Joëlle Jahn's Graduate Work Sample

GRADUAT E WO RK SAMPL E

EDUCATION AUG 2015MAY 2O17

Harvard Graduate School of Design Cambridge, MA

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE JUN 2017 PRESENT

LEARNING SPACE DESIGN STRATEGIST

FEB 2016 AUG 2016

WORKPLACE STRATEGY INTERN

Master of Design in Energy & Environments • Class of 2017 • Thesis: Thermal Comfort in Temporary Shelters, High Pass AUG 2011MAY 2O15

AUG 2013JAN 2014

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Design & Environmental Analysis: Interior Design • Minor in Architecture • Class of 2015 GPA 3.56

École National Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs Paris, France Exchange student, 4ème Année (Masters 1)

JAN 2016

JAN 2013MAY 2015

Gensler, Boston, MA Helped space plan Boston GE HQ workplace floorplan testfit according to Workplace Productivity Index (WPI) data • Furthered interest in benchmarking the design process

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN INTERN

Atelier Ten, New York, NY Performed calculations for LEED documentation • Created zone models for EQuest energy simulations of a multi-tenant residential unit • Enhanced my interest in energy modeling

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE AUG 2015MAY 2017

room2learn, Cambridge, MA Working with enthusiastic team of young entrepreneurs in a combined role of business development, consulting and project management • Gained experience in business strategy

LASER/3D PRINTING TEACHING ASSISTANT

AUG 2013SEP 2013

EXPOSITION DESIGN INTERN

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

MAY 2013JUN 2013

INTERIOR DESIGN INTERN

Harvard GSD FABLAB, Cambridge, MA Developed prototyping strategies for student projects • Managed 3D printing and laser cutting machines • Enhanced fabrication techniques and prototyping skills Charcrete & Jungle Geodesics Project, Ithaca, NY Sustainable building material research under Professor Jack Elliott • Prototyped carbon neutral concrete • Furthered interest in sustainable building practices

Interscène, Thierry Huau, Paris, France Organized the New York Green Green Green! Landscape Exposition in March 2014 at the Palais de Tokyo • Deepened comprehension of architectural exposition planning Franco A. Pasquale Design Associates, Tampa, FL Envisioned floor plans for custom spaces in three luxury residential projects in Tampa Bay area • Increased understanding of space planning and the design process

AUG 2013JAN 2014

AUG 2013MAY 2014

LEADERSHIP

SKILLS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Cornell Public Service Center, Ithaca, NY Facilitated branding workshop for 15 student organizations • Created marketing and branding guidelines • Enhanced group facilitation skills

LANGUAGE

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AMBASSADOR College of Human Ecology, Ithaca, NY Mentor for international students at Cornell • Assistant for Human Ecology exchange program

COMPUTER SKILLS

ACTIVITIES • Harvard GSD Executive Education TA (July 2017) • FABLAB Teaching Assistant (Aug 2015 - May 2017) • Women in Design Club (Aug 2016 - May 2017) • HarvardxDesign Club (Aug 2016 - May 2017) • ASID Cornell Chapter (Sep 2012- May 2015) • La Fondation des États-Unis Resident’s Committee (August 2013 - Jan 2014) • DesignConnect Club, Cornell (Feb 2012- May 2013) • Alpha Chi Omega Zeta Phi Chapter, Cornell (Jan 2012 - present)

English German French

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator & InDesign AutoCAD Revit 3DStudio Max Rendering Rhinoceros Rendering Honeybee Energy Modeling DIVA Daylight Analysis Autodesk Ecotect Analysis DesignBuilder CES Edupack EcoAudit MACHINING/MODELING

Basic Architectural Models Basic Wood Shop 3D Printing / Laser Cutting

THERMAL RESONATOR TRANSLUCENT THERMAL MASS BRICK SPRING 2016

PRODUCT DESIGN TIDE BOTTLE REDESIGN FALL 2016

ENERGY SIMULATION NET ZERO VISITOR CENTER

FALL 2016

24 HOUR SPACE DESIGN HYDROPONIC HUB & NIGHT CLUB

FALL 2014

SUSTAINABLE RETROFIT SOUTH BOSTON MIXED USE REDEVELOPMENT SPRING 2016

a t he rm a l re so na tor .

