Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington, D.C.

Lighting the Path to Artistic Inspiration

Located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., the Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school that specializes in arts education.Founded in 1974 by Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Mike Malone, the school occupies a building originally built in 1898 as Western High School. The District of Columbia Public Schools recently embarked on a multi-million dollar renovation project to modernize the facility and expand from 171,000 to 271,000 sq. ft. The project included the renovation and addition of classrooms, dance and art studios, common areas, a media center and a 300-seat performance hall.While the primary goal of construction was to add new spaces and modernize the entire buildin

Eagles Nest Outfitters office, Asheville, N.C.

Eagles Nest Outfitters office, Asheville, N.C.: Samsel Architects gutted a former office down to the exterior walls and a new roof was constructed. To solve the lighting problem, Samsel employed a pair VELUX Modular Skylights (VMS)—Northlight Configuration and Fixed Curb Mounted skylights.

Advances

Windows/Skylights

Environmental ‘Surfing’ Not so Tough

While energy savings, and resiliency measures, absolutely, factor into justifying the cost of deep conservation measures, it might be the addition of the accounting of human benefits, as part of a comprehensive ROI formula, that will help designers win the day for passive house or net-zero initiatives for clients and owners hesitant to make the jump. So says Carnegie Mellon Professor Vivian Loftness, a participant in international skylight manufacturer Velux’ most recent Daylight Symposium in Paris, in the Fall of 2019. Here are some numbers, Loftness said, design teams should plug in right off the bat:• External shading can displace 20%-40% of today’s cooling loads;&bu

Grand Concourse Academy Charter School, Bronx, NY

Case Study

Exterior Panels/Cladding

Color and Protection Highlight New Charter School

The Bronx’s Grand Concourse Academy Charter School found the right mix that helped the school stand out in the neighborhood—becoming a bright, engaging, inviting place—and stand up to the elements as well. Lubrano Ciavarra Architects (LCA) saw two great challenges when they set about designing Grand Concourse Academy Charter School. One, they needed to make the school stand out amid the sea of red brick that pervades the Bronx neighborhood. And two, they had to design a building that would stand up to the elements—wind, rain, snow and, of course, kids being kids. The solution to both challenges was StoTherm ci Lotusan. “Color was very important because it was a

Advances

Site Furnishings

Looking Great at 50

Celebrating 50 years of designing solutions for outdoor environments, Landscape Forms introduces Generation 50, a line of benches and litter receptacles that according to Chief Creative Officer Kirt Martin, takes the best of the company’s classics and “interprets them in new ways and with new technologies. “In a sense, this line represents the second generation of Landscape Forms’ original products,” adds chief designer Robert Chipman, the nephew of John Chipman Sr., who founded the company in 1969. “We’re connecting our history to our future.”

Case Study

Glass & Curtainwall

Preserving Union Station’s Metal Frames in Historical Restoration Project

Thanks to super-thin vacuum insulated glazing units, Walter Robbs Architecture was able to restore Winston-Salem’s Union Station brick and limestone façade to its original glory. Built in 1926, the historic Winston-Salem Union Station lent a more cosmopolitan feel to the growing tobacco industry in the area and was key to bringing travel to the region. Designed in a Beaux Arts style with Neoclassical details by Fellheimer and Wagner, a prominent New York architectural firm that designed train stations throughout the U.S., the station closed its doors in 1970. It was then converted into a vehicle-repair garage until the city repurchased the large structure and decided to resto

Advances

Concrete

Precast Delivers Design Options

Most construction professionals hold the perception that while practical, structural precast only comes in two colors: grey and gray. Fabcon Precast is ushering in the modern era of structural precast where colors and finish options abound. State-of-the-art pigments, thin-brick veneers, aggregates, cast-in details and formliners are just a few of the many choices available to you. And as always, a Fabcon building is endowed with high-performance thermal properties and a construction speed second-to-none.

AP ProductWire

November 30, 2021 by Jeanie Fitzgerald-Pitts

The Mood-Shifting Power of Shapes

The study of neuro-architecture—which explores the way the body and brain respond to the built environment—is also explaining the way that people respond to different shapes found within the built environment. It turns out that specialized cells within the brain are attuned to the geometry and arrangement of the spaces we occupy. Designs that connect people to objects or patterns commonly found in nature have been found to enhance their overall sense of wellbeing. Increasing stimulation within the visual environment is also linked to positive benefits and can enhance creativity. Rounded décor can encourage more brain activity and feel more friendly than a room designed with only clean and modern lines. Circles can make viewers feel youthful, happy, and carefree. This issue of AP ProductWire will share a few options that architects and interior designers have to incorporate more geometry into their designs and harness the mood-shifting power of shapes.

Recent Articles

Honeycomb Pattern

Triangle Tile

Sustainability Can Be Productive Too

Mobile Living Walls

University of Kentucky Off-Campus Apartments Honor City Equestrian Heritage

Advances

Surfaces/Finishes

Triangle Tile

Italian ceramic tile is prized for its functionality—durability, ease of maintenance, hygiene, and resistance to water and frost—as much as its aesthetics. One of the latest designs expanding the versatility and value proposition is the Triangle Collection. Petracer’s makes the triangle become the icon of an agile and flexible style, expressed through simple, elementary lines. These tiles have a dazzling effect on interior spaces and the patterns lend a burst of energy to floors and walls.

Case Study

Decorative Metal

Mesh Screens Underline Exclusivity of Qatar Airport

Hamad International Airport places emphasis on extraordinary design, maximum efficiency when handling passengers and freight, and a luxurious atmosphere and sustainability. The Hamad International Airport (HIA) in the capital city Doha, Qatar, is open for passengers after a decade of pioneering design, engineering and construction work. Once all work has been completed, up to 50 million passengers and 2.5 million metric tons of freight will be processed every year. The strategically important location between East and West makes it an important international hub.In order to convey the country’s culture, which is equally oriented towards the future and tradition, the airport places emph

Case Study

Restrooms

Airport Restrooms Take Flight with Lavatory System

Designers seek to make Johnston County Airport’s high-visibility restrooms visual extensions of the airport’s modern aeronautical design. “The owner and board of directors had a clear vision for the design of this airport facility to be top-notch in every way,” said Ray Blackmon, airport director, Johnston Co. Airport. “The men’s and women’s restrooms—located right off the main lobby – were no exception. Because of their central proximity, it was important to make the rooms a visual extension of the airport’s modern aeronautical design.”“The facility’s overall aesthetic captures the wonder and magic of flight,&rdqu

Architectural Products

Lighting the Path to Artistic Inspiration

Read the Digital Edition

Sep/Oct ’21

Environmental ‘Surfing’ Not so Tough

Color and Protection Highlight New Charter School

Looking Great at 50

Preserving Union Station’s Metal Frames in Historical Restoration Project

Precast Delivers Design Options

AP ProductWire

The Mood-Shifting Power of Shapes

Triangle Tile

Mesh Screens Underline Exclusivity of Qatar Airport

Airport Restrooms Take Flight with Lavatory System