Monthly Archives: May 2013

May 24, 2013 · 8:56 am

Stories through Symbols – history, thoughts, ideas, dreams

Symbols

Symbols have been around for a long time. Past cultures have embedded special meaning and spiritual significance into various symbols. We have been discovering these over time and the lasting symbols are those that were left by previous cultures in the form of art. The art has taken the form of pictographs, petroglyphs, images placed on pottery, patterns woven into fabrics and symbols carved on various surfaces.

The Visitor Center design has utilized much of the symbolism, philosophy and culture of the Chickasaw Nation. This symbolism has been incorporated subtly and boldly both inside and outside the project. Perhaps the most bold and graphic statement is incorporated into a functional element on the site. Continue reading →

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Filed under Background, Design

May 21, 2013 · 12:30 am

LEEDing to the Finish Line

Think Tank

The Think Tank

We are around 2 months away from substantial completion of the project. I will talk more about substantial completion in the coming weeks, but technically it is the point in the project when the Owner (i.e. Client) can take beneficial occupancy of the facility. We are down to the time of doting “I’s” and crossing “T’s.”

So, some of the I’s and T’s we need to check are where the Contractor is in their LEED due diligence for getting all the needed certification points that fall into their court. So we had a team meeting at FSB’s office to see where we all stood. The Think Tank assembled around the table is: Continue reading →

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Filed under Construction, Design, LEED ®

May 13, 2013 · 10:12 pm

Light Pollution – LEEDing concerns

Light Pollution from Space

Can you pick out the various continents in the images above? The difference between the night skies visible in the country versus within the city was our early clue of the excessive night-light being generated by urban environments. You could actually see the glow of the city on the horizon from the countryside. The greatest realization came with space travel when we could see the dramatic effects of light pollution in our urban environments from outer space.

Sustainability and LEED certification address this growing issue of light pollution Continue reading →

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Filed under Design, LEED ®

May 6, 2013 · 11:26 pm

Optimizing Energy Performance – the big score

grass, earth and sky

Counting LEED credits can be nerve-racking. Do we have enough to get the LEED certification level that has been our goal. The closer the project gets to completion, you begin to find out that you either have the credits or you don’t. And if some credits are becoming questionable, you may be running out of time to make sure that you have them bagged.

Well, we are in the final tally stage of the project and we find ourselves asking questions like, “I thought we had that point. How did it slip through our fingers? Or, can we still find a way to get that one? Or, Yes! We’ve got that one in the bag.” Continue reading →

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Filed under Design, LEED ®