JL Architects

Archives for July 2017

Design Begins with Existing Conditions

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Most projects don’t begin with a blank canvas and a flat area of land to design and build upon. With so many existing buildings, either broken up into leasable tenant space or re-purposed for different uses as time passes, many projects begin with the existing building shell and are tailored to fit the next occupant’s use. This is where documenting existing conditions plays an important role in the conception of the project.

For each site survey, the level of investigation depends on the scope of the project. If a client wishes to generate drawings for leasing purposes, wall locations, window/door sizes, and utility locations are documented and dimensioned to show the leasable area of a space.  If the client’s goal is to renovate the building or build an addition, the survey will be more involved, and can include surrounding site context, structure, electrical service, mechanical system sizes and approximate age, condition of the roof, adequate parking, and current accessibility standards.

Once the information arrives in our office, the software is also selected based on the client’s end goals. If the scope of work is to simply provide lease outline drawings, drawings can be completed quickly using AutoCAD. If the scope is to include facade renovations or coordinating an interior fit-out with updated mechanical systems, modeling the project in Revit may be the best option.

Now that summer has arrived, so has our returning intern, and we are able to pass along some of our knowledge and methods of documenting buildings.  We develop a method of drawing, writing dimensions without cluttering our drawing, photographing elements of importance, and looking beyond the surface to understand structure orientation and wall construction.  These are things that can only be learned by first-hand experience, and we are happy to share that experience.

Performing site surveys to document existing conditions is just one of the many services we offer at JL Architects, and distance is no issue. In the last few months, we’ve completed surveys everywhere from our own town of West Chester, to Philadelphia, northern Virginia, Georgia, and as far west as Arizona. With every completed survey, comes a greater understanding of how the existing building comes together, and how we can better help our clients achieve their design goals.

Brandon Runnels, Architectural Designer

The Benefits of Continuing Education in Architecture

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Twenty-nine years of working across the USA has resulted in a unique skill set and perspective.  Special skills are required to work with people we don’t see, design in a space we will only see once, and to build teams with people we may not work with again. Then, there are the peripheral Responsibilities.

“Responsibilities” often is an obligation that drags down performance. In this case, working across the USA obligates JLA to maintain at least one license in each state and to complete Continuing Education requirements.

Continuing Education is a long-standing requirement for many professionals, such as doctors and lawyers.  In the architecture and engineering field it started in the 1990’s.

Continuing Education requirements vary from state to state relative to topics, number of hours and presentation medium.  With 37 state licenses, certifications in LEED and Green Globes, and membership in the AIA, it can be a full-time job keeping up.  The first CE class I took in the 90’s was a 2-day seminar on French furniture. It was interesting and I still recall some of the interesting facts, but I don’t know how it has made me a better architect or what it had to do with “Health, Safety and Welfare”.

Like most things, it got better as the idea matured.  In addition to the office lunch -n – learns given by manufacturers and various vendors serving the design & construction industry, topics covered through my personal study include:

  • Handicapped Accessibility with special courses for Texas, Florida and California
  • Biomechanics
  • Biofilters
  • Building Pathology – how to figure out what went wrong
  • Alternate Building Materials, such as Gabions and Rammed Earth
  • Daylighting and the benefits on productivity
  • The Building of the Pentagon
  • Senior Living: Housing for Aging
  • The Design-Build processes – benefits and liabilities
  • Sustainability including Rain Gardens, Geothermal systems, and green building materials
  • Construction Cost Management

While Continuing Education is time consuming, it effectively accomplishes the promotion of learning.  Vendor presentations are made to our entire JLA team.  This keeps us up to date on the latest technology and products. The personal study courses are always shared with our team as well.  In a world where everything new can soon be obsolete, it is important to keep up with trends and resources for solutions to both new and old challenges.  This continued learning enables JLA to be creative problem solvers, continuing our growth and success in the multiple areas of our architecture practice.

 

John Lister, AIA, LEED AP, GGA

Principal, JL Architects

 

Benefits of a Green Globes Certification!

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Benefit from Sustainable Features with a Green Globes Certification!

Green Globes was created to be a practical and flexible tool applicable to any building regardless of size, type, or budget. There are many benefits to achieving even just one Green Globe.

