In our first post about curriculum and construction in K-12 schools, we highlighted the idea that this pairing is really about a thoughtful blend of old and new ideas. Technology, hands on experiences and relevant core values all play a vital role. My last piece was focused on concepts that cross grade and subject boundaries, as with the tessellations—repeated, interlocking shapes that are found in nature, science and math—at Beverly Hills High School (BHHS). Today, we’ll focus more on hands on experiences.
Our clients at South Tahoe High School (STHS), in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., have mastered this idea, with designs that inspire collaboration and support a different style of learning. Students are faced with real-world challenges, projects and issues that encourage an interactive level of attention.
The Career Technical Education (CTE) “Green” Construction and Transportation Academy is all about hands on learning. The academy exposes students to careers in green construction, auto mechanics and technology, through labs and spaces dedicated to construction technologies, CAD drafting, and graphic design, along with a 10-bay auto shop modeled after a commercial auto dealership. Here, students learn green automotive and transportation technologies including how to work on and repair hybrid vehicles.
As with the Science and Technology Center at BHHS, the CTE Green Construction and Transportation Academy houses multiple subjects under one roof.
“The architecture students might design a building while working with the construction students, and then take it to the arts department for a model or water color rendering,” says Ivone Larson, Principal of South Tahoe High School. “They learn how to collaborate on projects, in real time—from vehicles, to building designs, to oil changes and green fuel management.”
The process benefits students of any career or educational path. For those who will graduate from high school and immediately enter the work force, they’ve gained hands on training and relevant work experience. For those who will continue on with their education at junior colleges and/or four-year universities, their skills have been broadened and they’ll tackle their classes with added expertise.
Perhaps receiving the most interest at the moment is the Tahoe Arts and Design Academy (TADA), also at STHS. This facility takes real-world learning to a whole new level. Described as a “mini Pixar Studio,” the academy features a 275-seat theater, Foley sound stage, tiered orchestra room, green screen studio and state-of-the-art editing suites. The mix of curriculum and spaces dedicated to these arts provide a most exciting, hands-on experience for budding filmographers, actors, 
and technical stage and television production staff, among others.
As part of the opening research and planning for the facility, the building team toured several studios in Los Angeles, which ultimately helped guide the task of making the space as high-tech and professional as possible. For example, the split-level TV studio incorporates a filming area and computer bay. “As they’re filming, one half of the class can be on the lower level filming, and the other half editing feed from yesterday’s activities on the upper level,” said Interior Designer Kate Mraw.
Design decisions were made to expose students to skills that would set them apart from other beginners entering the industry. The spaces within the TADA are designed to exceed industry standards and prepare students for careers or further education in these fields.
In Wendy’s next post, she’ll delve into relevant core values—and why they’re important in regards to meaningful curriculum. A Design Principal at LPA Inc., Rogers works tirelessly to promote the adoption and execution of green schools in California. Her specialty is the integration of design and curriculum within educational spaces. To download a complimentary chapter out of her Green Schools Primer, use this link: Lessons in Sustainability.
Did you know that LPA has been practicing sustainable design since the 1980s? It’s a fact that our firm is incredibly proud of. We’ve been doing “green” since before it was a movement or a trend. Think about where you were and what you were doing in 1987. Was sustainability on your radar? It was on ours—1987 is the year that:
- President Ronald Reagan challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall
- Microsoft releases Windows 2.0
- American Motors is acquired by Chrysler
- Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Disney CEO Michael Eisner signs contracts to build Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris)
- The Simpsons first appear as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show
- Michael Jackson releases his hit album Bad
- And LPA designs the Headquarters for the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD), our first “official” environmentally sensitive building
The headquarters, located in Irvine, Calif., features passive solar control systems—at least a decade before their time, water efficient landscaping, energy sensitive mechanical and electrical systems, and use of “weatherable” building materials, showcasing Sustainable Design Principle #6: Build Smart.
