Carlson Studio Architecture’s design of the newly completed Lifestyle and Wellness Center, located at the Sun N Fun Resort in Sarasota was featured by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).  The annual exhibition is presented at AIA National’s headquarters, the American Center for Architecture, in Washington, DC. The exhibition is on display from February through April 2013, and was viewed by over 700 attendees in conjunction with the annual AIA Grassroots Leadership and Legislative Conference.  The American Institute of Architects, Center for Emerging Professionals sponsors this annual exhibition of architectural work, art, and designs of emerging architectural professionals across North America.  

The Lifestyle and Wellness Center, an 18,000 SF facility, was designed by Jedd Heap, AIA LEED AP, of Carlson Studio Architecture for local resort Sun N Fun. The building is comprised of a therapy spa, a 25 meter indoor pool, exercise rooms that overlook the pool from the second floor, along with an upstairs aerobics room, steam & sauna rooms, locker rooms and access to adjacent exterior spas and pools.  The project received prestigious LEED Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2012.

April 10, 2013 – Sarasota, FL – The Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave made history this month by achieving LEED-NC LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the world’s first LEED certified floating green building. This eco-friendly marina, located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area just outside of Las Vegas, was designed by Florida’s premier green design team, Carlson Studio Architecture (CSA). CSA, based in Sarasota, was selected for this unique project because of its diverse sustainable design experience.  The project, spearheaded by the National Park Service and Forever Resorts, LLC, serves as the marina’s operations office, and is literally floating ON Lake Mohave.  This project marks the 12^th LEED certified project the firm has been responsible for. 

“Using a team approach and the integrated design process, we were able to seamlessly incorporate environmentally friendly features throughout the project,” explained Project Architect Michael R. Carlson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “A committed ownership group, a skilled design team and conscientious contractor makes projects like this especially rewarding.”

The floating eco-friendly structure features sustainable modular construction and state-of-the-art energy-efficient and environmentally responsible materials and fixtures. The modular wall and roof system is constructed of Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) designed to lessen the amount of construction waste, improve the insulation value of the building and provide a tighter envelope than traditional construction. The SIPs also lowered the overall weight of the building, decreasing the load on the floating foundation system. Decking is made of a composite of rice hulls and recycled plastic, and the exterior stucco contains recycled tire particles. Use of low or no volatile organic compound materials, paints and adhesives will rid the building of the typical “new building” smell, improving the overall indoor air quality.

The project’s key green building design features include:

• Extensive energy saving materials and systems, including high-performance insulated glass
• High-efficient HVAC equipment

Extensive use of recycled and regionally extracted and/or manufactured materials, such as steel, drywall, metal studs, carpet, etc.

Featured on the cover of nationaly circulated Modern Steel Construction Magazine is Carlson Studio's very own Sun N Fun Lifestyle Wellness Center. An article co-writen by CSA's Jedd W. Heap, AIA, LEED AP and Hees & Assocaites owner Karl Hees, P.E., S.I., F.ASCE describes the steel and wood structural system from concept to completion. Click the link below to read more.

MSC website 

Read Here

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to tour Sarasota’s newest LEED Gold building, Sun N Fun’s Lifestyle Wellness Center. This year the Gulfcoast AIA will be hosting free tours of the project at their annual meeting. Also in attendance will be members of the Green Drinks networking group, USGBC, CSI, and GBCX members. All are welcome to attend and enjoy cocktails & hor d’oeuvres on the pool deck.

Designed by local architecture firm Carlson Studio Architecture, the Lifestyle Center features an indoor pool, aerobics room, and extensive exercise facilities. Sustainably designed, the project captures rainwater, uses the pool for cooling, and uses local materials. Architecturally it has been heralded as a new landmark with it’s soaring curved wood beams and innovative steel ‘V’ shaped column.

