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/
 

Congratulations Diantha Korzun

TruexCullins Architecture and Interior Design has promoted Diantha S. Korzun of Cambridge to Associate. She is the daughter of Grace and Leonard Korzun of Shrewsbury, Vermont. 

Diantha Korzun, AIA, LEED, AP

Korzun is the President of The American Institute of Architecture of Vermont and the newly elected Secretary/Treasurer for the American Institute of Architects of New England, She successfully orchestrated a three-day AIANE conference in Burlington, Vermont. 

She received a Master in Architecture from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University, with a minor in European Studies. Korzun is a registered licensed architect in the State of Vermont, the State of Wyoming and the State of Washington. She is a LEED accredited professional and she holds her NCARB Certificate.

For the past five years, Korzun has been the Project Architect and Manager in TruexCullins’ Education and Workplace Studio. As Project Architect she was responsible for overseeing the design of the recently completed King Arthur Flour Headquarters expansion project and  Anglo American School of Sofia Project in Bulgaria, anticipated to receive LEED Gold.  She was the LEED Team Administrator of the Heritage Flight building, which was awarded LEED Gold Certification and won the Efficiency Vermont Award and Governor’s Efficiently Award. She was also the LEED Team Administrator for the Currier Project in Hanover, NH.

King Arthur Flour's Headquarters in Norwich, Vermont

Current projects she is managing include the St. John International School in Belgium and the American International School in Bucharest. She is part of the team that is participating in the American School of Paris Competition.

Coming Events: Architecture and Design 2012

There are some exciting events coming up for our architecture and design community in Burlington and beyond. Here's a look ahead to some of them:

May 10: PKN-BTV Vol. 7
The next PechaKucha event is this Thursday at the Fleming Museum. If you've been to one of these before, you know that it is a fun, energetic night of wildly divergent and interesting presentations. This is volume 7 of the Burlington event, with another great line-up planned.

For the uninitiated, here's the official scoop: PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation ("chit chat"), it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

More info at:  http://pecha-kucha.org/night/burlington-vt/

May 24: Bennington College Campus Tour
Our local AIA branches in Vermont, New Hampshire and Western Massachusetts are presenting an afternoon of presentations and tours at one of the country's highest rated colleges in terms of building and campus design.  Building tours on the Bennington College campus include projects by Tod Williams + Billie Tsien, Robertson Ward, Kyu Sung Woo, and Edward Larrabee Barnes.

The event occurs from 3:30 to 7:45pm and is good for 3 AIA HSW SD learning units. To register, visit: http://aiavtnhwm.eventbrite.com/  For more details, click to enlarge the poster below:

October 19-21: AIA New England Conference & Design Awards
Finally, we have a look forward to this fall's big event for AIA Vermont: the AIA New England Conference & Design Awards Program on Oct. 19-21, 2012 at the Hilton Hotel & Conference Center in Burlington. For us Burlingtonians, we are not only looking forward to the great workshops, lectures, and tours planned, but also to the opportunity to show off our award-winning city to our friends from across New England.

This will be the height of the fall foliage season in Vermont, so if you're planning on attending from out of state, make your hotel reservations now and lock in the conference rate.

For more details, visit: http://www.aiavt.org/aiane_conf/

AIA Leadership and Legislative Conference Report

posted by Diantha S. Korzun, AIA Vermont President

Diantha recently returned from the American Institute of Architects' 2012 Leadership and Legislative Conference, held March 7-10, 2012 at the Grant Hyatt in Washington, DC.

For three days in Washington DC, the AIA executive components convene in the nation’s capital.  The goal is to express a collective voice to members of Congress about the importance architectural design has on our communities.  

Through design, architects can enhance the quality of life for the public.  There is also a responsibility to enforce the health, safety, and welfare of our communities.  The theme of the conference this year was Leadership, Advocacy, and Communication.  All are qualities an architect should possess in order to promote public awareness of the importance of architecture.  This year that is what our contingent from AIA VT set out to do. Carol Miklos (Executive Director), Thomas Bachman (President Elect), Michael Hoffman (AIA NE Secretary/Treasurer) and I went to Washington DC this spring to not only promote the profession to the Congressmen, but also improve our own skills in effectively advocating the profession in our region.

