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SmithGroup Sponsors "Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future" /
November 12, 2007
The North American première of the first major retrospective ever mounted on the career of Eero Saarinen will kick off November 17, 2007 at the Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield, Hills, Michigan.
The North American tour follows a successful European tour that commenced in Saarinen's native land of Helsinki, Finland. The event is sponsored by Global Sponsor ASSA ABLOY, with additional support provided by SmithGroup.
The retrospective spans Saarinen's post-WWII career as one of the most influential, groundbreaking architect's of the mid-20th century. Notable projects featured include the TWA Terminal at JFK Airport in New York City, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, and the General Motors (GM) Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, a project that was the result of a collaboration between SmithGroup (then known as Smith Hinchman and Grylls), and Eero Saarinen.
The GM Technical Center is known world-wide as one of the most innovative research facilities in the nation. More than two dozen highly specialized buildings are grouped on its 320-acre landscaped site, housing a large portion of the corporation's research and development efforts. Four decades after its initial development, the GM Technical Center remains a landmark in industrial design. Many of the architectural and engineering features created by Saarinen are as technically advanced as they were when constructed.
SmithGroup served as Architect of Record with Design Architect Eero Saarinen on the Tech Center. In 1985, the team received a prestigious 25-Year Award from the American Institute of Architects.
SmithGroup is currently working with the Cranbrook Educational Community on a renovation to the Saarinen-designed Museum and Library. The project consists of 20,000 square feet of collection storage, existing museum renovation and environmental upgrades for the original complex. Other SmithGroup projects for client Cranbrook Educational Community include the design and implementation of the Woodward Avenue entrance road, Greek Theater restoration, and the Cranbrook House vehicular court reconstruction.
"Eero Saarinen became one of the most productive, unconventional masters of architecture in the 20th century," said SmithGroup President and CEO Carl Roehling, FAIA. "It is an honor for SmithGroup to support the Retrospective's unveiling in the U.S. at the Cranbrook Art Museum."
More about Eero Saarinen and Cranbrook
A native of Finland, Eero Saarinen settled at Cranbrook with his parents, Loja Saarinen a renowned sculptor and weaver and Eliel Saarinen, an architect and educator. Saarinen used the National Historic Landmark campus of Cranbrook as his home base throughout his careerEERO SAARINEN: SHAPING THE FUTURE
November 17, 2007, through March 30, 2008
Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MichiganMore about the Tour
(www.eerosaarinen.net) "Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future" will travel the United States until 2010 making stops at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.; the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri; the Museum of the City of New York; and the Yale University Art Gallery and Yale University School of Architecture, New Haven, Connecticut.SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the 6th largest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. (Building Design & Construction, July 2007) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the learning, healthcare, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information:
Camille Thompson
(313) 442-8485
camille.thompson@smithgroup.com
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Construction Nears Completion for Expansion and Renovation of Detroit Institute of Arts /
November 9, 2007
Construction is nearing completion for the $158-million Detroit Institute of Arts' (DIA) master plan renovation and expansion, designed by Michael Graves and Associates and implemented by the Architect of Record, SmithGroup.
Contractor Walbridge Aldinger/Jenkins, Detroit, MI, started construction in 2001.
SmithGroup's Building Technology Group was approached in 1993 by Michael Graves and Associates, Princeton, NJ, to investigate and analyze various building envelope systems such as clay tile roofs, exterior walls, skylights, windows, and stairs; and in 1997, to assist in evaluating and developing a master plan for the renovation and expansion of the museum to meet its future needs.
Expansion on the east side of the existing DIA will provide a new entrance to Prentis Court for special events. The renovation of the existing building improved gallery space, clarified public circulation with a new north-south spine, improved existing horizontal circulation between galleries, and provided vertical circulation between the main floors.
Additional internal renovations included providing additional spaces for galleries, educational programs, new dining and special event areas, and additional administrative offices. The entire mechanical system was also upgraded to meet art conservation requirements.
The plan also included the recladding of the existing north and south wings, designed to compliment the original Cret building in composition, materials and color. The original Beaux-Arts style building was designed in 1927 by notable architect Paul Cret.
"SmithGroup is pleased to have been a member of the DIA Master Plan team from the very beginning through its completion," acknowledged project manager Carolina E. Lopez, AIA, LEED AP. "We are excited for the many positive changes being made to the Cultural District of Detroit and to have helped in reinvigorating one of this city's most treasured architectural cultural icons."More about the Detroit Institute of Arts
The DIA's collection is one of the largest, most significant in the United States, comprising a multicultural and multinational survey of human creativity from prehistory through the 21st century. The foundation was laid by William Valentiner, a scholar and art historian from Berlin, who was director from 1924-45. His extensive contacts in Europe, along with support from generous patrons, enabled him to acquire many important works that established the framework of today's collections. Among the notable acquisitions during his tenure are Mexican artist Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry fresco cycle, considered Rivera's most important work in the U.S., and Vincent van Gogh's Self Portrait, the first van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum collection.SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 6th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2007) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information:
Camille Thompson
(313) 442-8485
camille.thompson@smithgroup.com
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SmithGroup Joint Venture Collaborates with Kaiser Permanente /
November 7, 2007
First of Three Template Facilities Opens Today
The first of three new Kaiser Permanente hospitals, comprising more than 1 million square feet, will open in the San Francisco Bay Area next week. Kaiser Permanente's two additional template hospitals - in Modesto and Irvine, California - will open in 2008.
Designed originally by a joint venture of SmithGroup and Chong Partners Architecture (which was recently acquired by Stantec), each facility follows a single groundbreaking template that provides for flexibility in the fast-changing healthcare industry.
The new medical centers are leading edge, next-generation facilities, incorporating flexibility, sustainability and new features designed to meet Kaiser Permanente's goal of efficiency, comfort and safety for patients, staff and visitors.
The projects are being completed in record time and under budget, thanks largely to a collaborative project delivery process developed by Kaiser Permanente that drew together Kaiser staff, architects, engineers, general contractors and regulators into a close working environment.
This collaboration reduced the typical schedule for projects of this magnitude by at least 12 months, says Carl Christiansen, SmithGroup vice president and California healthcare studio leader in San Francisco. The achievement, he notes, is all the more remarkable in California's complex regulatory environment.
"Kaiser's new process for project delivery was as effective as it was unique," Christiansen says. "It resulted in a dramatically shortened schedule, significant cost savings and a way to continuously learn so that future projects can be even better."
The Kaiser Permanente Antioch Hospital opens Nov. 7 for use by members. The four-story, 430,000 square foot hospital is located on a flat, 50-acre greenfield site at the eastern edge of Antioch. The parcel is former ranch and farmland that meets the rolling hills of eastern Contra Costa County, connecting two developing communities.Joining Two Distinct Facilities
The template project was a challenge, notes Christiansen. "To design and build these facilities in time to meet Kaiser's growing healthcare demands required a creative approach to healthcare design and delivery," he says. "Two distinct facilities - a hospital and a medical office building - had to be separately yet functionally joined and clinical space in the medical office building had to be balanced with comfortable public space and with places of privacy and respite for staff, patients and visitors."
One solution was a shared arrival point - a broad, circular drive that arrives at a walkway covered in translucent fiberglass. The long curve of the drive contrasts with the opposing curve of a dramatic, rotunda-shaped common lobby. The lobby, a glassed double-height space, faces a soft southern exposure, letting in plenty of sunlight. The exceptionally welcoming arrival point also helps to visually brand the facilities as easy to find and enter. Once inside, services are recognizable and familiar to members. Down one axis line lays the medical office building, with the hospital down the other axis.
Christiansen remarks that design and construction teams had to overcome a lot of institutionalized processes that had "metastasized into standard operating procedures" over the years. "This project was not typical of the phased and separate way that architects and builders normally work together," he adds. "It required collaboration from the start between the owner, architects, builders and state regulators working through a process none of us had experienced before."
The team embraced the project because Kaiser Permanente recognized the potential of the collaborative model. John Kouletsis, national director of strategy, planning and design for Kaiser Permanente, adds that when Kaiser commissioned the program, it recognized the project's potential for savings, but also its risks.
"Everyone on the team had to be fearless," Kouletsis says. "We agreed that the collaborative process would cause some issues and difficulties. But because it was a continuous, self-correcting system, those issues would be resolved quickly and efficiently. It turned out that the system worked and we're very pleased with the results and our increased capacity to improve our product now and in the future."The design template created by SmithGroup and Stantec paves the way for continuous product improvement. "The biggest benefit of a template is being able to see what was done before and think of ways to improve it," says Michael Wilson, project director for Stantec Architecture who worked on the joint venture team. "Each time you go through this process, you are refining design and construction issues. It's a new way of doing architecture."
About SmithGroup
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 6th largest architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firm and employs more than 800 throughout 10 U.S. offices. Composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets, SmithGroup integrates project design and process into seamless solutions for clients. Founded in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.About the California Offices of SmithGroup
SmithGroup's California team of architects, engineers and interior designers work in five studios including Healthcare; Senior Living; Science and Technology; Workplace and Learning. Facilities completed by the office are diverse and range from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Molecular Foundry in Berkeley, to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, Fran & Ray Stark Assisted Living Villa in Woodland Hills, California.About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit group practice program headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 156,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 13,000 physicians representing all specialties. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit the KP News Center at: http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter.For More Information, contact:
Vanessa Heitz-Cornell
(415) 365-3551
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Molecular Foundry, Designed by SmithGroup, Earns LEED Gold /
October 15, 2007
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has received LEED-NC Gold certification for its Molecular Foundry, a nanotechnology research facility designed by SmithGroup, the architect of record.
