Hotel Vermont Attracting International Attention

We were pleased to see a wonderful review of the recently opened Hotel Vermont in this past weekend's Montreal Gazette. The hotel is gaining national and international attention as more people experience this unique, independent, Very Vermont hotel.

The Montreal Gazette calls it a "woodsy and trendy" hip venue. "An artisan project from furniture to food." The author was a guest of the hotel and goes on to write: "Burlington’s first contemporary boutique property, the Hotel Vermont opened this year with a singular dedication to regional products, individual craftsmanship and eco-consciousness."

You can read the whole Montreal Gazette article online.

Hotel Vermont was also earlier previewed in Lodging Magazine, the official magazine of the American Hotel + Lodging Association.

The May 2013 issue featured a rendering of the Deluxe King guestroom, released before the hotel opened. "A Vermont Vignette" provided a sneak peak of the guestroom with its custom bed and casework furnishings, overlooking Lake Champlain.

A longer article was published on the Lodging Magazine website: Hotel Vermont Opens as Burlington's First Independent Hotel.

Travel Notes from Albania

by Rolf Kielman

We just received this message from Rolf, who is travelling through Eastern Europe along the Adriatic Sea. As always, we love reading about the adventures of our colleagues on their global travels, especially when they are to some of the more lesser-known corners of the world.

Rolf writes from a small city in Albania. While visiting the region, Rolf gave a lecture at the University of Polis in Tirana on Making Good Towns, showing examples from Norway, Switzerland and Vermont.

 
Hi from an obscure but beautiful spot in the south of Albania named Girokaster. A small city notable for its lovely stone houses and also the birthpace of Enver Hoxah, the communist dictator who kept this country closed up like a sturdy closet, for over 40 years.

And all that privacy seems to have made this a weird but still very likeable place . The people are very friendly and curious about visitors. They love Americans and Canadians aren't far behind it seems. The countryside is beautiful. Spectacular and still snow covered peaks at 8,000 feet. Deep valleys with mountain streams still running clear. Distinct little villages with stone slate roofs ... A little too much trash for my liking (ubiquitous little blue plastic bags caught up in the trees standing by the rushing streams) but that seems to be the norm in a place that is still learning how to consume.

The entire country is 200 miles top to bottom (Vermont roughly?) but populated by three million Albanians. A cross of muslim, orthodox and christian faiths, much of which lay dormant during the communist period and perhaps accounting for little in the way of religious strife. Have seen some terrific towns and villages that probably won't ring any bells. ... Korca in the southeast has tight little streets and a pedestrian mall rivaling Church street in Burlington. Some of the most wonderful iconic religious paintings on display here and also in a nearby mountain village named Voscopoja. Also nearby is the stone retreat of Dardha at the end of a perilous mountain road, an isolated little spot that provided refuge from the Ottoman Turks that ruled here for over 400 years.

Shortly after my arrival I gave a lecture at the University of Polis in Tirana. I did the talk on Making Good Towns ... In Norway, Switzerland and Vermont. Could include Albania I think.  Now we're going to tour Girokaster and from there on to Butrimt, a classical and preserved ruin that we were told we shouldn't miss.

TruexCullins Offices Under Construction

Our earthbag wall is rising!  Well, in this case, we are using air, but the end result is the same:  we are building an "earthbag" structure inside our offices at 209 Battery Street to symbolize and celebrate our work in Nepal.

In an earlier post, we described this method of earthbag construction, being used by Edge of Seven to build new schools for disadvantaged girls in rural Nepal.  Diantha Korzun is currently assisting Edge of Seven with the design of the latest earthbag construction project, a new school and community center at Mankhu Village Farm.

So what's our airbag wall all about?  You will see it in the front lobby of our space, where the walls are forming a makeshift classroom facing Battery Street.  We acquired some polypropylene rice bags and have been inflating them to emulate the real earthbag walls being built in Nepal.  The room that is forming has become an ad-hoc meeting space.  It has become a teaching tool.  And the rising walls have become a symbol of the upward mobility that these projects are affording to the girls of Nepal. 

At Sparky's retirement party on May 9, everyone will be invited to help us expand the construction.  We are looking forward to this being a fun, interactive event! 

