ArchNews September 2015 - The American Institute of Architects

2015
ARCHnews
SEPTEMBER
THE NEWSLETTER
OF THE
EAST BAY CHAPTER
OF
THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE
OF
ARCHITECTS
Project Profile:
Dahlin Group
MONTEVERDE SENIOR APARTMENTS
Location: 2 Irwin Way, Orinda, CA
•
•
2015 Gold Nugget Grand Award, Seniors Housing Community, Active Adult/Independent Living
2012 Gold Nugget Grand Award, Seniors Housing Community, On-the-Boards
M
onteverde Senior Apartments is nestled on a hillside in an idyllic setting in Orinda, California. Situated on
a quintessential infill site conveniently located in the downtown area, this ideal location for a transit-oriented
development links seniors to BART and downtown services, the adjacent community church, park, and library. Design
of this new 67-unit affordable apartment community connects the City’s carefully executed past to its future design
direction, downtown revitalization, and provides much-needed affordable, age-qualified housing. Its contemporary
design melds with the existing structures, while working well with the multi-tiered site.
With more than a 17% slope and a 40-foot grade change, the challenging site provided an opportunity for a number of
meandering paths connecting residents, students of the neighboring school, and existing residents of the senior community above to the park, downtown, and pedestrian links to other walkable amenities.
Taking advantage of slope, two courtyards were developed to allow for a number of outdoor experiences including community planters, allowing residents to till their own veggie garden or flower patch. Even with steep slope, building and
site are completely accessible with each level being connected to an accessible path to neighboring park and into downtown Orinda. Elevators connect the wood-framed podium to the community room, library, lounges, exercise room,
salon, units, laundry facilities and a fourth floor computer lab, affording expansive views to the Orinda Valley.
Contents
Presidents Letter
2
Planning for Wellnes
3
CoolTechStuff
4
In the News
5
Profiles
6
Design Awards
10
Designed to achieve a GreenPoint Rated score of 135 points, the development incorporates a number of sustainable features including solar hot water and photovoltaic systems.
With its supportive resident services and highly-sustainable design, this innovative development will support long-term
independent living for lower income seniors in a healthy, safe environment. ■
Architect:
Developer:
Contractor:
Interior Designer:
Photography:
Dahlin Group Architecture Planning
Eden Housing
Oliver & Company
HKIT Architects
Douglas Sterling Photography
P r e s i d e n t ’s L e t t e r
AIA East Bay
a chapter of
The American Institute of Architects
1405 Clay Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Tel 510.464.3600
Fax 510.464.3616
info@aiaeb.org
www.aiaeb.org
Twitter.com/aiaeb
ArchNews is a publication of AIA East Bay.
The editors reserve the right to determine
the appropriateness of contributions and
to edit where necessary for length and
clarity. Use of names and images of products and services in either editorial or
advertising does not constitute endorsement by AIA or AIA East Bay. AIA East Bay
does not guarantee accuracy or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the
results obtained from use of such information.
Editorial contributions and correspondence to the chapter are welcome. All
material submitted for publication must
be in electronic form either via e-mail or
CD. Microsoft Word versions 5 and Text
files are supported.
A rc h Ne w s C o m m i t t e e / E d i t o r s
Harry Jacobs, AIA, Chair
Devi Dutta-Choudhury, AIA
Laile Giansetto, AIA
Larry Mortimer, AIA
Sidney Sweeney
Design
Dean Hunsaker
Swing Swing Swing
I
t seems that many firms have come back from the great recession
and are in growth mode again. In fact, there seems to be a shortage of
qualified people to do the work that firms are being awarded. It didn’t
seem that long ago that there were more candidates than positions and
many in the field had difficulty finding and holding on to steady employment. So the pendulum swings back.
