Payette

What's on Your Desk: Miep Keller

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:39:00 GMT

With so many different creative minds under one roof, we all organize our work in a different way. I spoke with Miep Keller, one of Payette’s designers about her work space. Miep works on one of our co-located projects, so she has two desks; one at the job site and one in the office. At Payette we have an open plan office with similar table / desk setups for each staff member to facilitate collaboration. We have the ability to make our workstations mobile – moving to a new station should be seamless with rolling filing cabinets (many equipped with cushion tops to make a quick stool) and the same resources available at each station.

Miep and her team have been co-located for the past two months, working 2 days per week in the office and 3 days per week on site. When at the job site, Miep spends approximately 80% of her time at her desk and 20% of her time walking through the site. In order to accommodate the time she spends walking through the construction site, Miep keeps a change of clothes in her desk on site along with her site gear – the requisite hard hat, reflective vest, gloves and goggles. She finds it helpful to always be prepared. Given her love of color, it is no surprise that Miep populates both desk with splashes of color – from a funky coffee mug to a plant and other memorabilia. Miep described her desk as full of color and humor, thus her oversized tape dispenser nicknamed, “mix tape” shares space with her mustachioed coffee cup.

Miep’s desk here in the office holds samples and a brick from the original structure of the project. In her five years at Payette she’s worked on the same project the entire time. While in the office she likes to keep her ears open to her team’s discussions around as there are so many interconnected, complex components to the project.

What’s on your desk? Where do you find inspiration in the workplace?

Felasa 2013: Waste Not

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:33:24 GMT

Next month Jeffrey Zynda will present at the 12th FELASA and 12th SECAL joint congress entitled; ‘Animal Research: Better Science from Fewer Animals’ in Barcelona. Jeff will speak on June 10 on the topic of Paradigm Shift in Cagewash Equipment.

Session Title: Waste not: How the Paradigm Shift in Cagewash Equipment can significantly reduce Energy Consumption and Reduce Operating Costs
Presentation: Monday, June 10, 2:00pm – 3:30pm

We are at a paradigm shift in Vivarium technology, in which there are choices that can be made, particularly in cagewash equipment and methods, which can significantly reduce energy consumption space and operational costs. This is particularly germane to cage-washing operations, equipment and methodology. Data from the USA indicates that the lack of exploration into alternate technologies and reliance on narrow previous experience can lead to millions of dollars in wasted water, electricity, steam and other energy resources. With ever-increasing energy costs globally, wasteful spending in these areas may result in less capital available for other research endeavours.

However, exploring new options is a common challenge in new facility or renovation design. This presentation uses a year-long in-depth case-study, on applying a process-oriented life-cycle equipment cost evaluation procedure, to illustrate benefits, improvements, potential energy and cost savings to decision makers and to challenge the conventional notions about space allocation, and energy consumption in animal facility cagewash operations. These techniques provide: (i) a greater understanding of choices that can be made early in the design process to ensure that sustainable awareness and choices are brought to the table; (ii) tools for the evaluation of process, procedure and methodology of cage-wash operations to achieve time, energy and labour savings and (ii) knowledge of simply adapted planning design principles and details which improve working environment in cage-wash areas within Vivaria.

Related:
Tradeline: Research & Research Facility Futures
Critical Factors in the Planning and Design of High-Containment Facilities
This is Not the Same Lab You’ve Designed Before

Urban Paths

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:11:14 GMT

As other companies search for creative ways to name their conference rooms, according to a recent story by NPR’s Marketplace, we recently completed the design and installation of our final conference room graphic. ICL-Imaging produced and installed Payette’s Wilson Practice Room’s graphics. The Wilson Practice Room is our largest conference room and located adjacent to our kitchen and interiors library. This is an active, heavily trafficked location marked by an entry through double glass doors. At our former office and now at our new office, the Wilson Practice Room (named after John Wilson, Partner Emeritus) has long-been our firm’s largest gathering space for events and firm-wide project pin-ups.

Complementing the Boston Harbor Island graphics for our other conference rooms, the concept behind the patterned letter forms also has ties to its urban location – the light-filled Wilson Practice Room hugs perimeter windows overlooking Congress Street and the city beyond. The artwork embedded in the letter forms, also featured on our 2011 holiday sketchbook cover, consists of abstract linework representative of the network of streets and paths in our neighborhood.

Produced as vinyl decals with CMYK values that emulate etched glass, the glass surface and the transparent decals have a kinetic quality that play off the changing light throughout the day. Walking by, the letters seemingly move and obscure – transcending letter forms – achieving an artful quality that subtly marks the room.

Payette’s 2011 Sketchbook cover features the urban map of Boston and Payette’s building marked in copper along the Fort Point Channel.

Related
Island Inspiration
Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion Tour
A Brief Introduction to Deer Island

Signage Design by Kristyn Hill, Liz Reynolds and Karen Robichaud.
Photography by Rachellynn Schoen and Rashad Baniabbasi.

Payette + Cool Spaces!

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:51:15 GMT

Stephen Chung, AIA, LEED AP is a Boston-based architect working on a new Public Television production, Cool Spaces! This program will profile provocative architecture of the 21st century. Cool Spaces! is slated to premiere this Fall. Chung used Payette’s office to film his narrative transitions, which you can see a number times throughout in the teaser video below. Can you spot our President, Jim Collins in the first few seconds of the video talking with Chung over a model?

Stephen Chung visited our office in the past for an interview with Jim Collins in our office initiated by the AIA

We’re looking forward to checking out Cool Spaces! this fall.

Canstruction International

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:53:44 GMT

Last fall Payette competed in Canstruction Boston 2012 and received the People’s Choice Award. The theme was “Fun and Games” and we decided to construct a classic than a slinky. Canstruction held over 50 build events internationally last year and all of the People’s Choice Award winners from each competition is now in the running to win the International People’s Choice Award.

Vote for the Payette Slinky now through 5:00pm EST on May 17.

How it works:
1. Like Canstruction’s Page
2. View the People’s Choice Voting 2012-2013 Album
3. 'LIKE' the Payette Slinky

For more about the Payette Slinky, click here.

Canstruction’s mission is to feed the hungry while shining a spotlight on the design industry. It holds yearly is a design/build competition showcasing the talents of design and construction industry professionals and students they mentor. This year 52 events were held around the world. To learn more about how you or your company can join the fight against hunger and get involved, click here.