“The idea was to design a building that would look better with age,” said LPA President Dan Heinfeld. “This approach requires less maintenance and upkeep when compared to a typical office building, and is also, more energy efficient.”
The IRWD headquarters benchmarks LPA’s work in sustainable and energy efficient design. After the project’s completion, it received third party validation of its performance, through an Edison Energy Efficiency award.
The district recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
The nationally recognized program features almost 5,000 recycled water connections, more than 400 miles of recycled water pipeline, and the first dual-plumbed commercial building in California, which supplies recycled water to more than 45 commercial buildings. The talented professionals at IRWD have come up with a diversity of uses for recycled water (e.g., toilet and urinal flushing in schools, composting, carpet dyeing, cooling towers and concrete batching).
Missed the celebration? Enjoy IRWD videos and news coverage, at these links. Visitors celebrated the big 5-0 by learning about area history, making rain sticks, participating in water challenge games, touring the Water Quality Lab, watching water tapping demonstrations and having questions answered about all things IRWD.
Both IRWD and LPA have come a long way since the 1980s. It’s exciting to think how much further ahead we’ll be in, say, another 15 years! Images courtesy: Time.com and LPA Inc.
Welcome back dear readers. It’s the first week of the New Year, and as our gift to you, we’ve compiled a list of short, actionable sustainable lifestyle ideas you can implement at home, for instant results. May you enjoy them, and enjoy these first few weeks of 2012.
Nine of our Best Sustainable Lifestyle Tips
1. There is an interesting new residential thermostat called the Nest. Designed by engineers who worked on the iPod, they include a lot of high tech features (e.g. WiFi, and an iPhone app), to help homeowners manage home heating and cooling energy.
You can also simply set your existing thermostat to 68 for winter heating and 78 for summer cooling, and you’ll probably save a lot of energy—with no hipster electronics required. –Tips from LPA’s Erik Ring, PE, LEED AP BD+C and Civic Associate
2. Use baking soda and vinegar to clean, instead of harsh chemicals. This saves money too. –Tip from LPA’s Tonya Pawli, LEED AP BD+C and K-12 Schools Designer
3. LED light fixtures last a lifetime and use far less energy than other types of light sources. Home Depot sells a can light with an LED source, which easily replaces a standard, recessed residential down light. You can do it yourself; the fixture runs about $40. You will not only reduce your energy consumption, you will also reduce the heat gain from the fixtures. An added benefit, they are dimmable! -Tip from LPA’s Don Pender, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, REFP and K-12 Schools Principal
4. Buy a refillable fountain pen; it’s the last pen you will ever need to buy. Do the math: if you use one disposable pen per month—from age 20 until you retire at age 65—that’s 540 pens! 
Seems like a sustainable trade off. -Tip from LPA’s Damon Dusterhoft, AIA, LEED AP BD+C and Corporate Associate
5. Now that winter is here, make sure you heat (or in Southern California, cool) wisely.
- Heat only when you need it with a programmable thermostat that turns down your heating when you are out of the house, or at night.
- Eliminate cold drafts and warm air leaks by weatherproofing your house. For tips and additional information, visit the Energy Star weather sealing guide.
- Make sure your heater is in top condition—change your air filter regularly and have your furnace or heat pump checked by an HVAC professional to ensure peak performance.
Keeping your heating in top condition will improve your comfort and save you money! –Tips from LPA’s Tom Pine, Ph.D., PE, LEED AP BD+C and Senior Energy Engineer
6. Reuse toilet paper holders to hold cords together for irons, extension cords, flat irons, etc. –Tip from LPA’s Carrie Littlejohn, Business Development Manager
7. Use natural cleaning products, as Tonya mentions above; they are easy to find and easy on the environment. Also, recycle; this one’s great because it gets the kids involved too. –Tips from LPA’s Steve Kendrick, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CSI and Higher Education Principal
8. Buy local, and support local farmers markets when possible. –Tip from LPA’s Rick Musto, LEED AP BD+C and K-12 Schools Associate
9. I believe in making small changes that add up to big changes. So even though it sounds cliché, habits like turning off the light when you leave a room, not leaving the faucet running when brushing your teeth, reducing shower times, and establishing personal habits of recycling, are all great ways of living more sustainably. Grow your own food, even small items like herbs or fruits. Low energy fixtures save energy over the long run. Also, consider weatherproofing measures, as Tom mentions above. It will save on heating costs and make your home more comfortable during cool, winter nights.
