Sustainable Design Blog

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.

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

As we approach the closing of 2011 we wanted to share with you some of the highlights from this past year. We are delighted to report that By the River is now completely full, and we are providing affordable housing and life-enhancing programs for 41 seniors.

Our residents are building community within By the River in a multitude of ways. One building has proudly displayed the residents' photos with the banner "We are Family". Residents are encouraged to participate in community development within each building and throughout the campus. Each building selects a representative to meet with management monthly to provide input into the decision making process. Frequent community barbecues have become the norm.

We continue to expand our programs including a recent holiday craft fair where residents sold beautifully woven and crocheted items among other wares, which were all hand made by residents. Weekly classes focus on nurturing the body, mind and spirit through art, music, health lectures, yoga, breathing, and exercise. One of our residents has even taken on the role of instructor for an exercise class and fills in for the instructor of our "Living with Stress" class!

Volunteerism is encouraged with our residents. Three days per week residents help prepare food for the "Feed Everyone" program, which distributes healthy meals to needy families in Gifford. Once a month, they assist with preparing packages that contain vital medications for the sick and impoverished people of Haiti.

As our programs evolve to suit the growing needs of low-income seniors, we are also challenged with providing financial assistance to help fill in the gap as many seniors are faced with choosing between buying medication or food when they reach the end of each month. All donations make a difference and are so gratefully received. It takes only $14 a day for a senior to be housed for a full year, fed one hot meal per day, and be given the opportunity to have community and to participate in wellness-fostering programs. Your generosity can make a big difference in our ability to care for our frail, low-income seniors in an environment where they feel well and maintain their sense of independence and dignity.

Please take a few moments to read the attached card and consider how you might help the low-income seniors in our community. Thank you so very much for your time, interest and support. The staff and residents of By the River wish you and your loved ones a beautiful holiday season.
 

With Gratitude,
Durga Das Hutner
President

BY THE RIVER WEBSITE

PROJECT PAGE

Sarasota’s Carlson Studio Architecture, a regional leader in sustainable design, won 3 awards at the USGBC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter LEEDership Awards ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 19 in St. Petersburg. CSA received awards in the following categories:

Outstanding Project of the Year LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) for the design and construction of the firm’s own offices, located in downtown Sarasota.   The offices of Carlson Studio Architecture received LEED- CI Silver Certification from the USGBC in 2007, making it only the third LEED-CI Certified project in Florida at the time of certification.  Sarasota’s RC Moore Construction was the General Contractor.

Outstanding Project of the Year LEED for Schools (K-12) for the Learning Gate Community School, located in Lutz, FL.  This project received LEED Platinum certification from the USGBC, and was also recognized as the first LEED Platinum Public Charter School in the Country.  Local consultant Two Trails was the LEED administrator for the project, and Charles Girard was the General Contractor.

Outstanding Project of the Year LEED-NC (New Construction) for the design of the Cancer Support Community’s new facility located in Lakewood Ranch, FL.  This project received LEED Gold Certification from the USGBC.  Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. was the General Contractor.

The LEEDership Awards program, hosted by the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the USGBC, was started in 2010 as a way to support the chapter’s mission of encouraging environmental knowledge and values as they relate to the built environment. For more information, visit www.usgbc-fgc.org.

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)

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

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.

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)