Workplace Collaboration Zone Idea

      For any number of reasons I like to tinker around with design ideas and representing them.  Here I took on the concept of creating an open collaboration zone in an approximately 20' x16' area.  This isn't for a project on the boards per se., just me sketching in my mind one night and then applying that thinking directly using SketchUp.
      I would envision this informal collaborative setting sitting in the middle of an open work area, near a busy circulation area by elevators, stairs or what have you. Essentially this is informal easy going multi-purpose meeting area very purposely seeds collaboration fueling business innovation.
      Firstly, a unique free-standing warm yellow wall element strikingly separates this area from its surroundings with a branded slogan with a large dual touch screen telepresence on the wall.  The surface would be coated with dry erase paint or clear finishes such as what you can buy from Idea Paint to set up a dynamic collaborative surface.
      Secondly on the outer corner, there is informal seating setting called "Campfire" by Turnstone, anchored by a colorful free-standing floor lamp.  In the middle, lies a large "post-it note style" coffee table for frenzied joint scribbling and ideation.
      Diagonal to that on the inner corners, lies a tech heavy high top collaborative work surface called "MediaScape" by Steelcase.  Lightweight, airy Steelcase stools ring this area set up for onsite and offsite tech heavy screen based collaboration.  Standing up and working is really healthy and energizing.  This higher work surface supports that.
      On the opposing corners lie support counters and storage either built out of modular office furniture or bespoke millwork.  I can imagine custom concrete polished counter tops here adding rugged materiality.  One thing easy to do here is embed interesting fragments, stones, glass, metal elements into the concrete to artfully connect to your overall workplace brand, values and guiding principles.
      These elements can also integrate recessed metal planter boxes to oxygenate the immediate environment as well as bring nature near, softening the hard lines of interior wall surfaces and furniture.  Bringing the landscape in and connecting the workplace to natural rhythms is a reoccurring theme of our work.  They are not shown right now but they're easy to imagine.
      What do you think of this design "take"?  Does it inspire further ideas, make other connections?  Depending on the work environment overall, a consideration to examine is noise and liveliness around this area.  A full height movable demountable architectural glass wall system might be helpful to buffer more heads down open work areas or private offices from this more free wheeling collaborative space.
      While these design images show products from the Steelcase family of companies, the other major furniture companies such as Herman Miller, Haworth, Knoll, Teknion to name a few all have similar collaborative furniture options.  This is generally a repeatable concept and hopefully this shareby us will help you envision ways to collaborate in your work community and up the ante on creating high performing hard working spaces.

An Addition in Central Vermont

The addition over the garage for a master bedroom suite

A view from the side showing the roofline massing
stepping down

     A couple of years ago in 2007, we assisted a local family providing design services to seamlessly add a small garage addition to a single family home here in Central Vermont for a growing family. We have been remiss in adding photos of it but today in the late May sunshine it's particularly interesting to see. 
     The roughly 900 square foot design program was a simple addition of a master bedroom suite, an enlarged master bath which allowed adjusting other upstairs bedrooms for the needs of growing teenage children.  We provided design services and drawings and some limited construction oversight during the renovation process.

A view from the opposite direction showing how the addition
roof line balances with the low octagonal porch done at an
earlier time

Take Our Workplace Design Survey

Click here to take survey  We would like to know how things are going with your workplace in 2013. We want to help make things better.

Please take our quick survey of about 5-8 minutes and share your helpful insights with us.  Our purpose is to learn more about the workplace and office market in a general way but at the same time gather helpful and more specific answers which can shape best practices and recommendations we provide others.  Your questions, suggestions, ideas and comments here are most welcome.

We are running this survey for about two weeks and will report back our findings here later in June.

The Gateway to Knowledge

A Senior Housing Duplex Under Construction

View of Southern Face of the building
showing units on each side, common space in the middle.

      Happy spring.  A project is rising! See in progress shots of a small high performing strawbale enclosed senior affordable housing duplex we're doing in collaboration with Ward Joyce Design. The 2,250 square foot project is located in Holland, VT on a five acre site, with two affordable low-income apartments and a shared common space.  It's slated for completion sometime in June.  The building is enrolled with Efficiency Vermont and is seeking Vermont Energy Star certification. 

