Teton County Children's Learning Center Brings Sustainable Design to Jackson, Wyoming

Many children's make believe adventures revolve around wooden forts in the mountains; the new Teton County Children's Learning Center by Ward+Blake Architects and D.W. Arthur Associates Architecture has captured this dream in the wilds of Jackson, Wyoming. This children’s daycare facility reflects the rustic decor of the Teton region, while achieving LEED Gold certification with an energy-efficient, low-impact design.

Creatively named “The Ranch,” the Rafter J Childcare facility was designed by the team of architects to achieve three objectives: to fit into the ranch-like neighborhood, experientially stimulate the children, and to achieve LEED Silver certification. Boston-based D.W. Arthur Associates Architecture was brought into the project by local firm Ward+Blake Architects to bring some expertise in childcare design to the table. It’s fitting that D.W. Arthur’s mission is to educate children through experiencing their spatial environment.
The exterior of the building celebrates the regional vernacular ranch style of the local neighborhood, and it incorporates many natural materials in its skin. Made from rammed earth, cedar wood, weathered wood, glass and steel, this 12,000-square-foot facility rises and falls almost as if mimicking the surrounding mountains. Beaver slide-like enclosures and other slatted fences help to break up the exterior of the building, while creating shading devices for the building. Various shed roofs allow for natural light to penetrate deep into the building through angled clerestory windows. Also, many of these shed roofs are covered with sod in order to control storm water runoff.

Zaha Hadid Awarded Title of Dame for Her Work in Architecture

Zaha Hadid was just awarded the title of “Dame” for her services in architecture. The honor and new title (officially Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) were given as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday Jubilee celebration on Saturday, June 16th. Hadid, who is arguably the most notable female architect in the world, was also the first female recipient of the Pritzker Prize in 2004 and the winner of the Stirling Prize in 2010 and 2011. One of her most recent projects is the Aquatics Center in Olympic Park, which features a wave-shaped roof and sustainable construction strategies.
Zaha Hadid was awarded the title of Dame this past weekend in honor of her services in architecture, which includes a number of projects completed in the UK. Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) projects in the UK include Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in Kirkcaldy (2006), Evelyn Grace Academy in London (2010), Riverside Museum in Glasgow (2011) and London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympic Games. The MAXXI: Italian National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects’ highest accolade – the Stirling Prize – in 2010. ZHA’s Evelyn Grace Academy won the Stirling Prize in 2011.

Hadid was one of 1,064 recipients of the new title and one of 498 women who were recognized for their services on the Honours List. Also joining Hadid on the list for their services in architecture were Jerome Frost, Head of Design and Regeneration for the Olympic Delivery Authority who received an OBE; Dr Lori Barbara McElroy, Director of Sustainability who was awarded an MBE for services to sustainable building design; and Francesca Berriman, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists who also received an MBE.
On receiving her title, Dame Zaha Hadid commented: “It is a tremendous honour for me to receive this award. I would like to thanks all my colleagues and clients for their hard work and support. I am delighted that architecture has been recognised in this way. My father went to the London School of Economics in the 1930s, and everything he learned at the time is why I have always leaned towards the UK.”

Italian Firefighter House is Carved Into a Cave

Bergmeisterwolf Architekten have essentially turned Italy's Margried volunteer firefighting team into superheroes by building their new fire brigade in the depths of a sharp black-fronted cave. Instead of using up valuable agriculture land, the community opted to carve three caverns out of rock, thereby minimizing the use of new materials and reducing the project's energy load.

Enclosed with a pair of folding glass doors that reveal the red fire trucks and then protected from falling rocks by a strong pitched wall tinted to resemble burned wood, the fire brigade features three large caverns furnished with simple materials such as wood, glass and steel designed to contrast with the plastered interior walls. A heat simulation test conducted prior to construction revealed that only the administrative area of the “cave” needed insulation.
Otherwise, even when it’s 10 degrees Celsius below outside in winter, the cave maintains a fairly steady temperature of about 12 degrees Celsius. At the front, however, which has more exposure to the outside doors, it is colder, so the design team installed triple-insulated glass to mitigate heat loss. A cantilevering glass cube inserted into the cave near the offices brings in natural lighting, further reducing energy requirements. And the remaining heat for hot water and the interior is met with an ecological pellet heating system.

Gensler’s Portland International Jetport Lands LEED Gold Certification

The newly renovated Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine is the second commercial airport to achieve LEED Gold certification. Designed by Gensler, the new LEED-certified airport follows on the heels of their renovation of SFO T2, which was the first LEED Gold airport in the nation. Spurred on by the commitment of the city of Portland to ensure a high level of sustainability, the jetport makes use of materials from the region and has the largest geothermal heating and cooling system in the state. Despite how energy intensive airports often are, the Portland Jetport and Gensler are showing how beautiful, sustainable and energy-efficient they can be.

The Portland International Jetport expansion in Maine opened in fall 2011, but was just awarded LEED Gold certification, making it the second commercial terminal in the United States to achieve this status. The 160,000-square-foot, three-gate facility includes a new ticketing hall, a modern baggage handling area that places TSA baggage screening out of view, six new passenger checkpoint lanes, new departures lounges, concessions, and food court seating. Inspired by the natural beauty and resources of Maine, the terminal features timber construction, rarely seen in airport architecture. Natural daylighting, FSC-certified glue laminated structural timbers, and low-maintenance, polished concrete floors add to the sustainability strategies.
To make the airport more energy efficient, Gensler, with the help of AMEC Earth and Environmental and Haley and Aldrich, designed a dual strategy system that relies on geothermal heating and cooling along with a radiant floor system. The geothermal system was made possible by the first-ever Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. Installed under the parking lot, the system features 120 wells, each 500 feet deep to serve as a giant thermal battery — rejecting heat in the summer and absorbing heat in the winter. The energy-efficient heating and cooling program will save $200,000 a year on fuel costs and 2 million pounds of CO2 emissions per year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 180 cars off the road per year.

KPF Announces Design for Block H of Seoul’s Yongsan International Business District

Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) recently presented the firm’s design for Block H of Seoul’s new Yongsan International Business District (YIBD) in Seoul. At 1264 feet (385 meters), the tower sets the standard for new design and construction innovations in the YIBD, a new business district emerging off the north shore of Seoul’s Han River. Reflective of Seoul’s transformation from an industrial powerhouse to one that drives technological progress and is more friendly to sustainable business and living, Block H will incorporate more natural building angles and a plan that will capitalize on Korea’s abundant sunshine.

The Plan for the 1.8 million square feet (167,225 square meters) Block H includes a hotel and residential tower with a massive basement will have room for retail and a spa. But instead of the traditional tower structure, KPF designed Block H to mimic the organic growth of a crystal. Three asymmetric wings branch out from the building’s base and reach out towards both light and views of the river.
The result is that the tower’s hotel rooms and apartments will boast ample natural light with views of the Han River, nearby Yongsan Park and the view of Seoul’s iconic Namsan Mountain. All spaces will wow visitors with incredible corner views while offering residents and guests maximum privacy. Meanwhile rooftop gardens and trees will offer much needed greenery and shade in this city of 10 million, and sections of the tower will mirror Korea’s mountainous countryside with natural woods and slabs of stone. Along with much of the YIBD, Block H is scheduled for completion in 2016. KPF’s vision is another reason why Seoul is a global hub for daring, cutting-edge architecture. Watch for YIBD to rival other business districts in Seoul, including KOEX, Kangnam and the old downtown area around City Hall and Seoul Station.

http://www.kpf.com