1.09 aiaVT Newsletter
aiaVT 2008 design awards
AIA Vermont members and/or architects registered and residing in Vermont were eligible to submit entries. Projects could be located anywhere in the world... More...
2009 Better Buildings By Design conference topics preview
Efficiency Vermont has released the below preview of its 2009 Better Buildings By Design Conference workshop topics. More...
Gypsum association unveils 'sustainability' website
The Gypsum Association of Hyattsville, Md., (www.gypsum.org) has developed a new website that describes the sustainable characteristics of gypsum-based building materials and conveys the commitment of its members to environmentally responsible recycling, waste management and land reclamation programs. More...
aiaVT 2008 design awards
- The venue at Middlebury College
AIA Vermont members and/or architects registered and residing in Vermont were eligible to submit entries. Projects could be located anywhere in the world and must have been substantially completed since January 1, 2002, except as indicated otherwise for specific categories. Multiple entries were accepted, and all materials included in project submissions were cleared for public reproduction.
The Jury considered projects for awards in the following categories. A project could receive an award in a maximum of only one category.
1. Older Public Project: For a built public project completed 25 or more years ago.
2. Recent Public Project: For a built public project completed less than 25 years ago.
3. Sustainability: For a built public or private design that exemplifies sustainability in a highly effective blend of aesthetics, function, and durability.
4. Historic Renovation/Preservation: For a built or unbuilt design that represents an exceptionally sensitive and creative approach to historic renovation/preservation.
5. Small Project: For a built design of less than 1,000 sq. ft. in area or less than $100,000 in construction cost.
Jurors considered the essential virtues of each submitted project and entries were judged individually, regardless of type. The Jury consisted of members of The Boston Society of Architects and included Dennis Carlberg, AIA, Michael Davis, AIA and Jinlee Park, AIA. All the Design Award Winners and other entries will be on display through out Vermont during 2009.
- Photo by Jim Westphalen
Bread Loaf Corporation of Middlebury won an Honor Award in the Recent Public Project Category for the Ferrisburgh Grange Hall. The Jury thought that this “was a fabulous project and a great story. There is great appreciation of local craft and materials. This is as much a community building as it is architecture. Perhaps timeless beauty is the most sustainable element of all.”
- Photo by Jim Westphalen
Pill-Maharam Architects of Shelburne received an Honor Award in the House/Sustainable Category for a Private Residence in Charlotte. The Jury thought that this project was “a sustainable design without compromising beauty. There is a good connection to the landscape and this is a house- nothing mannerist or apologetic about it.”
- Photo by Carolyn Bates
Watershed Studio Architecture of White River Junction won an Honor Award in the Small Project Category for the Edge Ledge House –a Private Residence in Norwich. The Jury commented that this project “turns the house inside out, because it so small, much of the program had to be moved outside. There is just a richness and subtlety to the connection to the landscape.”
- Photo by John Hemmelgarn
Black River Design of Montpelier was given an Honorable Mention in the Recent Public Project Category for the Forestry Building in Hardwick. The Jury appreciated the “site design – a minimally invasive position. There is very good detailing which is well integrated.”
- Photo by Gary Hall
Gossens Bachman Architects of Montpelier won an Honorable Mention in the Historic Preservation Category for the Bemis Block Restoration and Renovation in Hardwick. The Jury thought that this project was “warm and welcoming from the street. There is great transparency which is a neat trick with an historic building.
- Photo by Gary Hall
Banwell Architects of Lebanon, NH was given a Citation Award in the Historic Preservation/Restoration Category for the AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, NH. The Jury thought that this project “really thought through the issues of sustainability and how to integrate it into the existing fabric. There are wonderful spaces and the architectural moves blend old and new without being cloy or superficial.
- Photo by Carolyn Bates
The Fifty-Year Award was given to Freeman-French-Freeman of Burlington for the St. Mark’s Church in Burlington. The Jury thought that “the light reinforces the hierarchy of space and ritual. There is appreciation of a spare but complete sculptural program. A recognition that after 50 years, the design is still meaningful. This is a timeless building.”
2009 Better Buildings By Design conference topics preview
Efficiency Vermont has released the below preview of its 2009 Better Buildings By Design Conference workshop topics. These are just a dozen of the 30+ interactive sessions on innovations/high performance, building envelope, lighting, and mechanical systems that will be presented on February 11th and 12th at the Sheraton Conference Center in Burlington. This premiere conference on design and construction durability, efficiency, and value is expected to draw 1,000+ attendees.
In addition to workshops, the conference will feature more than 45 exhibits and demonstrations of cutting-edge, energy-efficient products and services that are being utilized in the design and construction of today’s high-performance homes and commercial buildings. Throughout the conference, displays of the year’s award-winning Vermont residential and commercial building designs will be on view. Also featured will be an evening reception, which will offer attendees the opportunity to connect with other design and construction professionals in a casual atmosphere. This event will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and more. All are welcome at the reception, free of entry charge, including those unable to attend the conference.
Planned topics to be presented at the 2009 Better Buildings By Design Conference include:
INNOVATIONS & HIGH PERFORMANCE TRACK
• Innovations and Emerging Technologies
• Achieving Net Zero
• Integrated Renewable Fuel Heating Systems
BUILDING ENVELOPE TRACK
• Modeling Software for Smart Design
• Building Smaller, Building Better: Getting to Net Zero Ready by Design
• Behind the Scenes: Roofs and Attics
LIGHTING TRACK
• LEDs: New Products, New Rebates
• Evaluating New Residential Lighting Technologies
• A New Day for Outdoor Lighting
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS TRACK
• Controls in Commissioning Green Buildings
• Sound HVAC Choices for Sustainable Design
• Alternative Systems & Approaches for Low Heat-Load Homes
Registration discounts are available to groups of four or more. Special pricing is available for lodging accommodations at the Sheraton Burlington. For more information, visit www.efficiencyvermont.com/conference or call 877-248-9900.
Gypsum association unveils 'sustainability' website
The Gypsum Association of Hyattsville, Md., (www.gypsum.org) has developed a new website that describes the sustainable characteristics of gypsum-based building materials and conveys the commitment of its members to environmentally responsible recycling, waste management and land reclamation programs.
The nine-section site, entitled “Gypsum and Sustainability,” offers a brief history of the use of gypsum products dating back to ancient Egypt, describes the chemical composition of natural gypsum ore and discusses the introduction of “synthetic” gypsum as a by- product of the desulfurization of flue gasses in fossil-fueled power plants.
In addition to its use in the manufacture of gypsum panels and building plasters, gypsum has proven to be helpful to humans, animals, plant life and the environment. Six of these applications are identified in the site.
A “Building Green with Gypsum” section addresses “green” building credits awarded for achieving specific compliance targets during the planning, design, build-out, and commissioning stages of a residential or commercial construction or renovation project. The section specifically discusses green building credits awarded for:
- Gypsum products that feature recycled content
- Gypsum production facilities that are located in close proximity to job sites
- Use of transportation other than trucking for shipping gypsum products
- Life Cycle Assessment cost analyses which show that gypsum building systems compare favorably to other building systems
- Construction waste diversion and on-site waste disposal of gypsum based materials
- Gypsum-based building components manufactured at new, energy-efficient gypsum board manufacturing plants
Finally, the gypsum “sustainability” website lists reasons why gypsum panels and products are environmentally preferable to other building materials, along with national organizations that have cited gypsum manufacturing facilities in North America for their environmental consciousness and safety programs.
For the complete gypsum sustainability story, visit the “Gypsum and Sustainability” website at www.gypsumsustainability.org.