 

 

We've collected all the info about our extended campaign with Edge of Seven into one mini-website:   For info about the earthbag construction projects, Sparky's party on May 9, and the October trek to Everest Base Camp, check out: www.truexcullins.com/sparky

 

And to make a donation to Sparky's fund now, please go to:

http://www.crowdrise.com/truexcullins-nepal

 

 

Building Hope, One Bag at a Time

In an earlier blog post, we described the innovative building technique known as earthbag construction that is being used to build schools in the rural countryside of Nepal. We shared the details of our own earthbag construction project that we are designing with Edge of Seven. And we invited you to celebrate with us as we commemorate the transition for Sparky Millikin from TruexCullins Managing Principal to Himalayan mountain climber.

Well, these is one more surprise we have in store. To build excitement for our earthbag construction project in Mankhu Village in Nepal, we are building a wall of our own in our offices at 209 Battery Street in Burlington.

LET’S BUILD THIS TOGETHER

FILL A BAG FOR A NEPALESE SCHOOL

The “earthbags” will come together during Sparky’s retirement party on Thursday, May 9th. For a $50 tax-deductible donation to Edge of Seven, we will place your name on a polypropylene bag like the ones we will use to construct a new community center for Nepalese girls. As our wall rises, it will symbolize our collective efforts to lift up these girls out of poverty and raise opportunities for all.

In Nepal, your donation will go far to educate and empower girls and break the cycle of poverty. Edge of Seven is a non-profit organization that works closely with local NGOs to ensure that all projects are carried out in a cost-effective manner. In 2010 and 2011, less than 10% of donations went toward administrative costs.

Donate Today!  You can make a donation through our crowdrise site at: http://www.crowdrise.com/truexcullins-nepal


And please join us on May 9 to celebrate Sparky’s lifelong career and support the work of the Edge of Seven in Nepal!

A Celebration and a Call to Action

JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE CAREER OF

SPARKY MILLIKIN

After a long and distinguished career in design and construction, Robert “Sparky” Millikin is now retiring as Managing Principal of TruexCullins. Sparky has been instrumental in the success of this firm. He is respected in the office and the community at large as a trusted business leader and mentor.

Please join us on Thursday May 9 from 5 to 9pm to celebrate the career of Sparky Millikin.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and the Yale School of Management, Sparky combined studies in architecture and business with practical construction experience. Prior to his construction and architecture career, Sparky spent over a decade sharing his love of the outdoors with others as a climbing instructor, ski coach, and Outward Bound leader. On his honeymoon he led his wife up the Middle Teton in Wyoming and had many adventures in places like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, the Sawtooths, and the White Mountains. Having always aspired to be among the “big mountains” of the Himalayas, Sparky has now opened up a new chapter with his recent trek in the Solo Khumbu region of Nepal with the Edge of Seven.

The party will be catered by Sherpa Kitchen, Burlington’s own Nepalese restaurant.

As a gesture of goodwill to Sparky for his retirement, please consider joining us in supporting his work with Edge of Seven. You may make a donation through our crowdrise site at http://www.crowdrise.com/truexcullins-nepal

So please join us on May 9 to learn about upcoming adventure opportunities, taste Nepalese food from Sherpa Kitchen, and wish Sparky "happy trails" in his retirement.

A Himalayan Adventure Awaits

If you've been reading the blog recently, you’ve been learning about our work with Edge of Seven to build schools for girls in Nepal. Now here’s your chance to experience this part of the world for yourself!

FROM VERMONT TO NEPAL

THE EVEREST BASE CAMP EXPEDITION TREK

 

Join TruexCullins and Edge of Seven this October for an exciting and adventurous trek to Everest Base Camp, where we will push our personal limits and experience the beauty of the Himalayas - all while helping girls in Nepal access an education!

LOCATION:  Everest Region Nepal
DATES:        Oct 19 - Nov 8, 2013
COST:          $3,300*

INCLUDES: All food on trek, in-country lodging; transport, permits, guides and porters, fundraising requirements and 24/7 support

This trek will cover the basic Everest Base Camp route over the duration of 21 days. We will have two days in Kathmandu at the beginning and end of the trek to sightsee and rest.

Our journey will begin with a short flight to Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu Region. We will hike along the Dudh Kosi River and through the Khumbu National Park, stopping at small villages, cultural and religious sites. The trek will take us to the Mt. Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar, a peak of 18,200 feet with excellent views of Everest, the Khumbu icefall, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Pumori.


