SAN JOSE, Calif., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BCA Architects has completed a new, state-of-the-art, 750-seat Performing Arts Center and 5,000-square-foot library at Chula Vista High School in San Diego County. The new buildings embody modern design anchored in functionality and sustainability. For the current and the next generation of students at Chula Vista High School, which holds 2,700, BCA Architects masterfully interwove a contemporary interpretation of the school's neoclassical Greek Spartan mascot into the projects' design and the school's 70-year-old campus.

Some sustainable highlights of the buildings include: strategic orientation to maximize natural light; low-flow plumbing fixtures and water-efficient landscaping ensure more than 50% in annual water savings; low-impact, energy-efficient HVAC systems to increase ventilation along with an on-site renewable energy system; and 40% of the site reserved as vegetated open space.

To help overcome the challenge of a tight budget, BCA Architects spearheaded the process of securing $3.0 million in Career Technical Education and High Performance Initiative grants for both the Performing Arts Center and the Library. BCA Architects' closeout with certification from the Division of the State Architect also ensures the district can proceed with obtaining state funding for future facility projects.

"BCA architects did an incredible job of capturing the vision and needs of the School for Creative & Performing Arts in their design of our new 700-seat Performing Arts Center. Their attention to all details: acoustics, aesthetics, theatrical considerations, and serviceable rehearsal spaces paired with cutting-edge design and technology have created a jewel that will be the centerpiece of our community for many years to come," said Ron Bolles, former facilitator of the SCPA at Chula Vista High School. "From the design phase of the project, we knew we were doing something truly magnificent."

Because BCA Architects is seeking LEED Platinum certification for the projects, the Chula Vista High School's Performing Arts Center is South San Diego's largest and most sustainable theatrical arts facility. "The impact this has had on our students is palpable," said Kevin Willard, Assistant Principal at Chula Vista High School. "They are delighted to study in a brand new library and perform in a wonderful new theater they can call their own," Willard said.

"BCA Architects is deeply honored to play an active role in helping to create such a positive impact on Chula Vista High School and the surrounding community," said Paul Bunton, founding principal of BCA Architects.

BCA Architects partners with clients in a mission to achieve excellence in design. Since 1989, BCA strives to strengthen communities through projects built, whether it's to design, to help define partnerships, to locate financing, to save energy or to present alternate delivery methods. BCA goes above and beyond the task at hand to ensure their clients succeed. For more information, visit: http://www.bcaarchitects.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Del Fierro (408) 588-3835 or RachelD@bcaarchitects.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

Originally posted here:
BCA Architects Announces Completion of Chula Vista High School Performing Arts Center & Library

BOSTON, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA), one of Boston's most innovative architectural and interior design firms, today announced that it has received a Section Award from the Boston Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society forthe 2012 Illumination Awards program. The award recognizes MPA's lighting design for the 32,000 SF interior fit-up of Philips' new high performance workspace in Andover, Massachusetts. Philips is a globally diversified health and well-being company focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations.

The IES Illumination Awards provide a unique opportunity for public recognition of professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design based upon the individual merit of each entry.

"Philips' new space leverages both new lighting technology and dynamic office design to create a livable, workable and sustainable high performance workspace," said Dianne Dunnell, IIDA, LEED AP, senior associate at Margulies Perruzzi Architects. "The design team worked together to envision and execute this innovative lighting design concept, and we are honored to be recognized by the IES for our efforts."

MPA's objective for the lighting design was to reinforce Philips' brand by maximizing daylighting, aligning specifications with function, and offering a sustainable solution utilizing new lighting technology. Philips' own LED light fixtures, lamps and controls were used throughout the project. Over 90% of the lighting is LED, offering energy-efficient light that makes the office environment more engaging and uses 25% less electricity than code mandate for energy consumption per square foot.

To promote collaboration and interaction in the office, the open workspace is arranged in seven "neighborhoods." The lighting design provides a clear sense of circulation and aids in differentiating "neighborhood" workspaces and collaboration space. LED color-changing fixtures within ceiling coves define neighborhoods, and the light color coordinates with the nature-inspired graphics for each neighborhood.

