Post on 22-Mar-2016
description
BNIM AnnuAl Review
As global and local citizens, we are facing issues today that are diverse, but solvable. Across the country, municipalities and private clients are looking for new ways to maintain success and fulfill their purpose.
Together with our clients and collaborators, we are taking steps to maximize social health, invigorate a sustainable economy and restore natural systems. Collectively, we will positively define the outlook for our cities and communities—in both the near and distant future. With this Annual Review, we want to share what we are doing to help our clients maintain a competitive advantage in an ever-changing world.
foReWoRd
Ready
07 Ready / The projects we completed in 2008 are ahead of their time in creating livable, sustainable and prosperous spaces and places.
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set / Our passion for excellence, education and outreach keeps us looking forward with optimism. Our clients share this vision and give us purpose.
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go / The projects on our horizon reimagine what is possible for academics, for workplace, for cities and communities and for our profession.
ConTenTs
setgo
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In the early 90s, we began to realize that sustainable design was just the beginning of what we could do to lessen the impact on our natural resources, improve financial bottom lines and increase the vibrance and connectedness of our communities, businesses and the individuals that comprise them. About this time, my partner, Bob Berkebile, began talking about regenerative design by asking how we move beyond simply doing less harm to creating built systems that are regenerative, even restorative, by nature.
bnim The ideAs of TodAy ARe building The CommuniTies of TomoRRoW
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Regenerative design is the next frontier for sustainable design, and bnim is again leading the way. Two of our projects are targeting “living building”
status through the Cascadia Region green building Council’s program. The omega institute for sustainable living, when complete in 2009, is anticipated
to be the first certified living building in the world. The odum school of ecology, on page 40, is another example of regenerative design.
in today’s world, sustainable practices at all levels that were once elective are now required. environmental concerns have been made even more
important in the current economic climate. no longer economic burdens, sustainable innovations are being sought to create a new economy that will
replace the failed construct of the past. bold ideas are necessary to build healthy, beautiful and economically sound places that will endure.
for bnim and our clients, this green conscience is guiding us to the leading edge of what is possible. it underlies our work and inspires us to unite
people, planet and prosperity without sacrificing conveniences or financial responsibility.
This past year has been an awakening. like every organization, bnim has felt the effects of an unfriendly economic climate, but we have committed to
using this experience to build a stronger, more resilient practice. for us, this has also been a time of good results that reinforce the reasons for doing the
right thing and making sustainable decisions. The school of nursing and student Community Center at the university of Texas health science Center
at houston costs 50% less to operate than adjacent buildings. The lewis and Clark state office building in Jefferson City, missouri has shown a 7.5%
reduction in absenteeism and the lowest construction cost per square foot of any other state office building. At the general service Administration
federal supply service, productivity has increased. new orders are being fulfilled 60% faster and back orders have been reduced by 80%.
in this Annual Review, we showcase the projects, research, people and achievements that are poised to define what communities will look like
tomorrow. each of our featured projects represents the great vision of our client partners and addresses themes that shape our collective and
best future through regenerative design.
We thank our wonderful team of colleagues, clients and other collaborators for their ongoing support.
sincerely,
steve mcdowell, fAiA / Principal / bnim
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PeoPle
Health, Community and innovation driven
by human ingenuity are at the heart of
what people need to thrive and evolve in a
sustainable economy
BNIM embraces the belief that truly sustainable design is regenerative and maximizes benefits between social, economic and environmental factors. The integration of people, prosperity and the planet means that each project in our practice considers significant topics, such as health, economy and energy, that drive decision-making for our clients. These themes are deeply integrated in our work.
Each page of this Annual Review contains text and icons representative of key elements that are denoted by the following key.
People. Prosperity. Planet.
tHe ideas of today TRiPle boTTom line
PRosPeRity
To regain robust commerce,
consideration of economy, Productivity
and infrastructure are essential to
the utilization of our financial and
environmental capital
Planet
energy, Water and ecology are key
issues to consider when valuing our
finite natural resources, utilizing our vast
renewable resources and regenerating the
natural environment
communityHealtH innoVation
eneRgy WateR ecology
economy PRoductiVity inFRastRuctuRe
*All definiTions ARe AdAPTed fRom The meRRiAm-WebsTeR online diCTionARy.
The CondiTion of being sound in mind, body And sPiRiT
An inTeRACTing PoPulATion of vARious kinds of individuAls ThAT shARe A Common loCATion
The CReATion of someThing neW oR The PRoCess of Thinking AbouT someThing in A neW WAy
The sTRuCTuRe oR CondiTions of finAnCiAl inTeRACTion And exChAnge in A CounTRy, AReA oR PeRiod
The sTATe of bRinging someThing AbouT (WoRk, ChAnge, eTC), esPeCiAlly in AbundAnCe
The undeRlying foundATion oR bAsiC fRAmeWoRk of ouR CiTies And CommuniTies
usAble PoWeR (heAT, eleCTRiCiTy) And The ResouRCes foR PRoduCing suCh PoWeR
The liquid ThAT is The mAJoR ConsTiTuenT of All living mATTeR And A limiTed nATuRAl ResouRCe
The PATTeRn of RelATions beTWeen oRgAnisms And TheiR enviRonmenT
integRation
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AbouT ouR ClienT fort osage was constructed by William Clark as a military
garrison and trading post serving as the gateway to the West in the newly
acquired louisiana Purchase. The fort signaled military strength and
promoted healthy relations with the native Americans in the territory.
Today, the fort osage education Center serves Jackson County in its
mission to educate thousands of students, residents and visitors about
the legacy of this national historic landmark and the importance of this
place in our nation’s early history.
located on the banks of the missouri River, the fort osage education
Center invites patrons of all ages to learn about the significance of this
location on the river as a historic military outpost. in celebration of the
lewis and Clark bicentennial, the fort’s owners made plans for a new
visitor center to support the County’s educational mission. The design
integrates the cultural history of the fort and site, while addressing the
center’s pedagogical mission. nestled into the site, the building has a
strong visual link to the fort and the river. expansive views encourage
visitors to explore the site. The program includes a primary museum,
temporary exhibit space, classroom and auditorium.
