By embracing the framework of the Living Building Challenge™ (https://ilbi.org/lbc), the South Quarter Phase IV development team will transform not only a single corner in Minneapolis, but the very process of developing cost-effective, sustainable and affordable living.
Phase IV will revitalize the once-blighted northwest corner of Franklin and Portland avenues by creating more than 100 units of mixed-income rental housing in a vibrant, mixed-use 1.7-acre urban apartment community. Its integrated, holistic process with performance-based planning and implementation forms a new paradigm for practical and innovative community development.

South Quarter’s Design Team will craft the country’s first affordable, multi-family development to implement Living Building Challenge™ standards. The replicable, integrated process will achieve cost-effective and practical metrics, bringing true sustainability to a broad constituency.

“With a transformative, community-driven process centered on the Living Building Challenge™, South Quarter Phase IV can provide a new industry model for planning and implementing a truly sustainable community,” said Gina Ciganik, Aeon’s Vice President of Housing Development. “Mithun and Cermak Rhoades are the perfect firms to lead this integrated design process.”

Mithun’s architects, planners and landscape architects work to achieve a sustainable world through leadership, innovation and integrated design. A national leader in sustainable design and urbanism since 1949, its work is an innovative blend of design, technology and nature to create places that excel in beauty, spirit and performance. Mithun, which is based in Seattle and San Francisco, currently has five Living Building Challenge™ developments under design throughout the country.

“In our extensive experience with mixed-income housing and neighborhood development projects across the country, we’ve yet to see this sort of dedication to practical sustainability,” commented Erin Christensen, Senior Associate at Mithun. “We are confident that this project will prove such aspirations can be reached and replicated. Mithun’s practice is focused on building community and we see this project as a strong commitment to the Ventura Village neighborhood, and development that will bring value to the fabric of Minneapolis through a community-based, sustainable approach.”

For 18 years, Cermak Rhoades Architects has been dedicated to creating better places to live for everyone in their Minnesota-based community. The award-winning firm’s commitment to sustainable affordable housing is evidenced by its design principles and continued research in housing types and technologies. Cermak Rhoades was the architect for Aeon’s Crane Ordway property in St. Paul (opened in 2006) and the Alliance Addition (2010), the latter of which was awarded LEED™ Platinum certification.

“We are excited to join this multi-disciplinary team presented with an opportunity to conceive a new model of multi-family housing,” said Terri Cermak, President of Cermak Rhoades. “The South Quarter project has the potential to jumpstart an evolution toward a far more sustainable approach to building homes for future generations.”

The holistic design efforts of Mithun and Cermak Rhoades will move beyond architecture to also encompass site, water, energy, health, materials, equity and beauty. Authentic community engagement and participation will be at the forefront of the process, including partnerships with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research, the Center for Energy & Environment, PLACE and others.

Phase IV is the final phase of Aeon and Hope Community’s decade-long transformative development at this once-derelict intersection, following the Children’s Village Center (opened in 2003), The Jourdain (2006) and The Wellstone (2008).

“Hope’s work is about long-term commitment to this neighborhood, which makes the Phase IV project a natural next step,” said Mary Keefe, Executive Director of Hope Community. “A ‘Living Building’ fits perfectly with our aim to maintain this community’s assets far into the future. It’s one more important piece in a history of leveraging resources for a place once considered not worthy of investment.”

About South Quarter
p. Formerly known as the Franklin Portland Gateway, this intersection will be re-branded as South Quarter. Aeon and Hope Community are working to synthesize all four corners of the intersection to build a strong sense of place and a recognizable destination. The branding process included community meetings and discussions with city leaders about the attributes and unique features of the area.

About the Living Building Challenge™
p. Initiated by the International Living Building Institute (ILBI) in 2006, the Living Building Challenge™ asks the question, “What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place?” Comprised of seven performance areas (Site, Water, Energy, Health, Materials, Equity and Beauty), it seeks to create a cohesive standard by pulling together the worlds of architecture, engineering, planning, landscape design and policy, and is a metric that seeks to reach beyond LEED. (https://ilbi.org/lbc)

About Aeon
p. Aeon is an award-winning nonprofit developer, owner and manager of high-quality affordable homes in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011, Aeon has built or renovated 1,785 apartments and townhomes, which provide stability to more than 3,000 people each year. Aeon’s mission is to create and sustain quality affordable homes that strengthen lives and communities. (www.aeonmn.org)

