IES Blog

The theme of Greenbuild 2011 is ‘What’s Next?’ It couldn’t be more timely for our company.

What’s next for IES? Glad you asked. Our Founder and Managing Director Don McLean was talking at the booth all day yesterday about our vision – a better vision where IES can impact not only the architectural market, but a range of markets – from VCs to manufacturing, etc. This is certainly an exciting time for us.

As for the show itself, this is the first time USGBC has hosted Greenbuild outside the U.S.  People here seem to think this represents a big move for the USGBC in terms of working with other countries toward a bigger green movement.  And the one thing that everyone here is saying is “Wow, Toronto’s amazing!” The architecture here is pretty cool, a mix of modern and metropolitan. A lot of glass buildings – and in a city that gets such cold winters, energy performance is definitely a relevant topic and good market for Greenbuild.

The halls are split this year – and very far from one another! (My feet can vouch for that!) The North hall has been much busier than the South hall, but the energy in both halls has been high. The show is packed, and that’s exciting to see!

Traffic at the booth has been very busy. We’ve been doing trainings which have attracted some nice crowds. Nathan did a presentation with Peter Doo of Doo Consulting and Ron Moore from Perkowitz-Ruth Architects, where they talked about the Brickstainable Competition and talked about the winning design. (We’re so happy to be involved with Brickstainable – what a fun competition!) The winning design had a zero net energy goal, which is fantastic to see!

So far, so good here in Toronto! For another perspective, take a look at Daily Commercial News and Construction Record’s first-hand account of the show – ‘U.S. Canadian green building councils kick off Greenbuild conference in Toronto.’

I’m headed to the booth (2325N), so stop by and say hi today! And follow us on Twitter for live updates throughout the day.

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Tags:Architects, brickstainable, competition, design, Greenbuild, USGBC

This year’s Greenbuild theme seems particularly appropriate to us. Since our formation in 1994, IES has always been involved in the ‘What’s NEXT’. Back then, we took academic performance analysis thinking and technology, and created the first commercially viable suite of performance analysis software. Our expert consultants also worked closely with early adopters on its implementation and incorporation into the design process; helping to establish the backbone of today’s simulation market.

It was our involvement in these seminal projects which really set the stage for us, projects such as; Heathrow Terminal 5 right from the earliest concept stages, and BA “Waterside” Headquarters near London Heathrow. Since then IES has attained a unique position in the global marketplace delivering world-leading analysis expertise to help produce sustainable buildings.

For almost two decades, we have been pushing the ethos of integrated design and incorporation of performance analysis right from the earliest new-build and retrofit stages as the route to achieving truly sustainable, low-energy structures.

Now as the sustainability market is starting to catch up with this thinking, I’m seeing organisations beginning to understand the value and benefits of the IES approach. Consequently, we find our role changing. Increasingly organisations are coming to IES to help overcome technical or commercial barriers in getting their sustainability products and services to the market.

Consequently, we find ourselves today still working at the leading edge of building science, investigating how analysis plays a vital role in cutting through greenwash to deliver measurable sustainability. Whether that is designing or analysing a product range, regulatory system, building or entire communities/eco-cities.

IES has been approached in this capacity by Governments, ESCO’s, Venture Capitalists, software companies, product manufactures (both building and clean energy), regulation setters, voluntary rating system developers, and those managing large property portfolios.

So what’s NEXT? I certainly see this as the start of a new age in the role of analysis in a low-energy, zero-carbon built environment, as well as in the role of our company. At Greenbuild this year I’m spending a great deal of time discussing these developments and how I think analysis will develop and change the future face of sustainable cities and buildings.

Part of this is presenting at the GreenTech@Greenbuild event this Thursday 6th October. This is an exciting new event organised by the USGBC and Regenerative Networks which is designed to increase awareness and adoption of emerging disruptive technologies that provide exceptional solutions for the building industry.

Featured firms were selected for the significant advances they contribute to green building, so needless to say I was excited by the invitation. Watch this space for a recording of my presentation.

Or come along to our booth #2325N and say hello. I’m more than happy to discuss our innovation and expertise in creating cutting-edge building performance analysis tools, as well as the supply of related consulting and specialist services.

Plus, you can catch up with executives from Halcrow, Doo Consulting, Perkowitz + Ruth Architects, Building Momentum Group and Ambient Energy. Who will share first-hand insight on analysis and integrated design:
Wednesday, October 5
1:15 p.m. – “Analyzing Double Skin Façades for Different Global Climate Regions” (Halcrow)
2:15 p.m. – “Early Conceptual Analysis of the Brickstainable Winning Design” (Doo Consulting, Perkowitz + Ruth Architects)

Thursday, October 6
1.00 p.m. – “LEED Energy & HVAC Modeling of Roosevelt University Vertical Campus” (Building Momentum Group)
1.45 p.m. – “Optimizing an Atrium – Daylight and Mixed Mode Ventilation on Colorado State University Engineering II Building” (Ambient Energy)

Read more about our activities at the show here.

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Tags:Architects, design, Engineers, Environment, event, Greenbuild, IES, LEED, Modeling, Sustainability, sustainable, USGBC

Following John’s recent blog post about LEED 2012, I wanted to weigh in with my 2 cents. I find anything written about LEED fascinating. Everyone’s got an opinion, and it’s what keeps our industry fresh.

I recently came across this ed+c article - Middle East Architecture — LEEDing nowhere – and found myself applauding the author on multiple occasions.

For example, this particular line really got me.
“Green wants to embrace everything, and everyone wants to embrace green.”

Romi continues, “But when a definition becomes so overarching, it loses all significance. Architects now depend much on intelligent service systems to make up for their folly and neglect in basic building design. It is unfortunate that these rating systems like LEED, BREEAM; have converted architecture into an accounting exercise.”

Is this what architecture and design have become? Merely an accounting exercise? I think that’s taking it to an extreme. I believe that we are now more aware of the orientation of a building or the CO2 output, and can make changes that are positive for the future tenants of the building. Whether or not it is to achieve LEED status is a non-factor. Our awareness when it comes to the way in which we design buildings is what matters.

I thought Romi’s closing brings us to an interesting point.
“The world needs green buildings a lot more than green buildings need LEED certification. If certifications such as LEED, BREEAM continue to cost too much money, time and effort — we will not stop building green projects; we will just stop certifying them.”

What is/was the goal of the USGBC’s LEED program? If it was to increase awareness, well then regardless of whether or not a building is LEED certified, a better building is a better building.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic. I’m always up for a good debate!

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Tags:Architects, BREEAM, Building, design, LEED, sustainable, USGBC

What’s the equivalent of a Prius when it comes to green buildings? Well, the answer might be The Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington. It just broke ground last week, and aims to be the first commercial building designed to carry its own environmental weight.

What does that mean – “carry its own environmental weight”?

It means that this building is taking sustainable design to the next level. This building is designed to produce as much energy as it consumes. To provide its own water, its own sewage. If you want to drive to work, you’ll have to find an alternate parking lot. Parking at The Bullitt Center will be reserved for bikes only.

You might be scratching your head and thinking this is crazy. But this is what sustainable design is all about!

Denis Hayes, president and CEO of the Bullitt Foundation, was quoted in a Seattle Times feature about the project, saying this is what we should have been doing 5, 10 years ago.

Conventional office buildings are getting greener, Hayes acknowledges. Many developers are designing their projects with green features to qualify for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, then marketing that label prominently.

But change isn’t happening fast enough to respond to climate change and other looming environmental problems, he said: “If the world had three or four centuries to address these challenges, we would be right on track.”

So what does this mean for our industry? This will force programs like LEED to take it to the next level, and for architects and designers to really incorporate sustainable design techniques into projects.

Building owners are going to be asking for these features in their buildings. And it’s possible, we just need to keep at it.

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Tags:Architects, Building, climate, design, leadership, LEED, office, Seattle, Sustainability

Architecture 2030 is somewhat of a “hot topic” around the IES offices. There’s always something new to talk about as it relates to the goal focused of protecting our global environment by using innovation and common sense to develop solutions to the increasing problem of global warming.

I recently came across this article on Daily Commercial News by Wayne DeAngelis. In his article, titled “Time to re-think energy use and production,” he gets to the core of what Architecture 2030 is all about.

