Monday, December 26, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
KiDiMu featured in Metal Construction News
Kids Discovery Museum, Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Known locally as KiDiMu, the Kids Discovery Museum earned LEED Silver certification in August from the U.S. Green Building Council. Built within the Island Gateway development, the 5,000-square-foot building is just a short walk from the island's ferry terminal and town center. The non-profit center provides children and caregivers a destination venue for interactive discovery of art, science and culture through hands-on exhibits, daily art projects, cultural and scientific programs. Established in 2005 at another location, KiDiMu needed the new building to accommodate the 40,000 children from a two-county area who now visit the popular learning and play center annually.
The certification in August was for the USGBC's Core & Shell category, and followed the project's earlier LEED Silver certification in Commercial Interiors. The dual certifications inspired KiDiMu's management to add a self-guided "Green LEED Tour" to showcase the building's eco-friendly design and operational features.
Butler Builder PHC Construction used Butler Manufacturing's MR-24 standing seam metal roof system on conventional steel framing and mixed sidewall materials. The roof assembly was insulated to R-38 that contributed to the LEED credit earner for Optimized Energy and Environmental Performance. The Butler metal roof also contributed to the credits earned for recycled content.
Developer: Asani LLC, Bainbridge Island
Builder: PHC Construction LLC, Bainbridge Island
Architect: Coates Design Inc., Bainbridge Island
Metal roof panels: Butler Manufacturing, Kansas City, Mo., www.butlermfg.com,
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
New lease on life for old farmhouse on Bainbridge - Kitsap Sun
By Tristan Baurick
Posted October 7, 2011 at 5:43 p.m.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Over the eight years since the city bought the five-acre Morales Farm, the rolling fields have slowly come alive with pumpkins, grapes, tomatoes and sunflowers.
The old farmhouse, though, has remained as empty and lifeless as the day the Morales family left it.
That could change in the coming months as an ambitious plan gets under way to fully restore the Lovgreen Road home and turn it into living quarters for the island's popular farm internship programs.
Bainbridge farming advocacy group Friends of the Farms has teamed with PHC Construction to tear the three-bedroom, 58-year-old house down to the studs and restore it with new walls, windows, flooring and various interior touches that will make the house a home again. The house will also get revamped electrical, plumbing and water systems, and energy-efficient upgrades, including a heat pump and foam insulation.
Bainbridge-based PHC and its subcontractors are doing the $100,000
project free-of-charge. Friends of the Farms chipped in about $10,000
for building permits and other costs.
Island farmer Brian MacWhorter walked through the house's dilapidated interior as a work crew began breaking into the walls on Friday morning.
"Look at this — it's really an extreme makeover," he said.
The 15 or so island farms offer a total of 12 internships, but
MacWhorter it's often a struggle to find enough room for the young
farmers-in-training to stay. The internship programs doesn't pay much,
making it difficult for the college-age interns to cover the relatively
high-priced rent at island apartments and shared homes.
"Housing is one of the most important things that keeps the internships going," said MacWhorter, who employs four interns. "Whatever we can do that helps (housing) will keep farming sustainable on Bainbridge Island."
While the Friends of the Farms received city approval to do the restoration work, coming to a lease agreement that allows interns to live at the house is a matter for later negotiations.
If all goes well, three or more interns could move in by March, said Friends of the Farms Executive Director Wendy Tyner.
The house could also be used for farm-related classes or as an interpretive center, she added.
The house was once the home of Teddy Morales, who moved to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1929 and farmed on Bainbridge for decades. He and his family grew berries and various vegetables, but the property was best known for producing a bounty of sweet corn.
The city bought the Morales Farm in 2003 for $210,000 with the idea
of preserving it as farmland. The farm and several other properties were
purchased with an $8 million open space bond approved by voters in
2001.
The property is now used by MacWhorter, who grows tomatoes and other warm-weather crops in greenhouses, a wine maker and a part-time farmer who produces a variety of vegetables. Two island schools have plots for use in educational programs.
The city re-roofed the house a few years ago, but nothing has been done to make it habitable.
"It's actually a pretty sound structure," PHC co-owner Marty Sievertson said. "It's got a nice dry roof, and I haven't found any rot."
The exterior's cedar shingles are also in good shape and will likely remain.
"This is the kind of project I've been looking to do for a while," Sievertson said. "I've been building in Kitsap County and Bainbridge for 30 years. It's been good to me. It's time for me to give back."
Posted October 7, 2011 at 5:43 p.m.
 |
Craden Henderson and Clay Johnson, of PHC
Construction, remove one of the windows from the Morales Farm house on
Bainbridge Island on Friday. Once it is habitable again, it could be
used to house interns who work on the island's 15 small farms.
(MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN)
|
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Over the eight years since the city bought the five-acre Morales Farm, the rolling fields have slowly come alive with pumpkins, grapes, tomatoes and sunflowers.
 |
| Ani Kendig, office manager of PHC Construction, removes molding from the
front door during renovation of the Morales Farm house on Bainbridge
Island on Friday. PHC and its subcontractors are not charging for the
work, although a nonprofit is chipping in the cover some material and
permitting costs. (MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN) |
That could change in the coming months as an ambitious plan gets under way to fully restore the Lovgreen Road home and turn it into living quarters for the island's popular farm internship programs.