The $85 million Foundry, the only one of its kind on the West Coast, opened in March 2006 on the 200-acre Berkeley Lab campus.
"Achieving this level of recognition was particularly challenging due to the stringent programmatic and technological aspects of laboratory design," says design principal Bill Diefenbach, FAIA, LEED AP, head of SmithGroup's science and technology studio. "SmithGroup is pleased that the Molecular Foundry delivers not only sustainability and utility but beautiful design as well."
The Molecular Foundry is the first research lab in the state of California to receive Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating system?, the accepted industry standard of measuring sustainable design. The process of certification for new construction (NC) assesses: sustainable siting; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality; and innovation and design process. LEED Gold is second only to Platinum in the USGBC ratings. Nationwide, about a dozen research facilities have been certified Platinum or Gold.
Project Manager Suzanne Napier, AIA, LEED AP, says, "One of the biggest drivers in the SmithGroup design process was to integrate multiple green strategies into a strong architecturally iconic structure. We feel great rewards in the solution achieved."
This project affirms that intensely green buildings can simultaneously be beautiful and inspiring architecture. Lise Barriere, OAQ, was the project designer for the 96,000 gsf facility. Inspiration for the architectural character of the facility was drawn from the clear functional nature of the surrounding buildings and the natural features of the steep hillside site. The building juxtaposes a simple rectangular form atop a plinth to create a dramatic cantilever that takes advantage of the site's spectacular views of the UC Berkeley campus and San Francisco Bay.
Project architect Irene Monis, AIA, LEED AP, the sustainable design expert on the project, notes, "Code requirements, high energy and water consumption, the need to specify chemically resistant materials, and the presence of indoor pollutants may all hamper environmental goals. The key to success was to turn these challenges into an opportunity to design a healthier and safer research facility."
Exterior materials include metal panels with high recycled aluminum content and cast-in-place concrete, a regionally produced material. Interior materials include bamboo, recycled rubber, and metal casework with high recycled steel content. More than 80 percent of the construction waste was recycled, diverting it from landfill.
SmithGroup and client Berkeley Lab led the sustainable design and certification effort with notable input by mechanical and electrical engineers Gayner Engineers, contractor Rudolf & Sletten, and EnergySoft. SmithGroup bested its own initial aim for LEED Silver in large part by continuing to push for more energy efficiencies and sustainable measures throughout the building.The U.S. Department of Energy features the Molecular Foundry as a "Laboratories for the 21st Century" case study at http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy07osti/40196.pdf.
SmithGroup remains on the Berkeley Lab campus, now designing a second building just west of the Foundry for this client. The 160,000 gsf Energy Research Facility will include lab, assembly, and office space. Known as the Helios project, its intent is to research the carbon-neutral conversion of solar energy.
Sustainable design is at the core of the SmithGroup philosophy. To date, the practice has worked on 70 LEED projects comprising nearly 19 million gsf of space and totaling more than $4.2 billion in construction costs. The firm's 243 LEED Accredited Professionals reflect an active training program designed to build sustainable design knowledge and skills.
SmithGroup's San Francisco office, which led the Foundry design, has recently relocated to the historic Bently Reserve and is providing the building owner with sustainability consulting and is leading the LEED certification of the seven-story landmark.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is the oldest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S., with roots that date back to 1853. It has more than 800 staff members in 10 offices nationwide. Healthcare, the firm's largest business practice in California, is joined by studios that serve the workplace and higher education markets in addition to science and technology. Building Design magazine's "World Architecture" survey in 2007 ranked SmithGroup 14th largest in the world based on number of practicing architects.
For more information:
Vanessa Heitz-Cornell
(415) 365-3551
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Construction Complete at UIC's Sandi Port Errant Language and Culture Center /
September 20, 2007
SmithGroup-designed Prototype Classroom Building
Construction has concluded on the Sandi Port Errant Language and Culture Center at University of Illiniois at Chicago (UIC), designed by the Chicago office of SmithGroup.
The project was constructed by the Joseph Construction Company, Lynwood, IL.
The new Language and Culture Learning Center is located in the completely revitalized Grant Hall, one of UIC's original modernist classroom buildings, first occupied in 1963 and designed by Walter Netsch, a notable Chicago architect. Grant Hall takes its new name from the daughter of Chicago entrepreneur and longtime UIC benefactor Sidney Port. Sandi Port Errant died of a brain tumor in 2004.
The prototype renovation, which began in October of 2006, is the first of nine similar classroom buildings to be addressed by the University. It included the complete removal and replacement of the exterior wall system, and the partial gutting and complete replanning of three occupied floors to meet the new program for the culturally diverse Learning Center.
The use of large expanses of high performance Low-E glass dramatically impacted the daylighting and views out of the classrooms. This was accomplished by removing the original low-performing precast panels that obstructed outward views. Now revealed to students and instructors are lively views of landscaped campus courtyards and even a glimpse of the downtown Chicago skyline. Adjustable fabric mesh shading devices with densities related to the sun exposure filter and control incoming daylight. Interior accent planes of diverse bold color on both the walls and floors reflect the cultural diversity of the Learning Center's programs, and enhance wayfinding and orientation throughout the building.
"The University challenged us to design a prototype classroom building that would help transform the 1960s campus into the 21st century, while maintaining its original mid-century modern aesthetic," said Louis Raia, SmithGroup's design principal for the project."This was handled by increasing the performance levels of the building's new systems to sustainable design targets providing technology-rich learning spaces and wrapping the building in a highly transparent new skin that relates in scale to the surrounding buildings. We were also able to extend the life of Grant Hall further into the 21st century by correcting a serious problem of exterior concrete deterioration which is a common campus issue."
The 18,000 gross-square-foot renovation also includes upgraded mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure - including a completely new heating and cooling system for the building. The heating and cooling installation includes a geothermal heat pump system, which takes advantage of the constant underground temperature of the earth to remove heat or transfer heat back to the ground through the use of a piped carrier fluid that circulates through the building. The use of the energy-efficient geothermal field method of heating and cooling is featured as a first for the University and reflects its commitment to sustainable design. The system was made possible by a generous grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
Programming for the facility includes classrooms, 2nd and 3rd floor foreign language labs and a 1st floor writing lab. A "language oasis" on the 3rd floor will hold real-time foreign language broadcasts of TV transmissions from around the world. The new facility was designed to accommodate future trends in education facility planning and technology infrastructure including distance learning.
"New state-of-the-art writing and language labs and the new exterior envelope and mechanical systems are a continuation of the University's plan to implement campus-wide upgrades to academic facilities," explains Boyd Black, UIC's director of project management services. "It's apparent that the brighter and more user-friendly building has significantly enhanced the overall student experience."
More on the University of Illinois at Chicago
UIC was formed in 1982 by the consolidation of two University of Illinois campuses: the Medical Center campus, which dates back to the 19th century, and the comprehensive Chicago Circle campus that replaced, in 1965, the two-year undergraduate Navy Pier campus. It had opened in 1946 to educate returning veterans.SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firms. The firm employs a staff of 800 throughout 10 U.S. offices located in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; .Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. SmithGroup is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, university, science & technology, and workplace markets. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information, contact:
Camille Thompson
(313) 442-8485
camille.thompson@smithgroup.com
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SmithGroup Moves San Francisco Office to Historic Bently Reserve /
September 18, 2007
Seeks High-Performance Sustainability; Partners with Owners to 'Green' the Entire Building
SmithGroup has relocated its San Francisco-based 140-person team of architects, designers, and staff from its longtime address on Bush Street into the Bently Reserve at 301 Battery Street.
The firm will occupy nearly 36,000 square feet on the top two floors of this seven-story landmark, originally a Federal Reserve Bank, designed in 1924 by George Kelham. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In making the move, SmithGroup focused on high-performance sustainable design. In addition to greening its own office space during the tenant improvement process, SmithGroup is providing the building owner, Bently Holdings, with sustainability consulting and is leading the LEED® certification of this structure. "We're aiming for seriously sustainable measures throughout this iconic building," says Will Loftis, the SmithGroup principal in charge of these projects.
With a view toward LEED Gold certification status, SmithGroup and the owner are discussing several options, including providing up to 100 percent green power for the building as well as using bio-diesel fuel for its back-up generators. The owner is requiring that each tenant space be LEED Commercial Interiors certified, and SmithGroup is managing two of those tenant improvement projects. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System? is a nationally accepted benchmark.
In SmithGroup's own offices, a "green walk" offers several stopping points where sustainability measures and materials are identified.The expansive original windows, along with shallow office depth, bring extraordinary daylighting into this space. Artificial light is automatically monitored as natural daylight gets stronger or weaker. Views of the bay and Financial District and operable windows that allow control over ventilation combine with natural light to provide a high level of occupant comfort.
Original brick walls, steel beams, and concrete floors were exposed and then coated with a water-based sealant to eliminate dust and rust. The tenant improvement project used the least amount of materials possible and strictly controlled construction and demolition waste and its removal. A 2,900 square foot outdoor terrace is being partially planted with low-water native grasses and poppies.
