“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

KCTS 9 was one of only seven organizations to receive a GBI planning grant from among 114 applicants nationwide. In making the award, The Kresge Foundation stated, "We were impressed by [KCTS 9’s] plans and commitment to developing an environmentally sustainable facility."

Maureen Scott, KCTS 9 Grants and Foundations Manager, describes the grant as "an especially rewarding recognition of the work to which KCTS 9 is committed, both in and with the community." Adds Maurice "Moss" Bresnahan, KCTS 9 President and CEO, "We want to be a leader by example in the nonprofit world, demonstrating how organizations can move to environmentally sustainable practices that are also economically sustainable and represent the wisest possible stewardship of our donors’ investments in KCTS 9 and our community. We are especially honored to be among this fall’s list of awardees, and to have received one of the final grants in The Kresge Foundation’s Green Building Initiative."

Located on the northeast corner of Seattle Center, the station is intent on contributing to the vitality of the city’s urban core and the Center’s vision to transform their campus into the nation’s premier urban park. Prior to applying to The Kresge Foundation, KCTS 9 joined the Seattle Climate Partnership and with their guidance, completed a Carbon Footprint Calculator. With a 55-year legacy of telling the most important stories in areas including science and nature, ecology and the environment, KCTS 9 is well-positioned to implement and document environmental practices throughout its operations.

Beth Savage, KCTS 9 Vice President of Development, noted the importance of planning funds, explaining, "The Kresge Foundation award is restricted to costs such as energy analysis and modeling, and ecological site planning for water management. The grant enables the station both to effectively plan changes, and, because this is a three-year grant, provides the opportunity to communicate with our public in concrete terms exactly how we intend to contribute to the sustainability of the environment we all share."

KCTS 9 would like to recognize the design team who contributed countless hours of time and expertise to translate KCTS 9’s sustainability goals into a buildable form: Mithun, WSP Flack + Kurtz, Chris Webb & Associates, Swenson Say Fagét, Roen Associates and the Seattle Climate Partnership.

For more information, please contact Daphne Adair at 206.443.6791 (office), 206.599.9435 (cell) or dadair@KCTS9.org.

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The KCTS 9 mission is to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve by providing meaningful programming on air, online and in the community that informs, involves and inspires.

This is a copy of KCTS 9’s press release. View the original press release here.

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

• Early coneptual rendering of renovation and possible addition Credit: Rendering by Mithun

A host of historic documentation recently retrieved from the Library of Congress and the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site provided the foundation for planning and design. "Sharing an understanding of Olmsted principles is urgent in the 21st century," says Debra Guenther ASLA, Mithun landscape architecture principal. "They are prescient in their timeless understanding of integrating infrastructure, place and people."

Mithun’s landscape plan respects the design principles of the original Olmsted plan, honors characteristic features and concepts of the historic design, and acknowledges the dynamic context of the historic capitol grounds. "We are providing a sustainable link between the past and future," says Guenther.

Washington State’s Capitol is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Instead of a single building, as in most states, it consists of a campus with several buildings. The Washington State Legislature, Washington Supreme Court and Washington Governor’s Mansion are all located on the Capitol Campus.

The Olmsted Brothers created the original 54-acre site plan in 1928, with planting beginning in 1931 and continuing to this day as buildings are added and site needs change. As with all of the Olmsteds’ work, the Campus features sweeping vistas along with open, expansive lawns. However, much of their design intent was lost due to attrition, development or deferred preventive care. Mithun’s plan will replenish aging trees, establish new trees and replace portions of energy-intensive lawn with layers of vegetation, as originally intended. The plan also recommends the removal of some parking in order to help return the most civic aspect of the state to a place for people rather than cars.

"The improvements will enhance the sense of arrival in approaching the Capitol and elevate the sequence of progression in moving throughout the Campus." says Susan Olmsted ASLA, Mithun project designer. “It’s already rich architecturally. Now the landscape will complete that experience." Ms. Olmsted is actually related to the famed landscape architects, although a few generations removed.

