Specialist This category of post is kept from showing in the blogroll. It’s for Special Lists. Ha.

In Memoriam: Claude B. Stoller, FAIA

June 29, 2023| IN MEMORIAM, Specialist|

California’s architectural community recently lost an icon—Claude B. Stoller passed away on May 16, 2023, at his home in Berkeley at the age of 101.

Throughout his lifetime, he was known both for his thoughtful and pragmatic design and as a stalwart advocate for the architect’s role in protecting the natural environment through energy–efficient solutions.

He also is remembered for his activism for low and moderate–income housing, actively engaging the community to develop well–designed, affordable, urban solutions.

He left a lasting mark on the architectural profession and on the many lives he touched.

Read more here.

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2022 AIA California Leadership Celebration and Installation

November 23, 2022| AIACA, Specialist|

REGISTER HERE
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Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground – Merit Award

October 24, 2022| 2022 Urban Design Award Merit, Specialist|

2022 AIA CA urban DESIGN AWARDS

merit award

Willie "Woo Woo" Wong Playground

Architect: CMG Landscape Architects with Jensen Architects

Project Location: San Francisco, California

Photographer: Bruce Damonte

For the comprehensive renovation of this beloved playground, the design team, led by CMG Landscape Architects, looked to the Chinatown community as the authority on its historical importance and changing purpose. Feedback from multilingual surveys and workshops revealed that open play areas, sheltered outdoor space, a renovated clubhouse, and features that reflect Chinese culture were top priorities. The resulting design merges building and landscape, creating an accessible, multi-level community hub that celebrates Chinatown’s rich history.

Opened in 1927, Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground serves as the only space dedicated to active outdoor recreation in San Francisco’s Chinatown. For the remodel of this beloved neighborhood space, the design team looked to the Chinatown community as the undisputed authority on the park’s historical importance and changing purpose. Feedback from multilingual surveys, workshops, and meetings revealed that open play areas, sheltered outdoor space, a renovated clubhouse, and features that reflect Chinese culture were top community priorities. Improving access to the park’s three levels also was critical. Guided by the community’s aspirations, the resulting design both celebrates the park’s cultural significance and rejuvenates the neighborhood with a flexible, multi-use space that is ready for another century of service.

Physically bound by buildings, the park makes the most of its half-acre site, offering spaces for all ages and abilities with three levels — upper courts, middle playground, and lower clubhouse. The upper level is expanded and unified with accessible pathways, stairs, and ramps, that connect the basketball courts and net sports to the lower playground. The opened-up clubhouse — now a flexible indoor plaza — links to the historic street below with a stadium stair and new storefront windows. The interior clubhouse is pared back and painted white, except for a mural by artist, Julie Chang, composed of classic Chinese symbols, “woven” on a grid of concrete blocks. Since reopening in February 2021, this park has already been re-established as an active center of community life — a much-needed place for recreation, wellness, learning, and social connection.

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Sacramento Valley Station – Merit Award

October 24, 2022| 2022 Urban Design Award Merit, Specialist|

2022 AIA CA urban DESIGN AWARDS

merit award

Sacramento Valley Station

Architect: Perkins&Will

Project Location: Sacramento, California

Photographer: Perkins&Will and Steelblue for City of Sacramento / Perkins&Will

This Area Plan will guide the transformation of the 31-acre study area into a sustainable regional mobility hub within a connected, vibrant, and walkable community. With multiple modalities and interests converging in one dense place, the new district will establish a common ground that can capture and reflect the unique character of Sacramento. SVS’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by the ambitious goal of establishing a vision within the Living Community Challenge.

Pioneering a People-First Mobility Hub and Mixed-Use District for California’s Regenerative Future
The Sacramento Valley Station (SVS) Area Plan guides the transformation of the 31-acre infrastructure-encumbered study into a regenerative, world class multi-modal hub within a connected, vibrant, and walkable community – where people take center stage. The Area Plan seeks to capitalize on existing and future mobility infrastructure through the development of high-intensity, mixed-use and mixed income buildings, and, more broadly, to strengthen the connections between Old Sacramento, Downtown Sacramento, and the emerging Railyards District.