THERMAL GLASS BRICK Professors Martin Bechthold + Salmaan Craig I Spring 2016

Pa r t n er : B en z io n Rod m a n

T H ERM AL GLASS B R I C K NIGHT

BACKGROUND This project explores how a building’s thermal mass and form can be tuned to passively regulate interior temperature and fresh air flow. This can be achieved by coupling thermal mass with buouyancy-driven ventilation.

BUILDING

As a ceramic material, glass has the capacity to absorb heat in the daytime, and to release it in the cool nighttime. Massive structures made from ceramic materials have traditionally been opaque, cave-like structures. With similar thermal properties to concrete and brick, glass has the unique potential to challenge this assumption and act as a translucent thermal resonator.

This concept was tested in the design of a desert hut in the Mohave Desert, where thermal mass is most effective in mitigating the large swings of temperature. By optimizing the thickness and surface area of a brick, the rate of heat transfer on the inner face is controlled to produce comfort range interior temperatures.

PERSON

MATERIAL

Buoyancy-Driven Ventilation Diagram

DAY

DESERT CLIMATE SWINGS Daily diurnal swings were mapped to show average monthly temperature ranges and resulting interior temperature. The optimized brick helps produce comfort conditions through natural ventilation for five months out of the year, with peak interior temperature reaching 29.8 °C.

Daily Diurnal Swings for Average Monthly Temperature Ranges

Psychometric Chart from CBE Thermal Comfort Tool

A psychometric chart was used to plot the following variables to verify comfort conditions: air temperature, humidity, radiant temperature, air speed, metabolic rates and clothing level. During months where peak average temperatures dip lower, one could still achieve interior thermal comfort by adjusting the activity program to a higher metabolic level and increasing the clothing level.

MORPHOLOGY A variety of plan shapes ranging from single to double storey height were explored.

Simple plan transformations were then tested in order to understand the relationships between the surface are of lofted forms and usable plan area.

TEMPERATURE

Whereas these building forms have different floor areas, they all perform identically in terms of air flow and temperature change.

12 AM

12 PM

TIME Optimized Thermal Mass [ 6cm Brick ]

12 AM

PLANS

HEIGHT 4M

6M

8M

10 M

12 M

14 M

PROTOTYPE The optimized brick increases the interior surface area 2.2 times. The thermal mass helps lower the interior temperature by an average of 5 °C. Options for fabrication:

1. Melting crushed glass

2. Stacking plate glass 3. Resin + crushed Glass

5.7 CM 19 CM

6 CM

2 CM

Prototype A: Stacked Plate Glass

+

1.35 CM

Prototype B: Crushed Recycled Glass

=

TIME TO ‘WARM’ STUDY MORP H E D B RIC K

F L AT B RIC K

Thirdly, a time-to-warm study was conducted by putting the prototype and baseline glass brick into the freezer for an hour, and then hooking up thermal sensors. The data from the thermal camera indicated that the brick absorbed heat at a faster rate than the baseline flat brick. It should be noted that there is some deviation (1-2 °C) due to the infrared camera’s measurements not being completely calibrated.

Due to increased surface area of the module (roughly 2.2 times that of the flat brick), it was able to warm up to room temperature much quicker than the baseline.

This produces a cooler interior surface temperature for a naturally ventilated thermally comfortable user experience.

Bricks with Thermal Sensors and Insulation

Prototype A (left) and Flat Glass Brick (right)

LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS R E CYC L E D GLASS VS VI RGI N GLASS

The embodied energy of glass was also analyzed in comparison to other building materials. The Ashby Chart below shows that glass has ten times more embodied energy per cubic meter than brick or concrete.

The glass recycling stream presents an opportunity for bringing discarded glass back into the materials stream. Prototype B was made from 100% recycled glass, which CES Edupack was unable to model.

