• Recent renovations of the National Football League franchise’s locker room at the Caesars Superdome have transformed it into a modern and motivational space.
• Pontchartrain Mechanical Co. installed Oatey’s QuickDrain ProLine linear drains, which were crucial to upgrading the team’s shower facilities.

After 11 years the New Orleans Saints locker room at the Caesars Superdome has undergone a complete transformation into a modern and motivational space for players of this National Football League franchise. Zach Strief, a former Saints player, offers a detailed tour of the newly designed locker room online, highlighting its modern and functional design.

As you step inside you first notice the massive, three-dimensional, backlit fleur-de-lis on the wall, proudly declaring it the home of the Saints. This striking feature sets the tone for the rest of the locker room, emphasizing the pride and spirit of New Orleans. The redesigned locker room boasts a sleek layout with enclosed lockers featuring illuminated helmet nameplates and innovative storage solutions. Seats double as locker doors and ventilated compartments address South Louisiana’s humidity.

Additionally, lockboxes with charging ports and specialized shoe lockers enhance functionality. Inspirational photos and quotes throughout remind players of the team’s values. The setting also includes motivational mottos and wellness areas with hydrotherapy and massage to support player health and hygiene, underscored by revamped shower facilities.

Pontchartrain Mechanical Co., founded in February 1972, was contracted for the locker room renovation. Over the years Pontchartrain Mechanical has become one of the largest and leading mechanical contractors serving Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The company has 150 full-time, professional employees providing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and plumbing services and has a sales volume exceeding $20 million.

New and Improved Shower Facilities

Led by Wendell Humphres, vice president of Pontchartrain Mechanical Co., the locker room project involved a two-phase approach to revitalize the space and better accommodate the team’s needs. Humphres leads the engineering team and the prefabrication side of the company. His team draws all the models and coordinates the details of what to send to job sites.

Humphres shared insights into the challenges Pontchartrain Mechanical encountered at the project’s onset. The project faced constraints regarding space utilization, functionality, and overall design, posing a significant challenge to the renovation process.

“The renovation of the existing locker room involved a complete overhaul, from adding a hydrotherapy pool to expanding the physical therapy area and incorporating a sound system,” he says. The renovated facility also entailed enlarging the locker room, new and improved shower facilities for both the coaches and the players, and a new nutrition hall, all providing enhanced amenities for the players.

“Overall the renovation has increased the facility’s size by three to five thousand square feet and offers numerous benefits to the players,” Humphres says.

Pontchartrain Mechanical Co. leveraged its expertise in mechanical and plumbing systems to integrate state-of-the-art solutions to enhance the functionality and aesthetics of the locker room shower facilities. The company’s in-house engineering capabilities enabled it to design and implement plumbing solutions tailored to the specific needs of the New Orleans Saints.

Pontchartrain Mechanical Co. devised a comprehensive solution for the project’s two-phase approach, emphasizing meticulous planning and coordination to ensure a successful execution. Phase one focused on refurbishing the coach’s locker room and showers as well as the media area. Phase two centered on the complete overhaul of the team’s lockers, showers and lounge suite.

A key challenge of the shower facilities, in particular, was the drainage system, which the architect and engineer designed as a continuous trench drain system surrounding an open shower layout.

The Solution

Pontchartrain Mechanical chose to install Oatey’s QuickDrain ProLine linear drains in both the coaches’ and players’ showers. “We used the QuickDrain linear drains on another project right before this one kicked off, so we were already familiar with the assembly details,” Humphres says. “The main reason for choosing it, again, was our strong relationship with the sales representative, who provided extensive support and ensured we had the design right.

“Additionally, the architect for this project, Gensler, had also used it on another project, giving both teams a shared understanding and confidence in the product,” he says.

Both the architect and the engineer appreciated how the corners of the drain could be mitered together, using trough extensions to marry end-to-end drain bodies and covers, eliminating concerns about trench alignment.

You can miter the pieces together and do the same with the drain cover, resulting in a clean and consistent appearance,” Humphres explains.

The trough extensions component was installed to bridge drain bodies together. This feature was key to the drain layout, which involved a continuous trench-drain system around the entire shower space. This layout was planned for both the coaches’ and players’ showers.

ProLine linear drains can be customized to adapt to various job-site situations, including adding or upsizing outlets and customizing and adjusting lengths. Trough extensions allow the drain body to extend wall-to-wall for full coverage, efficient drainage, and a beautiful aesthetic. ProLine linear drains accommodate rough openings (wallboard-to-wallboard) from 26 inches to 32 inches.

Humphres says the player shower area is quite spacious, with around 21 shower stalls all sloped towards the trench for a seamless look. The coach’s shower area has nine stalls. There are referee and administrative locker rooms with private stall setups with individual linear drains positioned right at the foot of the wall. However, the player and coach showers have a more elaborate design, with the trench drain creating a continuous line around the entire space, as mentioned earlier.

Oatey’s QuickDrain ProLine shower system delivers a new level of flexibility in linear shower drains. With a variety of drain waste outlet configurations and a customizable drain body, ProLine is the ideal choice for jobs with specific requirements, including wellness facilities or hospitality.

Each linear drain body is made of 18-gauge, 316L marine-grade stainless steel and ships with a waterproofing kit. The drains can be installed with various waterproofing options, such as liquid, hot mop fabric and CPE/PVC liners. Installers can complete the shower system with a coordinating decorative drain cover and their preferred waterproofing method.

Gensler decided on the stainless drain body since it was higher-end and could be assembled more cleanly,” explains Humphres. “The PVC drain body [QuickDrain’s ShowerLine system] might be better for other uses, but in this case, the architect really wanted that specific stainless steel look and feel to show through.”

The architect also initially considered using custom drain covers with a fleur-de-lis design. However, due to timing constraints, they selected one of the many decorative drain-cover options available from Oatey. The company offers an expanded collection of covers and finishes, including trendy Stones and Deco designs and new finishes like Brushed and Polished Gold, Polished Rose Gold, Oil Rubbed Bronze, and Matte and Polished Black.

The Results

Humphres says the construction team encountered some challenges during the project’s initial phase related to the installation process and timing, as well as the labor involved.

“One of the main issues was ensuring that the drain was properly located before any walls were constructed,” Humphres says. “This required effective communication and careful consideration of the wall types and other factors, as relocating the drain later on would be very difficult.”

Another challenge the team faced was accurately positioning the trench drains to account for all the layers involved in tiling. To address this, they utilized a robotic total station for layout purposes and coordinated with the architect to ensure the correct wall thicknesses and allowances for the tile.

The ProLine linear drains also include stackable spacers that allow installers to adjust the height of the drain cover to ensure it’s flush with the floor.

“Additionally, we marked points on the trench to guide the underground rough-in placement,” Humphres says. “To allow for potential adjustments, we intentionally left the corners slightly short and included connectors for flexibility.”

Although using trench drains required more labor than round floor drains, the result was much neater and aesthetically pleasing, according to Humphres. In short, linear drains were crucial for a high-profile project such as this.

“We also considered the design of the drain flange, which allows for the seamless integration of the waterproofing membrane,” Humphres says. “The ProLine drain’s flange design enables the waterproofing membrane to be easily incorporated, offering forgiveness in case of a leaky trench drain. The design eliminated the need to tear apart the entire wall and floor to fix it, making it a very practical solution.”

The actual results of Pontchartrain Mechanical Co.’s renovation project at the Saints’ locker room speak volumes about the success of their endeavors. Humphres expressed satisfaction with the outcomes achieved through the meticulous planning and execution of the two-phase renovation.

The coach’s locker room and media area were revamped to provide a contemporary and functional space for the coaching staff and media personnel. In phase two of the project, which focused on the team’s lockers and the player’s lounge suite, Pontchartrain Mechanical Co. delivered a transformative experience for the New Orleans Saints. The integration of innovative solutions, such as improved storage options, enhanced lighting, and upgraded plumbing systems, has created a highly supportive environment for the players to prepare before and unwind after games and practices.

These renovations are expected to have a significant positive impact on the Saints. The team aims to enhance player performance, reduce injury risks, and improve overall morale by providing top-tier facilities. The state-of-the-art amenities should also play a crucial role in attracting and retaining top talent—both players and coaches.

The post Oatey Linear Drains in New Orleans Saints’ New Locker Room Showers appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Global warming potential, or embodied GHG emissions, can be reduced in many ways.
• Switching to renewable energy sources is the most effective way to reduce global warming potential.
• Other strategies include passive design, choosing low-carbon materials, reusing products, and installing energy-efficient appliances.

When it comes to global climate science and policy, the 1.5℃ threshold—Earth’s average surface temperature warming of 1.5℃ above pre-industrial temperatures—represents the point at which the adverse effects of global warming become functionally irreversible.

If we hope to keep global warming below this threshold, we need to transition away from the burning of fossil fuels and drastically reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses that are being emitted.

And while this is no easy task, there are many ways to reduce the embodied carbon or global warming potential of various industries, businesses, buildings, and products. We’ll explore 10 of them in this article.

What is Global Warming Potential?

Outside of the realm of climate science, the term “global warming potential” is colloquially used to refer to the embodied GHG emissions of a product, building, industry, et cetera. Photo by Kevin Scott

When scientists talk about global warming potential (GWP), they’re referring to an index used to measure how much infrared thermal radiation a specific greenhouse gas will absorb over a given period of time once it has entered the atmosphere. This is the definition used by the International Panel on Climate Change and informs most international GHG accounting efforts.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), however, also uses the term GWP, defining it as an impact category that refers to the total embodied GHGs of a product, building, or process throughout its life cycle. In this regard, it is more accurate to think of ISO’s GWP as the lifetime embodied GHG equivalent or embodied GHG footprint of a product, building, or process. This particular usage of GWP appears in Environmental Product Declarations, Product Category Rules, and other related programs.

For the purposes of this article, all further mentions of GWP will loosely correspond with ISO’s definition unless stated otherwise.

10 Tips for Reducing Global Warming Potential

There are many ways to reduce embodied GHG emissions and GWP. We’ve outlined 10 of them below.

1. Make the Switch to Renewable Energies

Transitioning away from fossil fuels and embracing renewable energies is the most effective way to reduce GWP. Photo courtesy of Otovo

The most effective way to reduce global warming potential is by making the switch from fossil fuels—the single largest contributor to anthropogenic climate change—to green, renewable energy sources.

Transitioning the globe’s power grids to cleaner, renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and even nuclear power is one of the single most effective ways to reduce GHG emissions by a significant margin in a relatively short amount of time. Making the switch to renewable energy also means investing in large-scale electricity storage, particularly for intermittent energy sources like solar and wind that are not available at all times.

2. Embrace Electrification

The steel industry is reducing the GWP of hot-rolled steel by replacing traditional blast furnaces with electric arc furnaces. Photo courtesy of Steel Tube Institute

Electrification refers to the process of actually replacing existing end-use technologies powered by the burning of fossil fuels—e.g. gas boilers, internal combustion engines, furnaces, et cetera—with technologies that use clean electricity as a more sustainable source of energy.

Electric vehicles are perhaps the most well-known example of current electrification efforts but work is being done in other sectors as well. The US steel industry, for instance, has started the process of electrification by manufacturing all hot-rolled steel sections via electric arc furnaces. These furnaces use electricity to melt steel scrap into new steel and produce 75% less CO2 emissions than traditional blast furnaces, which burn coke—a coal-based fuel with an extremely high carbon content—to smelt iron ore.

3. Opt for Cleaner-Burning Fuels

Geneva Rock Products’ fleet of compressed natural gas trucks emit 90% less carbon than traditional diesel trucks. Photo courtesy of Geneva Rock

In instances where electrification simply isn’t possible, feasible, or realistic—such as in long-haul trucking, inter-ocean cargo shipping, planes, and many industrial processes—fossil fuels should be replaced with cleaner-burning fuels like compressed natural gas, green hydrogen, electrofuels, and biofuels to reduce GWP.

Green hydrogen is a fuel created via electrolysis and involves splitting the oxygen and hydrogen molecules in water. As long as the electrolysis process is powered by clean, renewable electricity, green hydrogen is a virtually carbon-free alternative to traditional fossil fuels.

Electrofuels—or E-fuels—on the other hand, are synthetic carbon-based fuels designed to replace conventional drop-in liquid fossil fuels like diesel and methanol. Electrofuels are produced using captured carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide and hydrogen obtained from water split by clean electricity sources. When burned, electrofuels produce roughly the same amount of carbon used in their manufacturing, essentially making them carbon neutral. E-fuels are a viable option for reducing GHG emissions produced by air, marine, and long-distance freight transportation.

Biofuel is another cleaner-burning alternative to conventional fossil fuels and is produced from biomass derived either from plants or agricultural, industrial, or domestic bio-waste. Like E-fuels, biofuels are considered carbon-neutral as the only carbon they emit is that which was sequestered by the organic matter used to produce them.

4. Incorporate Passive Design Principles

The LEED Platinum Urban Frontier House is extremely energy efficient thanks to its use of passive design strategies. Photo by Clark Marten

GWP can be reduced even further by making energy efficient upgrades to a product, building, or manufacturing process so that it requires less electricity in the first place. When it comes to the built environment, incorporating passive design principles—like those identified by the International Passivhaus Institute or PHIUS—is one of the most effective ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce lifetime emissions.

Some of these strategies include:

Air Sealing

Air leaks account for approximately 25 to 40% of the energy used to cool and heat a building, according to Energy Star. Even worse, air leaks can also significantly reduce the effectiveness of a structure’s other energy-saving features, leading to the waste of energy, time, and money.

Some of the most effective air-sealing measures include the use of high-quality weather-stripping, caulking, liquid flashing membrane, joint and seam fillers, air and water resistant barriers, and stainless steel fabric flashing. PROSOCO is one of the leading manufacturers of air-sealing products and has worked on several passive house projects. The company’s facility houses a custom-engineered testing chamber that is available for external use by engineers, building scientists, and window manufacturers to optimize the air- and water-sealing capacity of their building components.

Selecting Proper Insulation

Insulation is a building’s first line of defense when it comes to preventing unwanted heat transfer—and while all buildings require some amount of insulation in order to meet code requirements, not all insulation is created equally. For peak energy efficiency, organizations like PHIUS recommend installing continuous and/or superinsulation, the latter of which is defined as insulation with an extremely high R-value (e.g. R-40 for walls, R-60 for roofs).

Continuous insulation, on the other hand, is exactly what it sounds like—an uninterrupted layer of insulation that envelopes an entire structure. Continuous insulation is typically installed between a building’s framing system and its exterior cladding, though it can be incorporated into the framework itself by way of structural insulated panels (SIPs) or insulated concrete forms (ICFs).

When combined with an airtight envelope and heat recovery ventilation systems, continuous superinsulation allows a structure to rely primarily on intrinsic heat sources (e.g. body heat of occupants and waste heat from appliances), greatly reducing the need for supplementary mechanical heating.

The HPA-designed Urban Frontier House in Billings, Montana, for example, employs overlapping SIPs in conjunction with passive ventilation and circulated sun-warmed air to passively regulate interior temperatures. These elements are so effective, in fact, that the home does not even possess a mechanical heating and cooling system despite outdoor temperatures ranging between -36 and 108℉ throughout the year.

Eliminating Thermal Bridges

Even air-sealed buildings with high R-value insulation can waste energy by way of thermal bridges, or weak areas (e.g. wall studs, floor-to-wall and wall-to-ceiling junctions, fasteners, et cetera) in the envelope where heat is allowed to pass through from one side to another with little resistance. Thermal bridging can be responsible for as much as 30% of a building’s heat loss and greatly reduces the total R-value of wall and roof assemblies; thermal bridges created by wooden wall studs, for example, can reduce R-value by anywhere from 14 to 63%.

And while it is technically impossible to completely eliminate thermal bridges from a building’s design, it is possible to reduce them to the point where they have a negligible impact on energy waste. This is achieved through the strategic placement of thermal breaks, or construction components that have a low thermal conductivity and high thermal resistance.

The aforementioned continuous insulation is one of the most effective means of preventing thermal bridging in wall assemblies, whereas Schöck’s catalog of Isokorb thermal breaks can be used to prevent thermal bridging at balcony and awning connection points as well as rooftop penetrations like dunnage supports, davits, and the like.

5. Design for Walkability

The block-long Collection 14, designed by Perkins Eastman, was designed for walkability and places residents in close proximity to several public transit options, reducing the need for personal vehicles. Photo by Andrew Rugge

Transportation accounts for approximately 29% of all carbon emissions in the United States, with light-duty passenger vehicles being responsible for more than half of that figure. This is a direct consequence of urban planners prioritizing car-centric infrastructure over people-centric infrastructure, a switch that began in the 1950s and has persisted to this day.

Architects, developers, and urban planners can help reduce GWP by designing for walkability—that is, by replacing car-centric infrastructure with infrastructure that supports or encourages walking, bicycling, and other alternative modes of transportation. This includes things like expansive sidewalks and pathways, bicycle lanes, interconnected trail networks, benches and covered rest areas, wayfinding tools, adequate lighting, et cetera.

Designing for walkability also means providing pedestrians with access to a variety of reliable public transit options. Perkins Eastman’s mixed-use Collection 14 project, for example, is a walkable community that spans an entire city block in Washington, D.C. and boasts close proximity to several public transportation networks.

“The location of this project is a big part of the sustainability story,” Heather Jauregui, Perkins Eastman’s director of sustainability, previously told gb&d. “Collection 14 is a block from the Metro and has great bus lines. If you design a high-performance building, but it’s in the middle of nowhere and everyone has to drive there, is it really sustainable?”

6. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Adaptive reuse can help reduce the embodied carbon of a project by an average of 40%. The Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, for example, now calls a former Berkeley Art Museum building home—a building that was in danger of being demolished until further review by MBH Architects. Photo by Bruce Damonte Photography

The manufacturing of new products is a major source of GHG emissions—in 2021 alone, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the US manufacturing sector generated 765 million metric tons of CO2e. This is largely the result of a society who’s economic system is based around the linear “take, make, and throw away” model of production and consumption.

“Excessive waste is the unfortunate byproduct of a consumer culture that grew during a time when the world did not understand the perils of overconsumption,” Richard Skorpenske, head of sustainability and public affairs at Covestro, previously wrote for gb&dPRO. “Through a combination of market forces, design trends, and consumer demand, an ‘extract, use, discard’ cycle became the dominant mode of manufacturing and consumption.”