When American architect Edward Mazria first pondered the notion of what architecture would be like in the year 2030, he was no doubt well aware of the struggle that lay ahead in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, building waste, brownfields, greenfields and the usurping of this planet’s precious finite resources such as water, land and air. Yet he may not have anticipated the momentum “The 2030 Challenge” would initiate.

We’ve quoted Ed Mazria before. I think this quote from a few years’ ago is worth taking another look.
“We tend to rush toward the complex when trying to solve a daunting problem, but in this case, simplicity wins. Better buildings, responsible energy use and renewable energy choices are all we need to tackle both energy independence and climate change,” said Mazria.

And that’s just the thing. In order to tackle climate change and build sustainable buildings not just now, but for the future, we need to stop and take a step back. Simplicity at its core is something we should practice in many areas of our lives, especially design. Rather than building massive buildings that are underutilized and aren’t energy efficient, we need to take a look at the earliest stages of the design process and ask ourselves, “What is the goal of this building?” Many times, the answer helps guide the design and its ultimate simplicity.

We’ve got just under two decades to get to Architecture 2030. Can we do it?

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Tags:Architects, Architecture 2030, design, Environment, IES, Renewables, Sustainability

When you stop to think about architecture throughout the years, you definitely see the influences of each time period on architecture and design. But do you connect the space program and architecture? Probably not.

I recently came across this article - Ode to the Space Race: How it shaped architecture and design – and was intrigued at how the author connected the dots between our space program a few decades ago and the way in which it influenced design.

As he points out, “Ah, yes, architecture. Space and modernism connected to give us nearly 20 years’ worth of boomerang-shaped gas stations and amoeba-like signage.”

How very true. The article got me thinking about other architectural influences and what we tend to see in everyday life. Take the lasting effects of Frank Lloyd Wright’s style of design, for example. His design aesthetic is what I would summarize as “American architecture” in the sense that, he took a totally new approach to design, one that didn’t pull from European styles as architects in this country had done for many, many years. His influences are seen from coast-to-coast.

So what will the next influence be? I came across this viral video last year, and I thought I would share it with you. Perhaps “Domestic Transformer” is the next phase of modern design.

This video shows that even in 344 sq. ft. (a mansion by Hong Kong standards), you can have all of life’s necessities. Architect Gary Chang designed this space to change into 24 different designs, all with just sliding panels and walls.

So what do you think? What other events have influenced architecture?

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Tags:Architects, design, event, space program

Earlier this year, AIA challenged its member to design a dream house for Barbie – yes, Ms. Barbra Millicent Roberts herself. The AIA Barbie® Dream House™ Design Competition is part of Mattel’s spotlight on architecture as its “Career of the Year” for Barbie.

And it looks like the competition was a success! With more than 30 entries, the design submitted by Ting Li, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP and Maja Paklar, Assoc. AIA, took home top honors.

This Mother Nature Network article, “A palace fit for a doll: Barbie gets new green digs in Malibu,” links to the winning design.

Now you would think with such a high-profile “character” as Barbie, this would be a positive for the architecture community. Unfortunately, some of the articles I’m seeing online actually think the architecture profession itself needs a makeover, not just a new spokeswoman.

In an opinion piece on The Christian Science Monitor, John Cary states‘’Architect Barbie’ builds a dream home, but her profession needs a makeover.’

According to the article, “The American Institute of Architects has announced the winners of its contest to build a dream home for the Mattel doll, ‘Architect Barbie.’ The contest misses the point that the severe gender gap in architecture is a problem of retaining women – not one of recruiting them.”

What do you think? Does the architecture community have an issue retaining women? And if you answer yes, is that an issue exclusive to architects, or all professional careers?

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Tags:AIA, Architects, Barbie, Building, careers, LEED

I think Frank Sinatra would be excited to see the boom in architecture in the Windy City. Well, if Mr. Sinatra was interested in architecture. Which I imagine he was ;).

There certainly seems to be an architectural revival of sorts in Chicago these days. It seems more often than not, my Google alerts about “architecture” contain some sort of article relating in some way, shape or form to Chicago.

