Celebrate a decade of inspirational design with us! The 10th Annual A+Awards is officially underway, and the Main Entry Deadline is December 17, 2021. Click here to start your entry today.

Woods Bagot designed the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) to reimagine medical research in South Australia. Made to accommodate researchers from around the world, the project’s iconic architecture is meant to symbolize, inspire and promote the building’s function. Formed with an elevated diamond-shaped plan, the project allows the parklands to extend below while emphasizing technology and innovation through its signature building envelope.

Woods Bagot was engaged by the South Australian Government to design and deliver the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). Awarded R&D Magazine’s Laboratory of the Year Award, SAHMRI was made to be a world-class research facility. Aiming to attract the best researchers from around the world, the project comprises approximately 323,000 square feet of an innovative lab typology that includes wet and dry laboratories, a vivarium, a cyclotron and associated public areas and workspaces.

Working closely with laboratory design specialists, Woods Bagot determined the current and potential needs of scientists working at the facility. As the team explains, the lifted building and integrated landscape were made to “liberate the ground plane” and invite greater activation and porosity throughout the site. Made to foster collaboration between researchers, the project used atria and bridges, as well as visual connections between floors and the interconnecting spiral stair.

The facility provides nine fully flexible wet and dry laboratory modules to house up to 675 researchers across community health services. Each module — consisting of open lab space with benches, lab support rooms and write-up space — is connected to the lobby and bridge via the atria and arranged adjacently to encourage interaction and transparency. The modular design of workplaces varies from open plan to enclosed meeting rooms and quiet spaces. A large-column layout allows for efficiency and flexibility and was instrumental to the future-proofing of the space.

The co-location of research and hospital services aimed to create synergies between researchers and clinicians, integrating health and medical research into practice to help attract and retain key researchers and scientists to South Australia. Meanwhile, the write-up spaces on the adjacent north and north-east side are based on a modular design of workplaces, from open plan to enclosed meeting rooms and quiet spaces. The porous façade invites maximum daylight into these areas as well as borrowed light to the laboratory spaces. It also enhances external views, creating a brighter and healthier internal environment.

The team also delved further into the interior design, noting how the palette is designed to breathe light and life into the working environment. According to the architects, “a restrained selection of materials acknowledges the play of light created by the building skin and allows it to transform the spaces over the course of the day. Injections of color are introduced though permanent walls and flexible furniture pieces that will be moved over time to suit the users’ needs.”

Structurally, the selection of SAHMRI’s grid was integrated early on to optimize the conflicting requirements of large spans and stringent vibration requirements for laboratory equipment. Developed out of the basic program of the floor plates, the sculpted envelope reflects the functional symmetry of the space. A transparent façade showcases the two atriums within the building: the west atrium expresses the entry and bridge links between the laboratories and the east one articulates the active workplace environment. The building’s form is accentuated by the triangulated diagrid façade.

The SAHMRI’s sculptural transparent facade was made to unify the organic diamond-shaped plan while showcasing the two atria inside the building. ALUCOIL created the composite panels, a team that’s known for producing advanced materials for various building applications. ALUCOIL’s Larson composite panels are an exterior architectural wall cladding panel made for ventilated, semi-ventilated, and air-tight façades. They are strong and flexible to protect structures from exterior environmental conditions, and in SAHMRI, they made with aluminium composite. The high-tech product is made up of two sheets of aluminium alloy 5005 that’s bonded. It can be machined, transformed, drilled, perforated or curved.

Inspired by a pinecone, the skin simulates a living organism with sunshades that adapt and respond to the sun’s orientation to mitigate daylight, heat load, glare and wind noise, while enhancing views and natural lighting and reducing energy use. This external treatment was selected early on to optimize the building’s conflicting requirements of large spans, curved envelope and the stringent vibration conditions needed for sensitive laboratory equipment. To meet the various environmental, programmatic and formal stipulations for this initiative, technical experts utilized parametric modeling tools, including RHINO and Grasshopper.

Located alongside the new Royal Adelaide Hospital in the heart of Adelaide’s new medical and health precinct west of the city, SAHMRI reinforces South Australia as a major center for medical research. As the first LEED Gold laboratory building in Australia, SAHMRI holistically approaches environmental and sustainable design.

Optimizing natural light and minimizing energy use, the project includes collection and recycling of water, reduction in energy loads and intelligent mechanical systems that draw air in from the cooler lower levels. The design for SAHMRI was created through a process with key SAHMRI stakeholders, including the local, national and international research community, health sector and universities. Its key success is its central proposition: a new laboratory typology that promotes collaboration and medical discovery. Emphasizing connection, innovation and science, the project represents a new model for ecologically sustainable development and research in Australia.

Celebrate a decade of inspirational design with us! The 10th Annual A+Awards is officially underway, and the Main Entry Deadline is December 17, 2021. Click here to start your entry today.