Adopting elements of a circular economic model, however, can help to reduce these manufacturing-related emissions by keeping products and materials in circulation for as long as possible. This is done by prioritizing the sharing, reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling of products as opposed to discarding them once they’ve reached the end of their perceived operational lifespan.

This concept can even apply to entire buildings, a process commonly referred to as adaptive reuse. Defined as the reuse of existing buildings for purposes other than what they were originally constructed for, adaptive reuse necessitates less demolition work, requires fewer new materials, and can help reduce a project’s embodied carbon by an average of 40%.

“Less demolition means less environmental pollutants resulting from the demolition itself, less debris going into landfills, and less energy required as part of the overall reconstruction process,” Tom Pflueger, studio director of MBH Architects, previously wrote for gb&d. “It also decreases emissions from the transportation of debris, both to landfills or to be repurposed, and of new resources to the job site. By reusing existing materials, adaptive reuse projects can decrease energy usage and pollution resulting from the manufacturing and transportation of new materials.”

7. Choose Low-Carbon Materials

To reduce embodied emissions and GWP within the AEC sector, construction professionals should select low-carbon materials. Photo courtesy of Prometheus Materials

Reusing and repurposing materials for construction is ideal, but it isn’t always possible. When it comes to new materials, the AEC sector can work to reduce GWP by selecting low-carbon building materials for construction and infrastructure projects. This includes materials that are naturally low-carbon—like mass timber, bamboo, rammed earth, et cetera—as well as low-carbon versions of traditionally high-carbon materials, like concrete.

Prometheus Materials, for example, has developed a zero-carbon alternative to limestone-based concrete called ProZero. ProZero is created by stimulating microalgae to create biomineralized calcium carbonate—the same process that creates coral reefs and seashells—that is then dried and used as the basis for bio-cement. In this manner ProZero avoids the carbon-intensive operations involved in manufacturing traditional cement. Microalgae also absorbs carbon as it grows, meaning ProZero sequesters carbon throughout its operational lifespan, reducing its carbon footprint even further.

ProZero is 15 to 20% lighter, possesses comparable compressive strength, and far exceeds the flexural strength of conventional concrete. “This degree of flexural strength will open up quite a few new market opportunities that traditional concrete just can’t fulfill,” Loren Burnett, president, CEO, and cofounder of Prometheus Materials, previously told gb&d.

8. Source Food Locally & Eat Less Meat

The Farm at Serenbe provides residents and nearby restaurants with local, organic produce. Photo courtesy of Serenbe

Studies suggest that global food transportation generates almost 20% of all food-related emissions, with produce transported by air freight being the worst offender. Sourcing food locally is one way to reduce these so-called “food mile” emissions while also supporting local businesses.

The Serenbe wellness neighborhood in Georgia, for example, is home to an organic farm that provides residents and local restaurants with fresh produce via a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm share program. CSA members are allowed to receive up to seven items (or approximately 5 to 10 servings of vegetables) each week during the growing season for only $20 to $30. Aside from reducing GWP, sourcing food from local farms also helps stimulate local economies and supports healthy community-building efforts.

Making changes to one’s diet can also help reduce GWP. Livestock like cows and other ruminants, for example, are a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas that is over 28 times as effective as CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Cutting down on meat and dairy consumption or adopting a wholly vegetarian lifestyle can reduce a person’s CO2e footprint by approximately 500 kilograms per year.

9. Support Surface Transport Over Air Travel

Surface transport options like buses, trains, and high-speed rail emit far fewer emissions per passenger per mile than planes. Photo courtesy of Arkitektgruppen Cubus AS

When it comes to the amount of CO2 emitted per person, flying is by far one of the most polluting means of transportation. Exact amounts vary depending on the type of plane, weather conditions, and route, though the National Energy Foundation estimates an average of roughly 0.29 kg of CO2 emitted per passenger per mile. This translates to an approximate total of 53 pounds of CO2 emissions per mile per flight, according to BlueSkyModel.

Supporting the development of—and actually utilizing—surface transport options like subways, trains, light- and high-speed rail, and buses is one of the most effective ways to reduce transport-related GHG emissions. Taking a train, for example, produces 80 to 90% fewer CO2 emissions compared to the same trip via a plane, while high-speed rail emits seven times fewer CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer than an airplane.

10. Install Energy-Efficient Appliances

Reduced plug loads, a wider indoor temperature range, enthalpy wheel heat recovery, and energy-efficient filtered fume hoods are among the green building features in the John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building. Photo by Edward Caruso

Another simple way to reduce GWP is by investing in energy-efficient appliances. Today you can find an energy-efficient version of just about any major appliance—be it a refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, stove, washing machine, dryer, et cetera—and many building systems, including HVAC, radiant heating and cooling, and more.

There even exist energy-efficient models of specialized equipment for labs and health care spaces. Bristol Community College’s net-zero John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building, for example, makes use of energy efficient filtered fume hoods in all of its labs as part of the college’s commitment towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

“I’ve had people ask me why the chemistry building is the place to reduce energy, when safety is paramount,” Thomas Simister, a senior associate at Sasaki, previously told gb&d. “I would completely agree with that, but also say that unless we push ourselves technologically and behaviorally, we’re not going to make a dent in our energy consumption overall. There are ways to reduce energy smartly, even in science buildings like these.”

If you’re having trouble determining whether an appliance is efficient, check to see if it bears an ENERGY STAR label. If it does, the appliance has been deemed energy-efficient according to guidelines set by the EPA or the DOE. In most cases ENERGY STAR appliances significantly exceed federal standards for both quality and efficiency, which means they’re likely to last longer, too.

Oatey Linear Drains in New Orleans Saints’ New Locker Room Showers

The Benefits of Intumescent Coatings

The post 10 Tips for Reducing Global Warming Potential appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Shou sugi ban (traditionally known as yakisugi) is a Japanese wood preservation technique that utilizes charring and a natural oil sealant.
• Historically shou sugi ban has primarily been used for exterior cladding purposes, but recent years have seen it applied as an element of interior design.
• Aside from extending wood’s operation lifespan, shou sugi ban strengthens wood and makes it more resilient against weather, water, rot, and pests.

Yakisugi—or shou sugi ban as it’s known in the West—is a traditional Japanese wood preservation technique that utilizes controlled charring to strengthen timber.

Once an open flame has been applied to the wood, a wire brush is used lengthwise along the grain to remove any loose ash. Natural oil, such as linseed oil, is then brushed on to seal the wood.

Here we explore the history of shou sugi ban, its advantages and disadvantages, and potential applications, as well as take a look at a few examples from the field.

What is Shou Sugi Ban?

A polished concrete path leads to a triangular courtyard. The slatted roof aligns with slatted exterior walls to create long, vertical striations that begin at the roof ridge and cascade to the ground. Roof and exterior walls are constructed from charred, stained, and sealed Accoya rainscreen and Western Red Cedar rainscreen. Photo by Alan Tansey

Originally developed in 18th century Japan, yakisugi—which loosely translates to “to heat cedar with fire”—describes the process by which wood planks were charred as a way to make them stronger and more resilient.

Traditionally yakisugi planks were made from either cedar or cypress and were used to clad the exterior walls of homes, as they offered improved protection against the elements compared to virgin lumber.

Over time yakisugi became less and less popular as cheaper and less labor-intensive alternatives were made available. It would, however, see a resurgence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, at which point it was picked up by Westerners and marketed as shou sugi ban due to incorrect pronunciation.

Today shou sugi ban can be found in and on buildings all around the world and many companies have started experimenting with charred wood. Delta Millworks, for example, offers a wide selection of shou sugi ban products in a variety of colors, textures, and grain patterns.

What Makes Shou Sugi Ban Sustainable?

Arkansas pine board-formed concrete and Kebony Shou Sugi Ban modified wood, charred by Delta Millworks, make up the building’s facade. After the concrete was poured the pine was repurposed as interior finishes in the Spring theater and rehearsal room. Photo by Kristian Alveo

As long as the wood used in shou sugi ban was harvested ethically—as in it’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council—it is considered a sustainable product. Nakamoto Forestry and Delta Millworks are two companies that source their wood from sustainably-managed forests.

Wood is, after all, a renewable material, one that absorbs and sequesters carbon throughout its natural growth period. And while it’s true that the charring process produces a small amount of CO2 emissions, yakisugi does not require chemical preservatives or coatings that might release toxins over time.

Shou sugi ban can also be created using recycled lumber. This helps keep waste out of landfills and reduces the need for new resource extraction, which ultimately results in fewer emissions and a lower environmental impact.

Why is Shou Sugi Ban in Demand?

Skylab used finished cedar on the ground floor and charred cedar on upper levels for a sustainable and aesthetically pleasing choice at Outpost in Hood River, Oregon. Photo by Stephen Miller

Shou sugi ban has increased in popularity in large part thanks to its aesthetic qualities, as charred wood offers a unique appearance that simply can’t be replicated by staining. This has led to yakisugi being implemented indoors as well as outdoors.

“We are seeing a lot more people using heavily charred shou sugi ban for interiors, whereas in the past this was seen more as a wood for exterior cladding only,” Robbie Davis, owner and CEO of Delta Millworks, told gb&d in a previous article.

