Epstein Promoted to Managing Partner of TruexCullins

Principal David Epstein, AIA, of Shelburne has been promoted to managing partner of TruexCullins Architecture and Interior Design.

In 1997, Epstein joined TruexCullins. He co-leads the Education Studio, and is an expert in K-12 and international school design. He has 24 years of experience as a registered architect - creating master plans and providing architectural services for schools around the world. His projects are in over 13 countries including: Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, and Ethiopia. He also presents and writes about 21st Century school design.

Epstein earned his bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic and State University College of Architecture, Urban Studies.

Community engagement and making a difference are important to Epstein and the firm. He serves on the Board of Directors for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), The Vermont Food Bank and the Town of Shelburne Historic Preservation and Design Advisory Committee.

Epstein writes a school-design blog series call the Digital Crayon.

The Spirit of Vermont in Norwich

What qualifies as the best examples of excellent new architecture in Vermont? That was the question addressed by Donald Kreis on yesterday’s episode of the popular Commentary Series on Vermont Public Radio.

Kreis is an attorney with Vermont Law School and a regular contributor to VPR.  In this episode, Kreis praises two of this year’s recipients of the AIA VT Excellence in Architecture Design Awards, including the King Arthur Flour campus expansion in Norwich, Vermont.

TruexCullins was pleased to learn recently that the King Arthur Flour project received a Merit Award from the Vermont Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.  The jury was impressed with the arrival sequence and the creation of a communal courtyard that connects the various program elements.  Also noted was the use of materials and forms that are harmonious with the site and effective daylighting strategies.  According to the jury, “This building captures the spirit of Vermont without being too referential.”
 

We owe much credit to ORW Landscape Architects and Planners for working with us to develop this overall site and building experience.

In his Commentary on VPR, Kreis expands on this concept of place-making with a comparison to another New England town anchored by a growing retail empire: Freeport, Maine.  Unlike this and other towns that have succumbed to a mall-ification of outlets and souvenir shops, Norwich has managed to retain its classic Vermont heritage while permitting – in fact, promoting – the growth of companies like King Arthur Flour.

The new building at King Arthur is based on the concept of the classic Vermont monitor barn, but with contemporary and artful detailing.  As Kreis states, “Whenever we fail to turn a piece of Vermont into another Freeport, and build something new and graceful instead, I say it's time to break out the plaques and trophies.”

You can read (or listen to) the full Commentary at vpr.net:

http://www.vpr.net/episode/55299/kreis-aia-vermont/
 

Digital Crayon: Article 10 – Greening Your Existing School Facility

posted by David Epstein, AIA, LEED AP

In our last article, we discussed the sustainability in a general way as viewed through the lens of the LEED Green Building Rating System. I am sure many of you are wondering: how do I green my existing facility. Here again, looking at LEED’s Existing Building: Operations + Maintenance (EBOM) program is instructive.

As you might imagine, greening an existing facility is much harder than building a new one to green standards. For starters, the new construction program is a single event while the existing program is an ongoing process. This process includes changing the way you purchase materials, food, furniture and even how you clean the building. In short, it requires institutional behavior changes, which is often harder to do. And the EBOM system requires recertification every five years.

Many of the other credits in the EBOM system are similar to the new construction program: storm water control, water and energy efficiency, etc. But rather than speak in generalities, let’s drill down into a few topics to see how it works. First up: energy efficiency.

Our approach to making a new or existing structure energy efficient can be summarized in three steps. Step 1: Make the building envelope well-insulated and air-tight. This helps reduce loads on your heating and/or air-conditioning equipment, allowing them to be sized smaller. Next, specify energy- efficient equipment with options like heat-recovery and free-cooling. Third, is to specify smart controls. These include occupancy and CO2 sensors, dimming and multi-level lighting. The idea is to only run the lights and HVAC when you have to. Educating the users of each space to assist with these goals helps too!

Now some of these measures may cost additional money up front. The key to successful implementation of green design is to look at the life-cycle cost analysis of the proposed system. This is done by computing the energy costs of the proposed system vs. a baseline system and determining the when the energy savings have paid for the incremental cost difference of the upgrade. It’s always helpful to have a criteria (ex: 10 years) beforehand – just make sure is it shorter than the life of the equipment being considered!

Just as we discussed with new buildings, sustainability addresses much more than energy consumption. For example, a key quality of sustainable design is good indoor air quality. In an existing building, this can be improved in several ways.

The primary way is to ensure there is adequate fresh air ventilation of the space. This can be done with passively with operable windows or mechanically with ventilation equipment. Beware that the split system air conditioners, so popular for retro-fits, only recirculate air and do not provide fresh air. Indoor environmental quality can also be improved by using low-VOC paints, furnishings and finishes. Cleaning practices, too, should be examined to avoid using toxic chemicals or dust creating practices. Green Guard Environmental Institute (www.greenguard.org) certifies cleaning and other products as environmentally friendly and is accepted by LEED.