Preservation of cultural landscapes has not been as common as preservation of cultural resources, such as buildings, but there is a growing consensus that it’s equally important to protect historic structures and the settings in which they reside. The difficulty is that the dynamic character of landscapes, growing and changing over time, complicates efforts – hence the significance of having a plan to follow.

Mithun not only conducted research to gather information about the Olmsteds’ vision for the Campus, but also analyzed the health of existing natural resources. It became clear that the critical structural elements were in place, but in particular they lacked the ongoing replenishment and maintenance of trees. In response, Mithun has created a landscape master plan to inform future planning efforts, a large tree layer plan to address initial vegetation rejuvenation and a vegetation management plan to guide ongoing landscape management.

Work on the Campus began over the summer and is slated to continue incrementally over the course of the next 50 years. On a final historical note, Washingtonians might be interested to know that the Olmsteds also designed the grounds of our nation’s capitol, the other Washington – Washington, D.C. (1874-1885).

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

• West Capitol Campus Credit: © Mithun, photograph by Juan Hernandez.

Visitors entering the building are greeted by representatives from the different departments who help them to conduct their business in a convenient and comfortable setting. The warm wood structure and artwork created by Tulalip artists frame views to the Bay. A staircase, adorned with a three-story art glass panel, and lighting that incorporates their designs, lead the way to the council chambers located on the top floor. An extensive outreach process, including tribal government leaders, elders, staff and community members, ensured that this significant project makes a powerful statement about the Tulalips’ forward-looking vision for the future.

The design represents the Tulalips’ enduring commitment to their environment and to the efficient use of tribal resources. Low-impact development strategies protect the local watershed and help to preserve the waters that empty into Tulalip Bay, while the building’s long, narrow footprint and floor-to-ceiling windows bring in fresh air and natural light, reducing energy consumption and connecting occupants to the surrounding natural environment.

More specifically, this building relies on a high performance envelope and integrated passive design strategies working in concert with a very efficient air conditioning system to maintain comfort inside. At the heart of the HVAC system is a geothermal heat exchanger that efficiently transfers energy to and from the building to the earth year round. Additionally, a hybrid air conditioning strategy allows the HVAC systems to shut down when the outside temperature is mild. Operable windows deliver fresh air and cooling during these periods. Other features include ceiling fans for further comfort control and operable window indicator lights that advise occupants when it is best to keep the windows closed (amber light) or open (green light). All of these integrated design features are predicted to lower utility bills by as much as 25 percent compared to a standard office building. The intelligent building management system will monitor energy use and provide critical information to allow the Tulalip Tribe to make adjustments and further optimize energy performance in the years ahead.

Consultants

• Civil: DOWL Engineers
• Structural: Coughlin Porter Lundeen
• Mechanical: Flack + Kurtz
• Electrical: Hultz/BHU/Cross

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

About Tulalip Tribes
The Tulalip Tribes is a federally-recognized Indian tribe located on the Tulalip Reservation in the mid-Puget Sound area. The Tulalip Reservation encompasses 22,000 acres rich with natural resources: marine waters, tidelands, fresh water creeks and lakes, wetlands, forests and developable land. The Tulalip Reservation provides a permanent home for the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skagit, Suiattle, Samish and Stillaguamish Tribes and allied bands living in the region. http://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Attachments

• Tulalip Administration Building Credit: © Mithun. Photograph by Juan Hernandez.

"Green building promotes the economic, environmental and social health of a community. Common Ground incorporates renewable or energy-efficient, cost-saving practices and sustainable materials. These strategies not only promote quality of life for residents and the community, but make economic sense for affordable housing. They reduce operations and maintenance costs and lower utility bills." – Tammy Schacher, Mithun principal

"Common Ground is about reinventing the American Dream. In the years ahead, Americans will be compelled to shed some deeply ingrained habits of material consumption. These adjustments can be endured, nay, embraced, if people are confident that the country is headed to a more fulfilling transformation. I believe this transformation is fundamentally about discovering what it means to be truly human, not as “consumers” but as citizens, neighbors, friends, co-creators of a compelling story that embraces social justice and a healthy planet. It’s about smaller footprints and larger lives." – Chris Greacen, Common Ground resident