This building recognizes centuries of history, but it also takes a progressive
step forward in its mindful use of the resources and restoration of the land
that lewis and Clark marveled over. Passive design strategies include a
vegetated “green roof” and high thermal mass walls is to minimize the
need for heating and cooling. landscape strategies focus on restoring
the habitat and native landscape, using of water resources responsibly
and connecting the site’s amenities via a trail system.
Fort Osage Education Centersibley, missouRi
The siTe’s 7.65 ACRes use ResToRATive sTRATegies To RegeneRATe The nATive Wild life hAbiTAT And eCosysTem. lAndsCAPe design sTRATegies, inCluding A vegeTATed Roof, eliminATe The need foR iRRigATion, enCouRAge PeRColATion of RAinWATeR And minimize eRosion — so ThAT 95% of WATeR is mAnAged on siTe. A geoTheRmAl gRound souRCe heAT PumP And highly effiCienT RAdiAnT heATing And Cooling deliveRy sysTem ConTRibuTe To The building’s loWeR oPeRATing CosTs. iT is Also WiRed foR The fuTuRe insTAllATion of A PhoTovolTAiC ARRAy. The CenTeR is 100% dAyliT, WhiCh ConTRibuTes To A 57% oveRAll eneRgy sAvings When ComPARed To A ConvenTionAlly designed bAseline building.
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“This immense river so far as we have yet ascended, waters one of the fairest portions of the globe, not do i believe that there is in the universe a similar extent of country, equally fertile, well watered, and intersected by such a number of navigable streams.” meRiWeTheR leWis To his moTheR, fRom foRT mAndAn, mARCh 31, 1805, WRiTing AbouT The missouRi RiveR fRom foRT dubois To foRT mAndAn (JACkson, vol. 1. P. 223.)
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AbouT ouR ClienT City union mission provides approximately 131,000
beds per year to weary men and women in need. The new building, the
Christian life Center, provides a home for men who are addressing areas
of change necessary to live productive and successful lives. They work
on issues such as recovery from addictions, dealing with legal matters,
getting finances under control, various academic concerns and finding
new direction for family and successful employment. The triumph of the
Christian life program is that, although not all graduate, all receive the
essential ingredients for success.
The newest facility at City union mission is dedicated to renewing the
lives of homeless men by breaking the cycle of homelessness through
support, education, recovery and addiction programs. The 27,000
square foot facility houses the Christian life Program, a one-year
curriculum that prepares students for re-entry into the community.
The new facility is designed to support the mission’s belief that
every person deserves to be surrounded by a healthy, well-designed
environment that supports them in establishing a new direction for
their lives.
Recycled materials, such as the cedar wood siding, are used as a
metaphor for repurposing the lives of these men who will live and
find new purpose at the center. other finish materials are juxtaposed,
such as masonry that is used outside and reflected on the inside, to
suggest the notion of “turning one’s life around.”
Christian Life Center AT CiTy union mission / kAnsAs CiTy, missouRi
The ChRisTiAn life CenTeR sTRives To be RegeneRATive, WiTh boTh PeoPle’s lives And The design sTRATegies ThAT suPPoRT The mission And CommuniTy. The bRighT And oPen sPACes PRovide vieWs And PRomoTe heAling, CommuniTy building And eduCATion. The building Reuses gRAy WATeR And uses eneRgy effiCienT lighT fixTuRes, dAylighTing And gRound souRCe heAT PumPs To ConseRve finAnCiAl ResouRCes foR This non-PRofiT.
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This academic workplace environment for the blue valley unified
school district, one of kansas’ top school systems, supports the district
in its mission to deliver quality education. The building accommodates
the unique needs of four district departments, including Planning
and facilities, safety and security, food services and the iT services
department. The design promotes user comfort, energy reduction and
sustainable site strategies.
The efficient design starts at the perimeter: a high performing building
envelope allows desirable daylight to permeate the interior spaces, yet
rejects unwanted glare and heat through exterior shading mechanisms.
in addition, the underfloor air delivery system with user controls
maximizes energy efficiency. organized around a two-story atrium,
the building features 9,500 square feet of open office space, private
offices, conference rooms and the district’s central data system.
Clerestory glazing brings light deep into the internal office space.
on the site surrounding the building, a series of basins collects site
stormwater before it leaves the site, serving as a good neighbor to
those downstream.
Blue Valley District Campus Office BuildingoveRlAnd PARk, kAnsAs
The 30,000 squARe fooT building feATuRes A fRiTTed glAss sCRim, 100 lineAR feeT of CleResToRy glAzing To induCe nATuRAl lighT, fly-Ash ConCReTe To ReduCe The AmounT of PoRTlAnd CemenT in The ConCReTe mixTuRe, susTAinAble mATeRiAls like CoRk flooRing And loW voC PAinTs, And A sToRmWATeR mAnAgemenT sysTem To mAnAge 100% of sToRmWATeR on-siTe.
AbouT ouR ClienT The blue valley school district offers “education beyond
expectations.” The highly ranked schools live up to this mantra. in 2008,
six blue valley schools were named with the governor’s Achievement
Award, which recognizes the top performing schools in the state of
kansas. blue valley students and schools also earned distinctions for
reading, math, advanced placement and for their use of technology for
communications and operations.
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BNIM/Research
BNIM is a national leader in the design and construction industry. Our collaborative research with Autodesk, the U. S. Green Building Council and the Lean Construction Institute is not only furthering BNIM’s own work, but it is transforming the work of the entire industry.
The u.s. green building Council awarded a research grant to bnim in August 2008 for a study
focused on stormwater best management Practices (bmPs) around building sites. With a finite
supply and increasing global demand for fresh water, the management and reuse of stormwater
has become one of the most critical environmental concerns in the building design industry.
The grant will allow bnim to monitor several sites for 20 months. The findings will address the
spending represented by unnecessary potable water use, stormwater management processes
and increased water quality through removing pollutants from surface runoff.
