Images:  Jesse Nickerson and Godfrey Reggio from the Qatsi Trilogy. [1]

Text and collages by Jesse Oona Nickerson, LEED AP

Happy New Year from ZDS!  We have entered 2009, which symbolically has come to represent the turning of a page.  We are only a few days away from Martin Luther King’s birthday and from Barack Obama’s inauguration.  As we look to shift from the old polluting way to a new era, we ask ourselves what our professional responsibility to promote change is and how we can contribute to our society through our practice of architecture.  We are inspired by President Elect Barack Obama to renew our commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

ZDS is a carbon neutral company.  By  calculating our carbon emissions and transferring their direct cost to Net Green, a Seattle based company that funds nonprofit organizations that promote renewable energy, we offset carbon in form of greenhouse gas to our environment. 

In our projects we support environmental and social sustainability from the design phase to the built project.  We participated in Seattle’s affiliate of Habitat for Humanity with the Southwest Roxbury Development– an affordable residential project.  

We also partake in the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (USGBC/LEED) effort.  ZDS Architects is pursuing LEED Silver ratings for both, Palm Springs Ranch–a high-end residential project–and Washington Wellness Institute–a commercial interior project.  

Left to right ZDS projects: Palm Springs; Washington Wellness Institute; HFH SW Roxbury. [2]

In wanting to reach a broader spectrum, we are motivated by the ideas of Van Jones in his new book “Green Collar Economy” endorsed by Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi.  Inspiring advocate and activist, Van Jones is founder of Green for All, a US organization that promotes green collar jobs to the disadvantaged, and Color of Change, America’s largest online advocacy organization that focuses on African American issues.

Jones proposes to jump-start our crumbling economy with a widespread transition to green infrastructure integrating the social justice and environmental movements.  By implementing a ‘socially uplifting environmentalism’ Jones addresses two huge issues simultaneously.  He describes how “transforming America into a more green society would not only tackle the problem of global warming, but would also reduce energy prices and produce an abundance of jobs that would contribute in turning the economy around”.

We agree with Jones’ statement that “for too long our government has been on the wrong side of the clean energy revolution.”  At the same time, President Elect Barack Obama promises to expand the traditional work programs of the middle class by including infrastructure, new-era technology and green jobs that will reduce energy emissions and global warming.  This will provide a wide spanning opportunity to fill the decreasing blue-collar job request with the demand for green-collar jobs.  In other words, millions of jobs would immediately become available to commence the huge task of sustainably refurbishing our built environment.

Van Jones explains how we cannot expect those who have less to make more conscious choices concerning sustainability, because often that implies a more difficult and costly decision upfront.  People who might not have enough to eat will not be concerned about global ecological issues.  What is at stake is huge and simply cannot be overlooked.  If, through public and private action, we were to address the needs of our buildings, cities, and infrastructure, we would generate jobs and as a by-product save our environment.

Van Jones calls for a New Deal type of economical and financial transformation.  He talks about a Fourth Quadrant model, in which on one side of the matrix is grey (industrial=pollution), versus green (ecological=renewable), and on the other rich versus poor.  In the past contrast produced problems, alienation and segregation.  Through Jones’ model of a green economy, there will be “equal protection for all, equal opportunity for all and reverence for all creation”.  What resonates particularly from his words is that the value of life is not reduced to a spreadsheet and just as resources and nature are not renewable, there also are no throw-away children.

Through his focus, and in collaboration with Nancy Pelosi,  a legislation is being introduced to sponsor a national corps that will train 30,000 people a year in green trades.  Following in this direction from PhD’s down to the lowest classes, people could be employed to transform our built environment and our culture to an environmentally sustainable one, which, coincidentally would save our economy.

“If you learn to install solar panels, you’re on your way to becoming an electrical engineer. If you learn to weatherize windows, you’re on your way to being a glazier, which is a union job…  And these jobs aren’t out-sourceable.”  With Green Collar Economy, people will realize that “you can make more money if you put down that handgun and pick up a caulk gun.”

