More Lunch and Learns

Our lunch and learns have been plentiful over the last few weeks. Not only have we gotten new information but often AIA credits. About 12 credits are needed yearly to maintain your architectural licensing (each state has slightly diffferent requirements).

Last weeks Lunch and Learn was on roof and wall sheathing. Michael Machernis with Huber Engineering Woods presented the need for minimizing water penetration, air leakage and water vapor while presenting their Advantech flooring and Zip System. The Zip System offers built-in moisture barriers and offers a pressure-sensitive tape designed for temperature extremes to reduce air leakages.

This weeks Lunch and Learn on flooring was presented by David Cameron of B.K.M. Total Office and Carrie Bartucca of Michael Halebian & Co. They stressed the often over-looked importance of the:
Sub-floor preparation work,
Asbestos abatement and
Moisture testing to insure the manufacturer's installation and manufacturers warranty requirements are met.

Window Factory & Training Center

Recently, Peter and I traveled to the Marvin Window factory in Warroad, Minnesota. This was Peter's fifth time out there and my first.

Through demonstrations, lectures, and tours, the window and door company educates professionals such as architects, dealers and installers, about its many products. For some members of our tour group, seeing windows that they had designed or specified, in various stages of construction, was one of the highlights. Using everything from basic hand tools to the latest in computer-controlled machinery, hundreds of people work to make finished windows out of raw materials.

Any designer who attends takes away not only his or her required continuing-education credits, but also a greater appreciation and understanding of the many things that must occur to make drawings and ideas into important building components.

Lunch and Learn

LED 101 was the focus of yesterday's Lunch & Learn.
An overview of LED lighting was presented by Philips' sales rep, Cliff Gilbert to firms Architects' Guild and 72 Architects. Lightolier, now a Philips group brand, introduced track lighting in the 1960s. It was also the time when they began research and innovation in downlighting reflectors. Their patented remote phosphor technology converts blue light to white light increasing light performance and color consistency.

Did you know, most people say they prefer daylighting but when shown day light and white light - they really prefer white light.

With all LEDs thermal management is most critical.

Sukkah City

This summer, Architects' Guild submitteed an entry to the 2010 International Sukkah City competition being held in New York City. The project goal was to "re-imagine and renew the Sukkah" based on Jewish law. Of the 600 submissions 12 were selected to be built in Union Square Park. This past week the public visited Sukkah City to cast their votes for which they believed to be the winning design. To see the 12 finalists and all other entries check out www.sukkahcity.com. Although our project was not one of the finalists it was an enlightening pursuit. Take a peek at all the amazing designs and don't miss our entry called Finding the Light.

Architectural Holiday Cards

This year was the first time we went digital with our Holiday Card. We had mixed feelings about this. There is something tactile, warm and fuzzy about getting a card from your mailbox and opening up an envelope. On the other hand, these days the mailbox is for bills and junk mail. There is something environic (green) about communicating through cyberspace -- or is it just to save on stamps and labels? There seems something impersonal about simply clicking the send button, but it is nice to see the replies instantly streaming back, as it is much more convenient to respond to an e-mail than to a card. Here is an excerpt from a reply to this year's holiday card:

"I am glad you skipped the paper version. I also think it is a shame knowing so many trees have be cut and so many chemicals need to be used, to make the cards, then to be thrown away after Christmas. We need all the oxygen producing trees we can get."

Either way it is nice to hear from folks we may not have had the opportunity to correspond with for a while.

When we were putting together our Holiday Card this year, we took a trip down memory lane and looked at our cards of years past. We displayed them (2009 back to 1994) for you to see new or remember when you received them.

Happy Holidays!

Fairfield Sun Room

We designed additions and alterations for this home. The design of this room was Phase 1.

Bethel Track & Field Pavilion

Some conceptual images of the proposed storage facility at Bethel High School.

The building is oriented at a 45-degree angle from the track radius. Each level has a covered porch to protect the doors and provide some shelter in precipitous weather. The roof is painted metal (Bethel maroon school color) with a 12:12 pitch in the middle and 6:12 pitched wings, symbolic of the winged foot. Prefabricated wood trusses support the roof. The walls are brick on the lower level and white (school color) vertical siding on the track level. This theme could be used in the future two-storey baseball building. The track storage area has minimal windows, enough for a bit of natural light to dissuade the using of the artificial lighting. We imagine the floors to be a concrete slab on grade for the lower level and a slab on metal decking supported by steel beams for the upper level.

On the trackside, a clock will help remind athletes, coaches, and parents of starting and ending practices and contests on time. The opposite side has a round window, somewhat reminiscent of a birdhouse in keeping with the ‘flight’ theme. Fences might have maroon colored plastic fence (with 1” +/- squares) in the shape (either negative or positive) of athletes applied to metal chain link, which will transform this normally boring building material in order to tell a story.