About Margulies Perruzzi Architects

Consistently ranked as one of Boston's top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi Architects creates buildings and corporate interiors for clients who value design. The firm services the corporate, professional services, healthcare, research/lab, and real estate communities with a focus on sustainable design. Clients include Manulife/John Hancock, Nuvera Fuel Cells, Reliant Medical Group, Sapient, Hobbs Brook Management and Forrester Research. For more information, please visit http://www.mp-architects.com.

Media Contact:Michele Spiewak Rhino Public Relations 617-851-2618 MPArchitects@rhinopr.com

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Margulies Perruzzi Architects Receives Illuminating Engineering Society Boston Section 2012 Illumination Award

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

SB Architects is proud to announce the completion of design for the first phase of Waterfront City an expansive new mixed-use community on the Mediterranean Sea near downtown Beirut. The project is scheduled to break ground this summer, setting in motion a multi-phased development that will change the face of the citys waterfront.

SB Architects won an international design competition for the master-planning and design of this 48-acre project which, when complete, will have over 5,000 residential units and numerous retail and commercial districts. An international design firm with projects in progress on five continents, SB Architects collaborated with landscape architecture firm Sean K Simms on the master plan, and worked with local architecture firm Erga Group on the design of Phase One.

The first phase of residences at Waterfront City was introduced to the public in 2011, and has almost completely sold out prior to construction. A joint venture between Beirut-based Ste Joseph G. Khoury et Fils Holding and international development partner Majid Al Futtaim, Waterfront City will create a new destination within this historic city.

Waterfront City will be, without a doubt, one of the top waterfront destinations in all of the Mediterranean, says Scott Lee, president of SB Architects.

Located just 15 kilometers from Beiruts Central District, Waterfront City revolves around a grand pedestrian promenade elevated seven meters above sea level. This elegant promenade is the defining concept of the master plan, and overlooks the Joseph Khoury Marina the largest marina in Beirut and one of the largest in the Mediterranean. SB Architects design for Waterfront City blends modern architectural massing and design elements with traditional patterning and materials a combination that reflects Beiruts historic neighborhoods, while creating a new urban language that is unique to this development. The firm will continue work on future phases of the Waterfront City development.

In more than 50 years of practice, SB Architects has established a worldwide reputation for excellence in the planning and design of destination hospitality, spa and golf amenities, as well as urban mixed-use and multi-family residential projects.

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SB Architects Reshapes Beirut’s Waterfront

FFKR Architects was named one of the top 500 design firms in the country by Engineering News-Record for the third consecutive year.

The Top Design Firms list, published annually, ranks the 500 largest U.S.-based design firms, both publicly and privately held, based on design-specific revenue and informs industry opinion.

"Were gratified once again to be included with such notable firms and to be recognized for our client driven design," said Ken Louder, FFKR President and CEO. "The ranking demonstrates our firms ongoing and successful commitment to growth and development across the intermountain region."

The Salt Lake-based FFKR Architects is an architectural and interior design firm, serving the western United States since 1976. Its practice encompasses a broad range of building types and services ranging from education, entertainment, hospitality, historical preservation, religious, and sport facilities.

FFKR recently completed the Davis Center for Performing Arts and the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute expansion. Current projects include the Salt Lake City Olympus Replacement High School, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints new Brigham City temple and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Wellness Center & Sports Complex in Ft. Hall, Idaho.

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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FFKR Architects Named in Top 500 Best Design Firms

By Karissa Rosenfield (click here for original article)

You may remember Sou Fujimoto Architects radical House NA from this video we shared with you last November. Designed for a young couple in a quiet Tokyo neighborhood, the 914 square-foot transparent house contrasts the typical concrete block walls seen in most of Japans dense residential areas. Associated with the concept of living within a tree, the spacious interior is comprised of 21 individual floor plates, all situated at various heights, that satisfy the clients desire to live as nomads within their own home.

Described as a unity of separation and coherence, the house acts as both a single room and a collection of rooms. The loosely defined program and the individual floor plates create a setting for a range of activities that can take place at different scales. The house provides spaces of intimacy if two individuals choose to be close, while also accommodating for a group of guests by distributing people across the house.

Sou Fujimoto states,

Ranging in size from 21 to 81 square-feet, each floor plate is linked by a variety of stairs and ladders, including short runs of fixed and movable steps. Stratifying floor plates in a furniture-like scale allows the structure to serve many types of functions, such as providing for circulation, seating and workings spaces.