These are all basic measures that can be adopted as habits, and collectively, they’ll go a long way. –Tips from LPA’s Albert Lam, LEED AP BD+C and K-12 Schools Project Coordinator
For more sustainable lifestyle tips, keep this link handy. Thank you for taking the time to read this post, have a terrific, fresh start to 2012, and we’ll see you again, next week.
Images courtesy: Nest.com, Damon Dusterhoft, and Monica Buck for RealSimple.com.
As we’ve done for the past two years, it’s time for our annual year end highlights piece, reviewing the best in architecture and engineering in 2011.
1. Charter Schools and Project Based Learning
For school designer Wendy Rogers, one of the best parts of her year, has been working on The Academy—a 320-student charter high school developed by the Orangewood Children’s Foundation. One of the first facilities of its kind, the school will focus on project based learning, technology, and 21st century skills. The 7.2-acre, urban site in Santa Ana, California, will one day house a 40,000-square-foot residential village, where 80 foster students will live with guardian families.
This vibrant, built-in neighborhood will have patios, terraces, and gardens, and will connect to the 115,000-square-foot academic downtown through a bridge that changes with the seasons. The campus is designed to meet LEED for Schools, Gold criteria. “Too often foster teens do not have stable living and learning environments during their high school years,” says Rogers. “It’s an honor to be a part of a design team that is working to create a place that supports the needs of children in the foster care system.”
2. LED Lighting: An Even Brighter Future
According to engineer Erik Ring, 2011 was a year where energy efficient LED lighting started to make real inroads as a viable and cost effective choice for general lighting applications. Both LPA’s Irvine and San Diego offices feature a significant amount of LED lighting, and we continue to specify LED’s in an increasing numbers of projects.
“There’s a real uptick of interest in carefully metering and monitoring energy and water use in buildings,” says Ring. “Clients want to understand not just that they will have a well designed, energy efficient facility, but that they’ll be able to verify and monitor the energy and water use in their facilities, as well.”
3. The 9/11 Memorial
For landscape architect Rich Bienvenu, the completion of the 9/11 Memorial is his design highlight of 2011. Designed by architect Michael Arad and the landscape architects of Peter Walker and Partners, the memorial features two enormous waterfalls and reflection pools, set within the footprints of the original twin towers.
As Washington Post Reporter Philip Kennicott, says, “It was a remarkable accomplishment for such a junior architect and even more remarkable that his basic vision has been realized with remarkably little compromise to its essential form … While it is still very much owned in some important way by the relatives and friends of those who died there, ultimately its destiny is to be merely a civic object in the urban fabric of New York.”
4. Reduced Energy Costs: Expertise Makes the Difference
“Many LPA clients have substantially reduced energy costs this year as a result of our Energy Services group,” says Energy Services Director and Ph.D., Jim Maclay. The next step in the firm’s integrated design offerings, the group addresses the energy efficiency of new design and existing buildings. This year, LPA has completed a number of energy saving projects, which include energy master plans and energy audits for Irvine Unified School District; Oroville Government Center; Mt. San Jacinto Community College District; and West Hollywood City Hall. Solar photovoltaic (PV) projects for Ontario-Montclair School District; Cypress Recreation Center; and the Centinela Valley Union High School District. And a fuel cell project for the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.