The simulation results show that using 10% recycled glass cullet in manufacturing decreases the energy associated with melting process by 2.5% (due to lower melting point of cullet).

E m b o d i e d E n e rg y (M J)

CO 2 Fo o t p r i nt (Kg ) * No te recycled glass or i g i n al con te n t b as e d on t y p ic a l C E S Ed u Pa c k va lu es fo r g la ss ( 1 0 % )

E m b od ied E nerg y C ha rt ( As hby)

p ro d uc t d e sig n.

T ID E BOTTLE R E DE SIG N Professors Teman Evans + Teran Evans I Fall 2016

Pa r t n er s : B r ya n t N g u yen , Keit h S co t t , Co u r t n ey S m it h , Meng Zha o

TI D E BOTTLE RED ESIGN BACKGROUND Modern consumers in our current economy demand tangible value from the products that he/ she consumes. To thrive as a brand, products must address the ergonomics of the hand, the complex geometries of the refrigerator, and even sustainable material innovations that dictate the product’s environmental impact at the end of life.

In this project, the multi-scalar, spatial life-problems of brand packing in the supermarket landscape were unpacked, analyzed, and redesigned. As brand strategists, an existing brand’s products were studied closely to find pain points in the user journey, to identify white space in the brand’s product space, and to innovate new product upon this.

Tide Brand in the Supermarket Landscape

Tide Brand Mark

Tide Bottle

BRAND RESEARCH Brand research was conducted to identify the key brand, product space, and user demographic. Key industry trends and potential white space for brand expansion were also identified in this stage. Findings indicated that emerging space for Tide detergent exists with urban renters who commute to do laundry, as well as in the sustainable detergent market.

Tide Product Analysis

Tide Brand Historical Analysis

White Space #1: Sustainable Detergent

How Americans do Laundry 82% Washing Machines 8% Laundromat (9.96 Mil Households = $224 Mil) 6% Laundry Service (74 Mil. Households = $168 Mil.) 4% Hand Wash

$392 million to be captured with a product that’s simple and portable.

User Demographic Laundry Statistics

White Space #2: Urban Renters

SUPERMARKET STUDY The supermarket shelf is a highly competitive space.

Products fight to maximize every possible advantage in an effort to lure consumers away from competitors.

What may have once been merely a beauty contest of packaging design has now become a more complicated challenged.

Shopper Browsing Behavior Study

In this phase, a physical analysis of Tide detergent in its supermarket landscape was conducted throughout a series of visits to the local grocery store. During these visits, aisle spacing, typical shopper behavior patterns, product location and competitors were analyzed.

Bottle Geometry and Shelf Constraints

Competitor Study and Color Analysis

USER JOURNEY ANALYSIS Next, the pain points along the user journey were identified through site visits and user demos. A video was created analyzing the detergent bottle journey to the laundromat, highlighting laundry habits and routines of different users.

Detergent Does Not Hook Onto Laundry Bag

Difficult To Measure Out

Pain Points Along User Journey

Spills Often Happen During the Process

Laundromat Spatial Study

PROTOYPING Next, prototypes were created through sketch models made out of paper and clay. These models were tested for ergonomic feasibility and ease of production. During the design process, these prototypes were marked up and iterated upon until the form met our design criteria.

In the final stage, 3D printing was used to fabricate a mock up of the new Tide products.

Shopper Browsing Behavior Study

3D Printed Zcorp (left) and Polyjet Protype (right)

Prototyping Sketches Tide Push Bottle + Tide Paks

Tide Push Bottle Rendering and Refill

FINAL PITCH As the final stage of the design process, the project was pitched to consumer packaged goods executives.

Mixed media, including props, videos and physical models were used to convey the brand strategy and design features of the new Tide Push and Tide Pack product.

Final Pitch Build Out

Tide Pak and Tide Bush Bottle

e ne rg y sim ula t io n .