The short-spans allow for the thinness of the white steel frame. Complemented by the thin white-tinted birch flooring, many wonder where the utilities are hidden. Some floor plates are equipped with in-floor heating to help during the winter months, while strategically placed fenestration maximizes air flow and provides the only source of ventilation and cooling during summer.

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House NA / Sou Fujimoto Architects

When the letter arrived in 2007 inviting Tod Williams and Billie Tsien to enter a select competition to design a new Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, the husband-and-wife architectural team were momentarily stumped. Yes, they were well known among the cognoscenti, who admired their artisanal devotion to their projects. Yes, their new Folk Art Museum in Manhattan had just opened to rave reviews, raising their profile. And, yes, they had just made a good impression in Philadelphia with their elegant design for a small engineering building at the University of Pennsylvania.

The problem was that Williams and Tsien had never visited the Barnes Foundation and its fabulous art collection in suburban Merion.

Embarrassed by the lapse, the pair "hightailed it out there," recalled Williams, now 68. "I'd known about it since I was at college" at Princeton University, he admitted, but "it always seemed like a hassle to get to." He chided himself for his "intellectual laziness" and quickly acquired a pair of tickets to visit the galleries.

The Barnes worked its usual magic on Williams and Tsien. At the entrance, Jacques Lipchitz's stylized ceramic bas-relief stopped them in their tracks. They were left dizzy by the sensory overload of Matisses and van Goghs and Renoirs. And yet the element that intrigued them most was the one that perplexes many visitors: the antique hinges and brass implements that founder Albert C. Barnes had salted among the paintings. Albert Barnes, they realized at once, was a kindred spirit.

Barnes was a modernist who was intensely drawn to handcrafted objects. So are Williams and Tsien, who practice what might be called slow architecture. They pursue just a few projects at a time, so they can pay close attention to the details, etching and scoring and hammering every surface of their buildings as if they were crafting fine leather bindings or handmade paper. While they don't apply ornamentation in the same way that a neoclassical architect might have, they enliven their simple forms with the strategic use of rich color, unusual glazes, metalwork, and lavishly textured masonry.

Bigger names were considered for the coveted Barnes commission, including Rafael Moneo and Thom Mayne, but the board decided instead to go with the pair's small New York-based firm. It wasn't just their sensibility about craft and detail; the board also felt "they understood the complexity of the project better than anyone else," Aileen Kennedy Roberts, who chairs the building committee, has said.

Without a doubt, the $150 million Barnes building, which opens to the public May 19, was more complex than most museum projects. It was no secret to Williams and Tsien that the foundation's decision to relocate to Philadelphia was a controversial one, decried in the world's art press as a desecration of Albert Barnes' unique vision.

Because of promises made during the lengthy court battle, designing the new Barnes was a herculean assignment fraught with character-testing obstacles. For starters, the architects were obliged to re-create the interiors of the Merion galleries, inch-for-inch, inside the new building. Not just room dimensions, either. All the paintings, metalwork, and other objects would be placed in precisely the same arrangement as they had been in Merion. The imposition of that single requirement would ripple through the rest of the design, and would profoundly dictate the look and function of the new building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

For most modern architects, the idea of replicating any building, even one as fine as Paul Cret's exquisitely proportioned 1920s gallery, is anathema. Some art-world figures were appalled to hear that Barnes' antiquated, salon-style hanging scheme would also be replicated, although others saw it as crucial to understanding the collector's intentions. Yet for the Barnes to succeed in its new location, the board understood that the building had to be a serious work of architecture, not a pastiche.

Many argued it was an assignment that simply couldn't be done well. "A faux Barnes is going to be a disaster, a compromise that will satisfy no one," said Lee Rosenbaum, who writes the CultureGrrl blog for the Arts Journal, and has been critical of the move.

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Architects' zeal for detail matched founder's

Seattle-based landscape architecture firm Gustafson Guthrie Nichol and New York-based architects Davis Brody Bond have won a competition to redesign Union Square, on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C.