Balancing Act

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:05:58 GMT

Architects balance many things – client needs and vision, budget, schedule and more. Our Brian Spangler manages project responsibilities and his work as a volunteer firefighter. Brian is one of Payette’s young designers. For 5-10 hours a week, he also works with the Somerville Auxiliary Fire Department. This is a long-standing commitment for him. He became a junior volunteer firefighter in 2002 as a teenager in Forks Township, PA and continued on to the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy for a summer following high school where he became a Pro-Board certified firefighter by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress. He has family ties to this kind of work; his great-grandfather, Andrew Ruppert was Chief of the City of Easton, PA fire department from 1960-1967, and his brother, Eric, is also a volunteer firefighter. Brian remained involved with the department in PA throughout his undergraduate work at RPI, where he earned a B.Arch. After attending college, he moved to the Boston area and began work at Payette.

Brian joined the Somerville Auxiliary Fire Department in 2011 after stopping by the station one afternoon and learning about the volunteer opportunities. Currently serving as a Lieutenant, Brian supervises a crew of 3-5 firefighters who provide a variety of non-emergency and emergency services including scene lighting, pump-outs, medical aid, community event stand-bys, assisting police with serious crime and vehicle accident investigations, and assisting the Somerville Fire Investigation Unit, the Massachusetts State Police Arson Investigation Unit, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with arson investigations. Brian is also the department’s Training Officer, and in that capacity he is responsible for training new members and maintaining the unit’s readiness. The Auxiliary unit operates as a secondary, all-volunteer support unit under the direction of the Somerville Fire Department which is made up of about 150 career firefighters. The Auxiliary unit is on-call 24/7, but volunteers may use their discretion when answering a call. Each member is required to man the station at least one night a week to keep up with equipment maintenance and training.

While balancing his career as an emerging architecture professional, Brian remains committed to his work with the Auxiliary Fire Department and finds his colleagues here to be very supportive of his involvement. Here at Payette, Brian has contributed to projects for the Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Health Services, The George Washington University, Columbia University, Cornell University and our in-house Research and Innovation group. Brian has several published and co-published articles including Ventilation deflation: Reducing HVAC energy consumption in laboratory buildings which was included in the April 2013 Laboratory Design newsletter, and 3D Printing for Full-Scale Design Studies which appeared on an industry blog in 2012 featuring the use of 3D printing technology to prototype terra-cotta cladding profiles. He also co-presented “Reduction by Ventilation” at the ArchitectureBoston Expo (ABX) this past November. Additionally, Brian manages the model shop in the office, servicing the equipment, training and orienting the staff. He has also previously been an instructor for the Boston Architectural College, where he taught portfolio design and design studio courses. When Brian first moved to Boston he did not consider continuing his work as a volunteer firefighter, but found he missed the camaraderie, exhilaration and rewarding work. While he is mindful to manage his time and works to balance both sides, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Beginnings: Drawing Early Architecture

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:49:22 GMT

This week an exhibition at MIT opens in the Keller Gallery featuring work of Payette’s Timothy Cooke. “Beginnings: Drawing Early Architecture,” curated and designed by Timothy Cooke and Andrew Ferentinos, exhibits artwork created for the book “Architecture of First Societies: A Global Perspective,” by MIT School of Architecture Professor Mark Jarzombek, which will be published later this year. Selected drawings from the over three hundred created for the book will be on display. The drawings depict pre-modern architecture. Cooke became involved with the project through a class with Jarzombek in 2010 and later became the drawing manager of the project.

The book for which the drawings were produced explores “the different cultural formations that developed in various places throughout the world to form the built environment.” In his introduction to the exhibit, Jarzombek says he quickly realized his book required hand drawings to illustrate the topics discussed because “hand drawings force the maker to think more carefully about the nature of the image and its content.” The drawings depict site, context and concept from an architectural point of view. The drawings are as much for the book as they are a meditation on the art of drawing by hand to explore ideas. At a time when hand drawing in the field of architecture feels like a lost art, this exhibit and subsequent book highlight the beauty and revelation of hand media. In the exhibition book, Cooke contributed a piece “A Meditation on the Light Table,” exploring the physical relationship of the artist to the light table and its role in the work of reproduction.

The drawings on display in the Keller Gallery showcase the diversity of subject matter and the artistry of the drawings. In addition, the exhibit pulls apart the process of creating such drawings from the original pen-and-ink drawings to the finished digital composites.

The exhibition opens on Wednesday, May 15 and runs through June 3.

Drawings depicted here by Timothy Cooke.

Topping Out at Duke University

Thu, 09 May 2013 17:53:53 GMT

On May 3, 2013, Robert Pasersky and I had the pleasure of attending the Topping Out ceremony for the Environment Hall project at Duke University, the new home for the Nicholas School of the Environment.

The practice of celebrating Topping Out a building under construction began in ancient history when it was believed that the success or failure of man’s building venture was usually attributed to the gods he worshipped rather than the skill of the people constructing the building. To appease the gods, a sacrifice would be offered by the builders to exorcise the evil spirits who might have taken up residence in the building’s framework during construction. The sacrifices would range from sheaves of corn, to livestock, or even human sacrifice, depending on the intended use of the building.

In later times, it was customary to fasten feed corn to the gables. The corn was believed to serve as food for Woden’s horse and as a charm against lightning. This led to garlands of flowers that were later duplicated in wood, stone or terra cotta on Gothic buildings.

Around 700 A.D., the practice in the Scandinavian countries was for all the neighbors to aid in the construction work up to and including the installation of the building’s ridgepole. When the ridgepole was finally in place, an evergreen tree was attached to it as a signal for the beginning of a completion party. The tree would remain in place until all construction was complete. The tree was thought to bless the building and bring good luck to all.

At the Duke University Topping Out the team enjoyed a nice taste of southern hospitality, which included barbecue ribs, sweet tea and customized t-shirts (courtesy of contractor Lend Lease). The event celebrated the concrete and steel frame reaching the roof, where a signed beam was lifted into place, along with two different Christmas trees, the "Stars and Stripes," and a sacrificial plate of southern barbecue. All true, except for the last item ... Who'd want to waste some perfectly good food? It was nice to see the project at this key point, when a lot of the details are still being worked out, but the completion of the structure really starts to convey a sense of the spatial qualities. Even more impressive was to sit and share a meal with the hundreds of the people who are building the project. It made me feel grateful for having the chance to watch our design become a building, and thankful to all of the folks who have helped it reach this milestone.

Cyclotron Installed at UAB Cancer Center

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:00:28 GMT

Our recent work for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) reached an exciting milestone last month. The completion of a Cancer Center Master Plan for the UAB Medical School and Hospital consolidated research, clinical trials and patient care programs from multiple building locations into more centralized and focused renovated buildings. The Wallace Tumor Institute is at the crossroads of patient care, for both inpatients and outpatients.

