Sustainable Design Blog

Sarasota, FL — Architect Michael Carlson, a leading green building design professional, has joined the board of directors of the Sarasota Housing Authority (SHA) to fill the remaining three-year term of former City Commissioner Richard Martin, following his resignation from the SHA.

“Michael Carlson will bring valuable experience and skills to our governing body,” said SHA Executive Director Bill Russell, upon the announcement.  “For an organization that is dedicated to building communities, empowering families and transforming lives, incorporating sustainability practices has become a real priority for us in staying true to our mission.”

A 1986 graduate of Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning where he also earned a bachelor of science in environmental design, Carlson was one of the first architects in Florida to achieve the LEED Accredited Professional designation in 2003.  He is a founding board member of the USGBC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter where he presently serves as Chapter vice president.  In 2009 he was the founding chair of the Myakka River Branch of the USGBC Chapter.  Carlson is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, and chairs the chapter's Committee on the Environment (COTE). He also serves as Chair of the Green Business Leadership Council for the Greater Sarasota Area Chamber of Commerce.  His Sarasota-based firm, Carlson Studio Architecture, is housed in a 1930’s-era neighborhood grocery that he retrofitted.  The building earned LEED-NC Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2007 and the firm has won several honors for exemplary green building design for its work with government facilities, educational institutions, residences, office buildings, non-profit organizations, restaurants, interior tenant build outs and healthcare facilities, as well as religious architecture. Carlson was the architect for the 2009 HGTV Green Home.

The Sarasota Housing Authority (SHA) was established as a public housing authority in 1938 under Florida statute to administer federal housing assistance for low, very low and extremely low-income families. Presently SHA provides subsidized housing for over 1,800 low-income families in Sarasota, FL. SHA administers an annual budget of over $10 million with a staff of 26.

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.

Each year, the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce takes time to appreciate local businesses that have made a positive impact on our community throughout the year, either through architectural enhancements or community action and contributions. The annual Industry Appreciation Awards program is an important component of the Chamber’s business retention activities and we encourage your participation.

On September 16th, 2010 Kashi's By the River project was awarded "The New Multi Family Community" award by the Indian River Chamber of Commerce. 

By the River, located on Florida's Treasure Coast, is an affordable senior housing development established to serve the needs of the frail elderly and disabled. Built along the Roseland Road Corridor in Sebastian, By the River offers unique life enhancing programs and in-home health services.

Housed on over five acres of pine forest in close proximity to the beautiful St. Sebastian River, the green design ensures that every resident has access to the natural environment. In keeping with respect for our surroundings, By the River is built and operated in an eco-friendly, low-impact approach.

By the River
Location: 11155 Roseland Road, Sebastian 32958
Owner: By the River, Inc.
Architect: Carlson Studio Architecture
Landscape Architect: Rock City Gardens
Engineering firms: MBV Engineering; Hees & Associates Engineering; and Stewart Engineering
Builder: Kellogg and Kimsey Construction
Durgadas Hutner and Joe Coakley accepted the award

Babaram Mitchell Fac Mgr, Michael Carlson architect, Durga Das Hutner Pres, Patti Rooney CFS and Joe Coakley Dir of Charitable Gifts of BTR

By The River

Babaram Mitchell & Patti Rooney

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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Jay Lockaby, CEO of The Wellness Community of Southwest Florida (www.wellness-swfl.org), has been named to a new position by the organization’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C. Lockaby will become Senior Vice President of Affiliate Relations and Strategic Growth for the Cancer Support Community, a network including 50 local affiliates and more than 100 satellite locations. Jay will begin the transition to the national headquarters staff on September 7, but will maintain his role as CEO of the The Wellness Community of Southwest Florida until December 1 to help shepherd the organization through the grand opening of the newly-constructed facility scheduled for November 12th.

The announcement is just the latest recognition for Lockaby and The Wellness Community (TWC) here. The local organization previously received national’s Center of Excellence award with the highest score across 116 critical indicators of success. In 2007, Lockaby received the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional of the Year Award, and last year TWC was a finalist for the local chamber’s Non-Profit of the Year Award.

In September, TWC plans to open a state-of-the-art facility for cancer patients and their families on a five-acre campus in Lakewood Ranch. Surrounded by healing gardens and serene nature preserves, this model of an optimal healing environment incorporates the latest in green technology and will be a worldwide prototype for other cancer support organizations.

“This exciting initiative will have a far reaching impact that will help change the face of psychosocial care for people affected by cancer,” said Kim Thiboldeaux, CEO of the international Cancer Support Community, in speaking about the new facility here.

Lockaby will remain in this area in his new position, supporting all the local cancer support organizations created by the recent merger of The Wellness Community with Gilda’s Clubs Worldwide.

The Wellness Community provides hope, education and support to people affected by cancer, and all of its programs are provided free of charge. Through participation in support groups, informational workshops and mind/body classes, people affected by cancer learn vital skills that improve the quality of their lives and make them better partners with their medical professionals. TWC is now part of the largest professionally-led network of cancer support in the world.

For more information, please contact Carol Ann Kalish, Board Chair, The Wellness Community of Southwest Florida, 941-329-6626.

Carlson Studio Architecture & Eco-Consulting is the only firm in the region to have six projects successfully achieve LEED Certification. What does that mean for...

Jedd W. Heap, LEED AP of Carlson Studio Archietcture will be accompanying the Learning Gate Community School demonstration exhibit to the National Charter School Conference in Chicago on June 28th, 2010. The Conference is featuring a prototype version of the LEED Platinum prefab structure in their exhibition hall.  Learning Gate Community School has applied what they learned by building their own LEED classroom additional and packaging it with their cutting edge enviromental cirriculum. "Learning Gate in a box" was the idea of the school's principal Patti Girard, and will offered to other charter schools looking to begin teaching through nature.

The confernece runs from June 28th through July 1st, with the exhibit hall opening at 7:30am on June 29th.

Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces has chosen the countertop design at Lakewood Ranch Plastic Surgery for a national case study. They choose the project due to its unique use of the material which pushed the limits of the product. Features include a 4" edge and curved form. Parried with Bamboo laminated cabinetry and glass accent tile, the Check-in and Check-out desks create an incredible design feature for this project.

Lakewood Ranch Plastic Surgery is currently seeking LEED-CI certification. When pursuing LEED certification it is important that all installed materials help the design become more sustainable. Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces are durable, nonporous composite products composed of 93% quartz. Cambria surfaces do not off-gas and contain zero formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds (VOC's). Cambria surfaces are GREENGUARD for Children and Schools certified and GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified.

Lakewood Ranch Plastic Surgery Office is the second project to recieve the "COOL" rating form the Tampa Bay Business Journal, CSA'a own office received the honor in 2009.

LWR Plastic Surgery is currently seeking LEED-CI certification for the US Green Building Council.

Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Margaret Cashill Staff writer

Tampa Bay's coolest office spaces designed to inspire employees - Tampa Bay Business Journal
Coolest Office Spaces, a TBBJ feature now in its third year, is dedicated to recognizing the "cool" in Tampa Bay area offices.

This year's spaces prove that cool is an ever-evolving concept, one that in 2010 departed from conventional design concepts and restored the notion of fun in the workplace.

Companies are choosing bright colors to liven up the mood and original artwork, in some cases created by the owners.

Owners favor collaborative, open environments that foster communication and camaraderie.

Read more: PDF of Article