The fact that yakisugi is incredibly durable and greatly extends the lifespan of wood—without the use of chemical treatments—has also contributed to its renaissance. “That thick layer of char-induced carbon protects the wood from the elements and other things that might degrade it, so you can potentially avoid any sort of oil or other type of toxic coating,” Davis previously told gb&d.

Exterior Uses

The Orcas House features Nakamoto Forestry’s Gendai and Pika-Pika shou sugi ban siding. Photo by Will Austin

Historically, shou sugi ban has almost exclusively been used as exterior wall cladding, though it has since found a plethora of additional outdoor uses in recent years, including:

• Decking
• Fencing
• Soffits
• Siding/cladding

Nakamoto Forestry is one of the world’s largest producers of shou sugi ban, supplying both Europe and North America with a range of authentically milled, heat treated yakisugi siding options. The Syndicate Smith-designed Orcas House, for example, is clad in two types of charred cypress planks from Nakamoto Forestry—the dark Gendai pre-finished in linseed black and lighter Pika-Pika, pre-finished in linseed natural.

Interior Uses

Charred Western Red Cedar is used as a design element that continues to the exterior at the Treetops Residence. Photo courtesy of Delta Millworks

While shou sugi ban was traditionally intended for exterior use, it has a variety of interior applications as well, including:

• Accent panels
• Flooring
• Ceilings
• Furniture

Charred western red cedar, for example, was used as interior paneling at the Treetops Residence in Austin, Texas. Designed by Specht Architects, the project uses Delta Millworks’ Western Red Cedar for both interior and exterior applications.

Benefits of Shou Sugi Ban

Designed by local architect Elizabeth Herrmann, the Mountain Pool House in Warren, VT makes use of Nakamoto Forestry’s Gendai and Pika-Pika shou sugi ban. Photo by Ryan Bent

Aside from being a sustainable material, shou sugi ban offers a host of other benefits, including:

Durable & Long-Lasting

Shou sugi ban is durable—which shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing as the technique was originally developed as a means of preservation. By lightly torching the wood, a layer of charcoal is formed across the surface, which helps harden and strengthen the timber.

Yakisugi also has a much longer lifespan than un-charred wood. As long as it’s properly maintained and cared for, shou sugi ban should last anywhere from 40 to 80 years.

Fire Retardant

Perhaps surprisingly, shou sugi ban is fire retardant—that is, it burns at a very slow rate. “They’ve done burn tests on wood timbers versus steel I-beams of the same size, and the I-beams ultimately fail first,” Davis previously told gb&d. “Once you burn that timber in one inch deep, the wood physically can’t burn any further on a big solid beam, even in a raging fire that’s engulfing the building.”

This is due to the fact that the wood’s most flammable component, cellulose, has already been burned away by the charring process, leaving only charcoal on the surface. Charcoal requires extreme heat to burn, which gives occupants more time to escape should the building catch fire.

Weather, Water, & Rot Resistance

Thanks to the carbonization that happens during the charring process (and partially due to the oil applied afterwards), yakisugi is made resistant to weather damage, moisture-induced rotting, and even wood-eating insects like termites and wood-boring beetles.

Uncharred lumber typically requires the addition of chemical treatments to achieve these qualities.

Aesthetically Pleasing

Delta’s custom finishes involve charring, brushing, and coating to achieve Gator, hand hewn, burned and brushed, and barnwood textures. Photo courtesy of Delta Millworks

One of the most striking aspects of shou sugi ban is its distinct appearance. Depending on the type of wood used, yakisugi can range in color from a very light gray to a deep black. What’s more, the charring process ensures that no two pieces look the same—a quality that adds character and lends a sense of artistry to any design that employs shou sugi ban.

Low Maintenance

Once installed shou sugi ban requires little to no maintenance whatsoever. When used outside, shou sugi ban only needs to be refinished with oil every 10 to 15 years, as is typical for most exterior wood products.

When installed indoors yakisugi only requires an occasional wipe-down to ensure it remains free of dust and dirt.

Disadvantages of Shou Sugi Ban

The Cevian Design Lab chose Accoya interior siding. Photo courtesy of Delta Millworks

There are, however, a few minor disadvantages to consider when it comes to shou sugi ban. Fortunately, they’re either worth it in the end or can be easily mitigated with the right know-how.

Expensive

Due to the extra labor involved in creating yakisugi, it typically costs more than traditional wood, leading to an overall increase in project expenses. The type of wood you use also influences the price—shou sugi ban is traditionally made from cedar, which costs more than pine or oak. That said, this added cost is generally justified due to the wood’s increased durability and longer lifespan.

Added Risk

As is the case for any product that includes the use of fire in its manufacturing process, yakisugi can pose a fire-hazard during its initial creation. This can, however, be easily mitigated by leaving the actual charring procedure to experienced professionals—which is typically the case anyhow.

5 Examples of Shou Sugi Ban

Now that we have familiarized ourselves with the basics of shou sugi ban, let’s take a look at a few real-world examples.

1. Sawyer Retreat, Sawyer, MI

Designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects, the Sawyer Retreat is clad in dark Kebony yakisugi siding. Photo by Tom Harris

Just off the shores of Lake Michigan, the Sawyer Retreat was designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects as an extension of the surrounding landscape, conceptualized as a treehouse and appearing to almost float above the nearby dunes.

This illusion is achieved in part thanks to the project’s positioning on a steep lakeside bluff and the home’s separation into two rectangular masses stacked one on top of the other, with the second floor acting as the main entry point, connected via a thin wood-and-steel pedestrian bridge to the street. Dark Kebony shou sugi ban clads this top-most mass, making it appear as though the home is receding into the trees.

Like all of the home’s materials, the charred yakisugi siding was chosen due to its biophilic appeal, longevity, and low maintenance requirements. “All of the materials were geared around the idea that they are from nature, require minimal maintenance, and can stand the test of time. We’re hoping that this is a 100-years-plus home,” Michael Kendall, project architect at Wheeler Kearns Architects, previously told gb&d.

2. Meadows Haus, Park City, UT

The Meadows Haus in Park City, Utah is clad in charred yakisugi siding from Delta Millworks. Photo courtesy of Delta Millworks

A collaboration between Klima Architecture and J Squared Interiors, the Meadows Haus was designed and built to Passive House standards in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency and ensure a minimal environmental impact.

All of the house’s shou sugi ban planks—including the accent paneling used indoors—were sourced from Delta Millworks and greatly influenced the project’s overall character while simultaneously contributing to its overall sustainability. Delta’s dark Accoya Gator siding sports a thick char and unique texturing while the company’s smooth Accoya | Barnwood 2.0 | Delta Black paneling imparts a sleek elegance throughout the home’s interior.

Because the wood has undergone an extensive charring process, it requires minimal maintenance and boasts an impressive longevity, all without necessitating the use of toxic sealants or stains.

3. South Haven Centre for Remembrance, Edmonton, Alberta

Delta Millwork’s Accoya wood was used for most of the siding on the South Haven Remembrance Center in Canada. Photo by Ema Peter Photography

Residing on a quiet plot of land in Alberta’s capital, the non-denominational South Haven Centre for Remembrance dutifully provides cemetery services for those who have passed on. Designed by Shape Architecture, the building is laid out in a wandering line, defined by its sharp angles and a lack of ornamentation.

A 43-foot-tall tower emerges from the center’s partially submerged form, symbolically mirroring the existing grave sites, monuments, and columbaria found throughout the sprawling prairie landscape. At the tower’s peak, a large triangular clerestory window—strategically positioned to admit light from the north—provides the meeting rooms below with diffuse natural light.

Like the Meadows Haus, the South Haven Centre for Remembrance employs Delta Millworks’ Accoya | Barnwood 2.0 | Delta Black yakisugi siding, the planks’ dark char helping to imbue the structure with somber reverence. This dark exterior, however, stands in sharp contrast to the center’s bright interior, its light-colored palette creating a warm, welcoming space conducive to reflection and moments of pause.

4. Silver Rock Living Building Home, Bainbridge Island, WA

The Silver Rock residence on Bainbridge Island is a Living Building designed by McLennan Design that employs yakisugi as exterior siding. Photo by Emily Hagopian

Located on Bainbridge Island, Washington and designed by McLennan Design, the Silver Rock Living Building Home is an excellent example of how shou sugi ban can be implemented sustainably. All of the wood used for the exterior yakisugi siding was milled from second-growth cedar trees cut down on the project site, greatly reducing the amount of emissions produced by transportation.

“The outside of the home features charred shou sugi ban cedar siding to ensure longevity without the use of chemicals, paints, and stains,” Jason McLennan, principal at McLennan Design, previously wrote for gb&d. “The house feels natural and part of the landscape as a result of its materials and color palette.”

Other sustainable features of this green house include the use of passive solar design, rammed earth walls, FSC-certified timber, and solar panels.

5. TheatreSquared, Fayetteville, AK

TheatreSquared features a striking Kebony Shou Sugi Ban and Arkansas pine facade. Photo by Kristian Alveo

Completed in 2020 and designed by Marvel Architects, TheatreSquared is an inspiring example of sustainable theater design in action—one that also employs charred yakisugi siding.

Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, TheatreSquared makes use of Delta Millworks’ Kebony Shou Sugi Ban alongside Arkansas pine in its exterior cladding. The resulting effect is a beautiful contrast, with the dark, almost black shou sugi ban complimenting the warm browns of the Arkansas pine.

While already strengthened through the charring process, TheatreSquared’s shou sugi ban cladding is made even stronger by its use of Kebony wood, an environmentally-friendly engineered wood that has improved resiliency over normal hardwoods.

Oatey Linear Drains in New Orleans Saints’ New Locker Room Showers

The Benefits of Intumescent Coatings

The post What is Shou Sugi Ban? appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Intumescent coatings provide code-required fire protection of structural steel.
• Recent innovations at Sherwin-Williams achieve sustainability points and healthy building standards.
• A new software tool helps architects know how intumescent coatings will affect carbon equivalencies.

Architects design from outside in or inside out. And now they can give thought to the inside of the inside early in the process. Stories of star architects sketching out the contours of great buildings on a napkin over dinner with the client are legendary. Reportedly that’s the origin of the Sydney Opera House (Jørn Utzon), Guggenheim Museum New York (Frank Lloyd Wright), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Frank Gehry), and Denver International Airport (Curtis Fentress). It’s the grand inspiration of the project that prompts clients to commit to building it.

But the vast majority of the built environment, addressing important but perhaps less-glamorous needs, comes about in more pragmatic ways. Most working architects start with the program, designing structures that serve their purposes. It’s what ultimately makes the building work for the people who will occupy it.

What’s adding a layer of complexity to this are the urgent needs of sustainability and healthy buildings. The LEED certification program, among other sustainability-driven certifications, and the WELL building standard require architects to think through carbon footprints and healthy indoor air quality. No less important is maintaining structural integrity in the case of a fire, arguably a sustainability measure. When such needs are addressed early in the design process a lot more can go right in later phases.

Fire and Design

Sherwin-Williams tests topcoats used with its intumescent fire resistive products. The International Building Code requires that either UL-263 or ASTM E119 be the standard for intumescent fireproofing. Photo courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Since the 1970s the use of intumescent coatings has replaced concrete as a means to protect structural steel in buildings. It works—as fires burn, the coatings react to heat by forming a thick, carbonaceous, insulating char layer to protect structural elements from the fire. Things still heat up, of course, but it gives sprinkler systems and fire departments more time to bring down the flames and save the building. And replacing all that concrete reduces the carbon inputs on the buildings and enables greater design latitude for architects.

Intumescent coatings currently supplied by Sherwin-Williams go beyond the initial version of the product. First, contemporary buildings are often designed with exposed structural elements as part of the aesthetic—and the design might call for something other than an institutional gray or off-white.

“This is important to architects,” says George Guanci, fire protection market segment manager for Sherwin-Williams. “If an architect requires a color, for example in a hotel lobby, we can provide a topcoat for that color.” He says the product also has no dusting or flaking that might otherwise challenge its appearance.

Sherwin-Williams tests topcoats used with its intumescent fire resistive products. The International Building Code requires that either UL-263 or ASTM E119 be the standard for intumescent fireproofing. Varying thickness requirements for intumescent fireproofing is required depending on the mass of steel, the required hourly rating, and whether the steel is used as a beam or column.

Greener Than Before

Intumescent coatings were once solvent-based with high VOCs, Guanci says. But Sherwin-Williams also provides water-based products with a much lower VOC level.

This matters, as more building owners and their occupants demand healthy interior environments. The WELL standard has specific requirements for VOC reduction in paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants used in buildings. This looks at not just the content of the coating but emissions from them over time.

To satisfy LEED and other green building standards—as well as anyone concerned about climate change—Sherwin-Williams also addresses the carbon footprint of its products. It provides data in product EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations), a “cradle-to-gate” data point. But it also goes several steps beyond that with cradle-to-grave EPD data.

Architectural coatings are assessed according to Product Category Rules, or PCRs. These consider the likely lifespan of a building and when paints and coatings need to be reapplied, which is typically at around 60 years.

Knowing Data Sooner

Intumescent fire protection solutions were used on the interior and exterior of the Brunel Building in London. Photo courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Hearkening back to the architectural design process, these are important but complex calculations to make while matters of form, function, massing, economics, context, and traffic flow are high priorities. But there is a tool that make it possible.

Guanci shares how Sherwin-Williams’ third-party verified design and estimation software, called the Fire Design Estimator, can calculate accurate quantities and thicknesses of intumescent products that will be needed in the projects. The tool looks at the precise quantity of materials, which vary in quantity and thicknesses, and factor for the carbon equivalences. With speed and efficiency the FDE can help optimize the amount of intumescent material to be used as well as how it can factor into green building credit systems.

The FDE might not be a part of those high-level napkin conversations. But once the project moves ahead to the actual architectural design phase, it’s a valuable tool for making a project greener. All while the product ensures that design and wellness goals are met.

The post The Benefits of Intumescent Coatings appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• The AEC industry has a history of ventilating by bringing in more outdoor air that then has to be conditioned, effectively over-ventilating, according to some experts.
• New from ASHRAE, Standard 62.1 specifies minimum ventilation rates and other measures intended to provide IAQ that’s acceptable to human occupants and that minimizes adverse health effects.
• A new solution from GPS Air launching in December 2024 recognizes building and occupant air quality patterns, sensing when contaminants of concern, such as VOCs and fine particles, are introduced—automatically responding to clean the air.

Updated indoor air quality procedures from ASHRAE (Standards 62.1 & 62.2) is making it easier to have good, clean air and reduce risk, cost, and energy, according to GPS Air, a top IAQ solutions provider.

ASHRAE’s 2030 vision hopes for a built environment that provides resilient, livable, and beautiful places to live, work, shop, and commune with people. Transforming new and existing building stock is necessary to ensure a decarbonized future, according to GPS Air, who is focused on reducing the energy burden of conditioning air while improving indoor air quality.

“Years ago energy efficiency and indoor air quality were diametrically opposed,” says Tracy Stoner, special project manager at GPS Air. “You couldn’t have good indoor air quality without paying a premium for it with larger equipment and higher operating costs.”

Today that’s simply not the case—and there’s no excuse not to have both.

Inside the New Standard

A new solution from GPS Air launching in December 2024 recognizes building and occupant air quality patterns, sensing when contaminants of concern, such as VOCs and fine particles, are introduced—automatically responding to clean the air. Image courtesy of GPS Air

Implementing the new Indoor Air Quality Procedure might be the single largest equipment and energy-saving opportunity not being widely considered, Stoner says. When applied to education, office, and multi-use spaces, the procedure reduces required outdoor air by as much as 60%, according to GPS Air. It can also simplify HVAC equipment and reduce cost on both new designs and adaptive reuse projects, saving up to $2 per square foot on annual energy costs, according to GPS Air. In fact ASHRAE’s own 62.1-2019 user manual describes the procedure in this way: The IAQP may allow for a more cost-effective solution to providing good air quality.

“The new standard allows designers to leverage design elements in a very meaningful way so you can both produce a good indoor environment for building occupants as well as do it in an energy-efficient manner. This has only been in the last year or so as the standard has evolved,” she says. “Conversations now are more open and amenable to the two of those working in a symbiotic way.”

Where you used to have to bring in large quantities of air, cool or heat it, and increase equipment size or building infrastructure to support it, today’s carbon footprint can be much smaller and the whole process can be a lot simpler, Stoner says. This is where an innovation launched in late 2024—the smartIAQ™ Dedicated Clean Air System™ —comes in.

New Solutions

Photo courtesy of GPS Air

GPS Air’s new smartIAQ Dedicated Clean Air System is an autonomous, demand-driven air cleaner for the design compounds, or contaminants, ASHRAE lists in 62.1. “It is a device that does one thing; it cleans your air, on demand, responsive to the onboard air quality sensors to determine when it’s time to work and how much air it needs to clean,” says GPS Air CEO Audey Cash. A revolution in sensors in the last five years allows the new system to measure air quality and react in real time. But you don’t have to interpret the data yourself; the system does it for you.

smartIAQ quietly operates based on advanced sensing trained to recognize building and occupant patterns, accelerating air cleaning when needed and idling when unoccupied, thereby extending filter life and lowering maintenance. Onboard filtration offsets outdoor ventilation, ensuring occupants breathe clean air with minimal sound and maintenance.

Thoroughly designed for easy installation and deployment, smartIAQ is compatible with in-space supply and return diffusing systems to seamlessly fit into any design. Because smartIAQ recognizes patterns and air quality risks, it only operates when needed, remaining virtually silent most of the time, and operating quickly and quietly when its advanced sensors detect contaminants of concern, for example. “It’s quiet, and it’s out of sight, out of mind,” Cash says.

With plans to begin shipping in December 2024, the system is an evolution of thinking—instead of large dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) for massive ventilation, balance smaller outdoor air approaches with a dedicated clean air system that targets contaminants to ensure indoor air quality is met with comfortable HVAC operation. “All of this at a fraction of the first cost,” Cash says.

“I liken it to daylight harvesting. In lighting if there’s enough outdoor sunlight, that’s free energy, that’s free illumination. You can shut your indoor lights off. Same idea here—if you don’t have enough contaminants that it’s a concern, you don’t have to run the unit as hard. It’s a fully variable system.”

