Digital Crayon: Article 2 - The Planning Process

posted by David Epstein, AIA, LEED AP



Last article we discussed getting started on a facility project. In this article, let’s discuss how the master planning process might work. If it is an existing building or campus, we generally divide up the process into three components: Facility Analysis, Programming and Concept Design. If it’s a totally new project, then of course the Facility Analysis is not applicable. In this case, an analysis of the site might be more appropriate.

In the Facility Analysis, we evaluate the building and site systems in terms of maintenance, improvement, or replacement with our team of engineers and produce a report.

In Programming, we interview all of the user groups of the building and create a Space Needs Program, which lists all of the existing and proposed spaces, their sizes and important adjacencies and environmental requirements. We also include a narrative describing existing functional deficiencies and the important driving forces behind the space requests.

Finally, in Concept Design, we develop several design alternatives based on the programming work. The selected approach is further refined and becomes the final master plan. I should note at this point that these drawings are conceptual and sketchy in nature – the 30,000 foot view. But they provide a roadmap for campus or building development that can be developed over time. The entire master planning process can take a semester, sometimes longer. Needless to say, it’s wise to have the master plan approved before there is a significant board member change over.

Along with this planning scope of work there are several options of course. Sometimes we are asked to provide cost estimating services. Often we include a sustainability review using the LEED Green Building Rating System. But more on that next time!

Next Digital Crayon - Article 3 - Growth and Capacity

Last Digital Crayon - Article 1 - Musings on School Design

Celebrating the work of Rolf Kielman

In the early 1970s, Rolf Kielman joined fellow classmate Terry Jacobs and designed a series of cutting-edge houses that utilized an air panel system for the collection of warm air and a rock box for thermal storage. The Sunpower homes, as they were called, adhered to the design principals of reduced size, improved thermal envelopes and effective siting and orientation. Four of these were built around Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

It is now 40 years later, and Rolf’s portfolio of projects has steadily grown to include numerous energy-positive homes, hotels and resorts that are naturally wedded to their environment, and cultural and civic buildings that galvanize communities. His work includes creatively branded workspaces, custom designed furniture and architectural follies. His urban planning projects are instantly recognizable as some of our most notable public spaces.

Please join us on Friday September 21st to celebrate this 40 year span of impressive work by Rolf Kielman. We are hosting a reception from 5 to 8pm with an exhibit of his architecture in our office on Battery Street.

If you stopped by last week during the Art Hop, you were able to catch a sneak preview of the show. Throughout the exhibit, the thoughtful and artful communication of each design is clearly evident, from beautifully drawn sketches and original watercolors to handmade wood models, including some specifically commissioned for this event.

While we may marvel at his craft, anyone who knows Rolf can attest that his “living legacy” reaches beyond just the architectural work he produces. Much of his energy today directly touches people’s lives through his work with local community organizations such as the Committee on Temporary Shelter, the King Street Youth Center, the 52 Kids Foundation, the Howard Center, and many more.

Rolf continues to be a creative designer, inspiring leader and gracious mentor for all of us at TruexCullins. And next Friday we do hope you’ll join us to recognize his talents and celebrate his 40 years (and counting!) of architecture and craft.



 

Meet the Intern

posted by Carmen George

TruexCullins is pleased to welcome Pier Giovanni Spaziani to our firm. Pier began his internship at TruexCullins in June 2012. He is from Foligno, (near Pervgia) Italy, where he earned his master’s degree in sustainable architecture from the Sapienza University of Rome at Valle Giulia. Pier is a registered architect in Italy. He was recommended to TruexCullins by our good friend landscape architect Keith Wagner.

Pier’s family values architecture. His father is an engineer, his mother is a professor of hospitality management, and his older sister is an architect. Growing up, he spent many hours with his father discussing building design.  Pier is an artistic person who uses architecture to express his creativity. In school, he was drawn to design that deepened a person’s relationship with the natural world around them.

He has been enjoying his internship at TruexCullins. Residential and public buildings are his main interest, especially projects where community and sustainability are a priority.  He has been contributing his European perspective to discussions about design projects.

Pier lives in Burlington with his wife Freya, whom he met in Rome four years ago. She is an assistant manager at Edgewater Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont.