DLR Group teams with Colorado State for K-12 research study
DLR Group and the Institute for the Built Environment (IBE) at Colorado State University have released the findings of a research project that evaluated the effect of green school design on occupants and long-term building performance.
The overwhelming perception of school staff is the learning environments within DLR Group schools have a positive impact on health, achievement, and behavior. The findings also show schools designed by DLR Group are more energy efficient, provide more space per student, and are constructed for less cost compared to regional averages for schools constructed during the same year.
“Design does not stop when the school opens. The design process must include coming back to a project to measure building performance,” said DLR Group Senior Principal Jim French, AIA, the firm’s national K-12 practice leader. “If both the tangible metrics of energy efficiency and the intangible metrics of student and occupant satisfaction are not being evaluated, then as design professionals we are not truly meeting the needs of our K-12 clients.”
The complete report, titled, Linking Performance & Experience – An Analysis of Green Schools, can be downloaded here.
Dan Murray in Kenya to finalize pro-bono design of vocational campus.
Architect Dan Murray and several employees in DLR Group’s Seattle office have launched a pro-bono design project with Kizimani, a grass roots organization established by Kenya natives that is based in Portland, Ore.
Kizimani provides assistance to impoverished areas of Kenya. Murray and the Seattle team are designing a vocational school campus to support the impoverished Kangundo community in Kenya.
The concept for the vocational school campus responds to trades and industries prevalent in central Kenya. The overarching goal is to help people in Kangundo become self-sufficient and end the cycle of poverty that today defines the community.
The campus plan includes two classroom buildings, a clinic, and a retail space to sell items made on site. Phase I will establish a scalable prototype for classroom buildings and provide an overall site design for outdoor programs as well as future campus development.
Murray will be in Kangundo from January 24-31 to complete the pro-bono design efforts. His trip was funded through a grant program administered by Senior Associates in the Seattle DLR Group office. His trip is model for future international pro-bono projects. As the work continues, the project team will track their time and effort, and also catalog how design can have a positive impact on a global environment.
“This project has shown many of the next generation staff in our office, myself included, the value our profession and education truly provides. We’re not one of a half dozen architects clamoring to get a fee to do this work, where the value of our skillset is clouded by the need to compete for fee. In our pro-bono effort, the value we bring to Kangundo and Kizimani is seen in stark relief, and it is powerful,” said Murray.
Murray will be posting his experiences and impression from Kenya at this site. Please check back to follow his progress.
Greening The Linc for the Eagles
Click the headline.
Nice video from the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia touting DLR Group’s design of integrated wind and solar systems for NRG Energy at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Linc will soon be the most sustainable sports venue in nation. Yes, you have to endure 15 seconds of a random commercial promotion, but its well worth the wait.
Patterson Technology Center
Effingham, Illinois
Patterson Technologies is a national company providing software solutions, equipment, and supplies to the health care profession. The start-of-the-art building enables Patterson to simulate dental, veterinary, and rehabilitation environments that showcase the newest technology and seamless integration capabilities to its clients. A software usability lab allows developers to observe direct participant feedback and how users interface with the software in real-time simulations. The 100,000 square foot facility includes food service and fitness amenities and is designed to house 540 employees.
Patterson Technology Center sits at the edge of a natural birch forest and the building is tucked into a natural slope. There is continuous glazing from desktop to ceiling to provide views to the forest. The ecologically restorative landscaping concept utilizes low-maintenance buffalo grass and native prairie plantings with bioswales for storm water run-off.
On the exterior, a high-performance fiber-cement rain screen reflects Patterson’s technology ethos while imparting richness through variegated color and texture. The building is designed for flexibility with column-free spans from the core to perimeter walls. The project’s main entrance, training rooms, and cafeteria are offset to take advantage of views and create a hinge point for future expansion that aligns with the existing natural contours of the site.
DLR Group Names Two Senior Principals
Seven integrated design professionals also named as principals
(DLR Group – Nov. 12, 2011) — DLR Group has appointed J. C. “Andy” Anderson Jr., AIA, LEED AP, and Pamela Touschner, FAIA, as Senior Principals.
Anderson joined the Kansas City office of DLR Group in 1995. He is the firm’s Southeast Regional Leader, managing operations across 15 states and mentoring staff in Kansas City and Orlando. Anderson has led the strategic development of the firm’s Corporate, Higher Education, Justice+Civic, K-12, and Sports practices in the Southeast. He leads integrated design teams to create innovative, functional buildings that meet the needs and reflect the values of his clients.