In Washington, the four bills that we found applicable to Vermont architectural firms and therefore discussed with our Congressmen included:

• Remove Barriers to the Private Sector Lending. (HR 1356) The AIA supports legislation that will continue to improve the commercial lending market and allow worthwhile projects to have access to capital.
• Save Energy, Create Jobs.  (1798 Deduction)  AIA encourages the support of a bipartisan effort to expand the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction.  This should incentivize energy efficient new construction projects through increasing the tax deduction for Green Buildings.
• Help Small Business Thrive. (HR 3987)  Since 95% of AIA member firms are under 50 employees, AIA wants to ensure these firms are protected under the Small Business Protection Act so that they still have funding under the SBA program.
• Pass a Transportation Bill to Get our Communities Moving Again.  The Senate has created a bill to support a variety of transportation spending.  AIA encourages Congressman to pass a bill to authorize and reform federal transportation programs to maintain current funding, support all modes of transportation, and recognize many long term benefits of well-designed and well planned projects.

We are fortunate our current Congressmen support these issues and therefore do not need to be persuaded to back them.  However, it was productive to discuss local examples of projects and firms that are directly impacted by these bills so they have a better understanding of their constituents.

At a local level, this year, AIA Vermont will advocate architectural design through programs that address the theme for the year, Design of Place.  Programs include the AIA New England Conference hosted in Burlington this fall and the AIA VT/NH Annual Meeting/Tours at Bennington College this spring.  (See relevant articles about both events in the current issue of AIA VT.) 

In addition, the AIA Vermont Public Policy Subcommittee is already enthusiastically discussing ways to advocate the profession to our Vermont legislature.  They have held several meetings, including a gathering of interested members earlier this month to survey the membership about current issues.  

Through Advocacy, Leadership and Communication AIA VT will promote architectural design and issues at a national level as well as a local level this year.  If you are interested in joining the effort, please contact Carol Miklos, AIA VT Executive Director.

Diantha Korzun named 2012 AIA VT President

Diantha Korzun, an architect here at TruexCullins, has recently accepted the position of President of the Vermont Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Diantha will serve as President of the Vermont AIA for a one-year term, sitting alongside her colleagues on the Board of Directors. These are all volunteer positions, and we very much appreciate the time they all give to support the architectural profession in our state!

Diantha is a key member of the TruexCullins Education Studio with a strong focus on sustainable design. She has successfully managed many educational projects throughout her career, including several international school projects with TruexCullins. She has expertise with the LEED Green Building Rating System, and has served as coordinator for the certification process on workplace and education projects. Diantha is currently managing the expansion of the King Arthur Flour campus in Norwich, and the addition to the Anglo American School of Sofia in Bulgaria, which is pursuing LEED Silver certification.

The biggest event for AIA Vermont this year will be the AIA New England conference and design awards, to be held October 17-19 at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington. This annual conference rotates among the six New England states (7 AIA components since Boston and Western Mass are separate), and 2012 is the year that it will be coming to Vermont. The conference will feature educational workshops, guest speakers, and some insightful tours of area architectural gems. The theme for this year's AIANE conference is "Design for Place," a place-oriented design response to the site, climate, culture and program. The keynote speaker will be Patricia Patkau of Patkau Architects in Vancouver, British Columbia. (see www.patkau.ca/). Likewise, the jury for the AIA New England design awards will be comprised of Vancouver architects, led by Patricia Patkau.

Check back here for more info about the AIANE conference as it gets closer to the date. In the meantime, it looks like it will be an exciting year for AIA Vermont, and we send our congratulations (and appreciation!) to Diantha for stepping up to serve!

Unassisted Living

One of our residential projects has just been published in a book on homes that support the active lifestyles of the aging Baby Boomers generation. Unassisted Living, Ageless Homes for Later Life is a collection of homes that offer an alternative to traditional senior housing.

The Shelburne residence by TruexCullins is included as one of the examples in the book, and is featured on the book’s cover.

This multi-generational residence was the recipient of the 2009 Award for Excellence in Architecture by the Vermont chapter of the AIA.  It is a home for three generations, with a common entry that provides separate access to private living spaces for the grandparents and children.

From the publisher:

Unassisted Living documents the shift away from the senior housing that promoted disengagement toward architecture and design that promote active aging. The book is organized in six sections, corresponding to the concerns and special interests of Boomers—those who intend to remain in an urban setting, those concerned with sustainability, those with complex families and non-traditional households, and those who seek a community based on spirituality or shared interests.

Boomers are perhaps the largest generational cohort the United States has ever seen. Numbering some 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964, Boomers are not accepting traditional retirement or “senior housing” and are instead determined to remain active and engaged professionally and socially.

The 240-page hardcover book is written by Jeffrey Rosenfeld and Wid Chapman, and published by Monacelli Press.  You can purchase it online thru amazon.com or at your favorite local bookseller!

