Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Katz, Sapper & Miller: Provides 'Green Makeover' at Broad Ripple School in Indianapolis

(INDIANAPOLIS) -- Last week, 215 employees of locally-based certified public accounting firm Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP rolled up their sleeves and donated their time as they take part in KSM Community Day, the firm's first-ever day of community service. The event took place at Broad Ripple Magnet High School for the Arts & Humanities. Katz, Sapper & Miller employees spent the day working together alongside students to provide a "green makeover" of the school grounds. The project was being coordinated by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.

As part of the beautification project, 50 trees were planted around the school. That activity is part of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's NeighborWoods program, which has a goal of planting 100,000 trees in the city of Indianapolis between 2007 and 2017. Additionally, Katz, Sapper & Miller volunteers planted ornamental grasses and over 100 perennials in 28 planters around the school grounds, along with weeding existing grass and concrete beds and planting over 100 daffodil bulbs and native plants in those areas.

Other volunteers participated in projects involving the construction of a stone wall and pathway and the building and installation of five planter benches, including a planter bench shade structure made from materials that once comprised the roof of the former RCA Dome. The planting of perennials and mulching rounded out the outdoor activities while inside the school volunteers painted a mural.

"Katz, Sapper & Miller has a long history of giving back to the community through our participation with a variety of charitable and not-for-profit organizations," said David Resnick, Managing Partner. "Establishing an annual day of service where we could integrate our philanthropic interests with our environmental concerns seemed like a logical next step, and we're excited to be partnering with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful in this important endeavor at Broad Ripple High School."

"We are so proud of this inaugural partnership with Katz, Sapper and Miller," said David Forsell, President of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. "KIB works in a collaborative process, bringing together people from all over the city for the common purpose of cleaning up and greening up. Broad Ripple High School came to KIB through our Project Green Schools program looking for just that. The work accomplished at the school will have a long-lasting impact on the school grounds, the students and the neighborhood."

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Let INDOT know that we want a Complete Streets policy

Hello, Complete Streets supporter!

There is an opportunity to provide INDOT with information about Complete Streets. In addition to public hearings being held this week in several parts of the state, comments from the public can be submitted directly to INDOT via an online form on their website.

Please take this opportunity to let INDOT know that we want a Complete Streets policy as part of the planning for the safety of our citizens. Please take just a few minutes to click on the link below and leave a comment in your own words that contains one of the following messages:

  1. For these and all future planning projects, please use Complete Streets policy
  2. All projects should be accessible by all modes of travel, including vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and transit
  3. Complete streets elements should be a key part of your planning
  4. Have the needs of all users been considered as with a Complete Streets policy?

http://www.in.gov/indot/div/public/INSTIPCommentForm.htm

When INDOT hears from many of you from all over the state, they will understand that the public is interested in the planning and construction of our local, state, and federal roadways.

THANK YOU for sending your message!
The Indiana Coalition for Complete Streets

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Congress needs to hear from you!

UPARR is Back! ASLA members are encouraged to use the Advocacy Network to urge their legislators to co-sponsor H.R. 3734, the Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act. This measure would provide grants for the creation, rehabilitation, and maintenance of parks and recreational spaces. The legislation includes several provisions that could utilize the skills of landscape architects. H.R. 3734 is meant to replace the now “defunct” Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery (UPARR) program.

Currently ASLA members have sent 237 messages to their members of Congress. However, more advocacy efforts are needed – please send your message today!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

INASLA's Tour of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Headquarters

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB) Headquarters in Fountain Square Indianapolis, Indiana, is the first civic nonprofit building in Indiana to receive LEED-Gold certification by the US Green Building Council. The Indiana Chapter of The American Society of Landscape Architects (INASLA) teamed with KIB to sponsor a KIB facility and grounds sustainability tour on September 24, 2009. The event brought back a team of professionals that worked together to make the new KIB Headquarters possible. Presenters included Cameron Smith – Shiel Sexton project engineer, Phil Schaefer - KIB VP of programs, and Chris Ranck - RW Armstrong project manager.