When I graduated from Cal in 1992 with an undergraduate degree, the industry was in a tough rout and
finding employment in the field was tough. When I graduated in 1998 with a graduate degree, the pendulum was swinging the other way already. Commissions were more bountiful and finding the right people
was the challenge for many firms. Then came the “Great Recessions” of 2007 and the pendulum snapped
back. Like other downturns before, this one impacted our industry severely. In fact, by many accounts, this
one was the deepest and longest downturn in memory.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Malvin Whang, AIA
Chapter President
And today, many are noting the pendulum in full swing once again. More
work, not enough people to do the work. A local practitioner recently
shared an example on the stiff competition for labor and how his firm lost
out in a bidding war for a candidate. When candidates go to the highest bid
and construction cranes outnumber real cranes in the skyline, we know
what comes next, right? Sure, we may not know exactly when it will come,
but we know that the pendulum will swing back, right?
At this point, it shouldn’t be considered prognosticating to consider that the pendulum will swing back.
Most would agree that it is the pattern we have all seen and experienced in the decades we have been a part
of this industry. It would be great if we could somehow keep the pendulum from swinging back. If somehow we can keep the good times rolling without a hangover. But that’s unlikely to happen.
So the question is what are we going to do about it? If we know that sometime in the future we’re going to
experience another downturn, what should we be doing now to prepare? It’s difficult to plan for resiliency when the immediate challenge seems to be simply keep up with growth and address today’s challenges.
Good times seem to be the best time to plan for the bad times we know are around the corner. ■
2
MONTEVERDE SENIOR APARTMENTS
see cover
ArchNews
Planning & Design for Wellness and Mental Health in Schools
by Dan Wetherell, AIA
Ratcliff
W
hen planning and designing academic facilities there
are important considerations that will inform how
spaces are shaped – technology, teaching philosophy security and
sustainability to name a few. In recent years, wellness and mental
health have emerged as new and prevalent topics to consider during the programming and design process. Architects have the
opportunity and the obligation to consider how the academic
environment can support good mental health and allow for students to feel part of a supportive and whole community.
Research shows that students are experiencing anxiety and
depression more than ever. According to the National Institute of
Mental Health, about 8% of students suffer from some type of
anxiety disorder and that 25% have suffered from anxiety at some
point in their lives. Along with administrators, faculty and staff,
we as architects and design professionals have to ask ourselves why this is happening and how this statistic informs how schools should be programmed and designed.
Possible Causes:
There is a lot of speculation as to why there are increased anxiety issues with students. Some firmly attribute the cause to the tremendous pressure from parents, school administrators and the students themselves
to achieve scholastically. In an open house session with a group of administrators from various Bay Area
private schools, we discussed the current stresses that youth face — they are asked to participate in organized activities, maintain top GPA’s, compete for advanced placement classes, and eventually be accepted
into top schools. All participants agreed that students, now more than ever, struggle with developing their
academic self rather than allowing for enough downtime to have fun and develop socially. Unfortunately,
between heavy class loads and after-school commitments, there is very little unstructured time.
It is also clear that students are too “plugged in” with the constant use of smart phones, computers, and
social media applications. Despite the bombardment of messages to the contrary, connectedness cannot
be replaced virtually, and the resulting loss of connection leads to students experiencing feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression. They are losing their ability, and perhaps their desire, to relate and socialize
directly with other people..
What We Can Do to Help
Naturally, the responsibility to address the mental health of a child starts with the family. We have to accept, however, that students spend the majority of their time during the week on a school campus. School administrators
can play a significant role by being sensitive to the demands they place on students and by offering support
through counseling when needed. How can the architect team help to provide support. Here are examples of
ways we believe that academic environments can support good mental health and allow for students to feel part
of a supportive and whole community. We certainly recognize that students have different needs and are impacted uniquely by academic pressures and their physical environment.