The demonstration video that premiered at Autodesk university in december 2008 shows how
a blend of energy modeling and building information modeling (bim) will transform intuitive data
into a virtual model and ultimately into a calculated, high-performance building. This video used
bnim’s bim model for the greensburg business incubator project as the featured example.
A book entitled Green BIM: Successful Sustainable Design with Building Information Modeling
helps teams integrate bim and sustainability to create innovative designs through a streamlined
delivery process. The book is coauthored by bnim’s director of elements, brad nies, AiA, and
also includes a foreword by steve mcdowell, fAiA.
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BNIM/2008 Clients
Academie lafayette aeCom Alexandra’s Just desserts, llC alley Poyner macchietto architecture Alvine engineering american Century
investments Applebee’s services, inc. asakura Robinson Company Astra Communications, inc. autodesk bank midwest beauty brands
bernstein-Rein blank Park Zoo blue springs Public Art Commission blue Valley school district #229 blueCross blueshield of kansas City
bohlin Cywinski Jackson bTi - greensburg buffalo bayou Partnership burns & mcdonnell butler, Rosenbury & Partners, inc. Cbs news City
of fairway, Kansas City of gladstone, missouri City of Greensburg, Kansas City of houston, Texas City of Kansas City, missouri City of kansas
City, missouri - Parks and Recreation City of Kansas City, missouri - Water department City of north kansas City, missouri City Union mission
Copaken White blitt Cousins Properties david and gigi Cooley deborah sue Glassberg deere & Company delich, Roth & Goodwillie, Pa dPR
Construction, inc. edaW ehrenkrantz eckstut & kuhn (ee&k) Architects einhorn yaffee Prescott, architecture and engineering PC embarq
eskie associates eTc holdings, lTd eugene Water & electric board general services Administration Germinder & associates inc. girl scouts
of ne kansas & nW missouri, inc. Global Green, Usa greensburg, ks school district - usd 422 Grinnell College groupe Pacific, inc. H&R block
harris County Precinct Three Harry s. truman Library institute holy Cross school Hovey Williams LLP howell Construction internal Revenue
service iowa utilities board Jackson County Parks & Recreation Je dunn Construction Jim Cownie mr. & mrs. John e. marshall Johnson
County, Kansas facilities management department kansas City Art institute Kansas City ballet kansas City Power & light Company Kansas
Corporation Commission - energy office kansas state bank Kansas state University kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Keck neurology
Wellness institute de LLC ken & Roswitha schaffer Kessinger Hunter & Company l’oeuf Pearl Poddubiuk et Associes Architectes Ladco
development lathrop & gage lC Lacy & Company levitt enterprises, inc. Lewis, Rice & fingersh, LC make it Right foundation melaver, inc.
metropolitan energy Center mid america Regional Council missouri state university moshe safdie & associates, inc. mvP Architects the nelson-
atkins museum of art nix lauridsen nyemaster, Goode, West, Hansell & o’brien omega institute onCoR international one main development,
llC owl Properties Pathway development Company, llC Pershing Road development Company Polk County Conservation board Power House
Properties, LLC Prime Commercial Real estate services Princeton University Rockhurst university screenscape studios sioux City Art Center
state of iowa steven holl Architects stoltz management Company structural engineering Associates swope Community enterprises Taliaferro
and browne, inc. mr. & mrs. tom Higgins u.s. engineering Company Unity temple on the Plaza The university of georgia University of Houston
system The university of iowa University of missouri university of nebraska medical Center the University of texas Health science Center at
Houston usgbC-st. louis Watershed Committee of the ozarks, inc. Williams Architects Zimmer Real estate services, LC
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Accolades/People
The following industry and community activities reinforce that BNIM’s accomplishments are a direct result of the individuals who make the success of each project a personal passion. Our exceptional people make a difference in the community each day. Here are some 2008 highlights:
bnim received the 2008 united Way Circle
of Caring, awarded to corporations and
organizations that support united Way
above and beyond the call of duty.
bnim named three new Associate
Principals: bradley nies, AiA, leed AP; hans
nettelblad, AiA, leed AP; and matthew
Porecca, AiA, leed AP.
The firm recognized the boundless
contributions of bnim founder,
Tom nelson, fAiA, by celebrating his career
and accomplishments.
kathy Achelpohl, AiA, leed AP, was appointed
by the mayor as a commissioner to the kansas
City, missouri municipal Art Commission.
Celine Andersen, Assoc. AslA, leed AP,
was one of 24 generation x landscape
architects invited to attend the xtreme
lA Challenge.
Theodora batchvarova, Assoc. AiA,
leed AP, is a member of AiA healthcare
Committee, which organized a health
symposium for 300 people.
laura bellis became the Chair of the vision
user group, Planning sub-committee for the
midwest region.
Jesse benedick received an honorable
mention in a competition called Re:Connect
– urban Planning for People and Place
urban sponsored by Re:vision.
bob berkebile, fAiA, received the 2008
Regional leadership Award from the
mid-America Regional Council and a 2008
u.s. green building Council leadership
Award in the organization excellence
category. he was appointed to the Advisory
Committee for the north American free
Trade Agreement (nAfTA) Commission on
environmental Cooperation. berkebile was
also appointed to the greater kansas City
Chamber of Commerce board of directors
for 2008-2009.
Catherine Callaway, Assoc. AiA, leed AP, is
Co-chair of AiA houston CoTe, Co-chair of
Rice design Alliance Partners and Co-chair
of the student Competition for gulf Coast
green symposium.
Casey Cassias, AiA, was elevated to American
institute of Architects (AiA) College of fellows.
valerie frye, iidA, leed AP, was appointed
Corporate forum Advisor for the
international interior design Association.