Enabling a Low-Carbon Mobility Ecosystem
Sacramento Valley Station is the primary rail station in northern California and the seventh busiest station in the country. However, the station currently hosts many dispersed transit services across the site and lacks the efficiency of a true multimodal hub with no cohesive strategy for supporting the coming transit demands and population growth. The new station concourse, with deep- ties to the region’s heritage, heralds an era of seamless multi-modal connectivity. The Area Plan champions an integrated mobility ecosystem of heavy rail, light rail, regional and inner-city buses, transportation network companies, shared-rideables, bike and pedestrian pathways and future high-speed rail together, connecting the region to the very heart of the city.

Creating a Civic Landmark and Welcoming Gateway to the City
As the new gateway for the City of Sacramento, SVS will be a community hub bringing transit patrons, residents, employees, and visitors together to be immersed in the City’s vibrant and diverse culture through an experience rich public realm network. This includes the transit plaza, a social destination with local restaurants, bars, and retail; the civic plaza, located in front of the historic station, celebrating the site’s history, including a Chinese commemorative garden; the viaduct park, located underneath the I-5 freeway, provides recreational programming and a venue for public art installations; and the regenerative gardens and wetlands, which serve as critical ecological infrastructure, enhancing local habitat and serving as an educational site to the original marshland conditions of the indigenous site.

Going Net Positive for Planet and Community
SVS is slated to serve as an international model of how a downtown district can champion a city’s response to climate change. SVS is designed to accomplish both net-positive water and net-positive energy. Wastewater across SVS will be recycled and delivered back to the buildings to meet all non-potable water demands. Stormwater will be treated and infiltrated using rain gardens located next to the buildings and public streets, and the regenerative garden will aid in the water recycling program. To operate on 100% renewable energy through both on-site power generation and off-site sources, SVS developed a Regenerative Utility Center, which will house a district energy system and distribute both thermal energy and recycled water to the development. Lastly, the emphasis on biophilic design for both horizontal infrastructure and vertical development is intended to prioritize both occupant wellbeing and enhance habitat onsite for native species such as the Purple Martin and Swanson’s Hawk. SVS has been certified by the International Living Futures Institute (ILFI) as the world’s first municipality-led Living Community Challenge Vision Plan.

A New Model for Urban Living
The development program calibrates a balanced mix of uses including market rate and affordable housing, a commercial multi-tenant office tower, a new hotel, active ground floor uses including restaurants, retail, and community spaces, and the repurposed historic station for civic uses. The Area Plan guides the design of distinctive, high-density development that is pedestrian-oriented, reflects the site’s cultural heritage, uses low embodied carbon materials, and champions an
inclusive, resilient built environment, welcoming people from all walks of life in a biophilic setting.

Bringing the Vision to Reality
In July 2022, CalSTA awarded SVS a $49.8 million Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grant funding for reduction of greenhouse gases. This award has initiated the Phase 1 transit infrastructure – the design of the new bus mobility center, relocation of the light rail train tracks and platform – a critical piece of the low carbon mobility ecosystem.

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Hartford 400 – Honor Award

October 24, 2022| 2022 Urban Design Award Honor, Specialist|

2022 AIA CA URBAN DESIGN AWARDS

Honor award

Hartford 400

Architect: Suisman Urban Design

Project Location: Hartford, Connecticut

Photos: Suisman Urban Design

Hartford 400 is a river-centered vision plan for Connecticut’s capital region. The plan orchestrates three transformative urban infrastructure projects: “River Road” caps an obstructing freeway and floodwall to provide access to riverfront parkland; “Midtown” replaces a massive and wasteful highway interchange with a new walkable riverfront district; “The Hartline” converts a divisive rail and highway trench into a lateral urban greenway. Completion is timed for 2035, the 400th anniversary of the region’s urban settlement.

For 70 years, freeway and flood control infrastructure has blockaded Hartford from its river, and isolated the historically Black community of North Hartford, while working-class East Hartford has been overburdened with a gargantuan freeway interchange. The river bridges are all highways and discourage or prohibit biking and walking across. The new infrastructure bill has created a historic opportunity to restructure the freeway system to overcome these barriers.