All are welcome to attended the tour and reception, please rsvp @ info@aiagulfcoast.org

Event info:

October 25^th, 2012

6pm – 8pm

Sun N Fun

7125 Fruitville Rd

Sarasota, Florida, USA 34240

EDC, the official magazine for the LEED professional, is proud to announce that Michael Carlson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, and Grace Carlson, APR, LEED Green Associate, of Carlson Studio Architecture are the winners of EDC’s “Get Exposure for Your LEED Project” contest.

The campaign asked readers to submit a photo of themselves taken in front of their LEED-certified projects. The EDC staff then selected the winning projects based upon the quality and composition of the photo in addition to the responses of a brief questionnaire.

The winning photo had the 11,000-square-foot LEED Gold healthcare facility, the Center for Building Hope, serving as the backdrop for the Carlsons, who said of the project, “More critical than ever, the architecture had to actively participate in the healing process. The healing power of a green building was recognized and instituted in the creation of this facility.”

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Sarasota, FL (May 2012) — DWY Landscape Architects has received three (3) prestigious awards from the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Landscape Architects (FLASLA) as part of the annual design awards program. The distinctions included an award of Honor in the category of Institutional Design for the Center for Building Hope (formerly called the Wellness Community Center) and awards of both Merit and Excellence in Residential Design for projects in Bird Key and Boca Grande. 

The Center for Building Hope submittal received an Award of Honor in the Institutional Design category. This project was conceived to be a worldwide prototype for cancer support communities. Located on the edge of a conservation area overlooking a wetland, DWY blurred the lines between the built site and its natural setting while establishing infinite spaces for healing. Amenities include a medicinal herb garden, tai chi lawn, labyrinth, fitness trail and dramatic courtyard. A truly collaborative effort, the project embraced LID strategies and achieved a LEED Gold certification.

Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Incentive Trends is a joint effort with the National Association of Counties (NACo) to help local government officials incentivize green construction in their communities. State and local government green building incentives range from options that are virtually cost-free to those that involve more investment. The most attractive incentives are tax incentives, density/floor area ratio bonuses, and expedited permitting. The findings show that communities should select incentives based on their financial situation and desired impact on the construction industry. The simpler the policy, the more likely it is to be implemented successfully.

This Local Leaders report focuses on five key areas of green incentives: financial costs, oversight structure, local political and cultural environment, limits to power, and industry engagement. Green Incentive Trends analyzes initiatives instituted by localities across the country in recent years to provide in-depth best practice examples and a focused analysis on strategies that work well for different communities. The report also highlights innovative green architecture and interviews with the architects and local officials that are making it possible. Green building market transformation is accelerating, and these incentives are useful tools to help communities shift toward a sustainable future.
 

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by Harold Bubil
HeraldTribune, Real Estate Editor

Sarasota's newest architectural landmark brings the city's modernist tradition to an unlikely place: a resort and campground.

Recently celebrating 50 years in business, Sun-n-Fun on Fruitville Road, just east of Interstate 75, is known for its collection of mobile homes, recreational vehicles and modest buildings that serve the needs of its clients. Now it has a monumental piece of design — the newly opened, $5.5 million Indoor Pool and Wellness Center, an 18,000-square-foot structure that houses a 25-meter therapy pool, exercise rooms and locker rooms on the west side of the 147-acre campus.

"We wanted the 'wow!' factor," said Tim Deputy, Sun-n-Fun's general manager.

They — Sun-n-Fun management and the facility's owner, Royalty Resorts of England — got it with a gleaming white structure that has walls of glass and a curving roof arching from south to north, and faces the large, 50-year-old outdoor pool.

"It just brings a smile to your face because you know you are in a resort," said Tim Deputy, Sun-n-Fun's general manager. "You are not in a campground, you are in a resort, and I think it makes a quality statement.

"We like to think of ourselves as a leader" in the resort and campground industry, Deputy said. "We knew that by making that statement, it would take us that far ahead ... to what our new guests will appreciate."

It seems to be working...read more