and those who don’t cannot present a security risk—all while eliminating the need for an endless proliferation of physical keys, each of which carries the risk of being lost or copied. In the instance that something is amiss, digital monitoring even allows for an audit trail to be reviewed, meaning that those conducting oversight can be assured of precisely who accessed a cabinet and when. Digilock’s solutions are beneficial in a world of increasingly open floor plans and
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With Digilock you can easily assign access to filing cabinets containing sensitive materials.
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John Bianchi, Gypsum System Products Manager, National Gypsum
Ask the Expert How do gypsum boards enhance acoustics?
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We pride ourselves on being the thought leader in many areas. Noise or unwanted sound is important to us because it’s important to our customers. For example, we could have stuck with our regular SoundBreak XP Wall Board— already a strong product—and said here’s a one size fits all solution. Instead we created a family of products to address noise issues in the field.
As part of the SoundBreak family, our 5/8-inch SoundBreak XP has an acoustically enhanced, high-density fire resistant Type X gypsum core in heavy, abrasion, mold, mildew, and moisture resistant National Gypsum PURPLE paper. SoundBreak XP offers superior sound damping to keep noise out, so it’s perfect between hotel rooms, office spaces, doctors’ offices, and more. This line includes
a Retrofit product with all of the same benefits as SoundBreak XP, but that reduces waste, too. This new product stops noise from bleeding through but does not require demolition; you can simply use it to laminate over the existing structure, and the noise is significantly reduced. It gets rid of all the waste and all those things that go into ripping into or demolishing the interior of a building. If you’re going to keep the existing walls, you can put this product right over top of them. We’ve also got a new SoundBreak
XP Ceiling Board product that reduces noise between floors. All of our SoundBreak products perform really well with high-pitched noises like voices and TVs, but the ceiling board is even thicker—it’s about three-quarters of an inch—and it’s for floor-ceiling assemblies. Let’s say you have a hardwood floor on top of a living area in a multi-family application. If someone is wearing high heels overhead, this panel does a phenomenal job of dispersing that sound, and making it less audible down below. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NATIONAL GYPSUM
When installers call National Gypsum’s helpline, they’re often calling with questions about noise reduction. How can they build to reduce unwanted sound transmitting from one room to another, and what can they do to address it once a project is complete? These pros are well versed in every scenario—they’ve literally written the book on it (The SoundBook 2.0). “It has more than 300 assemblies and addresses the most common issues. “We’ve introduced it to the architectural community and have received tremendous feedback because of the level of detail included with each drawing.” John Bianchi shares some of his wisdom around the big issue—sound—with us here.
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Most of National Gypsum’s PURPLE products are available nationwide, either in stock at major stores or easy to order and arrive within days.
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Ask the Expert How do clear room dividers help healing spaces?
In the late 1980s Rich Maas’ brother was hit with an idea after spending years working as an architect, designing and building many churches. “Sometimes you simply need to split a large, open room into many smaller rooms for Sunday School or other ministries,” he thought. So he decided to make durable portable room dividers, and the idea quickly caught on. From churches and schools to now hospitals and other health care centers, the well-built, made in the USA dividers from Screenflex were quickly in demand. We recently heard from Maas, now vice president of Screenflex, about the growing need for portable room dividers, especially clear options, in the health care industry and beyond. Rich Maas, Vice President, Screenflex
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SCREENFLEX
Portable dividers from Screenflex help make more efficient use of space while helping to prevent the spread of infection.
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Screenflex uses a non-yellowing, lightweight, and highly impact-resistant acrylic to create its clear panels. Their plexiglass room dividers are three times as strong as double-strength window glass.