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brittany gamble, leed AP, was Past
President for kC international facility
management Association (ifmA) and served
as Chair of the organization’s membership
Committee and Webpage Committee.
she also spearheaded a collaboration of
organizations called the built environment
Partnership (bepkc.org).
stephen hardy, AiCP, leed AP, and
Rachel stroer were interviewed for
several television programs regarding the
greensburg master Plan and rebuilding
efforts on the discovery Channel, Planet
green and the Weather Channel. hardy
lectured widely in 2008 for organizations
such as the meredith Corporation, iowa
finance Authority, AiA, and kansas summit
on health and the environment.
erik heitman, Assoc. AiA, was elected
vice-president of the Plaza-Westport
neighborhood Association.
Christina hoxie was an organizer of the
Jana mackey eleven hundred Torches
national Campaign benefit with the purpose
to encourage 1100 people to serve others,
which was inspired by the life of advocate
and activist Jana mackey.
An article by Ramana koti, Assoc. AshRAe,
leed AP, titled “daylit spaces, Productive
Places” appeared in solAR TodAy.
The issue won a 2008 APex Award for
Publication excellence in the magazines &
Journals – Print, over 32 Pages category.
laura lesniewski, AiA, leed AP, served as
director for the AiA kansas City Chapter.
maria maffry joined bnim as vice President
of business development.
dev malik, AiA, served on the henry W.
bloch school of business and Administration
Alumni board of directors and the executive
education Advisory Council.
Carey nagle, AiA, was the speaker Co-chair
for the AiA iowa Convention.
hans nettelblad, AiA, leed AP, was named
2008 Architect of the year by AiA kansas
City. This follows on the footsteps of greg
sheldon, AiA, (2006) and bob berkebile,
fAiA, (2007) who also received the honor.
hans nettelblad, AiA, leed AP, served as
director of the AiA kansas Chapter.
bradley nies, AiA, leed AP, served as
secretary for usgbC greater kansas
City Chapter board and was selected as
Treasurer for 2009. he represented bnim
at the inaugural Architecture and design
sustainable design leadership summit, and
was subsequently named the Chair for the
midwest Region. he also served as co-chair
of the greater kansas City Chamber of
Commerce Climate Protection Partnership.
Jonathan Ramsey, AiA, leed AP, served in
positions as Chairperson of AiA iowa CoTe,
Chair of the iowa disaster Recovery Workshop
Planning Committee, and as sustainability
Chair for the 2008 AiA iowa Convention.
Jim schuessler, AslA, leed AP, was a
board member of 4A Collaborative and
served on the national WWi museum
building & grounds Committee.
mark shapiro, AiA, and steve mcdowell,
fAiA, presented the fayez s. sarofim
Research building as a sustainable
laboratory design Case study at the
Association for the Advancement of
sustainability in higher education (AAshe)
2008 conference.
Amy slattery, AiA, leed AP, was named
2008 emerging Professional of the year by
AiA kansas City.
doug stevens, AiA, leed AP, was appointed
board member for the City of leawood
kansas, Parks and Recreation department.
Rachel stroer participated in a number of
speaking engagements that included the
kansas environmental Conference, the City
of overland Park, kansas, the City of lee’s
summit, missouri and the kansas housing
Corporation, to name a few.
elif Tinney served as a board member of the
missouri Coalition for interior design.
The work of kelly uehling, mCse,
contributed to bnim receiving recognition
for early technology adoption in the deltek
vision 6.0 early Adopter Program.
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in 2008, bnim balanced 758.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which
our organization produced in 2007, through offsets from the non-
profit group, The Climate Trust. Additionally, from 2007 to 2008,
bnim reduced the company’s carbon footprint by almost 10% from
the previous year by reducing air travel and creating efficiencies that
reduced energy usage.
Carbon balancing is just the start, however. most importantly, bnim
is committed to creating a sustainable culture within the firm that
influences each project and the actions of each employees. We have
found that this cultural influence is contagious and has enriched our
internal sense of community in countless ways. We ride the bus and
car pool together. We work together to consume less paper, glass
and plastic, and, when we produce waste, we recycle. We support
telecommuting. We talk about sustainability and share ideas. A lot.
The way that we operate as a firm means that our mindset is already
geared towards finding the most holistic sustainable solutions in
the projects we do for our clients, which means that innovation and
discovery can prevail in all of our work.
BNIM/Carbon balanced
What is Carbon balancing ?being Carbon neutral means first measuring carbon consumption from the burning of fossil fuels that are produced when we use electricity,
engage in vehicular or airline travel, and consume materials that do the same. next, we balance that value with an equivalent offset that
represents an investment in renewable energy.
25
BNIM has educated over 500 individuals in LEED training workshops aimed at increasing the environmental design capacity of our colleagues in the architecture, design and construction industries. A strong tenet of our practice is the belief that education and outreach are vitally important to BNIM’s role as a pioneer of sustainable design. Our outreach is not solely focused on LEED. Our programs share progressive projects and research that recognize that our built environment can shift from a position of consumption to one of restoration and balance.
BNIM/leed®ership
ouR leed TRAining WoRkshoPs ARe held AT susTAinAbly designed And leed-CeRTified buildings ACRoss The uniTed sTATes. A building TouR duRing These WoRkshoPs AlloWs PARTiCiPAnTs A ChAnCe To see The susTAinAble design sTRATegies AT WoRk. ATTendees inClude PRofessionAls fRom ACRoss The building indusTRy.
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im i
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09/07/
01/03/04/05/0806/
02/
WiT
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29
03/MO
04/MO 06/NE05/MO
08/MO 09/GA07/TX
The miChAel J. Cemo hAll
RoCkhuRsT univeRsiTy CAmPus mAsTeR PlAnThe kAuffmAn CenTeR foR The PeRfoRming ARTs hARold m. And beveRly mAuReR CenTeR foR PubliC heAlTh
02/QC
PeTiTe RivièRe RedeveloPmenT
kAnsAs CiTy gReen Region
01/KS
odum sChool of eCology
gReensbuRg kAnsAs CiTy PoWeR & lighT
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Two years after a devastating ef5 tornado destroyed over ninety five
percent of the town, greensburg is well on its way to recovery. bnim’s
award winning streetscape is taking shape on main street and our leed
Platinum designs for the k-12 school, City hall and big Well museum
are rising from the ground. A major manufacturer of green building
materials is coming to greensburg, bringing much needed green collar
jobs. greensburg will be 100% powered by renewable energy after the
greensburg Wind farm is completed. These accomplishments have
garnered worldwide attention; greensburg has been recognized nationally
and internationally for its vision, leadership and sustainable planning.