Removing, relocating, tunneling, or capping major freeway segments will reunite both sides of the river, connect city neighborhoods with new and expanded riverfront parks, and remove historic discriminatory barriers that have hampered economic and social development. Two existing freeway bridges will be converted to street bridges, with the addition of a new third bridge to Coltsville National Historical Park , all designed to encourage transit, biking, and walking along and across the river.

Three transformative projects completed by 2035 for the region’s 400th anniversary: 1) River Road caps I-91 and the 47’ high floodwall to provide continuous waterfront access and add 1.5 miles of parkland; 2) Midtown replaces East Hartford’s “mixmaster” interchange with a new walkable riverfront district; 3) The Hartline replaces a divisive highway trench with an urban greenway for North Hartford, the central segment of a 14-mile bike-walk-transit trail connecting both sides of the river.

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Atherton Library – Climate Action Award

October 7, 2022| 2022 Climate Action Award, 2022 Design Award Recipient, Specialist|

2022 AIA CA DESIGN AWARDS

Climate Action Award

Atherton Library

Architect: WRNS Studio

Project Location: Atherton, California

Photographer: Bruce Damonte

Set on the wooded site of Atherton’s recently built Civic Center, the new, light-filled 9,601-sf library is designed as a welcoming hub for community engagement. The healthy, low-carbon, all-electric project nestles into its locale with a modern design that reflects current and future trends, including multi-use spaces which can easily be adapted for patrons’ needs. 

“A handsome, well-planned addition with excellent technical performance. The design is a welcome complement to the existing building striking a deft balance of scale, proportion and materials. Commendable performance criteria include:

  • All-electric
  • Stormwater management measures
  • Prepped for future PV
  • Rammed earth exterior walls
  • Natural daylight and ventilation techniques
  • On-site greywater treatment system
  • Future cistern
  • Focus on healthy material selection.”

– 2022 Design Awards Jury

Design for Integration

Commitment to sustainability drove the design with daylighting, natural ventilation, highly-efficient building systems and materials, and access to open spaces, reducing the need for artificial lighting, cooling, and heating, all while improving IAQ. With extreme heat and wildfires a threat, rammed earth walls were erected due to their superior thermal mass and temperature control. And with water-shortage a reality, native and drought-tolerant landscaping can preserve the beauty of the site during severe drought, helping people’s well-being while limiting reliance on municipal water.

Design for Equitable Communities

Shaped by the community, the library is a destination for discovery and growth with an expanded collection, range of resources and events, and unmatched technological opportunities.

Design for Ecosystems

With an eye on conservation, the existing redwood dell that borders the western facade was preserved and a storm management approach with bioswales and pervious paving integrated. The trees are both a meaningful symbol for the Town and an ecological resource for migratory birds — the Atherton Coastal Mountain Ridgeline is the only place on the San Francisco Peninsula that connects the coastal wetlands to the ocean.

Moreover, the new library features outdoor decks connected to the building, which lead to treelined walkways and open garden spaces embedded on the larger site. Native and drought-tolerant plantings attract pollinators and further connect visitors to the project’s wooded locale.

Design for Water

Dual-plumbing and water-wise fixtures lessen demand. A storm management approach with bioswales and pervious paving was integrated into the design with rain gardens and landscaping treating and retaining water before it filters into the aquifer. An on-site greywater treatment and disposal system, coupled with the future underground cistern, which will collect rainwater from the roof and be reused for lavatories and irrigation, further reduce municipal reliance.

Design for Economy

The design relies on natural ventilation and sunlight, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling. Constructed of low-carbon rammed earth walls that provide thermal mass, the all-electric building also features a highly-efficient mechanical system that replaces fossil fuel-based systems while maintaining an even, comfortable temperature, even during extreme months.

Multi-use areas are distributed throughout. Pre-assembled bookcases line the walls with seating nooks intermittently carved out to maximize space. Serving dual purpose, dedicated meeting rooms can be used for quiet work or group gatherings. The maker space deck, along with the outdoor decks anchoring each wing, provide indoor-outdoor space, extending the building’s use, while mature redwoods offer additional shaded areas to enjoy.

As an addition to the San Mateo County library system, which is consistently ranked as one of the best libraries in the nation, the project addresses affordability by serving a diverse, county-wide population. As a community hub, the library prides itself on creating an inclusive sense of place, offering resources and programs to foster ongoing learning regardless of income, social status, race, or political affiliation. Library cards are free and all are welcomed! No membership or purchase necessary to enjoy the building and its programs.