The post Behind the Building: Adelaide’s SAHMRI Laboratory by Woods Bagot appeared first on Journal.

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Project Status: BuiltYear: 2020Size: 5000 sqft – 10,000 sqft

Text description provided by the architects.

The Moynihan Train Hall expands the nation’s busiest train station—New York’s Penn Station—across 8th Avenue into the historic James A. Farley Post Office Building, part of a mixed-use redevelopment of the entire block. The century-old building was designed by McKim, Mead, and White—the same firm that designed the original, iconic Pennsylvania Station.

© Rockwell Group

The Moynihan Train Hall will offer enhanced passenger facilities for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, Long Island Rail Road passengers, and long distance travelers, including accessibility for passengers with disabilities, all within a grand Train Hall designed by SOM, featuring a sky lit atrium approximately the size of the Grand Central Terminal’s Main Hall.

© Rockwell Group

In concert with the forthcoming renovation of Penn Station, to better serve commuter rail passengers and Amtrak’s intercity passenger arrivals, expansion of Amtrak and LIRR’s passenger services into the new Moynihan Train Hall will relieve existing station crowding and improve passenger comfort and security. Rockwell Group was tasked with designing Amtrak and LIRR’s Ticketed Waiting Room.

Our concept for the new Amtrak/LIRR waiting area was inspired by the grandeur and glamour of classic train stations, including the original Penn Station, and their soaring, light-filled concourses, arched openings, and signature fixtures.

© Rockwell Group

We also took a deep dive into research around benches and seating at train stations, and brought a sense of warmth and luxury to the waiting area with wood and upholstery.

Rockwell Group elevated the Ticketed Waiting Room to bring warmth and liveliness to this transitional space. The linear waiting area contains four seating bays with some freestanding high-top tables as well as custom, built-in benches inspired by historic train station seating, wrapped in walnut slats.

© Rockwell Group

The wood slats continue to line the walls, for a uniform, seamless look.Metal globe sconces integrated through the wood walls were inspired by the original large globe lights at Penn Station. Benches feature wood vinyl cushions and low-profile wood armrests. Guests can access personal charging outlets along the bench aprons.

© Rockwell Group

A linear feature light on top of the bench peninsulas above the backrest provides a warm, soft glow. Niches in the walls feature custom backpainted blue glass panels adorned with etched architectural line work that form patterns referencing the original Penn Station. Four niches frame Stan Douglas’ epic series of nine photographic panels commissioned by Empire State Development in partnership with Public Art Fund.

© Rockwell Group

Arranged in three pairs and one triptych, Stan Douglas’ work reconstructs significant but little-known moments spanning the original Penn Station’s half-century lifespan, standing as vivid evocations of the city’s forgotten history. Above, a customized feature chandelier by Roll and Hill appears as cascading bars of light, giving the waiting area an expansive space and recalling the grand architectural lines of old train stations.

© Rockwell Group

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© Rockwell Group

Moynihan Train Hall Ticketed Waiting Room Gallery

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Emma Walshaw is the founder of First In Architecture and The Detail Library, and has written a number of books aiming to facilitate a better understanding of construction and detailing. Contributions by Aida Rodriguez-Vega, architect and researcher at the Detail Library.

Timber cladding has historically been chosen for buildings due to its aesthetic qualities, natural durability, flexibility, weight to strength ratio and ease of working. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly popular as a more sustainable option for both building and cladding than other materials (when sourced from responsibly managed forests).

Choosing a Timber

There are a huge range of tree species to choose from depending on aesthetic, sustainable principles, durability and cost. Some of these include soft woods such as pine, hard woods such as oak, tropical hardwoods such as iroko and modified woods such as Accoya®.

It is always recommended to select a timber which can last a minimum of 15 years. In these cases, pick a timber that is either:

Naturally durable —  a timber species that has appropriate, inherent natural durability for its applicationPreservative treated — timber impregnated with a wood preservative in a factory-controlled process to meet a minimum Use Class 3 ratingModified — timber physically modified in a process that changes its properties to enhance its durability to an appropriate level

Larch is a great example of a naturally durable commonly used softwood in cladding. It weathers to a lovely grey and can be purchased pressure treated, helping to further extend its lifespan to a minimum of 10 years.

Likewise, European oak and sweet chestnut trees are naturally durable temperate hardwoods. Both can naturally last up to 30 years although oak especially can be quite an expensive option. Both woods are corrosive to metals so specific fixings need to be considered.

Tropical hardwoods such as iroko and cumaru have great resistance to both moisture and pests, and can be naturally durable up to 60 years. Although they are tropical woods that are sourced from South America and Africa, both are commonly available in the UK.