01/KS Greensburg
inCoRPoRATing A vARieTy of uses inTo gReensbuRg’s CiviC CoRe Will enCouRAge eConomiC gRoWTh, loCAl PRosPeRiTy And CommuniTy inTeRACTion. by TReATing eACh dRoP of WATeR As A PReCious ResouRCe And inCoRPoRATing ReneWAble sTRATegies foR PoWeR geneRATion, These PubliC PRoJeCTs Will Convey The ChARACTeR of gReensbuRg ThRough The ideAs And TeChnology of susTAinAble design, While miTigATing TheiR imPACT on The enviRonmenT.
31
The American Planning Association presented its prestigious Daniel Burnham Award to the BNIM authored Greensburg Sustainable Comprehensive Plan.
The Greensburg Sustainable Comprehensive Plan was awarded the 2008 Sustainable Cities Award, sponsored by Financial Times and The Urban Land Institute.
The National Building Museum is featuring the Greensburg Sustainable Comprehensive Plan through October 29, 2009.
The City of greensburg, the kansas Power Pool and John deere Renewables are building the
greensburg Wind farm. The wind farm will have ten turbines and produce 12.5 megawatts of
power, more than enough to power the entire town.
President obama’s Address to Congress cited greensburg, ks as a pioneer for leadership in
clean energy.
“greensburg,” a thirteen part series on the discovery Channel’s Planet green network,
documented the sustainable rebuilding of greensburg.
bnim was recognized by the u.s. department of Agriculture (usdA) Rural development
Agency for its valued partnership in the rebuilding of the City of greensburg and kiowa County
through usdA Rural development Programs.
bnim’s design for main street, the k-12 school, City hall and the big Well museum are underway
and have been recognized for their contributions to the sustainable vision.
noTAble AChievemenTs
The dAniel buRnhAm AWARd
2008 susTAinAble CiTies AWARd
nATionAl building museum gReen CommuniTy exhibiT
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Petite Rivière is the first community in Canada designed for high-
quality living within the limited resources of one planet. The complex
plan for this site, located at the intersection of three municipalities
and two railway yards, is initiated by the vision of the client, groupe
Pacific, to achieve “true sustainability” by stretching beyond the
highest green building standards for materials, water, energy and
indoor air quality. The project, located in montréal between Cote-
saint-luc, montréal West and lachine, is being designed for zero
Carbon and zero Waste by using design principles of walkability,
mixed-use, connectivity, compactness, regeneration and community.
The plan for the new 1,900 unit mixed use, sustainable neighborhood
integrates sustainable stormwater management, on-site biological
sewage treatment, natural habitat and ecological restoration and
development, sustainable transportation and productive (edible)
landscape strategies within the public realm.
The intention is to reduce the community’s footprint by 70%
(compared to the quebec average). Through holistic planning, the
project becomes more than just a home, a park and a business — it
becomes a way of living.
02/QCPetite Rivière Redevelopment monTRéAl
PeTiTe RivièRe Will use These PeRfoRmAnCe meAsuRes: ReduCe building emissions by 100% (CARbon-neuTRAl); enhAnCe loCAl CulTuRe And heRiTAge; souRCe AT leAsT 30% of mATeRiAls RegionAlly; ReduCe ConsTRuCTion And solid WAsTe by 98%; PRoduCe 1 Job PeR 5 uniTs of housing; hAve 15% AffoRdAble housing; ReduCe muniCiPAl WATeR use by 627 liTeRs PeR dAy (80% ReduCTion); ReduCe TRAnsPoRT emissions by 71%; leAve 54% of siTe As nATuRAl hAbiTAT And gReen sPACes; And obTAin 40% of All food fRom loCAl fARms And on-siTe gARdens.
WiTh l’oeuf PeARl Poddubiuk eT AssoCiés, ARChiTeCTes foR
gRouPe PACifiC
33
03/MOKansas City Power & LightkAnsAs CiTy
The kCP&l heAdquARTeRs Will ConveRT The oRiginAl oveRheAd hvAC disTRibuTion To undeRflooR disPlACemenT AiR. The design RedisTRibuTes offiCes To The CoRe of The sPACe, WiTh oPen offiCes Along The PeRimeTeR, To mAximize dAylighT. demounTAble WAlls And high levels of boTh ReCyCled And ReCyClAble mATeRiAls ensuRe ThAT The sPACe Will embody heAlThy WoRkPlACe PRACTiCes And foCus on indooR AiR quAliTy.
in 2007, kansas City Power & light Co. (kCP&l) entered into an
agreement with the sierra Club to reduce the utility company’s overall
Co2 emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020 through complying
with legislative and regulatory changes. Accordingly, kCP&l is taking
considerable steps to improve its facilities through aggressive sustainable
design solutions.
bnim’s design for kCP&l’s new headquarters is teaching an old building
new tricks. The decision to relocate into 250,000 square feet in one
kansas City Place, a 1980s office tower in downtown kansas City,
pushes the envelope on what is possible for retrofitting older buildings
to today’s sustainable design standards.
The amount of existing building stock in kansas City and the u.s. is vast,
and kCP&l’s office space will demonstrate the ability to introduce high-
performance, integrated design into an existing office tower and will
serve as a powerful example to other building owners, business owners
and customers. When the project is complete in fall of 2009, kCP&l
will meter power consumption on the project, which is anticipated to
perform much better than typical tenant finish office space.
Concurrently, bnim is also designing a state of the art, multipurpose
operations center in south kansas City for kCP&l. The first project
on the operations support campus, The service Center, will be leed
certified and include a nature center and 300-seat auditorium for
private and community use.