The article I read this morning was a recap of the recent BIMForum event in Chicago. The BIMForum’s mission is to “facilitate and accelerate the adoption of building information modeling (BIM) in the AEC industry [and] lead by example and synchronize with counterparts in all sectors of the industry to jointly develop best practice for virtual design and construction (VDC).”

Federico Negro recently attended the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) event. He was there to present his work, but he walked away with further knowledge on the adoption of BIM and how it is understood.

I’ve spent a good deal of time on the BIMForum website this morning, and there is some great content that I think all architects should spend some time reading. The focus of last month’s event - how BIM is used to find the optimal balance of allowing the best decisions to be made at the most appropriate time without impacting construction costs and schedules and how this is shifting when design ends and construction begins – is certainly a topic of conversation that is here to stay.

It begs the question – in today’s integrated BIM projects, where does design end and construction begin?

What do you think? How do you integrate BIM into your projects? This topic fascinates me, and I hope you’ll share your thoughts below.

PS – I thought I’d close this blog post with a mini plug for our upcoming Training Road Show series. The first one is in Chicago, so you see, there’s a tie-in!

The IES Training Road Show is a series of two-day training programs taking place across North America, offering attendees the opportunity to learn simulation techniques and methods to enable more sustainable design practices. First up on the road show we will touching down in Chicago on August 17th & 18th, followed by Denver on the 22nd & 23rd. A lot more cities to be announced very soon!

Full details here: http://www.iesve.com/training/events

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Tags:Architects, BIM, chicago, event, IES, Sustainability, Training

Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle. And in a recent article, RIBA Construction Strategy Group’s (and the government’s chief construction adviser) Paul Morrell noted that the time for BIM is now and evolving to make architects “integrators of projects.” He stated, “BIM technology could herald the return of architects to the role of master builder”.

Last week I attended a webinar entitled “BIM – A new way of working”, which featured Mr. Morrell, as he continued to explore the future impact of BIM on our industry.  A playback of the webinar can be found here.

Let’s take a step back for a second, though, shall we? As I was Googling to see if there were any additional sound bytes from Mr. Morrell regarding the subject, I came across this article on ‘Breaking Down the Walls.’ The post, entitled, “BIM – What is it, why do I care, and how do I do it?” was written over six years ago, but I think what Matt touches on still rings true today.

First, emphasis needs to be placed on the “I” in “BIM” - “Information”. That information can be either graphical or non-graphical, either contained directly in the building model or accessible from the building model through linked data that is stored elsewhere. If you really think about it, in some ways, at a basic level “BIM” doesn’t necessarily require that the geometry that describes the building be a 3D model at all.

That being said, BIM is an important component of architectural design, especially as architects continue to have to meet sustainable benchmarks such as Part L of the Building Regulations and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). The idea is whole-building analysis, getting a sense of the building at the earliest stages of design to truly develop the best building possible.

As Mr. Morrell notes, using BIM, architects can become “integrators” and that’s exactly the goal we are going for – integrated design throughout the entire process.

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Tags:Architects, BIM, EPCs, Part L, Sustainability

www.e-architect.co.uk

When booking a venue for an event there is always certain factors that must be taken into consideration – location, capacity, availability and cost (no getting away from it in this current climate). But when we were looking for a venue in London to host the second of our free educational seminars, IES Faculty, we were also looking for somewhere that offered a certain je ne sais quoi. Being that the latest Faculty session is for Architects, we wanted to find a place that both promoted and reflected the inventiveness and originality of modern architecture.

We came across such a venue in Ravensbourne digital college. The building was designed by Foreign Office Architects and is a technology driven location which has been built to stimulate creativity. We were also impressed by the green credentials of the building, as Ravensbourne has invested heavily in the sustainability of the venue with a green roof, solar water heating and biomass boiler. The building has achieved an impressive BREEAM Excellent status.

So what do we have in store for architects coming to IES Faculty on the 12^th of July? In just a few hours we’ll show you how our solutions can help you enhance architectural design and productivity. See how to quickly produce early stage sustainability reports using our revolutionary architectural analysis tool, get up to date with our integration with Google SketchUp™ and be introduced to our new innovative step-by-step BREEAM Assessment tool. You can get more information and sign up on our website.

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Tags:Architects, education, free, IES, Sustainability, technology