There are a huge range of modified woods which have been treated chemically or thermally to improve their lifespan to up to 60 years. For example, most external grade pine is pressure treated with preservatives to enhance resistance to rot and insect attack, thus increasing its lifespan.

Once you have selected your timber species, there is also great variation of timber grading based on many factors. Some of these visible features can include knots, grain slope, bark pockets, exposed pith as well as resin pockets. These can all affect the life span of a board and should be discussed with the manufacturer or supplier.

There are also a huge range of finishes dependent on the wood chosen, location, aesthetics and durability. These can range from UV protective coatings to paint applied either on site or in a factory. Importantly, any boards that are cut to size on site may need to have their coatings reapplied following the manufacturer’s recommendations (both for the wood and coating). Other finishes include varnishes, stains, clear coatings, flame retardant impregnation, treatments for fungus or wood eating insects as well as charring the surface of wood to create a protective black layer around the timber cladding.

Badehaus Am Kaiserstrand (Bathhouse) by Lang + Schwärzler, Am Kaiserstrand, Lochau, Austria

Choosing a Profile

There is a wide choice of standard profiles and board widths available with dimensions and styles varying from one supplier to another. Some manufacturers can also offer bespoke profiles and new innovative designs such as planks sawn individually to create a certain pattern once installed.

Although greatly dependent on your wall structure, timber cladding is normally fitted over a drained and ventilated cavity. A breather layer separates dry and wet zones, although a breather membrane is not essential for cladding fixed to a masonry building with cavity walls.

Horizontal cladding is typically fixed to vertical battens.Vertical cladding is usually installed onto horizontal battens and vertical counter battens to maintain ventilation and drainage of any water and condensation. (Except board on board as overlapping of timber creates vertical ventilation channels.)

It is also important to remember that wood expands and contracts depending on the external conditions and to allow for this movement when installing. The manufacturer should be able to advise on recommended expansion gaps, types and frequency of fixings. Due to the nature of timber and the way it is shaped, not all profiles are suitable in all arrangements. The following list shows some of the most common types of profiles suited for horizontal timber cladding.

Horizontal Timber Cladding

Below are a few examples of some of the most common horizontal timber cladding.

Feather Edge

Feather edge cladding has a triangular section which is installed with a small overlap. Its shape helps shed water off each board. It also creates contrast between shadow and light whilst adding depth to the façade. This profile is not recommended for vertical installation.

Open Gap

Open gap boards are boards with a small gap in between. They are very popular with architects due to the clean lines although due to the design, the fixings will be visible. They can also give a great depth to a façade, allowing views through the cladding. When specifying this product, it is important to consult the manufacturer’s recommendations on suitable non-staining fixings, gap widths, insect mesh requirements and suitable breather membranes.

A gap is usually recommended of around 8 – 15mm between each board. Larger gaps can expose the outer wall structure to UV and water damage. It is always necessary to use UV resistant breather membranes and the membranes recommended gap width. It is not recommended to use this types of cladding vertically although with the right manufacturer’s recommendation, guarantee and detailing it can be possible.

Shiplap

Shiplap boards create a similar aesthetic to open gap boards but with an overlapping joint helping to keep water out of the ventilated cavity and prolonging the life of the cladding. They are another type of profile liked by architects due to its simple shadow gap detail and hidden fixings. This profile can also be used vertically.

Tongue and groove (T&G)

T&G boards are similar to shiplap but create a stronger joint between boards. This is also the reason that T&G can also be used vertically and diagonally. Aesthetically they have in the past been used for a more traditional finish, although modern profiles and hidden fixings can also give this profile a modern feel.

Vertical Timber Cladding

Below are a few examples of some of the most common vertical timber cladding. It is recommended that all horizontal battens have a slope to help drain away any water.

Shiplap

Similarly to the horizontal arrangement, the boards have an overlapping joint helping to keep water out of the ventilated cavity and prolonging the life of the cladding. This profile comes in a huge range of designs with variation of board width, length, hidden fixings, shadow gap depth and size.

Tongue and Groove (T&G)

Similarly to the horizontal setting out, T&G provides a strong battier against wind driven rain due to the overlapping of the profile. T&G can also be used horizontally and diagonally.

Board on Board

Board on board is when vertical boards overlap with one underneath and one on top of the other. With this placement, you can alternate board widths or the distance between the two boards to create larger or smaller shadow gaps. This type of cladding does not require a counter batten, although it is worth consulting the manufacturer for recommendations. It can sometimes be used as an alternative to open gap as it can create a deeper shadow gap than other profiles. It is not recommended to use this profile horizontally.

Shingles

Timber shingles are a modular cladding material and are neither boards installed vertically or horizontally. However, they do have a similar substructure or battens and counter battens to allow for ventilation and drainage of any moisture build up. They come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes which can sometimes be combined to create interesting patterns.