About Hope Community
p. With 34 years of history in the neighborhood, Hope Community stayed through devastation and acted on opportunity. Hope’s vision led to the South Quarter Development done in partnership with Aeon, as well as other housing developments. At the heart of Hope’s mission is the belief that an engaged community creates a strong neighborhood. Community dialogues with over 2000 people feed the vision; over 500 adults and youth are involved each year at Hope in learning, leadership, art, community building and civic engagement. (www.hope-community.org)

Attachments

• South Quarter Phase IV Press Release

According to Cory Carlson, Board President for The Northwest School, “We are excited to be working with Mithun on this next step in our long term strategic facilities plan. Mithun distinguished themselves by virtue of their proactive approach to understanding the school’s culture and having designed many innovative educational facilities similar to our goals. Their open approach to design was exciting to the selection group. We are optimistic they will design a building that captures the unique learning style that happens at The Northwest School.”

The project will be multi-phased, and Mithun will work closely with The Northwest School to ensure design integrity with the surrounding area and the school’s existing facilities, including the main academic building housed in the historic Summit School building. Preliminary plans for the site have included a multi-purpose gymnasium and dining facilities.

The design process kicks off this week, as stakeholders from The Northwest School—led by the Board of Trustees and project manager Dana Warren of The Warren Company—and designers from Mithun begin to discuss programming, environmental goals, and how to further integrate new campus elements within the existing context of the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

“Urban schools are a cornerstone of the future of livable cities, so we’re excited as a firm and as a design team about this project,” notes Rich Franko, AIA, Mithun’s principal in charge. “Working with The Northwest School presents an ideal opportunity to further develop the educational environment in the urban fabric. The high visibility and pedestrian activity at this site will provide great opportunities for a rich layering of concepts—urban design, sustainability, experiential education, community—as we move through the design process together.”

The Northwest School’s culture of courtesy and common sense paired with careful awareness and stewardship of the immediate environment will be a driving factor in the design process for the school and the design team, who will build upon Northwest’s current programs and campus culture.

“When we talk about sustainable design, it’s not only high performance; it’s about encouraging curiosity and fostering the development of these young creative minds,” adds Brendan Connolly, AIA, the project’s designer. “Educational institutions are themselves places that teach, filled with lessons about energy, water, and daylight—but they also need to be well-loved places where students live, learn, and connect with each other.”

In May 2010, The Northwest School finalized the acquisition of the property at 401 E. Pike Street. This fall the school solicited proposals from several local architecture firms before awarding Mithun with the project. As plans move forward, The Northwest School and Mithun are committed to working with the city and neighboring community leaders on further developing this land.

“The possibilities are exciting,” said Ellen Taussig, co-founder and Head of School, “and we hope that this addition to our school will become an asset not only for our students but for the entire community.”

About The Northwest School
The Northwest School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory school, for students in grades 6-12. Founded in 1980 and located in the historic Summit School building, The Northwest School graduates students with historical, scientific, artistic, and global perspective, enabling them to think and act with integrity, believing they have a positive impact on the world. As the only independent school in Seattle with an international boarding program, we offer a global educational experience with focus on college preparatory academics, environmental studies, and a multi-disciplinary curriculum of humanities, arts and sciences. For more information, visit www.northwestschool.org.

About Mithun
Founded in 1949, Mithun is a national leader in integrated planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design services—a multidisciplinary approach that unites human and natural systems within the built environment. With offices in Seattle and San Francisco, Mithun’s work includes design for civic, cultural, academic, residential, commercial, and institutional clients with a focus on health, connectivity, and high performance. mithun.com

About Warren Company
The Warren Company is a full service project management firm which provides a wide range of development services to private developers, non-profit organizations and municipalities. With an extensive portfolio that includes the major remodel and addition to The Northwest School’s historic building in 2005, IslandWood, the Warren Company is overseeing the design, permitting and construction of the 401 E. Pike Street project.

Attachments

• The Northwest School Press Release

Seattle-based architecture and urban design firm Mithun and Bellevue-based general contractor Foushée and Associates were selected by Seattle Goodwill to design and construct its new job training and education center and administrative office south of downtown Seattle.

“We are looking forward to working with Mithun, Foushée and the rest of the team to realize our longtime goal of increasing our capacity to serve additional students in our free job training and education programs—and thus, changing more lives through the power of work,” notes Ken Colling, Goodwill President and CEO.

