Building Design + Construction November 2014.pdf

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November 2 2014 014 01 4

RESIDENCE HALLS Six New Trends in Student Living

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AIA CES DISCOVERY COURSE

BUILDING ENVELOPE CX 49 12 NOVEL CLADDING PROJECTS 57

Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, Mass.

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NOVEMBER

COVER STORY

VOLUME 55, NO. 11

6 Trends Steering Today’s College Residence Halls University students want more in a residence hall than just a place to sleep. They want a space that reflects their style of living and learning.

FEATURES 22

U40 SUMMIT INSTRUCTS AND INSPIRES YOUNG LEADERS Intergenerational communication and situational strategic planning were the focus of BD+C’s 4th Annual Under 40 Leadership Summit.

45

AEC FIRMS LEVERAGE CUSTOM SCRIPTS TO BRIDGE THE ‘BIM LANGUAGE GAP’

BIM/VDC software platforms, firms seek out interoperability solutions.

57

CLADDING AT WORK 12 projects highlight novel exterior applications.

AIA CONTINUING EDUCATION

Without a common language linking

49 2014 JESSE H. NEAL AWARD WINNER Best Single Issue Best Instructional Content


ABOVE Texas A&M University’s Hullabaloo Hall incorporates housing with an extensive Community Learning Center that has individual and group study areas and is equipped with superfast PCs and high-end engineering software. The Building Team: Texas A&M University Facilities, Planning & Construction/HUB (owner, PM); Treanor Architects (design architect); Stantec (prime architect); Structures + Haynes Whaley (SE); Kimley-Horn and Associates (CE); H2MG (MEP); Terracon (geotechnical, materials testing); Coleman|TBG (landscape architect); Siemens Energy Management (energy systems); Horizon (Cx agent); and Linbeck (CMAR).

8 STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING ENCLOSURE COMMISSIONING Earn 1.0 AIA CES learning units by studying this article on BECx and successfully completing the 10-question online exam.

ON THE COVER A new residence hall at Massachusetts College of Art and Design embodies the casual style of contemporary student living. Architecture firm ADD Inc. led the Building Team for the Massachusetts State College Building Authority (owner). Other Building Team members: Daedalus Inc. (owner’s CM); Odeh Engineers (SE); WSP (MEP); Nitsch Engineering (CE); Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (building envelope); Ground (landscape architect); Haley and Aldrich (soils); LAM (lighting); Dan Dicenza Architect (health center consultant); and Suffolk Construction (GC). PHOTO: © PETER VANDERWARKER

BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION

NOVEMBER 2014

7

BD+C network.com

DEPARTMENTS 62

EDITORIAL Nearly two years after Sandy Hook, and the bloodshed continues

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28

Clark Art Institute reimagines campus with Tadao Ando–designed gallery, reflecting pool; San Francisco tower earns first LEED Platinum v4 rating

NEWS Architectural firms are steadily regrouping from the last downturn; Harvard launches center for green buildings and cities; report addresses why women are underrepresented in architecture; how to keep libraries relevant in the digital age

ON THE DRAWING BOARD Residential tower to become Sweden’s tallest building; Chicago center to offer 60-foot-high climbing terrain; Dallas office tower targets LEED Gold; factory goes from breakfast cereal to craft beer

e-Contents NEW PROJECTS PORTFOLIO

66

PRODUCTS AT WORK Designers use fluid barrier to seal school against Seattle’s wet climate; egress illumination system lights up the exit path for attraction-goers

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ADVERTISER INDEX

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PRODUCT SOLUTIONS Aspirating smoke detectors; wire mesh lockers; fluid barrier; acetylated wood; egress illumination system; metal ceiling

TOP 5 STORIES ON BDCNETWORK.COM 10 trends in commercial real estate for 2015. The “18-hour city” and the “Darwinian market” are among the top trends cited in a report by PwC US and the Urban Land Institute. www.BDCnetwork.com/10trends Philip Johnson’s iconic Crystal Cathedral to be modernized. Johnson Fain and Rios Clementi Hale Studios have been commissioned to upgrade the all-glass church in Garden Grove, Calif. www.BDCnetwork.com/CrystalCathedral

NEPENTHES, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

11

Massive healthcare village in Nevada lays claim to being world’s largest such project. The $1.2 billion Union Village project is expected to create 12,000 permanent jobs when completed by 2024. www.BDCnetwork.com/HCvillage 10 unglamorous things architects do. HDR’s John Gresko blogs about the mundane tasks architects must handle on a day-to-day basis. www.BDCnetwork.com/Unglamorous

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Budget busters: Report details 24 of the world’s most obscenely overbudget construction projects. An interactive graph visualizes iconic projects that ended up severely over budget. www.BDCnetwork.com/BudgetBusters

SUBSCRIBE TO BD+C’S ‘DAILY 5’ NEWSLETTER Download CAD and Revit® files: moencommercial.com/ mpower

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Get your AEC news fix with BD+C’s “Daily 5” enewsletter. Each morning, the BD+C editors will deliver the top five headlines of the day straight to your inbox, including breaking news, industry trends, market data, commentary, BIM breakthroughs, and building technology innovations. Subscribe to this free enewsletter at: http:// tinyurl.com/layfm5u

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editorial

3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201 Arlington Heights, IL 60005-5025 847.391.1000 • Fax: 847.390.0408

STAFF EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Robert Cassidy

nearly two years after Sandy Hook, THE BLOODSHED CONTINUES

847.391.1040; [email protected] EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

David Barista

It’s been almost two years since 20 first-graders were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., but these incidents, both planned and random, keep occurring. The latest took place October 24 in Marysville, Wash., where a high school student killed two students, before killing himself.

847.954.7929; [email protected] SENIOR EDITOR

John Caulfield 732-257-6319; [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Lynne Fort, Amy McIntosh, Raissa Rocha ASSISTANT EDITOR

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Peter Fabris, Barbara Horwitz-Bennett, Mike Plotnick, Adam Sullivan, C.C. Sullivan DESIGNER

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David P. Callan, PE, CEM, LEED AP, HBDP Senior Vice President, McGuire Engineers, Inc.

Vincent J. D’Ambrosio Senior Vice President, Hill International, Inc.

Patrick E. Duke Senior Vice President, CBRE Healthcare

Carolyn Ferguson, FSMPS, CPSM President, WinMore Marketing Advisors

Josh Flowers, AIA, LEED AP BD+C General Counsel, Hnedak Bobo Group

Emily Grandstaff-Rice, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Associate, Cambridge Seven Associates

Arlen Solochek, FAIA Associate Vice Chancellor, Maricopa County CCD

Philip Tobey, FAIA, FACHA Senior Vice President, SmithGroupJJR

Peter Weingarten, AIA, LEED AP Director of the Architectural Practice, Gensler GROUP DIRECTOR - PRINCIPAL

Tony Mancini 610.688.5553; [email protected] EVENTS MANAGER

Judy Brociek 847.954.7943; [email protected] DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

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Circulation Department Building Design+Construction 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201 Arlington Heights, IL 60005-5025 CORPORATE Chairman Emeritus (1922-2003)

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Harry Urban

I

n June, a teenage shooter carrying concealed automatic weapons shot and killed a 14-yearold student athlete in an Oregon school. In January, a 12-year-old boy killed one student with a 20-gauge shotgun and wounded two others in New Mexico. In October 2013, another 12-year-old shot and killed a teacher at Sparks (Nev.) Middle School. On December 13, 2013, almost exactly a year to the day of the Sandy Hook event, an 18-yearold carrying a shotgun and Molotov cocktails killed a female student at Arapahoe (Colo.) High School before turning the gun on himself. These are the school shootings that make national headlines. Many nonfatal but frightening incidents barely make the local news. No individual school or school district is immune: “It could never happen here” no longer applies. What, if anything, can architects, engineers, and contractors do to stop the shootings? We tried to answer that question in our January Special Report, “Can design prevent another Sandy Hook?” (www.BDCnetwork.com/SandyHook). Our answer: Design alone can’t stop the shootings. But good school security planning and design, coupled with the right technology and—very important—training, preparation, and rehearsal, can save lives. K-12 school design and construction is the third-largest business sector for BD+C readers, after healthcare and higher education. So, let’s take this opportunity to review some of the key findings from our Special Report, in the hope that you will be able to implement them in future school projects.

According to the 17 experts we interviewed, one of the most important things you can do is guard the front door. That sounds basic, but many schools have multiple entry points that literally open the door to trouble. For new schools, you should design a single public entry that essentially funnels visitors (even parents) into a secure holding room, where they can be checked before being allowed further access to the building. Creating such a space in an existing school can be difficult, but it should not be dismissed out of hand. If there was one recommendation that our experts agreed on, it was to have a single point of entry to the school. Another point that kept coming up was the “back door problem.” The classic case is the teacher who shoves a stick in the door nearest the parking lot so he can get to and from his car without having to go to the front entrance. All doors need to be alarmed so that they can’t be easily accessed by an intruder. That’s one place to spend money, the experts told us. As for technology, it, too, requires careful planning, since it can be expensive—although even the most advanced PTZ (point, tilt, zoom) cameras are becoming fairly affordable. For new schools or retrofits, you should look into socalled “IP-based” systems, which are the new standard in this area. Just don’t assume that throwing money at technology will solve your school security problem. Careful planning and design come first. Robert Cassidy, Editorial Director [email protected]

For advertising contacts, see page 72.



NOVEMBER 2014

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news

BY JOHN CAULFIELD, SENIOR EDITOR

ARCHITECTURE FIRMS ARE STEADILY REGROUPING FROM THE LAST DOWNTURN, SAYS THE AIA

SOURCE: AIA

A

more fragmented architectural industry is recovering modestly from the recent economic recession. Profits and hiring are up. Firms are diversifying their activities and services. BIM is approaching a tipping point in terms of its growing importance for billable projects. And domestic projects continue to be most firms’ bread and butter. These are some of the findings in “The Business of Architecture,” AIA’s Firm Survey Report for 2014. The results of the survey, conducted for the Institute by Readex Research, are compiled from responses to an emailed questionnaire by 2,038 firms. The survey recounts the impact of a devastating recession, when architectural firms’ gross billings for the years 2008 to 2011 plummeted by 40%. Construction spending, at $900 billion in 2013, still lags the $1.17 trillion in spending in 2006. But since 2011, firms’ gross billings grew by 20% to $31.1 billion last year, and net billings were up as well, to $23.4 billion. Developers and governments continue to account for the lion’s share of firms’ billings, with two-thirds of all billings in 2013 coming from repeat clients, most of which selected the firms through a noncompete process. In 2013 there were 18,000 AIA member-owned firms, about the same as in 2005. But the bigger firms don’t seem as dominant as

Even with most of the institutional sector remaining in recession in 2013, this building category generated half of the billings at architecture firms. This share is down from 58% in 2011 and just under 54% in 2008.

RSMEANS COSTS COMPARISONS: Apartments, hospitals, and nursing homes HOSPITAL, 2-3 STORY ’14 ’13 % chg.

Atlanta Baltimore Boston Chicago Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit Houston Kansas City, Mo. Los Angeles Miami Minneapolis New Orleans New York City Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Portland, Ore. St. Louis San Diego San Francisco Seattle Washington, D.C. Winston-Salem, N.C.

303.65 321.37 410.32 406.92 345.91 296.84 321.72 357.50 301.27 358.52 372.15 306.04 378.97 303.65 457.69 397.37 306.04 354.09 345.57 356.48 362.61 426.00 357.16 337.05 269.57

300.04 318.29 403.26 403.59 340.86 292.07 319.95 352.81 297.05 356.13 368.08 302.36 377.04 300.70 449.72 390.98 304.35 351.15 339.87 353.81 357.12 420.19 355.13 333.56 266.52

1.2 1.0 1.8 0.8 1.5 1.6 0.6 1.3 1.4 0.7 1.1 1.2 0.5 1.0 1.8 1.6 0.6 0.8 1.7 0.8 1.5 1.4 0.6 1.0 1.1

HOSPITAL, 4-8 STORY ’14 ’13 % chg.

262.00 277.29 354.04 351.10 298.46 256.12 277.58 308.46 259.94 309.34 321.10 264.06 326.98 262.00 394.91 342.86 264.06 305.52 298.17 307.58 312.87 367.56 308.16 290.82 232.59

COSTS IN DOLLARS PER SQUARE FOOT

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NOVEMBER 2014


260.26 276.10 349.80 350.09 295.67 253.35 277.54 306.04 257.67 308.92 319.28 262.28 327.05 260.84 390.10 339.15 264.00 304.60 294.81 306.90 309.78 364.48 308.05 289.34 231.18

0.7 0.4 1.2 0.3 0.9 1.1 0.0 0.8 0.9 0.1 0.6 0.7 0.0 0.4 1.2 1.1 0.0 0.3 1.1 0.2 1.0 0.8 0.0 0.5 0.6

NURSING HOME ’14 ’13 % chg.

185.51 196.33 250.67 248.59 211.32 181.34 196.54 218.40 184.05 219.03 227.35 186.96 231.52 185.51 279.61 242.76 186.96 216.32 211.11 217.78 221.52 260.25 218.19 205.91 164.69

183.60 194.77 246.77 246.97 208.58 178.73 195.79 215.90 181.77 217.93 225.24 185.02 230.72 184.01 275.20 239.25 186.24 214.88 207.97 216.50 218.54 257.12 217.32 204.12 163.09

1.0 0.8 1.6 0.7 1.3 1.5 0.4 1.2 1.3 0.5 0.9 1.0 0.3 0.8 1.6 1.5 0.4 0.7 1.5 0.6 1.4 1.2 0.4 0.9 1.0

APARTMENT, 8-24 STORY ’14 ’13 % chg.

205.33 217.31 277.46 275.16 233.91 200.72 217.54 241.74 203.72 242.43 251.65 206.94 256.26 205.33 309.49 268.70 206.94 239.44 233.68 241.05 245.20 288.06 241.51 227.92 182.29

207.20 219.80 278.48 278.71 235.39 201.70 220.95 243.64 205.13 245.93 254.18 208.80 260.37 207.66 310.57 270.00 210.18 242.49 234.70 244.33 246.62 290.17 245.24 230.35 184.05

na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na

FOR MORE DATA, VISIT RSMEANS AT WWW.RSMEANS.COM, OR CALL (800) 448-8182.