Maintenance

Wood is a natural material and therefore its maintenance is very important in increasing the cladding’s lifespan. Maintenance requirements will vary depending on the wood species, section, setting out and finishes. The manufacturer or installer should always provide a manual informing the user/owner of maintenance requirements. All cladding will require periodic inspections by a competent person to verify if there are any areas to repair or to confirm that the cladding continues to do its job.

Resources

If you want more inspiration on timber cladding, styles and applications, and how they work with different architectural designs, be sure to follow Detail Library on Pinterest where we have hundreds of modern timber cladding ideas!

There are plenty of resources to help in choosing the right material and how to detail it for each specific project. Below is a selection of some of the most popular.  

https://www.trada.co.uk/publications/choose-and-use/ 

https://www.trada.co.uk/publications/wood-information-sheets/

https://www.woodcampus.co.uk/new-for-2021-the-timber-cladding-handbook/

https://www.burtonroofing.co.uk/blog/guide-to-installing-cedar-shingles/

https://duffieldtimber.com/cladding

Celebrate a decade of inspirational design with us! The 10th Annual A+Awards is officially underway, with an Early Entry Deadline of October 29th, 2021. Click here to start your entry today.

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Celebrate a decade of inspirational design with us! The 10th Annual A+Awards is officially underway, with an Early Entry Deadline of October 29th, 2021. Click here to start your entry today.

The hashtag #minimalism pulls up more than twenty-four million photos on Instagram. It’s not often we see a trend that encompasses so many fields of design: architecture, products, interiors and fashion are all rallied under one over-arching banner. An aesthetic that seems to resurge in waves, minimalism — the word, the style, and the lifestyle — is once again a part our daily lives.

For many designers, the term sparks visions of John Pawson or Tadao Ando. For others, it brings up images of blank canvases of space, bare walls and floors and a life with few possessions. Time and again, minimalism has been embraced as a direct contradiction to the life of consumerism that dominates modern life.

However, today’s minimalism is quite different from the clean-lined, empty-shelled perfection of the past. Although it continues to contradict societies’ want want want attitudes, the new minimalism takes a more realistic approach than its predecessor, accepting that having some “stuff” is essential but asking us to be more conscious about the things we choose to have in our lives.

Rather than rejecting the ownership of objects altogether, the new design ethos celebrates the stories our environments tell; that is, it champion functional and/or emotional values of objects while still embracing ideas of simplicity. Through selective curation, the narrative behind the products in one’s homes has become as important as the products themselves.

Focusing on great design, noble materials and seamless functionality, the ideals of new minimalism encourage us to populate our homes and lives with fewer, more special objects, as opposed to filling them with many things that are simply OK or that are purely functional. This year’s 2021 A+Product Awards evinced the powerful hold of new minimalism on the design world today. Many of this year’s winners champion designers who have embraced the ideals of new minimalism, designing and producing items that pair purpose and meaning with stunningly pared down aesthetics.

Halo Jewel

Designed by Martín Azúa, this fixture by Vibia takes light in its simplest form and transcends it into a product in its own right. By solely focusing on illumination, Azúa has created a product that seems to be made from light in its purest form. A delicate and beautiful piece Halo Jewel uses the simplest of shapes — a circle and a line — yet, the fixture is also sculptural, decorative and architectural in its function.

The elegant steel structure is considered ensuring the effect is the same whether day or night. The opaque diffuser captures the light from the LEDs within and produces an ethereal quality when illuminated. Delicate yet commanding Halo Jewel is everything a light should be.

Sticks

Adaptability is a prominent feature of New Minimalism, exploring how one item does the job of many and again, Vibia is championing the goal. Designed by Arik Levy, this lighting piece is sleek and elegant while also presenting a solution to many lighting dilemmas. Pure and graphic, the minimalist aluminum rods transform linear light into a floating sculpture.

The namesake sticks rotate on their own axis, offering unlimited freedom in directing the light source precisely where desired. Sticks can be connected from wall to wall; floor to wall; wall to ceiling; or suspended from the ceiling — it is modular lighting as we have never seen before.

Levy says “Today with all the existing fixtures I have designed, and I designed many of them, or that is in the market, you cannot bring light to the upper corner of your living room or your restaurant or your entry to a hotel. Now we can.” Sticks provides a solution that is so simple yet so effective no other light source is needed.

Invisible Frame

New minimalism can be as much about an individual product as it is about how we use the spaces we inhabit. Vitrocsa‘s new frame is the epitome of new minimalism. Set on a single track, the sliding window system allows its entire surrounding frame to be concealed. The hidden track system creates expansive openings to offer maximum light with the fewest possible visible profiles.

Vitrocsa has developed this new type of window to create space, light and freedom. It is a product that aims to change how we use our spaces. It completely removes the typical architectural barrier of a sliding doorway, so the differentiation between inside and out ceases to exist.