Trek Route. Click to Enlarge

Optional Climb of Island Peak

Trekkers looking to add more adventure to their trip can opt to add 3 additional days for a 24-day itinerary that includes a climb of Island Peak (Ima Tse), a popular mountain for climbers that stands at 20,305 ft.

Alternatively, trekkers interested in taking a more cultural route through the small villages of the Lower Solokhumbu can extend their stay to view Edge of Seven’s schools and girls’ hostels in the villages of Phuleli, Basa and Salleri.




* Prices do not include international airfare. The Island Peak climb adds 3 additional days and $800 to the trip total. Trekkers opting for the cultural tour of Edge of Seven’s projects should contact Edge of Seven for a custom itinerary and pricing:  www.edgeofseven.org 

For more information about the Everest Base Camp trek, visit http://edgeofseven.org/Adventure.html

You can also download the complete itinerary of the 21-day trip (8 page pdf) from the Edge of Seven website:

http://edgeofseven.org/VOLUNTEER%20TRAVEL/Edge%20of%20Seven_2013%20Everest%20Base%20Camp%20Trek_Itinerary.pdf

And to speak to us about our plans for this trip, or to discuss joining us yourself, call our office at 802-658-2775 and speak with Sparky Millikin or Carmen George.

 

A New School and Community Center

THE NEXT EARTHBAG CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

MANKHU VILLAGE FARM FOR WOMEN

This spring, TruexCullins architects are collaborating with Edge of Seven and The Mountain Fund to create a new Community Center specifically for women at the Mankhu Village Farm in rural Nepal. The center will be built using earthbag construction and will complement the existing programs at Mankhu Village Farm to offer women a safe and collaborative space for education and health.

Many women at Mankhu Village Farm have been victims of sex trafficking or domestic abuse, and, as a result, have nowhere to go. They possess valuable agricultural skills, but have been deprived of the opportunity to achieve independence from their own labor.

Known as “Her Farm”, this project will help women in these situations heal and develop the skills they need to live independently and support their children. The Community Center project will include 2 buildings: one will contain a classroom and computer lab; and the other will contain a health post and daycare center.

TruexCullins is donating design services for the Mankhu Village Farm. Architect Diantha Korzun and others in our office are supporting Edge of Seven and the team on the ground in Nepal.  For projects in the developing world like this one, architects still play a contributing role, but it is one which is substantially redefined from the western model.  Here, it is less about pure design or individual style, and more about engaging local communities, working within vernacular aesthetics and finding creative solutions to practical problems.

For example, the buildings are designed so they can be easily replicated in other villages, built by local Nepalese people who may not possess construction skills. Local materials are relied upon, which influences the design of everything from the structural connections to the interior finishes.

The building itself is modest by American standards, but what it represents is huge.  We are excited to have the chance to work on such a unique and innovative solution to address a dire need.

The foundation for the adjacent residential building is now under construction:

Interested in supporting this work in Nepal?  You can donate now on our Crowdrise site at www.crowdrise.com/truexcullins-nepal

And stay tuned for more adventures related to our work with Edge of Seven!

Building Hope for the Women of Nepal

Last week we announced an exciting new campaign with Edge of Seven, a 501(3)c non-profit organization that works to build infrastructure and provide opportunity for women and girls in rural Nepal. Edge of Seven typically partners with local groups in Nepal to facilitate their projects and ensure that they are community focused and locally driven.

Edge of Seven joined one such group, The Small World, and together they have introduced an innovative and sustainable building method for the construction of new schools for Nepalese villages.

A SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SOLUTION

EARTHBAG CONSTRUCTION

Earthbag construction uses readily-available polypropylene rice bags filled with dirt as primary building blocks. The bags are laid in courses, like bricks, and covered with chicken wire and plaster.

This building method is environmentally friendly, sturdy and earthquake-resistant. Building with earthbags is affordable and requires less skilled labor than traditional masonry construction, allowing community volunteers to participate in the construction.

The first earthbag school in Nepal was built in the village of Phuleli, completed one year ago in February 2012. The facility, located in Nepal’s Everest Region, houses classes 7 and 8, enabling more students to receive an education in a safe and healthy learning environment closer to home.