Bainbridge farming advocacy group Friends of the Farms has teamed with PHC Construction to tear the three-bedroom, 58-year-old house down to the studs and restore it with new walls, windows, flooring and various interior touches that will make the house a home again. The house will also get revamped electrical, plumbing and water systems, and energy-efficient upgrades, including a heat pump and foam insulation.
 |
| Marty Sievertson of PHC Construction removes the drywall in the living
room of the Morales Farm house on Bainbridge Island on Friday. (MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN) |
Island farmer Brian MacWhorter walked through the house's dilapidated interior as a work crew began breaking into the walls on Friday morning.
"Look at this — it's really an extreme makeover," he said.
 |
| Ani Kendig, office manager of PHC Construction, removes molding from around windows Friday. (MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN) |
"Housing is one of the most important things that keeps the internships going," said MacWhorter, who employs four interns. "Whatever we can do that helps (housing) will keep farming sustainable on Bainbridge Island."
While the Friends of the Farms received city approval to do the restoration work, coming to a lease agreement that allows interns to live at the house is a matter for later negotiations.
If all goes well, three or more interns could move in by March, said Friends of the Farms Executive Director Wendy Tyner.
The house could also be used for farm-related classes or as an interpretive center, she added.
The house was once the home of Teddy Morales, who moved to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1929 and farmed on Bainbridge for decades. He and his family grew berries and various vegetables, but the property was best known for producing a bounty of sweet corn.
 |
| Craden Henderson and Clay Johnson of PHC Construction remove a window at the Morales Farm house on Bainbridge Island on Friday. (MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN) |
The property is now used by MacWhorter, who grows tomatoes and other warm-weather crops in greenhouses, a wine maker and a part-time farmer who produces a variety of vegetables. Two island schools have plots for use in educational programs.
 |
| Renovation of the house at the Morales Farm on Bainbridge Island started Friday. (MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN) |
"It's actually a pretty sound structure," PHC co-owner Marty Sievertson said. "It's got a nice dry roof, and I haven't found any rot."
The exterior's cedar shingles are also in good shape and will likely remain.
"This is the kind of project I've been looking to do for a while," Sievertson said. "I've been building in Kitsap County and Bainbridge for 30 years. It's been good to me. It's time for me to give back."
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
PHC Leads Volunteer Remodel for Friends of the Farms!
On Friday October 7th and 8th PHC will be leading a great volunteer project to renovate a local farmhouse for “Friends of the Farms” on Bainbridge Island! Our team of volunteers will be gutting the Morales farmhouse at the corner of 305 and Lovgreen with the goal of finishing by Saturday afternoon so we can begin rebuilding it over the subsequent weekends. Our goal is to have the space inhabitable by early 2012!
We have volunteer commitment from AP Plumbing, Bird Electric, Air Systems, Anderson Windows, Premier Spray Foam, Paneltech International, Re-Power Bainbridge and are getting more every day. Thank you!
Friends of the Farms is a local nonprofit that assists in managing the farms on Bainbridge Island. They’re responsible for connecting farmers with farmland, bringing farm consultants to the island, and representing the farms to local governing authorities. They also provide housing for farmers and their hands. The renovation we’re doing will convert an uninhabitable house into a great little space for temporary farm hands. The 1000sf farmhouse requires new windows, interior insulation, new drywall, electrical, plumbing, flooring, and a kitchen. For a number of years PHC has been interested in contributing to the local community by working on projects like this. We hope it will be the first of many that we can all participate in.
More information on the project go to http://friendsofthefarms.org/
Thursday, September 29, 2011
New Grow Community Website
We are excited to announce the launch of the Grow Community website. We invite you to check it out at: www.growbi.com
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Island Gateway takes the LEED: KiDiMu gets silver - Bainbridge Island Review
By JESSICA HOCH
Bainbridge Island Review Staff Writer
Aug 26 2011
Bainbridge Island Review Staff Writer
Aug 26 2011
The Island Gateway project is raising the bar for green building in Kitsap County.
The Kids Discovery Museum was recently stamped with the green building seal of approval with a LEED (eldership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, which serves as the benchmark for eco-friendly building. The museum achieved the silver certification, which makes it one of the first buildings in Kitsap County to receive simultaneous interior and exterior ratings.
Eventually all eight projects in the gateway project will be LEED certified, according to Asani's project manager Craden Henderson, which will make it one of the first complexes in Kitsap County and the state to do so.
"With LEED Silver certification, the building itself becomes a learning opportunity and an example of good stewardship of the environment," said KiDiMu's Board President Diane Crowder.
The certification is a national building design standard created by the nonprofit trade organization the U.S. Green Building Council, and was created for better environmental and health performance standards. It rates design, construction and operation of buildings in a host of categories such as new building, core & shell and several others.
The KiDiMu certification is the first of the Island Gateway project, and the other buildings are expected to follow suit as construction finishes. The tenants inside the complex had the option to pursue LEED certification for their building interiors individually.
LEED is a point-based system where building projects earn points for specific building criteria. The number of points determines the level of certification the project receives. A building that is LEED "certified" is the lowest rank followed by silver, gold and platinum as the most prestigious.
With KiDiMu's silver certification, for both the core and shell and the commercial interior, the museum will add to its curriculum. Krzysztofa McDonough, communications and marketing coordinator. said the museum will add a self-guided "Green LEED Tour" to showcase initiatives such as the building's "living roof" and compost systems.
Last Saturday, KiDiMu celebrated the double certification by offering $1 off admission price for attendees who walked or biked. That day, 72 percent of museum guests walked or traveled by a "parent-operated vehicle" (stroller), according to McDonough.
