acla:works by Sustainable Business Magazine

ACLA:WORKS

SMART CONSTRUCTION

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ACLA:WORKS

“WE AT ACLA:WORKS HAVE EXPANDED TO MATCH DEMAND.”

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SMART CONSTRUCTION Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Mandilee Newton, Director at acla:works, and Gary Turton, also Director at acla:works, about the Smarter Building Network, passive sustainability, and socially inclusive spaces. One of the oldest architecture firms in the Caribbean, acla:works, based in Trinidad and Tobago, have also worked on some of the region’s best-known buildings, from the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain to Eric Williams Plaza. Last time Sustainable Business Magazine spoke to acla:works, in 2018, the company told us about their embrace of passive sustainability and socially inclusive architecture. (See Sustainable Business Magazine EMEA issue 03/18 for the full feature.) “The most significant new development for us is that we are about to enter something called the Smarter Building Network,” says Mandilee Newton, Director at acla:works. “The Trinidad and Tobago Green Building Council (TTGBC) launched this program to build ground-level awareness on sustainability. We ran two office building pilot projects last year with two of our members, which were both quite successful, and we are pleased to have been the first entrants into the program overall.” “Another exciting development is that we have been working on a new green office building for a client,” says Gary Turton, Director at acla:works. “This client has been particularly good in allowing us to lead the

way, designing a sustainable and environmentally-sensitive building for them. The project is within a complex, and the building is not accessible to the public outside of consultants, but it is in use 24 hours a day. As long as we keep within a reasonable budget, they are very happy to be part of this move towards sustainable construction.” THE SMARTER BUILDING NETWORK The Smarter Building Network was developed by the TTGBC to promote the use of sustainable practices and techniques in building operations and maintenance in Trinidad and Tobago. “The network is trying to build an organic awareness of sustainable issues and technology,” explains Ms. Newton. “It is an accessible, adaptable program which tackles four main areas of sustainability: Energy efficiency, water efficiency, recycling, and renewables. These categories are both important and very achievable for someone who is trying to be more efficient and more responsible in their operations.” The Smarter Building Network allows buildings to be measured against a baseline of energy and water use based on an average office building, as well as offering URECON / LOGSTOR

ACLA:WORKS

recycling programs and the opportunity to purchase renewable energy credits. “Once an entity is awarded compliance by the Smarter Building Network, we give them an intelligent sticker on their door, which can be scanned by visitors and provides the details of the building and how it has achieved its sustainable certification,” says Ms. Newton. “As well as acla:works being one of the first entrants to the program, I also took a personal role in developing the Smarter Building Network.” WORKING WITH THE SUN ‘Passive sustainability’ refers to structures which are designed to minimize resource consumption through architectural features. “In the early days, we wanted to go gungho with high-tech solutions to sustainability, incorporating operable facades and external systems that really responded to the environment and so on,” explains Mr. Turton. “The more work, we did the more we realized that the added premiums and 4 | URECON / LOGSTOR

often the unwillingness of clients to invest in this technology were problematic. Ultimately, the passive sustainability approach allows us to work on large projects and expansive build sites that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In Trinidad, electricity is subsidized which actually acts as a bit of a disincentive for green technologies here, but we have still found a way through.” In a major recent project, a 30,000 square foot office project for an undisclosed client, acla:works were able to put passive

sustainability front and center, and offer a way forward for sustainable construction in the Trinidadian market. “This project is an unusual building in that it is in use 24 hours, and there are staff there all the time,” explains Mr. Turton. “This obviously presented us with some unique challenges in terms of energy usage. Because there’s so much sun in Trinidad, it is important to make good use of it in some areas and protect ourselves from it in others. In this building, we have oriented most of the open facades to

the north and the south, which were a lot easier to protect against solar heat gain through external sun shading. On the east and west facades, where low angle sun can be quite intense, we located the services core against the west side and integrated a perforated panel on the east to break the sun from the entrance area. Those kinds of practical solutions contribute so much to reducing the heat load for a building.” The office project also uses sunlight to minimize the necessity of artificial lighting. “Because of the size and shape of the building, a lot of the sunlight wouldn’t actually make it to the center of the building,” says Mr. Turton. “In response to this, we opened it up a little bit and built an atrium and located the cafeteria there on the ground floor. We also added a skylight in the roof to bring sunlight straight down to this communal area and overall reduce the amount of artificial lighting required during the day. The glazing used minimizes UV light and glare. There is also a dimming system in the building which is a little bit of a premium,

but the client has had the benefit of already seeing the reduction in their energy costs. The dimming system is responsive to the amount of light in the room, in addition to occupancy sensors and so on. This has had such an impact that they will be using this system in all their buildings going forward. Our mechanical engineers also supplied a variable air volume (VAV) AC system which will save energy compared to a standard system. We have used low usage fixtures for the toilets too. For taps, everywhere in the building is based on sensors so they are only on when required, and for showers the fixtures are also designed to cut waste to a bare minimum.” LOCAL MATERIALS A hallmark of acla:works’s designs is the embrace of traditional architectural techniques and the use of locally-sourced materials. “The perforated screen used outside to shield from the heat was something that we worked with a local fabricator to develop,” explains Mr. Turton. “Fretwork has served as

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ACLA:WORKS

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a combination of practicality and decoration in Trinidad’s unique and practical architectural history. Of course, computer numerical control (CNC) has changed the method of fretwork manufacture, and with laser or router milling, almost any material can be cut. On this office building project, acla:works has utilized this evolution in technology, applying it to sheets of aluminum to function as a sun and rain screen on the east elevation of the building.” “We feel very strongly about using materials efficiently, so in this instance holes were punched into aluminum sheets to form the shade,” says Ms. Newton. “Since we don’t have that kind of manufacturing here yet (i.e. additive manufacturing), everything we do is cut out of a bigger product, until we are able to actually create the things we require using greater efficiency and less waste. So when we are using materials such as aluminum sheets, we are constantly trying to reuse and recycle every single part of those materials where possible.” “Other products are also manufactured in the Caribbean, including a fig leaf-based veneer that we were able to use in the con8 | URECON / LOGSTOR

ference room, as opposed to using an imported wood veneer,” says Mr. Turton. “We are always on the look-out for local products that we can integrate.” HEAT ISLAND EFFECT Even the parking lot outside the office building uses carefully-chosen materials to reduce energy consumption. “The car park of the building is not made with asphalt,” says Ms. Newton. “It actually uses a type of pavement and landscaping to help reflect the heat and reduce the ambient temperature around the building. Asphalt has a reflectivity of zero while absorbing all of the sun’s heat, whereas when using concrete, a lot more heat is reflected, impacting the cooling load of the building. This phenomenon of urban heat is called heat island effect, and adjusting the materials used can have a huge impact. This reduces the impact on cooling systems within the building. In general, we also believe that this new office building project is falling in line with what the Smarter Building Network is aiming for and we are working hard to help our client get some of their properties enrolled in the program. We have been reducing their

energy use intensity over the years through passive means, and we think we can hit that baseline quite easily here.” CHANGING WORK CULTURE Another element of the building’s design uses open spaces to improve user experience and encourage collaboration. “Our plan was broadly to move communal and living spaces

“...ALLOWING US TO LEAD THE WAY, DESIGNING A SUSTAINABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLYSENSITIVE BUILDING.”

towards the center of the building, including meeting rooms and cafeterias,” says Mr. Turton. “Private offices are located mostly around the perimeter but include glass fronting, which is to carry on the theme of transparency and provide a liberal access to the views and ensure sunlight is pervasive throughout the building. There are some informal meeting spaces within the office layout to allow for informal meetings, team working, and general collaboration.” “The entire building is constructed around ease of work across multiple environments,” explains Mr. Turton. “This means consultants can come in for a few days and

have a desk that is incorporated into the environment and is not isolated at all. It’s all part of one big environment. We do naturally have some quiet spaces, which is important for more introverted persons being able to work effectively, and going forward this kind of workplace design is a growing area of research. You also can see in the color scheme that we have tried to be somewhat playful and tried to adapt to society in Trinidad which appreciates rich colors, in a playful and fun way. You wouldn’t want to spend too many long hours somewhere drab or cold and what we really want is to make sure people feel positive and comfortable.”

“We are seeing a lot of trends in workplace culture showing that the culture is becoming a lot less formal and a lot more domestic,” elaborates Ms. Newton. “People feel more at home, and ideas such as work cafes are becoming more common. This is something we incorporated into the atrium design. Work and play are blended a little, increasing the options and approaches for people looking to achieve their best work. Since everyone is mobile nowadays and working from laptops or smart phones, your desk can be wherever you are, and this has greatly increased productivity. As a result, this is something that we are really pushing URECON / LOGSTOR

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clients towards in the design of these spaces, especially within a 24-hour facility where user wellbeing is extra important. The client is quite conservative, but we really pushed them in this regard as we have in several other areas towards a progressive and modern design. Prior to our involvement in this project, the client had limited sustainability initiatives, but they have allowed us to push for this kind of construction. We really have played a critical role in taking a prominent client and encouraging them along this route of sustainability and green construction.” PRE-EMINENT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE When looking forward, acla:works aim to continue pushing towards a more sustainable built environment in Trinidad and Tobago. “The more people feel proud about their green buildings, the more people will want to make their own buildings renewable and sustainable,” says Mr. Turton. “We want to keep working with the Smarter Building Network and of course the TTGBC. Trinidad and Tobago’s waste recycling and reduction program has been in its infancy for some

time, and the Smarter Building Network is aiming to continue encouraging the reduction of non-recyclables by certifying buildings that are taking steps.” “We at acla:works have expanded to design buildings that make people happy, and clients proud, while being efficient, flexible, and client-focused,” explains Ms. Newton. “The demand of contemporary design challenges, incorporating sustainable design, building information modelling, and integrated project delivery expertise gained through exposure to international architectural and planning practice is increasing. The value we bring to building procurement is realized through a sensitive yet sophisticated approach to the aesthetic and functional aspects of design, as well as the technical, financial, and contractual management of construction. In our changing business environment, we aim to be more adaptable and accessible and share our experience and ingenuity with more clients. We hope to extend our legacy into the future and definitely beyond our shores so that we can continue to make our clients proud of their buildings.” c URECON / LOGSTOR

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acla:works HQ002 Fernandes Business Centre, Eastern Main Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago o: +1 868-626-2837 https://aclaworks.com

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