On April 10, the cyclotron, the main feature of Phase 3 of the Master Plan, was delivered and lowered into place in the basement of the Wallace Tumor Institute. The third and final phase of the renovation is a new Advanced Imaging and Cyclotron Research Center, located on the lower level of the building. The 18,000 SF facility includes clinical imaging with three PET-CTs, a PET-CT/MRI, ultrasound and PET-mammography. The high-power cyclotron completes the space that will create both GMP-quality clinical materials and products for the adjacent research laboratory.

This one-of-a-kind cyclotron is a particle accelerator that is the first step in making medical imaging agents for clinical and research applications. Beena Thannickal of the UAB School of Medicine news site reported, “The cyclotron weighs more than 61,000 pounds, as much as 10 large SUVs. UAB’s TR24 model, an exclusive hybrid of other models, will enable researchers to make a variety of agents, in quantities large enough to advance several research efforts.” In Thannickal’s article, Cheri Canon, M.D., chair of the UAB Department of Radiology says, “This powerful TR24 cyclotron enables UAB to produce numerous unique agents that may not be commercially available.” The cyclotron allows researchers to determine the presence of small cancers and evaluate the effectiveness of novel treatment and therapies. The equipment solidifies UAB’s reputation as a leading medical research university.

The TR24 cyclotron took nearly 18 months to build. The logistics of the operation and equipment used to move the cyclotron from the flatbed trailer to its final location in the basement vault were impressive. First, the crane lifted the cyclotron from the flatbed trailer and placed it on a custom fabricated steel frame on a platform. The platform extends over the limestone sill and into the building and continues until the hole in the floor. Electronic rollers moved the custom frame and cyclotron into the building where four mobile hydraulic gantries are connected to the cyclotron. The gantries lifted the cyclotron off the platform and rolled it on tracks until the cyclotron was over the hole. Then the cyclotron was lowered onto four gantries in the basement and the machine is lowered into the basement. While the gantries in the basement support the load, the chains used to lower the cyclotron were reset so it could be completely lowered to the basement floor. Once on the floor, small rollers with hydraulic jacks were used to put it in its final position.

Now that the cyclotron is in place, renovations to the main lobby of the Wallace Tumor Institute can be finished. The two-story lobby opens to a new glass façade at street level and brings visitors up an open staircase to the Level 2 connections to the hospitals. The open experience continues vertically as an atrium surrounded by offices and break areas on the upper floors, providing a much needed sense of place, with laboratories on the perimeter.

The project was completed with our associated architect Williams Blackstock Architects of Birmingham, AL. The grand opening of the Cancer Institute is planned for June and the University plans for the cyclotron to be operational in August.

Related:
UAB installs most powerful cyclotron at any US academic medical center
30-ton cyclotron comes to UAB to accelerate cancer treatment and research
UAB cancer center building gets revamp

3D Thursdays: May

Wed, 08 May 2013 22:34:15 GMT

Drawing in the third dimension: what does it mean? What does it look like? Today we've rounded up some of our recent 3D renderings. Drawing in the third dimension is an important component of how we represent our work and our ideas to our clients and colleagues.

Today we're looking at renderings completed recently during a design competition. With the renderings we sought to explore different materials and transparency throughout the building. We began by laying hand drawn sketches under computer generated graphics. We’ve found this technique produces illustrative images that left us room to further explore the ideas.

What strategies do you use to explore options and create new depth in imagery?
How does the play of color and texture help imagine what might be? How accurately do you want to see a building rendered before its built?

Contributor:
David Hamel Jr.
Santiago Garay

Paula Buick, Director of Healthcare and Health Sciences Planning

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:09:24 GMT

This month, Payette welcomes Paula Buick, RN, MBA, LEED Green Associate as Director of Healthcare and Health Sciences Planning!

At Payette, our people are our primary asset. Paula re-joins Payette as Director of Healthcare and Health Sciences Planning. In 2012, Paula took a sabbatical to work for the MIT Center for Technology as their Senior Research Project Director for Healthcare Research. There she led a team on a DOD project in which they worked on researching and identifying new systems and solutions for the military health system related to PTSD. During her time at Payette, Paula worked on many projects including Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, VA Brockton, the Aga Khan University Medical Center and UMass Medical Center. As a Director of Design Services, Paula combines strong project management experience with a unique perspective of clinical operations, having been an ICU nurse and Senior Project Manager at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for 16 years. Welcome back, Paula!

Here, Paula shares her approach—and a bit about herself!

Q: Why do you do what you do?
I like people. I enjoy working with people to solve problems, inform decision-making and help them think and plan for the future. I love the science and art inherent in healthcare and medical education.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to your new role at Payette?
I’m excited about re-engerizing healthcare and educational planning.

Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?
West Cork, Ireland

Q: Whom do you admire?
People who are reverent about important things and people who are irreverent about unimportant things. Also, Jim O’Connell and the staff working at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
I listen to a lot of podcasts, like: the BBC’s “Arts and Ideas,” NPR’s “This American Life” and “Science Friday.” I also listen to Radiohead, U2, Eminem and opera (my favorite is La Traviata).

Q: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
On Saturdays my father used to take me to the Belfast city forensics lab and I loved it (he was a detective inspector in the police).

Q: The sky is the limit: if you could redesign anything, what would it be?
Today – the military health system.

Q: What do you do in your free time?
Walk, read, sleep

Q: What do you follow?
I use Zite to get news online. I follow ESPN and I listen to a lot of radio like the BBC and NPR.

Q: What inspires you?
I am inspired by kindness, the Irish coastline/countryside, traveling to different cultures and great art and music.

Book Spine Poetry: Architecture Edition

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:14:26 GMT

Today as I was shelving recently returned books to the Payette library, I noticed a wonderful diversity in topics, titles and cover art. I decided to create some book spine poetry before I completed my task. Check out some of the awesome books my colleagues are reading.

stone by stone, building community
why buildings stand up, twist & build visual explanations,
engineered transparency
architecture now!

ecological urbanism
design like you give a damn – the diagrams of architecture
houses of glass
building the future

Love ending that first poem on an exclamation point.

Book spine poetry are poems composed using the spines of books stacked on one another to create a free verse poem. I’ve written ours out the way I interpret them, but use your imagination to mix it up and create your own meaning.

The Payette library has over 3,700 items and is used daily by the staff for fact-checking, reference and inspiration. Our library includes titles staff recommends, key works regarding our building typologies and design ideas.

Integrating Green

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:00:26 GMT

Blurring the classroom lines from inside and out, Universities seek to literally extend science education into green spaces on roofs, in greenhouses and adjacent quads. We recently completed work at the University of Rhode Island that demonstrates this emerging trend of indoor / outdoor classrooms.

The University of Rhode Island seeks to educate and encourage young people to discover new ideas, engage in advanced research and emerging technology. By re-envisioning the North District, with the creation of engaging and inviting educational green spaces and by reconnecting the sciences, the master plan meets the campus mission and literally extends the program outside into multi-layered green spaces.

In addition to uniting the sciences on campus, one of the major goals for the North District Master Plan is that any future development must be sustainable. Every aspect must include an acute awareness of the environment. The massing, orientation and interaction with local vegetation and bio-systems will need to follow the guidelines set in place by this district plan. The integration of the physical program and the natural planning of the site create a very unique place which exemplifies the qualities distinctive to the University.

The Rain Garden
The integration of the Rain Garden into the landscape provides a living example of natural processes for students to observe. The Rain Garden, adjacent to the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences, re-entrains groundwater from stormwater runoff at both grade and roof levels and is integrated with the building through the use of runnels. Using plant material indigenous to the area, the garden created a bio-habitat as well as a learning lab for the biology and life sciences programs.

Rooftop Garden
The Roof Garden provides respite for upper level offices and labs. The green roof uses indigenous plant materials and reduces the heat isle effect because it is a natural insulator.

Medicinal Garden
The Medicinal Garden embodies the symbolism of the origin of pharmaceutical science and serves as the “front yard” for the College of Pharmacy. The Medicinal Garden, conceived in the North District Master Plan and executed by Keith Wagner, exists where a parking lot was previously.

In the medicinal garden, visitors will find plants that help prevent or cure everything from cold sores to cancer. The garden functions as an educational display of medicinal plants and also as a source of standard specimens. Complementing the new building and modern in execution and details, it features pathways which cross the one and one half-acre garden to provide easy access for visitors to examine the labeled plants. The garden was originally established in 1958 and dedicated to Heber W. Youngken, Jr., Dean Emeritus of the College of Pharmacy in 1994. There are over 200 medicinal plants that are located in the garden. Last week, on April 26, the University re-dedicated the garden in its new location.

Neighborhood Living “Green Walls”
The balconies adjacent to the programs they support for the College of Pharmacy are contemplative locations. By creating deep, recessed volumes along the southern exposure, the resulting spaces provide generous exterior balconies and terraces which lookout towards the Medicinal Garden, an extension of the program’s natural research. The depth of the recess and location of the glass facade is optimized to maximize shading during the summer months. The construction of these neighborhoods revolve around two-story structural piers clad with a brick veneer and wood slats providing a surface for medicinal plantings to grow tall, thus creating a series of living “green walls” located at each neighborhood.

Related:
University of Rhode Island, Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences
University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy
University of Rhode Island, North District Master Plan
Medicinal Garden Dedication
College of Pharmacy Dedication

Norman P. Goulet, AIA, LEED Joins Payette as Senior Lab Architect

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:22:57 GMT

This month, Payette welcomes Norman P. Goulet as our newest Senior Project manager/ Lab Architect!

At Payette, our people are our primary asset. Norman re-joins Payette after 14 years. During the formative years of his career, 1986-1999, Norman worked at Payette on projects like the New Science Center at Oberlin College, the School of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Medical Center at New York University. The latter was Goulet’s first big project with the firm and a formative experience that shaped his career. Since his first years at Payette, Norman worked with RTKL, Tsoi Kobus & Associates and most recently with Miller Dyer Spears. Having always been drawn to architecture and its impact on how people use spaces, Norman has emerged as an expert Project Manager, Laboratory Architect and CA Administrator in the research and development sector.

Here, Norman shares his approach—and a bit about himself!

Q: Why do you do what you do?

As I was growing up I was always interested in architecture, buildings and exploring. Growing up in a small town I was eager go to Portland, Maine (the closest largest town) to walk around and look at the buildings. When at home I used anything at hand to build (no legos at that time) pebbles in the driveway or the leaves scattered in the yard to created plans of houses, neighborhoods and towns. I would then use my trucks to move around my newly created enviroment. I never struggled to find my path, it was always seemed clear to me. I love contributing to our visual world and ensuring that what is built to reflect the design intent.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to your new role at Payette?

I am excited about how Payette has changed since I left in 1999. Now that everyone is on one floor, I can feel the spirit of collaboration and team integration. Even though I know many of you it has been great to meet the newer staff who has been very welcoming. I am also excited and energized by the projects Payette is working on right now. These projects are diverse, interesting and challenging. I think it is fundamental to never stop exploring and trying new things and I know these projects will bring me new work related relationships, and learning experiences.

Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?

Barcelona, Spain. It is such a dynamic and diverse city with fascinating architecture, culture, food, and people. Berlin is a close second. When, I am not traveling it would be the seashore.

Q: Whom do you admire?

I deeply admire people who are able to go outside their comfort zone and do the unexpected. Since, I tend to be on the shy side initially (this maybe a surprise to those who know me) I would hesitate just long enough to have the moment pass by. I admire them so, because I tend to be more comfortable being a behind the scenes contributor.

Q: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

During the summer months I ride a Vespa around the city with my spouse. I do follow sports, especially football, which may come as a surprise to some.

Q: The sky is the limit: if you could redesign anything, what would it be?

I would like to be involved with the design and construction of an inner city residential complex to integrate the existing structures with new to provide a new sense of place for those who need assistance.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

I really love to be outdoors working in my yard creating new landscaped areas, riding my bike through the city exploring neighborhood, and most the restful of all are my long walks on the beach in the summertime. During the winter months I have several theatre group subscriptions, and go the symphony and the MFA.

Q: What do you follow?

I listen to NPR a lot and especially love “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!” I must confess, I do follow some reality TV following (Survivor and The Amazing Race). I do some reading of mystery novels, architecture and landscape magazines.

Heather H. Taylor, AIA, LEED AP Joins Payette as an Associate Principal

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:48:47 GMT

This month, Payette welcomes Heather H. Taylor as our newest Associate Principal!

At Payette, our people are our primary asset. Heather joins Payette with 20+ years of experience as a professional focused in higher education with experience in the federal government, K-12 education, preservation and private residential markets. In addition to her experience, Heather brings years of engagement with professional and service organizations including her current roles as Commissioner of Communication and Public Relations of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA), Volunteer Leader for the North Atlantic SCUP Council and Co-President of the Charlestown Preservation Society.