N037

It is important to remember, however, that new minimalism, at its core, strives to keep things simple. To reduce what we need and want, and to encourages us to seek out solutions that function so well they do not need support from additional pieces. Nero Cucine‘s latest product is a beautiful example. Marketed at a “Hyper Kitchen,” N037 is revolutionary in its design and function. A unique blend of performance, design and noble materials the kitchen offers a futuristic design and living experience made of beauty, sustainability and functionality.

Celebrate a decade of inspirational design with us! The 10th Annual A+Awards is officially underway, with an Early Entry Deadline of October 29th, 2021. Click here to start your entry today.

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15 of the 20 largest global architecture and engineering firms, responsible for over $100 billion in construction annually, have now adopted and implemented the 2030 Challenge. According to a recent poll of design industry leaders by the Design Futures Council, approximately forty percent (40%) of all U.S. architecture firms have adopted the challenge.

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For firms to incorporate sustainability into every project, their leaders need to actively champion and enable the change. Research shows that by delivering sustainable designs, building owners enjoy financial and non-financial business benefits, such as lower operating costs and significantly better occupant satisfaction, which influences productivity. Plus the financial benefits do not always come at the expense of higher first costs.

Argyle building design by JLG Architects, Grandforks, ND

Delivering these multi-stakeholder benefits on high-value projects inevitably leads to repeat business for design firms. These outcomes illustrate that sustainable design is good for business.

JLG Architects Office, Grand Forks, ND. Collaboration zone and huddle rooms looking onto the work station area. Shows an active design facilitated by Sefaira.

JLG Architects was established in 1989, is owned by its 150 employees, and has 13 North American offices. JLG Architects has received many AIA awards for projects ranging from healthcare centers, corporate offices, airport terminals, and education facilities to sports venues.

It has achieved ambitious certifications such as the first LEED Platinum building in North Dakota, and LEED Gold and Silver for projects ranging from research centers to residential developments. It is currently pursuing Living Building Challenge Full Certification, Fitwell, LEED Platinum, the AIA Framework for Design Excellence and exceptional energy performance for its own office in Grand Forks (shown above).

JLG Architects Minneapolis Office, Minneapolis, MN. Collaboration zone overlooking St. Anthony Falls with free address workstations to the left.

The excellence that permeates JLG’s work comes from pursuing its vision and core values in combination with impactful leadership. We sat down with Patrick Thibaudeau, long-time sustainability champion and Principal Sustainability Officer at JLG, to discuss how the firm successfully translated its vision and values to each team member’s design process. Read on for five tips for successfully embedding sustainability into practice and process. All images are courtesy of JLG Architects.

Find the ‘why’: Why Sustainability Matters

At JLG, our vision is “Design for Life,” which means using design thinking and skills to help individuals and communities thrive. This vision is supported by five core values: design, community, relationships, stewardship, and integrity.

JLG lives these values by working to elevate the human experience by positively impacting occupant health, wellness, equity, and resilience for persons and place; by designing for positive performance: energy, carbon, water; and responsibly using resources to achieve financial prosperity for communities, organizations, and individuals.

Gorecki Alumni Center at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, is the first LEED Platinum project in North Dakota

These goals have always been present throughout the firm’s 30-year history. They were embodied by its founders and are now written and passed down so that each team member embraces the vision, values, and approach, and understands the actionable steps they need to pursue on every project to make life better for all stakeholders.

Implementing Sustainability in Daily Practice

To live our vision and values, we asked ourselves, “what do these aspirations look like on each person’s desk?” The values must translate into daily practice for each person and every project.

As part of this effort, JLG signed the Architecture 2030 commitment. Rather than only submit a report once a year, we’ve accelerated the integration of that commitment into our project process. We decided to take a game-changing leap by creating energy models on all 2030 reportable projects and completed an AIA framework for Design Excellence (FDE-10) spreadsheet for every project. We deployed Sefaira firmwide in June of 2020, and by the end of September, every project had an FDE-10 spreadsheet, and every 2030 reportable project had an energy model with performance targets established. All our staff received Sefaira training, and more than 100 energy models were prepared in approximately 90 days. We now have approximately 200 energy models.

Instead of targeting incremental improvements or focusing only on isolated projects, we went all in and performed analyses on every single project. Every project has a designated team member responsible for performance analysis. All ten topics in the AIA framework are addressed with high-performance targets that bring valuable options for clients to consider. As a result of this concerted effort, our 2020 report achieved a 55% energy reduction compared to the 2030 baseline.