Sustainable design is at the core of the SmithGroup philosophy. Its 64 LEED projects to date - including two top-ranked LEED Platinum buildings - comprise more than 16 million square feet of space whose construction costs total nearly $4 billion. Of 243 LEED Accredited Professionals at SmithGroup company-wide, 33 are based in San Francisco. The firm has won more than a dozen sustainable design awards.
The new location provides much-needed expansion as business continues to grow. SmithGroup also retained its 25,400 square foot previous space at 225 Bush Street to accommodate SmithGroup and a multidisciplinary team working on the new California Pacific Medical Center Cathedral Hill campus for Sutter Health.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is the oldest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S., founded in 1853. It has more than 800 staff members in 10 offices nationwide, providing exceptional architecture, engineering, planning, and urban design services. Healthcare, the firm's largest business practice in California, is joined by studios that serve the workplace, science and technology, and learning markets. Building Design magazine's "World Architecture" survey in 2007 ranked SmithGroup 14th largest architecture practice in the world.
For more information, contact:
Eric Edwards
(415) 365-3487
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SmithGroup named AIA Arizona 2007 "Firm of the Year" /
September 10, 2007
Firm also captures awards for both the University of Arizona College of Medicine and the Science & Technology Facility at NREL
SmithGroup, one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering, planning and interiors firms, has been named Firm of the Year by the Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
The same AIA Arizona awards program honored two SmithGroup designed projects. The University of Arizona College of Medicine and the Science & Technology Facility at the National Renewable Energy Lab received a MERIT Design Award and the 2007 SRP Sustainable Award, respectively.
At the AIA Arizona Awards Gala on Sept. 8, 2007, SmithGroup was chosen as the AIA Arizona Architectural Firm of the Year, a distinction that "recognizes the continuing collaboration among individuals in a firm who have produced distinguished architecture over a period of ten years, and have made significant contributions to the Institute, the profession and their community, and have transcended their local boundaries in making these contributions (aia-arizona.org)". SmithGroup has been an active presence in the Valley of the Sun since 1973.
Mike Medici, AIA, President of the Arizona office of SmithGroup credited the entire SmithGroup team, stating, "Our firm is made up of extremely talented individuals who consistently work together to create great designs that remain responsive to their environments and to their communities. We do this while always retaining the high level of innovation our clients expect."
At the AIA Gala, two SmithGroup-designed projects were also honored. They were the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, and the Science &Technology Facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado.The University of Arizona College of Medicine was presented with a Merit Award in the built category. This three-building redevelopment of the Phoenix Union High School buildings, with more than 85,000 combined square feet and a construction cost of $19.6 million, has expanded of the University of Arizona's medical school in Phoenix to include a four year program. These three structures include faculty offices, a library, student study areas/meeting rooms, administration, and faculty support areas, as well as the 225-seat lecture hall/meeting room.
The Science & Technology Facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was chosen to receive the SRP Sustainable Award. A 71,000 square foot, multi-story laboratory/office facility in Golden, CO, the Science & Technology Facility was certified LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum earlier this year, making it the first federal building to achieve the highest certification level bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Recognizing architects registered and licensed in Arizona, the AIA Arizona Design Awards honor projects with the highest standards of design in response to user requirements, site, context, climate, and environment. Each entry, regardless of size or classification, is judged individually on the basis of total design merit.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine is the only MD degree-granting college in the state of Arizona. Beginning in 1967 with a class of 32 students on its Tucson campus, the College today encompasses full, four-year medical-education programs in Tucson and in Phoenix. The Tucson program graduates 110 new physicians per year. This year, the Phoenix program will enroll its first class of 24 students and is anticipated to grow to 150 graduates/students per year within the next five years. To date, The University of Arizona College of Medicine has graduated more than 3,000 physicians.
NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/features/07-04_science_tech_facility.html) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the 6th largest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. (Building Design & Construction, July 2007) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information, contact:
Lisa Glass, LEED AP
(602) 824-5251
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SmithGroup Merges with AREA Design, Ltd. /
August 9, 2007
Leading national A/E to join with Chicago commercial interiors firm
SmithGroup, one of the largest architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firms in the U.S., announced today it has merged with Chicago-based AREA Design, Ltd, a commercial interiors firm headed by architect Angie Lee, FAIA, IIDA.
The move will help grow SmithGroup's Chicago office by expanding its studio dedicated to serving the needs of corporate and commercial workplace clients, while strengthening the firm's national workplace practice.
Lee is a 25-year industry veteran who established AREA Design in 2005 to provide high quality professional services in interior architecture and design to corporate and commercial clients. With the joining of the two firms, Lee becomes a SmithGroup vice president. Lee will also serve as director of SmithGroup's Workplace Studio in Chicago, which will be expanded by AREA Design's seven-person staff, including project management veteran Scott C. Baker, AIA, LEED AP.
"Angie is a proven leader who quickly led AREA Design to become one of Chicago's fastest growing designers of innovative, workplace environments," said Andy Vazzano, FAIA, managing director of SmithGroup's Chicago office. "Her strong personal presence and analytical style has built key relationships with Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, trading firms, pharmaceutical companies and professional services firms, so we're confident Angie is the professional to help accelerate our success in the Chicago market," Vazzano added.
Several of AREA Design's 20 active clients in Chicago, including DDB Chicago, Exelon Corporation, The HON Company, and the Harrington College of Design are positive about the merger with SmithGroup.
"The value of this merger comes in the form of access to SmithGroup's nationally recognized experts in innovative, client-focused, inspiring workplace design," Lee said. "Simultaneously, AREA Design clients will benefit from the invaluable resources of SmithGroup, a large, multi-discipline firm."
Lee founded AREA Design to provide clients with creative solutions for office environments. The firm's roster of seven employees will join SmithGroup, moving from AREA Design's downtown Chicago offices at One East Wacker Drive to SmithGroup's offices on the 22nd floor of the historic Jeweler?s building, located at 35 E. Wacker Drive.
The merger between the two firms will also allow many of SmithGroup's national workplace clients an enhanced level of service, according to Rebecca Nolan, IIDA, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, who leads SmithGroup's national practice for the workplace sector. "Angie is an accomplished, recognized leader in workplace design. We are delighted that we will have the opportunity to work with her and her staff's significant talent and experience in the Chicago market -- where many of our national clients have large offices or even headquarters locations," Nolan said.
The creation of AREA Design followed Lee's 12 years as leader of the interiors and then corporate practices at Chicago-based architecture and engineering firm OWP/P.
Lee joined OWP/P in 1992, first leading the firm's interior architecture practice. Over the next three years, she grew the practice from six to 34 interior architects and designers and won four design awards. A series of promotions at OWP/P led her in 1999 to become the firm's Director of Corporate Practice and by 2002 she generated an all-time high of $10 million in revenue. Lee resigned from OWP/P in 2005 and with a business partner established her own company, AREA Design Ltd.
Lee, a licensed architect, was elevated to the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2004 in recognition of her significant contributions to architecture and society and achievement of excellence in the profession. She is currently serving as the 2007 president of the Illinois chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and is also active with Chicago Real Estate Executive Women (CREW). Lee is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she earned a bachelor of architecture with honors.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the leading architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firms in the U.S., with a current world ranking of 14th largest. The firm employs a staff of 800 throughout 10 U.S. offices located in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; .Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Recent completions for SmithGroup include the 190 South LaSalle Street Five Star Center, Chicago, IL; the new headquarters for the national law firm Bowman and Brooke, LLP, Minneapolis, MN; administrative offices at the Smithsonian Institution at Capital Gallery, Washington, DC; and the new Detroit branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
SmithGroup is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the workplace, healthcare, university, and science & technology markets. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information Contact:
Sandra Knight, APR
313.442.8470
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Saban Center for Health and Wellness Dedicated /
August 3, 2007
Design Integrates and Invigorates Land and Water Therapies and Fitness at Motion Picture Television Fund Facility for Acting Community Residents
SmithGroup architects joined dozens of retired and active celebrities last month in Woodland Hills, California to dedicate the Cheryl and Haim Saban Center for Health and Wellness, a state-of-the-art land and water therapy and fitness facility designed by SmithGroup for the Motion Picture Television Fund (MPTF).
MPTF engaged SmithGroup in late 2005 to plan and design the Saban Center. The 34,000 gross-square-foot building?s exterior features slate, sandstone and metal, with gently curved multiple rooflines that harmonize with the rest of the residential campus. SmithGroup earlier provided a master plan for the Wasserman Campus and also designed its multiple award-winning Fran and Ray Stark Assisted Living Villa.
The non-profit MPTF serves California?s entertainment community, providing healthcare, retirement care, childcare and charitable social services for retired and working actors and members of the Screen Actors Guild. The center was built through a grant to the MPTF from Cheryl and Haim Saban and their charitable organization, the Saban Family Foundation.
The California-based team of SmithGroup created a hybrid building that combines facilities for land and water therapy and fitness programs. Sightlines were designed to motivate full engagement. The building?s L shape and full-height glass walls enable those utilizing one program to see the activities of the other. Glass curtain wall and a large skylight bring natural lighting into the facility. Given the moderate local climate, it opens up to gardens on two sides, emphasizing the indoor-outdoor connection. A flexible design allows for expansion and integration of current and future programs. The building?s curved rooflines are reminiscent of the look of early motion picture studios in the region.
