Student Architects Put Concrete Thinking into Sustainability

Fresh ideas in sustainable design are being developed by architecture students from around the world, as the Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World international student design competition shows.

U.S. and Canadian entries took top honors in a field that included more than 80 entries from the United States, Canada, Mexico, India, Japan and New Zealand. The competition challenges students to explore innovative applications of concrete and other portland cement-based materials to achieve sustainable design objectives.

These designs emerged from concepts from students at 23 universities, who took part in the second annual competition sponsored by the Skokie-based Portland Cement Association and administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture in Washington, D.C.

ACSA will feature winning submissions in a summary publication that will be available this summer on their Web site, www.acsa-arch.org. Prize-winning projects will also be exhibited at the 2008 American Institute of Architects national convention in Boston from May 15 -17 and the 2008 ACSA annual meeting in Houston from March 22-30.

Winners comprised the following:

• 1st Place (component), Henry Louis Miller, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.; project, “Clean-up: Dirt Built / Cement Made.”

• 1st Place (structure), Gisele Fraser, Daphnee Van Lierde and Mikaelle Rolland-Lamothe, Universite Laval, Quebec; project, “Riverbank Filter.”

• 2nd Place, Grahm Balkany, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago; project: “Green Concrete” and the Vosges Haut-Chocolat’s corporate and manufacturing headquarters.

• 3rd Place, Francois Riverin, Sylain Lagace and Philippe Lafrance-Boucher, Universite Laval; project: “PLAiNsight.”

• Honorable Mention: Corentin Fivet, Oklahoma State University, Norman; project, “Shotcrete to Sustain Italy.”

• Honorable Mention: Anabel Arsehault, Gabrielle Nadeau and Olivier Boucher, Universite Laval; project, “Matricial Interface.”

Chicago’s Access Living HQ Wins 2007 Barrier-Free America Award

Chicago’s Access Living Headquarters and the two leaders who helped make it possible have received Paralyzed Veterans of America’s 2007 Barrier-Free America Award.

The Barrier-Free America Award honors and promotes leadership, innovation and action in the architectural and design communities in advancing accessibility.

This year’s winners, Marca Bristo, president and CEO of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, and John Catlin, partner in LCM Architects, are leaders in the fields of accessible design but also in the areas of universal design and sustainable design. For example, Access Living Headquarters enjoys:

• Accessible design features, such as large elevators with doors that open front and back to make for ease of maneuverability for wheelchair users.

• Universal design features include the building’s direct circulation routes

• Sustainable features include the building’s helping reduce the heat island effect by putting parking underground or indoors, along with providing at least 50% of the roof area as a vegetative roof system.

Six Chicago University Buildings Showcased at Planning Conference

Six higher-education buildings in Chicago were recently showcased at the 42nd annual Society for College and University Planning conference in the city.

The buildings were selected as the best by Chicago-area members of SCUP.

Chosen through an informal poll were DePaul University’s Loft-Right residence (2006); DePaul/Columbia College/Roosevelt University’s University Center of Chicago (2004); Illinois Institute of Technology’s McCormick Tribune Campus Center (2003); Roosevelt’s Auditorium Building (1889, restored 2003); University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business (2004); and the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Student Recreation Facility (2006)

Takeda Gets LEED Gold

The Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Home Office in north suburban Deerfield has received LEED’s Gold certification.

The 70-acre office campus comprises two buildings totaling 360,000 sq ft, parking structure, surface parking and 1 mi of roadways.

Several sustainable design elements were included in the project:

• Erosion and sedimentation control measures that exceed local requirements

• Vehicular circulation routes through the site for public transportation.

• Reduction in parking through the use of land-banked parking.

• Restoration of natural habitat.

• Maximization of open space.

• Bike racks and changing facilities to encourage riding bikes to work.

• Preferred parking stalls for car pooling and energy-efficient cars

Booth Hansen Selected for Fieldhouse Design Parameters

Chicago-based Booth Hansen was selected to set the design parameters for future Chicago Park District fieldhouses.

The fieldhouses will use elements of sustainable design, with a goal of Silver-level LEED certification.

About $122 million obtained from the leasing of four publicly owned parking garages in the Loop will provide the financing for fieldhouses.

Booth Hansen is also the architect of record for fieldhouses at Taylor-Lauridsen, Jessie Owens and Valley Forge parks.