"In 1989, LCLT was created in response to the rapid rise of real estate prices. Escalation of home prices threatened the very fabric of our community. Common Ground is our fourth affordable housing development and the first net-zero energy neighborhood. Common Ground was developed for replication – modeling rain water catchment, solar electric and solar thermal systems, passive solar design, straw bale construction, earthen plasters and elements of permaculture design.
Common Ground is home to teachers, small business owners and those who are self-employed. It is a testament to living comfortably and sustainably with a greatly reduced carbon foot print." – Sandy Bishop, LCLT executive director

About Lopez Community Land Trust

About Mithun

Attachments

• Lopez Building Section
• Lopez Community Site Rendering

The 150,000 sf project for 810 children (K-12) will join a new business district with market-rate residential high-rises along the Mithi River. Each of the school’s four levels will include open space designed for gatherings where students will collaborate and socialize. This kind of unstructured learning departs significantly from India’s existing education system, but is hoped will inspire children to succeed in ways that cross cultural boundaries, both nationally and internationally. The goal is to establish a model that will appeal to other developing neighborhoods in the area and allow the concept to grow.

“Mithun is looking at India’s construction codes and methods as opportunities for innovation,” says Don Carlson AIA, project architect. “We’ll include a lot of open areas for light, and raise the first level on stilts to make a play space underneath.” Mithun has given the client a homework assignment: Identify the aspects of India’s culture, values and spirituality that should be represented in the school. Designers then will work to find ways for the primarily concrete and glass structure to embody them.

Sustainability is integral to the concept. Shallow depths and operable windows will maximize natural lighting and ventilation. As water and sun are abundant in this region, Mithun sees their potential as resources to benefit the project’s design. For example, water harvesting systems will process excess during the monsoons, as well as grey and black water; open play areas between levels will offer shade and breezes as reprieves from the heat.

“Creating sustainable, innovative learning environments for children has been one of our most cherished opportunities at Mithun,” says David Goldberg AIA, the principal in charge. “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.”

Bhagat Patil of the Kasegaon Education Society (http://www.ritindia.edu/aboutkes.html) envisions the new International School as an independent education designed to bring children the joy of discovery. The model is based on the University Child Development School (UCDS) in Seattle (http://www.ucds.org/), also designed by Carlson. The UCDS will be collaborating with Mithun and Patil to help develop the new school’s educational programs and spaces.

The son of a visionary educator, Patil is working to continue his father’s legacy. In 1945, the elder Patil started the Kasegaon program to reach underserved children in India’s rural villages. Since then, Kasegaon has become one of India’s leading educational societies – expanding opportunities for students of all backgrounds, interests and ages. Current efforts are focusing on Mumbai’s rapidly developing suburbs, recognized for needing schools to grow as healthy mixed-use communities.

Design development is underway for Phase 1. The program is planned as follows:

Phase 1

• 65,000 sf elementary school
• 15,000 sf office space
• 10 apartments for faculty and visiting scholars

Phase 2

• 80,000 sf expansion for middle and high school
• 30,000 sf office space + underground parking

Phase 3

• 140,000 sf reserved for future educational and office uses

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. http://mithun.com

The JSA annually offers some 1,500 architectural professionals, academic researchers, students and the public an international forum to exchange theoretical and practical ideas that address urgent design needs and trends. Creating a broad basis for further projects and research, renowned experts present relevant case studies from their work, as well as new ways of thinking.

Dr. Yeang points out, “Our task is fuelled by the growing realization that if we maintain our current rate of growth, consumption and way of life, this may be our last millennium on Earth.” He adds, “The singularly most compelling question for any designer is: how do we design for a sustainable future?”

Gregory’s presentation will look into Mithun’s preparations for the new environmental economy, offering integrated strategies that combine climate-friendly lifestyle decisions with location for sustainable growth. He says, “We need to redefine the way in which we live, work and prosper. Governments, developers and designers must collaborate to decrease energy demand, switch to green power and offset any remaining carbon.”