It addresses a longstanding issue in the industry, Cash says, where most projects take a ventilation approach: They bring in a large amount of outdoor air to ventilate a space. “That approach works fairly well, but it overshoots that target more than 90% of the time. Building systems basically over-ventilate. There are conditions when all of that air is needed if you do not address the contaminant at the source. And that is what makes IAQP so effective; by capturing the contaminant sources in the breathing zone instead of waiting for outdoor air to dilute, you can find a much better balance—just the right amount of conditioned outdoor air along with effective air cleaning when the occupant conditions demand it.”

Stoner says the new smartIAQ product allows a designer to use the latest ASHRAE standards and take a performance-based approach in control of contaminants—whether it’s too many people in a space, an environmental contaminant, or general building-generated off-gassing. “You’re addressing it at the source and you’re not having to increase the size of the equipment on the roof compared to traditional HVAC system design.”

IAQ in Design

Indoor air quality is top of mind in most designs these days, and that’s true of projects by HDR, too. HDR is a global professional services firm specializing in architecture, engineering, environmental, and construction services.

“I think a lot about the VOCs and the products we’re selecting and how that contributes to the quality of space,” says Danielle Masucci, HDR’s workplace design director. “In general there’s a greater awareness of it. We talk about it a lot more with our clients because they’re aware of that sensitivity and the quality of the air in the space.”

How a design addresses indoor air quality makes a big difference to the approach of the building overall, Masucci says, adding that the conversation really begins at a conceptual level.

“Making commitments to how you’re going to ventilate and condition the interior environment and how that can elevate the air quality is really important because the method you move forward with as you design that new building impacts so many things,” she says. “It impacts the floor height; it impacts the roof construction, it impacts the equipment selections and whether you have air handlers or pumps. How do you design to support those building selections, which ultimately impact the energy efficiency in the building?”

Evolving Methods

Classroom design can be greatly improved with smarter IAQ solutions. Photo courtesy of NEC Corporation of America

Cash came into the IAQ game after years in the construction industry working with lighting and controls. He likens what’s happening in IAQ today to conversations about lighting 20 years ago.

“If you think about automated lighting, daylight harvesting, occupancy sensing, all those things really came to the forefront in lighting 20 years ago,” he says. “And then LEDs made them so much easier and more cost-effective. I see that opportunity emerging here.”

Stoner, who’s been in the industry for 30 years (including in mechanical and electrical systems design), says thinking about lighting is a great way to get introduced to energy efficiency and controls and consider the possibilities. “What we’re seeing with indoor air now is that it’s the next energy efficiency opportunity.”

Cash says the change that’s happening now is dramatic. “The single largest energy user in your building is your HVAC system. Think about how you manage the load through variable speed systems to be more responsive to what the space needs versus relying on large amounts of outdoor air,” he says. “I watched lighting go from two-by-four light fixtures consuming more than 100 watts of energy reduced to 18 watts today with the same amount of light—arguably better quality of light—and certainly lower maintenance. The energy savings is massive. The customer experience to not have to change lightbulbs ever again is also astounding. HVAC is next.”

In IAQ, while they can’t eradicate air filters altogether, they can extend the time between changing filters as well as reduce the HVAC watts per square foot on a project by as much as 15 to 30%, since ventilation is such a big part of the conditioning load. “You now have a much more efficient building per square foot, and then by being on demand we don’t exhaust filters very quickly. We get one- to two-year filter cycles, so you get a much lower maintenance proposition than you would normally expect out of an air cleaner,” Cash says.

He says LEED version 5, which is expected to go into effect in 2025, is even taking note, as it accepts the indoor air quality procedure and provides extra points for sensing and response. “You can see this shift occurring. That’s a huge deal to us.”

Cleaner Air, Longer

And while existing buildings lose their performance over time, installing an air cleaner and having variable airflow allows the building to adapt and the system to adequately clean the air in the space. “It is a much more sustainable approach, and that air quality is as good on day 1,000 as day 1,” Cash says.

He says the problem with traditional ventilation is that the issue is never fully resolved. “You need to handle the source. The source for most of the contaminants in a building are either the furnishings or the people. Targeting the source of the problem by cleaning either the source itself, the VOCs in the air, or the formaldehyde that gets emitted from the furnishings—by taking that out of the air, you get better indoor air.” And that, he says, leads to healthier buildings.

“ASHRAE designed the standard around occupant comfort along the lines of air quality and what it means to have clean air. You target the problem at the source, treat it, and deliver better, cleaner, healthier air.”

The post A New Dedicated Clean Air System with Real-Time Sensing appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Studies show sound pollution can have negative impacts on occupant health.
• Commercial buildings must account for acoustic solutions like flooring that minimize impact and airborne noise.
• Unlike hardwood floors or concrete, commercial rubber flooring solutions offer both soundproof and sound absorption benefits.

Want to design healthy commercial spaces? The secret is sound—or lack thereof.

Studies show that sound pollution—any noise that distracts and disrupts—can trigger the body’s stress response. Chronic noise-induced stress can lead to high blood pressure and heart rate, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. More stress hormones in the body can also lower immunity and prevent sleep, among other health concerns. And it’s not just loud noises causing this stress to our bodies either. Even exposure to chronic low-level noise can have a huge impact on our health.

In commercial buildings noise is unavoidable. Proper acoustics are imperative when it comes to the health of those who work in or occupy these spaces. In offices, for instance, loud sounds and meetings can prohibit essential work from getting done, with potential impact to a business’s bottom line. In educational institutions noise disrupts and detracts from essential learning, stealing focus and attention away from lessons.

It’s all about communication and being able to operate without distraction.

“It’s all about communication and being able to operate without distraction,” says David Good, manufacturing engineer at REGUPOL. “Imagine you have a school building or a classroom right beside a loud, noisy train track. It’s hard to focus with that kind of distraction, and it’s hard to get whatever you’re working on done.”

In health care settings quiet is essential to healing, allowing patients a space to soundly rest and recover for improved health outcomes. “I’ve worked on health care projects where we’ve had to isolate medical machines, like CT scan machines, and other sensitive machinery and equipment where they’re doing laboratory testing and need to get accurate measurements without any sort of vibration, even to scales that people can’t hear or perceive,” Good says.

Clearly, sound matters. And in buildings many elements contribute to the way sound travels throughout a space—the floors we walk chiefly among them.

Why Flooring Matters to Acoustics

Rendering courtesy of REGUPOL

Sound travels through buildings in two ways. Impact noise is what you hear when two objects collide—feet on a floor, weights dropping on the ground. Airborne noise is when sounds like people talking are carried through the air.

When it comes to either of these acoustic strategies, flooring has a huge impact thanks to the sound properties of common materials. Hardwood flooring, for example, doesn’t absorb sound well, making it easy for both impact and airborne sound to carry throughout a space. Meanwhile materials like concrete are inherently good at soundproofing because of its dense and heavy mass—but for the same reasons don’t absorb sound well enough to prevent harsh impact noise.

In commercial buildings noise mitigation comes down to specifying materials that both soundproof and absorb sound. Like concrete, soundproofing materials are typically denser and heavier and are integrated within or under surfaces to add mass to the flooring, decouple flooring surfaces, or dampen vibration between surfaces.

“There are four main components: absorption, mass, decoupling, and damping,” Good says. “You need that mass component to effectively mitigate any sort of vibration. You can think of decoupling as separating two different materials, either with an elastic material or an air gap, almost like a spring in between two rigid materials. That’s kind of how the underlayment works. Lastly, damping removes the stress on materials from sound vibrations.”

On the other hand, materials that absorb sound tend to be softer and lighter, similar to a sponge, to absorb wave energy. Sound absorption helps to minimize echo and reverberation in a space.

There are a lot of benefits to using rubber versus other flooring materials.

There are few commercial flooring solutions that both soundproof and absorb sound effectively, but rubber is one of them.

“There are a lot of benefits to using rubber versus other flooring materials. It really absorbs that impact sound and provides a lot more vibration absorption,” Good says. “It also is more comfortable to walk on than if you were walking over top of a hardwood or concrete floor. There’s a lot more shock absorption so it provides deflection under foot.”

REGUPOL’s rubber flooring comes with major benefits to the planet, too: It’s made from recycled car tires. In fact, the sustainable rubber flooring manufacturer reclaims more than 9 million tires annually to make environmentally sound solutions that help buildings manage—well, sound. The recycled content in every REGUPOL product ranges from 75 to 100%, and the entire manufacturing process is environmentally responsible using minimal water, avoiding heat, and recycling waste.

“You could be driving down the road, and then in three or four years, say, you get rid of that car tire. In another couple of years you could see it as an underlayment or commercial flooring instead of sitting in the landfill,” Good says.

Removing rubber tires from the landfill is no small deal, either. They are nonbiodegradable, unable to be compacted like plastic or metal, and maintain their shape. Tires can live in the environment forever—and, truly, what could sound worse?

The post The Sound of Silence with REGUPOL Sound Insulation appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Wood is a muse in surprising ways, from finishes to mass timber to clever, luxury furniture.
• Some designers want the look of wood, without the maintenance, and more solutions are stepping up to meet that demand, too.