Already a popular solution in health care, Screenflex’s clear dividers are even more in demand now that the world is focused on infection control. You can use clear room dividers when you need to contain any area and also need an unobstructed view of what’s on the other side. If I’m in the hospital and I cough or sneeze, if there’s a clear divider I will sneeze onto the panel instead of on or near a person or equipment. It may sound rudimentary, but it works, and all the while I can continue speaking with the physician. Screenflex offers a dozen product gb&d
lines in up to 38 colors. Our standard line is our most popular. Many medical facilities seek our Healthflex portable room dividers, as we apply an antimicrobial agent to the fabric. This same agent is built directly into the vinyl coverings we offer. Vinyl is also easy to clean. Our dividers also limit distractions and create quieter environments with sound-absorbing panels. They offer much needed separation in spaces, too. We’re seeing hospital staff wanting to create division with vision. Major hospitals turn to us, too, including Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who recently used our
room dividers to create more spaces for staff to check in privately with patients. Using Screenflex anyone can create a custom space quickly—something you wouldn’t be able to do with more permanent but movable wall solutions in a large room with high ceilings. The benefits of our dividers are many, whether you’re in a health care facility, school, or office building. The common thread is the efficient use of space. That’s what we’ve been all about at Screenflex since we started in 1989—helping people make better use of their space in an easy, attractive, economical, and safe way.
Read more from Screenflex in the winter issue of gb&d, when Maas explores the possibilities in office spaces.
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Architect to Watch John Hopkins, IA Interior Architects This award-winning design director in Chicago takes an “inside-out” approach to architecture. BY SOPHIA CONFORTI
PHOTO: COURTESY OF IA INTERIOR ARCHITECTS
When JOHN HOPKINS was growing up on a farm in Michigan, he was always building things. “I built a lot of forts and things out of old refrigerator boxes. It seems like I was always creating structures,” he says. He didn’t have any family in architecture, didn’t even know what it was, and yet he spent his time drawing house plans. “It was this weird thing that just came out of me,” Hopkins says. “Architecture has been a very specific path for me.” That path took a right turn when Hopkins fell into interior architecture at his first job after college. “I realized, ‘How didn’t I know about this? It suits me so well,’” he says. “I feel like my interest in architecture is so human-centric. I feel like I’m the hand or the pen that makes clients hopes and dreams realized in their spaces.” Over the span of his 30-year career, corporate architecture has been where Hopkins shines. He’s been design director at IA INTERIOR ARCHITECTS for the past 13 years, but if it wasn’t for one of his early jobs at HOK , a leader in sustainable design, his commitment to sustainability might not be as present in his work. “Working with some of those brilliant minds early on, I’ve taken their mantra through the rest of my career,” he says. “For many years LEED was the driver, but there were also things that seemed like we were missing as interior architects. I don’t think we realized what that was until the WELL Building Standard came along,” Hopkins says. “With different factors around nourishment, fitness, and comfort, it was like a light bulb went off. What we do as the interior folks on a project—so much is focused on those aspects: the health and well-being of an individual, beyond the health and well-being of a building.” gb&d
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Project: Capital One Cafe State Street Location: Chicago Completion: May 2019 Size: 10,250 square feet MEP Engineer: ESD Structural Engineer: Sowlat Contractor: Bulley & Andrews
For those walking into the Capital One Bank on Chicago’s State Street expecting a tidy row of bankers, you’ll immediately think you’re in the wrong place. “Capital One is a bank that doesn’t want to be a bank,” Hopkins says. “They want to think of everything differently.” As such, the two-level space functions as a cafe and open work area, with its banking features corralled into one corner. One of the cafe’s most notable features are walls that open up to the iconic Chicago street. The client team, based on the East Coast, wanted to open up as many walls as possible—an idea that left Hopkins and his IA team with some hesitation. “Their first gut reaction was to put in the biggest mechanical system that can manage any type of outdoor temperature and humidity,” he says. “To us that was extremely wasteful in terms of energy. In Chicago we’re going to have this type of weather and that type of weather, so you can’t assume every summery day you’re going to have those walls open,” Hopkins says. They posed their concern and came up with an alternative. Working with the engineers on the project, they set certain criteria for the outside temperature and humidity. When those conditions are met, then the walls can be opened, creating a more energy-efficient, comfortable space to eat, work, and bank in.