“These projects have allowed our clients to save money instantly, while also reducing the environmental impacts of energy use,” finishes Maclay. “LPA’s energy engineers have worked closely with our architectural and engineering disciplines to implement real world solutions that go far beyond what most energy consultants are able to achieve.”
5. Repeat Clients and Continuous Recognition
For LPA President Dan Heinfeld, there’s nothing better than good clients. As we mentioned last year, LPA has a wonderful roster of companies, schools, cities, and developers, who continue to hire us for their architectural design needs. 
It’s an honor, and the ultimate compliment. This year, we’d like to thank the following clients, for their repeat business: The Irvine Company, California State University Northridge, Palomar College, LBA Realty, the Los Angeles Community College District, the Irvine Unified School District, and the San Diego Unified School District, to name a few.
We are also delighted to share that 2011, marks the 35th year, in-a-row, that LPA was recognized by the American Institute of Architects in Orange County. The Orange County Register quotes Heinfeld, in their article about who designs the coolest buildings in O.C., “Discussion regarding design and the value of design to our community, and clients, is healthy for our region. This year is no different and considering economic conditions, even more important that we support and celebrate good design — because it matters.”
Cheers to another terrific year dear readers. We look forward to 2012, and more interesting posts about architecture and sustainable design. We’ll leave you with the words of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.”
9/11 Memorial photo courtesy National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
As we continue our series on LPA’s 10 Principles of Absolute Design, I can’t think of a better theme to end the year on. These tenets help us think more globally about sustainability, and our approach to integrated sustainable design. Today, we’ll delve into Principle #8: Create Value.
LPA’s 10 Principles of Absolute Design
Inter + Act- Do Less
- Challenge Convention
- Zoom Out
- Zoom In
- Build Smart
- Enrich Lives
- Create Value
- Prove It
- Step Up
LPA Sustainable Design Principle #8: Create Value. The green planning and design process should create value for everyone involved. Green architecture isn’t about added cost. It’s about added value. Start viewing the world with this outlook, and you’ll have a much better understanding of the advantages—many immeasurable—that this kind of process can create. In a time when many investments either lose or cannot guarantee they’ll hold their value, good design stands firm. Our buildings stand the test of time well because we have always focused our efforts in solving problems, not chasing the latest architectural “ism” or “fashion.”
We believe in creating facilities that are flexible, adaptable, and timeless. People today, are using facilities we’ve designed many, many ways. Ways they were intended for. And also, ways they weren’t programmed for. Yet, because our buildings tend to have a long life and a loose fit, they are adaptive and allow for changes in program and function.
Creating value in our line of work also encompasses giving clients buildings with lower operating costs—both now, and as time carries on. Everyone is concerned about the long term ability to operate their facilities, 
and we know that energy costs will continue to rise (especially in California). Water has become more and more important too—in terms of its availability and how we use it. Therefore, creating value through projects with lower operating costs yields savings, on many fronts, and will be a huge asset to our clients; helping them to manage the cost of their facilities.
In fact, this is one of the main reasons LPA started an in-house Energy Servicesgroup in 2008. We look at the continuing viability of energy and how it’s used, and make sure that our facilities are designed so that clients can operate them successfully in the future. A quick, very relevant example, involves operable windows. In the past, operable windows were a costly undertaking. Given the number of window wall systems that offer operable windows, and the easy HVAC system interconnections that are available today, they can be a really good way to save energy and create healthy indoor environments. It’s funny, no one would consider buying a car without windows that opened—even if there’s air conditioning, yet, people commission buildings that don’t open and breathe all of the time.
It’s time to do the simple things better, use what’s readily available wisely, and reap the benefits of living lighter in our schools, corporate facilities, civic and government buildings. We are on the cusp of some major shifts in 2012, and no matter what changes surface, we look forward to being there for our clients, and creating value for them in creative ways. Ways that serve them best.
