COVER STORY, JULY 2007

DESIGN OF THE TIMES
Architects and developers in the Midwest — and across the country — are embracing sustainable design.
Kevin Jeselnik

DeStefano+Partners is designing the Canyon Ranch Living - Chicago mixed-use tower in downtown Chicago. Read more about the development in the sidebar below.

The sustainable design/green building movement has spread rapidly through the commercial real estate community. Where it was only a bold initiative to an adventurous few just a few years ago, the practice has become common in primary markets, and is growing in popularity in secondary markets as well. The architecture industry has been at the forefront of sustainable development since it first caught hold.

Heartland Real Estate Business recently spoke with a collection of Midwest architects and design professionals — Lucien Lagrange, princpal of Chicago-based Lucien Lagrange Architects; Scott Sarver, president of Chicago-based DeStefano+Partners; Dan White, president and co-director of RTKL Associates’ Chicago healthcare practice; and Tom Kaczkowski, director of lighting for St. Louis-based HOK — to hear their views on the state of industry, as well as the positive headway being made in the green building movement.

HREB: What new trends have emerged in architecture of late, and how might they be affecting the industry?

Lucien Lagrange: Trends move very slowly in architecture so it is difficult to say that one specific approach might catch on, but sustainable elements are certainly being incorporated more and more into current designs and becoming top of mind.

Scott Sarver: There are two primary trends affecting global architecture today. The most prevalent is the wave of concern for the environment that is a byproduct of our increased global awareness through the media and the current geopolitical situations around the world. Secondly, the rapid evolution of computers and Internet tools to communicate, generate forms, visualize space and document designs are opening up new possibilities for architects.

In the Midwest, we have a second tier of trends that are being addressed such as rebuilding our cities from their traditional industrial pasts. The concerns for public spaces, schools and communities, public transportation and parks are reshaping the landscape all for the better.

Dan White: Communities are starting to recognize the value of healthcare institutions as economic engines that can spur on additional development. Medical districts, healthcare villages, and wellness centers are sprouting up across the country, driving employment, cash flow and the tax base that such projects can deliver.

HREB: How is the business of architecture changing? What developments within the medium are evolving and affecting the process?

Lagrange: From a business perspective, architecture has become more competitive. Just as the world moves at an ever-increasing pace, faster response times are required when working with clients and potential clients. Electronic technologies have evolved, serving as tools to help us create plans and renderings with great accuracy and with shorter turnaround times, helping meet that need for immediacy as well as originality.

Sarver: The business of Architecture has traditionally put more emphasis on the labor intensive, later phases of a project. Today, advanced computer programs and easier graphic communication tools are allowing these costlier phases to become less of a concern. Thus, the value aspects of architecture will be more deeply rooted in the initial thoughts, concepts and dreams of the early phases of a project.

HREB: What new technologies are aiding the design process?

Sarver: The industry is shifting to what is called a building information modeling (BIM) platform. This software is based on the concept that data is intelligent, so rather than constructing a series of plans out of lines and dimensions, the data is a model of the actual building complete with all building systems and other relevant data – color and finish, U factors, cost, replacement schedules, etc. From this model, the actual production drawing becomes less of an effort. A main goal of the BIM platform is that the idea will become more relevant and the execution less.

The architecture industry has been constantly adapting to new technologies, most recently the evolution of the computer as a documentation tool. Also, thanks to the increasingly accessible global marketplace, there is a much broader awareness of other materials, systems and architecture practices being implemented around the world.

White: Obviously BIM, building information modeling, is having a profound impact on the way we are designing projects. It also requires that more information be developed earlier in the process.

Lagrange: The use of three-dimensional renderings, which are becoming increasingly realistic, has become paramount as designs need to go through certain municipal approval processes.

HREB: Over the last 2 to 3 years, architects have noted the increasingly shorter, fast-track schedule that now dominates the design/build process — how has the industry adapted to thrive under these conditions?

Sarver: Schedules are shortening, and so are the efforts required to document the project through the use of newer and improved software. The immediacy of the communications process, as evidenced through the use of email and web based file servers, allow architects to stay on top of “fast-track” schedules. We have the ability to deliver designs and product faster, but there is a limit of reason that all experienced professionals will know.