Phuleli is a community plagued by poverty. 90% of families live off of subsistence farming and many families cannot afford to send their students to school. Previously, classes 7 and 8 had to walk 2 hours daily to a neighboring village to attend school. Many families chose to keep their girls at home, concerned about the large volume of household chores and the time away from the fields.

Another project was recently completed in the village of Basa. Up until this time, there had been only one higher secondary school in the Everest region of Nepal to serve 34 Village Development Committees and a total population of 107,686 people. The Government of Nepal approved the addition of a second higher secondary school in Basa, one of the largest communities with a population of approximately 4,000, to educate 150 students per year.

This is a two stage building project that is constructing two structures using the earthbag method. Each building is a two room structure that can hold up to 45 students per room. Again this project is being built in partnership with the local community and Nepali NGO, The Small World.

We are happy to share the stories of these successful projects by Edge of Seven, but our real interest lies in another project with them, one in which TruexCullins is taking a more active part.   More on that next time...

Announcing a Special Project for Nepal

The international scope of the TruexCullins Education Studio has brought us to some of the far corners of the world. Our work on K-12 school design and planning projects has reached over a dozen countries including Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia and Brazil.

Now we find ourselves in Nepal, with a unique opportunity that promises to dramatically improve the lives of children and transform entire communities. 

 

 A PROJECT IN NEPAL

BUILDING HOPE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

On a recent trip through the Himalayas, TruexCullins principal Sparky Millikin was introduced to an organization that is working in the rural villages of Nepal, helping young women and children achieve an education and break out of the cycle of poverty.

In rural Nepal, girls face many barriers in their quest to receive an education, whether it is poverty, a lack of infrastructure, or cultural beliefs that girls should marry early and tend to household chores. By some estimates, up to 80% of rural Nepalese women are victims of domestic abuse. Many of these women are sold into human trafficking, and the leading cause of death among women of childbearing age is suicide.

Often, it just takes the example and leadership of one empowered person, such as one girl who has succeeded in receiving a higher education and vocational training, to change an entire community’s beliefs about what is possible.

THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT GLOBAL POVERTY

INVESTING IN WOMEN

IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

Motivated by the realization that our work can make a real difference, TruexCullins is collaborating with Edge of Seven, an organization that creates access to education, health and economic opportunity for girls and women in the developing world. By partnering with local non-profits in Nepal, Edge of Seven champions grassroots development efforts that are community focused, locally driven, and sustainable.

 

In the coming weeks we will share more details about our work with Edge of Seven and related events, including a celebration at our office where you can try Nepalese food, and an opportunity to join us on a 21-day trek this fall to Everest Base Camp!

In the meantime, you can learn more about Edge of Seven at www.edgeofseven.org.

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.

Meet the 52 Kids Foundation

Join us this Thursday, October 18 from 5:30 to 7:30pm for a special presentation on the 52 Kids Foundation.  This group, based in Charlotte, Vermont, is dedicated to teaching Ugandan children to live positively without aid.

This summer, Rolf joined a group of men known as “Team USA” for 10 days in the town of Kamuli, Uganda, working on one of the Foundation’s many initiatives:  repairing the local school, giving 52 kids the opportunity for primary and secondary education.

This Thursday the group will host a reception, presentation, and discussion (and some food and refreshment too!) at the Main Street Landing Film House (corner of College and Battery Streets in Burlington).

Come celebrate with everyone who has worked so hard to support the 52 Kids Foundation and meet the Uganda program director, Frank Woitera, on his first visit to the U.S. He’ll share his first-hand knowledge of the impact that the Foundation’s efforts have on the 52 wonderful kids they support as well as the ongoing challenges for the children and foundation.

RSVP via email to Colleen Brady at cpb513@comcast.net

For more on the 52 Kids Foundation, visit their website at www.52kids.org

Digital Crayon: Article 1 - Musings on School Design

posted by TruexCullins Architect and Principal David Epstein, AIA, LEED AP

Welcome to the first entry of Digital Crayon, a series on school planning and design. My goal with this series is to share with you some of the insights learned in our Education Studio and throughout my career.