Here, Heather shares her approach—and a bit about herself!

Q: Why do you do what you do?
A visit to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello as a child clinched my desire to pursue a career in architecture. I love to creatively solve problems and want to make a positive, lasting contribution to the greater community.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to your new role at Payette?
I am excited about the level of quality at Payette – the people, the work and the culture of the firm. I love that Payette has a rich history, is invested in the City of Boston and works on fascinating, challenging projects both locally and around the globe. I’m excited to balance both project work and firm initiatives bringing my industry relationships and professional expertise to the firm.

Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?
Locally, Nantucket is a favorite, where I spent summers throughout my childhood and designed and built my parent’s retirement home. More broadly speaking, my favorite places in the world are ironically, majestic un-built environments like the Grand Canyon, various National Parks and almost anywhere on south island of New Zealand.

Q: Whom do you admire?
In light of recent events in Boston, undoubtedly those who put themselves in harm’s way to ensure the safety of the public. I also admire those who positively influence and inspire all of us to do and be our best. And of course as a founder of our country, and one who inspired my professional pursuit, Thomas Jefferson.

Q: What’s on your iPod?
My music is in need of a major overhaul … certainly I was influenced by the music of the 80s and 90s.

Q: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m a big sports fan – I love our Boston teams, but even more love college sports, especially my alma matter Michigan. I am not known for my musical talent and I don’t like reality TV, but somehow I really enjoy the show The Voice. It is because the judges spend time coaching, encouraging and mentoring young people and they have fun amongst themselves.

Q: The sky is the limit: if you could redesign anything, what would it be?
I’d redesign the election process in the United States – and reallocate the majority of campaign funding towards programs and people where it could have a more positive and lasting impact.

Q: What do you do in your free time?
I love to entertain and gathering friends around the dinner table. I also love active to be active outside – my favorite activities are biking, hiking, sailing and kayaking. I also spend time as “super-auntie” Heather and volunteer quite a bit, too.

Q: What do you follow?
I just signed up for Twitter, as a response to the events in Boston – clearly it is where the news happens fastest and I still need to learn how to really use it! I still read the paper copy of the Globe, listen to BZ and WBUR, and I just finished Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In.

Q: What inspires you?
I am inspired by simple acts of kindness – I look for the good in humankind. I have a thirst for knowledge and am curious. I am inspired by the innocent joy and inquisitive minds of the next generation. I love to see students, faculty and whole communities thrive in the environments we design and build for them.

Young, Wild and Leading

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:22:03 GMT

In response to the AIA’s blog off prompt, “What does architect as leader mean to you?” our Ranjit Korah writes about the need for young designers to lead the way.

For the past century, we’ve looked to an older generation of architects to lead our profession both with our clients and in the eyes of the public. We’re now in a time of flux. It may be time to look to a younger generation to lead us; here at Payette, we are trying to do just that.

Long gone are the “heroic” years of the early modernists. These leaders of the profession controlled the architectural debate and development of young designers throughout the twentieth century, imparting their eccentric assertions on generations of architects. They were like architectural “godfathers,” influencing young architects with their canonical presentations. Gropius, Alto, Le Corbusier, Neutra, Johnson and others prescribed the dialect of the Architect and what it meant to design for the built environment. Their theories and teachings molded young designers at the inception of their careers.

This phenomenon continued through the later half of that century with architects like Eisenman, Mayne, Venturi, Scott Brown, Vinoly and Koolhaas, serving as the new patriarchs. Their leadership defined the style, identity and priorities of every practicing architect. Their firms served as models. They lead through their work. They defined the entire culture of the studio with their very presence; and we loved them for it.

Things, however, are changing. Our understanding of architectural culture no longer relies on the vocabulary defined by a select few who have “earned” the respect of the profession through years of prolific production. In our current culture, the young designer has an unprecedented ability to lead and engage in the practice.

By harnessing the power of social networks, blogging and computer-generated design tools, architects and designers in the infancy of their careers are proving to be more and more valuable. They now have the capability of driving the conversations. They now have the skills to promote architecture to the public in an accessible and engaging way. And because of this unique position, young designers now have the opportunity to be the leaders of the profession.

Here at Payette, young designers are encouraged to step up and step out of the conventional intern role. The studio environment provides opportunities for young architects to conduct in-depth research projects that drive future design decisions, lead architectural forums that spark intellectual discourse, deliver presentations on any topic they chose or organize a firm-wide cultural event.

Young designers in the firm have championed and continue to lead groups, like the Architecture Forum, Grassroots Green, Women in Design and the Young Designers Core, that bring value and education to all members of the firm.

This entrepreneurial spirit is best demonstrated by the Young Designers Core, a group of designers who develop and organize educational opportunities for the personal and professional development of all the firm’s members. Started by two designers at Payette over a decade ago, the group continues to be led, organized and sustained solely by young members of the firm. In recent years, those young leaders have empowered the group to serve both the educational and cultural growth of the entire firm. In fact, the group holds several events a year attended and enjoyed by every member of the firm.

Young designers in the office are responsible for a stronger studio culture. They’ve also helped foster the firm’s relationships with the broader architectural community by reaching out to collaborate with other firms in Boston. The energy and passion that these designers have is valuable and has the potential to change the way our firm and profession operate.

Let’s empower the younger designers of the profession to rise up as leaders. Let’s stop referring to them as Emerging Professionals and rather, treat them as valuable, capable and equal members of the architectural guild.

Tradeline: Sustainability Advantage

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:20:33 GMT

Next month Andrea Love and Jim Collins will present at the Tradeline: Research Facilities Conference in Boston. Will you be there?

Session Title: The Sustainability Advantage for Facility Design, Infrastructure, and Operations Costs
Presentation: Thursday, May 9, 11:15 am – 12:10 pm | Friday, May 10, 8:05 am – 9:00 am

Don't overlook the big cost-saving opportunities that sustainability offers for research facility design and construction, on top of what "going green" does to reduce energy use for the whole facility lifecycle. Jim Collins and Andrea Love demonstrate how to stick with sustainability as a main, integrated project driver and reap the benefits of a higher-value, better-performing science building for the long term. They illustrate project cost allocation and cost management strategies for multiple systems, and they profile savings resulting from sustainable decisions on envelope, shading, MEP equipment size reduction, radiant systems, lighting strategies, and reduced floor-to-floor heights.