N ET Z E R O V ISITO R C EN T ER Professor Holly Samuelson I Fall 2016

Pa r t n er s : A p o o r v Ka u s h ik + S h reejay Tul a d ha r

NE T ZER O VI SITO R CEN T ER BACKGROUND This project explores creating a visitor center in Joshua Tree National Park that uses ‘net zero’ energy. Often located in remote locations on the edge of untouched nature, national park visitor centers present a unique opportunity to align the architectural design with the National Park System’s mission to protect natural resources for the enjoyment, inspiration and education of future generations.

Located two hours south of Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park is classified by ASHRAE as Zone 3B- hot and dry climate. Visitor peak season is from September through April, since scorching temperatures make the park difficult to enjoy in the summer. The visitor center will operate during park hours from 8am to 5pm year round. The closest weather station used for conducting energy simulations is Twentynine Palms.

Site Overview + Visitor Center Location

Monthly Diurnal Swings, Comfort, and Solar Radiation

SITE CONDITIONS HOURLY DRY BULB TEMPERA-

°C

12 am

44 39 35 30 25 16 12 7 2 -2

6 pm 12 pm 6 am 12 am

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

COMFORT RANGE

°C

12 am

44 39 35 30 25 16 12 7 2 -2

6 pm 12 pm 6 am 12 am

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

The site conditions were analyzed using Grasshopper to map the site’s dry bulb temperature and wind conditions.

Honeybee was used to generate an hourly annual chart of when the dry bulb temperature falls within the comfort range.

Secondly, ladybug was used to map the site’s wind conditions and potential for natural ventilation. A visitor center in this location could take advantage of natural ventilation for approximately 36% of the year.

Dec

ANNUAL DRYBULB TEMPERATURE (HOURLY) WIND SPEED M/S

TEMPERATURE °C

Wind roses for Comfort Range Hourly Data (13- 24 °C)

Natural Ventilation Potential

DESIGN STRATEGY After analyzing the site conditions and net zero precedents, the design strategy for energy modeling in Design Builder took the following path. First, massing and orientation was tested to identify the best performing shape for the site and climate conditions.

Second, load reduction was achieved by adding lighting controls, tuning occupancy schedules + zoning, adding LEDs, and trying passive cooling strategies.

Lastly, material upgrades were made and finally HVAC systems were tested to find the most advantageous solution.

massing + orientation

• rectangle vs. lens shape • donut vs. square • double vs. single height • surface area + solar height gain • form + potential for daylighting

material upgrades

load reduction

• • • •

lighting controls occupancy schedules LEDs passive cooling through berming • horizontal shading

• • • •

roofing walls glazing floors

hvac system testing

• economizer mode • earth tube • ground source heat pump • heat recovery

MASSING + ORIENTATION Massing and orientation were tested to see which form would perform the best before any further sustainable modifications were made. The best three designs are highlighted to the left.

Key Takeaways from this study: - berming the north wall has little impact

- south, east, and west receive the most sun

- courtyard shape best for daylighting

Top Three Building Forms

Building Forms + Annual EUI

LOAD REDUCTION LIGHTING DESIGN

The first round of load reductions were achieved through lighting design, by adding lighting controls, LEDs, and occupancy schedules.

Secondly, passive cooling strategies were implemented by releasing heat to the cool soil through berming, and adding horizontal shading devices.

PASSIVE COOLING

Detailed Simulation Results

MATERIALS + HVAC SYSTEMS MATERIAL UPGRADES

Next, material upgrades were performed to keep the building from absorbing too much heat. Updating the ground floor to a 10cm thick concrete slab yielded the greatest impact.

Different HVAC systems were tested to see which yielded the greatest reduction in energy usage. Ground source heat pump made the most difference in the lens shape building. This is probably due to the fact that it had the greatest amount of heat left to dump.

Key takeaways from these simulations were that there are trade-offs between best performing and architecturally interesting forms.

HVAC SYSTEMS

The winning design is the courtyard shape. However, the second best performing design, the lens shaped form with an EUI of 74 provides the most interesting experience architecturally. Ultimately this design was chosen, after trade-offs between performance and architectural experience were considered.

In the simulation, strategies that did not work as well as expected were the ground source heat pump and exterior insulation. This might have been due to two of the exterior walls being bermed already.

