Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog » Elicia Ratajczyk

Historic Preservation and Sustainability – One Strategy Contributing to Both Goals

Elicia Ratajczyk — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:51 +0000

Dean and I had a very interesting meeting with the Heritage Resources Program Leader for the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service last week and during our meeting we began discussing the idea of sustainability and historic preservation. This very topic will be the theme of the upcoming 2010 Saving Places Conference which is presented annually by Colorado Preservation Inc. and has become something of a hot (and sometimes controversial) topic in historic preservation circles as of late.

Both Sustainability and Historic Preservation are passions for me personally, and have played a huge role in my pursuit of architecture. I believe that sustainability is much more than “green building” and must effectively balance environmental, economical & social concerns in order to be successful. As a very important social concern in the built environment, I view the practice of Historic Preservation as both the source of many important sustainability concepts, methods and strategies and also as a valuable Green Design strategy in and of itself. Not much more than 100 years ago, most buildings were built according to many of today’s “green” standards out of necessity. They were built according to long standing practices that took the natural forces, site considerations and efficiency of the building and it’s site into account because that was the only way that you could afford to build. Materials, transportation and resources were not as readily available as they are today. In addition, they were built using local materials and craftsman who were experts in using regionally important practices, a concept only added to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating Systems as of 2009! It is a broadly held misconception today that all old buildings are not energy efficient. It wasn’t until somewhat recently (starting in the 50’s & 60's), that buildings and their systems started becoming seriously inefficient with the widespread availability of cheap materials and energy which made it economical to build this way. Many historic buildings have terrific thermal envelopes and incorporate great green building strategies such as passive solar design & natural ventilation. Preserving an existing historic building can be a very effective sustainable design strategy for today and can preserve local cultural resources, conserve natural resources, keep tons of waste out of the landfill and often save money at the same time!

It is important, however, to approach a Historic Preservation project with sensitivity when considering incorporating green building strategies. Slapping some PV panels onto the building would be an even less successful green strategy in a historic preservation project than it is in any green building project. Depending on the intended use of the project after completion and the historic preservation goals for the project, there is a broad range of green building strategies that could be incorporated into the project. For example, beyond upgrades to the buildings equipment and fixtures, alternative power sources such as geothermal, remote wind power or remote ground mount PV installations could be considered (especially for remote or “off-grid” locations) that are hidden underground at the building site. In addition, rigid insulation and wiring can be effectively hidden behind traditional plastering methods at building interiors to upgrade the thermal envelope and systems, if necessary. These are just a couple examples of how the addition of new technologies can be incorporated into a project without compromising the integrity of the preservation goals. The important and pivotal piece of the success of the project becomes the prioritization and communication of the project goals. Effective project planning, prioritization of the project goals and a little bit of creativity and innovation can lead to a very successful and sustainable historic preservation project!

Originally posted 2009-10-15 00:15:30.

LEED Project Team Formation is an Important First Step in any LEED Certification Project

Elicia Ratajczyk — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:37 +0000

The first step in preparing for the LEED Certification process on a building project is the formation of the LEED Project Team. Integrated design is one of the most important sustainability strategies and a good project team will become the key to an integrated, efficient, cost-effective and ultimately successful sustainable design and LEED Certification project. It is important to include as many of the Project Team members as may be needed early in the process because this allows for a more seamless flow of information and work and allows for the valuable input of multiple experienced and knowledgeable stakeholders in the project from the onset. Every project will have a different team formation because every project will have different needs and sometimes multiple roles may be filled by a single team member. The following list includes some of the most common team members that may be included on a LEED project:

Project Administrator – By default, the person who registers the project with the USGBC will become the Project Administrator for LEED Online. This person should be a LEED-AP (accredited professional), if possible, and should be experienced and knowledgeable about LEED certification projects and process. This person is responsible for managing the assignment of team roles in LEED Online and the management of all of the LEED documentation and coordination throughout the LEED certification process.
Developer / Owner – This is the person responsible for making the final decisions for the project including all strategies, targets, project goals, financial decisions etc.
General Contractor – This is the person responsible for the construction of the project and plays a key role in assuring that all of the LEED strategies and design elements are effectively and efficiently carried through to reality. It is helpful if this person has previous experience with LEED or green building projects but not essential if they are included in the process from the beginning of the project and there is a LEED-AP or experienced Project Administrator on the project team.
Sustainability Consultant – This person is knowledgeable and experienced with LEED, green building or sustainability projects. This person should be a LEED-AP as well and will provide valuable knowledge, resources and structure to the LEED certification process.
Architect / Designer – This is the person responsible for the architectural design of the building. An architect with experience in LEED or other green building or sustainability projects can skillfully include highly effective, low-cost sustainability strategies into the design of a high performance building such as passive solar design, reduced building footprint, etc.
Landscape Architect – This is the person responsible for the landscape planning of the site and can also skillfully include a number of highly effective, low-cost strategies into the design that will benefit the project goals and LEED certification.
Engineers – This category may include Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) Engineering. The engineers are responsible for a large portion of the LEED criteria, including both pre-requisites and credits and are the key to designing a truly integrated and efficient building design.
Energy Modeler – This team member will model the energy usage of the building according to the required standards and utilizing the required software platforms that conform to LEED criteria and a myriad of additional modeling needs that may be included in the project goals such as analysis for tax incentives, energy rebates and additional building or energy certifications for the project.
Commissioning Authority – This is the person responsible for organizing, coordinating & overseeing the Commissioning of the building after construction and according to the LEED criteria, must have previous experience on a minimum of two LEED projects. Although the commissioning does not take place until after the major building systems have been installed and are operational, it is very helpful to include this team member early in the process so that they can provide valuable information, resources, real-world experience and knowledge from their previous LEED projects.

These team members are essential to the success of a LEED certification and building process and each of the above mentioned roles should be filled in some capacity. As previously mentioned, it is possible that a single team member may fulfill several of the above mentioned roles. For example, it is common for the MEP Engineer to also be the Energy Modeler and even sometimes the Commissioning Authority or for the Architect or Designer to be the Project Administrator and/or Sustainability Consultant. The following list includes some more team roles that are helpful to a LEED certification project and should be included in the Project Team meetings whenever possible:

Broker / Real Estate Agent
Marketing / PR Director
Financial Manager / Cost Consultant
Facility Manager
Suppliers
Key Sub-contractors
Key Stakeholders (building tenants, users, community members)

EVstudio includes several LEED-AP’s who are experienced on previous LEED certification projects. In addition, EVstudio incorporates green building practices and sustainability strategies into our design strategies for each project. There are many strategies that improve livability without increasing cost. It is our philosophy that sustainable design is sensible design and that many of the most effective strategies require great designers, not great amounts of money.

Originally posted 2009-09-12 00:24:19.

The Importance of Specifications and MasterFormat

Elicia Ratajczyk — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:57:38 +0000

According to the Dictionary of Architecture & Construction a specification is “a written document describing in detail the scope of work, materials to be used, methods of installation, and quality of workmanship for a parcel of work to be placed under contract; usually utilized in conjunction with working (contract) drawings in building construction”. In turn, a collection of specifications is defined as “a part of the contract documents contained in the project manual consisting of written descriptions of a technical nature of materials, equipment, construction systems, standards and workmanship”.

Specifications, as defined above, are typically involved in many project types including commercial, municipal and other large scale projects. They become especially important when a project is utilizing a public bidding process or when there are very detailed requirements for the project. Although specifications are not meant to address all issues that may come up during construction, they typically outline how to deal with issues in the field and define the project in much greater detail than drawings, contracts and agreements alone.

The nationally accepted industry standard guiding the preparation of construction specifications in North America is called MasterFormat and is published by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC). MasterFormat 2004 is currently the most commonly used version although MasterFormat 2010 is now being deployed and MasterFormat 1995 is still in common use even though CSI completely ceased its support of the 1995 version as of December 31, 2009. MasterFormat 2004 contains 50 divisions and provides a framework of divisions, section numbers, section titles and a standardized outline format in which design teams can consistently organize information about a project.