•
Create a secure campus as a means to create a flexible and open design
Regrettably, students today are vulnerable to violence at a scale unknown to their parents. Students need
to be and feel safe and secure in their surroundings, but we don’t want the result to be schools that look
or feel like prisons. A campus should have a clear, secure area around the
Ratcliff
site which can be developed with the use of buildings, landscape, and
fencing to minimize unwanted intruders and potential threats. The campus design should provide for a clear arrival point towards the administrative offices so that visitors can check in before entering the campus.
Once inside the campus, security measures can be balanced with a campus that is private, open, connected and barrier free, all of which help students to feel connected and to establish a sense of community. A range of
different spaces can be created to allow for personal preferences and
moods. At College Prep School in Oakland, simple buildings are organized on both sides of a ravine allowing the open space between buildings
to be the area of focus and activity. The buildings and ravine create both
a secure zone and a sense of place. There are large and small spaces that
provide for a variety of activities and moods.
•
Create spaces that allow for community and quiet reflection
Most campus designs are moving away from the “cells and bells” configuration
and moving towards open, well-lit, varied-sized learning spaces that are conDavid Wakely
nected environments to promote interdisciplinary and human interaction.
Open environments can help to minimize students’ feelings of isolation and being confined in an over-structured
repetitive environment. Long corridors with classrooms that are all identical can be monotonous and uninspiring. In a recent discussion with students, they said they felt like they were moving between the same exact classrooms all day and missed the connection to other types of spaces and seeing other students. Like all of us, they
seek out places they can go when they are feeling stressed and need some quiet time.
(continued on page 8)
President
Malvin Whang, AIA
President Elect
Susi Marzuola, AIA
Secretary/Treasurer
Douglas Frazier, AIA
Directors
Robert Murelli, Assoc. AIA
Mark Steppan, AIA
Jeremiah I. Tolbert, AIA
Winston Win, AIA
Phoebe Wong-Oliveros, AIA
Peter Wolfe, Allied Member
Associate Director
Derrick Porter, Assoc. AIA
Student Director
Raphael Wade, Student Member
Executive Director
Sidney Sweeney
2015 Committees
+Forums +Chairs
Communication Committee
Harry Jacobs, AIA
Design Awards
David Arkin, AIA
Emerging Professionals Committee
Derrick Porter, Assoc. AIA
Raphael Wade, Student Member
Monthly Design Tours
Winston Win, AIA
Fellows
Bonnie Blake-Drucker, FAIA
Rosemary Muller, FAIA
Ben Fisher, FAIA
Annual Home Tours
Rudy Widmann, AIA
Miya Muraki, Assoc. AIA
Joint Lecture
Susi Marzuola, AIA
Professional Practice Forum
Stephen Hovland, AIA
Mark Steppan, AIA
Regional and Urban Design
Matt Taecker, AIA
Small Firm Forum
Maggie Maiers, AIA
Donald Wardlaw, AIA
Linda Randolph, AIA
Sponsorship
Jeremiah Tolbert, AIA
3
ArchNews
2015 Officers and Board
of Directors
CoolTechStuff
I
f you read last month’s article on SketchUp 2015 Hands-On: Layout, you may
be thinking, yes it tells me about using SketchUp/Layout, but it doesn’t really tell
me much about how an architect would use it. This is a followup to show you how
a practicing architect uses Sketchup/LayOut to produce beautiful complex
construction documents.
Larry Mortimer, AIA
lmort@kmort.com
SketchUp Layout for
Construction Documents
California architect Nicholas Sonder produces
both design and construction documents with
SketchUp and LayOut, and has been doing it for
quite some time. To show what he does, and how
he does it, he has produced a series of 12 free easy
to watch videos that will tell you the whole story.
In these videos he takes you from an introduction, through the complete process of generating
detailed construction documents. These videos
are relatively short, one is 14 minutes long, three
are 8 to 9 minutes, and the rest are 6 minutes or
less, so it’s not a huge time commitment to watch
them. Sonder is easy to listen to and does a very
good job of explaining what he’s doing and why.
