Three years ago, Steve Rice, Dave Fergus, and Mike Miller, partners in the 36-person design firm Rice Fergus Miller, bought a vacant and derelict Sears Auto store in downtown Bremerton, Wash. Their goal: convert the 30,000 gsf space into the most energy-efficient commercial building in the Pacific Northwest, and do so on a construction budget of around $100/sf.
Working with ME partner Ecotope, the partners calculated the amount of energy use they would allow as they strove toward net zero. Working backwards, they calculated the amount of energy that could be generated by covering every horizontal surface with PVs and designed the building to that number. Then the Building Team, including PCS Structural Solutions (SE), Gerber Engineering (EE), and Tim Ryan Construction (GC), considered which energy-related factors they could control and which they couldn’t.
PROJECT SUMMARY
RICE FERGUS MILLER OFFICE & STUDIO
Bremerton, Wash.Building Team
Submitting firm: Rice Fergus Miller (owner, architect)
Structural engineer: PCS Structural Solutions
Mechanical engineer: Ecotope
Electrical engineer: Gerber Engineering
General contractor: Tim Ryan Construction, Inc.General Information
Size: 30,000 gsf
Construction cost: $3.15 million
Construction time: September 2010 to May 2011
Delivery method: Self-performed
What they could control was insulation, heating, and cooling. To that end, they super-insulated the skin; put on a reflective roof; hyper-insulated the walls, floor, and roof; and installed windows with a weighted U-factor of 0.25. To control heating/cooling use, the team came up with a hybrid system of natural and mechanical ventilation in which heating, cooling, and ventilation were separated; ceiling fans mix the air, and the building has almost no ductwork.
The Building Team could have used FSC-certified lumber from Oregon or British Columbia; instead, they reframed the roof with locally harvested and milled lumber, which saved energy and helped local businesses. The team also ruled out a solar water heating system because the domestic hot water load did not justify the investment.
On the way to earning 91-point LEED Platinum certification, the office and studio achieved a 78% reduction in energy use over the national average for office buildings. Said Reconstruction Awards Judge Keith Hammerman, PE, “They thought through what they wanted to achieve and designed to meet that goal.” +
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Feb 18, 2023
Atlanta suburb opens $85 million serpentine-shaped high school designed by Perkins&Will
In Ellenwood, Ga., a southeast suburb of Atlanta, Perkins and Will has partnered with Clayton County Public Schools and MEJA Construction to create a $85 million secondary school. Morrow High School, which opened in fall 2022, serves more than 2,200 students in Clayton County, a community with students from over 30 countries.
Museums | Feb 17, 2023
First Americans Museum uses design metaphors of natural elements to honor native worldview
First Americans Museum (FAM) in Oklahoma City honors the 39 tribes in Oklahoma today, reflecting their history through design metaphors of nature’s elements of earth, wind, water, and fire. The design concept includes multiple circles suggested by arcs, reflecting the native tradition of a circular worldview that encompasses the cycle of life, the seasons, and the rotation of the earth.
Architects | Feb 17, 2023
Architect of the Capitol fired by President Biden after strong bipartisan criticism
Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton was let go this week following alleged abuse of authority, misuse of government property, and wasted taxpayer money.
High-rise Construction | Feb 15, 2023
Bjarke Ingels' 'leaning towers' concept wins Qianhai Prisma Towers design competition
A pair of sloped high-rises—a 300-meter residential tower and a 250-meter office tower—highlight the Qianhai Prisma Towers development in Qianhai, Shenzhen, China. BIG recently won the design competition for the project.
Senior Living Design | Feb 15, 2023
Passive House affordable senior housing project opens in Boston
Work on Phase Three C of The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony, a 55-apartment midrise building in Boston that stands out for its use of Passive House design principles, was recently completed. Designed by The Architectural Team (TAT), the four-story structure was informed throughout by Passive House principles and standards.
Designers | Feb 13, 2023
Hoffmann Architects + Engineers Establishes Diversity Advancement Scholarship Fund
Hoffmann Architects + Engineers, a design firm specializing in the rehabilitation of building exteriors, contributed $25,000 to fund the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship, administered through the Connecticut Architecture Foundation. The fund provides scholarships for students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups who are seeking degrees in architecture or engineering.
Office Buildings | Feb 12, 2023
Smyrna Ready Mix’s new office HQ mimics the patterns in the company’s onsite stone quarry
Designed by EOA Architects to showcase various concrete processes and applications, Smyrna Ready Mix's new office headquarters features vertical layering that mimics the patterns in the company’s stone quarry, located on the opposite end of the campus site. The building’s glass and concrete bands are meant to mirror the quarry’s natural contours and striations.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 11, 2023
8 Gold and Platinum multifamily projects from the NAHB's BALA Awards
This year's top BALA multifamily winners showcase leading design trends, judged by eight industry professionals from across the country.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 10, 2023
Dallas to get a 19-story, 351-unit residential high-rise
In Dallas, work has begun on a new multifamily high-rise called The Oliver. The 19-story, 351-unit apartment building will be located within The Central, a 27-acre mixed-use development near the Knox/Henderson neighborhood north of downtown Dallas.
Sustainability | Feb 9, 2023
New guide for planning, designing, and operating onsite water reuse systems
The Pacific Institute, a global nonpartisan water think tank, has released guidance for developers to plan, design, and operate onsite water reuse systems. The Guide for Developing Onsite Water Systems to Support Regional Water Resilience advances circular, localized approaches to managing water that reduce a site’s water footprint, improve its resilience to water shortage or other disruptions, and provide benefits for local communities and regional water systems.