       The base plaster coat is up over the bales, windows are in, roof on, interior wall framing and plumbing are in. Gilman Housing Trust is the client. Back 2 Basics Builders from Barton is the overall builder.  

      Our first strawbale building, this project was a labor of love and learning in the pursuit of seeking affordable to construct and easy to operate, durable and affordable housing located in remote rural sites in Vermont.  In a sense it is a model for the future.  The client and operating entity, Gilman Housing Trust / Rural Edge sought to pursue alternative construction such as strawbale to prototype this approach on a small project like this to see if it might work elsewhere in similar situations or on larger projects. Strawbale coupled with a hybrid timber and wood frame, a frost protected insulated slab on grade, radiant heating and natural finishes attracted the client to this approach.   Building this way also helps keep  construction dollars in this tight knit Northeast Kingdom community by tapping into skilled local craftsmen/ builders and using locally sourced straw bales, local building materials suppliers.

A southeast view showing the uplifting roof form and one
of the end units.   

     

An Update on Greening the MLS System in Vermont and Northern New England, A Work in Progress

     Over a year ago I wrote about some interesting presentations at Efficiency Vermont's 2012 Annual Better Buildings by Design Conference here on Arocordis about the Greening of the Multiple Listing Service or MLS as it's called. Recently I wrote Jeff Gephart one of the panelists to see if some of the changes to the system discussed then were underway to make it easier to see green energy efficient features in residential homes from a selling and buying standpoint.  GreentheMLS.org leads the effort nationally advocating for change at a broader scale.  The general idea is by greening the various MLS systems by making green homes more visible in the system around the US will  further efforts to reduce our carbon footprint while increasing market acceptance for Green Building and energy efficiency. I also spoke to some Broker/Realtors in central Vermont to see how the updated system is working for them as well as reached out to the National Appraisal Institute about their initiatives and programs.
     Jeff wrote back to me saying: 
"Our statewide (and New England region) MLS (Northern New England Real Estate Network – www.nneren.com) now has fields that can be used to document energy-efficiency and 3^rd party verified building certifications.  This includes data fields for a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index Score and 3^rd party verified building certifications such ENERGY STAR Homes, LEED for Homes (and level achieved), National Green Building Standard (and level achieved), Passive House, and Vermont Builds Greener.

Google Trends Graphic on Green Home Design

     We often like to better understand how effective the words we use on everyday basis professionally really are.  Google Trends offers an opportunity in up to five categories to test phrases we hold dear to see where they fare on peak search interest.  Today we test Home Design, Green Design, Sustainability, Green Building, and Energy Efficiency for search interest.  We often we use these phrases thinking they resonate more strongly than others in an effort to connect and resonate with others.  Ironically, using Google Trends provides a much needed wake-up call. 

     Since 2004, Home Design is tops in this collection of search terms, followed by a Sustainability in a rising second.  Green Building and Energy Efficiency tied in a distant third.  Green Design lies in fourth. Since we only have five search terms to test we left some on the cutting room floor.  Remarkably Home Design peaked near 100 percent in search interest in the mid to late 2000's mirroring the rise of the economic bubble and then fall after 2008.  Home Design interest level has waned while Sustainability has surged, especially in the last 12 months.  While Green Building, Energy Efficiency and Green Design occupy the lowest positions they still have relevance but within the greater embrace of Home Design and Sustainability.

Green Home Design Infographic

 

Often images are more powerful than words. The green home design process can be confusing to many to wrap their minds around as compared to traditional home design. We particularly admire the power of word clouds to convey associations and connections between words and phrases.  We see such graphics everywhere and sought to visualize our thinking in this way.

     This graphic combines a word cloud with a simple spiral seeking connect the nature of the spiraling, inter-related process making up Green Home Design. Imagine how you could use this visual to inspire you in your design process with you and your architect, builder, Realtor and others.  We recognize not all clients have the budget or mindset to pursue the highest possible, lowest impact level of energy efficient design.  We know and can help advise finding the best balance choices resonating with your situation. We see this image as a starting point of a great conversation.  We would be honored if you had it with us but please do not be shy and use it with others.
      From your perspective have we left something out?  How do you find this graphic in depicting such a complex process?  Do you know of other similar graphics you would like to share with us and our fans and readers?  Please share the image as you see fit but give us attribution in spreading this important message.