JL Architects

Archives for March 2016

The Advantages of Passive Design for New Buildings

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A passively designed building uses strategies that maximize energy efficiency and maintain human comfort. The key to the strategy is to maximize the energy that is gained, and minimize the energy that is lost. This type of design can be applied to homes, office buildings, and high-rises. Passive design must have continuous insulation, an airtight envelope, highly insulated windows, heat recovered during ventilation, and solar gain.

Continuous insulation is quickly becoming not only a smart design option, but also a requirement since the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. Continuous insulation is an uninterrupted envelope of insulation where thermal bridging only occurs at the fasteners. An airtight envelope decreases the amount of air that passes through a space, thus decreasing the need to condition that air. Highly insulated windows will decrease the energy demand for heating and cooling, but the design and placement of windows is even more important. In the northern hemisphere, windows should be placed on the east, south and west facades to maximize the heat from the sun. The use of heat recovery devices decreases the energy demand by pre-heating or pre-cooling the incoming air. Solar gain can be utilized to comfortably heat a space, but if designed incorrectly, a space can become unbearable. The sun is at its lowest angle in the winter, so solar radiation can easily pass through a window and transfer heat into a space. The sun is at its highest angle in the summer, and windows should be shaded to prevent heating the interior of the building.

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For the United States, buildings that are designed to use very little energy can be Passive House Certified. The certification is granted by the Passive House Institute US, and is not limited to only houses. The non-profit organization began by rising to the demand of home owners who desired to decrease the energy used in their homes. The value of using an architect is clear as we can guide your next project to accomplish effective passive design – helping our environment, while also helping your energy expenditure as a property owner. JL Architects designs for you, and our shared world; contact us for more information.

-Matt Otricelli

Photo Credits: http://vps150738.ovh.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/arch2.jpg, http://www.phius.org/what-is-passive-building-/the-principles

Go Green! Container Construction

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There was a lot of buzz at our JLA staff meeting when it was announced that one of our clients, Starbucks, was going to have us work on their new shipping container store. We were thrilled as we seek every opportunity to use our skills to create an environmentally friendly & sustainable built project. For Starbucks, it is part of their mission to remain a socially and environmentally responsible company; this would be their Reclamation Drive-Thru Concept.

The idea of this type of store was inspired by the view outside the window of their headquarters on first avenue in Seattle. It is a view of stacked shipping containers. A hand painted sign on their reclamation drive-thru, at the corner of NW 53rd St and 15th Ave NW, Seattle reads:

“Why did we build this? Starbucks relies on shipping containers for transportation around the world. We also rely on the planet we all share, and we believe in doing things that are good for the earth. This means finding solutions that keep things like old shipping containers out of the waste stream. So we’ve found a way to reuse them to make stores like this. Learn more at www.starbucks.com/responsibility.”

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The discussion at the staff meeting was sparked by the question:

“How Green are Shipping Containers?”

A lot of overseas shipping containers have high levels of chemical residue because of the fact they are built to withstand the weather conditions of the high seas. To prepare a used overseas shipping container for use in construction, one would have to strip the container completely of any of the hazardous coating, thus creating additional environmental hazards. For some who might find this a costly and time consuming way to leave a green footprint, they turn to single use domestic shipping containers. These haven’t been treated in the same way as the overseas versions and some are not treated at all being used to just transport wares from one state to another.

“Most US consumer, wholesale, and industrial goods – some 90-95 percent – are transported in corrugated cardboard boxes. Most of these containers are used commercially only once. In 1990, US producers made 25 billion corrugated boxes – almost 100 for every person. These boxes accounted for 12.2 percent of the national municipal solid waste stream in 1990 and contributed 24 million tons of waste, or about 188 pounds for every US resident” – Inform: Building Environmental Literacy. Finding creative ways to reuse these containers makes a dent in the accumulated “container waste”, and is one major way alternative construction using shipping containers is green.

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Another way that it contributes to helping the environment is in how it is assembled before and after it reaches the site. It is considered modular construction. Green perks are:

1. Energy Efficient Production. It is considered energy efficient in the pre-site assembly process because it is done on a mass scale by specialized companies. Anything that is a fixed element is adhered, wielded or bolted to the container. Elements like cabinetry, carpets and piping, are examples of this.

2. Energy Efficient Construction. The construction process follows standard specifications which makes it possible for the building construction process to be quicker than conventional methods. The reduction in construction time results in effective use of energy and resources as well very little construction waste. This process includes the site, foundation and utilities.

3. You can reuse and recycle the whole building. When the lease is over for the land, the building can be moved to another location. Repetitive use of the same container building at different sites continues to save time, energy and resources thus reducing consequent construction waste.

Combined with energy efficient lighting, electronics, and appliances our client champions the green cause. As we continue to be up to date ourselves with new technologies, we continue to be inspired to go green.

-Aisha Whitman

Photo credits: www.containerhomeplans.org, news.starbucks.com, http://www.starbucks.com/blog/sustainable-store-design-in-action/1158

Marketing Through Architecture

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Advertising and architecture share similarities. They both provide a professional trying to understand a client’s wants and needs and refining them into a final product. The final product by both professions defines an image of an institution.

With that said, I don’t feel it is a huge leap to say architecture can be the driving engine of your business’s marketing campaign. As you can see from the images below, some very successful businesses have utilized this marketing strategy. The iconic German automobile designer, BMW had their headquarters designed to gesture the idea of a 4-cylinder engine, not to mention including a logo as the roof of their adjacent structure. The weaved basket company, Longaberger’s headquarters is iconic for virtually replicating their Medium Market Basket.

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Another technique to use architecture as a marketing tool is by exploiting the company’s core values, or designing by them. Apple’s flagship stores have been designed using simplicity, transparency and user friendliness as design principles. One of Starbucks’s core values is sustainability. One way they have strived to achieve this is by building their architecture following strict guidelines of the LEED program.

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The last way we are going to discuss marketing with architecture is branding. Many businesses that have prospered over the years are identifiable by their iconic branding, perhaps even more than the products or services they provide. Architecture allows this branding to be seen in public, whether it’s while you are driving down the road looking for a place to eat, or surfing the net for a new pair of shoes. This branding is constantly there for your viewing pleasure, and for storing in your subconscious until the next time you need their product.

At JL Architects we have been providing marketing material to our clients since the 80’s coast to coast. Maybe it’s time we team up with you and build a marketing icon together.

-Nathan Houser