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PHOTOS: GARRETT ROWLAND
Interior Designer: IA Interior Architects
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“I had been working with Whirlpool seven years prior to this project, so I knew them very well,” Hopkins says. “They were always quite hesitant to move the needle forward in terms of transforming the workplace.” That is, until the North American headquarters project. Hopkins and his team were tasked with combining Whirlpool’s eight buildings into one major work hub. “The biggest success for IA was the reduced material inventory that’s incorporated into that building,” Hopkins says. “Our approach was to minimize the number of layers that get applied to the core and shell structure. Being a new construction building, we worked with the core and shell architects to say, ‘OK, that core concrete wall doesn’t need to be covered in drywall. We can expose that concrete.’” The partitions in the space are also 90% demountable to “provide flexibility and resiliency to allow change to happen over the future.” Because the building was next to a river, Hopkins also wanted to offer views of the landscape, which meant daylight became a big factor in its design. “We were very focused on the organization of the space so daylight can be appreciated by everyone.”
Project : Whirlpool Headquarters
Collaborating Architect: Epstein
Location: Benton Harbor, MI
MEP Engineer: Epstein
Completion: 2011 Size: 320,000 square feet
Interior Designer: IA Interior Architects Landscape Architect: Arquitectonica
PHOTOS: PAUL MORGAN
Lead Architect: IA Interior Architects
Contractor: Pepper Construction
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For S2G Ventures, a sustainable agriculture venture capital group, sustainability was top of mind from Day 1. Hopkins says the intimate project—originally only 8,000 square feet, but which grew to 10,000 square feet—was unique in that the group was planning to expand and needed a flexible space to support future transformation. “Because they were a fairly young group and were expecting change, we looked at products that weren’t guaranteed to last 30 years because those products tend to have a lot more durable, less recycled content,” Hopkins says. The result was an urban oasis that balanced the industrial grittiness of Chicago’s Fulton Market with warm colors and textures inspired by nature. Reclaimed wood was used for the reception desk and conference tables, while coffee tables put Buckhorn, an invasive plant banned in Chicago, to good use. Private offices were also pulled away from the exterior to bring in more natural light and cultivate a sense of togetherness for the growing team.
Project: S2G Ventures Location: Chicago Completion: September 2019 Size: 15,000 square feet Engineer: Syska Hennessy Contractor: Leopardo
PHOTOS: GARRETT ROWLAND
Interior Designer: IA Interior Architects
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PRACTICE
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At a Glance
Louisville Northeast Regional Library
This Louisville library celebrates nature, community, and creativity with an inspiring sustainable design.
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Completed in summer 2019, this collaboration from JRA Architects and MSR Design uses reflective materials to help the building dissolve into the trees and landscape around it. Large windows and lightweight steel cladding greet visitors, while interior LED lighting continuously dims to maintain ideal light levels, turning off when there’s enough sunlight. Continuous clerestory windows at the facades and on the roof allow daylight to spread across the space, while the street-facing south facade projects
out from the glazing to protect the interior from direct summer sun and allow winter sun to extend in to reduce heating needs. The LEED Gold project pushes the boundaries of what a library can be for the community, too, as it’s the first in Louisville to have a dedicated maker space and artist-in-residence studio. The two architecture firms developed this award-winning design together with landscape architect MKSK Studios and the owner’s inhouse design and project management team. gbdmagazine.com
PHOTO: FARM KID STUDIOS
By Jada Ward
CONSTRUCT
AEC EDUCATION & EXPO
LEARN TODAY, ADVANCE TOMORROW LEARN
NETWORK
CONSTRUCT is the only dedicated national AEC educational program and exhibition specifically designed to provide the commercial building team with real-world, practical solutions they can implement immediately. This three-day event features a cutting-edge education program featuring over 50 CEU approved sessions, an action packed exhibit hall with hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest products and innovations, live demonstrations, and unsurpassed networking and social events. Participants can make valuable connections with colleagues and manufacturers alike, forge new relationships, and mingle with old friends, all under one roof. Architects, designers, specifiers, contractors, engineers and more, come together for a one-of-a-kind experience to share the latest in best practices, industry trends, cutting-edge solutions and emerging technologies.
EXPLORE
SAVE THE DATE
SEPT 30 - OCT 2, 2020 Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center Grapevine (Dallas/Fort Worth) TX, USA Official Partners:
Building Knowledge Improving Project Delivery
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REGISTER TODAY! www.CONSTRUCTshow.com
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