There are generally two different types of specifications including Performance Specifications, which are focused on the level of performance and workmanship that must be achieved in the project and Prescriptive Specifications which are focused on specific products & vendors or even specific contractors that are acceptable for each scope of work. Performance specifications are typically written by the design team either directly or in conjunction with a consultant specializing in specification writing. Many prescriptive (or proprietary) specifications can be downloaded for free on the internet either from the product manufacturers or through collective websites such as Arcat. In addition, there are a number of software platforms available for aiding in the writing of specifications including MasterSpec by ARCOM, SpecLink by Building Systems Design (BSD) and SPECTEXT by the Construction Sciences Research Foundation, Inc. Software platforms are continuing to develop along with construction trends and technology as well and now also include platforms that work in conjunction with the new Building Information Modeling (BIM) CAD platforms and are specifically geared toward green building technology and LEED certification.

Specifications play an important role in the ultimate success of any construction project. It is important that all of the goals and intents for the project are considered in the specifications including those of the client, a fully integrated design team, the builder and the eventual tenants. Specifications that are clear, well written and organized according to MasterFormat can result in greater bid accuracy, reduced complications in the field, quantifiable measures of the projects success and clarity of the client’s requirements and desires throughout the project lifecycle. EVstudio regularly incorporates specifications into many project types and our integrated project team results in a better specification as well. We can also integrate BIM technology, LEED requirements and any other project requirements into specifications that will increase the success of your building project and the construction process. Please contact us with any questions or for more information!

Originally posted 2010-08-06 14:16:51.

Design by Community: Laying the Groundwork for Innovative Housing Solutions Webinar

Elicia Ratajczyk — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:12:02 +0000

Elicia Ratajczyk, Associate at EVstudio will be moderating the August webinar for Housing Colorado next Tuesday (August 23rd) at 2pm. Housing Colorado is the states leading affordable housing advocacy organization and hosts numerous professional networking and education events throughout the year, including the annual Housing Now! Conference and Expo.

The Design by Community Webinar will explore the Design Charrette / Workshop model that has emerged from the success, experiences and lessons learned during last year's Conference based Design Charrettes. Elicia participated in last years event as a Team Leader for one of the three projects selected and has spent the year following the event working with the Charrette Committee to plan, organize and make this year's conference charrettes even better and expand the program to offer both Conference based and On-Site Charrettes to the affordable housing community in 2012!

WEBINARe
New Date: Tuesday, August 23 Webinar
Design by Community: Laying the Groundwork for Innovative Housing Solutions
About the program:
Learn about the process and benefits of the Design Charrette concept and how it has already begun to drive home some of the most innovative, sustainable and exciting affordable housing projects across Colorado through the creative collaboration of a diverse community of stakeholder and professional involvement.
2-3pm Mountain Time
Presenters:
Nancy Engelken, Housing Colorado
Joe Rowan, Funding Partners
Chuck Perry, Perry Rose
Don Hartman, Grand Junction Housing Authority
Elicia Ratajczyk, EVstudio
Online event.
Free for Housing Colorado Members.
Check your membership status here.
RSVP here.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/140587970

Kirsten Vermulen
Director of Education/Membership Programs
Housing Colorado!
225 East 16th Avenue, Ste #575 Denver, CO 80203
303.863.0125 Direct / 303.589.5403 Cell
303.863.0127 FAX
www.housingcolorado.org

LEED ID Credits – New LEED Pilot Credit Library

Elicia Ratajczyk — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:55:27 +0000

Earlier this year, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced a new dimension to their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating Systems for green building certifications known as the Pilot Credit Library (PCL). The PCL currently includes 41 Pilot Credits which can be pursued as Innovation in Design (ID) or Innovation in Operations (IO) credits under any of the LEED 2009 Rating Systems. Up to 5 Innovation Credits may be earned. The Pilot Credits include Alternative Compliance Paths (ACP) to existing credits, ideas for new credits as well as newly proposed prerequisites that may eventually be implemented in future iterations of the Rating Systems.