By way of introduction, I am a partner here at TruexCullins and co-lead our Education Studio with fellow partner Richard Deane. Richard's area of expertise is higher education design. My specialty is K-12 school design. I am passionate about the interrelationship between school design and the “new” 21st century learning paradigm. As I often joke with my clients, I know enough about education to be dangerous, but please don’t expect a scholarly discourse – this will be more of a conversation. I welcome your feedback as well. So let’s get started. This is always the hardest part – getting started (with this blog too!).

It helps to have a strategic plan. Ideally a facility project grows out of a long term strategic direction for your school. Often, however, that is not the case. Sometimes projects are the result of growth and a response is needed – no time for a strategic plan.

There are two main kinds of projects: master planning and design. Master Planning projects look at an entire facility and create a roadmap for improvements over a five to ten year period. Once master planning is completed, a school may elect to implement phase I of the master plan. This is the point where the design project begins. Or if you have a specific need – like a new library – you can often proceed directly with a design project. The difference is really how broad a view of your facilities you would like to address. If it is the whole campus, then a master plan makes the most sense.
 

The first thing you need to do is define the project as best you can and hire an architect. Some schools have ongoing relationships with an architect; others issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). In either case, it always best to be as specific as you can be so that the proposal accurately reflect an appropriate scope of work. We have lots of examples of RFPs (good and bad) which we can share, just email me at David Epstein.

The standard process is to invite several qualified architects, review their proposals and create a short list of three to four finalists for interviews. For international projects, the interviews are often done on Skype. Sometimes there is design work requested, sometimes not. As an architect, we always hope that the level of effort requested is commensurate with the opportunity.

It is really important to find a consultant that’s a good fit – someone not only with the expertise you need, but someone you have good chemistry with. After all, you may be working with them for quite a while. Good planning sets the table for a successful project and planning and design costs are minor compared with building and operating costs so we recommend focusing on the fit and getting the leadership, creativity and expertise with a firm you will enjoy working with.

Next Digital Crayon - Article 2, The Planning Process

Anglo American School of Sofia nearing completion

Written by Principal David Epstein, AIA, LEED AP

On a recent trip to Bulgaria, Diantha Korzun was able to check in on the construction of one of our current higher-ed projects, the Anglo American School of Sofia.  TruexCullins has been working with the school to develop a master plan, growing the school from 350 to 650 students.

The school serves middle school and high school students and the new facilities include classrooms, sports facilities and a performing arts complex, including a new outdoor amphitheater.  The design allows each section to be built independently, fosters the creation of smaller learning communities within a larger school, and minimizes disruption to ongoing operations.

When working on international projects, we take special care to listen to our clients and design spaces that are appropriate to each locale and culture.  On this project, we have had a wonderful working relationship with the local architecture firm Ivo Petrov Architects.  TruexCullins has been providing Design Guardianship with Ivo Petrov Architects acting as the local architect of record.

The facilities are nearing completion and will officially open for the start of the 2012-2013 school year.

 

TruexCullins wins Design Competition for Brazil School

We are pleased to announce another exciting project has just been awarded to the international practice team of our Education Studio. In competition with 3 international design firms, TruexCullins won the contract for Master Planning for the Escola Americana de Campinas (EAC).  In their decision, the selection team cited TruexCullins' strong green credentials as a significant factor.

Campinas is a city of 1 million people located just north of Sao Paolo, Brazil. The EAC is a K-12 school that currently serves 650 students and is growing rapidly. TruexCullins will be assisting EAC assess their educational, functional and environmental needs as it plans for the future.

The proposed design that TruexCullins submitted for the new EAC green campus center was an environmentally sensitive approach with earth-bermed spaces, shading elements and green roofs.

Here are a few views of the existing facility, located on the site of a former coffee plantation:

TruexCullins awarded International Planning Project

We are proud to announce that the TruexCullins Education Studio has been awarded the contract for Master Planning at the St. John's International School in Waterloo, Belgium. Competing against top firms from around the world, the TruexCullins team was selected for their expertise in sustainable solutions in school design.

Since 2006, the international practice team at TruexCullins has been working with international schools all over the world, including Russia, Ethiopia and Brazil. At the Anglo-American School of Sofia, Bulgaria, an 80,000 square foot addition designed by TruexCullins is slated to receive LEED Green Building Rating System silver certification in August 2012.

