Monthly Archives: March 2012

March 27, 2012 · 1:42 am

Design / the trail to creativity

FSB Preliminary Design Graphics for Chickasaw Visitor Center

While defining the project, i.e. the problem, is paramount to arriving at the right solution, problem solving is at the heart of the design process. This is the primary skill of the design professional and it’s the challenge that keeps us charged and alive with creativity. As we engage ourselves in the creative process, each discipline must reflect on the project needs identified in the charrette then overlay it with the sustainable design criteria identified in the LEED workshop. Continue reading →

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March 19, 2012 · 10:15 pm

LEED / how green is green

FSB Collage of Sustainable Images

At the beginning of every project, FSB has an in-house, multi-discipline brainstorming meeting to explore how to apply sustainable principles to the design of the project. If we are pursuing LEED certification, we expand our discussions into a LEED workshop where we investigate the various points that can or cannot be achieved for the project using the USGBC checklist. This is an all disciplines on deck exercise as LEED points cover the spectrum of architecture and engineering systems, materials and design considerations. As you recall, our goal is to achieve LEED Platinum the top prize valued at 80 points.

(new post each Tuesday. coming next: The Design/putting on the ritz) Continue reading →

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March 12, 2012 · 10:58 pm

Sustainable / the pursuit of green

Sustainability Graphic for Chickasaw Nation Visitor Center

Green, sustainable, what does it all mean?

The sustainable design movement began around… well, I’m not sure that a specific date can be pinned down. While the notion of sustainability began to surface in the 1970’s, the term “green” became a serious buzz word in the late 1980’s. The first book I read on the subject was Green Architecture / Design for an energy conscious future published in 1991. The underlying message is presented as an argument for resource-conscious building calling on architects to realize a shared responsibility for the earth’s resources. Over time, the movement has become a call to action with the focus being a matter of human sustainability on planet earth. I believe that sustainable design is here to stay and only a matter of time when it will be the norm. Continue reading →

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March 5, 2012 · 10:33 pm

“En Charrette”/ the architectural statement

FSB Design Materials Collage / Wood, Copper, Stone, Glass, Natural Light, Water, Art

We are on the home stretch of the Charrette. We have set goals and played with the site layout but now we need to discuss the architectural character of the building inside and out. We began by reviewing the entourage of images of similar facilities throughout the globe that we had assembled as a part of Preparing for a Creative Exchange of Ideas. There was also the exploration of familiar structures nearby which included: Continue reading →

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