We love these creative solutions from across the built environment.

From finishes that look like wood to large-scale wood architecture, these latest finds are inspired by nature.

PAC-CLAD Timber Series wood grain finishes

The Waterford Bay project is a partial-wrap residential concept with a parking structure at its center and dwelling units surrounding it on three sides. Photo by Alan Blakely

Is it wood? Is it metal? The new PAC-CLAD Timber Series wood grain finishes from Petersen include a range of colors from rich browns to shades of gray and white. The simulated PVDF finishes can be applied to all PAC-CLAD soffit and wall panel systems and feature a consistent wood grain pattern that may make observers pleasantly pause when they realize the appearance of wood is actually metal.

The five finishes combine the beauty of wood with the durability of metal. The Waterford Bay project in St. Paul, Minnesota was designed by BKV Architects using multiple PAC-CLAD profiles in weathered zinc, matte black, a custom rustic amber, and a custom classic II bronze.

Luma Collection by Tuuci

Photo courtesy of Tuuci

This deep-seating furniture, designed by Tuuci founder Dougan Clarke, combines luxury, durability, and craftsmanship. The innovative Aluma-Weave technique from Tuuci enhances each frame, while the Aluma-Forge joints use cold-weld technology for superior structural resilience and artisan quality.

The collection is accented by the Meritage Bezel, adding a fine jewelry detail that elevates its sophistication. Choose from six Aluma-TEAK finishes for the timeless look of wood without the upkeep. You also have the option to blend with eight powder coat colors.

Keyhole Collection by Fyrn

Photo courtesy of Fyrn

San Francisco–based sustainable design and build company Fyrn recently unveiled its new Keyhole Collection. The collection gets its name from the proprietary brackets seen through “keyholes” in the solid-wood tops of the table and bench. Made in the USA of high-quality, North American Hardwoods, each solid wood piece is one-of-a-kind, celebrating the unique natural characteristics of the material. Table lengths can be customized between 66 and 144 inches (bench lengths from 39 to 92 inches).

Fyrn was created by a fourth generation woodworker with furniture design rooted in circularity. The company prioritizes minimal raw material waste, maximum durability, and easy repair or refurbishment for a long life for its pieces. Shipping, too, is considered, as the pieces are built to flatpack, ensuring efficiency. fyrn.com

Katajanokan Laituri

Photo by Kalle Kouhia

This new landmark in Helsinki’s iconic Market Square ushers in a new generation of Finnish large-scale wood architecture. Anttinen Oiva Architects designed the building entirely of mass timber elements. The four-story project now houses the head office of Finnish forestry company Stora Enso and a 164-room hotel, all made from Finnish and Swedish timber. For the facade, a special two-layer solution was developed.

“A double skin was the best solution given the architecturally and technically challenging maritime context,” says Selina Anttinen, architect and partner at Anttinen Oiva Architects. “The outer protective layer integrates with its stone-built surroundings and is made of glass with vertical white metal lamellas and natural stone. The building’s appearance transforms in different times of the day and lighting conditions and fits the various scales and motifs of the surrounding buildings from the different historical eras.”

Promoting wood construction is key to achieving Finland’s carbon neutrality goals. “We have a long tradition of wooden construction building in Finland, but larger-scale examples in urban environments are still few,” Anttinen says. “In Katajanokan Laituri we had a possibility to work in a demanding context with clients, partners and builders that understood, supported and pushed forward not only our design vision, but also our common goals to research and test the new type of large-scale wooden constructions.” Inside, wood continues to tell the story of strong Nordic nature.

RIVA Wood Tile Collection

Photo courtesy of RIVA Spain

Inspired by nature with all of the benefits of tile, the RIVA Wood Tile Collection features porcelain tiles in seven colors—pearl, cotton, crystal, sand, smoke, earth, and amber. Measuring 10-by-60 inches, the tiles are designed to match the color and width of RIVA MAX natural wood flooring, which is sourced sustainably from European forests. Tiles have a sleek, knot-free appearance, designed to look like wood with the durability and cleanability benefits of tile.

The large-format tiles coordinate with wood collections, allowing for seamless designs from interior wood to match tiles in high-moisture areas. RIVA Wood Tiles are water-resistant, slip-resistant, and easy to clean, offering a feeling of elegance and timelessness in any space.

The fourth-generation family business with roots in Spain uses rectified porcelain tiles sourced from reputable factories in the country through established relationships the brand has made over the years.

Oatey Linear Drains in New Orleans Saints’ New Locker Room Showers

The Benefits of Intumescent Coatings

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• Populous designed this Seattle arena with the future in mind, with sustainable strategies like rainwater harvesting that directly benefits hockey.
• The design team got creative when it comes to brainstorming sustainable strategies that would work in Seattle.
• Climate Pledge Arena is the first arena in the world to achieve Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute.

There is a major arena in downtown Seattle that is like none other. Designed by global architecture firm Populous, Climate Pledge Arena is the first arena in the world to achieve Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute.

The 17,000 capacity arena opened in 2021 but continues to be an example of the possibilities when it comes to arena and other spectator spaces. Living walls, rainwater harvesting, and the elimination of single use plastics are just some of the many sustainable strategies on display in and around the building.

“We were very intentional about the ways we thought about sustainable design with Climate Pledge,” says Geoff Cheong, a senior principal at Populous, who specializes in multipurpose entertainment venues.

He points to the example of rainwater harvesting used in the project. “That strategy only works if a number of things come into perfect alignment. If you need that water at a time of year when it doesn’t exist, it doesn’t make any sense to explore a strategy like that.” But in a place like Seattle where, during fall and winter you get the majority of rainfall, that happens to align perfectly with the NHL hockey season.

Rain to Rink

Populous-designed Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is the first arena in the world to achieve Zero Carbon Certification from ILFI. Photo by Ema Peter

A “rain-to-rink” system collects water from the historic roof—it dates back to the 1962 World’s Fair—into a 15,000-gallon cistern that sits under the west plaza of the arena and is then brought into the facility all the way down to the event level, or about 50 feet below the street. It’s then purified and pumped into the electric Zamboni and used to resurface the ice—the greenest ice in the NHL. “It’s a really incredible story and strategy, and we’re always excited to share about it,” Cheong says.

Water is conserved in several other ways at Climate Pledge Arena, too. All concourse restrooms utilize waterless urinals, for one. The site design also includes onsite stormwater retention for landscaping, and native plant species that require less watering and maintenance are used extensively throughout the project.

Saving History for the Future

Rainwater is collected from the arena’s roof, pre-filtered to remove any debris before entering a large underground cistern, and then released when needed into a smaller tank at the arena’s event level. There the water goes through a reverse osmosis purification system before being pumped into the electric Zambonis used for ice resurfacing. Photo by Ema Peter

“Saving the roof was the result of incredible collaboration between Populous and Thornton Tomasetti, the project structural engineer,” Cheong says.

He says the team designed a temporary shoring system to suspend the roof in a floating state while the original foundations were demolished. While suspended, nearly a million tons of earth was excavated and removed from the site to make room for the new arena’s expanded subterranean footprint, which extends well beyond the dripline of the historic roof. “New concrete foundations were then poured, and permanent support columns extended upward almost 50 feet so they could be reconnected to the 44-million-pound roof—a true architectural and engineering feat.”

He says creative and sustainable engineering resulted in the repurposing of elements of the temporary shoring system to build another temporary support system later in construction—one that supported the 270-foot-long press box bridge that spans over the arena’s west upper deck seating.

More Sustainable Strategies

Photo by Ema Peter

Zero waste initiatives, touchless technology, and LED lighting are more sustainable strategies seen throughout the arena. The venue is also home to a 200-foot living wall with greenery hanging overhead—an Amazon vision Populous brought to life. Amazon is the arena’s naming rights partner, and the Climate Pledge was the name of the mega retailer’s goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040—a goal they achieved seven years early.

The best sustainable designs, including this one, often inspire awe, and designing for a dramatic first impression was also always part of the goal, Cheong says. “As guests enter Climate Pledge Arena through the Alaska Airlines Atrium, they’re presented with an 8,500-square-foot immersive, high-definition digital backdrop adorning the atrium’s walls, ceiling, and vertical structure. Alongside our client (Oak View Group), we imagined the arena’s entry as a canvas for immersive digital art that transforms night-to-night and allows visitors to have a unique and tailored experience from one event to the next.”

Like at many venues, the design for Climate Pledge also embraces highly efficient self-serve and touchless technologies for food and beverage experiences. “It drastically reduces queue lines and elevates the customer experience and impression of the venue by allowing guests to be away from their seat for less time,” Cheong says.

Plentiful greenery is just one of many sustainable strategies inside the Climate Pledge Arena. Photo by Alex Fradkin

The design for Climate Pledge Arena included Camatic seating in part for its sleek and flexible design. Photo by Alex Fradkin

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• The hotel’s most recent renovations helped revive the inside lobby as the design team reimagined the space with two new bars (Founders Club and Olympic Bar) and updated the famous Georgian Room to The George—keeping the shell intact.
• Sustainability initiatives at the hotel include glass water bottles in the rooms, wood key cards recycled after use, and linen-exemption cards given to guests as a reward if they go without daily linen changes.
• New American restaurant The George is known for its standout lavish design and locally sourced dishes. The renovation also unveiled original terrazzo flooring under decades-old carpeting.