Dan Heinfeld, FAIA, LEED AP and President of LPA Inc. For more than 30 years, he has led the design direction of the firm. Since 1985, LPA has been recognized with more than 150 AIA national, state and components awards that promote the importance of sustainability in the process of informed design. LPA provides services in architecture, sustainability, planning, interior design, landscape architecture, engineering, and graphics.
By Guest Blogger Jomay Liao
It takes a well-orchestrated process and communication to create and develop a vision, get support for that vision, adjust that vision, and finally, implement the vision. 
As I added to a recent forum thread, in a course I’m taking with the Council of Educational Facility Planners (CEFPI), my thoughts and ideas about change and K-12 school environments were solidified, and condensed so that you could enjoy them here.
In his book, Creating Communities of Learning, author Don Schon writes, “We must invent and develop institutions which are ‘learning systems’… systems capable of bringing about their own continuing transformation.” As an educational facility planner, I found this extremely powerful. It places huge amounts of responsibility onto us planners and architects, as orchestrators and facilitators of the planning and design processes.
In my experience and observations, there are some key points to understand when it comes to a successful master plan—and a plan for change.
Understand that plans CAN change. The beauty of a facilities master plan is that it is ultimately a plan and it’s developed through the information we have today. Of course, there are trends and case studies that help us formulate these predictions, but some of these plans are looking ahead at what educational facilities will and “should” be like in 10 to 20 years!
With the advances in technology and how we and the next generation are affected by this, it is quite difficult, as educators and planners, to predict what will really happen to educational delivery in the future.
Stakeholders need to understand this, and be willing to re-look at and update plans as time evolves. They also need to understand that revising plans doesn’t necessarily mean changing a vision that was set by a previous group. The fundamental goals of the vision can still remain intact (i.e. we can still provide the best facilities to educate our students, but the way in which we carry out the vision can and will inevitably change).
Change takes leadership. Because there are so many stakeholders (i.e. board members, teachers, facilities staff, maintenance staff, parents, students, the City, the government, taxpayers) involved in institutions—with different objectives, therein lies the difficulty to implement change.
All necessary stakeholders need to be included in the beginning of the process. In general, it’s not possible to include every single person in the process, but the key leaders and people that can drive the decision definitely need at least an update of the process.
People that don’t feel “plugged in,” won’t have much stake or sense of responsibility in a project and therefore may feel it’s just easier to follow original plans.
At LPA, we design K-12 schools that are flexible enough to adapt and evolve as the tools, ways to deliver education, and the learning styles of students, continue to change. Going back to Schon’s quote, “We must invent and develop … ‘learning systems’ … systems capable of bringing about their own continuing transformation.” Even though the fundamentals of good education—caring, enthusiastic, and passionate teachers—may not change the facilities in which education is delivered must.
Jomay Liao is an Educational Facility Planner and Project Manager at California-based LPA Inc. Her experience includes work on more than a dozen K-12 Schools. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and active member of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International and the U.S. Green Building Council.
By Guest Blogger Steve Newsom
If you like happy endings, you’re going to enjoy the story of South Tahoe High School. Nestled in the High Sierra Mountains, among majestic peaks, world-class ski resorts, and giant sequoias, is a school that means business about preparing its students for the future. The strategy is to give these students career training, experience, and opportunities in high tech, curriculum-driven school facilities, in the spirit that they will have what they need to stay in the community and thrive.
Educational leaders at South Tahoe High School and the Lake Tahoe Unified School District got together, and thought seriously about what kinds of programs they’d need to offer to prepare and meet the needs of their students, while also standing apart, in the competitive process to receive Career Technical Education (CTE) funds from the State of California. Their thoughtfulness and creativity paid off.
2007: They work with LPA to put together a District Facilities Master Plan.
2008: A voter-approved $64.5 million facilities bond is passed (known as Measure G), to fund new CTE facilities—together with grants and other financial aid.