In addition to considering the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) content in each product, the type and percentage of recycled content, location of origin and renewable nature of each choice must be considered to lower your school’s environmental footprint. Changing your purchasing selection criteria is an important way you can green your school – with or without a construction project.

Last Article: Article 9 - School Safety and Security

Next Article: Article 11 - Aligning Existing School Facilies with 21st-Century Learning

The ABC of Architects

We love this extremely clever animation that showcases 26 of the world's most important architects, from Alvar Aalto to Zaha Hadid.  “The ABC of Architects” was produced by Andrea Stinga and Federico Gonzalez.  The duo consists of an Argentine architect and a Colombian graphic designer and visual artist, both now based in Barcelona, Spain.

 

 

The ABC of Architects on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/56974716

 

For more from Ombu Architecture, visit http://ombuarchitecture.tumblr.com/

 

Anglo-American School of Sofia Grand Opening

This fall the ribbon was cut and the doors swung open on the new $8 million expansion project for the Anglo-American School of Sofia in Bulgaria.

TruexCullins first developed a master plan for the school’s growth from 350 to 650 students, then provided Design Guardianship services as the new building addition took shape.  Under the leadership of David Epstein and Diantha Korzun, the school doubled its classroom space, which serves middle and high school students from 44 countries.

The project also includes new sports facilities, a performing arts complex, and an outdoor amphitheater built into the naturally sloping site.  The new wing has a green roof, solar power collection, and greywater recycling.

The existing wing received LEED Gold certification for Existing Buildings, and the new wing is currently being certified under LEED for New Construction.  The school is the only LEED Gold-certified building in Bulgaria.

The project was completed in August and the reviews are now coming in.  The Anglo-American School received Building of the Year 2006, and Sustainable Building Project 2010 by the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria. The project was also profiled on the Interior Design website in October.

If your Bulgarian is up to par, you can follow along with this video from the opening ceremonies.  The event was attended by school officials, dignitaries, and plenty of happy students and parents to mark the opening of their new school.

Spur Grand Opening

Last summer we shared photos with you of the completed lounge at the Cascade restaurant at Teton Mountain Lodge in Jackson Hole.  This was Phase One of a two-part project, and the remaining work is now complete and open for business.  Rebranded as the Spur Restaurant and Bar, the new space recently opened its doors and held a grand opening celebration on December 21st.

TruexCullins designed a new restaurant dining room and bar that, like the lounge before it, is a warm and casual space that celebrates the western mountain aesthetic.  The design of the interior evokes the Jackson Hole qualities of rustic nature with a touch of contemporary flair.  Guests can relax by the fireplace or saddle up to the large bar.

Spur serves three meals a day and plays host to a lively après ski scene.  Executive Chef Kevin Humphreys is highly acclaimed in the area for his ability to elevate traditional mountain cuisine into distinctive dishes using regional and organic ingredients.  The opening party was a huge hit, with the restaurant filled with people enjoying the new space and the great food.

Digital Crayon: Article 9 - Safety and Security

by David Epstein, AIA

In light of recent tragic events, I thought it would be timely to discuss safety and security at schools. It is always a difficult discussion. In many of our local schools, there is a feeling that the community is safe and something bad couldn’t happen here. The shooting in Essex, Vermont in 2006 certainly shifted that perception, and now, in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, every school is re-evaluating its security arrangements. For our international clients, this has always been a paramount concern and we often consult with the Regional Security Officer to understand the security concerns for that region.

The first step in improving safety and security is to identify the nature and range of the potential threats. Is it a concern car loaded with explosives, an armed perpetrator or kidnapping, for example? Or perhaps flooding or power outage? Different threats often require different responses in both facility design and operations. A successful approach will be a combination of common sense facility improvements in concert with effective operational protocols.

To be clear, there is no way to completely remove the risk of an event. Each school has to achieve a balance between the effectiveness and the cost, both financially and culturally, when considering security improvements. On one hand, we can’t ignore the potential threats; on the other hand, do we want our schools to resemble prisons?

Let’s start first on the exterior. Following the Sandy Hook shootings, much of the discussion has centered on how to keep a perpetrator out of the building. Unfortunately, it is very difficult, if not impossible if the perpetrator has made it to the building perimeter. And what about the safety of the students using the playgrounds and recreational fields?  They are in a completely unsecured area. This is why virtually all of the international schools we work with create the security zone at the perimeter of their property, usually with a 3m high fence and guard house at the entry points. It is recommended that buildings be placed a minimum of 100ft from a public way.  While this is standard for international schools, this is considered overboard for schools in a region like Vermont.