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news they once might have been. Larger firms downsized and there have been more startups. (One-third of respondents said they founded their companies after 2009.) More than three-fifths of respondents identify themselves as small businesses; as of 2013, 63% had fewer than five employees. While their numbers remain small, the percentage of women and minority owners of architectural firms increased during the recession. Part-time and contract employees may be showing up more frequently on companies’ payrolls. But it also appears that architectural firms are bolstering their core workforces again. From January 1, 2013, to January 1, 2014, one-third of the firms responding to the survey said they had added full-time employees (compared to 16% in the previous year). Another bellwether of improving market conditions is profitability: firms’ profit in 2013 stood at 10.7% of billings, versus 9.8% in 2011. Companies with commercial/industrial capabilities enjoyed even more robust profit gains. During the recession, perhaps for survival, more firms diversified their offerings to become one-stop shops. Four in 10 respondents now identify their services and activities as “multidisciplinary,” with some of the additions to their menus including graphic design and expert-witness services. For more: www.BDCnetwork.com/AIAfirmsurvey

HARVARD GSD LAUNCHES A ‘DESIGN-CENTRIC’ CENTER FOR GREEN BUILDINGS AND CITIES Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design has launched the Center for Green Buildings and Cities, a research center that will focus on advancing the energy efficiency of buildings through better design. A “rapidly urbanizing global economy” has led to energy consumption patterns that need to be changed to avoid “dramatic environmental consequences,” says the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi. “Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is absolutely critical.” Ali Malkawi, a GSD professor who specializes in architectural technology and computation, is directing the center, whose “design-centric strategy” will link research outcomes to the development of new processes, systems, and products. To stimulate ideas and set its agenda, the Center was scheduled to hold a Challenge Conference on November 7. Presenters were to include James Carpenter, Founder of James Carpenter Design Associates; Gordon Gill, Founding Co-partner of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; Phil Harrison, President/CEO of Perkins+Will; Alejandro Murat, CEO of Infonavit, which provides financing for affordable housing in Mexico; and Joshua Prince-Ramus, a Principal of Rex-NYC. The Center is backed by Evergrande Group, the giant Chinabased property developer that recently announced it would invest nearly $15 billion to build 9.2 gigawatts of photovoltaic projects in that country, according to the National Business Daily. The terms of Evergrande’s support of the Center were not disclosed. For more: www.BDCnetwork.com/HarvardCenter

RETELLING AN OLD STORY: WHY WOMEN ARE UNDERREPRESENTED AT U.S. ARCHITECTURE FIRMS A Full-Wall Moisture Management System

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Women make up more than half of the U.S. population. But even with significant gains over the past 25 years, their numbers and positions among the ranks of practicing architects appear to have stagnated. The reasons could be the result of too few role models, mentors, and advancement opportunities, according to a statistical analysis of women’s progress in the profession by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. The ACSA looked at recent data from a wide range of sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the AIA, the National Architectural Accrediting Board, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Council for Architectural Registration Boards. It found that, while the number of female architecture students and graduates has stabilized at around 40%, the number of women working in architectural roles has also stopped increasing,

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and hasn’t gone much higher than 25%. “Even with a sizable margin of error it is clear that there are far fewer women in practice than in school,” said Lian Chikako Chang, ACSA’s Director of Research and Information, who authored the report. The reasons why this “leaky pipeline” persists are not so clear. The problem may start in academia, where only around one-fourth of lecturers, directors, heads, and chairs of U.S. architectural schools are female. Only 19% of architecture school deans are female. It could also be argued that women are leaving the profession at higher rates than men because they are discouraged by the lack of recognition their work receives. Only about 5% of all TOPAZ Medallion recipients have been women; ditto for Pritzker Prize winners. Since 1907, only one of the 70 AIA Gold Medals has been awarded to a woman—to Julia Morgan, FAIA, in 2014, 57 years after her death. “With the share of awards going to women increasing by about 5% each decade, if we continue at this pace we’ll be waiting until 2080 to see a 50-50 split,” Chang notes. Chang stated that a more systematic approach to professional development will be required in order for women to achieve as architects at rates more equal to those of men. “The data reviewed here suggest that we should focus particularly on two areas: first, what happens before applying to and enrolling in architecture school; and second, what happens at higher levels in the profession, academia, and related practices,” she wrote. For more: www.BDCnetwork.com/WomenInArchitecture

HOW TO KEEP PUBLIC LIBRARIES RELEVANT IN A DIGITAL AGE

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Public libraries will avoid being relegated to the scrap heap of history in a digital age as long as they continue to serve as platforms for learning, creativity, and innovation that strengthen their communities. That’s the conclusion of a new report, “Rising to the Challenge: Re-envisioning Public Libraries,” which the Aspen Institute has produced in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. There are nearly 9,000 public library systems and 17,000 branches and outlets across the U.S. Nearly seven in 10 Americans say they have at least “medium” levels of engagement with their public libraries. Nearly a quarter of U.S. adults use their local libraries for Internet access. “The public library is a key partner in sustaining the educational, economic and civic health of the community during a time of dramatic change, [and] there is already a significant physical presence and infrastructure to leverage for long-term success,” the report states. The library is “a core civil society institution, democracy’s ‘maker space,’’ says the report. But as public libraries shift from being repositories of materials to becoming platforms for learning and participation, their ability to provide access to vast amounts of content in all formats will be crucial. Libraries will have to be capable of procuring and sharing e-books and other digital content on the same basis as physical versions, and having affordable, universal broadband technologies that deliver and

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ASPEN INSTITUTION

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A Pew Research Center survey on library usage found that a large proportion of Americans, even those who seldom visit a library, consider libraries important institutions in their geographic communities and believe that their communities would suffer a loss if the library closed.

help create content. A 21st-century library will remain relevant only if it is built on three key assets: people, place, and platform. The report states that libraries are shifting from building collections to building human capital, relationships, and knowledge networks in the community.

While a library is both a physical and virtual place, the report believes its physical presence “anchors it most firmly in the community.” But the library as a learning center is also becoming more of a destination, “a way station on the learning journey.” In that capacity the library in a digital age should also be “a

virtual space accessible from anywhere 24/7.” A library’s goal, says the report, should be to enable individuals and communities to create their own learning and knowledge. Therefore, a library platform needs to be adaptable to the needs of the individual patron. “The library as platform radically reshapes [its] daily activities, shifting away from the old model of organizing and ‘lending’ the world’s knowledge toward a new vision of the library as a central hub for learning and community connections,” the report concludes. The report recommends four strategic opportunities for action to guide libraries’ transformation: 1) aligning their services to support community goals, 2) providing access to content in all formats, 3) ensuring the long-term sustainability of public libraries through greater attention to potential financial resources, and 4) cultivating leadership. For more: www.BDCnetwork.com/ LibraryReport

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news BD+C EDITORS GARNER THREE JOURNALISM AWARDS FROM THE CONSTRUCTION WRITERS ASSOCIATION Building Design+Construction’s Editor-in-Chief, David Barista, received the Kneeland “Ned” Godfrey Award from the Construction Writers Association for his 2013-2014 series on BIM/VDC.

Editorial Director Robert Cassidy won the Robert F. Boger Award in feature articles for “23 Things You Need to Know about Charter Schools” (April 2013 issue) and an honorable

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mention for the special report, “Can Design Prevent Another Sandy Hook?” (January 2014). BD+C’s sister publication, Construction Equipment, won Boger Awards for Best Editorials (Editorial Director Rod Sutton) and Best Blog (Senior Editor Frank Raczon).

NEWS BRIEFS Long-time competitors NAC|ARCHITECTURE and OSBORN have merged to expand their range of services. The combined firm has offices in California, Colorado, and Washington. www.BDCnetwork.com/NACosborn PERKINS+WILL has released research that takes a closer look at fire-retardant materials, their impact on occupants’ health, and possible alternatives for commercial construction. www.BDCnetwork. com/PWwhitepaper

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A white paper by FANNIE MAE suggests that the least-efficient multifamily property could be spending $165,000 more in annual energy costs than the mostefficient property. www.BDCnetwork.com/ FannieMaeWP A design conceived by OMA and OLIN was a jury’s winning choice for 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C., a High Line-esque multifunctional public space to be located on a dilapidated freeway over the Anacostia River. www.BDCnetwork. com/StreetBridgePark KEAN UNIVERSITY has founded the MICHAEL GRAVES SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE. The school’s curriculum will utilize the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area and the Wenzhou region of China—where Kean has an English-speaking campus—as a pedagogical foundation. www.BDCnetwork. com/KeanGraves

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news

BY JOHN CAULFIELD, SENIOR EDITOR

U40 SUMMIT INSTRUCTS AND INSPIRES THE AEC INDUSTRY’S EMERGING LEADERS

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Workshops gave U40 attendees a hands-on chance to test their problem-solving skills. Here, they participate in an exercise focused on “scenario planning,” which takes into account external factors that could affect the outcome of building projects.

ALL PHOTOS: BD+C

ntergenerational communication and situational strategic planning were the focus of BD+C’s 4th Annual Under 40 Leadership Summit. The event attracted 78 of the industry’s elite younger architects, designers, engineers, and construction professionals who, over two and a half days of networking and idea generation, were put through their problem-solving paces. The summit, held in mid-September in New York City, featured several AIA-accredited architectural tours of architecturally significant neighborhoods in Manhattan, as well as a backstage tour of the Renzo Piano–designed New York Times Building in Midtown. The centerpiece of the summit was two half-day-long workshops. Expert moderators led attendees in hands-on activities related to project management: understanding differing perspectives of project players, embracing new ideas, and adjusting strategies to meet shifting circumstances. That’s easier said than done, when most AEC firms now have four generations—Baby Boomers, GenXers, Millennials, and the Web generation—working side by side, each with its own way of communicating and its own notions about work and productivity. Generational expert Preston Swincher offered shorthand demographic profiles of each generation as a prelude to explaining what motivates them. Where compensation and stability were the Baby Boomers’ primary goals, for example, younger workers place a much higher value on achieving work-life balance. Younger workers are also skeptical of authority, having lived through personal volatility at home (40% of GenXers grew up in single-parent households) and in the workplace (where job security and generous pensions are all but nonexistent). They view jobs as stepping stones, not as career-long commitments. But their mobility can be self-defeating, cautioned the 28-year-old Swincher. “GenY is really great at challenging the status quo, but we don’t have the context

to effect change. And Baby Boomer managers ask why they should commit to GenX and Y employees if they are going to leave in two or three years.” This generational disconnect is heightened by a yawning digital divide, particularly when it comes to communication. Such gaps, said Swincher, need to be acknowledged before associates of different ages can work together effectively. Swincher divided U40 attendees into seven work groups and charged them with writing down their biggest workplace concerns. These ran the gamut, from attracting and hiring new talent to keeping team members on track. The groups were then asked to devise solutions to these problems and present them in rapid-fire, four-minute presentations. This reporter embedded with one group that talked about how technology has become a skills crutch for younger workers and a substitute for communication. “If you can’t explain a problem without a computer, that’s the problem,” said group member Josh Greenfield, a Vice President with engineering firm Primera. For its presentation, this group issued “10


Mark Winschel (right), Director of Business Development for S. M. Wilson & Co., was one of 22 emerging professionals inducted by BD+C into its “40 Under 40” Class of 2014. Winschel received a plaque from BD+C’s Editor-in-Chief David Barista during the magazine’s 4th Annual Under 40 Leadership Summit, October 17-19, in New York.

Commandments for Leveraging Technology,” with an emphasis on mentoring up and down the personnel scale and establishing a clear work plan with objectives that all team members understand and could readily follow. Any plan, though, should also take into account external factors that could impact results, advised Kogan & Co.’s Ray Kogan, AIA,

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Intergenerational expert Preston Swincher (at right) shares his thoughts about why different generations working side by side find it so hard to communicate, and how those disconnects might be bridged.

Matthew Postal, a Municipal Art Society docent, leads attendees on an AIA-accredited tour of Lower Manhattan. Other tours were conducted in Midtown, in the West Village, and at the New York Times Building.

Some of the 37 U40s aboard the 72-foot yacht Manhattan as it makes the turn around the island’s southern tip. The three-hour tour was led by the Co-chairs of AIANY’s Architecture Tour Committee: Julie Ann Engh, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, of Highland Associates; and Arthur Platt, AIA, of Fink & Platt.

and Cara Bobchek. They spoke about the importance of “scenario planning,” which is modeled to predict the future (within reason) and develop contingency plans. Kogan told attendees that strategic planning is typically too inwardly focused and

ignores the outside world. Scenario planning, on the other hand, “is like ‘The Game of Life,’” with all its vagaries, said Bobchek. She said that strategic planning could only benefit from developing scenarios, which she compared to story telling. “Once you have the story, what

are you going to do about it?” she asked. From there, Summit attendees broke into teams. Each team was given a fictitious company’s profile and four external factors, from which they had come up with scenarios and three strategies for a 10-minute presentation. The scenarios didn’t always lend themselves to ready-made answers. One group had to figure out how a small architectural and engineering firm that generated 60% of its revenue from defense contracts could expand by capturing more of the government’s anticipated infrastructure spending increases to mitigate climate change, and exploiting higher oil prices and U.S. exports. Such head scratchers proved to be less about solving puzzles than impressing on attendees how curve balls can strand a project at the plate if they aren’t at least considered early in the planning stages. For information on the 2015 Under 40 Leadership Summit, to be held October 1618 in Chicago, contact David Barista, Editorin-Chief, at [email protected].

U40S GET A LESSON FROM ‘LIVING LEGEND’ BRADFORD PERKINS Under 40 Summit attendees could only hope to have the same sustained energy throughout their careers as Perkins Eastman’s 71-year-old Chairman and CEO, L. Bradford Perkins, FAIA. He squeezed in a Q&A with BD+C’s Robert Cassidy before jetting off to make a presentation the next morning on a major hospital project in Ecuador. Perkins discussed his firm’s activities in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. He recounted, with some Perkins Eastman Co-founder and CEO L. Bradamusement, his inford Perkins, FAIA (center, right), is interviewed by volvement with Korean BD+C’s Editorial Director Robert Cassidy in the partners in devising a DORMA showroom in midtown Manhattan.