Design for Energy

The all-electric, ZNE-ready building is wired for 100-kW PV rooftop array intended to supply 100% of the structure’s energy. The high-efficient building envelope of insulated rammed earth walls, high-performing low-E glazing, and a high solar reflectance index (SRI) roof system that alleviates the heat island effect, work together to reduce modeled-energy. Operable windows allow warm, stale air to be exhausted through the roof while displacement ventilation provided by Underfloor Air Distribution system improves ventilation efficiency, thermal comfort, and IAQ, all while reducing energy use. LED lighting with dimming controls, along with plug load controls, further reduce wattage. A slatted trellis overhang at the entrance, made from FSC-cedar, provides shade while mitigating heat gain. The library has a projected EUI of 28.6 kBtu/sf and is targeting LEED Platinum.

Design for Well-being

As a community hub, health and wellness was a driving factor. An airy design of expansive, operable windows and glazed doors take advantage of the temperate climate and flood the interiors with natural light and fresh air. The building provides over 80% of its regularly occupied spaces with daylight measurable within 25-500 foot candles on the autumnal equinox.

Several spaces have access to outdoor decks — the maker space deck allows little ones to burn off energy and the outdoor decks at each end, allow visitors to be outside under the shade from the sun. Regional, renewable, low and no-VOC materials and FSC-wood contribute to improved IAQ and do double duty, improving acoustics with perforated wood paneling.

The people-centered project is meant to be an inspiring, safe place for the community to gather.

Design for Resources

Innovative materials were key to reducing the project’s embodied and operational carbon. The structural system is specifically designed to last 75+ years. While site and soil conditions required significant concrete pile foundations, the team carefully designed low-carbon concrete mixes for all concrete applications. Strategies for reducing cement content included 56-day cure times and up to 70% cement replacement with fly ash and slag. Additionally, the team incorporated rammed earth walls as a carbon-saving measure and as a way to use local resources.

Interior material selection focused on human health and adhered to CDPH, EPD and HPD, including no-VOC carpets and wall coverings, and the recycled kiln-tiled wall coverings in the maker space. Garapa hardwood, naturally resistant to rot, decay and insect attack, was selected for the expansive outdoor decks. Felled redwoods were spliced in half and provide outdoor bench seating. The exposed grain acts in harmony with the cobblestone pathways and the fine-grained timber decking of the outdoor terraces.

Furthermore, the library uses existing infrastructure — the Historic Town Hall — as a multipurpose space for events, reducing the environmental impacts of building anew while creating a synergistic civic center campus design.

Combined, the strategies resulted in the library’s whole life-cycle embodied carbon footprint of approximately 26.5 kg CO2e/sf.

Design for Change

The library is designed as a modern, light-filled community hub to accommodate the Town of Atherton’s current needs and long-term growth.

Exterior materials have a minimum 75-year lifespan with outstanding thermal and emissivity values. The decision to use low-carbon, rammed earth for the walls aligned with the town’s sustainability goals while ensuring resiliency against extreme heat and the threat of wildfires, which the area is prone to.

During construction, a wall of rammed earth was mocked-up to test its design, constructibility and thermal mass. Coupled with the entrance’s slatted wood trellis and high-performance glazing, the envelope mitigates heat gain and is much less susceptible to future temperature swings. Using environmentally-sound, long-lasting materials not only reduces embodied and operational carbon today, but also future-proofs the planet for tomorrow.

Climate change also dictated the landscaping. Mature redwoods and native and drought-tolerant plantings create a wooded, parklike setting. When water is really scarce, the grounds can still provide a pleasing place of respite.

Moreover, the adaptable floor plan can accommodate changing town needs and unforeseen hazards such as Covid. Spacious open areas work well with social distance requirements. Decking, prominently placed, offers direct access to outside air and sunlight. Operable windows and skylights better circulate interior air. From a psychological perspective, the design delivers a sense of comfort, important during stressful times.

With an eye on the future, the project committed to building electrification, with no on-site combustion. To eliminate reliance on natural gas while improving indoor air quality, a highly-efficient underfloor air distribution and displacement ventilation system (UFAD) was installed. The modular UFAD components make it convenient and less expensive to reconfigure space should the project be renovated. Plus, the system allows for the lower costs associated with churn rates if the building needs to be reconfigured, relocated, or the interiors changed.