Original plans for developing the Dearborn Street site included a mix of housing types, retail and commercial space, however due to the economy’s sustained decline —and that of development financing— those plans had to be shelved.

Combining the job training program and administrative support services in one facility will not only allow Seattle Goodwill to remain in its current location, it will provide opportunities for growth today and expansion tomorrow. Knowing that a major redevelopment is likely five to seven years away, Seattle Goodwill opted to meet current needs for training and education by applying a phased development approach, beginning with its new administrative facilities and the job training center. Reserving large parcels along Dearborn for future development, including a potential retail store, will provide Seattle Goodwill with the flexibility to incorporate alternative uses in response to the changing market.

Building a strong team who will collaborate with Goodwill decision makers was a key consideration in the selection process. Together with Foushée, Mithun will tour the Seattle Goodwill client group through a range of existing buildings to determine what materials, layouts, and character they hope to see in the design of their own offices and teaching spaces. They will also include design strategies that contribute to a low carbon footprint and healthy indoor environment for employees and visitors.

“Mithun’s integrated design approach to creating sustainable and community responsive buildings and landscapes contributed to Goodwill’s selection of us as partners in this critical new project,” noted Sean Cryan, Associate Principal with Mithun and project manager.

The entire team’s ability to collaborate and share information will be essential to overcoming challenges that include planning and design around steep slopes and utilities, staging and phasing during construction, and operational coordination to ensure that the flow of deliveries and donations happens with minimal disruption to the neighborhood.

Mithun will work closely with Foushée to complete construction drawings by the end of 2011 in order for a 2012 construction start. Britt Slone, Principal at Foushée, confirmed that the timing of the project couldn’t be better in terms of materials pricing and the caliber and availability of subcontractors. bq. “We have a unique opportunity to provide Seattle Goodwill with a new building that would have cost 15 to 20 percent more several years ago. By capitalizing on current market pricing, the team can deliver a high quality project that will meet our client’s needs and those of the community for years to come,” he noted.

When complete, the new administration and job training center will expand Seattle Goodwill’s capacity to serve more individuals by offering programs and services in a dignified learning environment, providing job training at a time when the need for jobs is most critical.

About Seattle Goodwill

Seattle Goodwill Industries is a private, nonprofit organization that has served the central and northern Puget Sound since 1923. It provides free job training and education programs and services that help low-income and underserved people obtain the skills they need to secure employment so they may achieve economic self-sufficiency. For more information about Goodwill programs, please call toll free at 1-877-GIVE4GOOD or visit the website at seattlegoodwill.org.

About Mithun

Founded in 1949, Mithun is a national leader in planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design services—a multidisciplinary approach that unites human and natural systems within the built environment. With offices in Seattle and San Francisco, Mithun’s work includes design for civic, cultural, residential, commercial, academic, and institutional clients with a focus on health, connectivity, and high performance. mithun.com

About Foushée
Foushée is a major commercial general contractor that was founded in 1977, located in Bellevue WA. And is locally owned and managed. Foushée has developed a unique niche in the market place by focusing its’ core business around negotiated team-design- build project delivery. This allows clients to take full advantage of Foushée’s preconstruction services and project collaboration that in turn produces a quality product that meets all financial and operational goals. Customer centric focus is a hallmark for the organization. As a result many clients are repeat ones and refer Foushée to others in need of expert construction services.

Attachments

• Seattle Goodwill Press Release

Mithun, in partnership with Heapy Engineering and green building consultants Yudelson Associates, is nearing completion of a comprehensive sustainability master plan for The Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the nation with an enrollment of more than 66,000 students.

“This project presented a great opportunity to create a national model for other major universities,” said Brodie Bain, Mithun Partner and Lead Campus Planner. “We anticipate that lessons learned here and practices adopted in the pursuit of climate neutrality to provide valuable information for colleges and universities across the nation seeking to address issues of climate change within the context of a core mission, multiple activities and complex organizational systems.”

The Sustainability Plan is being developed along with the University’s Climate Action Plan to position The Ohio State University as a sustainability leader among its peers as well as to set an ambitious course toward climate neutrality.