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capital construction master plan through 2030 for Hanoi, Vietnam, and how the Vietnamese—whose animus towards Koreans is well known—insisted that he, the American on the team, lead the presentation. The Vietnamese government not only accepted his recommendation for a huge greenbelt around the capital city, they asked him to expand the ring of protected lands. Perkins said that his firm aggressively seeks business in other countries because “there are projects you can do overseas that you will never see in this country” in terms of scale and innovation. He shared his thoughts about trends in several of the firm’s 14 core specialties: in healthcare, increasing globalization; in higher education, a heavier emphasis on science and technology, and no backing off from elaborate student amenities; in senior living, a move toward technology-abetted stay-at-home remedies. Perkins said he’s seen the level of rigor in the profession surpass what it was when he graduated from Cornell. And while the business side has gotten “a lot tougher,” he said he continues to believe that architecture is “still one of the most rewarding professions.” www.BDCnetwork.com

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news ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CLASSROOM TO BE DONATED TO COMMUNITY GROUP IN NEW ORLEANS’ NINTH WARD

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ore than 750 Greenbuild attendees visited the Environment Education Classroom, a modular building constructed by BD+C and its partners, on October 22 and 23 in New Orleans. Design of the 570-sf facility was completed by local firm Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, the 2014 AIA National Firm, under the direction of Amanda Rivera, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. The facility was constructed by design-builder Broadmoor LLC, Metairie, La., under the supervision of Ryan Mouledas. Platinum Sponsors for the project (including product donations): Access Lighting, Accoya, ASSA ABLOY, Bayer MaterialScience, Carlisle Syntec Systems, CENTRIA, LG, MechoSystems, and the Modular Building Institute. Additional donations of products and services came from: Calmar, Craft Croswell, Cosentino, Davies Shoring, Dufrene Building Materials, F.L. Crane, HTE Electrical, Harmon Engineering, Johnsonite, Juneau-Odenwald, Kohler, Manufab, MCC, Metro Disposal, ModSpace, New Orleans Iron Works, Roxul, Rufino, South Coast Solar, Southern Walls and Windows, Stewart Interiors, Tandus/Centiva, and TLC Engineering. At Greenbuild’s closing, the facility was towed to a temporary holding station in New Orleans. The structure has been donated to the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development/Sustain the Nine, a community group that has been working in the Lower Ninth Ward since 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. BD+C is helping the nonprofit organization

The Environment Education Classroom, designed by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple and built by Broadmoor LLC. The 570-sf modular unit was displayed at Greenbuild in October and will be permanently installed in the Lower Ninth Ward.

to raise the $20,000 needed to permanently install the structure—site preparation, foundation work, utility hookups, etc. The completed facility will be used as a community center to educate K-12 students and Ninth Ward residents on matters related to water quality, stormwater management, rainwater harvesting, resiliency, and climate issues.

HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE USGBC Louisiana, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has established a trust fund on behalf of CSED/Sustain the Nine to pay for permanent installation of the Environment Education Classroom in the Ninth Ward. Donations are tax-deductible. All donors will be acknowledged by permanent signage in the facility. AEC firms are encouraged to contribute, at the following suggested levels: Platinum $1,000 • Gold $500 • Silver $250 • Bronze $100 To contribute by credit card, please go to: bit.ly/1mkPmLW. By check to: USGBC Louisiana (attn: “Water Lab”), 726 Woodstone Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

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As of October 29, cash donations totaling $13,225 had been received from the following: Barton Malow Company, CJL Engineering, Corgan, Environmental Systems Design, EYP Architecture & Engineering, FGM Architects, Goettsch Partners, HDR Inc., Hill International, Joseph R. Loring & Associates, KJWW Engineering Consultants, PHX Architecture, SCB, SGC Horizon/Scranton Gillette Communications, Shawmut Design and Construction, and William B. Nixon.

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ON THE

drawing board BY AMY MCINTOSH, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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RESIDENTIAL TOWER SET TO BECOME SWEDEN’S TALLEST BUILDING As the result of an international design competition, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill was chosen to design the Polestar Tower project in Gothenburg, Sweden, destined to be the country’s tallest building. Scandinavian contractor Serneke and the city of Gothenburg commissioned the residential project, which will offer residents views of the city and waterfront and provide community activities with a resident lounge, restaurant, gym, and roof deck. Residential options will include single-story flats, loftstyle apartments, and duplexes—each with its own balcony. The neighborhood’s master plan includes the creation of a mixed-use district in addition to the residential tower to further enhance the Gothenburg area.

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CHICAGO SPORTING CENTER TO OFFER 60-FOOT-HIGH CLIMBING TERRAIN Backed by a team of local developers, contractors, architects, and investors, the First Ascent sporting facility on Chicago’s North Side will feature 20,000 sf of rock climbing, yoga, and other fitness amenities. The Missner Group will build the facility in a joint-venture partnership with Baker Development Corp. Geared toward the city’s climbing community, the facility will include a 60-foot-high climbing terrain designed by Walltopia; top rope and lead walls with overhangs, roofs, slabs, and cracks; and 5,000 sf of standalone bouldering with caves, prows, and overhangs. A 7,000-sf mezzanine will house a training center with system boards, slacklines, and a full-body fitness area. Fitzgerald Associates (architect) and Kimley-Horn (CE) complete the Building Team.

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FINANCIAL FIRM’S ATLANTA OFFICE TO PROMOTE EMPLOYEE COLLABORATION When IntercontinentalExchange Inc. purchased a 25-yearold suburban Atlanta office building to house its corporate headquarters, the company chose Heery International to provide architectural, interior, and engineering design services for a complete renovation of the 14-story building. In addition to office space, the project will also provide infrastructure improvements, parking deck repairs, improved site circulation, and new security enhancements. Most of the building will require interior design work. Collaboration among employees is an essential element of the design, with each floor configured around a social “hub,” and each hub connected by a staircase.


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DALLAS OFFICE TOWER TARGETS LEED GOLD FOR 23-STORY VICTORY CENTER

As the first new office building project in Dallas’s Victory Park development in seven years, the 23-story Victory Center will include a 1,350-car parking garage, conference center, fitness facilities, restaurants, retail, a public plaza, and a rooftop terrace. Designed by Duda|Paine Architects for Hines, the glass tower will be visible from every approach, oriented along an east-west axis to maximize solar angles. This orientation, along with building envelope shading devices and high-performance glazing, will help the building target LEED Gold certification. Also on the Building Team: HKS (architect of record), Walter P Moore & Associates (SE), M-E Engineers (MEP), Pacheco Koch (CE), TBG Partners (landscape architect), HWA Parking (parking consultant), and Persohn/Hahn Associates (vertical transportation).


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DALLAS OUTPATIENT FACILITY TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO RAPID TRANSIT LINE

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SAN FRANCISCO FACTORY GOES FROM BREAKFAST CEREAL TO CRAFT BEER

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Construction is under way at a South Dallas primary-care outpatient center built by Hill & Wilkinson and designed by BOKA Powell. The 43,000-sf clinic is a public-private partnership between Parkland Health & Hospital System and Frazier Revitalization Inc. The $19.8 million clinic, located along Dallas’s rapid transit line, will include 13 pediatric care exam rooms, 18 adult exam rooms, 20 women and infant’s specialty health (WISH) clinic exam rooms, and 13 geriatric and behavioral health clinic exam rooms. The facility will also provide radiology, lab, and conference facilities. Other Building Team members: SWA Associates (MEP), Bury Inc. (SE), and KimleyHorn and Associates (CE).

A former Kellogg’s cereal factory will become the 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco. Aidlin Darling Design’s two-phase plan will focus the design of the 95,000-sf brewery around a 100-barrel German-engineered brew house. The two-story space has a skylight that is visible throughout the facility. The space will welcome visitors with an indoor/outdoor fermentation area and beer garden, numerous hospitality spaces, and an interior mezzanine that will let them explore the brewing process without (heaven forbid!) disrupting operations.

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MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH AND SCIENCE BUILDING STRIVES FOR NET-ZERO ENERGY Located on the Fall River, Mass., campus of Bristol Community College, the John J. Sbrega, Ph.D. Health and Science Building is targeting LEED Platinum certification, with net-zero energy expected after construction is completed. Built by BOND in coordination with Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and designer Sasaki Associates, the building will comprise two stories of learning and community space designed to foster collaboration among multiple health and science departments, including biology, chemistry, medical technology, and nursing, among others. A central atrium will serve as a common area to promote group study and learning. The Building Team also includes BR+A Consulting Engineers (MEP), Richman So Engineers (SE), and Nitsch Engineering (CE).

U.S. FIRM HITS A HOLE-IN-ONE IN MIXED-USE DESIGN FOR DUBAI DDG was chosen to design a mixed-use development in New Dubai aimed at golf enthusiasts. Andalucía Village, owned by Jumeirah Properties in Dubai, will combine luxury housing with four 18-hole championship golf courses designed by PGA golfers on a 26acre site. The $250 million project will consist of one million sf of apartments, condominiums, and townhouses, plus a shopping center, mosque, and administrative offices. Also on the Building Team: ECG (AOR, engineer), Hidi Rae (MEP), MRA (landscape), and Traffic Group (traffic engineer).

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SIX TRENDS STEERING TODAY’S

college residence

UNIVERSITIES ARE USING RESIDENCE HALLS TO: 1. Foster a sense of community on campus. 2. Gain other benefits by downsizing bedrooms. 3. Create uncommonly vibrant common areas. 4. Figure out how best to use technology. 5. Blend academics with living spaces. 6. Compete for students.

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university facilities BUILDING TYPE REPORT

halls

University students want more in a residence hall than just a place to sleep. They want a space that reflects their style of living and learning.

BY PETER FABRIS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Students chill in a lounge at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The $52 million, 493-bed residence hall in downtown Boston doubled the college’s housing capacity. Design firm ADD Inc. conducted extensive benchmarking studies, hosted charettes, and developed full-scale mockup bedroom units for students to explore and critique.


© LUCY CHEN

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ntil recently, the most important thing college students wanted in on-campus housing was privacy—private bedrooms, private baths, private this, private that. In the race to attract students, colleges and universities did their best to create living spaces that tried to fulfill that wish. The resulting boom in suite-style housing—with private bedrooms, common living rooms, and bathrooms shared by two, three, or four suitemates—delivered as much privacy as most colleges could afford to provide. But the emphasis on privacy carried with it the potential to foster isolation among students, particularly if the residence hall had limited common areas for socializing. Today, college facilities directors are rethinking certain assumptions about campus living spaces. Some are reverting to an older university housing model: double rooms with bathrooms and common areas shared by larger groups of students. Students themselves are coming around on this approach, albeit slowly. Dennis Lynch, Associate Principal at Baltimore design firm Ayers Saint Gross, recalls one college senior he met at a design roundtable. The student had spent his entire college career in a suite-style building with no shared lounge space. “He said, ‘I made a mistake. I only got to know my suitemates,” said Lynch. The student regretted not having tried a traditional unit during his college career. This is not to imply that suite-style spaces are a thing of the past. They are still being built. But institutions of higher learning are looking for student housing designs that create greater opportunities for students to interact with each other, thereby fostering a closer sense of community. Residence hall design is also being jolted by technology. Mobile computing, ubiquitous Internet connectivity, and distance learning— including MOOCs, or massive open online courses—are having a profound effect on how, when, and where students learn. College classrooms and libraries were the first building types to feel the brunt of this technology; now, it is the residence halls’ turn. How these factors will impact the college experience for current and future students is not entirely clear. To gain perspective, let’s


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university facilities

COURTESY ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH OFFICE

BUILDING TYPE REPORT

take a look at how college capital expenditure administrators and their Building Teams are responding to a fresh set of parameters in the design and construction of new and renovated campus housing.

COURTESY ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH OFFICE

1. UNIVERSITIES ARE USING RESIDENCE HALLS TO FOSTER A SENSE OF COMMUNITY ON CAMPUS.

Barbara Greenbaum House, a new six-story, 256-bed student residence at Tulane University, New Orleans, completes a quadrangle formed by two 1912 buildings designed by James Gamble Rogers. On track for LEED Gold, the 78,930-sf building has apartments for a faculty-in-residence and house director. Architecture Research Office led the Building Team of Waggonner & Ball Architects (collaborating architect); Schrenk, Endom & Flanagan (SE/CE); Huseman & Associates (MEP/FP); Threshold Acoustics (acoustics consultant); Tillotson Design Associates (lighting design); Towers|Golde Landscape Architecture & Site Planners; Thompson Building Energy Solutions (Cx agent); and The Lemoine Company (GC).

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University officials and design firms are struggling to understand how rapidly changing student habits are altering how they use living spaces. To get a better feel for that phenomenon, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting earlier this year conducted a daylong student housing symposium at its Durham and Charlotte locations to pick the brains of 62 students from a dozen North Carolina institutions. “We were surprised at how much time students are spending in housing facilities,” says Thomas Carlson-Reddig, AIA, LEED AP, Global Practice Leader for the firm’s Community team. The discussion revealed that half the students surveyed studied in their rooms, while half “escaped” to other spaces to study, eat, and relax. New and renovated housing projects are offering a variety of common areas—lounges, seminar rooms, game rooms, and other socially oriented amenities, such as nooks with plush seating—for just this purpose. Others are introducing design features that open up the opportunity for students to run into each other and engage in conversation and interaction—provided, of course, that their heads aren’t buried in their iPhones.


At Tulane University in New Orleans, Barbara Greenbaum House, a new 256-bedroom residence hall, features a multi-level bridge that connects the two main wings of the building. The bridge is glazed from floor to ceiling with views of an outdoor courtyard. On three floors, the bridge forms a terrace adjacent to social spaces, providing another locus for small groups to congregate. The transparency provided by the generous use of glass allows students to see friends from a distance in either the courtyard or social lounge. More informal socialization is thus enabled. Many common areas have been opened up via transparent doors and panels, even in laundry rooms—spaces that used to be hidden in basements. “The idea of isolation is fading away,” says B.K. Boley, AIA, LEED AP, Principal and Director of Academic Practice at design firm ADD, Inc. Even bathrooms are getting this kind of treatment. “We’re doing more community baths for freshman and sophomores, particularly in the Northeast,” says Boley. Holding down costs is the primary motivator for shared bath facilities. To forestall complaints from students (and their tuition-paying parents), these community baths tend to have higher-end finishes and are equipped with dressing stalls directly adjacent to showers—putting them a grade above so-called “gang bathrooms” of yore. Design features that reduce isolation and promote socialization are also helping resident assistants gain more opportunities to interact with their charges. This is particularly important for RAs who are responsible for freshmen. “If a new student is having problems adjusting to college life, the RA is more likely to identify issues before they become more serious” if there’s more interaction, says Ayer Saint Gross’s Lynch.

2. UNIVERSITIES ARE SHRINKING RESIDENCE HALL BEDROOMS TO GAIN OTHER BENEFITS. One increasingly popular—but by no means universal—tactic to fit more expansive so-

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Arts college uses CREATIVE FINANCING to build 493-bed student housing

cial areas into tight budgets is to downsize student bedrooms. “Rooms are getting smaller so shared spaces can get bigger,” says ADD’s Boley. How small? Lisa Ferreira, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal at Boston design firm Goody Clancy, says 180 sf for a double is “the low end of comfortable.” More typical is 200-240 sf for doubles; about 125 sf for singles, she says.