Even if you are not a SketchUp user, you will find
it interesting to see how he creates these beautiful
construction documents.
Also Nick Sonder has joined up with Matt Donley
to produce an upcoming book, “SketchUp &
LayOut for Architecture”. To learn more about
the book go to: http://www.sketchupbook.com
4
See Nick Sonder’s Videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbndkJaV8A6tVUVIlqFHMAcodO8aATrh ■
ArchNews
Members in the News
Dahlin Group Project Wins its 2nd Gold Nugget Award
The project in this Septembers “Project Profile” The Monteverde Senior Apartments
in Orinda has won its second Gold Nugget Award. The first was awarded in 2012 for
“Seniors Housing Community On the Boards” project. The second awarded this year
was for “Seniors Housing Community, Active Adult/Independent Living.” (See the
cover of this issue for the story and an image of this project.)
Cole in Gabon
Steven Coyle, AIA
AIAEB member Steve Coyle, AIA is the Treasurer of Ingénieurs Sans Frontières,
Gabon with the Oregon-Gabon Center and University of Omar Bongo. He is
launching a pilot program with geography students, instructing them on applying
smart growth regional scale plans using GIS with local architects. They are developing a cadre of young, trained Gabonese with the technical skills to plan the country
at a large enough scale to determine where to grow and where to protect (e.g., waterways), and a small enough scale to collaborate with other agencies and institutions
who can design at the community level.
Ratcliff Transforms Top Floor of UC Barrows Hall
Social Science Matrix is UC Berkeley’s new flagship center
for social science research, now housed in a lightfilled gathering space designed for the digital age by Ratcliff architects
of Emeryville, California. “The name Matrix says a lot about
us, if not all of it,” said Professor William Hanks, Director of
Social Science Matrix, in welcoming remarks at the center’s
opening gala on January 30.
Dahlin Group Project Approved
The Menlo Park Planning Commission voted to approve
a plan to demolish two buildings at 1283 and 1295 El
Camino Real and construct a three-story, mixed-use
development in its place. The plans are to build 15 residential units geared for corporate workers, with about
2,000 square feet of retail, personal service or non-medical office space on the ground floor facing El Camino
Real. The site slated to be called Pinnacle and designed by
Dahlin Group, is the first project along El Camino Real to
see the light of day since the city adopted its El Camino
Real/Downtown Specific Plan in 2012.
5
ArchNews
AIA East Bay Members
In Public Ser vice
f you are, or know of a member who volunteers
service to their or share efforts or expertise
beyond their employment demands, please contact ArchNews c/o AIAEB via e-mail, fax, or mail.
CALIFORNIA
Nancy Anderson, AIA
Commissioner, Architectural Board of
Examiners
Tom Butt, FAIA
Chair, Local Government Commission
Member of the League of California Cities
Environmental Quality Policy Committee
Alan Dreyfuss, AIA
Chair, State Historic Building Safety Board
Robert Duncan Nicol, FAIA
Member, Universal Design
Advisory Board, OSA
Tian Feng, FAIA
California Architects Board
Eric Mikiten, AIA
Commissioner
California Building Standards
Commission
Steven Winkel, FAIA
Architect Commissioner Member,
California Building Standards Commission
Contra Costa County
Gene Metz, AIA
John Marsh Historic Trust, President, Board
of Directors
Alameda County
Jeff Moore Allied Member
Planning Commission
Alameda
Dennis Owens, AIA
Chair, Alameda Historical Advisory Board
Maggie Maiers, AIA
Harbor Bay Isle Owner's Association
Albany
David Arkin, AIA
Planning & Zoning Commission
Berkeley
Burton P. Edwards, AIA
Design Review Committee
Caitlin Lempres Bostrom, AIA
Parks & Waterfront Commission
Gene Metz, AIA
U.C.B. College of Environmental
Design, Mentor Program (Arch)
Reeve Gould, AIA
Board, I House, UCB
Founding Trustee, Cal Performances
Berkeley Symphony Advisory Board
Benicia
Rae Lynn Fiscalini, AIA
Sustainability Commission
Danville
Christophe S. Laverne, AIA
City Council
Douglas A. McQuillan, AIA
Design Review Board
Heritage Resource Commission
Firm Profile: Fischer Architecture
A
ndrew Fischer, Architect,
founded
Fischer
Architecture in West
Berkeley in the spring of
2006, and was joined shortly thereafter by his wife,
Kerstin Fischer, AIA LEED
AP. Together, their work
covers an array of styles and
project scale from modest
kitchen remodels to new
multi-thousand square feet
homes primarily within the
custom residential genre.