Additionally, the proximity of the library to the other buildings on the site, one which shares outdoor decking space and will house a cafe, make it ripe to accommodate growth and changing community needs, as well as adapt to other uses down the road, such as an event space, retreat center, or educational building.

And with torrid heat, raging wildfires and prolonged drought an ongoing environmental threat, the building is at increased risk of power outages. To address California’s electric grid demand, the building is wired for 100kW PV rooftop solar array, intended to supply 100% of library’s energy.

Design for Discovery

This project leveraged community input and the town’s commitment to a healthy, low-carbon, welcoming design.

One part reading center (quiet spaces offer solitude), one part learning space (the library has an expansive collection, offers a range of resources, and hosts educational and community events for all ages) and one part maker space (the maker space and digital lab feature 3d printers, laser cutting and sewing machines, among other hands-on experiences) — the library is designed as a place for discovering.

As the town’s “front porch” — a central gathering hub for all ages — the design process involved the entire community. The collaborative effort entailed a feedback loop on design aesthetics, sustainability aspirations, and construction, with the Town of Atherton providing public updates each step of the way.

This communal strategy is personified in the building design which is meant to flex with changing community needs. Curved interior walls invite visitors to explore the various areas. Oval-shaped skylights delight as they cast soft circles of light. Different seating clusters distributed throughout offer spaces of solitude to discover what’s within, gathering areas to socialize, and tables and computer workstations to learn together or alone. The maker space invites hands-on discovery meant to enage and inspire. The outdoor areas encourage mobility and are strategically placed, providing equitable opportunity to wander out and about.

A project that has spanned approximately eight years, the design process inherently fostered a long-term relationship between the designers, the users, and the operators, who all shared the same vision — create a community heart, capture the town spirit, and be mindful of the environment.

Being environmentally-sensitive was of utmost importance. However, the upfront costs of building sustainably and what each stakeholder wanted to integrate into their sustainable program varied. While the project couldn’t embed all the suggested sustainable strategies due to budgets, the dialogue led to designing with future integrations in mind.

The collaborative process of designing for what is right leads to many paths which require research and sharing with the town leadership and community. These paths include the pursuit of highly-efficient building systems, thermal and electrical energy storage, and the elimination of the use of fossil fuels in the design. They also include renewable energy sourcing, when budget permits. While not all pursued paths will lead to a place within the project’s budget or scope, their pursuit forges a clearer path for all as we move toward cleaner and more efficient energy-use.

In the future, to guide more constructive conversations, we recommend to develop a “sustainable expectations” document that can be shared with Bidders prior to Bid Award. This will provide insight into intent, and could help certain systems like rammed earth construction.

The library opened this summer. There are plans for post-occupancy evaluation. Also, as the project pursues the rigors of LEED Platinum certification, performance and energy data will be reviewed and shared so that the library performs as designed and with the hopes of improving the functionality and performance over the life of the building.

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The Harvey B. Milk Terminal 1 – Climate Action Award

October 6, 2022| 2022 Climate Action Award, 2022 Design Award Recipient, Specialist|

2022 AIA CA DESIGN AWARDS

Climate Action Award

The Harvey B. Milk Terminal 1

Architect: Woods Bagot / ED2 International / HKS / KYA / Gensler / Kuth Ranieri / Hamilton + Aitken Architects

Project Location: San Francisco, California

Photographer: Joe Fletcher and Jason O’Rear

Harvey Milk Terminal 1 is one of SFO’s largest projects to date, designed to accommodate a 70% increase in passenger capacity while achieving a 60% reduction in energy use from current operations. Terminal 1 sets a new benchmark for world-class air travel while reflecting Bay Area values. The design embodies a philosophy that induces a “quiet wow,” fostering a sense of discovery and delight, leaving a lasting impression of SFO that celebrates the joy of travel.