“Andy is the epitome of a collaborative leader,” said DLR Group Managing Principal Griff Davenport, AIA. “He is a talented architect with the ability to truly make those around him better, carefully challenging when appropriate, and lending a hand when needed. Andy is a cornerstone of our firm.”
Touschner leads DLR Group’s Practice Forum. In this key leadership role she champions integrated design, ensures the firm’s course to achieve Architecture 2030 benchmarks, directs the implementation and mastery of BIM and other technology, and oversees quality assurance. She joined DLR Group in 1993 and works from the firm’s Riverside location. Touschner is past president of the AIA California Council and the AIA Inland California Chapter, and is a past AIA Regional Director.
“Pam is a strategic thinker and a creative problem solver,” said DLR Group Managing Principal Jon Pettit, AIA. “It is with incredible pride that we welcome Pam as a Senior Principal. As Practice Forum leader she is a passionate champion for integrated design, and her love of architecture is an inspiration to her clients and teams.”
DLR Group also named seven new Principals:
- John Badami, AIA, architect – Lincoln, Neb.
- Bryan Jehling, PE, electrical engineer – Phoenix
- Brad Kiehl, AIA, LEED AP, architect – Kansas City
- Julianne Laue, PE, , LEED AP BD+C, mechanical engineer – Minneapolis
- Todd Orr, AIA, architect – Orlando, Fla.
- James Torres, AIA, architect – Omaha, Neb.
- Lawrence Yuan, AIA, architect, Asia Region Leader –Shanghai
“A DLR Group Principal is a leader who proactively and ethically carries DLR Group forward to attain the firm’s mission and live its values,” said Pettit. “As invested employee-owners, each of our new Principals demonstrate these traits every day and represent DLR Group, our clients, and the practice of architecture with professionalism.”
About DLR Group DLR Group is an integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design from offices coast-to-coast and in China. We are ranked #1 in the United States by ARCHITECT, the official publication of the AIA, in its 2012 ARCHITECT 50 ranking of U.S. firms. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for a diverse group of public and private sector clients, local communities, and our planet. DLR Group fully supports the initiatives and goals of the 2030 Challenge and is an initial signatory to the AIA 2030 Commitment. Visit dlrgroup.com and follow us at LinkedIn and Twitter. # # #
On May 22, 2011, one of the deadliest tornadoes in the history of the United States ripped through Joplin, Missouri. On the ground for 13 miles, in 20 minutes it claimed 161 lives and caused $151 million in damage. Ten schools were damaged and Joplin High School was a total loss.
In response to this tragedy, DLR Group led an integrated design team to transform a 96,000 SF vacant big box retail space into a comprehensive 21st Century high school – design to construction – in just 55 business days.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan proclaimed the school a model for the nation following an onsite tour.
The Council for Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) recognized Joplin Interim High School as the recipient of its 2012 James D. MacConnell Award. The MacConnell Award is the most prestigious award for K-12 education design. It recognizes a comprehensive planning process that results in educational facilities that serve the community and enhance the educational program.
MacConnell Award Jurors commented “the well planned engagement with the community on such a tight timeframe has given opportunities for rethinking learning spaces and stretching the vision of what learning environments can be.”
DLR Group is the first architecture firm to receive the MacConnell Award two years in a row. Its design for the Marysville (Wash.) Getchell Campus received the 2011 MacConnell Award.
ARCHITECT magazine recognizes DLR Group as
the #1 architecture firm in U.S
DLR Group sits atop the 2012 ARCHITECT 50 List
(DLR GROUP–Sept. 24, 2012) — ARCHITECT magazine, the official publication of the American Institute of Architects, has recognized DLR Group as the #1 firm in the United States. ARCHITECT published the annual ARCHITECT 50 ranking of U.S. firms in its September issue.
The ARCHITECT 50 list is compiled by weighting three key components of practice: design excellence and pro bono, sustainability, and business. DLR Group has ranked in the top 10 of U.S. firms each year since the ARCHITECT 50 debuted in 2009.
“ARCHITECT’s scoring is a direct reflection of our promise to elevate the human experience through design,” said DLR Group Managing Principal Jon Pettit, AIA. “This recognition validates the efforts and investment of our employee-owners to transform DLR Group into a recognized design firm.”
According to ARCHITECT, the aim of its Top 50 list is to reward accomplishments according to the broadest possible criteria: “The list is designed to celebrate practice of all kinds – practices that are as adept with building technology as they are in business, that can win design awards and also give back to their communities. The overall winner? A big hand for DLR Group, which drew raves for its Joplin Interim High School in tornado-ravaged Missouri.”