Little’s design for the renovation of a College of Wooster (Ohio) residence facility made use of high ceilings to make small bedrooms seem less cramped. This adaptive reuse project of a historic 34,000-sf former elementary school building—Gault Schoolhouse, most recently used by the college for offices—created suite-style living for 74 seniors. Each suite has single or double pods—sleeping quarters and

© CHUCK CHOI

© LUCY CHEN

© LUCY CHEN

Many states have cut back funding for higher education in recent years, and securing money for new housing has been tougher than ever for many colleges and universities. A recent residence hall project in Boston involving three colleges provides an inspiring example of how necessity can spawn invention in financing strategies. Massachusetts College of Art and Design, a state school, partnered with its neighbors Wentworth Institute of Technology and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (now MCPHS University, and known locally as Mass Pharma), both private institutions, to construct its Tree House residence hall. Making the deal pencil out required some deft real estate maneuvers. First, Wentworth transferred a parking lot to MassArt to allow the site to be expanded. Next, Wentworth and MCPHS University contributed $700,000 toward the cost of building out a student health center that all three schools now share. Then MCPHS agreed to sublease a substantial number of the building’s 17 residence floors to house its students, which helped to defray MassArt’s costs. The last step saw MassArt secure state funding to complete the financing for the $54 million project. “The project wouldn’t have happened without the participation of Wentworth and Mass Pharma,” says Kurt Steinberg, who was appointed Acting President of MassArt in August. The 21-story, 145,600-sf structure is located amid pricey real estate near renowned museums and the Longwood Medical District. Boston’s construction costs are among the nation’s highest. Steinberg says the college didn’t want Tree House to upend the pricing structure of MassArt’s campus housing. “Our goal was to not have the new beds be more expensive than the beds in our other two residence halls,” he says. Mass Pharma leases 260 of the 493 beds; a portion of the rent--$1,000 per bed—goes toward housing The exterior design of the 21-story, LEED Silver MassArt “Tree House” was sugscholarships for MassArt students. The 20-year lease gives gested by Gustav Klimt’s “Tree of Life.” MassArt the option to take over the space now occupied The 145,600-sf structure has a groundby MCPHS University after 10 or 15 years. Should MassArt floor café and living room (designed with exercise that option, its on-campus housing would be able student participation), a health center, and a “Pajama Floor” with a kitchen, game to accommodate about 44% of its students, mostly freshroom, laundry, and fitness center. Housing men and sophomores, doubling its total housing capacity. is provided in 136 four- and five-bed suites Designed by ADD, Inc., the Tree House was inspired by on 17 floors, configured in one-, two-, and Gustav Klimt’s “Tree of Life.” The 280-foot-tall structure three-bedroom layouts. Each residential stands as proof that three institutions can combine forces to floor has a common space or workroom, as well as “art walls” that students can build a facility that fulfills the needs of all parties. draw, paint, doodle, or write on. —Peter Fabris

storage space of 72 sf (single) and 109 sf (double). Little took advantage of the old schoolhouse’s 12-foot-high ceilings to overcome the claustrophobia that might come with eight- or nine-foot ceilings. The extra volume allowed the beds to be elevated to provide ample closet and storage room below the beds. A crow’s nest platform at the foot of each bed provides additional storage space; it


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3. UNIVERSITIES ARE CREATING RESIDENCE HALL COMMON AREAS THAT ARE UNCOMMONLY VIBRANT. Advances in technology are energizing the design of common areas in residence halls. Mobile computing and Wi-Fi connectivity are taken for granted. Smartphones, laptops, and iPads make every space a potential study nook. “The use of technology is blurring the lines between living and learning,” says Adam Yarinsky, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal with Architecture Research Office, in New York. Study areas no longer require lots of desks or tables; plush sofas and chairs will do nicely, thank you. The original design for the adaptive reuse of the Gault Schoolhouse residence hall at the College of Wooster called for traditional study carrels in a lowerlevel common room. After hearing from students, designers at Little turned the room into a homey chill space with sofas, exposed brick walls and wood beams, and natural light. Students are using the room for studying, watching videos, chatting with friends, and impromptu meetings— the kind of social interaction that Dean of Students Kurt Holmes dreamed the

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prefab helps Valparaiso residence project MEET AN AMBITIOUS DEADLINE Few colleges or universities have embraced prefabrication more wholeheartedly than Valparaiso (Ind.) University. The Lutheran-based institution completed a $27 million residence hall this past summer in which the structural elements were all precast. The modular bathroom pods were manufactured in and shipped from New Jersey. “The primary motivation for prefab was an accelerated schedule,” says Andy Frank, Construction Executive with Mortenson Construction. Much of the structural and exterior work on the 85,000sf building was completed before the start of winter, which was critical in an area prone to blinding snowfalls fed by nearby Lake Michigan. Manufacturing precast flooring planks and exterior panels that mimic limestone and brick masonry in a climate-controlled plant saved two to three months on the construction schedule, says


Frank. The modular bathroom units, made by AmeriPOD, Dayton, N.J., shaved another month off the construction timetable of the suite-style residence hall. The time savings enabled the building to be ready for the fall 2014 semester. FGM Architects and Mortenson collaborated on the design-build project using 3D BIM modeling to deliver a Collegiate Gothic structure that blends in with the prevailing campus architectural style. One of the critical factors in the construction process was leaving wall openings large enough for the bathroom pods to be transported from a staging area at one end of each floor through the building to their final position. Workers rolled the bathroom units through each floor to a preformed depression, where they were lowered by jacks into place. Frank attributes the success of the prefab approach in part to the type of project. “When you have a large number of

users involved in programming the building”—such as an academic building shared by multiple departments— “you’re going to need a longer design process,” he says. Housing projects tend be more suitable for prefab because they usually have a limited number of stakeholders—in the Valparaiso project, primarily residential life officials and some students. —Peter Fabris

Precast units from Coreslab Structures (left) being put in place at Valparaiso (Ind.) University’s new student reidence. A bathroom pod from AmeriPOD (above) is guided to its location. The Building Team of FGM Architects (designer), KJWW Engineering Consultants (SE/MEP), and Mortenson Construction (GC) completed the 85,000-sf structure (top) this past summer, well ahead of schedule.

TOP: C MARIUSZ MIZERA / OTHERS: COURTESTY MORTESNON CONSTRUCTION

can even be a makeshift sleeping quarters for a moderately sized overnight guest. A small window adjacent to the crow’s nest overlooks the shared living room area, allowing even more light to flow into the bedroom. The windows can be opened manually for ventilation and more efficient heating and cooling. Translucent frosted glass doors—a student-suggested touch—also bring light into the bedrooms and make the space feel more open. Though this adaptive-reuse project is something of a rarity, Little’s CarlsonReddig believes that its design concepts can be applied more broadly. “We think the verticality of the design can translate to new buildings,” he says. In locations where square footage is limited by site restrictions, the solution may be to build higher inside and out.

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renovation would produce. Designers are starting to see hallways as social spaces, not just conduits. Instead of long, artificially lit corridors, they’re bringing in daylighting from extensive exterior glazing into hallways and creating nooks and crannies for students to use as impromptu study areas, or just to chill. Small cell phone rooms are popping up along hallways, where students can get some privacy to make calls of a sensitive nature. These modern-day versions of Ma Bell phone booths typically have transparent doors and floor-to-ceiling glazing to allow that alwayswelcome daylight to pass through. Some colleges are experimenting with innovative common areas to provide enriching learning experiences. Demonstration kitchens within multi-purpose spaces have been featured in a few new residence halls,

including those at Tulane University and Worcester (Mass.) State College. They can be used for cooking workshops or special events, such as a demonstraA student bedroom at the College of Wooster (Ohio) capitalizes on tion by a local chef. 12-foot-high ceilings to optimize overhead storage space, extra sleeping At Massachusetts area, and daylighting. The conversion of the 34,000-sf former elementary College of Art and school/office space was designed by lead architect Little, with BSHM/ Balog Steines Hendricks & Manchester Architects (AOR) and Karpinski Design in Boston, the Engineering (MEP). Bogner Construction Co. was the GC. Tree House residence hall has an art gallery where students program the exhibits. square feet of common area space per Common areas are being viewed more bed,” says Goody Clancy’s Ferreira. and more as prized amenities central to the 4. UNIVERSITIES ARE STRUGGLING quality of life on college campuses. The key WITH HOW BEST TO USE HIGH-TECH question is cost. “Universities are trying to SYSTEMS IN RESIDENCE HALLS. figure out what is the sweet spot for net Schools are grappling with the problem of how to accommodate distance learning. Some universities provide space within residence halls, but there’s no consensus on how these rooms should be designed. “A flat screen in a classroom is not necessarily the solution,” says Michael Romot, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, Project Manager with Little. Other options could include the creation of living units with even more learning environments within the housing facility—“live-study environments like a mixed-use development within the campus,” says Romot. One former universal residence hall amenity—the dedicated computer lab—is going the way of the dodo. Students have their own electronic devices; they don’t want the Texas A&M’s Hulabaloo Hall features a convenience store (left, top) and multipurpose academic room (left, bottom). The five-story, $66 million, 648bed facility is the first new residence hall on the Aggie campus since the 1980s. Treanor Architects (design architect) and Stantec (prime architect) led the Building Team for owner/PM Texas A&M University Facilities, Planning & Construction/ HUB. Rounding out the team: Structures + Haynes Whaley (SE); Kimley-Horn and Associates (CE); H2MG (MEP); Terracon (geotechnical, materials testing); Coleman|TBG (landscape architect); Siemens Energy Management (energy systems); Horizon (Cx agent); and Linbeck (CMAR).

LUIS AYALA / COURTESY STANTEC

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PHOTOS THIS PAGE: NICK WEIDEMANN


Two views of the Warren and Moore Residential College Complex, including the Kissam Center, at Vanderbilt University, Nashville. The 395,000-sf, LEED Gold complex provides housing for about 660 students in a “residential college” setting, with graduate fellows in each college. The Kissam Center provides gathering space, dining facilities, a classroom, offices, and meeting rooms. The Building Team: Goody Clancy (architect); EOA Architects (associate architect); Weidlinger Associates (SE); Barge Cauthen & Associates (CE); Smith Seckman Reid (MEP); greenStudio (sustainability consultant); and Brasfield & Gorrie (GC). The university acted as its own landscaping contractor. More than 80% of the demolition waste—21,000 tons—from the old Kissam Quadrangle was diverted from landfill. More than 90% of regularly occupied spaces have a direct line of sight to the outdoors.

school to dictate what to use. Their computer lab is on their smartphones. The exception that proves the rule: Texas A&M University’s new Hullabaloo Hall, which melds housing with an extensive Community Learning Center. “It’s like a library without books,” says Chareny Rydl, the Aggies’ Director of Residential Life. The first-floor facility employs an open office design concept. “Students don’t want the old structure of computer labs with cubicles that make you feel boxed in,” says Rydl. The Community Learning Center also provides learning opportunities for students living in other residences. says Rydl. The space has individual and group study areas and is equipped with high-end computers with access to special engineering programs and other expensive software that most students can’t afford. “We track who uses the space,” she says. “We were surprised to see people from other parts of the campus using it.”

5. UNIVERSITIES ARE BLENDING ACADEMICS WITH LIVING SPACE VIA THE ‘RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE.’ The concept of the residential college, where guided learning occurs largely within the

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residence facility, continues to grow in influence, even at institutions that don’t formally adopt it. Classrooms and multi-purpose rooms with movable furniture and partitions that can be arranged like classrooms and lecture halls are desirable features in some residence halls. At Tulane University, a recent convert to the residential college format, the Greenbaum building includes an apartment for a faculty-member-in-residence and an office for a full-time community director responsible for programming activities and overseeing quality of life for the residential college and its nearby residence. Greenbaum’s common areas are the setting for most of the residential college’s events. Vanderbilt University is also transitioning to a residential college format, with more new housing planned to support the effort. “The timetable is dependent on fundraising,” says Bob Grummon, CSI, LEED AP, Project Manager at Vanderbilt. Renovations are planned, although some older structures may not be suitable to the residential college format. “The key question is how to get more community space,” says Grummon. The university wants to mix in suite-style housing with more traditional single and double


rooms in each residential college. Existing structures will have to be able to accommodate such conditions at a reasonable cost for this to work.

6. UNIVERSITIES ARE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF ONCAMPUS LIVING—AND OVER THEIR SHOULDERS AT THE COMPETITION. With campus housing design in flux, some schools are already thinking ahead a few decades about possible major renovations of recently completed residence facilities. It’s difficult to predict what the residence hall of 30 years from now should look like, Rydl says, so the wisest course of action is to leave future housing directors with buildings that can be extensively revamped. Many have common areas with large, open spaces that could easily be repurposed to meet tomorrow’s needs. Texas A&M’s Hullabaloo Hall was structured in such a way that gut renovations could be done cost effectively as needed in the future. Some institutions already find themselves competing against newer off-campus options with high-profile amenities. In Raleigh, N.C., home of North Carolina State University, Stanhope Student Apartments—“The

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Ultimate in Student Living,” according to its website—is accepting applications for summer 2015 occupancy. Amenities include an oasis saltwater pool with splash deck, outdoor courtyards with televisions, fire pits, grills, art studio, two-story game room, fitness center, and two tanning rooms. Stanhope’s website makes no bones about being right next to the N.C. State campus and “right above brand new retail, restaurants

and services ... meaning you’ll live upstairs from everything you need.” The pitch continues: “So say hello, get familiar, call dibs on a spot by the pool ... you’ll be spending a lot of time here.” Competitive factors along with changing styles of learning will continue to pressure universities to upgrade housing. Doubleloaded rooms off darkened hallways are certainly not the answer.

The huge inventory of 1960s and 1970s campus housing stock in need of renovation or replacement should provide Building Teams with plenty of work in the foreseeable future, provided the competition for students—and the accompanying boom in university construction projects—continues at the pace we’ve seen in the last decade. “Housing can be a differentiator to attract students,” says Ayers Saint Gross’s Lynch. +

WHAT COLLEGE STUDENTS WANT in their living spaces Highlights of comments from 62 college students at Little’s workshops in North Carolina:

• Ability to reconfigure the room • Built-in furniture that defines the space (but is still reconfigurable) • Mobile beds with a cushion seat that could rest below the desk • “Work surface” desk space with a comfortable chair • Ability to create a private zone in rooms with multiple students

• More storage, such as builtin closets (not wardrobes) • A sink—accessible outside the bathroom—in the room • No old-school “dorm furniture” • Option to paint one wall in the room • Rooms with some color and texture—not all gray, tan, or white walls • Translucent divider wall along the bed • “Murphy beds” or loft beds as options, but no bunk beds

IN THEIR STUDY SPACES … • Small, individual study nooks scattered throughout the residence hall (and other buildings as well) • Comfortable seating that is playful, whimsical, and relaxed • Spaces that are full of light, with views of outdoors • Quality of light is important, but avoid glare and heat gain • Small study areas adjacent to stairs/elevators (to allow students to monitor activity, meet friends) • Group study and collaboration areas • Flexible furniture options, from small group tables to lounge seating • Outdoor study space, where feasible

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IN THEIR SOCIAL LIVES … • Learning spaces that can dovetail into “chill” spaces • Laundry facilities that create an opportunity for social interaction • Community lounges located in vertical circulation zones so that students can see others coming and going • Kitchens that serve a smaller “community” are preferred over those that serve an entire building • Chill spaces that provide as much variety as possible • Active outdoor zones adjacent to housing for group-based casual fitness (e.g., Frisbee, volleyball) • Rooftop gardens, green roofs, “working green spaces,” outdoor benches, and outdoor eating areas with picnic tables and barbecue grilles

SOURCE: LITTLE, “WHAT STUDENTS WANT” WORKSHOPS, FEBRUARY 2013.