Once your Green Globes Professional has completed the initial survey, the Green Globes Assessor process begins. This involves an Assessor assigned to the project by the Green Building Initiative (GBI), who reviews and conducts an onsite walk through of the building and grounds. The project Assessor is accompanied by the property manager, design team representative, and in many cases the construction manager. A follow up meeting is often conducted to discuss the Green Globes process, and the key points of the assessment, which will create the final report and Green Globes certification.

While some buildings get by with only 35 or 36% of applicable points out of the initial 1000 (35% is the minimum), only the truly advanced buildings earn Three or Four Green Globes. This higher rating is what a leader in sustainability strives for, and those that get there typically work very hard to achieve Three or Four Green Globes. In fact, a net zero building outside of Chicago achieved both Three Green Globes and LEED Platinum.

Some buildings earn certification with only 35 or 36% of applicable points out of the initial 1000 but benefit from a customized report that details opportunities to improve the building – Alexander Pointe Apartments, Mebane, NC – One Green Globe –

Alexander Pointe apartments - 1 GG

Projects that achieve One Green Globe demonstrate a commitment to environmental efficiency practices. The process of achieving One Green Globes often provides incentive to building owners and designers to improve practices to take projects to the next level of demonstrating excellent progress in the reduction of environmental impacts and use of environmental efficiency practices.

Environmental Assessment Areas:

Regardless of the number of Green Globes that a project achieves the process remains the same and the following areas are questioned and documented:

Project Management: Collaborative meetings with stakeholders and influencers such as key design and construction personnel should be held as early as possible in the design process, and continue through building occupancy.  This benefits in your planning and creating a raised awareness of aspects that improve building performance and outcome.

Site: Review the effected development area.  Is it urban infill or suburban sprawl?  Are there greenfields, brownfields or floodplains effected?  Site criteria also deals with connections to other sites, walkability, storm water management, landscaping, water use and exterior light pollution.

Energy:  The single highest environmental assessment area of the Green Globes certification metric is energy use and conservation achieved through equipment selection and building performance.  They are critical aspects in determining the sustainability of a facility.  To ensure that the building continues to operate at the optimum level, continual monitoring and tracking of energy performance is essential.  The use of an energy model is encouraged as a tool to not only identify the systems that provide the highest payback, but also as a tool to evaluate value engineering and how suggested substitutions flow through to the long-term bottom line.

Water: Green Globes addresses water consumption including whole building performance and prescriptively water conserving features, water treatment, alternative sources of water, metering and sub-metering, and irrigation design.

Materials & Resources:  A significant aspect of sustainability that could be expanded and evaluated to a greater degree is the use of life cycle assessment (LCA). The opportunity to earn points for education and knowledge on the inputs and outputs required for various structural and interior materials from extraction through to delivery is too often overlooked by building teams. An LCA is considered the most reliable way to calculate and compare the cradle-to-grave environmental effects of common building materials. The use of LCA tools is encouraged by Green Globes. Also, Green Globes certification encourages a evaluation of how long building components will last and what alternatives there are to provide greater durability, higher returns and less waste.

Emissions: There are two paths for assessing heating; district heating or low emission boilers and furnaces. The cooling section includes review of refrigerants, specifically the ozone depleting potential (ODP), the global warming potential (GWP) and Green Chill best practices regarding leak detection. The Emissions environmental assessment area also addresses storage for hazardous materials.

Indoor Environment: Green Globes reviews the ventilation; air quality, air exchange intakes and exhausts, source control and the measurement of indoor pollutants including VOCs, fungus, mold, CO2, tobacco, and radon. Also, covered in this section is the use of an integrated pest management strategy, lighting design, and thermal and acoustic comfort.

Vicki Worden, President & CEO of GBI says, “It’s true, that every building can incorporate sustainable features and benefit from the Green Globes customized report for planning the next round of capital improvements. That does make Green Globes unique because it’s about inclusivity – every building has room for improvement. But there is a definite difference in achievement for the leaders of the pack.”

 

Barbara A.W. Clarke, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Green Globes Professional, Green Globes Assessor

Director of Sustainability

JL Architects

www.jlarchs.com