The KIB-INASLA event began with a presentation on LEED certification. Cameron Smith led the charge as the LEED administrator for the KIB facility and discussed the LEED design and process. He discussed the importance of having LEED goals defined early in the process and the roles they play. As the LEED administrator, Cameron was the link from the owner to the MEP, Architect, General Contractor, Civil Engineer and Landscape Architect. Sharing his experience and professional knowledge on LEED, Cameron was able to reach out to the audience and deliver a terrific PowerPoint presentation.

To develop the KIB LEED program, Cameron used an ECO-charette, or a collaborative design session in which multi-discipline professionals bring ideas and solutions together to meet design intent. Having multiple disciplines participate in the charette gave everyone an opportunity to reach out and explore ideas and defuse problems that normally arise in the design development phase. Discussions revolved around “Green Vegetative” versus “White” roofs. Questions included: “What is roof access and visibility?” “What are energy savings, weight, additional reinforcement, and cost?” “Should the roof drainage be routed and sent to one of the rain gardens to be filtered or should water be captured to a cistern?” Weighing each options’ advantages play an important role in the LEED certification process, design and construction.

Education and outreach programs at KIB are an important part of their sustainable program. Upon arrival at KIB, one will immediately notice the interpretive signage that tells the KIB LEED story on innovative green technology. Simple changes to traditional design and building functions allow for immediate benefits in savings. There are more than twenty interpretive panels installed throughout the site. Phil Schaefer brought the interpretive signs to life as he led the group through the building on an interactive guided tour. His enthusiasm and first hand knowledge on facility energy savings, construction, maintenance and operational benefits are inspiring.

KIB LEED facility savings are broken into five categories: conserving energy, protecting water, making places, purifying air and reducing consumption. So one may ask, “What makes the KIB facility green?” The site is developed on a Brownfield, and stormwater drains through a pervious concrete parking lot to planting beds and rain gardens. Wind turbines generate electricity, and a cistern collects white roof water. The facility has carpet tiles made from mill scraps, occupancy-sensored lighting controls, day lighting, a water conservation bathroom system and a multi-functional storage and gathering space. KIB aligned established facility goals with their mission of “Uniting people to build community and transform public spaces through aesthetic and environmental improvement”.

A discussion on how KIB and the City of Indianapolis manage stormwater concluded the tour. Chris Ranck demonstrated a great PowerPoint presentation and led a panel discussion on small micro sites and large macro metropolitan site practice and policy. He emphasized stormwater control and monitoring for micro and macro stormwater systems need to work together to improve existing systems. Chris also reviewed stormwater practices that will benefit Indianapolis’ combined sewer overflow (CSO) system.

CSOs are sewer systems designed to collect rainwater runoff and domestic sewage in the same pipe. The frequency of overflow events has been increasing over the years. During an overflow, sewage gets discharged into nearby streams and water bodies. This untreated waste is toxic to stream ecosystems. Today, there are 772 cities in the United States that have CSOs. The Indianapolis CSO system is currently under review along with other metropolitan cities across the country. Green infrastructure systems are proving to be a cost-effective approach that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

At the KIB facility, Chris completed a “micro scale” stormwater model. From data collected, he is able to extrapolate “micro-scale” benefits to “macro-scale” sites. By calculating benefits on a “micro-scale” and generating “macro-scale” models, preliminary studies are showing a cost savings on a micro level and the potential for tremendous cost savings at the macro level. Based on the analysis to date, the City of Indianapolis’ could realize $10,000 - $20,000 per acre in CSO capital cost savings per acre of redevelopment similar to KIB. However, the city is cautious in factoring in these savings into current CSO project designs until more green infrastructure sites have been built.