The Ramones played there, dignitaries dined there, and locals came in for afternoon tea for 75 cents. The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle celebrates 100 years in December 2024 with the $25 million renovation of its lobby, bar, restaurant, and meeting spaces under the vision of Spanish design studio Lázaro Rosa-Violán (LRV) with local architecture firm MG2, completed in 2021.

While we can neither confirm nor deny whether Rod Stewart ever swung from a chandelier, the excitement and elegance of the historic Fairmont property lives on while leaving no one out. And that’s on purpose. From the moment you enter the hotel lobby, you feel welcome. “The lobby is the heart and soul of the hotel,” says Sunny Joseph, general manager of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle.

“The task given was how do we ensure we respect the past but look ahead to the future as well? How do we ensure whatever design we select is going to incorporate the best of both worlds? That we will talk to the audience of the past plus the audience and the guests of our future?”

Old Meets New

The color pink was popular in the 1920s, when the hotel opened. “The greens and the pinks really spoke to the original building,” says Sunny Joseph, general manager at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

The team wanted to move away from what was formerly a very traditional lobby, carpeted, with soft seating and little else. The design of the building itself is interesting, as the main floor is split into three levels, and it beckoned some of the world’s best designers with opportunity. The hotel team chose LRV to bring their vision to life. “They are known for renovating a lot of the castles in Europe, and they have done amazing renovation in some hotels as well,” Joseph says.

While in the past there was no real bar to speak of in the lobby (you could order a soda or a beer, but no real incentive to hang out, Joseph says), the new lobby is home to the Olympic Bar—a focal point and a hotbed of activity on any given night. “Our prime focus was: How can we do this renovation in a way where it becomes a place for the community to hang out? And that’s exactly what we did.”

During a visit in June the hotel was a hub for Pride Month, quite literally on the parade route with a flag flying high outside, while people of all ages buzzed about surrounding the Olympic Bar dressed in styles from the Roaring ’20s, cocktails in hand. “We try to activate as much as possible for everything,” Joseph says. “A lot of that energy is brought by our guests. People know they can come to our place without being judged and be who they are and have amazing times. Our mission is turning moments into special memories, and that’s what we strive to do every single day.”

Atop the Olympic Bar guests will find a sprawling, nautical-themed art piece inspired by the hotel’s original sailing ship logo. “In 1924 when the hotel was built you could see the water from it. There weren’t that many buildings,” Joseph says.

The design team darkened the wood throughout the lobby and made the meeting spaces and restaurant around it ADA-compliant, while equipment throughout the hotel is now much more efficient, including energy-efficient LED lights.

The Founders Club is an intimate speakeasy inside the recently renovated Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

Hidden behind a bookcase just off of the main lobby area, guests will find the new Founders Club—a dark, intimate, spirit drinker’s getaway that’s now one of the top bars in the country. The speakeasy bar seats 30 guests and is defined by deep, rich wood tones and the soft glow of polished brass. “It’s not a place where you are going to just have a beer. It’s an experience,” Joseph says.

The George is an American restaurant offering refined yet comfortable service inside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

Beyond the hotel’s main lobby space, a few steps up, the historic Georgian Room was transformed into The George, and an outside entrance was added to connect more easily with the community. The new American brasserie is known for its lavish design and locally sourced dishes. The design incorporates the pinks and greens popular in the 1920s.

In the Details

Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

In the midst of renovation the team ordered new carpet for many of the staircases, but as the workers were removing the old carpet they discovered the original flooring from 1924 laid by Spanish artists and Italian skills people. “We said forget the carpet. We are going to restore it,” Joseph says. “All the beautiful staircases have restored terrazzo from 1924.”

Wood details throughout the hotel are original, with darkened tones in some places. “The beautiful woodwork, the carvings, they are all original,” Joseph says.

The team also took the 300-pound crystal chandeliers from 1924 that were in pieces in storage in the basement and put them back together to hang in the foyer of the Spanish Ballroom.

The original white-cloth restaurant is still upscale but approachable, with comfortable pink and green seats or floral, leather booths and beautiful vintage lighting details. “Now it is a very lively restaurant with lots of light.” Walls are decorated with Puget Sound chart maps and a nod to the city’s nautical history.

“The George is just fantastic—the chandeliers, the art deco glasswork behind the bar. It is just amazing,” Joseph says. “I’m proud to show off the entire renovation. Not one area is left behind.”

The hotel renovation turned up original terrazzo flooring under decades-old carpeting. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel building first opened in downtown Seattle in 1924—when you could see all the way to the water. Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

Project Details

Project: Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Location: Seattle
Completion: 2024
Cost: $25 million
Design: Lázaro Rosa-Violán (LRV)
Local Architect: MG2

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• Olson Kundig designed The Jack to be a modern heritage building whose design is sensitive both to the past and the future.
• The project builds upon the cultural and architectural history of Pioneer Square, Seattle’s oldest neighborhood.

Along the waterfront in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, The Jack respects the past while looking to the future. Designed by Olson Kundig and developed by Urban Visions, the project is defined by street‑level retail with seven floors of creative office space, a rooftop amenity, and one level of below‑grade parking.

“The most exciting part about The Jack’s completion is seeing how the building interacts with the neighborhood in a quiet, contextual way,” says Tom Kundig, principal, owner, and founder at Olson Kundig. “It’s a testament to the level of attention and care that went into its subtle detailing and proportions. What’s really exciting, though, is the positive feedback we’ve received from our neighbors and members of the community; a lot of people didn’t even realize it was built—which, in a way, was the goal all along.”

The Jack is a modern heritage building whose design is sensitive both to the past and the future—especially important in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. It harmonizes with surrounding buildings in materiality and scale, while its flexible design has future uses in mind.

“The Jack is an intentionally quiet building in a neighborhood that is important to us not only because of its rich history, but because it’s our neighborhood—our offices have been located in Pioneer Square for over five decades,” Kundig says.

As part of The Jack’s design, the team referenced the rich architectural character of the Pioneer Square neighborhood with brick facades inspired by the colors and textures of the area’s historic buildings. Photo by Nic Lehoux

Taking advantage of the alley space was key to the design. “The building core was intentionally pushed back toward the alley to provide a big, flexible floor plate that can accommodate numerous functions. Because the building’s alley-side is typically less preferred, this strategy also shifts the building toward the water to really maximize those views,” Kundig says.

The Jack’s location on the waterfront is directly adjacent to the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which was demolished during the design process—offering new, unobstructed views of Elliott Bay. “It was important for us to maximize the panoramic views, pulling back the roof elements to really prioritize those sightlines from the terrace. Inside we incorporated a lot of transparent warehouse windows and floor-to-ceiling windows to continue the visual connection to the larger landscape outside.”

Inside The Jack, designed by Olson Kundig. Photo by Nic Lehoux

The building was designed with low-iron, low-E, high-performance glass, chosen both for function and composition. Multiple window types can be found on the facade, including warehouse windows and punch windows. “From the exterior different window styles and textures work to break down the scale to match the surrounding buildings, while inside they delineate the functionality of each space,” Kundig says. “At the base of the building we intentionally kept it very open and transparent for future retail and storefronts.”

The design team referenced the rich architectural character of the neighborhood in part with brick facades inspired by the colors and textures of the historic buildings defining the neighborhood. “On the main facade facing the waterfront the brick massing is extruded into two distinct parts with different window treatments, weaving the building into its context by appearing as separate masses. Between the two masses recessed glazing delineates the building entrances with steel windows that draw on the surrounding historic industrial buildings.”

Kundig says the building’s brick facade is a subtle way to evoke history without reproducing it. “We wanted to mimic the historical buildings in the neighborhood, which typically have more refined brick at the base, transitioning into smooth brick above, with rough brick in the alley. Our strategy was to interpret that language by using three different types of brick. At the base of the building the transition from smooth to textured brick aligns with the adjacent buildings instead of the floor, drawing a line to reference how the historical buildings were added onto and evolved over time.”

The rooftop deck is arranged into multiple glass pavilions focused around the central green roof. Photo by Nic Lehoux

The Jack was designed to include a 16,000-square-foot rooftop deck overlooking the city. Photo by Nic Lehoux

The project’s commitment to sustainability is clear—from its solar panels to the green roof system. The rooftop is arranged into multiple glass pavilions focused around the central green roof, including an occupied terrace that offers expansive views across the water.

The green roof reduces the heat island effect and provides a biophilic habitat for people to enjoy, planted with structural trees and Mexican feathergrass selected for its resilience to windy environments. Together the plantings are meant to blow in the wind and mimic the movement of the water beyond—creating a connection between the built and natural environment that is punctuated by the rooftop’s transparent pavilions, Kundig says.

The project also incorporates sustainable design strategies that comply with its LEED and Salmon-Safe certifications.

“I’ve always thought of this project as less revolutionary and more evolutionary,” Kundig says. “Pioneer Square will continue to evolve and change; the goal is for The Jack to be appropriate to the historical context of the neighborhood and an authentic response to our time.”

Project Details

Project: The Jack
Location: Seattle
Architect: Olson Kundig
Completion: 2023
Contractor: JTM Construction
Certifications: Salmon-Safe, Targeting LEED Gold

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