?Often, therapy and fitness programs don?t share space well, so the challenge was to integrate the two in a way that creates synergy for both,? says SmithGroup Vice President Joyce Polhamus, director of Healthcare Interior Architecture. ?Our design aims to enable land and water programs to invigorate each other so that residents would start their regimens in the pool to improve mobility, and then be able to have visual contact with the land program and be motivated to participate there as well.
?SmithGroup knows this campus well because of our earlier work in master planning and design here. With form and materials, we related the new Saban Center to the existing Stark Villa, but without replicating it,? says Principal In-Charge Bill Diefenbach, who led the building design. ?The central plaza is the heart of this place, and the landscaping, central walkway, and wayfinding all work to emphasize its importance,? he says. Science and Technology Studio architects Richard King and Liz de Teresi supported the project.SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the 6th largest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. (Building Design + Construction, July 2007) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace, and science and technology markets. SmithGroup has offices Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information Contact:
Eric Edwards
(415) 365-3487
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The Washington, D.C., office of SmithGroup, the nationally acclaimed architecture and engineering firm, and David Nassif Associates are pleased to announce the commencement of the redevelopment of the Nassif Building, a 2.1 million -square-foot commercial office complex located at 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC.
The 10-story building was occupied since its completion in 1970 by the US Department of Transportation, which vacated the building in June 2007. The redeveloped facility will bear the name "Constitution Center." Base building redevelopment is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009.
SmithGroup designed the dramatic building transformation to achieve a Silver LEED rating. The new exterior of Constitution Center will transform the heavy stonework of the original design into a lighter, more transparent, contemporary composition. Floor-to-ceiling curtainwall will take advantage of tremendous views of the city from the site and will greatly increase daylighting of office spaces. The curtainwall will also meet ISC Level IV criteria for blast resistance through the use of deep mullions, composite structure and various thicknesses of laminated insulating glass.Constitution Center is comprised of 1.4 million square feet of office space above 15 acres of underground garage parking on three levels and represents the largest private sector office building and largest private underground garage in the city. Washington, DC landscape architect, Oculus, has designed a one-acre private garden in the center of the site, which occupies a full city block.
Constitution Center will feature the largest installation of a "chilled beam" HVAC in the U.S. to-date. This innovative technology will be utilized on typical office floors and provides the advantages of higher ceilings heights, lower energy costs, and increased tenant comfort. This system has been used for years in commercial European buildings.
Kramer Consulting, a Washington, DC-based real estate consulting firm, has provided program management service to the owner since project inception in 2003. The firm was instrumental in developing and administering the design competition which culminated in the selection of SmithGroup and will continue throughout the project with an on-site team during the construction of Constitution Center, which was awarded to James G. Davis Construction Corporation.
SmithGroup was awarded the project following a design competition and the scope of work included building design, MEP engineering, and design approvals from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.
David Nassif Associates, a District of Columbia limited partnership, developed the Nassif Building and has owned and operated the property for the past 40 years.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is an 800-person, international architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firm specializing in the markets of workplace, urban design and planning, learning, health, and science and technology. SmithGroup was one of only nine firms in the design and construction industry to earn a "Best Firm to Work For" honor, according to the May 2007 issue of Building Design + Construction magazine. In addition to its office in Washington, D.C., SmithGroup is located in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC and San Francisco, CA.
For more information contact:
Brian Reilly
(202) 974-5197
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James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center Breaks Ground at Gallaudet University /
July 9, 2007
A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, celebrating the commencement of construction of the new $28 million Sorenson Language and Communications Center.
SmithGroup designed the 87,000-gross-square-foot facility, which will occupy an important site on an historically and architecturally significant campus. Completion is targeted for June 2008.
The Sorenson Language and Communications Center is envisioned to create a visu-centric space for collaborative learning, teaching, and research which will function as a landmark for a historically and architecturally significant campus. The teaching and research facility will contain classrooms, video relay service booths, and collaboration rooms. Departments housed in the new Center will include American Sign Language and Deaf Studies, and Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences.
The building design takes cues from nature and organic elements while focusing on a heightened visual experience. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Dr. Robert R. Davila, Gallaudet University's president said, "From the beginning--when the SLCC was being conceptualized--our goal was to create a space that supported Gallaudet's commitment to American Sign Language and visual learning. Thanks to the vision and hard work of many people, including many deaf faculty, staff and students, that goal has been achieved. The SLCC will model to the world how a visu-centric facility looks and functions."
Joining SmithGroup on the design team are George Balsley, a deaf architect from Amherst, MA; and Hansel Bauman, a special consultant to Gallaudet. Both offered their expertise to ensure all aspects of the design were geared toward creating a Deaf place.
On July 9, 2007 at the annual Society for College and University Planning Conference, SmithGroup VP Thomas Butcavage will join Dr. Stephen Weiner, Gallaudet University Provost and Hansel Bauman of hbhm Architects as they present the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center as an example of academic strategy driving campus and building design.
About Gallaudet University
Founded in 1864 in Washington, DC, Gallaudet University is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accomodate deaf and hard of hearing students. Today, deaf and hard of hearing undergraduate students can choose from more than 40 majors leading to a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. A wide array of Masters and doctoral programs are also offered to deaf, hard of hearing and hearing graduate students.
About SmithGroup
Select SmithGroup-designed projects recently completed include the School of Business at the George Washington University, the Discovery Communications World Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Normandy American Cemetery Visitor Center in Colleville-sur Mer, France.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firms. The firm employs a staff of 800 throughout 10 U.S. offices located in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; .Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. SmithGroup is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and workplace markets. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information:
Katie Roland
(202) 974-0863
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SmithGroup named One of the Best AEC Firms to Work For /
May 14, 2007
SmithGroup has been named one of the best firms to work for in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, according to the May 2007 issue of Building Design + Construction magazine.
Building Design + Construction holds the "Best AEC Firms to Work For" competition each year for the worldwide AEC industry to recognize the firms that are truly great places to work. In the magazine's annual "Best Firms to Work For" issue, BD+C editors provide an inside look at the design and construction firms that excel in innovative recruitment and retention practices, professional development, social and corporate responsibility, workplace environment, and compensation/benefits practices.
National architecture and engineering firm SmithGroup is one of only nine firms in the design and construction industry to earn the "Best to Work For" honor in 2007. (To read the BD+C article on SmithGroup, go to http://www.bdcnetwork.com/bdcnewsMore.)
According to BD+C, one of the reasons why SmithGroup was selected as a "Best Firm to Work For" is because of its pacesetting sustainable design initiatives. SmithGroup is credited with designing the world's first LEED Platinum building, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, Md. SmithGroup recently earned its second Platinum for the Science & Technology facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Co.
"One of our goals is to mainstream sustainable design into our everyday practice. It creates greater value for our clients and enables more meaningful work for our employees," said SmithGroup President & CEO Carl Roehling. Presently, approximately one-third of SmithGroup's 800 employees are LEED-accredited professionals.
SmithGroup was also recognized as "Best to Work For" because of its vibrant workplace for the firm's multi-discipline staff of architects, engineers, interior designers and planners; nontraditional work schedule (employees get 15 Fridays off a year, plus holidays and vacation time), and successful internship and recruiting programs.
SmithGroup's strong commitment to community work was also lauded. One example is the firm's 25+ year sponsorship of the "Learning for Life" program of a local Explorer's Post (a division of Boy Scouts of America). Throughout the years, SmithGroup employees at its Detroit office have worked with more than 700 young men and women to cultivate their interest in the fields of architecture and engineering. Some have even returned to the firm years later as practicing architects.
Building Design + Construction (www.bdcnetwork.com) serves the $501 billion commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family markets, uniting the building team through its monthly circulation of 75,000+ architects, contractors, engineers, and owners/developers. BD+C and its associated products deliver the insights and in-depth analysis of significant projects, trends, innovations, new technology and products essential to a building team's success.
The BD+C exclusive, annual "Giants" survey, published each July, in 2006 placed SmithGroup as the 7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S, a rank achieved by the firm for its $119.9 million in fee revenue for the 2005 calendar year.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firms. The firm employs a staff of 800 throughout 10 U.S. offices located in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; .Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. SmithGroup is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, university, science & technology, and workplace markets. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information contact:
Sandra Knight, APR, Director of Public Relations
313.442.8470
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SmithGroup has begun design on a $61 million expansion and modernization project for Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, New York.
The project includes 114,600 square feet of new construction and 71,400 square feet of renovation plus associated site plan improvements that will modernize facilities, increase flow efficiencies and bring next generation treatment and diagnostics to this 287-bed community medical center that has been providing service since 1881.
Construction is scheduled to start in the fall of 2007, with estimated completion in 2014.
The design implements recommendations that resulted from a master plan completed by SmithGroup in 2006. The first major project for Samaritan in 30 years, this will be one of the largest private projects in Watertown. The county seat for Jefferson County, Watertown has been deemed the fastest growing county in New York State. Growth is attributed to the expansion of nearby Fort Drum, the only army division installation without its own inpatient facility. Soldiers and their families rely on community-based healthcare providers such as Samaritan Medical Center for healthcare services.
A carefully thought out sequence of phases will make improvements to the facility that will further the hospital's long-term strategic growth plan. First, a new multi-level parking garage will free up space on the congested site to allow subsequent phases.
Subsequently, a new "front door" on the hospital will give a sense of arrival to patients and welcome the community into this healing environment. A new building will be built along Washington Street, which will unify and reorganize existing disparate components of the hospital campus. This "Patient Pavilion" will be set back from the street to accommodate a crescent shaped drive, creating a patient drop off point directly into this new entry of the hospital.
The Patient Pavilion will have a light-filled two-story atrium that will serve as a community center within the hospital. Patient information and registration, a chapel, dining facility, coffee shop, gift shop and volunteer services will be housed in this space. A fireplace will provide a focal point, and help warm people during the Watertown winters. "The community center will be a destination, rather than a place through which people walk to get to a service" says Philip Tobey, FAIA, a SmithGroup senior vice president who has over 35 years of experience in architectural design and planning, with a special focus in healthcare.
In addition, the Patient Pavilion will house the emergency department, intensive care unit, progressive care unit, and operating rooms/ambulatory surgical center. It will also contain 36 private medical/surgical beds configured in 12-bed modules. Shell space will provide for future expansion, a community/patient/family education center with a 100-seat auditorium.
One of the most important design principles for this project is the belief that patients require the support of family and loved ones. For this reason all inpatient rooms will be private and large; with a designated zone for family members that includes overnight sleeping capacity. Family members will be able to order meals to be shared with patients in their rooms, and there will be no set visiting hours to constrain family visitation.
A spacious healing garden is planned that connects patients and family to nature, and gives dining room users an "al fresco" option when weather permits. It also provides opportunities for relaxation and meditation for patients, physicians and staff.
Further phases of the project will include renovation or demolition of spaces recovered from the Patient Pavilion consolidation, as well as vertical expansion of the Patient Pavilion that will increase services and patient bed capacity.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information, contact:
Clark Ebbert
(202) 974-4579
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Visteon Corporate Headquarters Wins 10th Design Award /
May 10, 2007
The Lighting Design team of SmithGroup was awarded a Michigan IESNA (the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America) Award for the corporate headquarters for Visteon Corporation, "Visteon Village," Van Buren Township, Michigan.
The addition of the IESNA Award marks the 10th award presented to SmithGroup and/or Visteon Corporation for Visteon Village's unique design features.
The "Energy and Environmental Design Award" for the SmithGroup Lighting Design team's sustainable design represents only the second such award presented by the Michigan IESNA for recognition of sustainable design features. The Illumination Design Award for Visteon from the Michigan IESNA Chapter was submitted for judgment at the regional level and was recently awarded an IIDA (the International Illumination Design Award) Award of Merit.
Additional 2006-2007 awards for Visteon Village include:
- Engineering Society of Detroit
Construction & Design Award Winner
- ASHRAE Technology Award
Local Winner
- SOURCE Award (sponsored by Cooper Lighting)
Commercial Category Winner
- ASHRAE Technology Award
Regional Winner
- ASHRAE Technology Award
National Winner
- AIA Detroit
Honor Award, Building Winner
- IIDA (International Illumination Design Award)
Great Lakes Region, IESNA
Award of Merit
- CREW Detroit
Impact Award
The SmithGroup-designed corporate headquarters for Visteon Corporation, a leading global automotive supplier in 24 countries, combines 14 separate company divisions into one 265-acre community. The "village," which totals at nearly one million square feet, entails a collection of diverse, human-scaled buildings, both in shape and use of materials, housing areas for administrative offices, development/delivery, technology/laboratory and workplace support for a staff of up to 4,000.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) SmithGroup is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the workplace, healthcare, education, and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information:
Camille Thompson
camille.thompson@smithgroup.com
(313) 442-8485
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Mesa Community College Physical Science Building Breaks Ground /
April 30, 2007
Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ, celebrated a commitment to science education with a groundbreaking ceremony of its new Physical Science Building on April 30, 2007.
When completed in the fall of 2008, the 62,000 square foot Physical Science Building will contain state-of-the-art labs, support spaces and classrooms for chemistry, engineering, geology, physics, physical science and astronomy. The building's support spaces will include student study areas, tutoring resources, faculty offices, conference spaces and other services to accommodate the needs of the largest science and engineering programs in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD).
The SmithGroup-designed facility is envisioned to reflect college values; including the college's focus on providing an innovative and intellectual learning-centered environment that is responsive, adaptable and inclusive.
Dr. Jerry Davis, vice president of administrative services for Mesa Community College said, "The Physical Science Department at Mesa Community College has been a leader within the district in the delivery of quality science and engineering education for the past 40 years. The new Physical Science building and planetarium, utilizing solar power, represents a significant part of the college's ability to maintain its mission of promoting and delivering excellence in teaching and learning."
An innovative structure, the Physical Science building was designed and is being constructed to adhere to Mesa Community College values and the facility's program. The planetarium space will be coupled with a 1000-square-foot roof top observation platform for astronomy students. Portions of the exterior structure will recall strata from the Grand Canyon telling and teaching the story of time etched in stone to geology students. The state-of-the-art laboratories will support chemistry, engineering and physics students.
In partnership with SRP, the physical structure on the second floor features solar panels that create a shaded plaza for students and faculty to interact throughout the day.
Barton Malow Company, serving as construction manager at risk, will integrate several sustainable design features, constructing the Mesa Community College Physical Science building to meet the USGBC's LEED accredited rating upon completion.
For over 40 years, Mesa Community College has provided outstanding transfer, career, and service programs to the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. Our nationally recognized student outcomes assessment program testifies to the faculty's commitment to more than 27,000 students who attend annually.
Mesa Community College is one of 10 colleges that comprise the Maricopa Community Colleges District.Maricopa Community Colleges comprise 10 colleges, two skill centers and numerous education centers dedicated to educational excellence, meeting the needs of businesses and the citizens of Maricopa County. Each college is individually accredited, yet part of a larger system ? the Maricopa County Community College District.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 7th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2006) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information:
Lisa Glass, LEED AP
(602) 824-5251
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Visual Arts Facility Complete at Western Michigan University /
April 17, 2007
SmithGroup-designed facility creates passage between Art and Learning
Construction is complete for the privately funded $13 million Richmond Center for Visual Arts at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI.
Designed by SmithGroup, the 44,000-square-foot facility includes specialized spaces for permanent collection and featured traveling exhibits, along with student lecture halls, studio space and a student lounge. The new center completes the university's fine arts campus.
"The building's design screams its use and will literally become the bridge that connects the university's fine arts community" proclaimed Evie Asken, Director of WMU Campus Planning, prior to the facility's completion, "I see the Richmond Center for Visual Arts as a very strong architectural statement for the Western Michigan University Campus."
?Art and Learning' Design Features
- Sculpture Garden, Terrace, Connectors
Leading up to the entrance of the Center is an 20,000-square-foot sculpture garden, for professional traveling exhibits, followed by a series of raised terraced steps that lead up to a soaring, 2 ½ story lobby. Rising above via second-story entrances is a three-part grouping of pedestrian glass ?connectors,' which serve to physically connect visitors of the Center to additional School of Fine Arts buildings like the Dalton Center and the Miller Garage/Auditorium.
- Copper Roof and walls will give the Richmond Center ever-changing appeal
The Center's structural envelope uses a combined flat and standing seamed roof system. Overlapping bentvertical and horizontal copper planes on the walls and roof leave colorful, linear rain water impressions that compliment the precast concrete wall panels.
- Student Lounge, Exhibit Spaces
A 1,500-sq-ft., bridge-like student lounge on the second floor overlooks 5,700-square-feet of combined student and main exhibit space. The remaining gallery space for the 700-square-foot permanent gallery is separated by the use of individual, color-coded wall panels.
- Learning Spaces
To create a non-competitive atmosphere for the spaces devoted to learning, a curved zinc wall panel frames the exterior of stacked lecture halls situated on the 1st and 2nd floor, this creates a concentrated space that maximizes seating for 177 art education and art history students.
The Center is named in honor of WMU Alumni James and Lois I. Richmond, who donated $2.5 million towards the Center's construction. In recognition of their dedication to the arts, WMU invited the Richmond's to be part of the University's design review. James Richmond is a well-known Kalamazoo artist with a long-time association to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
SmithGroup Principal Designer Paul Urbanek, AIA stated, "The design result was greatly influenced by the valuable critique that Jim and Lois offered during design reviews throughout the process."
The new Richmond Center for the Visual Arts marks another successful collaboration between SmithGroup's Detroit office and Western Michigan University. Additional projects include the College of Health and Human Services Building, completed in late 2005, and the new Student Recreation Center.
Construction Manager for the WMU Richmond Center for Visual Arts was CSM of Galesburg, MI. Exhibit consultant is Don Desmett of Desmett Fine Arts, Kalamazoo, MI. Construction began in August of 2005.
About Western Michigan University
WMU, (www.wmich.edu) located in Kalamazoo, MI, ranks among America's 50 largest institutions with 28,000 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. U.S. News & World Report groups WMU among the nation's top-100 public institutions.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is the 7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the United States. The firm specializes in the learning, health, science and technology, and workplace markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA and Washington, D.C.
For More Information:
Camille Thompson
camille.thompson@smithgroup.com
(313) 442-8485
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Science & Technology Facility at NREL certified First LEED Platinum Federal Building /
April 9, 2007
The Science & Technology Facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO has received a Platinum LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The SmithGroup-designed building is the first Federal building to earn the coveted LEED Platinum certification. It joins only 28 other buildings worldwide to have achieved this designation.
Dedicated in August 2006, this 71,000 gross square foot, multi-story facility houses solar, basic science and hydrogen research. The Science & Technology Facility enhances the laboratory's research capabilities to meet the Department of Energy's goals for advancing solar, hydrogen and other promising clean energy technologies, and furthers the energy research priorities within the President's Advanced Energy Initiative.