Master planning for campuses traditionally has been spatially and program based; today, master plans must be supportive of our natural systems by minimizing water and energy use and reducing the institution’s carbon footprint. Building on its success with Seattle University and Pacific Lutheran University, Mithun’s unique integrated approach to campus master planning includes special emphasis on ecological functionality – taking a deep look at the surrounding natural environment and incorporating strategies that mitigate impact and restore the important functions of a healthy ecosystem. The work for OSU builds upon sustainable concepts of the university’s physical Framework Plan (by Sasaki Associates) and Energy & Infrastructure Plan (by AEI), including recommendations to support a more functional campus ecosystem.

Among the key challenges to sustainability planning for a university is understanding the myriad activities that are already happening at the grassroots level and determining the best strategies for coordinating efforts campus-wide. Opportunities included tying operations with curriculum, coordinating multiple research activities, applying new knowledge obtained through research to campus practices, and sharing lessons learned across divisions.

The Sustainability Plan was initiated as a result of the University signing “The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC),”a climate challenge that provides a framework and support for America’s colleges and universities to implement comprehensive plans in pursuit of climate neutrality. Participating institutions have agreed to the following:

• Complete an emissions inventory.
• Within two years, set a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral.
• Take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-term actions.
• Integrate sustainability into the curriculum and make it part of the educational experience.
• Make the action plan, inventory and progress reports publicly available.

Project Partners

Mithun (Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA): Lead Campus Sustainability Planning
Heapy Engineering (Dayton, OH): Project Management / Sustainable Building Systems
Yudelson Associates (Tucson, AZ): Green Strategy Consultants

About Mithun

Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, campus planning and ecology — a multidisciplinary approach that integrates nature, technology, organizational systems and design. Mithun’s commitment to sustainability extends to higher education, mission driven, private, government and first nation clients throughout the world. mithun.com

Attachments

• OSU Aerial 1 Credit: The Ohio State University Photo Services / University Communications
• OSU Quad Credit: The Ohio State University Photo Services / University Communications

“This project is essentially about redefining the relationship between the Mississippi River and the city of Saint Paul,” notes Mark Shapiro, Mithun Urban Designer. “There’s a great opportunity to reconnect the city with the river, and in the process of doing so, restore the ecological health of the Mississippi River within the park.”

The city historically has been separated from the river, with big bluffs for most of the lengths of the river and virtually no other connection down to the water’s edge. Through the master plan project, the city’s goal is to develop strategies for development and management of the park, including some obsolete industrial areas that present significant opportunities for redevelopment and integration with the park.

“We selected Mithun for the project because of their strong commitment to, and experience in, exploring the frontiers of sustainable design theory and practice,” noted William Wenk, Principal, Wenk Associates.

A key element informing the master plan is the major cultural diversity the city of Saint Paul has experienced over past 20-30 years, transforming from a predominantly Northern European population to one that includes a large number of cultural and ethnic groups. Mithun’s work includes conducting extensive community outreach to gain a deeper understanding of what various community groups care about and want in the city’s vision for a park to ensure that the interests of a very diverse population are represented.

Also key to Mithun’s work is exploring what future development might look like once this connection between river and city takes place. “By reshaping the city to river one generates development opportunities, which in turn changes the value of the land, which changes where and what people want to build, where they want to live, and where they want to work,” notes Bill LaPatra, Mithun Partner. “Part of our responsibility will be to look at those potential developments – housing, entertainment, recreation, retail, and so on, and advise Saint Paul on workable, sustainable strategies for smart growth.”

Leading the project and the consultant team is Wenk Associates, a Denver-based planning and landscape architecture firm with which Mithun has a long relationship. The firms have partnered on several notable projects over the years, including the REI flagship store in Denver, which earned the distinction as an AIA Top 10 Green Project, and, most recently, a mixed-income, mixed-use Transit Oriented Development master plan for the Denver Housing Authority.

Project partners

• Mithun (Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA): Architecture, Urban Design and Sustainability Strategies
• Wenk Associates, Inc. (Denver, CO): Lead Consultant | Landscape Architect and Planner
• Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. (HKGi) (Minneapolis, MN): Local Landscape Architect/Urban Design
• Barr Engineering Company (Minneapolis, MN): Civil/Environmental/Ecological Consultation
• Charlier Associates, Inc. (Boulder, CO): Transportation and Trails and Connectivity Planning
• HR&A Advisors (HR&A) (New York, NY): Economic and Management Strategies
• Tunheim Partners (Minneapolis, MN): Marketing Strategy and Branding
• Noble Erickson, Inc. (Denver, CO): Wayfinding and Identity
• The 106 Group (Saint Paul, MN): Cultural and Historic Interpretation
• Forecast Public Art (Forecast) (Saint Paul, MN): Public Art Consultation
• Little and Company (Minneapolis, MN): Strategic Design.