KiDiMu's walkable location from both the ferry and town center; its water and energy saving design; and use of recycled and non-toxic building materials all played a role in the certification, according to Susan Sivitz, the museum's executive director.
"It is fun for tenants who have an interest in the environment since we've basically created a core building that allows them to have a really sustainable interior if they are interested," said Henderson. "Right now the Bainbridge Art Museum building is slated to receive a gold certification, which speaks to how hard they worked on their sustainability initiatives to use products without harmful chemicals, create efficient lighting, etc."
Henderson said that although LEED is a wonderful standard for buildings, Asani tries to do more than just comply with criteria. He estimated that 98 percent of everything that came off the Island Gateway site, including some 2,000 tires, was recycled to avoid the landfill. With such close proximity to the ravine near State Route 305, Henderson said it represented a unique challenge.
"We put in some pretty extensive measures to ensure that the water quality entering the ravine is significantly better when it enters the sound," said Henderson. "Most developers can tell you, they haven't been able to figure that one out," said Henderson.
According to the Green Building Council the cost per square foot for buildings seeking LEED certification falls into the existing range of building costs, and that building sale prices for energy efficient buildings are as much as 10 percent higher, per square foot, than conventional buildings. One 2008 study said LEED buildings command rent premiums of $11.33 per square foot over their non-LEED peers and have a 4.1 percent higher occupancy rate.
Many cities across the country encourage green building through their building permit process. Though Bainbridge has an incentive program for residential green building with the Housing Design Development Program (HDDP), it does not yet offer any for commercial development. Chris Wierzbicki said the city doesn't yet have any plans to develop a green commercial program.
Henderson said the team is energized to see the environmental planning payoff, and is confident that the remaining buildings will see either a gold or silver award.
"We are really proud of the group as a whole for the work that's been done," said Henderson.
Bainbridge Island Review Staff Writer Jessica Hoch can be reached at jhoch@bainbridgereview.com or (206) 842-6613.
The Kids Discovery Museum was recently stamped with the green building seal of approval with a LEED (eldership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, which serves as the benchmark for eco-friendly building. The museum achieved the silver certification, which makes it one of the first buildings in Kitsap County to receive simultaneous interior and exterior ratings.
"With LEED Silver certification, the building itself becomes a learning opportunity and an example of good stewardship of the environment," said KiDiMu's Board President Diane Crowder.
The certification is a national building design standard created by the nonprofit trade organization the U.S. Green Building Council, and was created for better environmental and health performance standards. It rates design, construction and operation of buildings in a host of categories such as new building, core & shell and several others.
The KiDiMu certification is the first of the Island Gateway project, and the other buildings are expected to follow suit as construction finishes. The tenants inside the complex had the option to pursue LEED certification for their building interiors individually.
LEED is a point-based system where building projects earn points for specific building criteria. The number of points determines the level of certification the project receives. A building that is LEED "certified" is the lowest rank followed by silver, gold and platinum as the most prestigious.
With KiDiMu's silver certification, for both the core and shell and the commercial interior, the museum will add to its curriculum. Krzysztofa McDonough, communications and marketing coordinator. said the museum will add a self-guided "Green LEED Tour" to showcase initiatives such as the building's "living roof" and compost systems.
Last Saturday, KiDiMu celebrated the double certification by offering $1 off admission price for attendees who walked or biked. That day, 72 percent of museum guests walked or traveled by a "parent-operated vehicle" (stroller), according to McDonough.
KiDiMu's walkable location from both the ferry and town center; its water and energy saving design; and use of recycled and non-toxic building materials all played a role in the certification, according to Susan Sivitz, the museum's executive director.
"It is fun for tenants who have an interest in the environment since we've basically created a core building that allows them to have a really sustainable interior if they are interested," said Henderson. "Right now the Bainbridge Art Museum building is slated to receive a gold certification, which speaks to how hard they worked on their sustainability initiatives to use products without harmful chemicals, create efficient lighting, etc."
Henderson said that although LEED is a wonderful standard for buildings, Asani tries to do more than just comply with criteria. He estimated that 98 percent of everything that came off the Island Gateway site, including some 2,000 tires, was recycled to avoid the landfill. With such close proximity to the ravine near State Route 305, Henderson said it represented a unique challenge.
"We put in some pretty extensive measures to ensure that the water quality entering the ravine is significantly better when it enters the sound," said Henderson. "Most developers can tell you, they haven't been able to figure that one out," said Henderson.
According to the Green Building Council the cost per square foot for buildings seeking LEED certification falls into the existing range of building costs, and that building sale prices for energy efficient buildings are as much as 10 percent higher, per square foot, than conventional buildings. One 2008 study said LEED buildings command rent premiums of $11.33 per square foot over their non-LEED peers and have a 4.1 percent higher occupancy rate.
Many cities across the country encourage green building through their building permit process. Though Bainbridge has an incentive program for residential green building with the Housing Design Development Program (HDDP), it does not yet offer any for commercial development. Chris Wierzbicki said the city doesn't yet have any plans to develop a green commercial program.
Henderson said the team is energized to see the environmental planning payoff, and is confident that the remaining buildings will see either a gold or silver award.
"We are really proud of the group as a whole for the work that's been done," said Henderson.