White: Partnering with the general contractor in the early design phases helps to focus on developing the critical information for early bid packages and expedited schedules.

Faster turnaround on projects push or even eliminate the time some projects need to gel and are rushed to bid without the traditional amount of time spent exploring design alternatives in depth.

Tom Kaczkowski: Clients now expect buildings to be designed and constructed at a much faster rate. What used to be planned on a two-year schedule has been reduced to nine months. With shortened lead times, designers must have questions answered and products selected immediately. Designers and specifiers must now be very cognizant of time targets, a job that used to fall to the contractor.

The ideal time for a lighting designer to get involved in a project is at the very outset so that cost and other issues can be discussed openly throughout the project. At HOK, we develop alternative lighting systems in case the original plan is somehow rendered unfeasible.

HREB: How has the practice of designing and building sustainable properties progressed?

White: More clients are recognizing that the value of green architecture is moving beyond just PR value into real bottom line savings.

Sarver: The forces of the sustainable movement are enormous and gaining traction not only with the general public but also with the building industry. The amazing aspect to the sustainability movement is that it is becoming a matter of social responsibility and being universally accepted by all.

Lagrange: The movement has taken hold in Chicago. We’ve designed the two-tower X|O condominium project with LEED certification as a goal. It is among the first residential high-rises in the city seeking LEED certification, which was something people didn’t even consider for projects of this scale just a few years ago.

Kaczkowski: There appears to be a greater interest and passion on the owner and developer side for projects where sustainable principles are the driving force behind the architectural design. Owners and developers still keep an eye toward initial costs, but are now peering much more inquisitively (and cautiously) at long-term life cycle cost and social responsibility.

From a lighting perspective, green buildings are tremendous opportunities for lighting systems integration. Initial energy consumption of a building’s lighting generally represents 60 percent of total energy loads. Our ability to manipulate this number makes a huge impact. Designers are developing strategies to minimize nighttime light trespass on the exterior and maximize natural daytime lighting on the interior. The goal is to eliminate the need for as many lights as possible through effective daylighting and to control the rest.

In the Midwest, where energy costs are lower, the payback for energy-efficient lighting systems can take as long as 20 years to be realized. On the coasts, it generally takes 4-5 years. The good news is that we are gradually seeing a reduction in price for sustainable systems, but we are maybe a generation away in the architectural profession from having the notion of sustainable lighting ingrained as a general principle.

HREB: In what other ways might this movement affect the industry?

Sarver: I believe the current sustainability movement will lead to dramatic new development of building materials and technologies that are centered on the concepts of reuse and thoughtful consumption. These building materials will change the characteristics of the traditional glass and stone-built environment.

HREB: Tom, what are the biggest challenges in the design of lighting for commercial projects?

Kaczkowski: The use of controls systems is a big issue. In the future, making sure that lights are off when not needed must be an automated procedure. Retrofit occupancy sensors to replace a wall switch are available for less than $100. Building owners and tenants should consider basic time clocks keyed to hours of operation with local overrides.

X|O Condominiums X|O Condominiums Developer — Frankel & Giles Real Estate & Development Services Location — Chicago; South Loop Type of project — Multifamily Size of project — 1 million square feet; 525 condominium units Cost — $165 million Description: X|O is a two-tower multifamily development in Chicago’s South Loop. The two towers — 360’, 33 stories and 460’, 44 stories — feature 525 condo units; three stories of townhouses totaling 30,000 gross square feet; 15,000 gross square feet of retail; a 28,000-square-foot green roof/garden; and 205,000 gross square feet of parking. Completion is scheduled for spring 2010. What is unique about this project architecturally? Among several towers proposed for the Near South Side of Chicago, these condominiums are sited along South Prairie Avenue, offering sweeping views of the lake and city. The design of the complex is conditioned by its location across the street from the historic Glessner House by H. H. Richardson and the landmark district of 19th-century mansions around it. The neighborhood context has been addressed by placing townhouses and a small park along Prairie Avenue. X|O is also being designed for LEED certification.

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