“A beautiful, high-performing project from top to bottom, earning high scores in all areas of sustainability – we hope airport designers around the country and world will take note of the innovations in San Francisco. Commendable performance criteria include:

  • Low energy people movers and baggage handling equipment
  • Active facade systems to control solar gains
  • FitWel certified airport
  • PEUI was reduced by 66%
  • Reduced embodied carbon by 16% through the careful selection of materials”

– 2022 Design Awards Jury

Design for Integration

Core to the project’s concept is embodying the characteristics of Bay Area Naturalism throughout the design as a means to encourage users’ wellbeing and sense of place, but the appreciation of the community and planet goes much deeper. In fact, the project team’s dedication to designing a sustainable and future-proof project that benefits today’s users and those to come yielded the world’s first-ever LEED v4 Platinum-certified airport terminal and a new template for sustainable design.

Design for Equitable Communities

Inspired by the legacy of Harvey Milk, the Terminal embodies the values of the San Francisco Bay Area, welcoming all. A variety of seating accommodates different activities and abilities. In addition to 2 play areas, and lactation rooms, each gate lounge has a family friendly area with child sized furniture. The first all gender restrooms at the airport provide equitable choice for all. Animal companions have pet restrooms and amenities too. T1 has convenient access to public transit, a safe pedestrian infrastructure, and access to free water supplies. It was designed to reduce stress through clear wayfinding and better lighting.

Design for Ecosystems

The Terminal is part of a larger airport campus that highly values the surrounding environment and ecology of the Bay Area. The airport is home to three federally protected species: The San Francisco garter snake, the California red-legged frog and the Ridgway’s rail and actively restores their habitat. Additionally the project supports these efforts by reducing the energy and carbon impacts through design to lessen the operating environmental impact over the decades that it will be in operation. Passengers are exposed to these efforts through a robust sustainability messaging program implemented in the terminal.

Design for Water

SFO is committed not just to water conservation, but also leading water stewardship. The T1 project is dual plumbed to utilize the upcoming on-site tertiary treated industrial wastewater for landscape and restroom flush fixtures. Low-flow, hands-free bathroom fixtures and faucets are projected to reduce water demands 33% below LEED baseline. Chilled water is provided from SFO’s Central Utility Plant whose Cooling Towers are operated in accordance with the LEED Cooling Tower Water Use credit, achieving at least 10 cooling tower cycles without exceeding maximum concentration parameters.

Design for Economy

To place the project in context, construction was executed in a high construction cost region and in the middle of an active airport and, despite the pandemic, the original schedule was maintained. The planning and design of the concourse allow for significant operational flexibility, providing excellent value for money for the owner. The gates are all capable of being used by any airline and aircraft, in any combination of international and domestic arrivals and departures; direct boarding from airline clubs is also possible. The Client has declared that this project is their new benchmark for future terminal improvements.

Design for Energy

Energy conservation and GHG reduction measures were prioritized at every project stage, resulting in a tremendous 59% EUI reduction and LEED Platinum accreditation. The project is poised to meet carbon zero emissions with the upcoming Central Utility Plant modernization. Highlights include: designing for an all-electric future; dynamic glazed windows to reduce peak solar loads and improve comfort; optimized glazing to harness daylight; tote-based baggage system that uses 50% less energy; Go-Slow escalators and moving walkways; energy regenerative elevators; radiant heating and cooling to complement displacement ventilation; and, 2.5 MW PV system that provides over 14% of the project’s energy use.

Design for Well-being

T1 is the first airport terminal in the world to achieve Fitwel certification. Daylighting through dramatic oculus skylights, clerestories in circulation ,aid in wayfinding and provide a sense of comfort and delight. Occupied spaces have expansive windows with views, dynamic (electrochromic) glazing providing high quality light while reducing glare. Human health was prioritized in material selection by utilizing the Precautionary Principle and Health Product Declarations (HPDs), low or no-VOC emitting products, and avoidance of pvc and flame retardants. Indoor air quality testing ventilation and air filtration systems are optimized for human health.

Design for Resources

Sustainable resource thinking was woven throughout the project’s design and construction process. Early whole building LCA informed opportunities for the use of low carbon concrete, steel, flooring and wallboard, leading to a 16% reduction in the project’s embodied carbon footprint. With the owner’s Zero Waste to Landfill goal, considerable attention was paid to the design of recycling, food scrap and waste receptacles and placement and construction waste management (achieving over 90% diversion). Embracing circular thinking, material selection prioritized materials designed for disassembly, with high recycled content and extended producer responsibility programs, including flooring, ceiling products, and furniture.