Bainbridge Island Review Staff Writer Jessica Hoch can be reached at jhoch@bainbridgereview.com or (206) 842-6613.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
KiDiMu LEEDs THE WAY
Bainbridge Island’s Kids Discovery Museum Receives LEED® Silver Certification Award from the U.S. Green Building Council, Placing it Amongst the Nation’s Leading Buildings in Sustainable Design
Bainbridge Island, Washington - August 15, 2011 - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has recognized the Kids Discovery Museum (KiDiMu) with a Silver certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The Museum now meets LEED Silver standards for both - Commercial Interiors, and Core and Shell. As part of the new Island Gateway cultural center, KiDiMu provides an outstanding play and learning environment for children in a facility that demonstrates smart and sustainable design and construction.
Designed, developed and built by Coates Design, Asani, and PHC Construction, the KiDiMu building provides an environmentally-healthy and ecologically-friendly public space for Bainbridge Island and visiting families alike.
The new facility not only enables the nonprofit children’s museum to be a sustainability leader and save money, but it also aligns with its mission to educate. “This is such an exciting time for the Museum and our community. With LEED silver certification, the building itself becomes a learning opportunity and an example of good stewardship of the environment.” said KiDiMu’s board president Diane Crowder.
While discovering KiDiMu, families can explore various aspects of the building that make it earth-friendly. They can even take a self-guided “Green LEED Tour” of KiDiMu. In addition, many of the museum programs and camps feature the subject of environmental education. “It is a delight to see families climb up the pathways to check how the rooftop garden is doing, or get visiting children excited about planting seeds or composting. In our new home, the lessons learned have a better chance to sink in,” Crowder added.By using less energy and water, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
“The new building is a “smart” solution for KiDiMu, Bainbridge Island and the planet,” said Crowder. “The certification is a great honor and a “seal of approval” for a job well done. We feel fortunate to have had the community support and expertise of the Island Gateway team to help us succeed.”
The KiDiMu building’s location, within a walking distance from the ferry and the center of town, its water and energy saving design, and recycled and non-toxic building materials all play a role in reaching LEED certification, which holds the highest national standard for building design that implements strategies for better environmental and health performance.
“We’re very excited about the LEED Silver rating for the KiDiMu. This will make it one of the first buildings in Kitsap county to receive both the interior and exterior LEED rating. There couldn’t be a better space for a kids museum!” said Asani project manager Craden Henderson.As the Island Gateway moves forward in gaining LEED certification for all its buildings, including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, KiDiMu’s LEED Silver award provides real satisfaction and encouragement for the Island Gateway team, and sets a standard for sustainable building design and development throughout the Bainbridge Island community.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
New art museum changes its name
Bainbridge Island Review
By CONNIE MEARS
Bainbridge Island Review Staff writer
Jul 22 2011, 11:10 AM · UPDATED
The board of directors for the new art museum, scheduled to open in 2012 at Island Gateway, voted to adopt a new name: Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, said Executive Director Greg Robinson.
The name change from Bainbridge Art Museum was prompted by a couple of reasons. Foremost was to avoid confusion with Bellevue Art Museum, which shared the BAM acronym. Secondly, board members felt that adding the word Island was a more specific identifier for the community.
The museum's focus will be on showcasing art from Kitsap, Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound areas,
"We're right in the heart of that," Robinson said.
The change will take some time to execute, but it is in the process of filing the paperwork with the Secretary of State to formally change the nonprofit's name.
He said the museum never promoted the use of the term BAM, but the art world tends to be acronym-heavy. The museum may or may not end up using the new BIMA acronym.
The museum has held a number of focus groups seeking input from the community. When looking for an alternative name, the board revisited the focus group comments and found that the name Bainbridge Island Museum of Art was a popular choice.
By CONNIE MEARS
Bainbridge Island Review Staff writer
Jul 22 2011, 11:10 AM · UPDATED
 |
The name change from Bainbridge Art Museum was prompted by a couple of reasons. Foremost was to avoid confusion with Bellevue Art Museum, which shared the BAM acronym. Secondly, board members felt that adding the word Island was a more specific identifier for the community.
The museum's focus will be on showcasing art from Kitsap, Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound areas,
"We're right in the heart of that," Robinson said.
The change will take some time to execute, but it is in the process of filing the paperwork with the Secretary of State to formally change the nonprofit's name.
He said the museum never promoted the use of the term BAM, but the art world tends to be acronym-heavy. The museum may or may not end up using the new BIMA acronym.
The museum has held a number of focus groups seeking input from the community. When looking for an alternative name, the board revisited the focus group comments and found that the name Bainbridge Island Museum of Art was a popular choice.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
JUST ADD WATER (and architect): Deep green community to grow outside of Seattle
Mother Nature Network
by Matt Hickman
by Matt Hickman
Eco-living expert blogs about the best ways to go green at home
The architect responsible for the Modern Living Showhouse at Dwell on Design 2011, is a force behind Grow Community, an eco-enclave with shared composting facilities and kayak storage on Bainbridge Island, Wash.
In my post last week about the glammed up, greened out Modern Living Showhouse on display at Dwell on Design 2011, I talked a lot about the eye-catching interiors procured by Zem Joaquin and the team at ecofabulous. Honestly, I could write an entire month of posts just about all of the green goodies I saw jammed into the 520-square foot, currently up-for-auction-on-eBay prefab abode.