Andrew began his architectural training in London,
England, where he worked
as an apprentice to an
award-winning preservation architect, and later
returned to the States where
he received his BA in architecture from UC Berkeley.
Kerstin also received her BA
in architecture from UC
Berkeley, during which time
she spent eighteen months
studying architectural history at Lund University in
Southern Sweden. Through
these experiences Andrew
and Kerstin each developed
an eye for the proportions
and nuances of centuriesold design that they blend
today with the largely contemporary work produced
by their firm.
McDuffie Estate Restoration & Modernization
See 2014 ArchNews
Revelator
Prior to launching Fischer
Architecture, Andrew spent
twelve years working in the
office of Regan Bice
Architects in Berkeley.
Kerstin worked in several
San Francisco firms, including Mark Cavagnero
Associates
and
Pfau
Architecture (now Pfau
Long Architecture).
David Banducci, AIA
Design Review Board
El Cerrito
Glen Wood AIA
Design Review Board
John Thompson, AIA
Design Review Board
Fremont
Theresa Ballard Dias, AIA
Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Allied
Housing, Inc
Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Abode
Service
Kensington
Don Dommer, AIA
Board Member, Fire Protection District
(continued on page 7)
Ross Residence
Recent noteworthy projects
completed by Fischer Architecture include a comprehensive renovation and rehabilitation to the McDuffie
Estate, a Berkeley Landmark residence in the Claremont neighborhood. The home was designed in 1926 by
architect Willis Polk for Duncan McDuffie of the Mason McDuffie Company. In 2012, Fischer Architecture
restored the house to its original romantic grandeur, while also beautifully integrating contemporary additive
interventions of steel, glass, and concrete. These elements, all components of the Willis Polk design, were re-presented in a modern language sympathetic to the original architecture. Fischer Architecture also recently completed two phases of a renovation to a 1956 villa designed by Joseph Esherick in Berkeley, and a third phase is
currently underway. Among other exciting residential projects currently in construction and on the boards at the
office, Fischer Architecture is the design architect for a series of boutique coffee bars located throughout in the
southern states of the US. The flagship bar in Birmingham, AL opened with great success last winter, and locations in Chattanooga and Nashville, TN, New Orleans, LA, and Atlanta, GA either already opened or debuting
before the year’s end.
6
www.fischerarchitecture.com ■
ArchNews
Member Profile: Binh Lam, Assoc. AIA
G
rowing up in Vietnam, Binh Lam had a passion to change
his city into a better place to live. In moving to the United
States in 2007 he turned his life into new chapter. The first time he
landed in San Francisco, he knew that this was the right place for
him to fulfill his dream to become an architect.
He spent his first year studying English and learning American culture. He started his first class in architecture at Laney College spending two years studying and exploring architecture with pencil drawing, drafting table and model making.
He graduated with an Associate’s degree in technical architectural drawing. In 2011 he transferred to the
Newschool for Architecture and Design to finish his architecture degree. During three years at the
Newschool he joined the local chapter for AIA Students in San Diego. During this time he participated in
a number of community services.