Additionally, every team member is engaged in delivering design excellence. A staff quiz in the fall of 2020 showed 100% of respondents knew what EUI stands for (Energy Use Intensity). [Read about the six metrics every designer should know.] They understand the key factors for optimizing the energy performance of a building’s envelope. Each person knows the target EUI for typical projects and has access to the zero baseline tool, and Sefaira energy and daylight simulation plugins on their desktop. JLG wrote a custom script to launch the Sefaira plug-in for SketchUp so that it is always on as design starts and continues.

JLG has a process to capture lessons learned so that they can be applied to future projects and help identify financial ROI. “We have produced nearly 200 energy models in less than a year, and we have seen the benefits, including improved design and positive financial return. One example has a projected ROI of over $200,000 of net positive revenue after 30 years of equipment life. Using Sefaira, we find that performance informs form. As we conduct design analysis, the performance simulation gives useful information that designers can leverage when determining building form.”

Preparing for Success

Energy modeling specialists charge architects between $7,500 – $40,000 to complete a detailed energy model that typically lags behind the design, delaying progress, and has limited value.  JLG does not approach building performance as an add-on; it’s simply part of the way they work.

JLG is driven to find affordable design excellence for every client. This makes it vital for us to keep design analysis fast, iterative, and affordable because it saves both time and costs for the team. We consider sustainability as inseparable from design excellence.”

It takes only one to four hours to set up an early phase concept model and to establish a predicted Energy Use Intensity (EUI) target.  JLG typically spends an additional two to eight hours per design phase to optimize the design, which is much less than the old style of energy modeling that can take 100 to 200 hours over several weeks.

JLG has defined a starter file that contains presets such as the building code baseline and best practices for optimization, learned from its extensive database of energy models.  They study different massing types — long and narrow versus deep floor plates — and various orientation options. This allows them to know which sensitive factors to watch out for early on.

Next, JLG tackles envelope specifications, lighting power density, and investigates the impact of HVAC solutions that can contribute to net-zero energy options. With this information, JLG can have an informed conversation with the client about the opportunities and the value of net-zero goals and financial payback that often show a net positive total cost of ownership. Presenting options and value makes for better conversations with clients.

Sustainable design is more than just a checklist

Sustainability has often devolved into a checklist approach. JLG raises the bar by focusing on the outcome and applying an iterative, integrated approach that yields better results. JLG defines project aspirations first, then creates stretch goals that are actively pursued.

For technology to survive and become ubiquitous, it has to be fast and relatively inexpensive, or it won’t be used consistently.

When we ask ourselves, “How far can we go with this tool?”, SketchUp allows us to go from ideation to development and daylight optimization. We leverage our SketchUp model deeper in the design process by exporting an IDF file or by using our SketchUp file as a linked file in Revit during construction documentation. By leveraging agile, adaptable skills, building owners get better value.

Overcoming industry challenges

In architecture, the way we think about sustainability is a big hurdle to implementing sustainable design.  Patrick Thibaudeau and the JLG team aim to make high-performance design excellence and net-zero buildings the norm rather than the exception. “We need to understand and believe that it can be done rather than thinking it can’t.  If we believe we can push the design boundaries for better, more sustainable outcomes, we do better.”

5 Tips for Successfully Embedding Sustainability in Practice

1. Doing is Knowing

Too often, having information doesn’t translate into action. For decades the profession has focused on listening to speakers, which creates the illusion of learning.  JLG has accelerated progress by focusing on a  “doing is knowing” approach to learning. The act of doing breaks the barrier of understanding and accelerates learning.

2. Always on

JLG is making performance analysis to be like breathing. It just happens. “We expect products we use to reinforce the right behavior.”  For example, JLG has a custom script that launches Sefaira when SketchUp launches, so the energy and daylight plug-in is on automatically. This ensures that analysis is always top of mind and accessible when design work is being done.

3. Real-time design analytics 

Rather than a team of specialists doing the performance simulation, JLG has each team prepare a SketchUp model and run Sefaira analysis supported by a team of specialists.  These models are kept up to date to match project development, and they are reviewed each month and at the end of each design phase.

4. Embed best practices and standardize repeat tasks

JLG has developed starter models in the Sefaira web app for each primary building type, making it easy for everyone to hit the ground running without starting from scratch.  Best practice parameters are included in the starter files as pre-sets.

5. Normalize pushing the boundaries

We encourage teams to test ideas. We permit our teams to and even encourage testing extreme limits in the models to “learn by doing and see what happens.” Through these tests, the designer can learn and understand both the importance and sensitivities of different building factors such as R-value, daylight, massing, orientation, air infiltration, and glass performance.

There is no set script to plug and play for every project, but parts of the process are repeated and are built into the day-to-day workflow. With the right mindset and approach, tools and knowledge, all designers can achieve well above minimum baselines for the benefit of stakeholders. By simply starting with an aspirational outcome in mind, you can deliver owners great buildings for the best value and lower total cost of ownership as well as positive impact on the community.

Project Spotlight: JLG Head Office, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Key design goals

90% or higher occupant satisfactionNet Zero Energy: makes more energy than consumedNet positive carbonWater balance: 40% less water use than a baseline office building. No irrigation.Zero waste for construction waste diversionZero Red List Toxins from materialsNet Positive Revenue

Performance goals

LEED CI PlatinumFitwell 2 starsLiving Building Challenge full certificationAIA Framework for Design Excellence High Performance

Did you meet your performance goals?

The project is under construction and on target to achieve the goals

Using SketchUp and Sefaira helped us achieve:

Time savings – much faster in design analyticsCapital cost savingsOperating cost savings – Projected $232,000 positive revenue after 30 yearsHigh building quality at 3% less capital cost than a comparable office building

bout JLG Architects

JLG Architects was established in 1989, is owned by its 150 employees, and has thirteen North American offices. JLG Architects has received many AIA awards for projects ranging from healthcare centers, corporate offices, airport terminals, and education facilities to sports venues. It is ranked as one of BD+C’s top 150 Architecture giants, and one of the Architectural Record’s Top 300 Architecture Firms in the United States. To top it off, JLG has high marks for employee satisfaction. Inc. Magazine shortlisted JLG as one of the Best 50 Places to Work in America, and the AIA recognized it with an Outstanding Firm Award for its Intern Development Program.

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Project Status: Under ConstructionSize: 3000 sqft – 5000 sqftBudget: 1M – 5M

Text description provided by the architects.

Mask Architects”s founders Öznur Pınar ÇER and Danilo PETTA have designed ” the artificial breathing palm modular structure system”, ” Oasys + System” has one of ten winners of the ‘Cool Abu Dhabi Challenge ’, a global design competition between more than 1,570 participants from 67 countries.

We have designed The ‘Oasys’ as an Oasis that is located in the middle of the city to our allocated space in which we will transform the space into a comfortable habitable area for the residents of Abu Dhabi.

© MASK Architects

We see and realize the need for such measures to be taken to create such spaces in our developing societies. As Abu Dhabi seeks to grow its vibrant and diverse city, it can be seen that it has growing industries in tourism, education, finance and culture that allows Abu Dhabi to thrive.

© MASK Architects

So we agree that outdoor thermal comfort instalments are important to public and private spaces as well as the sectors that will see the ease of threat from climate change to urban development and society. We have designed an Oasis that protects Abu Dhabi’s residents and makes their lives more environmentally sustainable and healthy for them to be able to use outdoor spaces more effectively in their daily routines.

© MASK Architects

It is important that we keep the residents socially and physically engaged with their surroundings by increasing their desire to interact with outdoor spaces. So we have designed a multi-use space in which it will act as a refuge from the surrounding areas that are overheated. There can be temporary pop-up stands, cafes, sitting areas, exhibition sites, nature retreats, etc.

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At the Oasis we have created answers to all the issues of modern urban and social space development that we face in such environments in the region. Our design stands as a barrier from heat, UV rays, noise, and wind.The Artificial Breathing Palm modular structure system, ‘Oasys’ is inspired by palm leaves to create a real oasis.

© MASK Architects

You can see that already it has a unique aesthetic look from the surrounding areas as well as keeping in touch with the local cultural heritage and landscape of historical and modern design. The “Oasis” design concept has been influenced by the need to create a greener city as well as creating a real oasis in the middle of the city.

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The Oasis is designed not only for today but for the future in mind too. We also offer to distribute the ‘The Oasys design concept’ around Abu Dhabi to make the city greener. Besides the flexible and replaceable design line, any outdoor functions are adapted easily into the ‘Oasys’ concept mechanism that can be replicated easily to form a network of hubs and centre points in which they act as islands of rest places, socializing and sociable communal for the collective and community.

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The modular design allows groupings of the palm structures that can be implemented in various and multiple spaces of all scales and environments as each module is scalable to need. The foundations that house all the water storage and vital equipment will be set up first to the appointed land where cooling is required.

© MASK Architects

Our installation modules can be temporary as to when needed and focus on the shoulder months of May to October as well as permanent.

The palm canopies are underlined with nozzles that spray mist into the air to create a cooler environment. This in return will keep the temperature low and controllable in the Oasis area.

© MASK Architects

We wanted to create cool and breathable outdoor spaces. We will collect and harvest solar energy with solar panels placed on the roofs of the palms. With the foundation housing storage units, we will be able to store electricity as well as able to distribute it at outlet points. The palms and branches of the structure, it allows protection from wind and sound.

© MASK Architects

We would like to block out all external effects from the surrounding area and stop them from entering the space, as wind and noise. This allows for creating a calm and peaceful environment. We also will have trees surrounding the structure to create an extra-eco space. This will also help with deflecting wind and sound and creating fresh air and creating habitat and sanctuary for birds.