There are differing opinions on the effectiveness of armed security guards. It certainly sets a tone - for some reassuring, for others unwelcoming. Perhaps it sends a signal to the public that the school is serious about safety. To be effective, the guard must be at the right place at the right time. Will a gunman choose to enter at the most secure point? In any case, many question whether a minimally trained guard with a service revolver can stop a gunman in a bulletproof vest with a semiautomatic weapon. We do know that innocent bystanders are often caught in the crossfire. As you can see, the benefits of armed guards remain an open question. 

If car bombs are a possible threat, bollards, boulders, or swales can be used to keep vehicles away from the building. Some international school use mirrors to scan underneath a vehicle. Upon entering the building, there should be a security checkpoint with some kind of badge system. However, because of the increased flow at drop-off and pick-up times, this is often not practical at these times. Using a single entry point into the school building is one way to monitor entrants. In many schools, several administrators stand out front and welcome the students in the morning. In addition to monitoring activity, it is a great way for the school leadership to meet all of the students and parents.

The entry should be arranged so that people cannot easily enter the building without passing a receptionist or security personnel to obtain a badge. Some school entries are designed so that you must pass through a controlled area before you can enter the school. Others utilize a transaction window or counter located just inside the exterior doors. In any case, it is critical to train the staff to question anybody in the school who does not have proper identification.

Inside the school, it is imperative that there is a way to alert every staff member about an intruder. This may be through a public address, phone or walkie-talkie system. Often there is a code phrase that signals the lock down. The general protocol is to clear all public areas and sequester staff and students in classrooms. To do this, it is important that classrooms lock from the inside, which is not how older classroom latch sets function. However, they can be easily retrofitted. As it is also important that the perpetrator not see any potential victims, there must be a quick way to obscure views through both hallway doors and exterior windows.

As many of our schools function as community centers, school leaders are concerned about maintaining an open, welcoming feel while at the same time improving the safety of both students and staff. It is a difficult balancing act in light of the recent tragedy.

Next Article: Article 10 - Greening Existing Facilities

Past Article: Article 8 - Sustainability

The Top Blog Posts of 2012

Happy New Year, everyone.  At this time of year, we see a lot of year-end top-ten lists, looking back to the best and brightest of the 12 months that just passed.  So we figured, why not us?  Thanks to the magic of Google Analytics, we’ve compiled the top ten most popular blog posts that we wrote in 2012.  These are the articles from 2012 that received the most hits from January 1st to December 31st:

1.  Respecting Victorian Design.  In 2012, our Interiors Studio designed the new guestrooms of the 1885 Victorian Mansion of the Casa Madrona Hotel in Sausalito California. This was the inspiration for this article on the history of the Victorian era, and how it is still relevant to our world today.  Some of you must agree, as this was our most-read blog post of the year.

2.  Home is Where the Hearth Is.  If a home has a soul, the fireplace is where it may come alive.  In this blog post, we shared some of our favorite fireplace designs from our residential projects.  (Part II, which covered our commercial work, also made it to the list, in 6th place.)

3.  The Architecture of Happiness. Alain de Button wrote this book on architectural style and beauty.  Here we offer a brief overview of this fascinating look at why and how our built environment influences us the way it does.

The next two most popular posts related to our work on Hotel Vermont, the 125-room hotel now
under construction on Cherry Street in Burlington.   Our Interior Design Studio is working with Smith Buckley Architects on this LEED-certified building.

4.   Hotel Vermont Under Construction.  In April 2012, construction had resumed and the building began to form on the previously laid foundations.

5.   Hotel Vermont Ice Bar.  The Hotel celebrated with this outdoor ice bar during the Burlington Winter Festival in 2012.

Sixth place is actually a tie: 

6.   Working Fireplaces is the second part of our overview of our favorite fireplace designs.  These are located in some of our workplace, educational and resort projects.

6.   Our Top Five iPhone Apps for Architects.  You may find some of these useful.

8.  Digital Crayon Article 3: Growth and Capacity.  This is one from a series of articles written by David Epstein on various issues related to the planning and design of schools today.  David is one of the principals of TruexCullins and heads up the K-12 education studio for the firm.

9.  Stowe Home Featured in Vermont Magazine.  This small, energy-efficient home was featured in Vermont Magazine in the March/April 2012 issue. 

10.  And the last blog post to make it to the top-ten list of most popular for 2012 was another article from the Digital Crayon series.  Digital Crayon Article 5:  21st Century Learning.

Keep reading in 2013, for there’s plenty more to come!