While so focused on the great work of Zem and co. I didn’t have much time to explore the architect behind the Modern Living Showhouse: Jonathan Davis of pieceHomes, the modular-centric offshoot of L.A.-based green architecture firm, Davis Studio Architecture + Design. While Davis and pieceHomes are new to me, it didn’t take me long to appreciate his past work — get a load of the Bell Mountain Ranch — and an in-development project that really caught my attention: Grow Community, a zero-carbon neighborhood of 137 solar-powered residences (50 homes and 87 apartments) to be built on Bainbridge Island, Wash. The ambitious project is a joint venture between pieceHomes and eco-developers, Asani.
Seattle’s King5 News calls Grow Community “one of the world’s greenest communities” which is a touch hyperbolic even for this sleepy Seattle commuter island that’s home to two MNN favorites: sustainable design firm Grain and eco-architect Matthew Coates. One thing’s for sure, if all goes as planned this 8-acre "pedestrian-oriented, energy-efficient, multigenerational neighborhood" will be the largest new development in Bainbridge’s recent history. Grow Community will also be one of the only communities in the nation (certainly the first in Washington) to achieve a stamp of approval from One Planet Living's Communities program. This rigorous, 10-tier certification program developed by environmental nonprofit BioRegional Development Group and WWF International focuses on the greenness of neighborhoods instead of individual homes. The project will also seek LEED Gold certification.
Consisting of 5 different single-family home designs — ranging from 1,200 to 1,600–square feet — and apartments — ranging from 450 to 1,200-square feet — designed by Davis and the pieceHomes team, Grow Community will generate all of its own power through solar panels placed atop the residences along with additional panels installed elsewhere on the island. There will also be ample “bike and kayak storage,” organic community gardens (or P-Patches in Seattle-speak), and shared composting and recycling facilities. And, not surprisingly, the community will be so pedestrian-centric that owning more than one car could become a major hassle. Explains The Kitsap Sun:
Vehicle parking would be located in consolidated areas away from homes, making residents more likely to use the development's trail network as their primary means of getting around. The trails, including a main public one, would funnel residents toward Madison Avenue, where a farmers market, a grocery store and various Winslow shops are within easy reach. Only one parking space is planned for each home.
As reported by the Kitsap Sun, the developers expect a full-build out to take about five years and homes within Grow Community won’t be exactly cheap — the developers aren’t aiming for affordable housing status or public funding — but will fall on the lower end of things on the somewhat pricey Bainbridge Island scale: Asani anticipates that the one-, two-and three- bedroom homes will sell for in the ballpark of $250,000 to $390,000. In addition to the homes and apartments, the Waldorf-affiliated Madrona School may relocate to the community.
Find out more about this remarkable deep-green neighborhood over at Asani, on Facebook, and on the development’s informative blog. It's also worth reading more about One Planet Communities, a program that I was, until now, unfamiliar with. And stay tuned for this month's installment of “Evergreen Homes" where I'll feature a gorgeous prefab getaway in the wilds of my native state, Washington, that, like pieceHomes and Grow Community, I found out about at Dwell on Design 2011.
Click here for original article: Click here for original article: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/remodeling-design/blogs/just-add-water-and-architect-deep-green-community-to-grow-outside-
Click here for original article: Click here for original article: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/remodeling-design/blogs/just-add-water-and-architect-deep-green-community-to-grow-outside-
Monday, July 4, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
KING5 NEWS - One of world's greenest communities coming to Bainbridge
Posted on June 14, 2011 at 7:51 PM
Updated today at 7:58 PM
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. -- An aging Navy housing complex on Bainbridge Island will soon be torn down and replaced by 137 zero waste producing, bike sharing, flex car driving, organic food growing, solar powered homes.
"This isn't about requiring extra effort to live sustainably," said Marja Preston of Asani Development. "It's really making it easy to do all the things that we think we ought to do."
The development is call the Grow Community. It's built on the concept of "five-minute living." That means living within a five-minute walk of nearly everything you need.
Located just above the Bainbridge hub of Winslow, residents will have easy access via walking trails to shops, restaurants, farmer's markets and the ferry terminal. The idea is to make cars largely unneccessary and increase the sense of community.
"We're creating an option for living that doesn't exist right now," said Preston.
People are already looking to move in. The 130 student Madrona School is considering a location at Grow Community.
"If people are able to walk to their children's school, even live in the community where it's located, how beautiful is that?" said Madrona's Missy Goss.
Grow Community is based on The Vineyard, another sustainable living development on Bainbridge. The Vineyard has solar powered units, common gardens and green spaces instead of parking lots.
"It makes you feel like you're in the Northwest," said resident Philene Vaivods.
But Grow Community will be much larger and much greener. The goal is 100-percent solar power and zero waste for the 87 apartments and 50 single family homes. It is expected to be one of only a handful of communities in America endorsed by One Planet which certifies entire developments for their Earth friendliness.
But developers admit, green living is a tough sell to some. Cars will be allowed at Grow, but there will only be parking for one per family.
"If you have to have two or three cars, that's gonna be tough," said Asani consultant Kelly Muldrow. "You are closer to your neighbors so you have to be the sort of person who gets along with other people."
Developers plan to break ground on the project next year and build four homes to test the market. Single family homes are expected to run anywhere from $250,000 to $390,000.