© MASK Architects

When it turns dark, the lights come on. Fitted under the palms are lights that will be interactive. They will be used to create a mood-setting environment for each and any occasion. Blue lights on the modules will resemble the Sky, as the yellow lights represent the Sun and green is also a reflection of Ecology.

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‘The Artificial Breathing Palm modular structure system´ will act as an atmosphere would also be an Exhibition space for Art Installations, design weeks and so on, we are sure that the atmosphere will excite the users from children to the elder people.

Foundation base on nominated land around Abu Dhabi

The advantage of the flexible modular system design is that the foundation base will house all of the functional technical data (water and electric supplier pipes and the steel structure) will be distributed and built upon all selected and marked land to provide a network of foundations for future requirements.

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Briefly, we are to offer a service to set up the base foundations on all nominated land areas for the Cooling Design around Abu Dhabi. After we have built and distributed the foundations on nominated land, we will have a network grid of foundation bases ready, meanwhile, the land can and will be used as any public zone, ready for when the site needs any cooling system.

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The process of setting up the system is very easy and quick as we already have foundations set up with the essential equipment (water, electric, and structure requirements).While our structures can be temporary, it is important that we are able to keep them up to create a spatial area for permanent social spaces.Individually and as a group on Land with different functions.At the same time, the modular variation can be used in groups, or they can even be distributed individually depending on required variations and use in the public space.

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As you can see, the area under the canopy can provide many different functions of social space for example sitting, cafe, playground, open-reading zone…etc.So our design will provide any requirements with the option of flexibility, expand-ability, development, and open design solution.Modular System that can extendable by adding branch piecesWe have different dimensions and scales based on 5 modules which are A, B, C, D, and E.

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With this in mind, our structure can be set up to any variation needed and necessary for the space it is intended for. All our modules can connect together with their different scales to create unique spaces. We can group each module in different variations and customize each design layout and make it a bespoke setup for its intended use at each space.

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With this function, the design and setup are scalable to any area size required. This allows it to be mobile in any space or land of Abu Dhabi in which this cooling system is required. Modular branch pieces will provide a variety of height creation by using modules A, B, C, D, and E to create different height requirements on outdoor comfort conditions.

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Inside of the branch will have space for technical equipment to provide a clear and order construction technique and modifying. The foundation base will house all of the functional technical data (water and electric suppliers pipes and the steel structure) will be distributed and built upon all the selected and marked land to provide a network of foundations for future requirements.

© MASK Architects

The foundation has all the required equipment for the mist cooling system and steel construction elements of the Oasys structure. The foundation also provides housing for the water tank and solar energy collector which comes from the solar panels located on the roof.System Section with mist Cooling System in StructureThe main body of the steel structure is connected with the concrete foundation at the basement level.

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Each Oasys system has the main steel structure in the middle of the body. Interconnecting beams that are joined through the main steel structure are all run through the middle. Therefore, all loads which are dead and live are transferring with the main steel structure of the body centrally. We created a double-layered surface to create a gap between the main steel structure and the finished cladding material.

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The gap will provide exterior dote lighting equipment requirements, it will be illuminated by lighting. Exterior cladding material is 30% glossed-transparency material, with a double-layered gap that will provide a deepness perception.

When you look at the bottom surfaces, we have 26 pieces of custom-patterned-perforated and illuminated metal surfaces that have a Custom Designed Cooling Nebulizing Nozzle with Fun System.

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The nozzles and lighting circles are mixed randomly together to provide different variations. Custom Designed Cooling Nebulizing Nozzle with Fun System high-pressure misting fans on the land that are extremely effective in lowering the temperature on an outdoor patio by up to 30 degrees. These misting fans are equipped with Custom Designed Cooling Nebulizing Nozzle with a Fun System that releases a fine mist of water into the air.

© MASK Architects

The water mist evaporates when contacting the air to provide maximum cooling without the residual effects of moisture or wetting the ground. The high-pressure misting fans will enable citizens to spend countless hours outside, even amidst extreme heat and humidity. High-pressure systems can more effectively control odors and dust. Mist can also clean the surrounding area away from dust, smoke, and other common pollutants.

High-pressure systems will bring immense relief to pets suffering from the oppressive heat. Battery-powered and self-powering water timers, ACP Controller, flow meter, time, pressure, and temperature sensors are also available in our Oasys system. Through the smart temperature sensor, it can provide different high-pressures according to the requirement of the outdoor comfort conditions.

All systems will be adjustable and controllable by technological advancement (Smartphone applications and Arduino electronic cards).Lead Architect and Architectural Designer: OZNUR PINAR CERDesigner :DANILO PETTA Animation and Rendering Company: GENC DESIGN STUDIO by DERYA GENC.

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