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The kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will soon be counted
among the finest performing arts centers in the world because of
its superior acoustics, complex geometry and momentous spaces
of exquisite design, detailing and construction. designed by moshe
safdie and Associates, in collaboration with renowned acoustician
yasuhisa Toyota and bnim as joint architect of record, this facility was
designed to produce near perfect acoustics, promising an exceptional
experience for performers and audiences alike.
The new kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will be one of
the most significant cultural facilities in the midwest and will have
a transformative effect on kansas City’s urban core, economy and
thriving arts community. not only will the new structure and venue
contribute to the livability of the downtown area and add to the
redevelopment efforts of the urban core, but also it will open a vital
corridor between the heart of the city and the heart of the adjacent
Crossroads Arts district.
upon completion, the new center will provide two world-class
performance halls for the resident organizations of the kansas City
ballet, the lyric opera and the kansas City symphony and will contain
a 1,800-seat proscenium theater and a 1,600-seat concert hall.
04/MOThe Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts kAnsAs CiTy
innovATive PRoJeCT deliveRy: using 3d building infoRmATion modeling (bim), bnim And The ConTRACToR, Je dunn, ARe PioneeRing The use of This sofTWARe foR PRoJeCT deliveRy by digiTAlly RevieWing The PRoJeCT ThRoughouT ConsTRuCTion. The ConTRACToR is “viRTuAlly” ConsTRuCTing The PRoJeCT To idenTify Any inTeRfeRenCe beTWeen TRAdes And To eliminATe CosTly field issues duRing ConsTRuCTion. This deliveRy meThod is moRe effiCienT, ACCuRATe And susTAinAble ThAn TRAdiTionAl APPRoAChes.
WiTh moshe sAfdie And AssoCiATes, inC.
35
The guiding theme of the new Rockhurst university Campus master
Plan is, “in the City for good,” a strong statement of commitment to the
city and the university’s surrounding community and student body.
The plan for Rockhurst’s 62-acre campus is the result of an eight-
month process of in-depth research, study and discussion that bnim
coordinated on campus. The new plan complements and advances the
university strategic Plan’s four critical issues: reflect Jesuit values,
support activities that build campus community, ensure financial and
infrastructure strength and raise public awareness of the university’s
identity. it achieves these goals by focusing on creating a campus
that reaches out and engages the surrounding neighborhoods, an
adjacent university and all aspects of the public realm. in addition, the
plan is designed to establish a welcoming environment to students,
faculty and neighboring residents while outlining smart planning
goals for renovated and new academic, student living and mixed-use
facilities that will carry the university into the future.
05/MORockhurst University CAmPus mAsTeR PlAn, kAnsAs CiTy
This susTAinAble mAsTeR PlAn evAluATes And ReCommends soluTions ThAT Will meeT fuTuRe needs foR inCReAsed ConneCTiviTy, ReduCed oPeRATing CosTs And inClude ConsideRATions foR eneRgy effiCienCy, infRAsTRuCTuRe, mAss TRAnsiT oPPoRTuniTies, neighboRing CommuniTy ConneCTions And sToRmWATeR ReduCTion.
WiTh einhoRn yAffee PResCoTT, ARChiTeCTuRe & engineeRing, P.C.
04/MOThe Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts kAnsAs CiTy
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The Center for Public health will establish a common identity for the
eleven academic departments and Centers of the College, providing a
single location on campus for research, teaching and community out-
reach related to public health. To allow maximum flexibility in hours of
operation, the three-story, 50,000 square foot building is organized
so that the classroom wing can operate independently from the of-
fice wing. The classroom wing fronts the public green, creating an
important and highly-visible edge to the campus. it will be home to
three 40-seat classrooms, as well as a multitude of smaller classroom
and collaborative spaces, many of which will be designed to support
distance-learning. The office wing is oriented on the east-west axis to
allow each occupant access to beneficial natural light. Completion is
anticipated for August 2010.
bnim is design ARChiTeCT in ConJunCTion WiTh Alley PoyneR mACChieTTo
ARChiTeCTuRe, omAhA, ne.
06/NEHarold M. and Beverly Maurer CenTeR foR PubliC heAlTh, The univeRsiTy of nebRAskA mediCAl CenTeR, omAhA
The design of The building suPPoRTs The College’s goAl of PRomoTing heAlThy And PRoduCTive CommuniTies. The PRoJeCT ConveRTs muCh of An exisTing AsPhAlT PARking loT inTo PeRvious oPen sPACe, ReduCing Run off And heAT gAin on The siTe. The oRgAnizATion And oRienTATion of The building ensuRes PlenTiful ACCess To dAylighT And vieWs. The ClAssRoom And offiCe Wing eACh hAve indePendenT meChAniCAl sysTems To suPPoRT mAximum eneRgy effiCienCy in ResPonse To The diffeRing houRs of oPeRATion.
37
07/TXThe Michael J. Cemo HallThe univeRsiTy of housTon
The design PRomoTes heAlTh, CommuniTy, eConomy And PRoduCTiviTy foR The building As Well As iTs useRs And The suRRounding neighboRhood. dAylighT is emPloyed in All PRimARy sPACes, inCluding The AudiToRium. RegionAl mATeRiAls suCh As TexAs limesTone PRomoTe longeviTy And Tie in WiTh The CAmPus ConTexT.
in 1927, george kessler, a kansas City planner and landscape architect
known for creating exceptional city, campus and park plans, developed
a master plan that shaped the university of houston through the
20th Century. A more recent university-commissioned master plan
identified the need for a new facility within the business school that
would strengthen the surrounding campus fabric and evoke a greater
sense of place for users and visitors.
The michael J. Cemo hall, as part of the university of houston’s C.T.
bauer College of business, will serve as a “front door” to the business
school, providing an accommodating venue for lectures and other
business-related gatherings and initiatives. The new 34,000 square
foot facility will become a home for the university’s expanding global
business minor program and will provide three 80-seat classrooms, a
400-seat auditorium, a career center, a testing center and administrative
and support spaces. interior spaces are designed to provide flexibility
in educational methods and to accommodate future growth of the
university. Completion is planned for 2010.