Dr. Yeang is recognized for pioneering the passive low-energy design of skyscrapers, or what he calls “bioclimatic” design. Other speakers, also known for their environmental foresight, include Stefan Behnisch, Elma Durmisevic, Thomas Herzog, David Lloyd Jones, Nadav Malin, Simos Yannas, Bill Dunster, Khee Poh Lam, Steven Strong and Michael Pawlyn.

For more information on the conference: http://www.jersemar.org.il/english/

About Mithun

Mithun is recognized for innovative work in sustainable architecture, green technologies, and research in carbon reduction and energy neutral methods. Mithun’s mission is to inspire a sustainable world through leadership, innovation, and integrated design. For more information: mithun.com

Mithun has experienced tremendous opportunity for several years, working to contribute to the world in positive ways. Based in the Seattle area since 1949, the firm has gone from designing resource-efficient buildings to sustainable neighborhoods to integrating habitat strategies and aiding larger natural systems. Although growth in quality rather than size has always been the objective, the result is an increase in demand, including California.
“As our work in California expands, we’re using this occasion to help foster more exciting opportunities for the firm,” says Bert Gregory, FAIA, Mithun’s president and CEO. “The new office in San Francisco reinforces our mission to ‘Inspire a sustainable world through leadership, innovation, and integrated design.’”

Hiring Mendler coincides with these plans, underscoring Mithun’s commitment to sustainable and integrated design excellence. Previously a senior vice president and design principal for HOK in San Francisco, Mendler brings more than 20 years of professional experience during which she led a variety of high profile projects, including office buildings, university buildings and research laboratories. Her strength as a designer emphasizes collaboration to integrate complex requirements into elegant design solutions. 

Over the next several months, Mendler will spend a good deal of time in Mithun’s Seattle office to help plan the new office and engage in projects as a full team member. “I have admired Mithun for years as a firm that really walks the talk,” says Mendler. “I am delighted to join such a strong team – and to become part of a values-based firm that is focused on design, quality and innovation.”

For nearly sixty years, Mithun has advanced design that brings the human and natural worlds into balance. Seeking the best ideas from diverse disciplines, the firm promotes research in practice, along with stronger links between industry, academia and professional organizations. In-house teams of architects, landscape architects, planners, interior designers and ecologists together deliver projects that creatively enrich the human experience and endure.

The firm has designed some of the world’s top-performing places, including the REI Flagship Stores in Seattle and Denver (both recipients of the AIA COTE Top Ten Green award), Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan in Portland, Oregon (the first urban design project to win the AIA COTE Top Ten Green award), IslandWood Environmental Learning Center on Bainbridge Island (the first LEED Gold project in Washington State), and Mosler Lofts (Seattle’s first LEED condominium). Current work in California and the Bay Area includes the UC Irvine Medical Education Building, Sterling of San Francisco senior residential midrise, two mixed-use condominiums in the Bay Meadows development, and a long-term master plan for the San Francisco Zen Center’s Green Gulch Farm.

Mithun’s success reflects a proactive approach to complex issues such as urban density and global climate change. The firm helped to pioneer the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) rating system – the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings, receiving the USGBC Local/Regional Leadership award in 2004. Currently, Mithun is involved with membership on the Core Committee and with two Pilot projects for the new LEED rating system specifically for neighborhood development.

Mendler also has been instrumental in promoting high-performance design. She recently served on the national board of directors of the US Green Building Council, and served as chair of the national AIA Committee on the Environment in 2000 and 2001. She is co-author of two books and numerous articles, and her work is widely published in print and on the Internet. She has taught, lectured and served on peer review and expert panels, and has been invited to speak at dozens of conferences and industry events. An accomplished design leader, her projects include headquarter facilities for the Environmental Protection Agency, World Resources Institute and National Wildlife Federation.

Gregory readily credits exceptional staff with Mithun’s reputation for quality. “People do make the difference,” he says. “Sandy is a great person who embodies our firm’s values and spirit, and we’re excited to have her on board in a leadership role at Mithun, located in San Francisco.”

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, interior design 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, environmental learning, and healthcare projects. For more information: mithun.com