Planned solar-powered Bainbridge development could be the greenest around
Kitsap Sun
By Tristan Baurick
Posted June 7, 2011 at 7:13 p.m.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — The planned Grow Community will be one of the largest developments the island has seen in decades. It might also be one of the greenest in the state.
 |
| Contributed Artwork The proposed Grow Community, seen in this artist's rendering, might be one of the greenest developments in the state. |
With the goal of drawing all of its power from the sun, the 137-home project is aiming for one of the nation's first endorsements from the BioRegional Development Group, an international nonprofit that promotes the creation of earth-friendly neighborhoods through its One Planet Communities program.
Grow Community, which is planned for a nearly 8-acre site in downtown Winslow, would be the first project in the state endorsed under the One Planet program.
"This is an ambitious project that has really pushed us to get creative," said Marja Preston, a planner for the Bainbridge-based Asani development company.
Proposed about a year ago, Asani announced its One Planet goals this week. The project won't break ground until next year.
The project's 87 rental apartments and 50 single-family homes will be built with energy and water-efficiency in-mind. The centrally located site will have features that encourage walking, biking and small-scale food production.
The One Planet program has endorsed housing projects in the United Kingdom, Portugal and California, and is working with developers on at least nine new projects in France, South Africa, China and Australia.
An endorsement doesn't grant tax breaks or any other incentives. All Grow Community will get is One Planet's stamp of approval.
"But that can help with marketability," Preston said. "We will be different than anything else on the market."
While other environmentally sustainable certification programs focus on individual buildings, One Planet takes a broader approach, assessing how a development encourages a more earth-friendly way of life.
The One Planet-endorsed Sonoma Mountain Village in San Francisco, for instance, earned points for its links to a commuter rail line and its five-minute walking distance from a farmers market, thereby promoting the use of local foods. Sonoma Mountain also is outfitted with solar panels and aims to have its residents use 65 percent less municipal water than a typical city resident.
The main idea of One Planet neighborhoods is to reduce each resident's natural resource consumption, said Geof Syphers, a green building consultant for One Planet's North American programs.
He said that if each person on the planet ate, drank, drove and produced waste at the same rate as Americans, an additional 4.5 Earths would be needed just to meet demand.
"We, as Americans, are deficit spenders when it comes to natural resources," he said.
To offset that deficit, Grow Community plans to draw all its energy from on-site and off-site solar panels. Most of the panels would be spread across the development's roofs. Additional panels could be located elsewhere on the island.
Vehicle parking would be located in consolidated areas away from homes, making residents more likely to use the development's trail network as their primary means of getting around. The trails, including a main public one, would funnel residents toward Madison Avenue, where a farmers market, a grocery store and various Winslow shops are within easy reach. Only one parking space is planned for each home.
"This is for five-minute living," Preston said, referring to the time it would take to walk to several downtown destinations.
The L-shaped property stretches along Wyatt Way between the Pavilion commercial complex and Grow Avenue. About 20 homes would be demolished to make way for Grow Community, most of which are ramblers along John Adams Way.
The development's initial plans include public improvements along Grow and Wyatt, including bike lanes and sidewalks where none currently exists.
Asani is in talks to relocate the 120-student Madrona School into three of the development's buildings totaling about 20,000 square feet. The private, Waldorf-affiliated school has outgrown its shared location at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church.
"We like the sustainability goals (of the development) because they're really compatible with a Waldorf education," said Amanda Sturgeon, a Madrona parent leading the school's relocation effort.
Grow Community's many amenities won't come cheap, but Preston said Asani hopes to balance the project with a price at the lower end of the Bainbridge real estate spectrum. A one-, two- or three-bedroom home could cost anywhere from $250,000 to $390,000.
"Affordability and (population) diversity has been a primary goal from day one," Preston said.
Asani plans to build four homes by May to test the residential market. Reaction to the four homes will then guide larger building phases, probably beginning near Shepard Way on the site's south border.
Full build-out could take six years.
Asani owner Bill Carruthers built Winslow's Vineyard Lane condominium project and the Island Gateway commercial project taking shape on Winslow Way.
Along with the One World endorsement, Grow Community is aiming for the gold level in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
Asani is hoping for a density boost through the city's Housing Design Demonstration Project, a pilot initiative that allows a zoning upgrade for sustainably-built affordable housing. Grow Community would be the second HDDP development after Ferncliff Village, which breaks ground this month.
Grow Community's density bonuses would be earned largely through its earth-friendly amenities rather than low-end pricing. The project is not aiming for affordable housing status or public funding.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wham BAM! The Bainbridge Art Museum Takes Shape
At the corner of 305 and Winslow Way, right next to KiDiMu, there is a large, brand new building and a large recently flattened area of dirt, subject of much Island speculation. Part of the building now houses Pretty Stick, the flagship store of a new nontoxic makeup company, and Avalara, a provider of web-hosted sales tax and use tax management services. Violet Restaurant (formerly Real Foods) will be opening in the facility soon. Another part of the building houses the start of the Bainbridge Art Museum, or BAM (as I have decided to call it). In the area of flattened dirt in front of it will soon rise the rest of the 20,000-square-foot museum.
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| Completed portion of the BAM facility |
Greg Robinson, the museum’s Executive Director, says that since achieving nonprofit status for BAM in 2009, the founders have been asking themselves, “What does it mean to be right here, on Bainbridge Island, where the environment is so important?” Members of the board hope to reflect that reality through many of the exhibits they offer. And they intend for the museum’s physical incarnation to reflect the Northwest environmental sensibility as well. To that end the building has been designed to meet the standards of LEED Silver, the U.S. Green Building Council’s third-highest level of recognition, which Robinson says is always an accomplishment for a museum. Museums have particular lighting needs and temperature and humidity concerns that make it particularly challenging to attain LEED energy-use standards.