"The National Mall is an extraordinary monumental landscape. Remarkable for its sheer scale, its powerful presence serves the country as both a public park and place of gathering and discourse," GGN Director Kathryn Gustafson said in a news release. "The goal of our design is to create a sustainable, durable and flexible plaza that is yet inviting and also active when it is not occupied for national events."

The Trust for the National Mall organized the competition to choose designs for three mall sites. Union Square, at the base of the Capitol, is the site of such major events as presidential inaugurations and mass demonstrations.

"Union Square represents an opportunity to fulfill the Mall's promise as a national place of assembly that is adaptable and easily maintained," Davis Brody Bond Partner Carl Krebs said in a news release.

The winning design "engages visitors with an impressive monumental scale, while also providing comfortable places for a range of experiences and voices," according to the team.

It focuses on a central space defined by the Grant Memorial and a reflecting pool consisting of a two-inch sheet of water that can quickly be drained to create a range of differently sized assembly spaces. Paved paths run diagonally across the pool.

"(T)he design dramatically rethinks the use of water operating with just 10 percent of the water of the current fountain and creates a series of plazas which can handle the heavy traffic of special events, and in turn reduces the wear and tear on the National Mall's lawns and gardens," Krebs said.

A series of outdoor rooms flank the central space, while "subtle changes in grade are used to form terraces and low retaining walls that provide seating surfaces and views into these rooms," the team wrote. "Planting further defines the spaces within, utilizing the existing mature trees on the site. Materials have been selected to reinforce the different identities of the constituent spaces, as well as to create durable surfaces that can be efficiently maintained through the life cycle of the project."

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Seattle landscape architects on winning team for National Mall design

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The first three months of 2012 showed progress for the landscape architecture profession compared to the previous quarter in the areas of hiring, billable hours, and new business inquiries, according to the Business Quarterly survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Some year-to-year data also support the improving trend.

Quarter to quarter, FQ 2012 saw 71.3 percent of firms reporting stable or improved billable hours, and 76.2 percent reported stable or improved inquiries for new work. Of these, 40.6 percent and 53.7 percent, respectively, reported the measures as slightly or significantly higher.

Year to year, more than three-quarters of respondents indicated stable or positive Q1 2012 growth in new business inquiries (76.2 percent), down very slightly from Q1 2011 (76.6 percent). They also reported returned growth in billable hours (71.3 percent), an increase from the 67.9 percent reported in the first quarter of last year.

Employment, too, thawed, with 28.2 percent indicating plans to hire compared to 24.7 percent in the previous quarter. This performance, however, is marginally weaker that the 32.5 recorded in first quarter 2011.

The economic environment continues to challenge the profession, but the trends are headed in the right direction once more, says Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA and executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. Its slow, but its positive.

Compared to the fourth quarter 2011, your first quarter 2012 billable hours were: Significantly higher (more than 10%) 14.2% Slightly higher (5 to 10% higher) 26.4% About the same (plus or minus 5%) 30.7% Slightly lower (5 to 10% lower) 14.5% Significantly lower (more than 10%) 14.2%

Compared to the fourth quarter 2011, your first quarter 2012 inquiries for new work were: Significantly higher (more than 10%) 20.1% Slightly higher (5 to 10% higher) 33.6% About the same (plus or minus 5%) 22.5 Slightly lower (5 to 10% lower) 12.1% Significantly lower (more than 10%) 11.7%

Year to year, compared to the first quarter in 2011, your first quarter 2012 billable hours were: Significantly higher (more than 10%) 17.4% Slightly higher (5 to 10% higher) 28.7% About the same (plus or minus 5%) 20.8% Slightly lower (5 to 10% lower) 16.4% Significantly lower (more than 10%) 16.7%

Year to year, compared to the first quarter in 2011, your first quarter 2012 inquiries for new work were: Significantly higher (more than 10%) 21.5% Slightly higher (5 to 10% higher) 32.3% About the same (plus or minus 5%) 20.5% Slightly lower (5 to 10% lower) 10.4% Significantly lower (more than 10%) 15.2%

Originally posted here:
Positive Momentum Returned for Landscape Architects in First Quarter

RICHMOND, Va., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Amherst County Adult Detention Center recently earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Designed by detention specialists Moseley Architects, the 170,000-square foot facility is the sixth facility operated by the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority. The facility opened in December 2011 and recently received itsLEED Silver certification, making it the Authority's first LEED certified facility.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120117/PH35523LOGO)

The facility houses 380 male and female inmates and features full service laundry and kitchen areas, a medical unit, intake and booking areas, magistrate offices, educational services, as well as administration and support spaces.

