Sustainable Design Blog

On February 23rd the Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center broke ground on their newest addtion to the campus, a 12,000 sf Children's Clinic. The clinic will be built on city owned land and run by the Sarasota County Health Deparment. 

Approximately 10,000 people receive services from the 17 not-for-profits on our campus. It is important to realize that some of these agencies could not perform the services they do if not for the opportunities provided by the Center. The agencies pay no rent, which saves their resources, allowing them to concentrate on delivering services.

It is also important to know that The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center does not benefit from The Season of Sharing, or receive federal, state, city or county funding. Visit their website, www.gs-humanservices.org.

October 12, 2010 (Sarasota, FL)  Like a phoenix, a Sarasota housing project that had fallen into disrepair has been given a new, green lease on life. The Community Center at Janie’s Gardens recently received news that the project has earned LEED-NC Silver Certification from GBCI/U.S. Green Building Council.  A dedication ceremony is being planned for later this fall.

The completed first phase of the project has enjoyed praise from residents and housing groups.  In commenting on the announcement, Community Center architect Michael Carlson congratulated the City and the Sarasota Housing Authority.  “With the project’s green credentials established, Sarasota is making great strides in realizing its sustainability goals and providing a healthy facility for resident and neighborhood gatherings.  This is an accomplishment that the whole community can take pride in,” he said.

In addition to the newly-certified affordable housing project, there are currently six other green-certified buildings located inside the City limits. Carlson continued, “This recognition also demonstrates an important value in Sarasota: That everyone deserves healthy, highly-efficient buildings that save energy and conserve resources.  This project is a testament that Sarasota is willing to invest in providing access, showing leadership and making decent housing an attainable right for all its residents.”

The Janie Poe Community Center provides community service functions for residents of the new "Janie's Gardens" housing development. The Sarasota Housing Authority is redeveloping the existing Janie Poe community as a multi-phase project. Partners on the project include Torti Galas and Partners of Washignton D.C., Michael's Development Company (MDC), and civil engineering services provided by King Engineering. Stewart Engineering provided electrical, mechanical and plumbing engineering. Phase 1 of the redevelopment included 87 new multi-family residences in addition to the new Community Center.

The Community Center contains offices, a multipurpose room, computer labs, a media center, maintenance garage and a fitness center. The design incorporates deep porches for community gatherings as well as informal meeting spaces for the residents. The east side faces out on to an extensive green space that includes a children's play area and picnic facilities.

As part of the sustainability score the community center earned to receive its LEED-NC Silver certification, the facility features a highly efficient heating and air conditioning system, solar hot water production, it uses reclaimed water for toilet flushing, incorporates insulated and shaded glass, and has clerestory windows on the north facade to allow natural daylight inside which reduces the need for electric lighting.

Michaels Development is currently working on the redevelopment of the remainder of the Janie Poe site, as well as the redevelopment of the Bertha Mitchell and Orange Ave/The Courts sites.

The Cancer Support Community's "Building Hope" will officially open next Tuesday October 19th, 2010. The $6.1-million facility is located on five acres in north Sarasota County just east of I-75 in Lakewood Ranch. It will be run by the Cancer Support Community Florida Suncoast, the new name for the Wellness Community of Southwest Florida. The new center will include an 11,142-square-foot building and 2.2 acres of landscaped gardens. The facility is being designed to support people whose immune systems have been compromised.

The Building Hope project is seeking Gold Certification under the USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Enviromental Design (LEED) green building rating program.

By JAMES A. JONES JR. - jajones1@bradenton.com  

LAKEWOOD RANCH

One of the more unusual buildings to be constructed here is the Cancer Support Community of Southwest Florida. A 156-foot long, 35-foot high arch, called the “Bridge of Hope,” ties two 6,000-square-foot buildings together.  Eight massive columns supporting the arch are preserved tree logs recovered from the Suwanee River.

The logs were harvested from old-growth forest and floated down river more than 100 years ago. Some of the logs sank to the bottom of the river and remained there a century until discovered and excavated. The long time under water helped preserve the wood.

Cancer Support Community, formerly The Wellness Community, is scheduled for an October opening.

The Wellness Community recently merged with Gilda’s Clubs Worldwide to become Cancer Support Community.

Architect Michael Carlson designed the facility with input from Ringling College students and faculty, cancer survivors and medical experts.

The building sits on a five-acre parcel in the Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park, backs up to Long Swamp and is surrounded by a 600-acre nature preserve.

“We feel that it fits in beautifully in that all-natural area,” Carlson said.

Designed to provide psychological and social support to cancer patients and their families, the facility and its staff offer a free, professional program of education and hope.

The Bridge of Hope architectural feature was envisioned for the facility from the beginning of planning, Carlson said.

The arch is not only a traditional design element that signifies strength and permanence, according to a fact sheet supplied by Carlson, it also gives visitors an empowering sense of comfort from the structural pillars.

The arch extends from the north side, or entrance of the facility, and beyond the south building.

When visitors enter the building, they see the underside of the arch high above them. The arch clears a connecting courtyard, and then passes over the south building with its children’s area and community room. The room can be used for events, exercise classes and more.

The arch intentionally dominates the design of Cancer Support Community. The rest of the building was scaled down to be simple, welcoming and non-institutional.

The facility was also designed to take advantage of its surroundings. It is aligned on a precise east-west axis so that the sides of the building face north and south. The orientation takes best advantage of natural light, while minimizing heat gain.

In addition, the building extends into outdoor landscaped spaces that provide Tai Chi gardens, a dining terrace, healing gardens and the central courtyard.

Willis A. Smith Construction is also the contractor for the project, and is building it to qualify for the Gold level of LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, Carlson said.

Programming design began in 2006, with construction commencing in July 2009.

“The challenge of the building was to take all these diverse groups and put the ideas together in a cohesive whole,” Carlson said. “Everybody that has seen it has been inspired. We’ve received great feedback.”

Executive Director Jay Lockaby released a statement as to why a healing environmental matters to those living with cancer:

“Thanks to the generous donors to our Building Hope campaign, we will be able to provide free support for up to 6,000 cancer patients and their families annually in the finest healing environment anywhere — a facility that improves quality of life and may enhance recovery as well.

“Our referring physicians agree that effective treatment includes therapy and support outside the hospital and doctor’s office,” said Lockaby. “As the little non-profit that could, our goal is to create an atmosphere of physical and emotional comfort and to share our model with people around the world.”

For more information on Cancer Support Community, visit www.wellness-swfl.org.

James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee Editor, can be contacted at 745-7021.

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