Sustainable Design Blog

After extensive review, the judges for ENR Southeast's annual "Best Projects" competition met Sept. 8 and determined this year's winners. The judges chose 35 winners from a group of more than 100 entries from the states of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. They picked a top winner in each category, along with "Award of Merit" winners in many of the categories. The Palm Avenue Garage earned and "Award of Merit" in the transportaion catagory.

The Palm Avenue Garage was designed by JPA Architects and built by Suffolk Construction. Carlson Studio Eco-Consulting provided green design & LEED Administration services for the project team. The Garage is seeking LEED CS Gold certification with USGBC's LEED Greenbuilding rating system.

Green featrures include LED lighting, shade structures on the west fascade, daylighting in the retail and parking spaces, and PV panels on the roof. Energy Effiecent mechanial units and low VOC materials were also included in the building.

see the other winners

What's the biggest reason your company builds green and the biggest reason your customers say they want to build green?

"Green buildings are better buildings for the money than non-green buildings.  Now that there is a widely recognized, sophisticated way to determine how green a building is, and have that tested and verified by an independent 3rd party (the LEED rating system from the USGBC) we can determine how much better each design is.  We designed our first green building in 2000.  Our clients are motivated differently to build green.  Most like the savings generated by energy and water conservation combined with higher quality of interior space that is healthier to live or work in.  Both are quality of life issues.  Some are motivated to save money while others share our concerns about the future of the planet." - Michael Carlson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Florida Trend Magazine, Cynthia Barnett

In the recent Chariety Register issue of Sarasota Magazine, the Cancer Support Community's new home was described as an Instant Landmark.

"Best Proud Moment - The crowd at the gala celebrating the Cancer Support Community's state of the art new $6 million Building Hope practically levitated with excitment. This instant landmark, with its soaring arch, was the perfect backdrop for the heartfelt speeches, congratulations and dancing under the gorgeous tent." -Sarasota Magazine, Pam Daniel

The Cancer Supprt Community Florida Suncoast is a non-profit organization providing free psychological and educational services for cancer patients and their loved ones. Our programs adhere to the “Patient Active” concept and focus on providing support, education and hope for anyone affected by cancer. The project was LEED NC Gold certified under the USGBC's LEED Green Building rating system.

Carlson Studio Architecture (CSA), a Florida-based sustainable design firm, proudly announces that Jedd W. Heap, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, earned his Architecture License from Florida’s Board of Architecture and Interior Design, as well as the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB).

Heap, a project manager at CSA since 2007, has more than 13 years of professional design experience. He has managed several LEED-certified projects including the recently completed Cancer Support Community and Lakewood Ranch Plastic Surgery’s new office. He is currently overseeing the construction of his latest design, the LEED-Gold-seeking Sun N Fun Lifestyle Wellness Center.

In 1998 Jedd graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design and after gaining several years of valued work experience he earned is master’s degree in architecture at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Heap serves on the Manatee County CRA Advisory Board and has served on both the local and state boards of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In 2009, the Florida AIA awarded Heap the Associate Honor Award.

From ShawContract.com:

Research shows that healthcare environmental design plays a significant role in wellness and healing. And while patient and staff well-being is a top priority, Shaw Contract Group's innovative flooring options also address your practical concerns: function, accessibility and safety. Find out how our flooring can positively impact your healthcare environment and the lives of those within it.

The Design is Healing brochure is a comprehensive look at our specific approach to carpet design for healthcare environments. Design is Healing details the critical aspects that floors must account for when installed in acute care and long-term care facilities. These areas include:

• Evidence-Based Design
• Comfort
• Performance
• Indoor Environments
• Sustainability

Pelican Press June 15th, 2011

When it opened last fall, the Cancer Support Community Florida Suncoast's new facility turned heads with unique architectural elements like the reclaimed 150-year-old Florida pine entry pillars and environmentally friendly building design. The 11,142-square-foot building nestled on 2.2 acres of landscaped grounds surrounded by a nature preserve is home to a unique mission: providing free psycho-social support services to anyone affected by cancer. Now the Sarasota nonprofit and those it serves have new cause for celebration: The building is the first health facility in Sarasota County to earn LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. 

"Facilities where health and healing occur are some of the most important construction types to benefit from green building design," said Rick Fedrizzi, president of the U.S. Green Building Council. "Green buildings seek to reduce use of and exposure to toxic chemicals. For cancer patients with compromised immune systems, that means a healthier environment for healing." 

Carlson Studio Architecture and Willis A. Smith Construction Inc., the design-build team for the first-of-its-kind facility, hosted a LEED Dedication Ceremony to formally recognize the Cancer Support Community's accomplishment on Monday, June 13. Representatives from USGBC's Florida Gulf Coast Chapter were to be present to preside at the event. The ceremony was open to the public, and building tours were available. 

"The Cancer Support Community board and staff demonstrated extraordinary dedication and perseverance to sustainability goals as well as adherence to best practice, evidence-based design standards throughout the process. Their commitment to doing what was in the best interest of their mission and the people they serve was not only inspiring to the design team, but kept us all focused on creating an optimum environment where hope and healing could occur," said U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Florida Gulf Coast President Michael Carlson of Carlson Studio Architecture. 

LEED is an internationally recognized third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000, LEED serves as a tool for buildings of all types and sizes. LEED certification offers third-party validation of a project's green features and verifies that the building is operating to objective design standards. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. 

The Cancer Support Community's $6.1 million project on a five-acre site just east of Interstate 75 in Lakewood Ranch is designed to be an optimal healing environment, combining healthful materials, art, design and nature in a "green" facility to support people whose immune systems often have been compromised. 

The facility was financed through philanthropic donations and grants. "Our community should take great pride in this model facility and in the extraordinary generosity of local donors and foundations during a very difficult period," said Alfred Rose, campaign chair.

The Cottonwood Cove Marina on Lake Mohave is registered for LEED Gold certification with the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the world’s first 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 including eight previous LEED Certified projects.

“Every building type has the potential to perform at a higher level with integrated environmental design considerations,” explained Project Architect Michael R. Carlson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “We jumped at the chance to work with this team to design a first-of-its-kind, first-class marine facility.”

The National Park Service and Forever Resorts, LLC, who will manage the marina operations at the park, conducted a dedication ceremony on June 6 at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area’s Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave.

“All of us involved on this project are pioneers,” said Rex Maughan, Chairman and President of Forever Resorts. “We are very proud of this project, especially Michael Carlson and the exceptional vision he had in designing this building and this whole project.”

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 and delivery systems
• Extensive use of recycled and regionally extracted and/or manufactured materials, such as steel, drywall, metal studs, carpet, etc.
• Finish materials, paints, adhesives caulks and sealants that contain low or no volatile organic compounds to ensure healthy indoor air quality
• Clerestory windows that provide natural daylight and views to the outdoors
• Operable high/low windows provide natural ventilation, lowering the dependence on air conditioning
• The standing seam metal “cool” roof lowers heat gain by reflecting the solar energy, and allows for future installation of PV electrical panels
• Recycled and recyclable building and landscape materials
• Prevention of night sky light pollution

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the fifth most visited national park in the country and is located adjacent to Las Vegas. Its 1.5 million acres, which include Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, hosts more than 7 million visitors each year. (http://www.nps.gov/lakemead)

Forever Resorts, LLC is an authorized concessionaire of the National Park Service that focuses on properties with access to nature and one-of-a-kind surroundings for vacations. (http://www.foreverresorts.com and http://www.foreverearth.net)

Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina is located 90 minutes from Las Vegas and offers lakeside accommodations, boat rentals, the Cottonwood Cove Café and a full-service RV park. It is situated on Lake Mohave. (http://www.cottonwoodcoveresort.com)

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. (http://www.usgbc.org)