The goal of piloting credits in this way is to allow the USGBC to gain feedback, test and refine the potential additions to the Rating Systems through real-time projects and stakeholder participation prior their official incorporation into the LEED Rating Systems. In another new development the USGBC has formed a partnership with the independent LEEDUser website to publish the official language of the Pilot Credits and facilitate a forum for discussion of the credits and their associated criteria. Project Administrators must register the project with the Pilot Credit Library, at no additional cost, in addition to their project registration under the appropriate LEED Rating System and must agree to participate with a survey as a part of the process. Projects may select up to 5 credits to pursue from the following list of Pilot Credits:

Originally posted 2010-12-28 00:41:13.

Working with HistoriCorps Again!

Elicia Ratajczyk — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:52:47 +0000

EVstudio is very excited to be continuing work with the fantastic historic preservation collaborative HistoriCorps this year. HistoriCorps is now entering it's 3rd summer of volunteer driven historic preservation projects and is in the process of expanding to a national model. This public-private partnership is a collaborative effort of the U.S.D.A. National Forest Service, Colorado Preservation Inc. and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and has saved 39 structures in 4 states in it's first two years of public service. In addition, they have provided skills and service experience to more than 300 volunteers who have given more than 6,500 hours of labor to these projects!

HistoriCorps has an ambitious summer planned and will work on 24 projects in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and New Mexico. EV Studio has been working with HistoriCorps throughout these first few years and is continuing to help bring these wonderful projects to fruition. This year we are working on a few projects with HistoriCorps and have just completed a prototype vault toilet design for them which is aesthetically based on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Era precedents of the 1930's while adhering to modern building code and standards (including ADA Accessibility) and volunteer-driven construct-ability design.

The final document (Prototype Vault Toilet Guideline) looks fantastic and will be highly usable this summer and into future years. Thank you for creating this and I look forward to another opportunity to work with you.

Sincerely, Jonas

EVstudio has worked with several non-profit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, requiring the consideration of volunteer friendly materials and construction systems for volunteer-driven projects. We highly enjoy working with these organizations and being a part of the very special projects that they contribute to our community.

The Yellow Barn at Conifer: Early American Pre-fab in the Mountains

Elicia Ratajczyk — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 07:51:20 +0000

The historic "Yellow Barn" (well, it used to be more yellow than it is today) at the corner of Highway 73 and Barkley Road in Conifer has long been a well known and beloved landmark and icon of the mountain community. What many may not know, however, is that it and it's two accompanying historic houses, are also icon's of the pre-fab, mail-order construction that was popular across the United States in early 20th Century architecture.

The idea of pre-fabricated and modular architecture has long been of interest to architects world-wide because it not only offers the potential for cost savings based solely on the idea of mass production & common, repeatable elements but also carries the potential ability to offer high-design and quality craftsmanship at an affordable price to the general public. This is exactly the concept used by the Sear's, Roebuck and Co. in the "Book of Modern Homes" that was freely distributed throughout the country along with their other catalog's of goods.

"This special Book of Modern Homes which we will send to you free, shows you how much better and how much bigger a house you can build for your money ..." ~excerpt from the 1910 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalog No. 117

Sears & Roebuck was not, however, the only manufacturer of these "mail-order" homes. In fact, according to national expert and architectural historian Rebecca L. Hunter, Sears was but one of seven major companies supplying pre-cut homes in the United States and Canada in the early 20th Century. The Sears homes, in fact, were often supplied by one of the other companies, such as the Gordon Van-Tine Company from which the three buildings at Bradford Junction were ordered in 1918 by John J. Mullen (nephew of famous Colorado philanthropist J.K. Mullen). All three buildings are still standing to this day, and are a rare collection of multiple early pre-fabricated mail order buildings ordered and built together in a rural location.

EV Studio was hired earlier this year to do a historic investigation of the Bradford Junction property where all three of these pre-fabricated buildings are located. We discovered, through these investigations, that all three buildings were ordered together (a "Ranch Kit", if you will) from the 1917 Gordon Van-Tine Catalog in the early spring of 1918 (see the related catalog pages below). They were delivered by train from Illinois to Denver, where they were then most likely loaded onto the C&S Narrow Guage Platte Canyon line and delivered to Dawson's Switch near the bottom of present day Foxton Road. From there, they would have taken a bumpy trip up the narrow canyon road on wagons pulled by livestock and were eventually delivered to the site where they still stand today at the ripe old age of 93!