Image Credits:

[1] Collage inspired by Van Jones 4th Qadrant:  Images by Jesse Nickerson and (2) from the Qatsi Trilogy by Godfrey Reggio.

[2] ZDS Sustainable Architecture Projects: Palm Springs Residence, image by Ashley Richardson.  Washington Wellness Institute, image by Abbey Greenwalt.  Habitat For Humanity’s Seattle affiliate, Southwest Roxbury Project, image by Suzanne Zahr Fleming.

Links:

www.vanjones.net

USGBC:LEED

Seattle Habitat for Humanity

Washington Wellness Institute

By Jesse Oona Nickerson, LEED AP

ZDS has fallen in love with the simple and powerful beauty of Omer Arbel’s Bocci Balls. These lights are made of cast glass, seamed, spheres with frosted cylindrical voids, into which a halogen light bulb is inserted.  The pendants look wonderfully pure and poetic singularly, but it is in clusters that their effect multiplies, creating the impression of many shiny stars in the black night, or of tiny candles encased in floating spheres of water

The elemental quality of these hand crafted pieces allows the imagination to soar.  The light filters each of the small spheres differently.  Due to its organic nature, each piece is unique unto itself.  Imperfections in the glass—bubbles or rifts, born of its artistic creation—allow the light to project a rich halo through the sphere.

The Bellevue House Family Room

Omer Arbel’s multidisciplinary design studio is an inspiration to ZDS.  Through the blurring of boundaries between architectural fields— architecture, furniture, and industrial design—Arbel deals with conceptual work, limited edition, and mass production, while pushing the research on materials.  Since 2005 Arbel has become Bocci’s creative director.  This allows his conceptual approach to be fueled by an infrastructure, which addresses prototyping, fine crafting and distribution.  This process has given birth to new collections of lighting, furniture, and electrical appliances.

links:

Omer Arbel

Bocci Canada

Left to right: Sharon Warner, CEO of WWI, and Suzanne Zahr Fleming, Principal of ZDS

By Jesse Oona Nickerson, LEED AP

On November 13th the ZDS project team was in Washington DC for an open house at the Washington Wellness Insitute (WWI).  Family, friends, clients, and staff gathered to celebrate the project, and to meet the architect and her colleagues.  May Zahr, the artist known as “Nanoo” attended the open house too.  Her evocative abstract paintings beautifully complement the minimal space.  33% of the proceeds from her work are sent to The Center of Human Emergence-Middle East.

Left to right: Sharon Warner, CEO of WWI, and May Zahr, the artist known as “Nanoo”

It was an enjoyable and exciting night for all as Suzanne Zahr Fleming, armed with a glass of champagne, gave guided tours of the space explaining “what made the design green”.  Suzanne wore a handmade wrap made from recycled materials by Seattle based fashion designer Luly Yang.  There was much talk and celebration in a special place created by a unique set of people.

ZDS were the architects chosen to design this functional, beautiful, and eco-friendly medical office created by women for women.  Washington Wellness Institute is a black enterprise that specializes in women’s health.  From the get-go Sharon Warner, CEO of WWI and her husband, Christopher Warner MD created a company that approaches women’s health holistically while placing much care in the design and construction of a sustainable office.

The 3,300 square foot medical office is located on the third floor of an existing building.  The design provides the clientele with a soothing, spa-like interior, which is enhanced by filtered light, texture and color.  The program consists of the reception and waiting area, offices, a procedure room and recovery area, four exam rooms, and other back-of-house amenities.

An LCD panel seen from down the long hall, displays a changing logo and crisp visuals, which were also designed by ZDS.   Clients are attracted through a glass box entry made up of transparent panels and a glass pivot door.  The transparency allows views through the reception, the waiting area, and, also through the windows, to the canopy of trees lining the street below.   Though the office is open and airy, a veiled sense of privacy is maintained as you move further into the more discreet areas of the practice.

Left to Right: Ashley Richardson, ZDS project manager, and Suzanne Zahr Fleming, Principal of ZDS

Within the design, spatial complexity is refined by a streamlined palate of materials and finishes.  Broad strokes of texture and color organize the program and circulation.  Reflective, transparent and opaque surfaces are used within the space to give a sense of elegance, contained richness, and contrast.  The furniture and lighting punctuate the rooms as sculptural objects floating in a serene setting.

Natural light from the South and East occurs through translucent resin panel partitions, clear glass pivot doors, side lites and transoms.  The offices along the South wall are pulled away from the perimeter to allow natural light and views to be shared.  Lighting levels are lowered by darkened soffits to create more intimate spaces, as in the waiting area.  Artificial lighting is carefully controlled to compliment the abundant natural light and results in a lighting package that is 25% more energy efficient than code requires.

By choosing ZDS, the Warners soon learned what it means to design and build a sustainable project.  In fact WWI is a carbon neutral company that conserves energy by utilizing sustainable lighting, furniture, materials and equipment.

Links:

• ZDS WWI Portfolio

• WWI on ZDS Facebook

• The artwork of May Zahr, known as “Nanoo”

• Channel 9 Interview on WWI

By Suzanne Zahr Fleming, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

There is a tendency in most industries for upper level management to hire and promote people very nearly like them.  What this does to the Architectural industry is narrow the range of ideas, and the possibility for inspiration.  We must break free of our comfort zones and learn to see the artistic value of diversity.  It is not enough to simply say that diversity is important, and then fall back on predictable patterns.  Leaps of faith must be made in order to promote innovation.

Though more women and minorities are joining our field at the University level, they’re still severely underrepresented on the managerial level. Why is this?  Wouldn’t our industry benefit from their leadership contributions?  Such diversity would naturally spark healthy debates leading towards more innovative design solutions.  What is preventing this natural evolution of practice?  Is it the need for more open-minded upper level management?  A better advocacy by our professional societies?  A lack of proper mentorship?  All of the above?   

Architecture suffers from a lack of diversity; as a result we’re constrained by very narrow parameters.  Without the creative courage to break from our specific socio-economic, gender and/or racial constraints, we’re trapped in a repetitive cycle of design.  What you end up with is the lion’s share of the industry pursuing the same narrow spectrum of clientele.  What can this be if not the death of the creative impulse of our profession?

What is the basis of inspiration if not the will to push our own personal boundaries?  I say that inspiration is itself a passion for pushing boundaries.  Without the will to break new ground, there is no inspiration.  The joy of creativity in this regard rests in mapping new terrain.  To do so, we need to curiously explore and learn from the immense diversity that surrounds us.

Take, for instance, the increasing interest in and demand for environmental sustainability.  When ‘green’ design emerged on the horizon, it was foreign and took a leap of faith.  Those Architects who embraced it were only able to do so because of their flexibility of imagination.  As a result, they’re now leading the charge towards ensuring biodiversity.  Those who rejected it due to their rigid thinking, are playing catch up. 

How can Architects lead the charge in achieving better social and cultural diversity within our profession and for those we serve?  Let’s begin by putting more energy and effort into empathizing with cultures that are not our own.  Because of their lack of initial acceptance, women and minorities have more to prove and are therefore less complacent.  Incorporating this sensitivity to the diversity around us would enrich the process in creating Architecture and thereby enrich our built environments and strengthen our communities.

Call for Architects:  The profession of Architecture is seeking mindful, socially aware Architects to serve as living role models for interns entering the profession.  Such candidates are challenged to mentor, promote and encourage the current and next generation, remembering that only with diversity can our profession flourish.

Suzanne Zahr Fleming is an Arab-American Architect in Seattle, WA.  Suzanne moved to the Northwest in 1997 after getting her Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University in New York City.  She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering with a Combined Minor in Fine Arts & Art History from the George Washington University in our nation’s capital. 

After obtaining valuable experience working for local firms, Suzanne decided to take the plunge and begin her own practice in the fall of 2002.  ZDS Architects (www.zdsarchitects.com) has since grown into a vibrant studio that offers full-service Architecture, Interiors & Graphic Design services with a focus on environmentally sustainable solutions.