Speakers:
James H. Collins, Jr. FAIA, LEED AP, President
Andrea Love, AIA, LEED AP + BD+C, Building Scientist

Architect as Quiet Leader

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:10:53 GMT

In response to the AIA’s blog off prompt, “What does architect as leader mean to you?” our Alison Duncan writes about the quiet leadership demonstrated by architects.

When most of us envision a leader, we see someone who is at the forefront of their group, field or profession; someone who is visible to the larger community advocating for the needs and desires of our profession and the role that we play as part of the greater good. While these types of highly visible leaders are a great benefit to our profession and community, not every architect has the opportunity to be the outspoken leader. When thinking about architects as leaders, I want to discuss the quiet leaders.

Architecture is a unique endeavor in that our products, the spaces that we create for our clients, our users, and the public, must speak of our ideas and intentions without the benefit of an explanation or often any kind of record of what the designer was thinking. Of the people who may use our spaces during the life of a building or public space, only the smallest fraction of those people had the benefit of being part of the design process with the architect. Most of the time only the design team, owner and a small group of users are able to look at a space and reflect on the myriad of decisions that went into the creative process of shaping that space. For the rest of the people who encounter designed spaces wherever they go, the architect doesn't have the opportunity to explain how we intended the space to improve quality of life, or operate more sustainably or create more collaborative interactions among people. The challenge of architecture is to make spaces that speak for themselves, impacting people's everyday lives from the background, quietly.

Most architects have the opportunity to be quiet leaders, but not silent ones. Every time we have the opportunity to guide our clients to the right solution for a design problem – renovating and adding to an existing historic building instead of building on a greenfield site or naturally ventilating offices, classrooms and public spaces. We work to ensure lounges and informal gathering spaces where collaboration and learning occur are included with pride of place in a space program or we site two new buildings so they create a new precinct on a campus that allows for greater connections to the existing circulation routes and creates outdoor spaces where there was previously a wall of buildings physically and psychologically separating campus spaces. All of these types of design decisions advocated by the architect to the client go above and beyond the basic needs of a project are what make the biggest impact in improving the quality of our built environment. These may not be design decisions that are consciously recognized by the public, or even sometimes the clients, but they are nevertheless incredibly important acts of advocacy on the part of architects for better designed spaces and buildings that impact people's everyday lives and architecture's impact on our world.

Of course as part of the effort to continue to ensure the relevance of our profession to our society at large, we need the front line leaders to be the face and voice of our profession. But we should also recognize the leadership of all the architects advocating for a better built environment simply through the strength of their design ideas, even if they are speaking a little more quietly.

AIA Grassroots Conference and Emerging Professionals

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:05:45 GMT

This March I attended the AIA Grassroots Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. It was the first conference I’ve attended and the experience opened my eyes. Not only did I learn about the AIA, but I left energized and filled with ideas of how to integrate the AIA’s repositioning into the Payette culture.

When Ranjit and I arrived at the conference we were steps from the capital, which set the stage for the importance of the event. Ranjit is Payette’s other Young Designers Core (YDC) co-chair this year. After we checked in to our hotel, we couldn’t resist visiting the capital, the Lincoln Memorial and touring the Smithsonian. That evening we met with representatives from NCARB, the AIA and other interested attendees. The themes of engaging emerging professionals and improving communication surfaced throughout our discussion. I was amazed by everyone’s energy and genuine interest in the issues. It was exciting to learn I was one of a few young professionals at the conference. Ranjit and I are in much earlier stages of our careers than the majority of the conference attendees and we gained so much from the experience.

The events of the conference were organized into large, general sessions and smaller, more intimate workshops and breakout groups. There were multiple opportunities for attendees to voice opinions and talk through the issues. Many people expressed frustration with the AIA across a broad range of issues; too many emails, not enough young designers getting registered and questioning how the AIA is actually helping designers and architects. These were not new issues and the AIA is aware of these concerns. The most interesting conversations emerged when attendees brought ideas to the board. I heard talk of designing (inside and out) the AIA website or eliminating AIA emails completely. One idea led to the next and lively brainstorming session took place. When discussing how to encourage membership among emerging professionals, desire for mentorship and representation from young leadership arose again and again.

Many attendees looked to us for our opinion on these issues because we are more connected to current communication trends and represent the future leadership of the AIA. We were happy to brainstorm. Throughout the conference we made countless new connections through Twitter and other social media outlets. We encouraged Principals to invite young designers to attend similar events in the future. When young designers gain responsibility and make their voice heard, we believe the individual and profession are elevated.

As we left Washington we felt invigorated by the new agenda. We discussed reaching outside of our firm and connecting with leadership at all levels across the country. For me, the Grassroots Leadership Conference felt like a level playing field where my ideas were equally important as anyone else’s. The conference gave me a sense of ownership in the AIA and it motivated me to think creatively about how the AIA can shape my career now and in the future.

Related Links
Engaging Young Professionals
Repositioning the AIA
2012 AIA Annual Report

Celebrating a Topping Out

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:52:22 GMT

On April 10, 2013, the School of Public Health and Health Services at George Washington University held its Topping Out Ceremony. The event celebrated the concrete frame reaching the roof level. The full scale of the building can now be seen and the presence of the project on Washington Circle can really be felt while exploring the atrium space. The event was attended by the Dean of the GWU School of Public Health and Health Services, several faculty and administrators from the school, the contractor (Whiting-Turner) and the design team (Payette, Ayers Saint Gross, AEI, and TCE). The Dean and her colleagues from the school expressed great enthusiasm for the project and are very much looking forward to moving in. Our team greatly enjoyed the day and the event. Though it isn’t obvious in the pictures, it was 90 degrees in DC that day!

Connecticut College, New London Hall Earns LEED® Gold

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:28:44 GMT

We are pleased to announce Connecticut College’s New London Hall Life Science Building has earned LEED® Gold Certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) verified the certification. LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

We designed the New London Hall Life Sciences Building in response to the USGBC’s efforts to promote and encourage the design, construction and operation of high-performance sustainable buildings.

The original New London Hall was Connecticut College’s first campus building in 1914. The four-story Collegiate Gothic style building features a granite exterior quarried near the site. As the teaching labs and research labs fell into disrepair, the new addition and renovation to New London Hall provided an extraordinary opportunity to revitalize the historical features of the building.

