2016 + Sustainable Design

Our practice specializes in technology-rich and energy-intensive buildings, which are typically some the greatest consumers of energy. It can be challenging to reduce energy use in these specialized environments, but because of their substantial environmental impact, the imperative is that much greater. Today, we look back on some of our 2016 sustainability accomplishments. 

In 2016, we celebrated a number of high performing, energy efficient buildings and put our commitment to sustainable design front and center. Building upon our AIA Upjohn Research Grant on Thermal Performances of Facades, our free web-based Thermal Comfort Tool was released this year aiming to improve the design community’s understanding of what triggers thermal discomfort in the wintertime. We also celebrated projects earning LEED certification, projects recognized for their design embedded with innovative sustainability strategies and improving our internal sustainable practices in our office. 

Read about these topics and more in this list of the top five sustainability themed posts of 2016:

Biosciences Research Building in Galway Named AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Recipient
The 86,112 GSF Biosciences Research Building at the National University of Ireland, Galway provides high technology science research space dedicated to cancer research, regenerative medicine, chemical biology and BSL-3 animal research, and is one of the most energy efficient research buildings in the world dedicated to such an intense scientific agenda.

The design of the Biosciences Research Building (BRB) embraces the moderate climate of Ireland. By locating low-load spaces along the perimeter of the building, the project takes advantage of natural ventilation as the sole conditioning strategy and is supplemented with radiant heating 9% of the year. This means 45% of this intensive research building is able to function without mechanical ventilation. This is an extremely simple, yet radical approach, rarely implemented to even a modest extent in similar laboratories in comparable U.S. climates. The project also won a BSA Sustainable Design award.

Glazing and Winter Comfort Tool Launched and Receives AIA Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Innovation Award!
The AIA/TAP Innovation Awards emphasizes how new practices and technologies can further enable project delivery and enhance data-centric methodologies in the management of buildings for their entire lifecycle, from design, to construction and through operations.

Our Glazing and Winter Comfort tool was developed to be simple and intuitive so that architects and engineers can design glazed facades that provide the desired levels of transparency, comfort and energy performance at an ideal cost. The tool is a result of one of our on-going research initiatives and development of the tool involved contributions from building scientists, designers and web developers.

Cornell University’s Kimball Hall Renovation Earns LEED Gold
The project, which earned R&D Magazine Renovated Lab of the Year honors, achieved a 68% reduction in energy usage as compared to a typical reduction in energy usage as compared to a typical biology or engineering lab in this climate.

Of occupants have individual lighting control

of regularly occupied spaces have access to views of the exterior

Reduced potable water demand in fixture water usage

We love our reusable cups!
We also decided to seek ways to improve our day-to-day actions and their impact on our planet. As a firm, we are committed to designing sustainably. Recently we’ve taken steps to improving our internal sustainable practices. Last spring we started composting in our communal kitchen. Our next step was to minimize use of paper cups around the office.

Operating under the assumption; recyclable is good; reusable is better, we searched for reusable cups we loved. We were looking for cups made of recyclable material with a great design. We found that in JOCO cups and last week our order arrived! JOCO cups offer glass reusable coffee cups that are lightweight, durable and free from harmful chemicals. Every cup comes with a bright thermal sleeve to keep beverages warm and a corresponding lid. Now when you visit our office you’ll see pops of color on everyone’s desk.