2009: Construction begins on phases one and two of the five-part construction process to build 1) the $12.5 million CTE “Green” Construction and Transportation Academy and 2) the $12 million Stadium View Classroom Building—funded by an Overcrowding Relief Grant (ORG).
2010: Both the “Green” Construction and Transportation Academy and Stadium View Classroom Building are completed; while work begins on the $9.3 million Tahoe Arts and Design Academy (TADA).
2011: The TADA building is completed, and opens its doors to students; while work begins on a new Campus Commons Student Union—so that students will finally have a place to gather, eat, socialize, study, and more.
The “Green” Construction and Transportation Academy is honored for its architectural merit by California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH)—which recognizes design solutions that creatively meet educational program needs, the American Institute of Architects, and the Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada. It also makes the cover of School Planning and Management’s Annual Green Issue.
2012: Construction on the Campus Commons Student Union will be completed, while work begins on the final phase of the campus transformation, the Sports Medicine Academy—expected to wrap construction in 2013.
We can only imagine what awards, national and peer recognition these standout career tech educational facilities will achieve in the coming years. Few other k-12 schools—if any in the nation—can rival what this school offers its students.
“The whole idea is that students will be ready for a job when they graduate high school,” said South Tahoe High School Principal Ivone Larson, in a recent article.
The speed with which these facilities have been dreamt up, approved, funded, designed, and constructed is enough to blow anyone’s socks off. It should also be very encouraging, especially if you’re a parent, educator, or simply have an interest in grooming the next generation for success. These digital natives are thriving in K-12 facilities that offer hands-on equipment, interactive environments, connections with nature (i.e. through daylight or natural ventilation), and integrated curriculum that inspires their teachers; all of which help them get passionate about what lies ahead. You can find all this and more at South Tahoe High School, and I look forward to keeping you up-to-date on other exciting happenings with this very special client.
Steve Newsom is a K-12 Schools Project Director at California-based LPA Inc. He has worked on more than 30 schools, for more than a dozen school districts. He is a LEED Accredited Professional, member of the American Institute of Architects and Board Member and Chair of the Architect's Committee and High Performance Schools Committee for the Coalition for Adequate School Housing.
In Part One of our college campus furniture mini-series, we met LPA Furniture Guru Jill Kramer and learned about the exciting, new, fresh, and different design setups that are popping up in college and university facilities across California. In this post, we’ll dive deeper into some of the finer issues of furniture installations, such as what colors and fabrics to use, and how to get the most from your furniture, when it comes to ergonomics.
Jill Kramer, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C
Q. Jill, in the first piece, you gave us some great information about the types of furniture pieces you’re using in college and university classrooms, and offices too. Is it important for clients to be involved with color selection, or is that something they delegate to you, their interior designer? Also, what are some of the new, fresh colors you’re using these days, in collegiate environments?
A. The colors for campus furniture and furnishings have gotten brighter, and much more playful. With colors, we go timeless. An easy place to get a pop of color is seat cushions. There’s a big focus from manufacturers targeting Higher Education products, so it’s a terrific time to be in this market. There are a lot of options, and flexibility is prime.
Q. What about fabrics? How do you help our clients pick something that will last?
A. Fabrics for Higher Education offices and workstations tend to stay within the standards of the manufacturer the school is specifying—mainly to keep costs down and/or establish consistency throughout facilities. In student lounge spaces, we select options that are more durable. When exploring product options, we provide selections that have a long, or lifetime, warranty. We are advocates for our client; if they like a certain product or furniture dealer, we support their efforts and enhance the relationship by integrating them into the design team. Our customers can then make informed decisions based on the established design objectives. We don’t take gifts or “spiffs,” and we don’t have an agenda. It’s about quality, functionality, a cohesive installation and long-term service—long after the project is completed.
Q. Our last question for you is about ergonomics. How does a client get the most out of their furniture, and how can they be sure they’re using it correctly?