Throughout the design process, the design team explored many opportunities to maximize the energy efficiency of the building. New London experiences cold winters and humid summers. The team selected a geothermal heat pump system because it is the most efficient system to produce heating. This strategy eliminated a large on site above grade cooling tower. In addition, the wet mechanical systems were located in a below grade basement, minimizing exposure and visibility on Centennial Plaza and the campus as a whole. Combined, these strategies help preserve the historic site context. The consistently 50˚F ground temperature is harnessed with the geothermal system to meet the building’s heating and cooling needs. By using the ground as a heat sink in the summer and a heat source in the winter, the project minimizes the loads on the system and dramatically reduces the building’s energy usage. Most notably, 100% of the building’s heating and cooling load is met through the building’s geothermal system.

By renovating New London Hall and building a small addition rather than construct on a new site, the building quickly reduced its impact on the environment, partially through material reuse. Material reuse allotted for reduced extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of materials. Because the team salvaged and reused materials from the existing building as part of the renovation, 90% of the building’s super structure was reutilized. Furthermore, the project’s materials and resources were sourced from sustainable sources, with 22% of building materials sourced with recycled content and 27% sourced and manufactured within 500 miles of the job site.

Complementing the granite exterior of the existing building, the exterior materials of the addition – terracotta tiles, louvers and curtainwall – reflect a crisp, modern palette. The exterior of the addition is a terracotta rainscreen system, consisting of extruded clay tiles that are fastened to an aluminum support rail system. This engineered cladding system has excellent, long lasting thermal and moisture performance. Inside, surface finishes are made up of reclaimed wood from a tree removed for Greenhouse renovations, to create a collaborative cafe counter on each of the floors in the link and furnishings in the entry lobby. In both the entry gallery and the link on all levels, exposed granite from the existing building juxtaposes the light-filled addition, harmonizing the old and new, while preserving the historic character.

Related Links
Energy Savings: Connecticut College
Harmonizing Old and New

Georgetown University Regents Hall Earns LEED® Gold

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:06:17 GMT

We are pleased to announce Georgetown University’s Regents Hall Science Center has earned LEED® Gold Certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) verified the certification. LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

We designed the 154,000 GSF Science Center to accommodate research and teaching labs for biology, chemistry and physics departments. The design responds to the USGBC’s efforts to promote and encourage the design, construction and operation of high-performance sustainable buildings. Key green components include site and building selection, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The University was committed to better building and integrating sustainable strategies into the new building.

Academic science buildings are among the most prolific energy users on college campuses. Georgetown sought to put ‘science on display’ in a building which embodies commitment to both the sciences and the environment. The building aggressively reduces energy usage by maximizing heat recovery, lowering air change rates, using hydronic based cooling and limiting solar gain through the use of exterior sunshading. The building also features stormwater recovery and a gray water system to reduce water usage.

LEED Certification of Regents Hall was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include:

Site and Context: Situated at a significant junction in the currently underutilized mid-campus area, Regents Hall placement shapes a south-facing quadrangle with the adjacent McDonough Business School and the Leavey Campus Center. The emphasis on encouraging outdoor space use led to a design solution of a series of terraces and pathways that connect these buildings and bring to the area new pedestrian life. Terraces step 45 feet up to the Leavey Center, concealing its former parking garage façade and the new loading dock, emergency generator, and LN2 tank that service Regents Hall. The challenge of this design solution was equally difficult in its architecture as in its engineering. Built over an old ravine with more than 60 feet of unstable earth, the subsurface site design incorporates Geo Foam. This will not only aide in site stability, but will also greatly reduce the lateral earth loads the building structure would otherwise need to retain while minimizing the vertical load imposed on existing site utilities serving the campus. In order to significantly reduce the use of potable water, the site and building will use a rain water reclamation system both for irrigation and for low-flow urinal and toilet fixtures. Some gardens on the terraces will be used as active teaching gardens while others will be planted with hardy, indigenous species requiring a low level of maintenance. A garden trellis adjacent to the biology teaching laboratories will help support the growth of teaching garden species while supplying shade to the southern facing glass façade of the bio-teaching wing.

Mechanical: A combination of high performance duct work, fume hoods, air handling units, and reduced air change rates significantly lower overall energy use in the building. Large duct work throughout the facility allows the air system to operate at lower velocity and pressure drop with minimum horsepower. The design also included enthalpy wheel total energy recovery systems to recover both sensible and latent heat and a hydronic system incorporating active chilled beams installed in offices and load driven laboratories to provide comfortable cooling with minimum airflow rates for ventilation and pressurization. Furthermore, a heat pump provides 59 degree chilled water to the chilled beams and 95 degree water to reheat coils. This chiller is supplemented by the University’s Central Plant.

Lighting: New IES lighting level guidelines set the standard for lighting design reducing the overall number of fixtures installed. An efficient lighting design incorporated occupancy sensors placed in multi-occupant spaces and in single occupant offices. In addition to occupancy sensors, labs along the exterior perimeter also have photo cell sensors. Photo cells sensors in these spaces are located on ceiling mounts, in the exterior zone of the space, where significant solar flux would allow for light dimming to reduce light energy consumption.

Water: Strategies used for reducing potable water for sewage conveyance include incorporating reduced flow urinals and dual flush water closets, using reduced flow faucets in combination with a reclaim water system. The reclaim system collects rooftop rainwater, air handler condensate, and purified water system reject which is then is used to irrigate the landscape, as well as flushing toilets and urinals within the facility; supplying 100% of the irrigation demand and over 80% of flushing water in the facility.

Materials: The use of recycled, local, and sustainable building materials is found in everything from building core to finish materials –from structural steel, drywall, and casework to brick pavers, glass, and metal panels. The interior will have LEED compliant carpet, paints, and adhesives and sealants all which contain low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in order to promote healthy indoor air quality for the inhabitants. A commitment to indoor environmental quality and energy and atmosphere assures that not only initial construction materials and methods will meet these requirements, but that the owner will continue advanced commissioning and environmental monitoring post occupancy. A green housekeeping policy has also been incorporated.

Finally, as an academic building, it is important for Regents Hall to function as an educational tool that showcases sustainable building concepts and energy efficiency. This will be achieved through the use of interactive kiosks integrated with the building management systems so as to demonstrate energy savings and efficiencies along with explanations of design methods and materials used to achieve a better science building at Georgetown.

How Our Co-Location Situation Works

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:34:56 GMT

Payette is involved on a co-located work environment for the Alexandria Real Estate project that began during the design phases of the project. Co-located in a building adjacent to the job site at 75-125 Binney Street in Cambridge, the Payette team is actively working with a variety of design consultants and engineers along with client-owner representatives, the construction manager (Gilbane), and many of the sub contractors to complete contract documents and oversee the construction of this new building.