Jericho Fieldhouse

On Thursday night we attended the 2011 AIA VT Design Awards ceremony and were pleased to receive a Merit Award for one of our new residential projects.  This is a home in Jericho that sits on the edge of a small meadow.

The house is a three-part composition of garage, studio and home placed about a parterre garden and edged to the south by a garden wall and linear orchard. In the tradition of Frank Lloyd Wright, the house is a grid-formed composition striving to generate economy from the beautiful elegance of formed geometry. The structures utilize modest exterior materials to shape a traditional but elemental form in the landscape.

We worked with H. Keith Wagner Partnership on the site plan and landscape design.  The photos below are by Jim Westphalen.

In Memoriam: the Vermont Law School Gazebo

Consider this the first obituary we have had to write for the TruexCullins blog.

The gazebo on the edge of the Oakes Hall parking lot at the Vermont Law School campus was a humble, intimate structure designed for individuals to peacefully reflect and quietly ponder their place in the natural environment.  It was an expression of material, craft and assembly, executed as a simple shelter from the elements.

On the morning of August 29th, the White River raced through South Royalton, overflowing its banks from the forces of Hurricane Irene.  The town of South Royalton suffered $10 million in damages from the storm, with bridges and roads washed out and people’s homes ravaged by the rising floodwaters.  The Vermont Law School thankfully avoided major damage to their campus, but one unfortunate casualty of the storm was our little Gazebo.

The demise of the wood structure was caught on camera in this dramatic video.  The gazebo is shown here eerily floating down the river, posted to YouTube by someone obviously aware of the irony in the situation, as they titled the piece: “Symbolic Bridge to Nature returning to its natural habitat”

The Gazebo at the Vermont Law School was designed by Rolf Kielman, who also led the historic renovation and addition to the nearby Debevoise Hall.  In 2006, the VLS Gazebo was awarded the AIA Vermont Excellence in Architecture Design Award for a Small Project.  The jury thought the project had “charm, pure, simple elegance” and was “very inviting”.

Luckily we had the project documented at the time by our friend Jim Westphalen.  Here are some more photos of the Gazebo that until recently lived at Vermont Law School:

 

 

A Love Affair on Lake Champlain

The Crowe Residence in Shelburne was a labor of love for all who were involved.

This light-filled multi-generational home settles comfortably into the landscape, embracing the view  across Lake Champlain.  The project was the winner of the 2009 AIA Vermont Award for Excellence in Architecture.  And now, its story is being shared with readers beyond the borders of Vermont.

We are pleased to note that the Crowe Residence is the feature project in the May/June issue of New England Home magazine, with a beautiful photo gracing the cover and a 10-page spread inside.  You can read the full article online at nehomemag.com/article/instant-karma.  Or, better yet, go out and pick up a copy of the print version of New England Home, available at all major bookstores, convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores, and corner newsstands near you.

Congratulations go out to the entire project team:  Architecture by Rolf Kielman and Lee Grutchfield; Interior Design by Kim Deetjen and Rebekah Bose; Landscape Design by Keith Wagner Landscape Architect; Contruction by Dan Morris and Ric Santa Maria from Roundtree Constuction;  and photography by Jim Westphalen.

Creating Sustainable Communities

The Vermont AIA is teaming up with the Vermont chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute to present a one-day symposium on the future of the state’s built environment.  “Designed in Vermont: Creating Communities that Flourish in the 21^st Century” is a full-day event that will bring together architects, policy makers, engineers, developers, landscape architects, and allied manufacturers to explore how best to develop sustainable communities in our state.

The day will begin with a keynote presentation by Michael Tavel, AIA, of Michael Tavel Architects in Denver, Colorado.  Tavel is an architect and urban designer specializing in sustainable urban neighborhoods, and his talk, “Sustainable Communities: Paradigms and Paradox,” will be an overview of many of the often competing paradigms of sustainable communities and sustainable land use.  Tavel will present national and international examples that frame the issues facing Vermont within the context of current global practice and discourse on sustainable communities and sustainable land use.

Following the keynote will be 4 additional sessions, each with 2 concurrent workshops exploring various aspects of sustainable building and land use.  One of these will be presented by Rolf Kielman:

Making Good Towns in Norway, Switzerland and Vermont.  Vermont’s varied terrain is similar to that of Norway and Switzerland.  Sloped landscapes; deep, watery cuts in dramatic valleys; and the form of our farmsteads are terrain characteristics that have contributed to the shape of towns and villages in these regions.  This session explores how the land has formed the architecture of buildings and public spaces and how we as architects and planners can advance the art of making good towns.