Design for Change

In addition to the robust sustainability goals established at the onset of the project, being at the nexus of innovation in San Francisco informed how the project team conceived of a forward-looking and adaptable terminal that would efficiently accommodate future needs and technological advances. Beyond the tech-enhanced wayfinding system that will adapt to new messaging needs over time, the design of the concourse and associated gates anticipate fluctuations in air travel now and in the future by being able to adjust to the needs of any airline and a diverse range of aircrafts for both domestic and international travel. Furthermore, the building’s net-zero net energy (ZNE) consumption plan and LEED v4 Platinum accreditation lay the groundwork for ongoing sustainability integrations to an already highly environmentally conscious design.

Design for Discovery

Inspired by the design of California’s picturesque landscapes, the new Harvey Milk Terminal 1 is choreographed as an episodic journey, shaped by themes of Bay Area Naturalism and the beauty of its regional environment. As a very large project made from many small, interconnected experiences, the terminal promotes discovery and delight through the design and crafting of its journey moments heightened by the intuitiveness of the architecture, integration of wayfinding, and crafting of local materials to guide the guests from landside to airside. At the onset of the design process our visionary client asked us to “dream big,” and we did. Both the Terminal 1 Center and Boarding Area B integrated design / build teams met regularly throughout the concept, schematic, and design development phases to vet ideas and refine directions. It was a rich process that harkened back to the academic design studio. The design process for the new Terminal 1 was facilitated by the unprecedented creation of the SFO Big Room, a 200-seat, 30,000 SF temporary office building that housed the design/build teams awarded the Terminal 1 project. This stand-alone enabling project built within a commercial airplane hangar encouraged cross-disciplinary collaboration between all disciplines working on the terminal. The space set the stage for real-time exchange that fostered long-term trusted relationships between the client, designers, and operators. In hindsight, this process led to a remarkably thoughtful series of interconnected design solutions; however, we feel the process could have been streamlined by introducing the role of a “design liaison” earlier in the process to expedite the stakeholders’ decision-making process. The lessons learned during the process are not surprising though, as the workplace model we invented to fit our needs was original and did not have an existing template for success, but this is what likely created the environment for innovation in which we all thrived. In addition to being our dynamic workplace, the Big Room also served as a think-tank and lab to test ideas through the construction of full-scale mockups as well as furniture and equipment pilots to ensure design intentions were realized and built outcomes would optimize access and delight for the users long-term.

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The Prow – Climate Action Award

October 6, 2022| 2022 Climate Action Award, 2022 Design Award Recipient, Specialist|

2022 AIA CA DESIGN AWARDS

Climate Action Award

The Prow

Architect: Aidlin Darling Design

Project Location: Seattle, Washington

Photographer: Adam Rouse

Located on Expedia Group’s new 40-acre corporate campus bordering Seattle’s coastline, the Prow is a biophilic retreat for the company’s staff and executives. The design creates a soulful sanctuary that is integrated with the surrounding environment and away from the day-to-day offices, allowing employees to clear their mind and thus spurring innovation. The resulting concept was driven by two primary influences: form and function.

“An extraordinary project that is uplifting and transformative. Use of local/regional materials, vegetated roof, passive cooling strategies, and biophilia all contributed to its success.” – 2022 Design Awards Jury

Design for Integration

The building gesture is born from a series of cascading plateaus descending from the offices down to Elliot Bay. The walls are crafted from the same stone as the riprap along the Elliott Bay shoreline. As the building emerges from these biodiverse terraces, its planted roof plane restores native vegetation to the site, previously covered in a water-dependent manicured lawn. In short, The Prow is a living part of the landscape design itself.

Design for Equitable Communities

The Prow was specifically designed with an extensive exterior deck and interior meeting space to allow for a range of Expedia Group’s needs including programmed events for local and visiting employees.

