Energy Matters – Let there be Light
The Labs21 Energy Benchmarking database estimates that lighting accounts for between 8 percent and 25 percent of total electricity usage in most labs. Proper lighting impacts laboratory research space – affecting occupant comfort, productivity, efficiency and health. SMRT’s Mike Chonko, PE, CEM writes about key lighting considerations for today’s laboratory, published in Laboratory Design. Read…
Striking Back When Disaster Strikes
Disasters happen – and they’re never opportune despite the age-old saying that, “every cloud has a silver lining.” Read some key principles about how to “Strike Back When Disaster Strikes” in this Controlled Environments Magazine article, written by SMRT’s Katherine Everett, PE, LEED AP, also known as “the facilities gal.” Read the article at R&D…
Revitalizing Athletic Fields: SMRT Presents at ERAPPA
Athletic fields – both natural and synthetic turf – represent a significant capital investment and ongoing commitment by educational organizations. What is the best way to evaluate their condition? What are the best practices to maintain and revitalize fields? What are the pros and cons of the various options for revitalization or replacement? Richard Webb…
Sky Lodge Ribbon Cutting at Unity College
Unity College received the historic Sky Lodge, a hunting lodge and campus on more than 150 acres in The Moose River Valley, from the Couri Foundation, to help enhance experiential education for their students. On September 7, they celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Sky Lodge, and the new opportunities it presents. “When it comes to…
Planning for a More Resilient Future
How do you communicate the results after analyzing 2 million s.f. of buildings for failure and disruption risk, code compliance and design requirements, located across three urban sites in a way that is both understandable and actionable, and can be prioritized effectively? Michael Chonko, PE, CEM walks us through resiliency planning in this month’s The…
Remembering David Mains
Yesterday, we lost a member of our SMRT family. David Mains was our friend, our partner, our colleague and someone who could always be counted on to step up. He was all in all the time, with a rare enthusiasm for anything he undertook. We are all saddened, stunned and grasping for words, trying to…
Nick Vaughn Joins SMRT as Senior Education Architect
Nick Vaughn brings more than 15 years of experience leading the programming, planning and design of academic, student life and athletic spaces to his new role as Senior Architect in SMRT’s Education studio. Having successfully designed projects for Penn State University, Virginia Tech, The University of Oklahoma and Hyde School among others, Nick strengthens our…
Prototyping & Standardization Bring Value, Efficiency, & Savings
SMRT Architects and Engineers, Martin’s Point Health Care and PC Construction collaborated to develop a new prototype medical office building. This team developed an innovative design for the primary care environment incorporating Lean concepts, flexibility, consistent branding, and standardized design and construction. Three medical office buildings later, the team continues to improve the design and…
Nantucket Intermediate School Profiled in School Construction
The Nantucket Intermediate School was just profiled in the Sustainability issue of School Construction News. The school was designed to match the historic and cultural aesthetics of Nantucket, and solved what was formerly a challenging pickup / dropoff traffic circulation pattern. Inside the school, children and teachers breathe recirculated outdoor air, improving breathing quality for…
Surfacing Hidden Pitfalls in Existing Conditions and Renovations
Efficiency, lower costs and optimization strategies are the focal points of today’s energy landscape. Energy efficiency is also a way to improve business performance and reduce unnecessary waste. Routine preventative maintenance is a low-cost way to achieve the greatest return on investment in systems. In two case studies, SMRT’s Greg Burgess, CxA, CEM, LEED AP…