About Mithun

Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, and ecology — a multidisciplinary approach that integrates nature, technology and design. Mithun’s commitment to sustainability extends to mixed-use, corporate, commercial, residential, civic, science and technology, higher education, retail, senior living, renovation, restoration, and environmental learning. mithun.com

Attachments

• Great River Park Map Axon Credit: © 2010 Mithun

Mithun’s proven experience in leading diverse groups of stakeholders toward a new and sustainable design future was key to its selection in a highly competitive bid process. The sustainable master plan that Mithun will develop will transform a classic 1960s office campus into a mixed used community that consolidates many of Maryland’s state offices while introducing new retail and offering a range of quality housing choices for in-city living.

“State Center has all the ingredients to be one of the greatest examples of the rebirth of the American city in this century,” notes Bert Gregory, FAIA, Chairman and CEO, Mithun. “A great sustainable rebirth built around reinvented existing urban infrastructure, great transit, and vibrant mix of uses and people in a walkable neighborhood. State Center’s core values, aspirations, stakeholder inclusion and unique public private partnerships will reinforce the uniqueness of Baltimore, while serving as a national model for Transit Oriented Development.”

State Center’s goals for the project are to promote economic vitality, support healthy living, create an authentic place, demonstrate environmental stewardship, and provide a healthy and productive office environment. Over a period of 15 years, the project will add or renovate up to 4.7 million square feet of additional State offices, private offices, work-live lofts, and housing, and renovate the historic Armory for public use. The master plan also includes creating new public open spaces and community parks as well as redeveloping the streetscape to improve the pedestrian experience.

State Center is a public/private partnership venture. Especially in today’s economic climate, that kind of partnership is crucial in moving complex and expensive projects forward. Mithun brings deep experience in navigating the complexities of multiple stakeholder clients and building consensus, with a goal of reflecting and serving the Baltimore community in more meaningful and rich ways.

The foresight needed here is demanding. Corporations and government are challenged to build now to accommodate the needs and realities of a future workplace. Promoting health and productivity are hallmarks and areas where Mithun has already demonstrated its skills with an integrated design approach.

The project targets Leadership in Education and Environmental Design (LEED) certification so that it can make buildings far less energy dependent. With an environmentally friendly District Energy system already in place, Mithun will search for every innovative opportunity to bring far more natural light into work spaces.

“We looked at firms from all over the United States, says Caroline Moore, State Center LLC developer. Mithun has a long and solid history of delivering outstanding and forward thinking projects that require great skill and thoughtfulness from start to finish. Their ability to work with diverse groups of people, understand and sort through conflicting needs and goals and keep the project on track is unparalleled.”

About Mithun

Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, and ecology — a multidisciplinary approach that integrates nature, technology and design. Mithun’s commitment to sustainability extends to mixed-use, corporate, commercial, residential, civic, science and technology, higher education, retail, senior living, renovation, restoration, and environmental learning. mithun.com.

Project Partners

Development Team (Project Developers)

• State Center LLC, a joint partnership of:
  • PS Partners and Ekistics, LLC Managing Member and Lead Developer
  • McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.
  • State Center Baltimore Developers:
    • Midtown Convergence
    • TAC
    • Neighborhood Development Company

State of Maryland Team (Project Co-Developer, Project Financing, Land Owner, Major Tenants)

• The Governor of Maryland, The Honorable Martin O’Malley
• Maryland Department of General Services — DGS (Project Lead from Maryland State Government)
• Maryland Department of Transportation — MDOT (Project Co-developer, Project Financing)
• Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – DHMH (Major Tenant)
• Maryland Department of Planning (Major Tenant)
• Maryland Transit Authority – MTA (Major Tenant)

Community Team

• The Neighborhood Alliance (Stakeholder Participation – Nine neighborhoods, and institutions and businesses surrounding the development, including Maryland General Hospital, University of Baltimore & Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and the Myerhoff Symphony Hall

City of Baltimore Team (Economic Development, Agency Review, Transportation Planning, Financing)

• The Mayor of Baltimore, The Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
• Councilman Bill Cole
• Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), Jay Brodie
• Department of Planning, Tom Stosur
• Department of Transportation, Jamie Kendrick

