G reen B uildings
Real Estate Journal — Green Buildings — August 29 - September 11, 2014 — 21B
www.marejournal.com
M id A tlantic
Firm recognized for repurposing of vintage commercial building at 190 Witherspoon St. Studio Hillier earns AIA-NJ Merit Award for energy-efficient architectural design studio
R I NCETON , NJ —The New Jersey chapter of the Amer- ican Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ) has awarded Princ- eton, NJ-based architectural design firm Studio Hillier with a Merit Award in the Built category for its creative transformation of 190Wither- spoon St. into a cutting-edge, energy-efficient design studio. “Studio Hillier exhibited keen vision, revitalizing a once decaying building into an aesthetically and structurally stunning space,” said Kurt Kalafsky, AIA , president of AIA-NJ. “With a clear dedi- cation to energy efficiency, the Urban Trifecta project is a marvelous example of how New Jersey’s architects can introduce new life to our buildings and communities in imaginative ways.” Once home to a warehouse and garage structure, the central component of 190 Witherspoon St. now houses Studio Hillier’s state-of-the- art storefront architectural P NEW YORK, NY — Mc Gowan Builders Inc . an- nounced that the company recently completed a 2,900 s/f TD Bank branch at 8690 Southwest 24 St. in Westches- ter, a Miami-Dade suburb, the first branch of its size in South Florida. The branch was awarded LEED Silver status by the U.S. Green Building Council and will serve as a model for future TD Bank branches in the region. The Westchester TD Bank branch is situated on a lot previously occupied by a gas station. Mc Gowan Builders completely removed the gas station and its components, beginning construction on the branch from the ground up. The branch’s location inside of a retail center created sev- eral unique circumstances for the construction phase. Mc Gowan Builders successfully
architectural projects that exhibit design excellence in one of four categories: open, residential, historic preserva- tion and interior architecture. Projects are further designat- ed as either built or un-built. To be eligible, projects must be either located in New Jersey or designed by an AIA-NJ architect. n
design studio. The Urban Trifecta, as the project is known, is rounded out by two residential-turned-commer- cial structures flanking the studio. Designed to meet LEED Gold standards, Studio Hillier designed the Urban Trifecta to draw daylight from three large clerestories on its roof,
providing approximately 80% of the studio’s lighting needs. The rooftop also produces electricity through photovol- taic solar arrays, with surplus energy redirected back to the grid. The dramatic design creates a bright, shimmering atmosphere during daytime hours. “The architect as developer
is not such an oddity as it once was. We are in it for the value we create,” said Barbara Hiller , founding partner at Studio Hillier. “For many small towns, this kind of investment and the regen- eration it stimulates will have existential meaning.” The AIA-NJ Annual Design Awards program recognizes
Mc Gowan Builders’ TD Bank branch awarded LEED Silver by the U.S Green Building Council
navigated numerous issues by working with the local municipalities to block off busy intersections, plan lane closures and allow for trucks to lay asphalt. The company also worked with the Department of Transportation to allow for civil connections to be installed properly below the street. This project was awarded LEED Silver status by the U.S. Green Building Council for excellence related to energy sustainability, environmental- ly-friendly construction meth- ods and efficient use of materi- als. Underscoring Mc Gowan Builders’ and TD Bank’s com- mitment to the environment are solar panels situated above the drive-through, providing the structure with a clean source of energy. This project is Mc Gowan Builders’ second partnership with TD Bank in the region —
8690 Southwest 24 St
earlier this year, the company retrofit a historic building in Miami Beach to serve as a TD Bank branch. Both projects were recognized by the U.S.
Green Building Council for exceptional standards and pro- cedures in construction. Mc Gowan Builders is a full- service general contracting
and construction management firm, with clients in the cor- porate, healthcare, religious, education, retail and hospital- ity sectors. n
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