IN THEIR ROOMS ….

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building information modeling

COURTESY THORNTON TOMASETTI

VIRTUAL DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION

AEC FIRMS LEVERAGE CUSTOM SCRIPTS TO

bridge the ‘BIM language gap’ Without a common language linking BIM/VDC software platforms, firms seek out interoperability solutions to assist with the data transfer between design tools.

Thornton Tomasetti’s computational modeling and R&D incubator, CORE Studio, has developed numerous digital tools since its founding in 2011. Pictured are four CORE Studio team members (l. to r.): Elcin Ertugrul, Integration Engineer; Anne Waelkens, Computational Designer; Nicholas Mundell, Senior Integration Engineer; and Jonatan Schumacher, Director of CORE Studio.


BY DAVID BARISTA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

s AEC firms dive deeper into BIM/VDC modeling and simulation workflows, the number of software tools put into play on a given project keeps growing exponentially. Firms recognize the value of implementing a mix of digital modeling tools, but the language barrier that exists between the different software platforms leads to tremendous waste and inefficiencies during the design and construction cycles. Without the free and rapid exchange of data from the earliest stages of design through construction, Building Teams are forced to perform double work, such as manually inputting data and rebuilding early conceptual design models in a BIM platform. They also miss out on the potential of iterative design, where, for example, the results from daylight and energy modeling simulations can be fed back to the design team so it can make more-informed design decisions.


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building information modeling VIRTUAL DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION

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CORE Studio’s most prominent project to date is the TTX platform, a custom database that serves as the central repository for all of Thornton Tomasetti’s project data. Using TTX, the firm’s engineers can work on project models in any one of six software tools. Shown above is a project model displayed in all six software platforms supported by TTX: 1) SAP 2000, 2) Revit, 3) Tekla, 4) ETABS, 5) Grasshopper for Rhino, and 6) RAM Structural Systems.

What is inadequate interoperability costing Building Teams? The most recent research—a NIST study published a decade ago (http://tinyurl.com/NISTsoftwareReport)—put the cost burden to the construction industry at $15.8 billion annually. “When you look at the cost burden from a project budget perspective, interoperability accounts for 2-3% of the total construction budget,” says Nathan Miller, Associate Partner with BIM consulting firm CASE. “Just making a dent in that small percentage can yield a ton of benefits downstream.” Firms are itching for interoperability solutions to establish data pipelines between software platforms and streamline workflows. This demand has led to growth in the emerging field of computational scripting, where firms develop (or commission third-party consultants like CASE to create) custom “hacks” that link digital tools and automate, accelerate, or eliminate wasteful processes. “There are huge advantages to leveraging computational scripting and the broader concept of being able to customize your applications,” says Miller. “As a core capability, you’re going to see a greater need

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and desire among AEC firms to develop this skill set in-house, or have access to consulting firms like CASE.” BD+C profiles two recent computational scripting projects that are making waves across the broader industry: Thornton Tomasetti’s TTX platform and CASE’s Rhynamo application.

THORNTON TOMASETTI’S TTX PLATFORM LINKS SIX DESIGN PLATFORMS When structural engineering giant Thornton Tomasetti launched its in-house computational modeling and R&D incubator, CORE Studio, in 2011, one of its first objectives was to solve the BIM/VDC software language gap. At a minimum, the firm’s staff uses six primary design and modeling tools, none of which speak the same language. Incompatibility was costing Thornton Tomasetti thousands of staff hours annually by requiring its engineering teams to manually transfer project data from one design tool to another. It also impeded the exchange of data between team members during the design and construction cycles. In the past, the firm had employed and


tested a range of tools to translate project data from one platform to another, including IFC models and a suite of custom translators developed in house. But none of the solutions provided the ability to update and sync project models across multiple software platforms in real time, nor did they allow past versions of a model to be retrieved for analysis. These translators essentially performed “whole hog” imports that would completely overwrite the previous version, according to Benjamin Howes, Architect and Computational Designer with Thornton Tomasetti. “For example, if a draftsperson had been tagging and adding annotations to a Revit model and the model needed to be updated via a translation, all of the tagging and element-specific annotations would need to be redone.” The firm’s solution was to make its design workflow software-agnostic by moving all critical project data into a custom database called TTX. More than two years in the making, the TTX platform provides real-time read, write, and sync capabilities across six software tools: ETABS, Grasshopper for Rhino, RAM Structural System, Revit, SAP 2000, and Tekla.

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Using any one of these applications, Thornton Tomasetti’s engineers can “check out” the latest data on their project from TTX, work on the design and documentation, and then “check in” the updated version. “We may have 20 people working on any given project,” says Jonatan Schumacher, Director of CORE Studio. “It’s very difficult to coordinate between all team members. TTX serves as the coordination piece. Someone who’s been working on one platform can essentially update the database, and then the next morning everyone can checkout the latest data from the database and work in their respective modeling platform.” Since the beta release of TTX in July 2013, more than 100 of the firm’s projects have been moved to the database, and nearly 12,000 data check-outs/check-ins have been executed. The firm currently has 95 regular TTX users. It also employs two fulltime staff members to maintain the database, track updates to the major software plat-

series of changes, in real time. It’s going to be a huge time-saver.” CORE Studio is also working on a Webbased dashboard for TTX that will allow clients and team members to view models remotely using any browser or device. “It’s essentially a lightweight version of a BIM model viewer, where users can spin around in the model, zoom in and out, and hover over elements to reveal the design attributes,” says Schumacher. For more on TTX, visit www. ThorntonTomasetti.com/blog/post/43Announcing-TTX.

RHYNAMO CREATES DATA BRIDGE BETWEEN REVIT AND RHINO

What started out as a nights and weekends coding project for CASE’s Miller has turned into one of the BIM consulting firm’s more exciting endeavors. Aptly named Rhynamo, the custom application serves as a bridge, linking two heavily used 3D modeling platforms—Rhino/Grasshopper for conceptual modeling and Autodesk Revit for BIM modeling—utilizing the opensource Dynamo graphical programming interface as the go-between. Rhynamo offers AEC firms the ability to bypass the excruciatingly time-consuming process of rebuilding from scratch early conceptual Rhino models in the Revit platform. —Nathan Miller, CASE With a few keystrokes, vital project data embedded in a Rhino model, such as geometries, forms, and create custom tools for TTX. coordinates, design parameters, and “One tool we’re developing will allow massing, cam be automatically imported us to easily compare two versions of the into Dynamo, which can then be used “to same database side by side,” says Robert build all sorts of systems on top of the BIM K. Otani, PE, LEED AP, Principal with framework that Revit offers,” according to Thornton Tomasetti. “The first thing that Miller. any client wants to know is: What changes “What Rhynamo does is provide a series were made from the last issuance to this of visual scripting nodes for Dynamo that issuance? This tool will allow our teams allow a user to bring into Dynamo just to search for and highlight any change or

‘When you look at the cost burden from a project budget perspective, interoperability accounts for 2-3% of the total construction budget. Just making a dent in that small percentage can yield a ton of benefits downstream.’

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about any geometric piece and different parts of data that are embedded inside a Rhino file,” says Miller. “That may involve translating geometry or using Rhynamo to coordinate parameters that might have been developed inside the Rhino environment—or simply providing an overall assist with that pipeline.” Besides speed gains (which are difficult to measure, says Miller, since any time gained will likely be allotted for additional design work), Rhynamo offers Building Teams the opportunity for rapid iteration to occur throughout the design cycle. “Instead of having to stop design at a certain point because the project deadline is looming, this seamless connection between design and production software allows design teams to move decisions further downstream and adapt to the changing conditions of a project much quicker,” says Miller. “Design never stops,” he says. “When construction documents hit there are always going to be decisions that need to be made and studies to be done. Rhynamo is attempting to make the process as defined and efficient as possible.” In less than three months since CASE launched a private beta test of Rhynamo, more than 300 BIM power users have downloaded the code for review. In the coming months, the firm plans to release the program as a free, open-source product, which will allow other firms to customize the code for their operations. HDR and RTKL, two of CASE’s regular clients, are among the early adopters of Rhynamo. Others include a major retailer that used the tool to migrate its library of 2D drawings to Revit in order to automate the creation of 3D BIM elements. “We were able to translate from 2D drawing to a coarse 3D Revit model in seconds,” says Miller. “Interoperability technologies allow us to leverage data in new ways across many platforms.” For more on Rhynamo, visit: http://content.case-inc.com/rhynamo. +

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the building envelope AIA CONTINUING EDUCATION

8 STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL

building enclosure commissioning BY EMILY R. HOPPS, PE, AND PETER M. BABAIAN, PE, SE SIMPSON GUMPERTZ & HEGER INC.

COURTESY SIMPSON GUMPERTZ & HEGER INC.

B

Water infiltration testing of an installed window prior to installation of adjacent cladding. Testing building enclosure systems on an ongoing basis is an important component of the BECx process.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this article, you should be able to: + DEFINE the concept of building enclosure commissioning (BECx) and its impact on meeting the owner’s project requirements (OPR). + DISCUSS the key areas of concern that the owner’s project requirements (OPR) should establish. + LIST at least three important duties of the building enclosure commissioning authority (BECxA). + DESCRIBE the value to the project of using off-structure and on-structure mockups of building envelope components in advance of construction.


uilding enclosure commissioning—BECx—is intended to assure building quality by establishing an explicit process to verify that a building enclosure is 1. Make building enclosure commissioning designed and constructed to a process. meet the owner’s objectives. 2. Retain an independent third party as BECx The concept of building encloauthority. sure commissioning has been 3. Define the owner’s project requirements (OPR). around for several decades, 4. Align the building envelope commissioning but it has not been well descope with the OPR and the project’s complexity. fined, understood, or utilized. 5. Produce a written BECx plan. With the advent of new building performance standards such 6. Plan design reviews for optimum impact. as LEED, the Green Building 7. Establish enclosure system performance Initiative’s Green Globes, and metrics during the design phase. the Living Building Challenge, 8. Monitor construction early and regularly. building enclosure commissioning is gaining popularity. In fact, the new version of LEED, LEED v4, includes a prerequisite for a fundamental level of building enclosure commissioning. The design and construction industry needs to understand the intent and scope of building enclosure commissioning so that BECx can be implemented effectively to assure building quality and performance, manage risk, and reduce costly changes and delays. The governing standard for the commissioning process within the building construction industry is ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013, The Commissioning Process. According to this standard, commissioning is “a quality-focused process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and documenting that the facility and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the Owner’s Project Requirements.” ASTM E2813-12, Standard Practice for Building Enclosure Commissioning, was developed more recently to focus specifically on building enclosure commissioning. This standard practice defines building enclosure commissioning as a “…process that begins with the establishment of the Owner’s Project Requirements [OPR] and endeavors to ensure that the exterior enclosure and those elements intended to provide environmental separation within a building or structure meet or exceed the

FOLLOW THESE STEPS for successful building enclosure commissioning.


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expectations of the Owner as identified in the OPR.” ASTM E2813 also outlines different levels of building enclosure-commissioning scope (fundamental and enhanced commissioning), which are discussed in more detail below. Another helpful industry guide is the National Institute of Building Sciences Guideline 3-2012, Building Enclosure Commissioning Process BECx. These definitions may seem relatively straightforward, but that can be deceiving. For Building Teams that are unfamiliar with building enclosure commissioning, it can be a confusing and at times overwhelming process. Building Teams may find its many tasks vague, not readily understood, and sometimes difficult to implement. Moreover, since commissioning has traditionally addressed the building’s mechanical systems, many requirements in the BECx process tend to be more suitable for documenting and verifying standard mechanical equipment and systems, rather than documenting and verifying project-specific enclosure designs. The following eight strategies will help Building Teams sort through the various building enclosure commissioning guidelines and use BECx in a logical and cost-effective way.

1 MAKE BUILDING ENCLOSURE COMMISSIONING A PROCESS. The industry definitions of building enclosure commissioning all put forth the notion that commissioning is a process. This is important. Building enclosure commissioning cannot be effective if it is implemented as a series of isolated activities or evaluations; it must be an ongoing and continuous review to verify that the owner’s project requirements are being accounted for throughout the entire design and construction cycle. To be truly effective, building enclosure commissioning should begin in the predesign phase and continue through the design, preconstruction, and construction phases of the project. ASTM E2813 requires that BECx activities commence during design development (DD) for fundamental commissioning and during schematic design (SD) for enhanced commissioning. Since commissioning guidelines originate with ASHRAE, they tend to approach commissioning of other building systems much as they would those for mechanical and HVAC systems commissioning. However, there is a significant difference between how mechanical systems are constructed and tested as compared to building enclosures. Even though mechanical systems can be very complex, the key pieces of equipment—furnaces, air-handling units, chillers, etc.—can usually be accessed, tested, and adjusted as needed to function properly after installation. Conversely, many of the materials and systems that perform the most critical functions of the building enclosure, such as waterproofing, air- and vapor-control membranes, and insulation, are concealed behind cladding and finish materials. Once the finishes are installed, it is difficult and costly to access these materials and systems to make repairs. Moreover, these components of the building enclosure—wall assemblies, cladding, curtain walls, windows,

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roofs, etc.—must be carefully integrated in order to obtain optimal performance of the whole building envelope. If these detailing conditions are not properly designed and installed at the outset, they can be difficult to access and repair at some future date. To reduce the risk of encountering such obstacles in the future, it is important to apply building enclosure commissioning through all the design and construction phases of a project. Starting commissioning tasks late in the design or during construction limits your ability to make needed changes easily and cost-effectively.

2 RETAIN AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY AS BECX AUTHORITY. Industry guidelines define a building enclosure commissioning authority (BECxA) as an independent third party retained by the owner. It is not uncommon for a Building Team to bring in a consultant to offer technical advice on the building enclosure, but that does not make such a consultant a building enclosure commissioning authority. The consultant is working for the Building Team, not the owner, as would be the case for a BECxA. A building enclosure commissioning authority provides the owner with broad, independent advice to help the owner understand complex enclosure issues and thereby manage risk more effectively. The owner can decide which problems or concerns to seek the BECxA’s advice on, with the understanding that any such advice would be provided solely with the owner’s interests and project requirements in mind. LEED v4 allows a qualified member of the design or construction team who is not directly responsible for the design of the building enclosure to perform the function of the BECxA. In our opinion, this model is inconsistent with the intent of the building enclosure commissioning process and detracts from the objectivity and value the owner should receive from having an independent third-party review. If the goal of the BECx process is to assure the anticipated quality of the building enclosure, it must be collaborative and inclusive, but the BECxA should be independent of the entire Building Team. Meaningful involvement requires that the building enclosure commissioning authority staff be qualified and experienced. The owner must vet the prospective building enclosure commissioning authority candidates to determine that they are sufficiently competent and experienced in the design and construction of similar building enclosures. As outlined in ASTM E2813, the BECxA must have basic core competencies, including knowledge of: • Exterior façade design • Building and material science • Procurement and project delivery • Contract documents and construction administration • Performance test standards and methodology Previous experience with similar enclosure systems will enable the building enclosure commissioning authority to provide advice and guidance to the entire Building Team, thereby helping to improve the quality and performance of the building enclosure. The depth of involvement of the building enclosure commissioning authority in each of the project phases is not as important as the

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having the BECx authority provide continuous review throughout the entire process, provided key tasks (such as design reviews, mockup testing, etc.) are included.

