Fulton Elementary School, a new building designed by DLA Architects, is featured in the new issue of Design Cost Data (DCD) Magazine.
The project is a great example of sustainable design for an educational facility and it earned LEED Silver certification.
Here is a sneak peak at our new space. We’ve moved both of our offices over, but you’ll notice that there are some superficial construction items that still need to be finished;. In addition, we still have a great deal of unpacking to do.
We put a lot of thought into where things would go, but we still have to organize it and combine things from the two offices. For instance, if our file system is numeric by project number and some files were at each office, we need to go through the files and shuffle them together in order. So please forgive the clutter and boxes everywhere, there is much work to be done. Enjoy!
Our clients and friends know DLA Architects for sustainable design. In fact, many of our recent projects have earned USGBC LEED Certification… or LEED Silver… or LEED Gold. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the design for our new office utilize “green” principles! As we are quickly approaching our big move, we thought we’d share how we’ve applied this thinking to our new place.
One of the first considerations in a green project is the site. So that’s where we’ll start.
Since we weren’t constructing a building from the ground up on a brand new site, we didn’t need to concern ourselves with many of the site issues that might present themselves. We did, however, get off to a good start by choosing a building that is Energy Star rated.
Since covered parking minimizes the heat-island effect, the 3-level parking garage at 2 Pierce Place was another factor that influenced our site selection process.
It was also important that we choose a site that was within a short distance to services; the on-site deli will make it easy to grab lunch and the surrounding business park includes a driving range, a two-and-a-half mile long walking path around ponds and trees, and open fields throughout the park.
We’re not too far from public transportation and since our new building also has bicycle parking and showering/changing facilities, our employees have a variety of transit options.
The overall look of our new office will be contemporary with refined, natural finishes. Here’s a preview of the finishes our Design Team selected for the space.
The crew at the site has been flying. Here is a summary of the last couple weeks progress.
Things are moving very quickly at our construction site over at 2 Pierce Place… and thanks to that handy countdown clock on our blog, we can see that we have less than 2 months before we’re in our new home. This means we have a LOT of work to do!
To prepare for our mass migration to Itasca, Read the rest of this entry »
This is it! The demolition is complete and the walls are starting to take shape. Here at DLA, we’ve talked about how great it would be to share an office for years and now its happening.
For months we’ve been meeting to hash out the program; it will be the new corporate headquarters of DLA Architects, so many things were considered:
2 Pierce Place is quite formal, but our people (and our culture) are creative, casual and fun. Our Design Team came up with Read the rest of this entry »
Cantigny, the 500 acre estate of the late Robert McCormick (former publisher of the Chicago Tribune), beckons visitors to explore. The serenity of the picturesque grounds inspired the new Outdoor Education Center, a multi-purpose facility, used for meetings, lectures, and workshops as well as social and scouting activities.
The design translates Cantigny’s mission statement of public education and environmental conservancy into a three-dimensional facility exemplifying this ideal. Consistent with this mission, the building shows the public how to incorporate green and sustainable design principles into their daily lives.
The facility is designed to decrease site impact in terms of vehicular access and parking, provide storm water control through bio-swales and porous paving, reduce the non-roof heat island effect and minimize light pollution. Operable windows and clerestories lessen the need for air conditioning as well as maximize views and the opportunity to employ daylighting principle. Individual lighting controls and motion sensors as well as thermostatic controls, maximize indoor environmental comfort. Read the rest of this entry »
Ever wonder how to make a roof green? Just came across this great piece put together by WRHS Television showing the steps.
Matthew Stoub, LEED AP and Arturo Benitez, ALA, LEED AP (L to R)
When one of your designs transforms from sketches on a board (or computer screen) to a vibrant building full of life and activity, it’s hard not to be proud. The DLA Team headed out to Ridgewood High School earlier this week to see just that.
We were happy to join the District 234 School Board and community at the dedication ceremony for the new home of the Rebel Music and Band program. Designer Matt Stoub and Project Manager Arturo Benitez mingled with guests and shared their insights on the project.
DLA Ltd