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BNIM is dedicated to the communities it serves.We are especially proud of the work we are doingto position Kansas City at the epicenter of a greenregion that is rooted in responsible and sustainabledevelopment, environmental policy and green-collar job creation. These important steps will help sustain a promising future for the citizens of today and tomorrow.
08/MOKansas City Green Region
The overflow Control Plan addresses
repairing and improving the city’s 150
year old combined sanitary sewer system.
The ambitious plan, authored by a team
including bnim, promotes improvements
that transform the appearance of
neighborhoods by using green solutions
while meeting regulatory requirements
put forth by the environmental Protection
Agency. in fact, this innovative plan was
recently recognized by the ePA as being
one of the greenest in the country.
bnim provides assistance to municipalities
and private organizations nationwide.
Johnson County, ks, gladstone, mo and
kansas City, mo, are among our clients.
in kansas City, we have collaborated
with the City’s green solutions steering
Committee in an effort to implement
“first principle” projects, develop “green
neighborhood” standards, create a zero-
waste economy and develop an inter-
departmental educational program for
city staff.
bnim developed an implementation
and training program to aid kansas
City, mo city staff in executing a leed
ordinance requiring that all new city-
funded projects over 5,000 square feet
be designed to the u. s. green building
Council’s leed silver standards or higher.
The curriculum will help city staff to
understand how to effectively use the
tools of implementation and sets a strong
leadership tone within the region.
bob berkebile is serving as the
Co-Chairman of the environmental
management Commission, which was
created by the City of kansas City to
promote environmental awareness and
resource efficiency.
bnim is a founding Partner in the
greater kansas City Chamber of
Commerce Climate Protection
Partnership. The firm formed an
assessment team, which provides eco-
friendly counsel to the Partnership’s
130 members regarding energy
assessments, carbon footprint
calculations and recommendations for
possible reductions.
The kansas City greater downtown
Area Plan is uniting eleven downtown
neighborhoods with one cohesive
strategy for vitality and regrowth. The
bnim-led plan provides a vision for the
city core where the pedestrian is given
priority, where population will double,
and where sustainability is fundamental
to decision making.
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The odum school of ecology is building a new home that will transform
education and research by setting a new benchmark as the world’s most
sustainable academic lab building. The design’s innovative strategies —
green roofs, living walls, water treatment system, photovoltaic cells,
natural ventilation, daylight, double skin facades and a collaboration
corridor — reinforce the spirit of founder eugene odum’s approach
to ecosystem ecology by creating a living laboratory that will foster
regenerative relationships between the student, researchers, visitors
and the natural systems at work in the building and site.
The school will take advantage of its prominent site on campus, and
its location along the path to sanford stadium, to reach out to the
almost 1.8 million visitors who visit the campus annually by offering
tours and programs that educate about a more integrated way of
living. The project is based on the principles of pedagogy, biodiversity,
livability, energy, water and nutrient cycling. it demonstrates that the
teaching process, research process and the physical building can be
one and the same.
As The WoRld’s fiRsT living lAboRAToRy, odum sChool of eCology Will mimiC nATuRe in iTs AbiliTy To hARvesT WhAT iT needs fRom The siTe And oPeRATe WAsTe-fRee. The building foCuses heAvily on The life of WATeR by Thinking holisTiCAlly And PedAgogiCAlly AbouT WATeR. The sTudenTs Will leARn AbouT eCologiCAl WAsTeWATeR TReATmenT And emPloy The sysTem To ReviTAlize TWo exisTing WATeRsheds And ResToRe The siTe’s sTReAm To iTs oRiginAl ConneCTion WiTh The ChATTAhooChee RiveR.
09/GAOdum School of EcologyuniveRsiTy of geoRgiA, AThens
About living buildings :living buildings are informed by and heavily rooted in the indigenous characteristics of a building’s eco-region in order to renewably generate
their own energy; capture, treat and use their own water; and operate by embracing the essence of what the site can provide.
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“BNIM’s role in creating the Living Building concept is now providing zero-impact solutions to those who seek the highest level of sustainable design available. There is not a single building being designed that approaches [Odum School of Ecology’s] level of sustainable stewardship.”RAy AndeRson, ChAiRmAn of The boARd, inTeRfACe
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innoVation . CoLLaboRation . tRansfoRmation / A vision foR odum’s sChool of eCology
exCeRPTs fRom A ConveRsATion beTWeen bob beRkebile (bnim), sTeve mcdoWell (bnim), lAuRie foWleR (odum) + dAnny sniff (ugA)
modeRATed by mARk shAPiRo (bnim)
maRK sHaPiRo/ How […] is [the vision of
dr. odum] lived out today in the mission,
the curriculum and the research agenda of
the odum school of ecology?
dAnny sniff/ our main mission is education.
our second mission is public service and
outreach. And our third is research. in each
one of those areas, this building speaks to
our mission better than anything that you
could sum up in a long dissertation. The idea
is that the building in itself, as it is conceived,
is an educational tool and is a research
opportunity. […] We’re rapidly depleting
the resources that sustain our planet, and
through this educational tool of the building,
we hope to change society.
lAuRie foWleR/ All of the state legislators and
county commissioners […] will be able to see
what’s possible and what they could do with
government buildings. People from all over
the state come for football games. our aim is
that on saturdays the odum school building
is to be second, only in terms of popularity,
to sanford stadium.
ds/ To show you how quickly this thing has
changed, senior vice President for external
Affairs, Tom landrum, told the dean, dr.
gittleman, that within fifteen minutes he was
sold on the concept — that this building and
pedagogy is one and the same.
bob beRkebile/ Just the fact that it is one of
the major pathways to football and to other
things on the campus, and that it is on the
ridge of two watersheds, made it more and
more apparent what a powerful location it
is. With the buildings, landscape and public
realm, we can create a healthy virus, as
we were describing it when we were last
together, that will infect the rest of the
campus and ultimately Athens and beyond.
ds/ let me put a number to it. [...] Roughly
1.8 million people visit our campus annually.