3 DEFINE THE OWNER’S PROJECT REQUIREMENTS (OPR).

SOURCE: SIMPSON GUMPERTZ & HEGER INC.

The building enclosure commissioning process should always start with a clear definition of the owner’s project requirements. The OPR is a written document that outlines the owner’s goals for the building enclosure, with particular attention to energy, environment, safety, security, durability, sustainability, and operation. Developing a written OPR will confirm that the Building Team shares an accurate understanding of the project’s enclosure requirements and sets the stage for an efficient design process. Even in a case where the owner and the design team believe they have a general understanding of the OPR for the building enclosure, creating a written document that outlines all the goals is still recommended. The building enclosure commissioning authority can guide the discussion about the OPR for the enclosure and help define performance objectives. Conducting a thorough discussion of enclosure goals and requirements early in the design process will improve the future alignment of the design with the owner’s expectations. The written OPR can take many forms, such as a statement of objectives or a table of requirements. It should be tailored to the particular owner’s needs and goals and to the general type of building that is planned. At a minimum, the OPR should establish: • Interior and exterior temperature, humidity, and pressurization conditions • Desired service life and construction type • Energy use and sustainability requirements Some typical building enclosure requirements—limiting interior leakage, minimizing maintenance, improving occupant comfort, and

so on—are subjective and qualitative. Nonetheless, it is important to define these requirements as clearly as possible so that the performance metrics for the building enclosure can be adopted into the design appropriately. Once the OPR is clearly defined, the building enclosure commissioning authority will be better able to recommend an appropriate scope for its BECx activities.

4 ALIGN THE BUILDING ENVELOPE COMMISSIONING SCOPE WITH THE OPR AND THE PROJECT’S COMPLEXITY.

The various building enclosure commissioning industry standards cited above describe many possible tasks that could be accomplished throughout the process; not all these tasks may be necessary or even desirable, depending on the overall project scope, schedule, and budget. After establishing the owner’s project requirements, the next step in selecting the scope of the BECx process is to undertake an analysis of: 1) the building enclosure’s potential complexity 2) the amount of risk the owner is willing to undertake 3) the roles and responsibilities of the architects, engineers, contractors, and specialty consultants that make up the Building Team As noted above, both the ASTM standard for building enclosure commissioning and the LEED v4 requirements include two levels of building enclosure commissioning: fundamental commissioning and enhanced commissioning. The selected scope will depend on the owner’s expectations for building quality, the level of risk the owner is willing to accept, and the building type, size, and complexity. In general, the scope defined by LEED is relatively limited for both fundamental and enhanced commissioning. LEED does not stipulate a particular time in the project schedule that the BECx authority must be engaged and requires only minimal assistance with the OPR and the basis of design (BOD). Neither fundamental nor enhanced LEED v4 commissioning requires design reviews, and only enhanced commissioning requires overTABLE 1. sight during the construction phase. Such a limited scope of building BUILDING ENVELOPE COMMISSIONING enclosure commissioning services, while better than not performing commissioning at all, does not address some of the IN ASTM E2813 AND LEED V4 more systemic issues—incompatibility of materials, ASTM E2813 LEED v4 TASKS unconstructable details, discontinuities in the exterior Fundamental Enhanced Fundamental Enhanced barriers, and so on—that could arise from inadequate Third party Y Y N N design or construction; in that regard, LEED v4 is Time of engagement DD phase SD phase ? ? equally limited in its ability to assure and control building enclosure quality. Review/assist with OPR 9 9 9 9 ASTM E2813 requires a more extensive, but still Assist with BOD 9 9 9 9 manageable, scope of work for building enclosure Prepare BECx plan 9 9 9 commissioning. The ASTM standard requires that the Perform design reviews 9 999 commissioning authority be engaged early in the dePre-construction 9 9 sign process—in the design development (DD) phase Construction for fundamental commissioning, in the schematic de9 9 9 sign (SD) phase for enhanced commissioning. Under Occupancy/operations 9 9 9 ASTM E2813, the BECx authority must also: ASTM E2813 and LEED v4 define the scope of work for the building enclosure commissioning 1) Provide assistance with the owner’s perforprocess at two different levels: fundamental and enhanced. ASTM E2813 provides a much more comprehensive and effective scope than LEED v4, as evidenced by the check marks. mance requirements and the basis of design



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2) Perform design reviews—one design review for fundamental commissioning, three design reviews for enhanced commissioning 3) Participate in preconstruction activities 4) Monitor ongoing construction work This more detailed and more integrated scope enables the BECx authority to provide more meaningful advice and have a more beneficial impact on the overall quality of the building enclosure. The level of building complexity and the owner’s tolerance for risk can be accounted for in the project scope by adjusting the number and depth of design reviews, the frequency of construction site visits, participation in Building Team meetings, etc.

commissioning process. The written BECx plan should be revised over the course of the project as requirements change, but that does not diminish its value in keeping the project on track and making sure that all Building Team members understand their roles and the owner’s expectations for the project. In some cases, the BECx authority may prepare a specification that documents the various commissioning tasks, performance metrics, and testing requirements for inclusion in the contract documents. Such a specification can be helpful, but may not always be necessary, provided the performance tests are included in the enclosure technical specifications and the written commissioning plan offers a clear summary of the process and expectations.

5 PRODUCE A WRITTEN BECX PLAN.


After you have defined the level and scope of building enclosure commissioning for your project, the BECx authority should prepare a written plan that 1) provides an overview of the commissioning process, 2) defines the roles and responsibilities of the Building Team members, 3) outlines the planned commissioning activities, and 4) documents the expectations for communication during the

ASTM E2813 includes a nearly exhaustive list of possible performance testing options, including water testing (shown here) and air-infiltration testing. Such tests help verify performance for important building enclosure components, such as windows and flashing.

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6 PLAN DESIGN REVIEWS FOR OPTIMUM IMPACT. It is important that the building enclosure commissioning authority review the design team’s work to verify that the basis of design aligns with the established owner’s project requirements. The enclosure systems selected for the project must be able to meet the criteria established by the owner as important. The BECxA is responsible for reporting basis-of-design items that are inconsistent with the owner’s project requirements to the owner, who can then decide to either modify the project requirements to accept the design change, or ask for adjustments in the basis of design. The BECxA’s reviews of the building enclosure design documents must determine that the details and selected materials align with the agreed-upon OPR and BOD and that the performance tests and criteria are properly integrated into the project specifications. It is difficult—and sometimes impossible—to make major changes to a design once adjacent systems have been developed, construction pricing is under way, and aesthetic reviews have been completed, particularly with today’s ultra-fast construction schedules. Design reviews should be scheduled so that changes needed to align with the OPR can be implemented early in the design process. A review by the building enclosure commissioning authority late in the schematic design or early in the design development phase can help identify fundamental issues that can still be resolved before detailing begins. A subsequent review in the early stages of the construction documents further would further allow the BECx authority to comment on typical detailing of the enclosure systems and provide recommendations for system integration details. Yet a third review later in the construction documents phase can be helpful to make sure that all previous comments have been incorporated and all necessary details and requirements have been provided. Design reviews typically include markups of the drawings and specifications and development of an issues log. The issues log tracks all identified deviations of the design from the OPR. The envelope commissioning process is not complete until each item in the issues log is resolved to the owner’s satisfaction. The owner should work closely with the BECx authority during the design review process because it is the owner’s responsibility to enforce the BECx authority’s recommendations with the project design team or

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7 ESTABLISH ENCLOSURE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE METRICS DURING THE DESIGN PHASE. During the design phase, the BECx authority should help the owner and the Building Team develop appropriate performance assessment and testing requirements for the various enclosure systems. Performance assessment and testing typically include: • Preconstruction laboratory mockups • Field-constructed mockups, both off-structure and on-structure • Field testing at milestone intervals • Post-occupancy evaluation The performance metrics must relate directly to the established owner’s project requirements. ASTM E2813 includes a nearly exhaustive list of possible performance testing options. The Building Team should determine which tests will be performed and their required test values or performance measures. The BECxA can either prepare an enclosure commissioning specification that includes all these performance metrics, or confirm that the metrics have been integrated into other design documents. Requiring off-structure mockup testing of the component building enclosure systems can be effective in establishing quality standards and verifying that the designed systems are capable of meeting the required performance metrics. Off-structure mockups can be completed well in advance of building construction, allowing time to integrate any changes that may be needed for the tested system to meet the established metrics. On-structure mockups are less expensive and less labor-intensive than off-structure mockups; they can also be effective, provided that necessary changes can still be incorporated in the manufacturing/ fabrication process or during erection. On-structure mockups completed too late in the process can result in changes that cannot easily be accommodated without significant implications to schedule and budget, so they are sometimes not as viable as off-structure mockups. After mockup testing is complete and installation begins, the initial installation should be tested. This will help confirm that the materials and systems delivered to the site and their installation on the building match the quality and performance of the mockup. Testing the initial installation gives you a chance to make needed changes or adjustments before the bulk of the construction is completed. Periodic testing thereafter can serve to verify that the installation quality remains consistent throughout the life of the project. All testing must be coordinated with the construction schedule to make sure that necessary testing is not abandoned in an effort to maintain completion deadlines.

8 MONITOR CONSTRUCTION EARLY AND REGULARLY. The BECxA should be an active participant in the construction phase



determine if changes to the OPR are acceptable. Caution: Even though its name may imply otherwise, the building enclosure commissioning authority does not have the authority to make changes to the design. The design team maintains control over the design throughout the entire process.

A field-constructed off-structure mockup of a building enclosure system. Performance assessment and testing of building enclosure systems via off-structure mockups can establish quality standards and verify that designed systems are capable of meeting required performance metrics well in advance of construction. This gives the Building Team the time to integrate any necessary changes before wholesale construction begins.

of the project to verify that the owner’s project requirements are being met and the project is constructed as designed. This responsibility starts with the BECxA acting as a second reviewer for building enclosure submittals and shop drawings. Items that do not align with the OPR must be brought to the owner’s attention for resolution with the design and construction components of the Building Team. These reviews should confirm that all items related to the building enclosure are properly documented and that they comply with the established OPR. The owner should evaluate the authority’s comments and recommendations and decide how to direct the project design team to address these concerns. Identifying items in the submittals and shop drawings that do not align with the OPR and design can avoid costly and frustrating problems down the line. In our experience, it’s a good idea to have the building enclosure commissioning authority meet with the relevant trades before construction or installation of the building enclosure begins. This gives the BECxA the opportunity to review and clarify the required performance testing and quality control/quality assurance tasks face to face with the skilled trades who will be doing the actual work. The BECxA should perform periodic site visits as the building enclosure is being constructed. During these visits, the authority should review the installed work to verify that the construction meets the intent of the contract documents and therefore the intent of the OPR. During these site visits, the BECx authority should keep a construction issues log for items that require further attention or adjustment to comply with the contract documents. The construction issues log will help the owner understand the items that need to be addressed and resolved. The construction issues log keeps track of nonconforming issues, which must be closed out prior to the completion of the enclosure construction. Caution: As noted above, the building enclosure commissioning authority does not have authority to change the design or direct


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BUILDING ENCLOSURE COMMISSIONING CAN’T BE HALF-HEARTED The building enclosure commissioning process must be implemented thoughtfully to be a reliable and effective way of assuring quality in the building enclosure, without becoming cumbersome and adversarial. Building enclosure commissioning should never be thought of as a replacement for good design and construction workmanship. The commissioning process helps reassure the building owner that the design has been properly evaluated and implemented; but even properly commissioned buildings can have problems if the basis of

design is misguided and the design is flawed. Building enclosure commissioning must be executed as a process from predesign through construction to be most valuable. Implementing only isolated portions of the process, such as limited performance testing or construction checklists, will be ineffective if the original basis for the design is not appropriate and the construction is not consistently reviewed for conformance. Emily Hopps is a Senior Project Manager specializing in building enclosure design and building enclosure commissioning at engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Waltham, Mass. Peter Babaian, Associate Principal, is the Building Technology Division Head of SGH’s Chicago office and leads the firm’s Building Enclosure Commissioning group.

> EDITOR’S NOTE This completes the reading for this course! To earn 1.0 AIA CES HSW learning units, study the article carefully and take the exam posted at

PHOTO:

construction work. It is up to the owner to discuss such concerns with the authority and promptly relay required changes to the Building Team. During construction site visits, the BECx authority should witness the performance testing required in the design documents. The BECxA should verify that the proper performance tests have been performed, that the test procedures were correctly followed, and that the test results indicate conformance with the OPR. The owner may elect to have the BECx authority conduct performance testing itself (assuming the individual has the appropriate qualifications) to further assure proper testing methods.

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building systems CLADDING + EXTERIOR INSULATION

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cladding at work

12 PROJECTS HIGHLIGHT NOVEL EXTERIOR APPLICATIONS

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INSULATION BLANKET VITAL TO A BUILDING TEAM’S

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HURRICANE KATRINA–RAVAGED HOSPITAL IN NEW ORLEANS REOPENS

certified Passive House dream

following a $130 million renovation, expansion

On pace to become one of the largest Passive House-certified buildings in the U.S., the 18,000-sf, 19-unit Kiln Apartments complex in Portland, Ore., is designed to perform 65-75% better than that required by the city’s stringent energy code. GBD Architects wrapped the five-story building in a highly insulated envelope that features deeply inset, south-facing triple-pane windows and sunshade thermal shims installed like visors on the top edge of the windows. Bolted to the wall, these 18-inch shims could have been a source of thermal bridging. To work around this problem, the architects specified Dow Corning’s HPI-1000 Building Insulation Blanket, a thin-profile, flexible material that was cut to fit the sunshade attachment area to create continuous insulation. The blanket provides R-9.8-per-inch insulation performance, greatly reducing heat loss and minimizing the potential for thermal bridging. “Being able to meet or exceed the insulation value requirements in something so thin is tremendously valuable when you’re dealing with tricky details around a window, or something attached to a window,” said David Posada, GBD’s Sustainability Manager.