Design for Ecosystems

If any design aspect of The Prow resonates most clearly, it is its intrinsic and inextricable connection to place – the Pacific Northwest and more acutely the Seattle waterfront and Elliot Bay. The building gesture is born from a series of cascading plateaus descending from the office buildings of the new campus down to Elliot Bay, who’s edges are defined by canted stone rip rap walls – the same stone as the rip rap found along the adjacent waterfront shoreline protecting the land from the fluctuating tidal bay. As the building emerges from these biodiverse terraces, the planted roof plane of The Prow returns native vegetation to the footprint the building now occupies, which was previously covered in a water dependent manicured lawn from the previous campus grounds. As the newly restored landscape on the roof of the building matures, the flora will sponsor a return of the fauna indigenous to the area – mosses and lichens on the rip rap walls, insects that pollenate flowers, birds that feed on the insects, and so on.

Design for Water

The Prow uses low flow plumbing fixtures with sensor operation on faucets and filtered water equipment. All rain water that falls on the roof is either absorbed by the vegetated roof plantings, or naturally makes its way to the bioswale integrated into the landscape at the tail end of the building. All potable water used for irrigation, at the Prow and on the entire site, is highly efficient in it’s systems as part of the Gold Certification for the SITES v2.

Design for Economy

The Prow is inherently a multi-use space, that can host a variety of functions – small brainstorming sessions to large thinktanks, lectures, events, gatherings, et al. As such, the economic advantage of the space for Expedia Group is that the Prow is truly a multi-dimensional, multi-usable space that can be emptied of furniture and reprogrammed within a day’s notice, and re-imagined in the future when it’s use could be modified to accommodate changing demands.

Design for Energy

The envelope of the building strived to meet the dualling demands of the stringent SEC’s efficient energy consumption requirements, and the ample natural daylight and fresh air access concerns of a healthy, well-balanced building. By maximizing the glazing area allowed by code, natural daylight is used for the illumination of the interior spaces for a large percentage of its day use. In parallel to this, the building uses high performance, thermally broken aluminum storefront and sliding door systems with high efficiency IGUs to meet energy efficiency requirements, along with undergoing rigorous air tight testing required for SEC compliance.

Design for Well-being

The Prow was designed as a biophilic retreat within the unfolding landscape of the urban campus’s design. It’s roof gesture and interior spatial orientation were generated to maximize illumination of the spaces with natural daylight for the majority of its day use. A large panel of sliding glass doors opens on to an exterior deck to blend interior and exterior activities, providing each with ample fresh air. Fresh air dampers also allow for clean interior air circulation when external weather conditions do not allow the doors to be open. All materials also meet the strict Salmon Safe Toxicity Guidelines.

Design for Resources

The Prow was designed to gracefully age with its natural surroundings. As the majority of the exposed monolithic walls were created from rip-rap quarry spalled stone, the presence of patina over time will add to its character, and will require zero maintenance. The overall material palette is defined by indigenous Pacific Northwest materials, expressed by the warm wooden floors and ceiling composed of locally sourced Douglas Fir, and dark stained rough sawn cedar siding used on the interior cabinetry. What metal finishes are exposed use durable powder coat marine grade finishes to reduce or eliminate the need for future refinishing.

Design for Change

The Prow has been specifically designed as a multi-functional space that is able to meet the fluctuating needs of the client, as well as its engagement with the community. With the shifting and / or removal of interior furnishings, the space can be transformed into an event space, a lecture hall, a small or large scaled casual gathering space, or any host of other programs that could be accommodated through its open design.

Design for Discovery

Approaching the Prow from within the campus, one is met by two black portals elegantly positioned within a single-story stone wall—representing the threshold between the everyday and the aspirational. The larger of the two is flanked by sidelights that quietly reveal a wooden interior and Elliott Bay in the distance. Once inside, the occupant is surrounded by a singular room crafted from natural materials. The northern and eastern walls are solid, while the southern and western walls are glazed—dramatically framing a panoramic yet intimate view of Mount Rainier and Elliott Bay. The south facing glazing retracts and opens to a floating deck covered by a 50-foot cantilevered, rising roof plane. In its current configuration, a heroic Nakashima table with seating for twenty people that facilitates meetings with satellite offices around the world anchors the northern end of the main space. Centered on the expansive view, a casual seating area for individual and collective brainstorming is situated which overlaps in to outdoor furniture on the exterior deck. As a user moves to the most southern tip of the floating deck, an intimate gathering of seating around a fireplace is found – the fire being the original vehicle for transcendent thought.

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