Design Team

• Mithun (National Design Architect, Interior Designer, Landscape Architect and Urban Designer)
• Design Collective Inc. (Local Collaborating Architect of Record and Collaborating Urban Designer)
• Cho Benn Holback (Collaborating Interior Architect)
• RK&K (Civil Engineers)
• Hope Furrer (Structural Engineers)
• Arup (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineers; District Systems Consultant)
• Pareto Energy (District Systems Consultant)
• Urban Green (Hazardous Materials Consultant)
• STV (Survey and Civil Consultant for the State)

Construction Team

• Turner Construction Company

Attachments

• Baltimore State Center Aerial Credit: Rendering by Stephanie Bower
• Baltimore State Center Building G Credit: Rendering by Stephanie Bower
• Baltimore State Center Building I Credit: Rendering by Stephanie Bower

“Each of the 2010 Cascadia Fellows has had an outsized impact on the green building movement and the building industry more broadly,” says Jason F. McLennan, Cascadia CEO. “Because of their strong leadership, we have made critical progress over the past twenty years. The shifting landscape of the building industry today is the result of these risk-taking pioneers who have invested their talent and passion in creating a more sustainable world.”

The 2010 Cascadia Fellowship recipients were announced at this month’s Living Future event Seattle. Hosted by Cascadia, Living Future is an annual event that brings together the world’s most forward-thinking green building professionals to explore solutions to today’s most daunting environmental and social justice issues. This year’s event was attended by a sold-out crowd of 800 people.

2010 Cascadia Fellowship Recipients

Peter Dobrovolny

Peter Dobrovolny is a Seattle pioneer in green building and one of Cascadia’s first board members. He is a member of the City of Seattle’s Green Building team, a committee tasked with developing strategies to motivate greener building in the private sector, and is also currently serving on Cascadia’s Seattle branch steering committee.

Jack Hébert

Jack Hébert is the founder and CEO of Cold Climate Housing Research Center, a non-profit corporation facilitating the development, use and testing of green building technologies in circumpolar regions. Currently the NAHB National Vice President for Area 15, Hébert has served as president of the Alaska State Home Building Association, addressed the US Senate Subcommittee on Energy and was moderator of the Circumpolar Forum on Sustainable Shelter.

Mark Edlen

Mark Edlen is the co-founding member of Gerding Edlen Development, a Portland-based real estate investment, development and asset management firm that has been involved in green development for nearly 15 years. Since the U.S. Green Building Council was established, Edlen’s firm has become one of the largest developers of LEED-certified properties, with more than 40 certified to date.

Bert Gregory

Bert Gregory, FAIA is the president and CEO of Seattle-based sustainable design firm, Mithun. He is renowned as an expert in the development of resource-efficient structures and communities, and serves as a national leader, speaker and advocate for sustainable building and urbanism. Gregory serves on the USGBC LEED Neighborhood Development core committee and Washington Clean Technology Alliance steering committee.

Blair McCarry

Blair McCarry is the principal responsible for engineering and energy systems at Busby Perkins+Will. McCarry works with the project team to develop leading-edge solutions for projects across market sectors and draws from his background working on a number of projects targeting LEED Platinum and beyond. He is the founding Chair of the Vancouver branch of the Cascadia Green Building Council and was a member of the Canada Green Building Council Technical Advisory Group.

About Cascadia

The Cascadia Green Building Council is a 501© (3) non-profit in the US and is incorporated as a nonprofit in British Columbia. Cascadia’s mission is to lead a transformation towards a built environment that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Cascadia is one of three original chapters of the US Green Building Council and, as a chapter of the Canada Green Building Council as well, is the only international chapter in North America. It is the originator of the Living Building Challenge, authored by Jason F. McLennan. Visit www.cascadiagbc.org or connect with Cascadia on Facebook or Twitter.

Attachments

• Download PDF Press Release

The 6-story, 160,000 sf project in central Mumbai will join a new planned business district with market-rate residential high-rises along the Mithi River. The school will be developed in two phases: phase 1 will contain early elementary (ages 3-5) and elementary grades, as well as administrative offices and faculty housing; phase 2, expected to be constructed in a few years, will accommodate grades 6-12, including a section for an International Baccalaureate program. A smaller commercial component in a separate building accompanies each phase of school development.