The City of Indianapolis model shows how we can reduce total CSO events per year in a time when we are seeing an increase in 100 year storm events resulting in more CSO events than ever before. Chris also noted Indianapolis has a pilot project called the Fall Creek bio-retention which entails post construction monitoring, water quantity and water quality. Monitoring these systems has tangible benefits. Chris also noted the Green Infrastructure Master Plan prepared by the Office of Sustainability and Williams Creek Consulting.

By the numbers, the KIB LEED-Gold certified facility has 25% (53,000 kWh/year) energy savings, 36% (16,500 gallons/year) water savings, and 79% (535 tons) waste reduction diverted from landfill. This is a $7,500 annual savings with an average 15 year return on investment. Other benefits include a heightened profile and the opportunity to tour over 3,000 people through the facility in less than a year, each of them learning more about KIB’s impact in the city.

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and Indiana Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects would like to thank everyone who presented and participated in the KIB tour.

Presentation contact information:

Phil G. D. Schaefer, VP of Programs
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB)
1029 Fletcher Ave.
Indianapolis, Indiana 46203
ph 317.264.7555
ph 317.264.7555 x 109 (direct)
www.kibi.org
pschaefer@kibi.org

Cameron Smith, Project Engineer LEED- AP
SHIEL SEXTON HEADQUARTERS
902 North Capitol Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
ph 317.423.6000
Fax 317.423.6300
www.shielsexton.com
csmith@shielsexton.com

Chris Ranck, Project Manager
RW Armstrong
Union Station / 300 South Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46225
ph 317.780.7263
ph 317.327.8728 (ICST)
fx 317.788.0957
www.rwarmstrong.com
www.cranck@rwa.com

Jhennifer Sanchez, LEEP-AP
Smock Fansler Corporation
2910 W. Minnesota St
Indianapolis, Indiana 46241
ph 317.248.8371
www.smockfansler.com
* Construction representation for panel discussion.

Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization affiliated with professionals around the world. WEF works to preserve and enhance the global water environment.
* The WEF organization claims a copyright on Chris Ranck’s technical paper and presentation,

Monday, November 2, 2009

Ball State University Master of Urban Design Program

The Urban Design degree is a brand new program to Ball State. It is a combination of Ball State's College of Architecture and Planning's pre-existing degrees: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Historic Preservation.

Urban Design is the process of transforming spaces into places that inspire active civic life by design and creative problem solving. Urban Designers study places of interest that may have been forgotten or neglected and imagine a new life for those places. The master's students at Ball State learn through real- life experiences and interaction with surrounding professionals and communities. The profession requires a broad knowledge of topics including sustainability, community engagement, and much more. More information regarding the Urban Design program is found by visiting the BSU Indianapolis CEnter at 50 S. Meridian Street, Indianapolis or by visiting here.

To learn more on Ball State University offerings for Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, contact Mr. Brad Beaubien or Ms. SHerri Agnew at the Ball State University Indanapolis Campus.

ACE Mentor Program, Manual H. S. – Bring out the “Bumwad”


Hosting the event, Ball State University Indianapolis (BSU) invited ACE Mentor students of Manual High School to learn about Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. Mr. Brad Beaubien, BSU Indianapolis Director, teamed with Ms. Sherri Agnew, an Urban Design Graduate Assistant, to review Ball State University campus and make recommendations to students planning for college. Ms. Agnew offered insight on her preparation for college and professional development experiences. She gave students motivation and encouragement for High School college preparation classes and summer course offerings.

BSU HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER WORKSHOP
Sherri Agnew discussed an introductory program to the College of Architecture and Planning that is offered to high school students. This program is a two-week summer workshop that introduces students to the exciting world of environmental design and problem solving by enjoyable hands-on activities and projects. During those two weeks, students live in the dorms, become acquainted with the campus, architecture building and faculty. The program is taught by Ball State CAP faculty and assisted by students in the Architecture, Landscape Architecture or Urban Planning undergraduate programs. Interested students and family can visit here for more information.