While we are highly connected to the project team, we occasionally feel disconnected from some of the Payette team that not on-site with us. To overcome the physical disconnect, we make an extra effort to keep all team members informed and updated. While we don’t experience the same serendipitous interaction with our Payette colleagues, we are finding the spontaneous collaboration with our consultants and the sub contractors to be highly beneficial.

Relatively new for most of the groups involved, co-location provides the opportunity to develop an integrated project design. We are constantly learning how to adapt to make this process work well. While experiencing growing pains at the outset, we feel we have established a routine for our collaborative process and a workflow that benefits all parties involved.

This co-location situation enables a high degree of connectivity. The greatest benefit of co-location is the speed and ease with which we are able to address issues and find solutions quickly in a collaborative manner rather than the traditional wait for responses from individuals working in independent “silos.” Our process strives to be transparent. Daily “huddles” with the team replace the typical weekly job meetings in order to keep everyone up to date. We develop details side-by-side with sub contractors and incorporate those details directly into the contract documents which eventually correlate directly with construction shop drawings. In many instances, the subcontractor is responsible for providing the final drawing details to be incorporated into the contract documents. We have developed various techniques to facilitate this type of collaboration.

Often we project progress drawings and details directly onto a white board wall. While all team members are ‘gathered around the table,’ we make adjustments while sketching over images, scrutinizing design and constructability at the same time, until we have a final result that exemplifies the final design intent. Another technique is a virtual project model used by all which is maintained by the construction manager. This model is actively managed as the project design and detailing progresses along with integrating approved shop drawing. It is essentially a “live model” which accurately represents design, contract documents, shop drawing submittals and the physical building as it is constructed in “real time.” Since we have “live” access to the model as the project moves forward, it becomes much more of an accurate reflection of the physical building.

The project team believes that establishing co-location this early in the building design phase, in many ways, is the next step in BIM project integration. The physical building is just beginning to come out of the ground and still has a long way to go; however, this new collaborative experience is proving to be a highly effective way to deliver high quality building design and documentation.

Reducing HVAC Energy Consumption in Lab Buildings

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:22:24 GMT

This month Lab Design published our article about our research on ventilation in laboratories. We presented this research last fall at Architecture Boston Expo (ABX). We've published an excerpt of the Ventilation Deflation! piece. For the full article, click here.

Like people, buildings require ventilation, and specifically fresh, outside air, to stay healthy. Conditioning, and then circulating that air, however, requires a tremendous amount of energy which tends to drive building operating costs and elevate our carbon footprints. This problem is particularly significant in laboratory research facilities where health safety concerns often push outside air ventilation rates up over eight and even ten air changes per hour. In fact, an often quoted 2002 statistic from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory determined that a single laboratory fume hood uses 3.5 times more energy in a year than the average American home. Of course, fume hood designs and HVAC controls have evolved substantially over the past few years, but we must acknowledge that research buildings continue to be among the top consumers of energy when compared to other building types. Of the total annual energy consumption of a typical laboratory building, over 60% can be attributed to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

In response to widespread acknowledgement of this problem, the design industry, in conjunction with building owners and other industry experts, has been gradually questioning the recommended minimum ventilation rates in laboratory buildings. Twenty years ago we may have blindly targeted 15 air changes per hour (ACH) for a conventional biochemistry facility while current designs might fall into a 6-12 ACH range today. To add to the confusion, it is now recognized that air change rates may not be a good metric for evaluating ventilation because it established that spaces with taller ceilings require more ventilation than others, and of course, the dilution that comes from the added volume would seem to suggest the opposite. With this in mind, many industry-standard criteria are established around a one cubic foot per minute per square foot (CFM/SF) exhaust rate which is equivalent to six ACH in a room 10’-0” tall.

Regardless of the metric, the challenge remains in applying this or some other standard. Different codes reference different standards and many institutions supplement existing codes. Without claiming to be specialists in environmental health, Payette, an architecture firm specialized in this building type, set out to identify the issues that drive different ventilation rates within laboratories and develop rational strategies that set HVAC energy loads based on need. This included a benchmarking analysis of past work and energy simulations to quantify the impact of different operational approaches.

Energy use index by building sector and site energy use in laboratory buildings.

Standards and codes addressing outdoor air ventilation rates in laboratories.

Digital simulation analysis results for a variable air volume system.

Digital simulation analysis results for multiple ventilation systems and strategies in a laboratory.

Redefining Preservation

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:58:54 GMT

Throughout the past fifty years we have seen an increasing number of older buildings at the heart of our campuses converted from vital educational structures to administration and other support functions. As we enter an era of real environmental consciousness and responsibility, we need to ask: how many administration buildings will we need? At what point have we completely undermined our campuses’ vitality by depopulating the center and moving students out to the periphery?

Perhaps one of the best examples of this conflict can be seen at MIT’s signature domed structure, the Main Group Buildings. Conceived at the turn-of-the-last-century by William Welles Bosworth, the Main Group linked together one million square feet of academic space that was intended to serve all disciplines equally.

It could equally accommodate laboratories, music practice rooms, lecture halls and faculty offices. Now starting its second century on campus, this structure no longer seamlessly addresses the needs of all its occupants. The model of generic modular spaces strung together by long public corridors does not accommodate large connected teams, and the complexly intermingled programs stifle efforts to replace outdated building infrastructure. Payette worked with MIT to address this issue on many scales. Beginning with a Master Plan, initiatives were developed to revitalize the buildings both programmatically and technically.

The key was that these initiatives, like Bosworth’s original design, focused on synergies between the technical and programmatic. The study established that it was possible to preserve not only the appearance of a historically significant structure, but also its core spirit, its genetics. Four years later, the Institute has now implemented the first phase of the Master Plan. The Physics, DMSE, Spectroscopy, and Infrastructure (PDSI) Project affects more than one quarter of the million square foot complex, and is the largest single renovation ever in the Main Group. PDSI works with three large academic departments, while also addressing infrastructure needs for a far broader area. The driving force behind the final design for PDSI was a need to consolidate Main Group Physics and DMSE spaces into large contiguous areas that would support collaborative work. The solution was found in the “infill” building concept. The core idea is that buildings that wrap around a courtyard can be connected through new construction and these connections could support both infrastructure and programmatic uses without affecting the outward appearance of the Main Group. The PDSI project brings an entirely new collaborative opportunity to the Main Group. Linking multiple buildings together from within, it creates functional suites so that departments and work groups can maintain a level of unity and definition behind the veil of the Main Group’s public corridor network. We believe that maintaining the spirit of a building and not just its appearance redefines the meaning of preservation; this belief is embodied in the PDSI project.