Detailed Simulation Results

FINAL DESIGN The final design was chosen because it produces best overall design. It had the second best performance with an EUI of 74 kwh/m2.

After further investigation, with more precise zoning the EUI was reduced to 63 kwh/m2 . Benchmark buildings similar to this visitor have an EUI 160 kwh/m2. The lens shape outperforms the benchmark by 61%.

Situated on a mound at the edge of the park, the visitor center overlooks the surrounding area. Visible from the street yet hidden towards the park side, the building tries to provide a moment of arrival for visitors without debasing the surrounding nature.

View of Visitor Center and Approach

Exterior Terrace

Visitor Center Floor Plan

FINAL DESIGN The final design can achieve net zero by using solar photovoltaics to generate its operational energy.

Area Needed: 250 m2 Roof Area Used: 30% System Output: 71,803 kwh/m2 Kwh Needed: 65,350 kwh/m2 Surplus Generated: 9%

Interior View from Gallery

Section Cut through Gallery

Taking Advantage of Total Roof Area: Area Used: 850 m2 Roof Area Used: 100% System Output: 244,130 kwh/m2 Kwh Needed: 65,350 kwh/m2 Surplus Generated: 375%by 54% 54%

Roof Area for Photovoltaics

2 4 ho ur sp a c e d e s i gn .

H Y D R OPONIC H UB & LOUN G E Professor Rhonda Gilmore I Fall 2014

24 H O U R SPAC E R E D E S I G N DESTINY USA MALL

BACKGROUND This project was an adaptive reuse of the historic Wilson Building to activate space around the clock and bring life back to downtown Syracuse, New York.

WILSON BUILDING ARMORY SQUARE

The basement and first floor were re-imagined as a 24 hour hydroponic farming hub to support the downtown community’s growing need for social spaces and access to nature.

At street level, the existing space was adapted to house a hydroponic retail club and restaurant as a hub for the community to learn about urban farming.

At night, the restaurant space transforms into a hydroponic lounge to support the growing of social connections.

Site Visit Documentation of Historical Details

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BUS TERMINAL

Syracuse and Major Destinations around Wilson Building

Wilson Building (center) and surrounding Apartment Buildings

PROGRAMMING An analysis of the existing building was conducted through site visits and documentation in order to asses the constraints of the space. A stacking diagram shows how the space is used on each floor plate. Only the first floor and basement were considered in scope for the redesign. Next, an adjacency matrix and bubble diagram was created to efficiently space plan the 12,000 sq ft space.

Adjacency and Privacy Bubble Diagram

First Floor Existing Space Analysis

Stacking Diagram

FIRST FLOOR REDESIGN

LEGEND

utility

The first floor was zoned to house Trellis, a hydroponic retail club that will serve as a place for the community to learn about urban gardening through giving people access to different micro hydroponic systems and hosting weekly seminars.

Vine, a hydroponic restaurant and lounge, is located in the second portion of the first floor. Cozy alcoves are bracketed by modular hydroponic green walls, giving people access to sustainable, locally grown cuisine and nature, even in the colder seasons.

Elevation of Hydroponic Retail Club

hospitality support retail learn primary circulation egress

Blocking Diagram of First Floor

Floor Plan of First Floor Trellis Hydroponic Retail Club & Vine Restaurant

MODULAR GREEN WALL All spaces will feature a modular hydroponic wall system by DIRTT called Breathe Wall. This system is unique in that it is designed to circulate water and nutrients in a closed loop to deliver maximum growing potential with low energy use and maintenance required. The system comes in segments up to 12 feet and will grow seasonal food for the community which they can experience in the industrial chic dining setting of Vine Restaurant.

Millwork Elevation of Hydroponic Wall System

First Floor Existing Space Analysis

Millwork Section and Detail Drawing of Hydroponic Wall

BASEMENT LEVEL REDESIGN Connected to the basement below through an existing staircase, Vine offers a lounge for growing social connections and listening to live music. A second entrance, from the back of the building will serve as its main entrance accessible to all. This will forge an important connection to vibrant Armory Square night life,which will now be just a short five minute walk away.

