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

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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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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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bnim seRviCes

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