"This cutting edge, environmentally sound high performing building is the best outreach and teaching tool that we can offer the public," said Nancy Carlisle, AIA, LEED AP, senior project leader at NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis and Applications Center.
According to Mike Medici, AIA, president of the Phoenix office of SmithGroup, the energy-saving design innovations are numerous. In order to preserve as much of the natural ecosystem as possible, the structure evolved from a one-story facility to a multi-story structure, reducing the overall footprint. The orientation of the building, and appropriate placement of windows, including clerestory glazing, hold the facility's energy consumption at bay while providing abundant natural light to the offices and laboratories within. Additional sun-control elements such as Briese-Soleil and horizontal shading fins were implemented to further conserve energy.
SmithGroup's engineers specified state of the art mechanical systems, reduced lighting power density, automated lighting controls and utilized under floor air systems for the office, reducing energy consumption by over 40% as compared to similar new federal buildings. Close coordination with project team members ensured that 11% of the building materials were derived from recycled materials, 27% of the construction material was manufactured within 500 miles of the building site and 80% of construction waste was diverted from landfills.
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) http://www.usgbc.org/ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The USGBC measures building performance in five areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/features/07-04_science_tech_facility.html) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle.
SmithGroup, Inc. (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 7th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2006) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information:
Lisa Glass, LEED AP
(602) 824-5251
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SmithGroup Design of the Normandy American Cemetery Visitor Center to Express a Quiet Dignity /
March 28, 2007
Center will honor the competence, courage, and sacrifice of those who participated in D-Day, one of history's greatest military achievements
SmithGroup, a leading architecture and engineering firm, says the design of the soon-to-open Normandy American Cemetery Visitor Center will express a quiet dignity - a tribute of respect to the Cemetery.
The new, $30 million Visitor Center at the Normandy American Cemetery is nearing completion. It will be dedicated on the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2007, by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
The 30,000-square-foot visitor center is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach in Colleville-sur Mer, France, site of the historic D-Day landings. The Allied forces that stormed the beach, part of the largest amphibious assault ever staged, had a goal to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II. The new center is intended to tell the story of those who participated in the landings that day and in subsequent operations.
Sited within the Normandy American Cemetery 100 meters east of the Memorial, the center will support and complement this hallowed ground where 9,387 Americans are buried.
While maintaining the solemnity of the cemetery and its surroundings, it will enhance the power of the cemetery experience, says David Greenbaum, FAIA, of SmithGroup, the project's team leader. "The design expresses a quiet dignity and does not ?steal the thunder' from the cemetery," notes Greenbaum.
Inside the elegant and simple, low-slung, stone, glass and concrete building, visitors will find the story of the brave individuals who fought and died there. The building tells this story symbolically through the various approaches the Allies utilized during Operation OVERLORD.
The experience commences in the lobby, where visitors will be immediately presented with a dramatic setting and expansive views of the beach. A reflecting pool will use water to link visitors with the English Channel in the distance.
Exploration of the building reveals exhibit spaces that have been crafted for orientation, contemplation, reflection, and transition. Using personal stories of participants and a mix of narrative text, photos, films, interactive displays and artifacts, the exhibits will portray the competence, courage and sacrifice of the Allied forces.
Proceeding through the center as it leads to the cemetery, visitors will reach a cube-shaped meditation chamber - a place to ponder the sacrifices made. Within translucent glazed walls rising to double height to a transparent skylight, a twin cube "void garden" symbolizes the heroes lost and the grieving families they left behind. Visitors will exit north where they will face the English Channel. A paved plaza will join the existing trail that parallels the beach and leads west to the cemetery.
The integration of the landscape and the interpretive message was key to the project success. Led by SmithGroup, the collaborative team that accomplished this included Gallagher & Associates (exhibit design); Michael Vergason Landscape Architects (landscape architecture); Jacobs Engineering (civil, structural and MEP engineering); and John Lampros Architecte (associate architect.)
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) (www.abmc.gov), a federal agency established in 1923, maintains 24 commemorative cemeteries and 25 memorials, monuments and markers in 15 countries around the world. The Normandy American Cemetery is ABMC's most visited commemorative site, receiving approximately one million visitors each year.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the museum, university, science & technology, workplace and healthcare markets. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S., and ranks as the 7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the country employing a staff of 800 throughout 10 U.S. offices.
For more information contact:
Brian Reilly
202.974.5197
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SmithGroup's Davis, Diefenbach and Johnson Elevated to FAIA /
March 15, 2007
SmithGroup is pleased to announce that architects Harold E. Davis, Jr., William L. Diefenbach and Paul G. Johnson have been elevated to the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
The announcement was made by AIA on Feb. 23, 2007 in Washington, D.C. by the AIA's 2007 Jury of Fellows. The honor is awarded to members who have made significant contributions to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession.
Harold E. Davis, Jr., FAIA is managing director of SmithGroup's office in Washington, D.C. Among his current clients are the Smithsonian Institution, George Washington University, George Mason University, the American Type Culture Collection, the Library of Congress, and the Architect of the Capitol. Davis led the recent opening of SmithGroup's newest office in Raleigh-Durham, NC, which in 2006 became the firm's 10th location in the U.S. He is a graduate of Clemson University, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree; and the University of Pennsylvania's Louis Kahn studio, where he received a Master of Architecture. Davis is the only member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the AIA to be elevated to the College of Fellows in 2007.
William L. Diefenbach, FAIA, LEED AP is a leader of the SmithGroup's National Science and Technology practice and located at the firm's San Francisco office, where he is studio leader for research and academic. Long recognized for his expertise in research lab planning and architectural design, he is currently working on several key SmithGroup projects, including the University of California Berkeley's Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) headquarters, the University of California San Francisco Cardio Vascular Research Institute, and the $70 million Helios project at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which will develop transformational energy alternatives to our current reliance on fossil fuels. Diefenbach is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.
Paul G. Johnson, FAIA is a Principal and member of SmithGroup's Building Technology Studio, based at the Detroit office. His expertise lies in building evaluations, exterior enclosure systems, roofs and waterproofing, including in situ evaluation, testing, failure analysis, legal testimony, and corrective concept development and implementation. Recent significant projects that highlight Johnson's expertise in the area of exterior enclosure systems include the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Des Moines Federal Building façade repair, Des Moines, IA; Kennedy Federal Building window and curtain wall replacement, Boston, MA; and the Detroit Institute of Arts glass remediation program, Detroit, MI. Johnson is a Certified Construction Specifier by the Construction Specifications Institute and a graduate of Lawrence Technological University with a BS in Architecture. Johnson is the only member of the Detroit chapter of the AIA to be elevated to the College of Fellows in 2007.
Davis, Diefenbach and Johnson of SmithGroup will be among 76 members of the American Institute of Architects who will receive their Fellowship medal during the Investiture of Fellows Ceremony at the AIA 2007 National Convention and Design Expo in San Antonio, Texas on May 4, 2007.
The AIA College of Fellows was founded in 1952 by the Institute to stimulate fellowship among architects, promote the purposes of the AIA, and advance the profession of architecture. Advancement to Fellowship is the highest membership honor bestowed on a member of the AIA and reflects the member's contributions to the architectural profession. Out of a total AIA membership of nearly 81,000, there are fewer than 2,600 distinguished with the honor of Fellowship.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the health care, university, workplace and science & technology markets. With more than 800 employees nationwide, SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. SmithGroup is ranked as the 7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. according to Building Design + Construction's annual "Giants" survey, July 2006. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information:
Sandra Knight, APR
Director of Public Relations
(313) 442 - 8470
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SmithGroup selected to provide Design-Templates for Banner Health System /
February 26, 2007
Firm will create design standards for new hospitals, facility additions and renovation projects within the Banner Health System, the largest nonprofit health care system in the U.S.
SmithGroup has been chosen to create design templates to be used for new Banner Health hospitals, additions, and renovation projects. The design templates will be implemented system wide, combining knowledge and expertise for all future Banner projects.
By utilizing design templates, specific standards can be instituted for room and/or department level design and planning guides with an overall goal of repeating proven design concepts in all future projects. The design templates being created by SmithGroup's Healthcare Studio will be the result of input from Banner administrators, staff and physicians, producing "system and user" ownership of the design standards. The implementation of these design standards will allow for streamlined project to project improvement, shorten design time, and improve staff mobility between facilities designed to the same or similar template specifications.
SmithGroup is performing space programming and architecture and engineering design services for the development of the Banner Health Design Templates. Scheduled to be released in several stages, the completion of the final template is expected in summer of 2007.
Banner Health (www.bannerhealth.com) is one of the largest, non-profit health care systems in the United States. In the communities served - from Alaska to Arizona - Banner Health has more experience caring for patients than any other organization. Banner is proud of this experience and believes it helps to realize their mission: Existing to make a difference in people's lives through excellent patient care. Based in Phoenix, Banner Health has 20 hospitals and other facilities that offer an array of services including hospital care, home care, hospice care, nursing registries, surgery centers, laboratories and rehabilitation centers. These facilities are located in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the 7th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2006) in the U.S. and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information:
Lisa C. Glass, LEED AP
(602) 824-5251
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Construction Completed for Science & Technology Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory /
February 12, 2007
Construction is complete on the new multi-story, 71,000 gross-square-foot National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Science and Technology facility, Golden, Colorado.