The adaptive reuse will help bring 24-hour vitality to Salina street around the clock and help foster a community amongst the downtown residents.

Vine Lounge & Trellis Retail Club Brand Assets

Elevation of Hydroponic Retail Club

Floor Plan of Basement Level Vine Lounge

FURNITURE FIXTURES + EQUIP. The space is lit by a series of custom lighting clusters created by yellow goat. Wall sconces from Baccarat will add a luxurious juxtaposition to the otherwise industrial, raw material palette. Wood flooring featured in the spaces will be backed by cork to enhance the acoustics and dampen the background noises in the lounge atmosphere. Copper accents in the entryway Skeleton chairs and Globo di Luce pendants by Robert Menghi will add specularity and glamour. All lighting fixtures, sprinklers and emergency lights have been placed in accordance with NY building code.

Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment

LUMINAIRE LEGEND

Reflected Ceiling Plan of Vine Lounge and Utility Spaces

Luminaire Legend for Lighting Plan

SUSTAINABILITY The new design includes several sustainable features to qualify it for environmental certification such as LEED. Opportunities for the passive harvesting of energy through geothermal and water conservation through on site rainwater collection for hydroponic farming and specification of low flow fixtures have been mapped on the diagram to the right.

In order to extend the average commercial interior life span of 10 years to conserve embodied energy of the existing, the interior will feature modular walls and recycled materials to give the adaptive reuse flexibility to shape to future uses and user groups.

LEED Credit Diagram for Basement Level

Rainwater Collection System Diagram

DIRTT Breathe Modular Wall System

LEED Credit Legend

sust a ina b le re t ro f i t .

S O U T H BOSTON R E DE V E LOP M E NT Professor Holly Samuelson + Frank Apeseche I Spring 2016

Pa r t n er s : Willia m Ad a m s , E m ily M a rg u lies + Kevi n Si evers

S OU TH B OSTO N R E T R O F I T BACKGROUND

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

This project explores redeveloping a South Boston building to encourage environmental and social sustainability while generating return on investment.

The development’s potential influence on the South Boston community, as well as environmental impact on the surrounding ecology is weighed against the profitability of a ten year investment hold.

SOCIAL IMPACT South Boston Site

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

SITE OVERVIEW The site is an old power plant owned by Exelon Corporation and located at 766 Summer Street in South Boston, directly fronting the Reserve Channel on its Northern perimeter. The power plant dates back to 1892, but has been largely decommissioned and active only during peak load times since 2007.

SEAPORT INNOVATION DISTRICT

South Boston is the next wave of urban development, following the success of the Seaport Innovation District to the north. The site directly connects to Seaport from the waterfront through Summer Street.

This places the site at a very advantageous location.

SITE LOCATION SEAPORT DISTRICT SOUTH BOSTON

SITE CONTEXT AND LOCATION

NEIGHBORHOOD DETAILS

SOUTH BOSTON

EXISTING CONDITIONS The existing building is a 42,000 sq ft brick masonry construction that once served as a warehouse to the adjacent power plant. Wooden trusses span across the load bearing masonry wall to support the roof structure. The shell has a window to wall ratio of around 20%.These details were important to consider in deciding whether to do ground up new construction or retrofitting the existing masonry shell.

Key Details to Consider in Re-Design: • Embodied energy of brick masonry • Aesthetic merit and historical value to South Boston neighborhood of existing • Cost savings of retrofitting vs. price of typical ground up new construction

Building Dimensions and Elevation Change

Existing Structure Adjacent to Old Power Plant

Building Square Footage

Existing Roof Structure

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS In order to evaluate the viability of a retrofit, precedents for industrial multipurpose spaces were analyzed. The most successful spaces emphasized street presence, juxtaposed exposed brick with modern upgrades, and had high ceilings with dramatic lighting.

Hay Market, Boston

Chelsea Market, New York

South Boston has a good walk score and ample residential, but lacks commercial density. The strongest new model of commercial and retail development is an omni-channel sales strategy, with web presence, catalog ordering, and rapid distribution.