Nine years after severe flooding from Hurricane Katrina forced Pendleton Memorial Methodist Hospital to shut its doors, the hospital is back up and running—as New Orleans East Hospital. The $130 million project, initiated in January 2013, involved renovating the existing six-story, 133,640-sf East Tower and constructing a 71,700-sf Patient Care Pavilion. Both structures were designed with advanced façades, elevated electrical equipment, and beefed-up structural and roof systems in order to withstand 130-mph winds and severe flooding events. The Building Team, led by architect Eskew+Dumez+Ripple and contractor The LeMoine Company, replaced the East Tower’s concrete exterior surface with CENTRIA’s Formawall Dimension Series insulated metal panel system and curtain wall glazing. The panelized system features a factory foamed-in-place insulating core and thermal breaks between the panel face and liner, providing advanced thermal and moisture protection and meeting the stringent HVAC requirements of the healthcare industry. The team also specific CENTRIA’s lightweight Versawall IMP, which comes with concealed fasteners and double tongue-and-groove joinery.

Dow Corning

CENTRIA

CIRCLE NO. 900 ON READER SERVICE CARD

CIRCLE NO. 905 ON READER SERVICE CARD



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building envelope CLADDING + EXTERIOR INSULATION

3 3

BRIGHT-WHITE ACM CLADDING ADDS

futuristic style to a Tennessee museum

Clad in gleaming-white Reynobond Aluminum Composite Material, the new Discovery Center at Discovery Park can be seen for miles along Interstate 69 in Western Tennessee. The 100,000-sf, three-story structure is the new centerpiece of the 50-acre museum, park, and garden in Union City. The building’s form, developed by Boston-based Verner Johnson Inc., features a series of rolling roof structures of varying sizes and heights, anchored by a 120-foot tower. A total of 105,525 sf of Reynobond was used to clad the structure: 98,000 sf of 4mm Reynobond with a polyethylene core, and 7,525 sf of Reynobond ACM with a fire-resistant core. The panels are a combination of brushed aluminum and ACM finished in either Pure White Colorweld 500 or Bright Silver Metallic Colorweld 500XL coatings. “The forms for the building evolved out of this notion that the building should have a soaring, uplifting feeling about it and project the future,” said Lou Sirianni, FAIA, Principal with Verner Johnson. “We selected metal for the cladding because it projects the right expression of the building’s purpose, particularly when used in white or silver.”

Alcoa Architectural Products CIRCLE NO. 904 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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CONCRETE PANEL FAÇADE MELDS

nicely with Montreal’s historic Griffintown neighborhood

Although every development project has its own obstacles to overcome, certain challenges are fairly common to most new developments: How can a new building respect the design vernacular of the existing neighborhood while also looking to the future? How can it be constructed with the newest energy-saving technologies and the most desired amenities at a reasonable cost? With the aid of SlenderWall precast concrete cladding, the 20-story, 175-unit Le Griffix condominium project in Montreal offers a compelling answer to these long-standing questions. The building, constructed atop the location’s original one-story brick building, has a clean, contemporary façade combining 380 SlenderWall panels (a total of 50,000 sf of concrete panels) with a fully glazed curtain wall. The project’s architect, Geiger + Huot, liked SlenderWall for the design freedom and energy performance it offered. The exterior’s key design characteristic—an interplay of solid masses (precast concrete panels) and voids (punched windows)—depended on the façade’s concrete cladding being supported from the slab edge of the building. SlenderWall’s weight advantages over traditional precast panels (28 lb/sf versus

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5 close to 85 lb/sf) made it the right choice in this case.

Easi-Set Industries CIRCLE NO. 911 ON READER SERVICE CARD

5

TWIN CITIES’ APARTMENT COMPLEX OFFERS A CONTEMPORARY TAKE

on warehouse aesthetic with fiber-cement panels The 204-unit, six-story Third North Apartments sit among converted warehouses and modernized historic buildings in one of Minneapolis’s gentrifying areas, the North Loop neighborhood. Developer Schafer Richardson wanted a design that respected the neighborhood’s historic roots while appealing to Millennial renters. The resulting scheme features warehouse-like massing and a U-shape footprint that conceals the residential features—including green space, a dog run, and a pool—in the center and rear of the complex. To create a contemporary, vibrant exterior, the Building Team specified Nichiha’s Illumination Series architectural panels in a blend of six colors—divided into swaths of reds and grays— and a rectilinear shape (18 inches high, 6 feet wide) to complement nearby brick. “The panels mirror the colors of the brick and concrete on nearby historic buildings, but are a fresh, modern take off of it,” said Maureen Michalski, Senior Project Manager with Schafer Richardson. “The use of stacked bond also helps in this regard.”

Nichiha CIRCLE NO. 903 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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INSULATED METAL PANELS DEAL A WINNING HAND

In dramatic conversion of a casino in Detroit Detroit’s 1301 Third Street building, originally constructed as an office

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for the IRS, later converted to a temporary casino by MGM, had seen better days when the city purchased it in 2012. SmithGroupJJR led the modernization and conversion project for the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters. To increase energy performance and create a fresh look for the HQ, the building was reclad with 91,000 sf of insulated metal panels, in varying colors and sizes, from Metl-Span. “The solution allowed us to leave many existing exterior walls and wall framings in place and use a single product for the air barrier, insulation, and vapor barrier, all with the added benefit of a new, modernized, and appealing skin,” said SmithGroupJJR Principal Bill Ash, AIA, LEED AP. CEI Group of Howell, Mich., installed 51,000 sf of horizontal, two-inch CFA panels in widths of 32, 36, and 40 inches and 40,000 sf of vertical, two-inch CFA panels in widths of 24 and 36 inches. The horizontal panels are colored Submarine Gray; the vertical panels are colored Key Largo, Tarryton, and Sweet Nothings.

Metl-Span CIRCLE NO. 902 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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METAL ROOF AND WALL PANELS RESIST STRONG, GUSTY WINDS

weathering unpainted finish in a neutral color,” said Moses Vaughan, Senior Architect with WRNS. More than 20,000 sf of VMZINC panels was installed vertically and horizontally to bring depth to the exterior. Horizontal panels were used on a larger scale, with custom shadowfin profiles to exploit the abundance of sunlight and changing skies in Utah. The patented interlocking design of the panels makes them easy to install, according to Dri-Design. The metal panels were placed over Z furrings and mineral wool insulation.

Dri-Design CIRCLE NO. 908 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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METAL ROOF SHINGLES CREATE A DYNAMIC FAÇADE

for apartment complex near Cornell University Located just minutes from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., the Collegetown Terrace apartment complex features an eye-catching façade made from a textured wall panel system by ATAS International. Princeton, N.J.-based ikon.5 architects used ATAS’s CastleTop

for government complex in Cheyenne

In areas that experience strong winds, metal roof and wall panels provide a sturdy, well-tested option for building envelope design. A recent example is the Archer Government Complex in Cheyenne, Wyo., a city with an annual average wind speed of 12.9 mph, ranking it first in the U.S. During winter, Cheyenne has frequent periods of 30- to 40-mph winds, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph. MBCI’s SuperLok standing-seam roof panels (27,634 sf in total) and Artisan L-12 soffit and wall panels used on the project meet Florida’s stringent wind resistant code requirements. SuperLok panel is a mechanically fieldseamed, vertical leg standing seam roof system that combines a twoinch-tall slim rib with firm uplift resistance. The wall and soffit elements also provide robust wind and impact resistance, according to MBCI.

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MBCI CIRCLE NO. 907 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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ADOBE CAMPUS HITS LEED GOLD

with help from a zinc panel system

The design team for Adobe’s new 680,000-sf campus in Lehi, Utah, wanted to create a bold structure that would both contrast and connect with the natural surroundings of the nearby Traverse Mountains. Architects from San Francisco-based WRNS Studio specified 1.5-mm VMZINC quartz-zinc panels from Dri-Design. “We wanted a natural

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MARK KEMPF

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building envelope CLADDING + EXTERIOR INSULATION

11 10 0.032-inch aluminum shingles in seven colors, creating a staggered pattern to add depth to the exterior. The color palatte blends cool colors and warm hues to reflect the changing of seasons. More than 24,480 sf of CastleTop diamond-shaped flat metal tile was used. The shingles offer easy installation from eave to ridge with concealed fasteners, according to ATAS. For roofing applications, an expanded polystyrene backer board gives strength to allow for light foot traffic during installation.

ATAS International CIRCLE NO. 912 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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METAL PANELS’ ‘CORDUROY’ LOOK BLENDS INTO THE LOCAL SETTING

for a municipal complex in New Hampshire In designing the Manchester (N.H.) Municipal Complex, architects at Lavallee Brensinger Architects were looking for an exterior solution that would accent the mostly brick façade and match the “corduroy” appearance of other buildings on campus. The design team discovered that Morin’s Matrix 1.0 metal wall panels, installed vertically, provided the desired aesthetic. “The look of the panel created nice shadow lines,” said Chris Drobat, AIA, LEED AP, LBA’s President. “With other panels, we couldn’t get that straight contrast. It’s got depth. When you get close to it, you can see it’s a rich panel.” The MX 1.0 panel, in 22-gauge Galvalume, was installed on the 6,400 sf administration building and the 6,250 sf police station. Morin’s F12-S panels were used as accent pieces on both buildings.

Morin, a Kingspan Group Company CIRCLE NO. 901 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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UC DENVER’S SIGNATURE BUILDING

gets a new high-performance envelope

The design team at Anderson Mason Dale Architects wrapped the $65.8 million, 132,000-sf Academic Building 1 at the University of Colorado, Denver, structure in a combination of glass, brick, and metal for a modern take on the university’s traditional brick-clad buildings. To meet budget and performance requirements for the exterior, the Building Team specified a complete building envelope solution from Firestone Building Products: the Enverge Cavity Wall continuous insulation system topped with Series 3200NR Plate metal wall panels. The solution achieved the clean, crisp look archi-

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tect wanted, while offering ease of installation, dimensional stability, flexibility, and increased energy savings. The team also turned to Firestone for its UltraPly TPO membrane roofing solution.

Firestone Building Products CIRCLE NO. 913 ON READER SERVICE CARD

STONE MATERIAL USED 12 THIN-CLAD TO GIVE A MUCH-NEEDED FACELIFT

to a 1980s-era strip retail center

Like many of the 1970s- and ’80s-era strip centers that dot the nation’s cities and suburbs, Pinecrest Plaza in Southern Pines, N.C., was struggling to compete with the newer forms of bricks-and-mortar retail. Built in the late 1980s, the property lacked character and a sense of place; its painted-brick exterior was in dreadful condition. Property owner Hawthorne Retail Partners commissioned architect Dwell Design Studio LLC to resuscitate the strip center. The firm’s first order of business: reclad the exterior with Arriscraft’s ARRIS.tile Renaissance thin-clad stone material. The material was laid over a variety of exterior types—including an old Walmart store—creating a consistent, continuous aesthetic that is reflective of the region. “By specifying thin Arriscraft stone material—which, once installed, gives the appearance of being full bed stone—there was no need for expensive and heavily destructive demolition work,” said W. Ryan Miller, AIA, Founder of Dwell Design Studio. “We achieved the consistent visual recommended from the start, and did so at great savings to the owner.”

Arriscraft CIRCLE NO. 906 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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new projects

PORTFOLIO


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CLARK ART INSTITUTE REIMAGINES CAMPUS WITH TADAO ANDO-DESIGNED GALLERY, REFLECTING POOL Nearly 15 years in the making, the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., opened its expanded, 140-acre campus following a multi-phased construction and renovation effort that added more than 13,000 sf of gallery space to the campus. Tadao Ando’s new, 42,600-sf Clark Center building includes gallery space for special exhibitions; a multipurpose pavilion; dining, retail, and family spaces; and an all-glass pavilion that serves as the new entrance to the original Museum Building. Selldorf Architects led the renovation of the existing Museum Building and Manton Research Center. The three buildings surround a new one-acre reflecting pool. Gensler was the executive architect and sustainability consultant for the project.

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INSPIRED BY PANAMA’S TIN ROOFS, GEHRY DESIGNS CANOPIED MUSEUM Frank Gehry’s first building in Latin America, Panama’s Biomuseo (Museum of Biodiversity), opened in October. Gehry took inspiration from the site’s natural and cultural surroundings: the $100 million building’s vibrantly colored canopies reflect local Panamanian tin roofs, and a six-acre outdoor biodiversity park acts as an open-air extension of the museum. The site offers views of the Bay of Panama to the north and the Panama Canal to the south.

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ENGINEERING BUILDING AIMS FOR NET-ZERO VIA CHILLED BEAMS, DISPLACEMENT VENTILATION Targeting LEED Platinum certification and net-zero energy performance, the Building Team for the recently completed $95 million Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign employed several advanced energy-efficiency measures: a chilled-beam system for cooling classrooms, offices, labs, and corridors; displacement ventilation in the lobby and 400-seat auditorium; heat-recovery chillers with net metering; and LED lighting. A 300 kW PV array will occupy the building’s entire 42,000-sf roof and generate 11% of the building’s energy needs. The building provides 45 instructional and research labs, 48 private faculty offices, 280 graduate student workstations, and a 4,000-sf instructional clean room. The Building Team: SmithGroupJJR (architect, lab planner, structural engineer, landscape architect), KJWW (MEP engineer), and Williams Brothers Construction (contractor).


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SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE TOWER EARNS FIRST LEED PLATINUM V4 CERTIFICATION One Sansome Street in San Francisco is the first building in the U.S.—and only the second worldwide—to achieve LEED Platinum v4 certification. Originally designed by Johnson, Fain & Pereira and completed in 1984, the 39-story, 611,000-sf (net leasable space) tower received LEED Gold certification in 2010. The owner, Barker Pacific Group, continued to make improvements to the property’s systems to increase energy efficiency and reduce the amount of waste produced by the building. Its solid-waste diversion rate exceeds 78%.


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PSYCHIATRIC CARE HOSPITAL PROMOTES PRIVACY, CALM ATMOSPHERE TO REDUCE PATIENT STRESS In designing the 25-bed, $23 million Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital in Berlin, architecture+ and Black River Design Architects drew upon the latest research on the ability of design to promote healing and reduce aggression in psychiatric facilities. The hospital features private bedrooms and bathrooms in small, flexible nursing units, offering patients greater privacy and a calming environment. Living rooms, quiet rooms, comfort rooms, and dining areas with kitchenettes are located immediately off the bedroom wings. All bedrooms, recovery spaces, and offices have operable windows with views to the hospital grounds. Engelberth Construction was the construction manager.

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NEW DALLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER RAISES THE CURTAIN ON ELECTRONIC ART The Dallas City Performance Hall hosts new and mid-sized performing arts groups from across Dallas. The $40 million, 59,000-sf space holds a 750-seat proscenium theater, along with function space, backstage support spaces, and offices. The stage features an LED mesh curtain that can turn into a palette for electronic art. The second phase of the project will include construction of two additional theaters, an art gallery, a café, and rehearsal and classroom space. The Building Team: Schuler Shook (theater planning consultant); Skidmore Owings & Merrill (design architect); Corgan Associates (architect of record); Aguirre Roden (MEP engineer); L.A. Fuess Partners (SE); URS Corporation (CE); and McCarthy Building Companies (construction manager).