A. Ergonomics are personal to everyone. Ergonomic chairs are a great place to start. Keyboards, for me, are user driven. Furniture should be adaptable, because everyone’s so different. We set clients up with an evaluator, and encourage testing before clients purchase large amounts of products. Task lighting and desk lamps are other great ways to tailor Higher Education spaces, to an individual user’s needs. It often comes back to doing the simple things better; it’s amazing how far a little thoughtfulness and creativity will take you.
Jill Kramer, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, has more than 14 years of experience in the contract furniture industry specifying more than $40 million. Her experience includes working for and with furniture dealerships, design firms and end users in furniture specification, procurement, ergonomics, needs assessment and full project management. She oversees Furniture Management Services at California-based LPA Inc., where she is also a Project Manager. Images Courtesy: LPA Inc. and Humanscale.
Have you ever thought about your furniture setup, whether it’s at your office, in a classroom, or in a public place, like a library or city hall? Ever thought about who picked out the chair you’re sitting in or the fabric it’s made of, or who designed your storage options? Honestly, I truthfully hadn’t until I met with LPA Furniture Guru Jill Kramer. I was on a mission to learn more about furniture, furniture setups, colors and fabrics specially designed for classrooms and Higher Education facilities. Enjoy these brief, informative responses, and feel free to submit questions at the bottom of the page.
Jill Kramer, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C
Q. Jill, can you give us a brief rundown of the furniture you’re using, this minute, in offices and classrooms for college and university facilities?
A. For administrative spaces, we use a blend of systems furniture and furniture made of hard materials. The spaces vary from single-person offices to shared offices, as well as touchdown or hoteling spaces for part-time faculty. Faculty layouts are often driven by their storage requirements. A new trend is storage towers, as well as low storage adjacent and below work surfaces, in both private offices and workstations. Panel heights are coming down to allow natural daylight in, too. With guidelines driven by LEED and good sustainable design practices, we are eliminating or reducing the use of panel mounted overhead storage. Instead, we’re opting for storage towers and desk lamps. Getting clients to be open to the concept of lowering panel and partition heights—to allow more daylight in—is a huge step. Users are accustomed to taller panels and the fear is that they will experience a louder working environment if panel heights are lowered. I’ve found, in fact, it’s quieter. The light is better, and increased, easy collaboration, is a bonus.
For classrooms, our clients are requesting freestanding moveable tables, sometimes two-person or even single-person tables, which allow them to transition effortlessly into those collaborative groups. For a project I’m working on now, we’re playing around with the idea of the Steelcase Node chair. Students can put their book bags underneath these chairs, they also turn to allow students to work together and have conversations. The collaborative classroom environment is used with and without tables, which allows for a more flexible classroom. They do tend to take up a little more space meaning, seat count may be reduced. However, interactive learning environments coupled with intuitive technology are an unbeatable combination and instructors are definitely interested in these applications. There are some really informative and enlightening case studies and videos available, at 360steelcase.com.
Q. How are you incorporating technology into your furniture solutions for Higher Education facilities? How are you making it a more pleasant experience?
A. When it comes to integrating technology with classroom furniture, as an interior designer, I’ve been using desking solutions. Desking systems have longer table runs with fewer legs. Cabling lies either inside or underneath (i.e. Antenna Workspaces by Knoll), versus a typical computer table, where you’re working against cables and wires. Desking systems are easier for IT teams to work with and offer a cleaner look. Plus, they’re a big trend in today’s open office environments (i.e. Steelcase, Knoll, Herman Miller and other collaborative stand-up workstations).
For student unions, one of my favorite pieces has to be Allsteel’s credenza piece, with a white board on one side and a T.V. on the other. It’s really interesting because it’s all about flexibility and the credenza’s very functional. The release of Vitra’s AirShareit, is also something I’m really looking forward to. This tool allows students to share ideas freely, projecting content from their laptops directly onto walls, nearby—a brilliant incarnation of functionality and flexibility. In Part Two of this mini-feature, we'll delve into colors, fabrics, and ergonomics, for furniture solution in Higher Education facilities.