He spent one summer before his thesis year to do an internship with a professor from UC for a small residential remodel project in Berkeley. After that, he got back to school to compete his thesis about affordable housing for young professional workers who begin working in San Francisco. In the last year of his
thesis, he had a chance to work with Gilbert Cooke who is a Fellows of the American Institute of
Architects. In 2014 he graduated from Newschool for Architecture and Design at the Salk Institute, which
was designed by Louis Kahn.
Members in Public Service
— continued
Lafayette
Andre Ptaszynski, AIA
Member Design Review Commission
Martinez
Timon Phillips, Assoc. AIA
Design Review Board
Paul Brendon Kelly, AIA
Planning Commission
OAKLAND
Dave Byrens, AIA
Chair: Shoreline Cleanup - Kiwanis
Michael Coleman, AIA
Member Planning Commission
Member, Board of Directors
Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA)
Claudia Falconer, AIA
President, Montclair Village Business Assn
Reeve Gould, AIA
Board, Piedmont Montclair Rotary Club
Robert Higginbotham, AIA
After getting his degree in architecture, he moved back to Bay Area to continue developing his career. He
joined MAC design, a small interior design firm. After working there for six months he moved to the LDA
architecture firm in San Francisco. Working at LDA, Binh has been undertaking tasks related to every
phrase of architecture including schematic design, design development, and construction design for a
variety of projects types. ■
Vice-Chair Council of Architecture Oakland
Museum
Harley Jensen, AIA
Member of the Council on Architecture
Oakland Museum
Dong Kim, AIA
Oakland Kiwanis Foundation Board
John Nelson, AIA
Board Chair, Oakland Chamber of Commerce
Andre Ptaszynski, AIA
President of the Council on Architecture,
Oakland Museum
Gary Struthers, AIA
Board of Directors for East Bay Habitat for
Humanity
Helene Vilett, AIA
Council on Architecture
Oakland Museum of California
Orinda
MONTEVERDE SENIOR APARTMENTS
see cover
Rich Bartlett, AIA
Public Works Aesthetic Review Committee
Pinole
Timothy Banuelos, AIA
Mayor
Pleasant Hill
Richard C. Stanton, AIA
Architectural Review Board
Richmond
Andrew Butt, AIA
Planning Commission
Tom Butt, FAIA
Mayor
Representative of Richmond on the West
Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee
Representative of Richmond on the Water
Emergency Transit Authority Citizens Advisory
Committee
Kimberly Butt, AIA
Historic Preservation Committee
Joseph Gorny, AIA
Planning Commission
Raymond D. Welter, AIA
Design Review Board
San Ramon
Judy Hemmingway, AIA
Architecture Review Board
Walnut Creek
Phillip Volkmann, AIA
Design Review Commission (Chair)
7
ArchNews
The Future of Elevated Walking Surfaces
A Professional Practice Forum
Thursday, September 17, 2015
(code changes resulting from
Noon-1:30pm
Berkeley deck failure)
Free, all are welcome. Bring a lunch!
Please RSVP for room setup.
1.5 CES LUs
the
Please join our September roundtable discussion on a timely and regional topic: the recent building ordinances passed by the City of Berkeley.
In the wake of the recent fatal balcony collapse, the City of Berkeley has made several changes to the
Building and Housing Codes with respect to requirements for wood-framed and metal-framed elevated
exterior walking surfaces (e.g., balconies, decks, and exterior exit corridors) in R1 and R2 occupancies. We
will review these changes and their anticipated effect on existing and new buildings in Berkeley.