This site is truly the epicenter of the research
component of our science core and campus,
so you couldn’t have chosen a better piece of
real estate, simply for exposure.
bb/ That’s what Joseph Campbell called ‘the
invisible helping hand.’
ms: i’m curious to know if there has been a
change between the way you imagined the
role of the building […] and the way it has
manifested today?
ds/ When i first started this project, i really
never would have anticipated that we would
have achieved this level of a building and
have so many great discussions about it. but
it was a no-brainer. i was really just going
to be happy to get a high level sustainable
building, but now we’ve got this vision with
a massive amount of possibilities like net
zero and how that ties into our mission. it
became infectious.
lf/ After we visited oberlin College, i knew
what we were going to be able to do in terms
of capturing and recycling stormwater and
using the living machine. but in terms of
what we could actually do with what we
had on site by making use of those two
watersheds, and daylighting that stream, and
hopefully, eventually, opening it up all the
way down to the river — that goes beyond
even what i had dreamed.
bb/ our starting goal was to show you that
we could deliver architecture at a level that
would really inspire and make teaching and
research more interesting and more efficient
and more productive. [...] it was really in the
collaboration with you and your colleagues,
that we discovered that this opportunity was
really much more. This was about creating
not a platinum building, but a living building
— and beyond a living building to a living
precinct that would influence the rest of the
campus. That is transformative for us.
ms/ is this [project] changing the University
of Georgia’s policy, as it relates to building
and campus design? so, is there a ripple
effect into other initiatives on campus for
new buildings or changes to the campus
infrastructure, etc?
ds/ it has certainly changed all of the design
professionals at the university’s opinion
about campus design. […] When i talk about
the living machine people, who generally
would have gotten up and walked out of
the room when the meeting was over, are
asking questions about that or the living
wall, or they’re talking about the museum
component and how school children could
walk through it and see stream ecology.
lf/ Ask us next year. hopefully we can say
that this building has formally changed
university policy.
ds/ Right now the city of Athens is building a
ninety million dollar sewage treatment plant.
And i tell the audience that in fifty years
we won’t be spending ninety million dollars
building these sewage treatment plants, and
i refer to the odum school of ecology. Take
the university of georgia: fourteen million
square feet and forty-two thousand people.
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bob beRKebiLe, fAiA, founding PRinCiPAl of bnim
you will have four or five living machines
on campus — and that will be it. We won’t be
sending wastewater to a sewage treatment
plant that cost a hundred million dollars. We’ll
be handling it on campus. That is the future.
bb/ i’m reminded of a conversation that
i had more than once with bucky fuller
about change. he kept saying, “bob, the
only way to make significant change, is
to make the thing that you’re trying to
change obsolete.” once this is in place and
operating, it makes absolutely everything
that preceded it obsolete.
ms/ Which of the six strategies – pedagogy,
biodiversity, livability, energy, water, nutrient
recycling – in your opinion do you think has
the greatest potential for capturing the
hearts and minds of the people who will
experience this building?
lf/ The one thing that i’ve heard over and
over that surprised me is that everyone is
talking about the pedagogy aspect. [...] And
everybody has said that there is so much
that can be learned from every single inch of
this ground and from this building itself.
ds/ People ask the question about water,
then energy, but the most excitement, and
what is seen as the greatest potential, is the
pedagogy. […] Water usage and water abuse
is forefront on a lot of minds and they see the
correlation back to teaching and education.
bb/ i vote along with dr. odum and say we
can’t split these strategies apart. maybe the
thing that makes this building transformative
in the end, is integrating all of these in a
system that is beautiful.
sTeve mcdoWell/ Water has the opportunity [...]
to become another sociological aspect of
the project at a much larger scale. especially
when we start to think about how every living
creature has a fair amount of water inside of
them, and that that water is the connective
tissue that integrates us, or ties us all
together. [...] but, it seems that if we look
down the road five, ten, fifteen years when
we start to experience an economy that’s
much more based on water than carbon.
ms/ How will the odum school of ecology and
the new facility change the world?
ds/ We joke about odum being the father
of ecology, but we also don’t joke about it.
What he did in the 1940s for the sciences is
affecting how we are looking at things fifty,
sixty, seventy years later in such a different
way. [...] We’re being given a chance to
combine all of the six objectives, and i think
that in time, people will view that as being
just as monumental as eugene odum’s vision.
gene was a tall, thin, statured guy, but he
was very understated. in many ways, that is
what’s nice about this building — the beauty
of it is in the subtleties. but what will come
from it will not be subtle at all, similar to odum
himself. What odum did was not subtle, but his
personality was. That is one of those changing
natures for our campus.
foR A ComPleTe TRAnsCRiPT of This ConveRsATion,PleAse go To bnim.Com/odum_inTeRvieW
steVe mcdoWeLL, fAiA, PRinCiPAl, bnim
LaURie foWLeR, odum sChool of eCology diReCToR of PubliC seRviCe And ouTReACh
danny sniff, AssoCiATe viCe PResidenT foR fACiliTies PlAnning, univeRsiTy of geoRgiA
bb/
lf/
sm/
ds/
In a marketplace where many claim to be green, BNIM set the standards and pioneered projects, methods and research that shaped the direction of the sustainable movement. Regenerative design is BNIM’s response to the requirement for a bold approach in establishing higher levels of sustainable design. Our current pursuits are establishing what will be possible with sustainable design in the years to come, and our efforts will ensure that other practitioners readily have the tools to do the same.
The practice employs integrated design processes and tools that achieve success for our clients with human, fiscal and
environmental benchmarks. our design approach considers the many complex issues of contemporary buildings with
the intention to derive solutions that are integrated, efficient and durable.
bnim leadership helped to establish the national American institute of Architects (AiA) Committee on the environment
in 1990. The firm’s early involvement in the u.s. green building Council, through committees and demonstration
projects, has shaped the usgbC’s leed rating system and the living building concept from 1993 to the present.
bnim’s commitment to sustainability is embedded in all aspects of the firm’s work.
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THE IDEAS OF TODAy ARE BUILDING THE COMMUNITIES OF TOMORROW
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