Brunelleschi’s Dome

Posted by Matthew Bushey

Before the summer completely winds down, I want to offer a recommendation for one of the books from my summer reading list.  It was in part by chance that I picked up a copy of Ross King’s 2000 national bestseller Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture.  But it was also from a desire to expand my understanding of this pivotal structure after having studied it firsthand in Florence with the Syracuse University study abroad program, some 15 years ago.

 

If there was ever one place to be, at one moment in time, to witness the biggest technological and aesthetic breakthroughs in architecture, it has got to be Florence, Italy in the Renaissance years of the 15^th century.  The home of the greatest revolution in art and architecture, the Florentine Renaissance produced works by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Dante. And towering above them all stood the Santa Maria Del Fiore, Florence’s central cathedral that was built to rival all others.  The dome that sits atop the cathedral was the widest ever built at the time, with a diameter of 143 feet, and the highest, topping out at 350 feet above street level.  It remained the largest such structure for almost 500 years and today remains as the largest brick-and-mortar dome in the world. 

The Opera del Duomo, the guild of wealthy Wool Merchants who were responsible for building and funding the cathedral, had selected a design for the cupola by Neri di Fioravanti.  Most gothic cathedrals of the time relied on flying buttresses – external structural supports that braced the outside of the basilica.  But Neri’s design did away with this external bracing that many in Italy considered ugly and burdensome.  Instead, the proposed design relied on a series of stone and iron chains embedded inside the double-skinned dome to prevent it from collapsing upon itself.  The result was a structure that seemed to rise majestically without any visible means of support.  This single aesthetic decision ushered in the Renaissance and marked the end to the Gothic age.

A concept model was in hand, but no one actually knew how to build it.  So a structural design competition was held in August 1418, and by the following month the project was granted to a goldsmith and clockmaker, Filippo Brunelleschi.  Soon named the Capomaestro of the project, or architect-in-chief, Brunelleschi solved the biggest technological challenges to the dome’s construction.  

An ingenious designer, engineer, and inventor, Brunelleschi came up with a number of supporting devices and concepts that were instrumental in the dome’s construction.  Facing the primary challenge of transporting 70 million tons of building materials and lifting them several hundred feet above the ground, he invented an ox-hoist that was assembled on the cathedral floor.  With his machine, one ox could raise a load of 1,000 pounds to a height of 200 feet in approximately thirteen minutes.

Brunelleschi also solved the problem of how to build the dome without wooden centering supports.  He is credited with inventing linear perspective, and he holds the first-ever patent for invention for a ship used to transport building materials up the river Arno, a precursor to today’s paddleboats.

Repeatedly subjected to public scrutiny, doubt, and even jailed by his enemies at one point, his career was marked by breakthroughs and setbacks.  He was engaged in a bitter rivalry with his lifelong competitor, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and was constantly entering competitions to prove his worth.  His final competition reward was for the lantern that tops the dome.  The cathedral was finally completed with the placing of the copper ball atop the lantern in 1496, over 80 years after the competition for the dome was called in 1413, and 200 years after construction had started on the main basilica.

Ross King’s book goes into intricate detail of the structural and engineering feats by Brunelleschi, but is nonetheless a compelling story of human dedication, political posturing, and rival competition during a time of plague and war.  The book instills a real appreciation for the Duomo - just as much an artistic achievement as it was a structural one – and for the Master Architect who made it all happen.

Anglo American School of Sofia Breaks Ground

Our international work remains strong these days, with a variety of projects around the globe.  This week, David is travelling to India for a new international schools project.  Meanwhile, crews are busy at work pouring foundations in Sofia, Bulgaria, on a new 80,000 square foot middle and high school addition to an existing school.  Designed by TruexCullins to meet LEED Silver Certification, the new addition boasts a new atrium, library, classrooms and gymnasium, all clustered around an exterior stone amphitheater.

Environmental features include solar hot water, green roofs, daylighting, regional materials and innovative stormwater management. Classrooms are clustered around common areas designed for small group instruction and as social space.

Great care was taken to create a design that could be implemented with minimum disruption to existing operations. Summer holiday periods will be used for crucial tie-in projects.  The project was also designed to accommodate a theater at a later date.

The project is being managed by Gardiner and Theobold (Sofia office) and built by INOS Construction with Ivo Petrov Architects as design partners.  A big thanks goes to the Sofia team for an outstanding job so far!

Here are some photos of the project, currently under construction: