Part 4: Smaller is Better

By John Pyjar, Principal, LEED AP

This is the fourth in a series of articles intended to give building owners an overview of the sustainable design features which are the most practical and effective in the long term reduction of building operating expenses and energy consumption as well as features that contribute to the long term ‘livability’ of buildings.

Entry/Reception Domusstudio Photo by Jay Dominy

We in the U.S.have become accustomed to living in large homes and having private offices or cubicles at our place of work.   What are the long term impacts to homeowners or business owners and the environment following this model and should we adjust our living and work expectations to be more sustainable moving forward?At domusstudio architecture, we have just recently downsized our lease space by 35%, giving up our  individual cubicles in favor of an open office design.  Going paperless has decreased everyone’s need for file and desk space.  The result has not only been a substantial cost savings in rent and utilities, but we have created a more collaborative environment encouraging more of a ‘team’ culture.

For the last 15 years, my business partner – Lew Dominy – and his wife have lived in an 865 s.f. house in DelMar.  An award winning design where every square inch is utilized.

Let’s consider some of the main sustainability implications of going smaller and having less square footage per occupant.

Interior View at Triangle House

Energy Usage: Less area to heat and cool saves money for the user while decreasing the overall demand for energy.

Land Resources:  Smaller houses and offices preserves more open space and protects habitat.

Material Resources:  Less building materials are needed for construction.

Maintenance:  Less labor and resources are required to maintain smaller spaces.

Density:  Communities/commercial districts that are more dense limit urban sprawl and the associated impacts to transportation and utility infrastructure.

As our population increases, placing more of a burden on our resources, it’s inevitable that we will need to adjust our living and work environment and expectations to be more efficient in the usage of space.   In lieu of constructing large buildings, where the budget constraints often limit the quality, I would argue that smaller buildings constructed for long term durability and energy efficiency is the more sustainable model.  Through good design, this trend can enhance our living/working environment and our quality of life.

View of Kitchen - Triangle House

Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Burbank gathered Sunday, Sept. 25, for a groundbreaking event to celebrate the start of construction on a grand scale interior and exterior makeover. According to the church master plan designed by domusstudio architecture, the work will increase outreach and support ongoing growth at the nearly 125-year-old church.

Built in the 1950s, Burbank Presbyterian’s current structure is a concrete masonry block building with two half towers facing the street. Here are some highlights of the remodel:

• A new entry will be farther back on the campus, providing a better transition from street activity to religious ministry.

•  The existing entry, or narthex, will become a small chapel featuring clear glass and a new skylight that will provide an ethereal connection.

•  The church’s main courtyard will be reworked for improved gathering space and ADA accessibility.

•  The extensive ADA upgrade also will include an elevator tower that will allow the church to utilize 100 percent of its facilities.

•  A bridge will be built from a new elevator tower to the upper levels of the two existing buildings, “providing an exciting three tier exterior kinetic courtyard,” according to David Keitel of domusstudio architecture.

• New windows, skylights and light shelves will maximize the effects of natural daylight and minimize the requirements for artificial lighting for a more sustainable building.

•  The basement of the existing sanctuary building will be dug out on one side in order to create a lower-level outdoor courtyard for youth assembly.

Founded in 1986 as Dominy + Associates, domusstudio architecture is a San Diego architectural design firm specializing in religious facilities, fire stations, educational buildings, senior housing and custom residential projects. For more information about projects and services, call 619-692-9393.

It was the 10-year anniversary of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a somber day of remembrance for most, but also a day of celebration at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church.

Sept. 11, 2011 was dedication day for the new Parish Center at the Carlsbad parish. Hundreds turned out to witness the blessing of the building by Bishop Robert Brom and Father Don Coleman and to get a first look of the beautiful 18,443-square-foot, two-story structure.

Designed as part of a master plan by domusstudio architecture, St. Elizabeth Seton’s new Parish Center contributes to a cohesive church campus and matches the award-winning sanctuary the San Diego architecture firm designed more than 15 years ago.

domusstudio’s Wayne Holtan, AIA, was the partner in charge of the project, and CW Driver was the general contractor. Parishioner Pete Kruse of Kruse Development Services, Inc., was the project manager on behalf of the Diocese of San Diego.

Founded in 1986 as Dominy + Associates, domusstudio architecture is a San Diego architectural design firm specializing in religious facilities, fire stations, educational buildings, senior housing and custom residential projects. For more information about projects and services, call 619-692-9393.

By Lew Dominy

I would guess all of us have daydreamed about what we would do with the money if we won the lottery. Here’s a true, feel-good story about a lottery winner.

Our firm designed the Social Hall and Chapel for the Notre Dame Academy in Carmel Valley. We have supported the school the past few years during their annual fundraiser, a golf tournament and dinner.

In addition to a silent auction, the school sells raffle tickets to raise money each year for some special project. Half of the money collected goes to the school and half goes to one lucky winner.  In the first or second year, the winner gave his half back to the school as well, and that started a tradition of giving back some or all of the money.

Now, each year, before they draw the winning ticket, the organizers tell the story of the previous year’s “give back” to encourage (pressure?) this years winner to follow suit.  The sum has become fairly substantial.

Lo and behold, who should win last year, but my partner David Pfeifer.  I was so proud of him when he stepped forward and offered half of his winnings back to the school. He also stated that he was going to donate the other half to his own kids’ school—the Nazareth School in Mission Valley. Wow!!!

But the story does not end here.

David met with the Nazareth School principal and asked that the money be specifically spent as seed money for new technology upgrades to all of the classrooms.  He then presented his story of the winning ticket and his gift to the other parents at the school and they stepped-up and raised all the rest of the money to complete the technology upgrades.  Over this past summer, with some additional sweat equity by David and other parents, all of the upgrades were installed.

This year’s golf fundraiser at Notre Dame Academy was held recently. I did not know the end of David’s lottery story until the auctioneer told it to the audience just before he drew this year’s winning ticket.

Hooray for David, for his quiet leadership and generosity, and for this tradition continuing to grow.

Look what one act of kindness five years ago has led to today.

Part 3: Water efficient landscaping

By John Pyjar, Principal, LEED AP

Sustainable design and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) have been getting a lot of press lately.  This is the third in a series of articles intended to give building owners an overview of the sustainable design features which are the most practical and effective in the long-term reduction of building operating expenses and energy consumption as well as features that contribute to the long-term “livability” of buildings.

The landscaping for this domusstudio-designed La Jolla Farms home is by Spurlock Poirier.

For anyone living in Southern California, or anywhere in the Southwest, water conservation needs to become part of our way of life.  As our population increases and our water resources stay the same or decrease, conservation is the best course of action.

From a design standpoint, high efficiency toilets, low flow faucets, and waterless urinals are all important means to save water. However, the most dramatic area to save water is in landscape irrigation.

According to the California Department of Water Resources, about half of urban water use is for irrigation.  In San Diego, that number climbs to 60 percent. Think of it.  We use over half of our non-agricultural water supply to turn our corner of the desert into a tropical paradise with dense foliage and lush green lawns.

Here are a few ways to make irrigation more efficient:

• “smart” irrigation timers that turn the system off when it rains
• efficient rotor nozzles in lieu of spray heads
• drip irrigation
• use of gray water and recycled water

The Desert Living Center Gardens in Las Vegas is by Deneen Powell Atelier.

The biggest impact we can have is to re-think our design aesthetic.  The use of native, drought tolerant plant materials can be beautiful and sculptural.  Once established, xeriscape areas require little or no irrigation. There is a diverse plant palette of colors and textures that in the hands of a skilled and artistic landscape architect can be used to create a living composition, complimentary to the built environment.

domusstudio architecture has collaborated with a few award-winning landscape architecture firms, including  Deneen Powell Atelier, Schmidt Design Group, and Spurlock Poirier.

The Patrick Wade Child Development Center opened recently in Point Loma at Liberty Station. The Navy’s newest childcare center was designed by domusstudio architecture with an emphasis on safety and sustainability.

Patrick Wade Child Development Center in Point Loma

As part of the design/build team with general contractor T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., domusstudio architecture provided planning and design services for the 25,866-square-foot center. Named for Patrick Wade, a husband, father and American war hero who died in Iraq in 2007, the new facility includes security measures that assure the safety of military families as well as LEED Gold sustainability.

Beneath its red clay tile roof, the single-story CDC has 17 classrooms, a reception area, kitchen, laundry room and administrative offices. The main wall of the lobby is dominated by two large-screen televisions tuned to activity from classrooms and playgrounds throughout the facility. Each classroom was designed to provide good visibility for security, while also maintaining privacy for children’s restrooms.

Other security aspects of the building’s design, per the military’s minimum antiterrorism standards, include: adequate separation of the building and the parking lot; parking lot restrictions pertaining to parking and circulation; low-level landscaping and playground equipment that discourages any type of concealment within 33 feet of the building; progressive collapse avoidance building techniques; specific utility installation and distribution; and others.

“At domusstudio we understand completely the military’s critical need for a child development center designed so that Navy personnel can do their jobs knowing their loved ones at home are kept safe,” said domusstudio architecture principal John Pyjar.

The new Patrick Wade CDC has several sustainable features that contribute to the building’s eligibility for Gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. These include: low water landscaping with smart controller, water-saving fixtures, natural day lighting, and energy efficient lights and appliances. In addition, more than 80 percent of construction debris was diverted to recycling.

The Patrick Wade CDC is the third Navy design/build project for domusstudio architecture with T.B. Penick, and their fourth CDC is now under construction at Camp Pendleton.

Founded in 1986 as Dominy + Associates, domusstudio architecture is a San Diego architectural design firm specializing in religious facilities, fire stations, educational buildings, senior housing and custom residential projects. For more information about projects and services, call 619-692-9393.

Jon Dominy gives some insight on the remodel of the La Jolla Farms house.

Click here to view the embedded video.

By David Keitel, Senior Associate

Just over a year ago we were one of two architecture firms vying for the opportunity to renovate and modernize the KPBS studios on the San Diego State University campus. While we regret we didn’t get the job then, our research and design efforts are paying off today in the reworking of our own studio space.

The nonprofit public radio station’s goals included sustainability and a more efficient and collaborative workspace. These are among the key factors in domusstudio’s modernization as well.

Here are a few of the ways our redesign efforts cross over with our design proposal for KPBS.

• Nearly completed, the domusstudio redesign has resulted in a more collaborative workspace as we occupy half the square footage previously needed, thereby bringing everyone closer together.

• We went paperless in order to be more sustainable, as well as to allow smaller workspaces for everyone.  The computer screen is the new “desktop.”

• Another green design tactic we have utilized is to remove all window and skylight coverings in order to take advantage of our space’s abundant natural daylight.

• Custom-built workstations (we did this ourselves) feature minimal steel frames and 100 percent recycled paper work surfaces. The product we used is called Paperstone. We simply finished it with linseed oil.

• Heavy, 44-ounce carpet by Bentley Prince Street, which is an industry leader in responsible carpet manufacturing regarding environmental issues, adds another sustainable element to the redesign. The carpet is an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) as certified by Scientific Certification Systems – a third party certifier of environmental claims.  Along with the heavy ounce weight, the carpet has an attached cushion back, together providing good sound attenuation. Our carpet mill local representative is GCThomas.

• The worry with an open office space is lack of privacy and sound attenuation. The heavyweight carpet absorbs a lot of the noise, and an unexpected result of our office without barriers is that everyone started speaking more softly. Everyone started talking less, too, which leads to better productivity. It’s a very successful case study and wonderful work environment.

The result has been very successful for us. It totally works. The formula we devised based on KPBS’ desire for a brand new collaborate workspace utilizing less square footage (less operating cost), is something we look forward to incorporating again, maybe even at SDSU.

The Navy’s newest childcare center opened recently in Point Loma, designed per military guidelines by domusstudio architecture to feel more like a home than an institution.

The lobby of the Patrick Wade Child Development Center is designed to feel like a home.

As part of the design/build team with general contractor T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., domusstudio architecture provided planning and design services for the 25,866-square-foot Patrick Wade Child Development Center (CDC). Named for an American war hero who died in Iraq in 2007, the new facility is state-of-the-art but also “home-like” for 72 employees and 218 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

“The Navy’s guidelines call for us to design through the eyes of a child,” said John Pyjar of domusstudio architecture. “We are encouraged to avoid an institutional approach and to create an appropriate, well thought out and attractive environment. The space should be inviting and feel like home.

The lobby of the new CDC exhibits this intention with an accessible, child-size scale and subtle earth tones that encourage creativity. The entry’s gabled ceiling with paper lantern-like lamps hanging at varied lengths accentuates a family room feeling. Nature-inspired artwork also lends to the calming ambience of the reception area.

Subtle colors encourage creativity at the domusstudio-designed Patrick Wade Child Development Center.

Founded in 1986 as Dominy + Associates, domusstudio architecture is a San Diego architectural design firm specializing in religious facilities, fire stations, educational buildings, senior housing and custom residential projects. For more information about projects and services, call 619-692-9393 or visit www.domusstudio.com.