Allied Members
(continued)
Holly J. Razzano
Degenkolb Engineers
Daniel Ray Schack
Schack & Company, Inc
Thomas M. Simmons
Archvista
Lisa Thorburn, Leed AP
Thornburn Associates
Scott A Thurber
Associated Building Supply
Mike Valentine, Allied Member
Dolan's Lumber
Joani Woefel
Tile & Stone Council of Northern California
Peter Wolfe
Peter Wolfe, Landscape Architect
New, Transfers in, & Returning
Members —through August 2015
Jeanne Alnot, Student Member
UC Berkeley
Jane Chan, AIA
City of San Francisco DPW BDG
Christopher Dunn, Assoc. AIA
Dougherty + Dougherty Architects
Aldo Estrada, Assoc. AIA
Derivi Castellanos Architects
Erik Giesen-Fields Esq., AIA
Neumann Sloat Arnold Architects LLP
Joe Lazzaretto, Allied Member
Trex Company
Tyler Mavichien, Assoc. AIA
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
MONTEVERDE SENIOR APARTMENTS
see cover
Audrey Ngyuen, Student Member
UC Berkeley
Dessa L. Rooney, AIA
Division of the State Architect
Chris E. Trujillo, AIA
Mike Valentine, Allied Member
Dolan's Lumber
9
ArchNews
(continued from page 3)
Allied Members
Randy Agno
WeatherShield Windows & Doors
Randy Borden
Borden Lighting
Megan Bryan
Aeroteck
Anthony Boutte
AB Plans
James Castles
Robles & Castles
John Chrysler
Masonry Institute of America
Kers Clausen
W.B.Clausen Structural Engineers
Tony Damiano
ABET Inc.
Pablo A. Daroux
Wilson, Ihrig & Associates, Inc.
Tony DeJohn
Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors
Derrick Dinneli
Simpson Strong-Tie
Craig H. Dodge
Ideate Inc.
Benjamin R. Duterte
Wall and Ceiling Bureau
Sally Freedman
Sally Freedman Designs
Espree Gonzales
Aerotek
Shane Gross
Degenkolb Engineers
Jorn Halle
Degenkolb Engineers
Robert W Hemphill
Division 7 Reps
Mark Hernbroth
Techlinea
Caroline Isseks, Hon AIAEB
Dealey, Renton & Associates
Treve Johnson
Treve Johnson Photography
Joshua B. Kardon
Joshua B. Kardon + Co. Structural Engineers
John Karnay
The Grubb Co.
John Kerr
Moen, Inc.
Shae Knight
Riggs Distributing
Janelle Leafblad, P.E.
WoodWorks
Joe Lazzaretto, Allied Member
Trex Company
Alice Ross Leon
Creativemark / Richard Leon Photography
Mike McCutchen
McCutchen Construction
John Mikkelsen
ABS - American Building Supply- Doormerica
David Monk
Arcsource Consulting Inc.
Jeff Moore
Greenwood & Moore
Garret D. Murai
Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP
James Murphy
Dealey, Renton & Associates
Darlene Peterson
Peterson Sheetmetal Inc.
Phyllis Piepho
Piepho Design
John Provencal
ASC
(continued)
Although supervision is extremely important, students sometimes
need a moment of respite, a quiet place to meditate, unwind and
relax. The in-between spaces in school buildings can be used to
meet both of these criteria; they can provide the opportunity for
smaller groups to socialize or offer space for a student to be alone,
while still being supervised on campus.
David Wakely
• Design educational spaces that are stimulating and dynamic
Today’s construction budgets warrant simplicity and duplication to keep costs down: four walls, a floor and a ceiling, one
paint color, a simple light fixture layout, and perhaps one wall
of windows are the usual design components. Furniture is usually identical from one classroom to the next. No wonder students feel restricted, anxious, and uninspired!
Classroom designs can still be inspiring with limited budgets. Considerations include flexible seating and
table arrangements, changes in color, windows that add daylight and views inside and outside, ceiling and
lighting systems that provide good acoustics and visual interest. Statistics show that classrooms that have
good daylight, ventilation, and are comfortable lead to better student performance.
At the new De La Salle STREAM Innovation Center, 50% of the ceiling surface in the science labs are left
exposed and painted dark grey while the other 50% has curved
David Wakely
acoustical panels. This design feature alone transforms what
would otherwise feel like a very large contained space into a space
that is visually dynamic.