SmithGroup provided full architectural, interior design, lab planning, mechanical and electrical engineering services for the Science & Technology facility at NREL. The new structure enhances the laboratory's research capabilities to meet the Department of Energy's (DOE) goals for advancing solar, hydrogen and other promising clean energy technologies, and energy research priorities within the President's Advanced Energy Initiative.
Peter Sheldon, Division Manager, Measurements and Characterization, NREL, described "the Science and Technology facility [as] an excellent example of how form, function and sustainability can coexist in a state-of-the-art semiconductor research laboratory. The large open laboratory spaces encourage collaboration among researchers and provide a flexible research environment that supports our changing research needs. The energy efficient design of the facility supports our commitment to sustainability while, at the same time, reducing our annual operating expenses. The SmithGroup design has created a "win-win" for all parties involved".
The ground level is designed to accommodate measurement and characterization laboratories, office space and a lobby. Level two contains wet chemistry and thin film research laboratories, as well as the Process Development and Integration Laboratory (PDIL), a central focus of the new Science & Technology facility, with the third level penthouse handling the bulk of the Science & Technology facility's mechanical equipment. Approximately 75 staffers will inhabit office spaces in the new building.
Designed to be the first USGBC LEED Gold Certified building on the NREL campus, the Science & Technology facility houses solar, basic science and hydrogen research. The facility was designed with energy efficient features that should reduce energy consumption by over 40% as compared to similar new federal buildings. Advanced computer simulations integrated the programmatic needs of the building while assisting SmithGroup designers as they strove to meet the advanced energy goals of the project. The implementation of day lighting strategies, along with integrated automatic lighting control systems, and a state of the art mechanical system will reduce energy needs for lighting as well as heating and cooling.
By building up, instead of out, the new structure reduces its footprint to approximately 45,000 square feet, thereby conserving valuable land for future expansion. In addition, the unique design of the Science & Technology facility fosters collaboration between government and industry scientists and engineers speeding the development of new technologies and their introduction to the market.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Science & Technology facility is a Design Excellence 2006 Award winner, receiving the Commissioners' Award from the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners and Planning & Zoning division. The Design Excellence Awards of Jefferson County, Colorado distinguish site-specific work to promote and support innovative design in the development community.
Mortenson Construction, Denver, CO, served as the General Contractor. Other team members included Martin & Martin, Wheat Ridge, CO, civil engineering; Paul Koehler Leffler, Broomfield, CO, structural engineering; and Wenk Landscape Architects, Denver, CO.
NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/features/07-04_science_tech_facility.html) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 7th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2006) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the science & technology, healthcare, learning, and workplace markets. SmithGroup has offices Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information:
Lisa Glass, LEED AP
(602) 824-5251
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Renovation to Begin for UDM School of Dentistry and Clinic /
January 31, 2007
SmithGroup-designed school will feature dentistry simulation lab and community service programs
Transformation of the former Kindred Hospital-Metro Detroit, which closed in 2004, into the new home of the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) School of Dentistry and Clinic, will begin this month.
The new dental campus will be located in the "Core City" neighborhood of Detroit, on Martin Luther King Blvd. and I-96. It represents the third UDM campus to be built in the city of Detroit.
The relocation of the school, in order to consolidate programs and campuses from the Outer Driver Outer Drive campus to the McNichols campus, has been a topic of discussion for several years, due to a recent surge in student enrollment. The new campus consists of 261,000 square feet of existing space.
"We are very excited to be a part of realizing the university's vision for a new all-encompassing facility for its growing School of Dentistry. We anticipate that this new facility will fulfill the needs of staff, administration, faculty, students and patients," said Dr. Mert Aksu, assistant dean, clinic administration of UDM's School of Dentistry.
The renovated facility will contain a dental clinic, research laboratories, faculty and administrative offices, classrooms, and a gathering space. Programming for the facility will cover all dental specialties that are represented in professional dental clinics. The full spectrum of services completes the learning and training experience for students of the School of Dentistry's graduate program.
The clinic building will be located in an existing 210,000-square-foot, four-story hospital building, formerly the Michigan Osteopathic Hospital and will include first floor clinics for the dental school and second floor library gross anatomy labs. The upper two floors will include faculty offices and an existing dining room on the second floor.
The classroom building will have six classrooms on the first and second floors and will include smaller conference rooms; on the third floor will be a dental simulation lab. The classroom building will be located in an attached, 50,000-square-foot, former medical office building.
"The adaptive reuse of a former hospital and MOB will create a new state-of-the-art dental campus for UDM, strengthening the school's ability to provide excellent service to the community and a top notch educational experience for its students," said Chris Purdy, principal-in-charge, SmithGroup.
Updated technology, including a dental simulation laboratory, will allow students an opportunity to practice clinical techniques on mannequin heads prior to using the techniques on patients. In addition, an on-site dental clinic will allow students to provide dental and specialty care to patients from the metro-Detroit area including underserved community residents and UDM students and faculty, at a minimal cost of up to 50% less than an average private dentist visit.
SmithGroup recently completed full architectural, engineering, and interior design services including programming, site analysis, concept development and construction documents. Consulting firm Design for Science was responsible for part of the programming. The awarded general contracting firm is White Construction of Detroit.
Targeted completion date for the project is summer 2007, which will allow for building occupancy in fall 2007.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 7th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2006) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information:
Camille Thompson
camille.thompson@smithgroup.com
313.442.8485
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SmithGroup-Designed Center for the Intrepid Opens at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX /
January 29, 2007
Philip Tobey, senior vice president of SmithGroup, the design architecture firm for the newly completed Center for the Intrepid-National Armed Forces Physical Rehabilitation Center, says it will be the most advanced rehabilitation facility in the world.
Opening ceremonies for the Center for the Intrepid will occur on January 29, 2007 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.
The new four-story, 65,000-square-foot Center will provide military patients and veterans with severe extremity injuries, amputations and burns the best opportunity to regain their pre-injury abilities in a supportive, healing environment. In addition, the Center will support continued innovation and technological advances in military medicine as well as serve as a prototype for similar military and civilian centers of excellence worldwide.
"This facility will provide treatment that is available nowhere else in the world," says Tobey, who served as principal-in-charge for SmithGroup. "From its imposing monumental image to its first-of-its-kind all-terrain modeler and gait laboratory, we believe this facility will accelerate the U.S. leadership in rehabilitative treatment, and provide the best possible care for the men and women of our armed services."
The inception of the new facility started with the vision of Chuck Scoville, USA (ret.), program manager for the U.S. Army's Amputee Patient Care Program. It was made possible through its benefactor, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), which is donating the Center to the Department of Defense. The fund committed to raising contributions and building the $40 million Center as quickly as possible to respond to the U.S. military's immediate need for advanced rehabilitative care and training for the most severely wounded soldiers. The fund selected the Washington, DC office of the nationally recognized architecture and engineering firm SmithGroup to help them design and construct it in an extraordinary 16 months time?less than half the time it would normally take to complete a project of this complexity.
SmithGroup was selected to design the project based on its long history of planning and designing many of the Department of Defense healthcare facilities. The firm had recently developed the building program for a similar facility at Walter Reed Medical Center, and was well-equipped to meet the challenges of this unique, fast-tracked project. The Syska Hennessey Group was selected to design the Center's mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Additional engineering services were provided by Cagley & Associates (structural) and Garcia & Wright Consulting Engineers (civil). Skanska USA is the construction manager.
The design team from SmithGroup sought a balance throughout the facility by designing spaces to support the critical mission of rehabilitation, provide supportive areas for patients and families, and facilitate ongoing research.
Deliberately designed as a bold, enduring monument in honor of the sacrifices of our men and women in the armed services, the Center serves as a lasting statement that their service has not been forgotten, explains Tobey.
The prominent site of the Center, located at the renowned Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) is an appropriate setting for this symbol of military medicine. A "village concept" organizes the Center around a common courtyard, shared by two Fisher Houses also being constructed on the five-acre site. The Fisher Houses, a residence for patients and family members, are symmetrically located on axis with the north entry of the Center. SmithGroup's vision to warmly welcome families and patients to the center was made possible with design of granite pavers that line the path to the Center, engraved with hundreds of donor names and prayers.
Designed to achieve a feeling of permanence and monumental quality, the building's unique, four-story elliptical shape is clad in rose-colored granite and solidly rests on a black granite base. The granite façade is penetrated by vertical, three story, glazed openings that provide a sense of transparency and bring light into the interior. A single, horizontal glass band wraps the entire ellipse at the fourth floor, allowing the roof to "float." Most of the patient activities are intentionally placed along the outer edge of the building, and the generous use of glass provides patients, who often spend the entire day in rehabilitation, views to the outside and plenty of natural daylight.
Punching throughout the Center's stepped metal roof is a central, glass-enclosed atrium that floods the core of the building and adjacent treatment spaces with natural light. This key feature is the focal point for the activities on all floors and serves as the central wayfinding element of the facility. The ground floor entrance court penetrates completely through the building, offering access to major functional areas from all sides. Designed for flexibility, this space can be quickly converted to educational and conference as well as ceremonial use.
The Center for the Intrepid is distinguished by the number of rehabilitation programs co-located under one roof, enabling a more comprehensive care approach. Many of the next-generation treatment and rehabilitation environments were conceptualized and designed based on direct input from Chuck Scoville, BAMC specialists in amputee care, and the patients themselves.