Conifer Area Spring Fling-It Recycling Festival

Elicia Ratajczyk — Fri, 13 May 2011 06:35:21 +0000

Time to get that Spring Cleaning done, but don't forget to recycle as much as possible! This Saturday, May 14, 2011 will be the date for the Conifer area Spring Fling-It Recycling Festival sponsored by the Conifer Area Council and the Conifer Rotary Club. The event will take place at Conifer High School and Big O Tires (for tires only) in Conifer from 9am to 3pm. Recycling of co-mingled recyclables, styrofoam blocks, scrap metal, old mobility devices, bicycles, clothing, shoes, some computer accessories, phones, answering machines and other items are free along with free document shredding. Other hard to recycle items such as tires & electronics will be accepted for a fee.

LEED Silver Certification Achieved – Evergreen Terraces is the First LEED Building in Evergreen!

Elicia Ratajczyk — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:58:45 +0000

EVstudio is proud to announce that we have just received official confirmation that the Evergreen Terraces Office Building in Evergreen, Colorado is the first building in Evergreen to be awarded a LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)! In addition, Evergreen Terraces is the first project in the foothills/mountain community to be awarded a LEED certification of any kind!

The Evergreen Terraces has now joined a select group of sustainable and innovative high performance buildings in the State of Colorado and around the world that have gone through the LEED Certification process with the USGBC. There are currently 245 certified buildings in Colorado (77 LEED Silver) and just over 7000 that have been certified world-wide. While the majority of the LEED certified buildings in the state are in the Denver Metro area, the Evergreen Terraces is among the first buildings in the Colorado mountain regions (currently 20 total) to undergo the rigorous LEED certification process.

EVstudio lead the project teams for the design and LEED certification of the Evergreen Terraces Office Building. In addition, EVstudio is and has worked on a variety of other LEED certification projects and our staff includes several LEED Accredited Professionals that are valuable assets to any LEED project team. Please look for the upcoming Press Release and Certification Ceremony Announcement to join us in celebrating this achievement in our community!

Colorado Architecture Month – April 2011

Elicia Ratajczyk — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:52:25 +0000

EVstudio and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Colorado Chapter are now gearing up for the festivities to take place across the state during this year's Colorado Architecture Month in April! Architecture Month celebrates Colorado architecture and design and includes a number of great free events hosted by AIA Colorado. This year's events include:

Delicious Designs - Celebrating architecture through dessert! Each of the Colorado AIA Chapters has entered the competition with a dessert specially created through collaboration between local restaurants & their chefs and local architecture firms. Each dessert is based on local landmarks and they all look amazing and delicious!
YAAG - The Young Architects Awards Gala honors the talented emerging professionals in the architectural community and includes awards in ten categories to interns and young architects that have been nominated by their firms.
Doors Open Denver offers a series of expert and self-guided tours through some of Denver's best architecture. The event is co-sponsored by the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and this year's theme is "Modern Architecture: 50's and Beyond".
Film Screenings celebrating films about architects and architecture are being presented across the state in Steamboat Springs, Grand Junction, Aspen & Frisco and include the following films:

"Santiago Calatrava's Travels" - Eleanor Center for the Arts at the Depot Art Center, Steamboat Springs - April 8, 5:30-8pm
"Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio" - Art Center, Grand Junction - April 9 , 2-4pm
"Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner" - Wheeler Opera House, Aspen - April 18, 6pm
"Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio" - Mt. Royal Room at the County Commons Building, Frisco - April 20, 5:15 - 8pm
"Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman" - Wheeler Opera House, Aspen - April 28, 6pm

Box City Events - AIA Colorado is offering three of the very popular Box City Events this year including Denver, Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs. These events help children appreciate and understand architecture, urban planning, design, construction and creative thinking! The kids participating in these events create their very own cities out of cardboard, paint and other supplies and will fully participate in the process of design & construction, even including those all important steps like permitting!!!