The full-day symposium takes place at Shelburne Farms, and has been approved for 5.5 AIA learning units.  The fee for the event is $125 for members of AIA-Vermont or CSI-Vermont; $175 for non-members.  More information is available at www.csivermont.org/green.htm, including a full program brochure.  Online registration is open until May 19.

People's Choice

To all our loyal followers, fans and friends: Happy New Year!  Our resolution for 2011 is to (continue to) feed the blog on a regular basis with news, events, and plenty of random musings on architecture and design.

There are certainly many great stories to tell.  The new year at TruexCullins is off to a roaring start, with new people, exciting projects, and further recognition of our work.  We’re very pleased to say that the Maltex Building was one of the winners of the 2010 AIA Vermont Excellence in Architecture Design Awards: the People’s Choice Award.  

Unlike the other categories that are awarded by jury, the People’s Choice award is determined by popular vote, from the general public’s viewing of all the design entries on display. The new Maltex façade is a very engaging piece of architecture that reactivates one of the busiest pedestrian stretches of the emerging Pine Street corridor, so it makes sense that the general public relates so well to this project and voted it their favorite.  Thank you to all who voted.

The former 1950s warehouse building was transformed into a modern landmark, with a contemporary palette of corrugated metal and wood panels.  The newly renovated commercial building complements the adjoining 1899 historic brick structure, and has become a very desirable place to work.

We had a little fun with this view of the building for our annual holiday card this year.   It’s all in good spirits, and good wishes to all our clients and colleagues for a healthy and prosperous year ahead!

2010 Art Hop & aiaVT Home Tours

Even though we will not be an Art Hop stop this year, we will be out hopping on Sept 10th and 11th.  Hope you are planning to go to this year's Art Hop too.  Be sure to check out the newly renovated Maltex Building on Pine Street, a recently completed TruexCullins' Workplace Studio project.  For more information  visit  http://www.seaba.com/.

And after you've taken in all the art and culture the Art Hop has to offer, explore some local residential architecture during aiaVT's 2010 Home Tours, also on September 11th.  Titled Innovation & Tradition, this year's tours feature six homes designed by local architects, including a South Farm House designed by TruexCullins. For more information visit http://www.aiavt.org/.

AIA Grassroots Annual Leadership and Legislative Conference

The AIA Grassroots Annual Leadership and Legislative Conference was held in the beginning of February 2010 this year in Washington DC.   As indicated in the title, the conference provides leadership training for the architectural community as well as leadership training to engage the greater political community.  The conference also allows for a day on Capitol Hill to discuss state issues with Congressmen.  Each year, AIA Vermont (as well as the other states in the nation) sends its Executive Committee to the conference to participate.

The AIA Vermont Contingent (Daniel Johnson, Diantha Korzun (from TruexCullins), Lauren Davis, Michael Hoffman and Hanne Williams) met with Congressman Peter Welch, Senator Sanders and Senator Patrick Leahy’s staff.  There were five key issues discussed at each of the meetings that included:

1. Green Schools.  The AIA encourages government policies and programs that spur the creation of high performance, 21st century schools.  Specifically, the AIA promotes the 21st Century Green High Performing Public School Facilities Act. Legislation would provide 6.4 billion in grants to states and local school districts.

2. Freezing Credit.  The AIA supports policies that ensure credit is available for commercial development projects that create jobs and rebuild communities.  The proposal was to restore liquidity to credit markets by extending the deadline for the Term Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility through the end of 2011.

3. Renewing Communities.  The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, targets funding to communities in need.  The AIA is promoting using the CDBG as a vehicle for funding community-building projects with federal money.

4. Energy Efficient Tax Deductions.  The AIA promotes legislation that enlarges the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction from the current $1.80 per square foot to $3.00 per square foot as contained in the Expanding Building Energy Incentives Act.

5. Relief for Small Business.  The AIA is urging Congress to support the Small Business Financing and Investment Act and taking steps to relieve the burdens of COBRA.  The bill would help small business secure loans, and gain access to larger amounts of capital.

The National AIA offers support information and research into current bills so that state components can specifically address current legislation as well as offer deeper background expertise in areas of critical interest in the profession.  In particular, our Vermont contingent was very impressed by the preparations Bernie Sanders had made for the meeting and the time he spent with our group despite the votes being cast in the room next door.

In addition to the leadership workshops and our day on Capitol Hill, Hanne Williams was given tribute at the AIA New England dinner, the CACE workshop, and at a General Session for her 40 years of service.