One of the facility's key areas, the rehabilitation training and exercise center, is a two-story light filled space that symbolically represents the heart of the complex. Spanning the entire front of the building on the two upper floors, the rehabilitation center borrows light from the central atrium and includes a dramatically cantilevered running track; a treadwall and 21-foot climbing tower with auto-belay; custom-designed elevating parallel bars; and other advanced equipment to promote strength, balance, agility and aerobic conditioning. Because of its elongated form, multiple rehabilitation activities can be conducted concurrently within and adjacent to it, facilitating visibility and interaction for patients, families and caregivers.
The state-of-the-art Gait Laboratory, located on the ground floor, is directly visible from the main lobby through full-height glass walls. The Gait Lab is fitted with 24 cameras on an automated truss which use infrared light to analyze human motion, with particular emphasis on amputee gait (walking). Force plates in the floor, parallel bars and treadmills measure ground reaction forces in three directions to determine the torque that muscles or prosthetic components produce. Electromyography (EMG) is used to assess the electrical activity that is given off during muscular contraction, detecting both the timing and intensity of muscular contractions.
Adjacent to the Gait Lab is the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN). The CAREN is a 21-foot simulator dome with a 300-degree screen upon which a variety of "virtual realities" are displayed. The system immerses the patients in a fully reactive virtual and physical environment, using sensors placed on the body, high-speed infrared cameras, and a moving platform that reacts to the patients' movements. The system encourages patients to use atrophied muscles and relearn skills necessary in the real world, from walking on different terrains to driving a car. Members of the design team traveled to Israel, where the technology was still in research development, to learn how to best integrate the $1.5 million dome into the architectural design. This simulator is first of its kind in the U.S., and holds tremendous promise for the successful rehabilitation of the patients, and is central to the research mission of the Center.
SmithGroup creatively addressed the other unique programmatic requirements of the project by integrating them in highly visible ways throughout the facility. The prosthetics fitting and factory, located on the second and third floors, is fully integrated into the Center and can be viewed from the atrium. Here, prosthetists and technicians will utilize a team approach to provide state-of-the-art, on-site fabrication of artificial limbs, using computer-assisted technology for design, milling, production and fitting of prosthetic devices, including unique specialty limbs for sports and other activities.
In the adjacent natatorium there is a six-lane pool for pre-running activities, kayaking, water basketball and volleyball, and swimming. Also located in the natatorium is the Flowrider ®, a unique indoor wave pool used to improve balance, coordination, strength, motivation and confidence.
Rounding out the facility is a variety of comprehensive support spaces to help patients and their families maximize their potential for recovery, including social services, case management, and behavioral medicine. An Activities of Daily Living Apartment and Vehicle Training Simulator provides patients a real-world environment in which to practice everyday skills. Many patients desire to return to active duty and a state-of-the-art Firearms Training Simulator (FATS) allows patients to practice and qualify with military-standard weapons systems.
With input from patients and staff, SmithGroup also designed lounges with internet access as well as outdoor recreation areas - including a custom-designed basketball court - to enable patients and family members to have a place to relax between treatments as well as provide emotional and spiritual support to one another.
The Center pays homage to its occupants in numerous ways. In addition to the subtle red, white and blue color scheme of its major spaces and the art program throughout, SmithGroup designers introduced materials such as limestone, stainless steel and fritted glass. A granite inscription wall in the main lobby recognizes the over 600,000 Americans who made donations to help fund the center's construction, and reminds visitors and patients of the soldiers' legacy of strength, resiliency and resolve.
"Our team's goal was to design the world's premier rehabilitation facility to honor the courage and sacrifices of our military" says Tobey. "We believe we have met the challenge. SmithGroup is proud to have had a role in this important endeavor."
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For more information:
Erin McNamara
(202) 974-0805
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LEED-Accredited Professionals Skyrocket at SmithGroup /
January 25, 2007
When it comes to having the expertise to design "green," energy-efficient, environmentally sound buildings, SmithGroup is walking the talk.
Nearly a third of SmithGroup employees - 243 of 800 - are now accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation program. That's an increase of 178% from SmithGroup's January 2006 roster of 87 LEED APs.
"We now have the full capacity to offer clients the "green" design services they want," said Vice President Russell Perry, AIA, who leads SmithGroup's sustainable design initiatives. "Our 243 LEED-accredited professionals represent our diverse, multi-discipline staff of architects, engineers, interior designers, planners and landscape architects.
"The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED accreditation program is helping meet the growing demand from the public and private sectors for environmentally intelligent buildings. LEED Professional Accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the integrated design and LEED certification process.
With its dramatic surge in LEED accredited professionals, SmithGroup has solidified its place among the leading sustainable design firms in the U.S.
According to David R.H. King, SmithGroup Chairman, "Sustainable design has always been central to our corporate culture and sense of professional responsibility. Now we have the credentials to match our commitment."
Currently, 55 of the firm's projects have either achieved LEED certification (including Platinum, Gold or Silver rating), are registered with the USGBC and in process with LEED certification, or were designed using LEED as a guide. Spanning numerous market sectors - from university to research to office -- SmithGroup LEED projects' total area is in excess of 15 million gross square feet.
A sampling of SmithGroup-designed LEED projects:
- The University of California Los Angeles' La Kretz Hall, which in 2006 earned a Silver LEED rating and became the university's first LEED certified building.
- The new Science and Technology facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab, completed in 2006 in Golden, CO is targeting a Gold LEED rating.
- Pursuing LEED Silver is the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Molecular Foundry, completed in 2006 in Berkeley, CA.
- Currently under construction in Columbia, SC, the Clemson University Sandhill Research and Education Center is targeting a LEED Platinum rating.
"One of the markets we foresee growth in adopting sustainable design is the healthcare industry," said Perry. "Healthcare facilities are notoriously big energy users, but the tide is turning thanks to powerful initiatives like the Green Guide for Health Care. The healthcare industry's participation in the green building movement promises to raise the bar on a science-based assessment of material toxicity and healthy materials choices."
SmithGroup's experience in the green arena dates back two decades. A major milestone was achieved by the firm in 2000 when it completed the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's new headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland, which was quickly dubbed the "greenest office building in America." The building, named the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, was the first to receive the USGBC's top LEED rating of Platinum.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 7th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2006). The firm employs a staff of 800 throughout 10 U.S. offices, located in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. SmithGroup is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the university, science & technology, workplace and healthcare markets. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information:
Sandra Knight, Director of Public Relations
(313) 442-8470
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Des Moines Federal Building Façade Repair Is Honored by GSA /
January 23, 2007
SmithGroup has been awarded a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Design Excellence Award for Modernizations for the GSA Federal Building - Façade Repair, Des Moines, Iowa.
The Des Moines Federal Building is a 10-story multi-tenant office building located in the heart of downtown Des Moines. Constructed in the 1960's, the building was not thermally efficient, had developed severe and disruptive water leakage problems, and allowed unacceptable levels of air infiltration and exfiltration during its tenure. The existing performance deficiencies and the overall condition of the exterior envelope provided an ideal opportunity for SmithGroup to update the building's aesthetics, increase energy efficiency, improve occupant comfort, and bring it into compliance with mandated GSA performance and aesthetic requirements.
Through their design and investigative work, SmithGroup's Building Technology Studio, a specialty practice, accomplished GSA's goals, which included improved performance with an elimination of water leakage. Designers also brought the exterior envelope into compliance with contemporary standards for air infiltration and exfiltration, and greatly increased the thermal efficiency of the exterior envelope.
The SmithGroup team worked to improve the security of the occupants and public through compliance with contemporary glass shard retention and construction strengthening requirements. Problematic masonry and stone conditions were remediated, and the project complied with LEED goals.Tenant disruption was minimal.
In addition to accomplishing the goals of the owner, the project also demonstrated the potential for use of the over-cladding process in rejuvenating a 40-year old building and extending the facility's useful life into the future.
The GSA Design Awards Program is open to contract design professionals, contractors, construction managers, artists, and/or firms and organizations that have completed or are working on projects for GSA or under GSA authority.
Criteria for the award included
- Success in responding to GSA project objectives and requirements
- Innovative solutions to meeting needs
- Technical and functional proficiency
- Aesthetic sensibility
- Effectively addressing GSA environmental goals and policies
- Cost efficiency on a life-cycle basis
- Ability of a project to serve as a model for others
GSA assembled a jury of nationally recognized, private sector design professionals, artists, contractors and construction managers to select award recipients at two levels: Honor Award and Citation. SmithGroup received a Citation for Modernizations.
Award plaques will be presented to winning firms and to the GSA officials under whose authority the work was performed, in March 2007 at a ceremony in Washington D.C.
More about SmithGroup's Building Technology Studio
With construction technology becoming more complex and standards more demanding, SmithGroup recognized the need for an experienced group of senior consultants to provide specialized architectural and engineering analysis and design services. The Building Technology Studio provides focused and specialized, multi-disciplinary services to architects, building owners, developers, contractors, product manufacturers and attorneys. For over 30 years the Building Technology Studio has offered comprehensive professional services including professional service evaluations, forensic investigations; traditional and specialized system and component design; construction quality management; HVAC and other system commissioning; maintenance evaluations; pre-purchase assessments; existing facility evaluations; mechanical, HVAC, and electrical system analysis and design; and construction dispute support.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation's 7th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2006) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
For More Information:
Camille Thompson
(313) 442-8485
camlle.thompson@smithgroup.com