Jill Kramer, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, has more than 14 years of experience in the contract furniture industry specifying more than $40 million. Her experience includes working for and with furniture dealerships, design firms and end users in furniture specification, procurement, ergonomics, needs assessment and full project management. She oversees Furniture Management Services at California-based LPA Inc., where she is also a Project Manager. Images Courtesy: Jill Kramer and Workspaces by Knoll.
Recently, our very own Damon Dusterhoft made us proud, in Architectural Record’s Second Annual Cocktail Napkin Sketch Contest. His Ronchamp entry (pictured), stood apart, from more than 1,200 napkins from nearly 400 entrants. Because of the nature of this design contest, we couldn’t help but pepper Damon with questions about the contest, where he drew his inspiration, and what his plans are for next year.
Damon Dusterhoft, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Q. Damon, tell us about your winning design, where you drew your inspiration from, and how you found about this contest.
A. It seems like Architectural Record has been publishing a napkin sketch contest for the last couple of years. And so I tried. Two years ago I submitted, and since I didn’t get selected last year, decided to try again. I noticed that they were drawn to older architecture, so I did one of the older Ronchamp sketches from Le Corbusier.
Q. Can you tell us more about the significance of Le Corbusier?
A. I was trying to find something that had historic quality to it and so Le Corbusier, a famous architect who is well known in architecture, had done this chapel in Ronchamp. I thought well, that would be fun, and it might catch their attention. I did some other goofy sketches that I happen to like, for example, a goofy art takeoff on Frank Lloyd Wright at Fallingwater (pictured below: top, center).
My other entries include a backyard scene – a nice quality sketch barbequing theme, a then some other more serious sketches around Eichler homes and that kind of thing. I just love to draw. Any time someone wants to draw something by hand I’m in. I’m doing it. I’m working on it.
Q. Are there any similarities between how you draw inspiration for a cocktail napkin sketching contest, and the work you design here at LPA?
A. Just like a lot of things we do at LPA, we look at things that are a given (i.e. Site: What does a site offer, for free? What can we get that doesn’t cost us anything? How can we “site” a building, to best understand how it lives in its environment? How can we take advantage of the sun? Or wind? Or whatever might be there, on site?), and we leverage those things from the very beginning because it doesn’t have cost associated to it.
I did the same thing with these napkins. What can a napkin offer? What can it do for free? What color could I use to make it fun?
Because I enjoy drawing, I get inspired easily by things around me. Whether it’s a project I’m working on at my house, or a detail that I’m working with at LPA, I take these elements and have fun with them, like I did with my Frank Lloyd Wright entry.
Q. What advice can you give to someone who wants to begin sketching, or even enter Architectural Record’s Cocktail Napkin Sketch Contest next year?
A. I would say, practice. Draw a lot. If you like to draw, draw all of the time. What I tell my daughter, when she’s working on projects, is to make sure she has something in mind.
“Where are your bananas?” I ask. If you’re trying to draw something from memory, it’s really hard to get there. It’s much more helpful to have an example of what you’re trying to draw. Get your banana, set it out there, start sketching, change the angle, change the sun, change the light and just practice. Have a good time with it. Try different pens, try different papers, try crayons, try pastel, try a sharp pen, try a thin pen, or try a pencil. Do a lot of experimentation, have fun, and enjoy the experience – whether sketching on a cocktail napkin or designing for a client, it shows in the finished product.
Damon Dusterhoft is an Associate and Project Director at California-based LPA Inc. During his 30-year career, he’s worked on a range of building types which include corporate office facilities, retail projects, and a variety of recreation facilities. Dusterhoft lead both Ford Motor Company and Wal-Mart through some of their first sustainable, LEED certified buildings. He is an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the American Institute of Architects, and the International Facility Management Association. Damon lives in a stylish Eichler with his wife and two children, in Orange, CA.