Solar panels on the roof, a mechanized louver system to maintain a constant temperature inside, the use of sustainable building materials including denim insulation (provided through a grant from Levi Strauss) and FSC-certified woods, recycled-fiber carpeting, a bamboo ceiling, waterless urinals, a green roof, living walls, a permeable surface surrounding the building, and, most impressively, the incorporation of geothermal energy tapped via pipes embedded on site are all part of the building’s innovative design.
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| Bainbridge Art Museum Classroom |
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| The Island Gateway campus |
Architectural renderings courtesy of Island Gateway. Photos by Sarah Lane, 2011.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Bainbridge Island’s newest development to exceed energy efficiency standards
The Island Gateway development, at the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305 on Bainbridge Island, will meet the goals of both national and international energy challenges. Designed and built through the partnership of PHC Construction, Asani, Coates Design, and the new commercial buildings will exceed energy efficiency standards set out by the Department of Energy’s Energy Star program and the ‘Architecture 2030’ challenge.
The development, designed architect Matthew Coates, will host office space, retail space, and two museums in five buildings. Preliminary analysis shows that the commercial buildings currently under construction score in the top ten percent of all buildings in the Energy Star program, which, through the Department of Energy, encourages commercial and residential buildings to reduce their energy consumption and establish lower occupancy costs.
The buildings also meet the Architecture 2030 challenge goals. Architecture 2030, a non-profit organization, recognizes that buildings are a significant source of demand for energy and materials that cause greenhouse gasses and aims to encourage all buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Energy savings in the buildings are realized through careful design and construction, as well as choice of materials and equipment that maximize efficiency. The recent revisions to the building design that achieve the energy savings were all made within the original budget for the buildings, demonstrating that thoughtful design and planning can achieve energy efficiencies without additional capital investment.
Tenants of the buildings will be the direct benefactors of these energy efficiency measures, experiencing more comfortable work spaces and reduced utility costs.
“The Island Gateway team has done a fantastic job of paying attention to what matters most to this community and what will matter most to the building’s eventual users — without adding significant costs to the project,” says Kelly Muldrow, broker at Windermere Commercial.
The buildings also meet the Architecture 2030 challenge goals. Architecture 2030, a non-profit organization, recognizes that buildings are a significant source of demand for energy and materials that cause greenhouse gasses and aims to encourage all buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Energy savings in the buildings are realized through careful design and construction, as well as choice of materials and equipment that maximize efficiency. The recent revisions to the building design that achieve the energy savings were all made within the original budget for the buildings, demonstrating that thoughtful design and planning can achieve energy efficiencies without additional capital investment.
Tenants of the buildings will be the direct benefactors of these energy efficiency measures, experiencing more comfortable work spaces and reduced utility costs.
“The Island Gateway team has done a fantastic job of paying attention to what matters most to this community and what will matter most to the building’s eventual users — without adding significant costs to the project,” says Kelly Muldrow, broker at Windermere Commercial.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Island Gateway will give booming Bainbridge tech company room to grow - KITSAP SUN
By Tristan Baurick - KITSAP SUN
Posted April 1, 2011 at 5:53 p.m.
Read it here: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/apr/01/island-gateway-will-give-booming-bainbridge-tech/#ixzz1IKZbcSqC
Posted April 1, 2011 at 5:53 p.m.
Read it here: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/apr/01/island-gateway-will-give-booming-bainbridge-tech/#ixzz1IKZbcSqC
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Avalara, Island Gateway make a perfect match - Bainbridge Island Review
By DENNIS ANSTINE
Bainbridge Island Review Editor
Today, 4:39 PM
Nearly all of the commercial space available in the large building sandwiched between the existing Kids Discovery Museum and the anticipated Bainbridge Art Museum has been leased to Avalara.
The dynamic, island-based company has grown rapidly to become an industry leader in providing web-based sales/use tax compliance solutions for small and mid-sized businesses.
The 17,500-square-foot office space will soon be home to 85 employees who work in the tech firm’s Bainbridge headquarter. An additional 17 are expected to be hired by the time Avalara moves from its current two-buildings home on Ericksen Avenue to Gateway in late May or early June.
The new digs will be quite a step up from the company’s humble beginnings, which began when island resident and founder Rory Rawlings created the software on a computer in his daughter’s bedroom six years ago.
From there, the company, which now has 200 employees working in offices located in several states and India, moved its headquarters to the San Juan Building on Ferncliff Avenue and then to Ericksen Avenue.
Founder/CEO Scott McFarlane said the company has needed to move for more than year and has been looking on the island without success. The space has become so cramped that employees have been sharing desks and sitting on countertops.
“We have 80 percent of our Bainbridge workforce living either on the island or elsewhere in the county,” he said, “so we’ve wanted to find something here – preferably close to the ferry because we also have employees living in Seattle. But nothing fit until this came up.”
McFarlane said the new building is large enough for “our creative, hard-working employees to have a little fun and be able to relax at work. We basically try to keep a family atmosphere at work, and this will help us retain that goal.”
Avalara’s employees will even have access to their own exercise room in the building.
“It’s just a dynamic event for us... moving to a great work space and still being able to work close to home,” he said. “It’s the best of both worlds for us.”
It’s also a good deal for Bill Carruthers and the other principles of the project’s developer, Asani LLC.