BSU INDIANAPOLIS

To expand on college offerings, Mr. Beaubien and Ms. Agnew discussed BSU’s Indianapolis campus advantages and work they do in the City of Indianapolis. One upcoming project, the Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) will be held on October 28, 29 and 30. This event will have national companies, local professionals and community members joining together to explore sustainable neighborhood renewal. The SDAT will be a three day charrette, concentrating on gathering community input, visions and policies that benefit community and neighborhood redevelopment. Some of the ACE Mentors from Manual Team will be participating in it and hope to bring an anticipated commuter train station site from the charrette to share with all of the ACE Teams as their ACE project site.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Presenting Landscape Architecture on behalf of Claire Bennett and Associates (CBA) was Mr. Doug Decker and Mr. Dan Krzywicki. They discussed the Landscape Architecture design and plan implementation process on the JW Marriott project.


The new 1400 room Indianapolis JW Marriott Hotel complex has been an exciting project for them and the City of Indianapolis. It is the crown jewel of Marriott and will be connected to newly expanded Indiana Convention Center via skybridge.

Referencing the JW Marriott, Mr. Decker emphasized that Landscape Architecture involves creative thought to manipulate the physical environment. He explained to the students that this project and others evolve through a collaborative process involving numerous design disciplines working as a team. The students gained valuable information and now realize it is common to develop multiple concepts before a final plan gets approval.

Mr. Decker also informed the ACE students that due to the JW Marriott’s premiere downtown location, the highly visible site has been designed to reflect the State of Indiana history. Intriguing design elements include sculptural abstractions of the state tree (Tulip tree), state bird (Cardinal) and state flower (Peony) designed with a water feature as part of an art plaza designed in collaboration with a public artist.

While discussing the JW Marriott project, Mr. Decker expanded on other types of Landscape Architecture projects; stating that each new project presents design challenges and opportunities. Projects range from the revitalization of downtowns and historic main streets, to waterfront master planning, to parks and greenways master planning and design, and sustainable “Green” design practices.



Mr. Decker explained that in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, each project goes through a similar process; the project program, conceptual design, design development, construction documentation and construction administration. As a Landscape Architect or architect, one participates on a wide variety of private and public projects and there are on-going partnerships and collaboration with multi-discipline design firms.

Mr. Decker concluded with a statement that the Landscape Architect’s (and Architect’s) profession is committed to continuing education, personal and professional well being and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. They value the environment and embrace the principles of sound sustainable planning and design.

ACE MENTOR STUDENT PROJECT - “BUMWAD”, ARCHITECTURE
Student teams were organized into groups for an architectural design activity. ACE Mentors, Matt Bartlett (The ACE Team Leader for Manual), Daryn Fair, Kara Cwalina, Mike Tanis and Evans Wells, all assisted the students in their quest for ideas and accurate drawings - with a creative flare.

The sharpie markers were FAT and juice was rolling; “bumwad” was flying through the air and the ball caps were tossed in the corner. The students were taught some concept plan basics in a collaborative group effort. Teamed with their mentors; each group was given the charge to re-design a conference room space into a grand reception and entry for the BSU Center with a welcome desk, lounge seating, connecting passages and doorways as well as to explore finish and flooring options. Of course, there were BIG screen TV’s added to design by students.

To begin, they surveyed the working space to define existing area parameters. Then they grabbed some tape measures to ensure accurate measurements. Two team members measured space while another documented the distance on a base drawing. No rubber scales or foot measurements were permitted. Students learned to how to read architectural scales and created scaled drawings. Then each team was challenged to redesign the room on bumwad trace over their scaled plan.

Each group then gave a brief presentation of their scheme; the presentations were terrific! It is amazing how much is gained with students engaged in such an experience. Each team developed a design using the same space and each team came up with creative and unique designs that offered spirit and sense of ownership.