Ashley Eusey, PE, LEED AP, GGP, is Hoefer Wysocki’s lead professional engineer and sustainability manager. In the article “Resiliency: Future-Proof Building Design,” Eusey provides a comprehensive look at three pillars of resilient design in the built environment: integrated design, flexibility and education.
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Heather Bender, Strategic Marketing Manager, CornellCookson, discusses building guidelines and standards for storm shelters and safe rooms with which architects, designers and constructions pros should be familiar, especially during this time period of extreme weather events. “From doors to windows, building envelope systems to roofing material, the A&D community have powerful new tools in creating safe rooms and hurricane shelters. At the heart of this evolution are FEMA P-316 and ICC 500 standards, both of which were created to provide guidelines and requirements that promote life safety.”
Read MoreThe Portland Cement Association (PCA), representing America’s cement manufacturers, released a new report focused on resiliency titled The Real Value of Resilient Construction. The report demonstrates through historical data, evidence from external sources, and comparisons of building materials that resilient design and construction built with concrete leads to longer lasting buildings due to concrete’s ability to stand up to normal wear and tear and resistance to extreme weather events.
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Intended to be a visible demonstration of sustainable design, the Wentworth Institute of Technology Center for Engineering, Innovation, and Sciences incorporates enhanced metering for the Institute’s use and student demonstration. The project exceeds the City of Boston’s requirements of sustainability with a highly-efficient thermal envelope, including sun shading on the east, south and west facades, as well as mechanical equipment designed for maximum efficiency including low-flow fume hoods. As the campus is vulnerable to flooding, resilience measures included raising the ground floor two feet above current grade and minimizing systems equipment in the basement. The building is designed to be LEED Silver Certifiable under LEED v.4.
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“Disasters are only expected to increase in frequency and severity, so as an industry we need to work collaboratively on how to adapt the built environment to face even greater challenges,” said the Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “The findings of this report offer encouragement that our work, slow and steady as it may be, is well worth the effort. The Code Council has a long and close partnership with NIBS, and we look forward to continued engagement with the Institute on these important issues.”
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The industry’s role in creating buildings designed not only to withstand the elements, but also to be manufactured sustainably and perform with higher efficiency long into the future is critical. What can we as an industry be doing better to manufacture products and create efficient buildings that will help shape the future in a more sustainable way?
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The call to action has never been more urgent. As architects, we are in a unique position to make a positive impact on the environment. We have the power to design buildings that can “live” harmoniously in nature and that generate energy respectfully.
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The International Code Council and the Alliance for National and Community Resiliency (ANCR) released a new publication on resilience, Building Community Resilience through Modern Model Building Codes. Intended for use by policymakers and government administrators, this unique publication is an approachable compendium of information, graphics, photos and statistics related to community resilience and the building codes.
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The perpetual evolution of educational, technological and cultural standards has radically altered campus landscapes. Because of these rapid changes, campuses are grappling with aging, outdated buildings that no longer meet student and faculty needs or expectations. As design styles advance and campus facilities are built or reconstructed, designers must consider how to prevent structures from becoming low-functioning or obsolete in the future.
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“We are drawn to the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings,” said DXA Studio Partner, Wayne Norbeck. “Respecting the building’s history, while adding modern elements and creating spaces for both commercial and residential tenants has been an exciting challenge for us and it’s an honor to receive recognition for those achievements.”
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Photo credit: Albert Vecerka/Esto
New York Sanitation Building Wows with Perforated Solar Fins Enriched with Lumiflon FEVE Resin Dattner Architects and WXY Architecture + Urban Design teamed up to design New York City’s Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Spring Street Salt Shed. The 2,600 custom perforated aluminum solar fins, “float” off the building masonry base and reduce the building’s solar heat. The louvers were protected with IFS Coatings’ IFS 500 FP, a Lumiflon-enriched product. Read more
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The YUW 750 TU is a thermally broken, unitized curtain wall that delivers a high level of design versatility and performance, regardless of climate or location. In addition to the fast, easy installation benefits of being unitized, it offers design freedom with options for a 2 1/2 inch captured frame or a 4-sided structural silicone glazed frame with zero sightline for a modern look. Sustainable performance is achieved with a U-value of 0.41 Btu/hr ft2 oF or less. Additionally, the YUW 750 TU easily interfaces with sun shades to yield greater performance. Visit ykkap.com to learn more.