“Scott always wanted to have Avalara on Bainbridge so we looked at designing a special space for them,” Carruthers said. “It took some time for us to make the adjustments and to negotiate concessions on both sides. But I can’t tell you how pleased we are having them on the island in the first place, and now in our building.”
McFarlane said having a secure lease was important for both parties.
“We know now that we can stay here as long as we want to, which is a good thing for us and the island,” he said. “Besides us continuing to work downtown, we also bring hundreds of people to the island each year for training. So it’s great for the island’s economy, too.”
Carruthers said the building’s retail space has all been claimed, too. The restaurant “Radish” and a natural cosmetics store called “Pretty Stick” have signed leases. He said a women’s clothing store has signed on but has asked to remain anonymous for now.
“We’ve had to work at it,” Carruthers said, “but we’ve been surprised at the level of interest we’ve had during such tough economic times.”
The next building project for Asani, Carruthers said, is the two-story building that will front Winslow Way just west of the art museum, which is on its own time-frame.
There was very little interest in the building at first, he said, but it has picked up since the beginning of this year. Construction will begin next month.
“We have people interested in the building on Winslow Way, but they want to see the space before starting to negotiate seriously for an agreement,” he said.
He said the plan is to have a restaurant on the second floor overlooking Winslow Way and retail at street level. He said there have been conversations with owners of three potential shops.
Bainbridge Island Review Editor Dennis Anstine can be reached at editor@bainbridgereview.com or (206) 842-6613.
Bainbridge Island Review Editor
Today, 4:39 PM
It has taken a considerable amount of time and dialogue, but the Island Gateway development finally has its ideal anchor tenant under contract.
Nearly all of the commercial space available in the large building sandwiched between the existing Kids Discovery Museum and the anticipated Bainbridge Art Museum has been leased to Avalara.
The dynamic, island-based company has grown rapidly to become an industry leader in providing web-based sales/use tax compliance solutions for small and mid-sized businesses.
 |
Avalara CEO Scott McFarlane (left) and founder Rory Rawlings hope that their third move during the last six years to accommodate their burgeoning firm will be a charm. Dennis Anstine/Staff Photo |
The new digs will be quite a step up from the company’s humble beginnings, which began when island resident and founder Rory Rawlings created the software on a computer in his daughter’s bedroom six years ago.
From there, the company, which now has 200 employees working in offices located in several states and India, moved its headquarters to the San Juan Building on Ferncliff Avenue and then to Ericksen Avenue.
Founder/CEO Scott McFarlane said the company has needed to move for more than year and has been looking on the island without success. The space has become so cramped that employees have been sharing desks and sitting on countertops.
“We have 80 percent of our Bainbridge workforce living either on the island or elsewhere in the county,” he said, “so we’ve wanted to find something here – preferably close to the ferry because we also have employees living in Seattle. But nothing fit until this came up.”
McFarlane said the new building is large enough for “our creative, hard-working employees to have a little fun and be able to relax at work. We basically try to keep a family atmosphere at work, and this will help us retain that goal.”
Avalara’s employees will even have access to their own exercise room in the building.
“It’s just a dynamic event for us... moving to a great work space and still being able to work close to home,” he said. “It’s the best of both worlds for us.”
It’s also a good deal for Bill Carruthers and the other principles of the project’s developer, Asani LLC.
“Scott always wanted to have Avalara on Bainbridge so we looked at designing a special space for them,” Carruthers said. “It took some time for us to make the adjustments and to negotiate concessions on both sides. But I can’t tell you how pleased we are having them on the island in the first place, and now in our building.”
McFarlane said having a secure lease was important for both parties.
“We know now that we can stay here as long as we want to, which is a good thing for us and the island,” he said. “Besides us continuing to work downtown, we also bring hundreds of people to the island each year for training. So it’s great for the island’s economy, too.”
Carruthers said the building’s retail space has all been claimed, too. The restaurant “Radish” and a natural cosmetics store called “Pretty Stick” have signed leases. He said a women’s clothing store has signed on but has asked to remain anonymous for now.
“We’ve had to work at it,” Carruthers said, “but we’ve been surprised at the level of interest we’ve had during such tough economic times.”
The next building project for Asani, Carruthers said, is the two-story building that will front Winslow Way just west of the art museum, which is on its own time-frame.
There was very little interest in the building at first, he said, but it has picked up since the beginning of this year. Construction will begin next month.
“We have people interested in the building on Winslow Way, but they want to see the space before starting to negotiate seriously for an agreement,” he said.
He said the plan is to have a restaurant on the second floor overlooking Winslow Way and retail at street level. He said there have been conversations with owners of three potential shops.
Bainbridge Island Review Editor Dennis Anstine can be reached at editor@bainbridgereview.com or (206) 842-6613.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Island Gateway aspires to become a Zero Waste Community
The Island Gateway project was conceived with the goal of creating minimal environmental impact. Throughout construction of the project, 99% of all “waste” materials have been reused or recycled. We hope to continue this practice throughout the life of this new community. We believe it is our responsibility to the community and natural environments to be as sustainable in all of our processes as possible.
As members of the Zero Waste International Alliance, our goal is that all waste will in some way be safely recycled back into the economy and the environment. Island Gateway will work toward this goal, in part by creating opportunities for recycling and composting of waste from all our retail and office spaces.
CLICK HERE FOR PDF to learn more about the steps Island Gateway is taking to be a zero waste community.
click here to learn about the Zero Waste International Alliance
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