• Create a campus that has a clear sense of place and identity
A campus without a sense of place can contribute to students
feeling lost, disoriented, and isolated. I think we can all conjure
up a mental image of our favorite places on campus when we
think of our own experiences in school. These spaces tend to be
a courtyard, quad, library, café or combination of spaces.
Putting emphasis on creating or maintaining these types of
spaces can help students to identify with the school, which creates a sense of belonging thereby offsetting
feelings of separation. Most schools work very hard to live and support their vision, mission and purpose.
As architects, we look for ways to support those initiatives through the physical environment. We often get
involved in artwork projects, gardens, displays, and physical
David Wakely
enhancements that reinforce each school’s message, a message
that can enhance each student’s sense of place and identity.
• Access to the outdoors
Students spend the majority of their day indoors moving from
one classroom to the next. They need time to get outside, get
some air and exercise, which allows them to clear their head
and transition from one subject matter to the next. Many campuses are incorporating outdoor classrooms, meditation gardens, labyrinths, amphitheaters,
outdoor eating areas and the
like to provide opportunities to socialize and learn in alternative environments.
• Create counseling spaces that are welcoming and secure
Personal counseling is becoming more and more common in schools.
When students are feeling stressed, there should be a place they can go to
seek help and support. Personal counseling areas should be designed to
provide for a high level of privacy and be welcoming and comfortable.
David Wakely
Oftentimes these spaces have more of a residential feel with area rugs,
casual furniture, table lamps, and art work to counter the institutional feel of the school. Private conference rooms are set up around an informal meeting space that can also be used for group discussion.
Our world is changing so quickly; -- the pressures of education, how people connect socially, and how
these impact our students is difficult to fully understand. Far too often we read or hear on the news of yet
another student taking their own life not able to cope with the pressures they feel. We will continue our
conversations with school administrators and faculty to explore the issues surrounding student anxiety
and different ways to address the problem. Creating increased awareness and understanding is certainly
the first step. Keeping students’ emotional wellbeing foremost in the design process is an important next
step. ■
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Dan Wetherell, AIA, is president of RATCLIFF Architects and leads the firm’s award-winning K-12 practice.
ArchNews
Design Awards
2015 Design Awards
AIA East Bay is pleased to announce the Call for Entries for its 2015 Design Awards. The AIA East Bay
Design Awards program recognizes design excellence in architecture, residential architecture, interior
architecture, restoration/renovation, and urban design. Criteria to be used by the jury include quality of design,
resolution of the program idea, sustainable responsibility, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique.
Click here for full details and registration.
Eligibility
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Projects must be designed and submitted by an architect.
Projects must have been completed after January 1, 2008.
AIA East Bay members may submit projects from anywhere.
Non-member architects may submit projects located in the chapter’s four counties:
Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa and Solano.
Projects that have won earlier design awards, other than previous AIA East Bay design
award winners, or that have been previously published remain eligible.
Project Types
Projects of all types will be viewed, including, but not limited to:
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Commercial, office, and mixed-use
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Industrial, laboratories, and hospitals
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Transportation and parking structures
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Places of worship
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Libraries, schools, and other institutions
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Historic preservation, adaptive reuse, renovation and restoration
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Single & multi-residential, dormitories, affordable & temporary housing
Registration & Submittal Deadline:
Entries must be received by 3pm, Friday, September 25, 2015.
Late or postmarked entries cannot be accepted.
Awards Reception and Presentation:
6:00 pm, Thursday, October 1, 2015
2015 Jury:
E.B. Min, AIA
Min | Day
San Francisco, CA
Allison Williams, FAIA
AECOM
San Francisco, CA
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Brett Baba, AIA
Graham Baba Architects
San Francisco, CA
ArchNews
AIA EAST BAY
a chapter of
The American Institute of Architects
Me t a
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