There is a need in South Boston for:

• Craft industrial (printmakers,

distilleries, etc.)

• Small office space (architects,

start ups etc.)

• Small warehouse distribution

Hearsay Gastro Pub, Houston

The Liberty Hotel, Boston

FLEXIBLE CONSTRUCTION Modular construction is highly customizable, and offers a number of benefits over traditional methods.

Cost benefits:

• Increased revenue due to shorter,

more reliable construction timeline

• Reduced labor cost

• Reduced approvals/engineering costs Energy benefits:

• Reduced waste

• More use of recycled materials

• Fewer emissions from vehicles on site

• Future modification requires no demolition

Standard Assembly + Commercial Projects Using Modular Construction

REDESIGN STRATEGIES In order to test sustainable modifications and economic outcomes, a base case scenario of typical commercial new construction ‘Scheme 0’ was developed.

Base Case New Construction: Scheme 0

Retrofit Re-Design: Scheme 1 and 2

‘Scheme 0’ Features • Ground-up typical steel frame construction • Four floors plus lower level warehouse • Atrium space • Same location, footprint and volume as existing building The initial proposal, Scheme 1, preserves the original brick exterior shell, as well as the bearing wall in the center, and adds four floors of modular construction for offices, retail and food service.

‘Scheme 1’ Features • Adaptive reuse of statement brick wall

with light-filled atrium • Four floors of self-supporting modular commercial plus lower level warehouse • Double-skin envelope: typical steel-frame modular exterior wall inside existing brick shell

Proposed Floor Plan for all Re-Design Strategies

In Scheme 2, more cost-effective and sustainable design elements were added.

‘Scheme 2’ Features • LED lighting • Double-pane low-E windows • VAV AHUs + Natural ventilation • Green wall

STRATEGY COMPARISON This project is an economic win, an energy win, and a community development win.

From an economic perspective, the use of modular construction techniques (Scheme 1) saves roughly $22 million over the base case, Scheme 0. Of these savings, $13 million are invested back into sustainable interventions (Scheme 2), for overall savings of $9 million compared to Scheme 0. That $13 million spent on sustainable features translates into energy savings of 24 kBTU/sqft, or energy savings of 35 percent.

By creating an interesting, engaging adaptive reuse project that capitalizes on current reclaimed-industrial trends, and will therefore be more attractive to shoppers and tenants, Scheme 1 is able to increase rent by 5% over Scheme 0.

By adding sustainable features that contribute to the building’s livability and appeal to tenants, such as natural ventilation, green walls, and LED lights rather than CFLs, Scheme 2 is able to justify a further 5% rent increase over Scheme 1. Therefore, in terms of overall returns and energy efficiency, Scheme 2 is the most appealing.

Energy Use Comparison Across Schemes

Total Project Costs

Total Project Returns

ENERGY AND COST SAVINGS Energy Savings: Overall, comparing Scheme 0 (74.85 kbtu/sqft) and Scheme 1 (74.56 kbtu/ft2), Scheme 2 reduced energy usage to 50 kbtu/ft2, decreasing cooling loads by 55% and lighting energy by 35%.

Scheme 2 Energy Savings (Kbtu/ft2)

The VAV and LED upgrades made the biggest impact, accounting for 72% of our kbtu savings. Scheme 2 sustainable upgrades beat the baseline building’s energy usage by 33%.

Cost Savings:

Sustainable Features Cost and Energy Comparison

Real Estate Cost Analysis Assumptions

The initial costs of implementing these sustainable strategies are relatively high, compared to Scheme 1. However, because the tenants’ leases will be gross rather than net leases, the owner will reap the energy saving cost benefits of the strategies

BEFORE AND AFTER The redesign proposes bringing new life to this otherwise vacant power plant at 766 Summer. The proposal represents an important social and economic development bridge between the burgeoning Seaport Innovation District and South Boston. By attracting patrons from the high-rent housing to the north, and small businesses from the south, this proposal marries old and new use groups, as well as old and new construction types. It will serve as an example of economic, social and environmental sustainability for decades to come.

Existing Building

Redevelopment Proposal