“Mumbai’s land use code provided opportunities for design innovation,” says Don Carlson FAIA, project designer. “For instance, the space under a building raised on pilotis is not counted against density or height, which allowed us to locate play areas there that would add much-needed open space, as well as protect the children from the monsoon rains and direct sun.” Each phase of the school is conceived of as a tower, with a common “marketplace” resource floor connected to classroom “neighborhoods” above and below. Each neighborhood, in turn, is organized around a central design studio, where kids can try out things and join in project learning.

The design of the grounds is inspired by Mumbai’s natural history as a series of islands surrounded by mangrove swamps. Each play area is conceived as an island connected through planting areas to the next. Flexible play spaces that allow for intensive use of the site also allow for rain to gather during the monsoon season, becoming water play that stimulates cooperation and creativity between the students. The focus on a seasonal and ecological response to water also highlights the site’s relationship to the nearby river.

Resource-efficiency is an important driver for the design of the project. “We are using local materials and traditional construction techniques with low-embedded energy wherever possible”, says Robert Leykam AIA, project manager. “Stone flooring, masonry partitions, and tiled roofs are locally common methods of long-lasting as well as cost and energy-efficient construction.” The project also features operable windows, solar hot water collectors, grey water recycling, and a state-of-the-art VRV air conditioning system.

“Creating sustainable, innovative learning environments for children has been one of our most cherished opportunities at Mithun,” says David Goldberg AIA, Managing Principal for design and business development. “We’re honored to help craft a new place of learning for the children of Mumbai that will grow naturally from their local culture and ecosystem.”

Construction is currently underway for Phase 1. The school is scheduled to open in the summer of 2011.

About Mithun
Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, and ecology ― a multidisciplinary approach that integrates nature, technology and design. Mithun’s commitment to sustainability extends to mixed-use, corporate, commercial, residential, civic, science and technology, higher education, retail, senior living, and environmental learning. mithun.com

Attachments

• Model of Mithun's Mumbai School Design Credit: Mithun

“Only a handful of individuals have the ability to comprehend the many intricate relationships that comprise the intersection of urban planning, building and ecology design to create great sustainable cities and places,” noted Bert Gregory, FAIA, President and CEO of Mithun. “These are the people we want at Mithun. We are thrilled at our success in attracting such a high caliber person as Mark to our team.”

Prior to joining Mithun, Shapiro was a Principal and Project Designer for Kansas City-based BNIM architects. He also held teaching positions at Syracuse and Tulane universities, and served as Head of the Department of Architecture at Kansas State University. A native of South Africa, he has practiced and taught in South Africa, Great Britain, Italy and the United States.

Shapiro has been recognized both nationally and internationally for high-profile, technologically complex projects, most recently for his work on the Greensburg Sustainable Comprehensive Development Plan, which was awarded both the 2009 ASLA National and Central States Honor Award and the 2009 Burnham Award from the American Planning Association. His work has also garnered numerous state and regional AIA awards, most importantly for the Fayez S. Sarofim research building at the University of Texas Health Science Center. He had key involvement in developing housing prototypes for Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation and the Holy Cross Sustainable Redevelopment Plan/Holy Cross School Site Master Plan in Post-Katrina New Orleans.

His combined experience as architect and urban designer will complement his activities at Mithun, where he will serve primarily as a lead project designer and principal in charge for planning, urban design and building design projects.

Shapiro holds a Masters of City Planning in Urban Design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Cape Town.

About Mithun

Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, ecology and interior design—a multidisciplinary approach for the future that integrates nature, technology and design. Mithun’s commitment to sustainability extends to historic preservation, mixed-use, corporate, commercial, civic, science and technology, higher education, and senior living projects. For more information, visit mithun.com

Attachments

• Mark Shapiro portrait Credit: © Mithun

Hope Houses offer a new model of supportive living to elders of Hope Meadows, an intentional, intergenerational community created to support adoptive families and children coming out of the foster care system. The design of each four-unit communal living residence supports Hope elders’ ability to age in community and preserves relationships between seniors, adoptive families and children through end of life. Located in the center of this rural Illinois community, the Hope Houses connect via an atrium to an existing intergenerational center and are adjacent a new community center and community garden.

The jury applauded the Hope Houses as “a unique and heartwarming senior housing concept that speaks not only to comfortable living for residents, but also the importance of self worth for older adults continuing to contribute to their community.” In presenting the award, jurors also commended the projects’ integration of sustainable design features.

About Mithun

Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people of all ages and abilities. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, and ecology ― a multidisciplinary approach that integrates nature, technology and design. mithun.com