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$158 MILLION TECHNICAL CENTER REPLACES 1950S AIR FORCE FACILITY IN FLORIDA The replacement of the Air Force Technical Applications Center facility at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida is the Air Force’s largest military construction project under a program authorized by Congress in 2011. In place of the original 1950s building, a new $158 million command and control facility and radiochemistry lab will accommodate 1,000 personnel. Flad Architects and ccrd partners (MEP engineer) provided architectural and engineering services on the project, including building design, laboratory programming, and planning through bridging documents.

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PARTNERSHIP BRINGS TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL TO GRAND CAYMAN AND THE CARIBBEAN Located on the island of Grand Cayman, Health City Cayman Islands is a 140-bed tertiary care hospital providing cardiac/vascular surgery, cardiology, and orthopedics and joint replacement to patients throughout the Caribbean. The project is a joint partnership between Narayana Health of India and Ascension. A seawater air-conditioning system is expected to reduce air conditioning costs by 70-80%, and overall power demand by 50%. Water and sewage is treated on site; an oxygen regeneration system will eliminate the need to ship in liquid oxygen tanks. Cayman Healthcare Construction Group, a joint venture between Caledonia Construction Cayman and Deangelis Diamond Healthcare Group, is the prime contractor.

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DESTINATION DISPATCHER DIRECTS VISITORS TO THE RIGHT FLOOR AT NEW 4WTC TOWER Silverstein Properties 4 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan offers 72 floors of office and retail space. The tower’s 30 custom high-performance Schindler 7000 elevators are equipped with the PORT destination-dispatching system. PORT is integrated into the building’s lobby turnstiles and at each elevator entrance, allowing occupants

and visitors to identify themselves and select their destination using access cards or the touch-screen interface. The system then directs passengers to the elevator that can whisk them to their destination in the shortest, most energyefficient manner.

Schindler Elevator Corp. CIRCLE NO. 920 ON READER SERVICE CARD

METAL CEILING SYSTEMS OFFER MODERN FINISH FOR RENOVATED TERMINAL AT O’HARE AIRPORT AEC firm Epstein chose Rockfon metal ceiling systems as part of the recent renovation and expansion of Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Working with a joint venture team of James McHugh Construction Co. and Ornelas Construction Co., Epstein specified a custom Oyster Metallic finish for the Intaline round-base ceiling baffles in the concession area. Above the TSA checkpoint, 1,200 sf of Magna T-Cell ceiling systems and 300 feet of Paired Infinity engineered perimeter trim blend together to provide a continuous open-cell ceiling appearance. The baffles and ceiling systems contain recycled aluminum content and are locally recyclable at the end of useful life.

Rockfon CIRCLE NO. 921 ON READER SERVICE CARD

SOLAR CONTROL, LOW-E GLASS ENHANCE NATURAL LIGHT AT PALOMAR MED CENTER Los Angeles-based CO Architects designed the new 740,000-sf Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, Calif., to standards set by the Green Guide for Health Care. Daylighting strategies implemented at the facility feature ground-to-ceiling panels fabricated with Solarban solar control, low-e glass. The Solarban 60 and Solarban 70 XL product lines permit natural daylight to flow into the indoor spaces while blocking solar heat gain, enhancing outdoor views for patients and employees. Both glasses were fabricated by Northwestern Industries of Seattle and are supported in a steel structural reinforcement system.

PPG Industries CIRCLE NO. 922 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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DESIGNERS USE FLUID BARRIER TO SEAL SCHOOL AGAINST SEATTLE’S WET CLIMATE Auburn High School, located several miles inland from the Puget Sound outside Seattle, is exposed to the area’s oceanic climate and persistent precipitation—well over 100 inches of rainfall a year. The Building Team for the new 234,000-sf school, led by NAC|Architecture and Lydig Construction, knew the project would require a weather barrier that could withstand the extremely high amount of precipitation. DuPont Tyvek Fluid Applied System was specified to seal the building envelope and reduce the amount of energy required for heating and cooling. Installed in a one-coat application by spraying or power rolling, the weather barrier adheres to damp walls and is resistant to rain wash-off after application, helping to minimize weather-related delays.

DuPont CIRCLE NO. 923 ON READER SERVICE CARD

ACETYLATED WOOD SPECIFIED FOR GERMAN EMBASSY RENOVATIONS Designed in the 1960s, the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., was contaminated with asbestos. Commissioned with renovating the property, HPP Architects brought the entire embassy—the main Colonial-style building and a semidetached house—up to modern health and safety standards. The designers selected Accoya wood to replace all of the window frames on the property. Created with a proprietary process known as acetylation, Accoya wood is being used to produce windows, doors, external cladding, decking, and structural systems.

Accoya CIRCLE NO. 924 ON READER SERVICE CARD

EGRESS ILLUMINATION SYSTEM LIGHTS UP THE EXIT PATH FOR ATTRACTION-GOERS E-Lum-A-Path was selected as the emergency path lighting for the new haunted tourist attraction San Francisco Dungeon, at Fisherman’s Wharf. Installed in the “Lost Mines of Sutter’s Mill,” the egress lighting system provides floor-proximate emergency illumination that can increase the visibility of

directional signs and markings in the event of a power outage. The system is certified to UL 1994 and 924 standards; it has been tested in a fire condition of zero visibility and temperatures exceeding 800˚F.

Egress Marking Systems CIRCLE NO. 925 ON READER SERVICE CARD


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COLLABORATIVE OFFICE SPACE CONTROLS DAYLIGHT WITH DYNAMIC TINTED GLASS Railway components manufacturer Miller Ingenuity is one of the first customers to specify and install the next-generation LightZone dynamic glass from SAGE Electrochromics. Chosen for the company’s Creation Station, a 1,200-sf collaborative space at the Winona, Minn., office, the LightZone system enables variable tint zones within a single pane of glass. The glass allows Miller Ingenuity to change the tint at its Creation Station in three discrete sections in one pane of SageGlass to any available tint level. The variability offers greater flexibility in managing solar heat gain and glare, and helps manage optimal daylight for the building.

SAGE Electrochromics CIRCLE NO. 926 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL TEAM INSTALLS WOVEN WIRE MESH LOCKERS The 5,000-sf Rachel Fairman Adams Spartan Locker Room is part of a new North End Zone Complex addition to Spartan Stadium at Michigan State University. Seeking an alternative to traditional wood lockers, Integrated Design Solutions selected the M44-2 weave wire mesh for the football team’s lockers. The stainless steel mesh features a plaid-like pattern in which groups of four wires intersect in a lock crimp pattern. Lock crimps are characterized by straight sections of wire connected by a “bump” at their intersections. This pattern offers greater strength to the lockers.

Banker Wire CIRCLE NO. 927 ON READER SERVICE CARD

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

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Title of Publication: Building Design+Construction Publication Number: 0007-3407 Filing Date: 09-30-14 Issue Frequency: Monthly Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: $146.00 Contact April Deutmeyer at 847-391-1028 Complete mailing address of known office of publication: Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc., 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, Cook County, IL 60005-5025 Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business office of the publisher: Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc., 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, Cook County, IL 60005-5025 Full names and complete mailing address of publisher, editor and managing editor: Publisher, Tony Mancini, Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc., 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, Cook County, IL 60005-5025; Editor, Robert Cassidy, Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc., 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, Cook County, IL 60005-5025. Managing editor, None. Owner (if the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership, or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address): SGC Holdings LLC, 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, Cook County, IL 60005-5025; Rick Blesi, Tony Mancini, Patrick O’Toole, Rick Schwer, David Shreiner, Jeff Elliott. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None. Tax status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates.) (check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: Has not changed during the preceding 12 months; Has changed during the preceding 12 months (publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement). Title of publication: Building Design+Construction Issue date for circulation data below: September 2014


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INSULATED CONCRETE FORMS SELECTED FOR NEW PUBLIC LIBRARY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS TOWN The new 9,300-sf Farmington Area Public Library in central Illinois replaces a 3,000-sf structure that was more than a century old. Apace Design researched the possibilities of using insulated concrete forms for the project, a method that was primarily used for single-family homes, and chose ICFs from Nudura. The resulting building envelope is designed to withstand tornado impacts of up to 250 mph and has a fire-protection rating of up to four hours. Energy cost savings are estimated to be as much as 70%. Bishop Brothers (general contractor) and Sustainable Building Solutions (consultant) were also on the Building Team.

Nudura CIRCLE NO. 928 ON READER SERVICE CARD


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directory BUSINESS STAFF

ADVERTISER INDEX

GROUP DIRECTOR - PRINCIPAL Tony Mancini, 610.688.5553, [email protected] BUILDING GROUP ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER John Rogier, 847.391.1053, [email protected] DIGITAL SALES DIRECTOR Adam Grubb, 317.219.7546, [email protected]

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Accoya 39 Allegion 72 ARCAT 47, 73 Bayer MaterialScience 25 Belden Brick Company 41 Bluebeam Software, Inc. 44 Bobrick Washroom Equipment 56 Carlisle Construction Materials 37

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CENTRIA CENTRIA MetalWrap Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Chicago Faucets Co. Chrysler/RAM Trucks Drexel University Easi-Set Industries FABCON USA*

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31 C2-3 C3 72, C4 4-5 55 6 61

769 751 790 781, 791 752 776 753 778

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR David Schwer, 847.391.1039, [email protected] INTEGRATED MEDIA CONSULTANT - PRINCIPAL Jeff Elliott, 616.846.4633, [email protected] States: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, Eastern Canada INTEGRATED MEDIA CONSULTANTS Ron Hewett, 970.635.5695,[email protected] States: AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IN, MT, NM, NV, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Western Canada Beth Emerich, 203.656.9553, [email protected] States: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, WV

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FIRM/ASSOCIATION INDEX For a list of the AEC firms and industry organizations mentioned in this issue, go to www.BDCnetwork.com/FirmsIndexNov14

BUILDING DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION (ISSN 0007-3407) is published monthly by SGC Horizon LLC, 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Periodical postage paid at Arlington Heights, IL 60005 and other mailing offices. Subscription Rates per year: USA $146.00; Canada and Mexico $190.00 (payable in USA funds); all other international $280.00 (payable in USA funds). Single copies: USA $15.00; all international (payable in USA funds) $30.00. Buyer’s Guide: USA $40.00; all international (payable in USA funds) $70.00. Reproduction of contents is strictly forbidden. © Copyright 2014. BUILDING DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION accepts no responsibility or liability for the validity of information supplied by contributors, vendors, advertisers or advertising agencies. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT BUILDING DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION 3030 W SALT CREEK LN STE 201 ARLINGTON HEIGHTS IL 60005-5025 To subscribe to Building Design + Construction, please go to: www.cdsreportnow.com/renew/now?bdc

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Envolution™ introduces HPCI Fortress™ HPCI Fortress™ insulated metal panel is the ultimate solution for rain screen wall construction. This panel can be used behind any type of building facade and provides all the functions of water, air and vapor barriers. HPCI Fortress is installed outside the structural supports providing an efficient, continuous insulation solution, improving thermal performance. envolution.com 877.585.9969 Circle 783

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Firestone Building Products 19 International Exposition 69, 73 Company - AHR Expo Johnsonite Inc. 43 Kawneer Company Inc. 21 Keene Building Products 14 Lapeyre Stair 20 LATICRETE SUPERCAP 18

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LG Electronics MechoSystems, Inc. Mercedes-Benz of North America Inc. Metl-Span Moen Inc. Mortar Net Solutions National Grid*

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ACOUSTIC CEILING LINE OFFERS MONOLITHIC COLOR AESTHETIC Recognizing the growth in demand for colored ceiling design solutions, Armstrong Ceiling Systems developed Colorations Integrated Systems, a line of matching ceiling panels, suspension systems, and trim in 13 standard colors. Colorations marries the company’s Calla acoustical ceiling panels, Suprafine suspension systems, and Axiom trim to provide a smooth, monolithic aesthetic with good acoustical performance and easy access to the plenum, according to the manufacturer. Colorations panels are washable, impact-resistant, and soil resistant.

Armstrong Ceiling Systems CIRCLE NO. 930 ON READER SERVICE CARD

ASPIRATING SMOKE DETECTORS PROVIDE EXPANDED COVERAGE, EARLY DETECTION System Sensor has expanded its FAAST line of aspirating smoke detectors with the FAAST XT. The device uses four pipe inlets to draw air in from the protected space to detect faint traces of smoke across a 20,000-sf coverage zone. The new model offers more than twice the coverage that standard FAAST systems offer. It includes a built-in LCD display for programming and status checks directly at the device. Designed for mission-critical applications, FAAST XT features multiple customizable alarm levels and notification methods via email, Internet, a fire alarm control panel, and at the device itself.

System Sensor CIRCLE NO. 931 ON READER SERVICE CARD

CUSTOMIZE WALL AND DOOR PROTECTION WITH HIGH-RESOLUTION GRAPHICS Two new product lines from Construction Specialties offer Building Teams the ability to embed high-resolution images and logos, as well as simulated textures and colors, into impact-resistant, rigid sheet material used for wall and door protection. Acrovyn by Design and Acrovyn Doors by Design are designed for high-traffic areas, such as hospitals, schools, transportation terminals, and events centers. They are made from environmentally preferable, durable Acrovyn 4000—a PETG compound that contains no PVC, PBTs, or halogenated or brominated fire retardants. The 0.040-inch-thick rigid sheet serves as a protective shield for graphics and provides impact-resistant, easily cleanable protection, says the manufacturer.

Construction Specialties CIRCLE NO. 932 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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HOW VALUE ENGINEERING AFFECTED A HEALTHCARE FACILITY IN THE SOUTHEAST. John Neal was the plumbing designer on the project. Six months after the owners move in, he got a phone call letting him know the floor in the hospital’s kitchen is collapsing. Turns out the contractor went against the engineer’s specs and connected PVC to a 190° commercial dishwasher. Now the owners are going to have to dig up the floor and replace it with cast iron. All because they didn’t follow the engineer’s specifications. To learn more about this story and the dangers of value engineering, visit charlottepipe.com/ VE.

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Saving water just got a lot easier and much better looking. Until now, adding water-saving electronic faucets to any building was a hassle. Electronic faucets are a challenge to install. What’s more, performance is inconsistent, maintenance is demanding, the price is too high and, let’s be honest, the design leaves something to be desired. With EQ, everything is different. They’re easy to install, easy to operate, easy to maintain, and easy on your budget. 3GDXQD@KRND@RXNMSGDDXDRVHSG@BGNHBDNEONKHRGDCBGQNLDNQAQTRGDCMHBJDKjMHRGDRHMSGQDDUDQR@SHKDRSXKDR $0L@JDRHSD@RHDQSG@MDUDQSNAQHMFRSXKD@MCV@SDQR@UHMFRSNQDRSQNNLRHMNEjBDRQDS@HKRONQSRE@BHKHSHDR@MCNSGDQ commercial buildings. Want to learn more? Visit eqfaucets.com for more information. It doesn’t get easier than that.

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