Elton Blackstock, the Authority's administrator, stressed the importance of pursuing LEED certification for the project. "Not only do we owe it to the community to make environmentally-responsible decisions, but the operational costs that can be achieved through water and energy savings are impressive."

Blackstock commented that the AcornVac system was chosen as a greener alternative to a traditional plumbing system, but that it is also a practical option for the facility in terms of controlling water costs, conducting maintenance with ease, and helping prevent excessive inmate use. The vacuum plumbing system will reduce wastewater by 70 percent and overall water use by more than 60 percent, which can annually save over 3.5 million gallons of water.

Carrie Henaghan, Moseley Architects' Project Manager, credited the outstanding dedication and efforts of the entire team for the facility's accomplishments. "The owners, building users, architects, and engineers were focused on determining the most energy-efficient options that complied with the facility's security requirements."

Moseley Architects and Hitt Contracting, Inc. worked to incorporate design and construction strategies that were critical to achieving LEED certification. Despite the challenging site, the design team planned to maximize naturally vegetated open space, appropriately manage stormwater, and landscape with native and drought-tolerant plants that would not require irrigation. Additional features included: selecting high-performance mechanical equipment, installing an air barrier, optimizing building insulation, and using energy-efficient lighting to reduce overall energy use by 16 percent; supporting the local economy by using regionally manufactured materials; and diverting 80 percent of construction waste from landfills by sorting and recycling over 2,000 tons of waste.

Blackstock said that both he and the staff are pleased with the results. "Controlling costs on a building that's open 365 days a year is a challenge, but I feel like we made sounds decisions that will quickly pay for themselves."

About Moseley Architects

Moseley Architects is a full service architectural, engineering, planning, and interior design firm with six offices in the Southeast. The firm specializes in public sector facility design and offers clients extensive experience in high performance and sustainable design. To date, the firm has 38 LEED certified projects (ranging from basic to platinum certification) and 49 LEED registered projects.

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Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority's First LEED Facility

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

AIA 2012, booth 2121 -- Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), a provider of integrated performance analysis software and consulting services for sustainable building design and operation, will showcase new updates to its Architectural Analysis software at the American Institute of Architects 2012 National Convention and Design Expo later this month. Architects, engineers and designers will get an in-depth look at the new ways to visualize solar shading, solar arc and solar analysis within VE-Gaia and VE-Pro at booth 2121.

Weve added key features that make the LEED certification and early-stage design process even easier for architects and designers, said Dr. Don McLean, founder and CEO of IES. As a hub for sustainable design advancements, were looking forward to showing AIA attendees what these software suites are capable of and why the hard data they provide is instrumental in the sustainable design process.

The IES Architectural Analysis capabilities of VE-Gaia and VE-Navigator for LEED allow architects to undertake model set-up, assign data, iterate workflows, trigger simulations, filter results and produce automated visual and rich-text reports. The tools enable design professionals to carry out climate, daylighting, energy, LEED credit analysis and more. The step-by-step workflow systems allow users to progress from early ballpark apple with apple comparisons to detailed calculations, fine tuning and reporting. Easy importing from Autodesk Revit, SketchUp and Trelligence further streamlines the overall design process.

IES is also running a competition for AIA 2012. The winner will receive a one year license for VE-Gaia, the most comprehensive Architectural Analysis tool available, plus free access to the VE-Navigator for LEED, and associated training.

To enter the AIA 2012 Competition, applicants must answer one question in 100 words or less...

What do you view as the Architects role in Energy Analysis?

Applicants must enter their response online at http://www.iesve.com/AIA2012Comp. To see other entries and for updates on the competition, follow the official hashtag #IESCompAIA on Twitter.

AIA 2012 takes place May 17-19 in Washington, DC. For live updates from the showroom floor, follow @IESVE on Twitter.

About IES

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IES to Showcase Advancements to Early-Stage Architectural Analysis Solutions at AIA 2012