In addition to being the leading K-12 education design firm in the United States, DLR Group partners with an envied list of clients including The Boeing Company, Google, Hyatt, Mall of America, NRG Energy, Kaiser Permanente, and with college and university campuses and public agencies across the nation.
“Client success stories like Joplin illustrate the effectiveness of DLR Group’s integrated design approach,” said DLR Group Managing Principal Griff Davenport, AIA. “This honor is really the outcome of the faith that clients have placed in DLR Group during the past 50 years. On behalf of our employee-owners, I want to thank every client across the country that has entrusted us to deliver their dreams and visions.”
DLR Group practices in the Corporate (hospitality, retail/mixed-use, workplace), Justice+Civic, Higher Education, K-12 Education, and Sports markets. The firm has offices in Chicago, Colorado Springs, Denver, Des Moines, Honolulu, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lincoln, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Omaha, Orlando, Pasadena, Phoenix, Portland, Riverside, Sacramento, Seattle, Tucson, and in Shanghai.
About DLR Group
DLR Group is ranked #1 by ARCHITECT, the official publication of the AIA, in its 2012 ARCHITECT 50 ranking of U.S. firms. We are an integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design from offices coast-to-coast and in China. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for a diverse group of public and private sector clients; local communities; and our planet. DLR Group fully supports the initiatives and goals of the 2030 Challenge and is an initial signatory to the AIA 2030 Commitment. Visit dlrgroup.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Google
Kirkland, Washington
For the renovation of the second floor of Building A on its Kirkland campus, Google sought to quickly effect a paint-and-carpet refresh of workplace spaces to accommodate expanding teams.
DLR Group’s design for this project capitalizes on additional opportunities to make significant spatial impacts within the original schedule and budget parameters.
By removing a significant number of existing interior walls, the design dramatically opens spaces and creates a fluid connection across the open office environment, both around and through the secure building core. While the scope of work included preserving existing workstations, perimeter offices and conference spaces using DIRTT wall systems, the team took opportunities to re-plan collaboration areas, social spaces and privacy rooms for improved accessibility, visibility and experience of space.
New FF&E in these shared areas not only provide wayfinding cues, but also create a fun, funky, energetic workplace atmosphere relating to Google’s region-based building theme of “Northwest Music Scene.”
County of Kings Superior Court
Hanford, CA
Within the constructed landscape, the new Kings County Courthouse will present itself as a territory within a landscape. It will have its own clearly defined edges and presence while still harmonizing with its immediate surroundings.
The transition between residential and commercial zoning challenged the project to create its own rhythm and orientation that will affect the future development of the area. The building is placed near the south-east corner of the site in proximity to the existing jail facility. This relationship allows for the two buildings to be connected by extending the existing underground tunnel.
The design team oriented the building on an east-west axis to capitalize on the energy-reducing advantages of this solar orientation. This passive technique reduces the heat load in the summer and allows the sun to come in during the winter, thereby helping to achieve the overall energy efficiency goals of the project. Additionally, the orientation is aesthetically advantageous, providing a view to the mountains from all north facing offices while keeping the jail primarily out of view.
The courthouse building itself is organized as a simple 4 courtroom-per-floor bar building, with chambers and other services attached to the back side for relatively close access to the courtrooms. Off of the atrium are all counters for each department, creating an open and accessible area for the high traffic volume.
All department and building functions feed off of the separate, secure corridor to the north. A partial basement houses the central holding facility which is accessed only by the northwest stair and the in-custody elevators located between courtrooms. This approach optimizes efficiency by accommodating, through relative adjacencies, the various functional interrelationships of these components while directly enhancing ease of access and security.
The courthouse is expected to be completed by early 2013.
United Launch Alliance
Denver, CO
The United Launch Alliance (ULA), a 50-50 joint venture owned by Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company, sought to create a transformative office space that displayed ULA’s mission and culture while consolidating its 11 office locations into one campus. ULA brings together two of the launch industry’s most experienced and successful teams – Atlas and Delta – to provide reliable, cost-efficient space launch services.
DLR Group’s design resulted in a unified and consistent work environment which created synergies for all ULA employees. Key adjacency with clients, customers, business and technical functions were imperative to improve efficiency, increase productivity and accelerate perfect product delivery.
Natural daylighting, mountain views, formal and informal collaboration spaces, cafeteria, fitness centers, bike storage, and proximity to public transportation along with sustainable finishes contributes to an improved and sustainable workspace.
