VIA and COVID-19

VIA is committed to serving you and your project needs as we weather the COVID-19 storm. As architects, we are planners by nature and are planning to maintain working functions as follows:

– Several staff will be working remotely;
– A few staff will work from our office/studio on a rotating schedule;
– We are excited to meet with our clients, consultants, and other collaborators remotely VIA Zoom and other tele-conferencing services;
– We will limit in-person meetings and site visits to those that are critical or entirely outdoors;
– We have instituted heightened hygiene protocols in our office; and
– We are trying to find the silver lining in all of this, which may simply be the opportunity to slow down, consider priorities, and take care of our clients, consultants and each other.

VIA continues to prioritize communications, and thanks to technology, we are well-equipped to do so.

If you have any questions at all, please do reach out. Jesse will answer the office phone – 989-7249 during most office hours.

Take care of yourselves!

On Resiliency

I Am Vermont Strong

I often ponder the irony of the success of the Waterbury Municipal Center project. If it hadn’t been for Tropical Storm Irene and its associated recovery funding, I wonder if this project would have been constructed? I also wonder if it would have been designed to address key issues of endurance, including: flood proofing, independence from fossil fuels, and community gathering.

For years many in the Waterbury community were trying to build support for a new library and community space, with little forward movement.  Not long before VIA became involved, a bond vote for a combined Library, Police Department, and Town Office project had been rejected by taxpayers as not affordable.

Waterbury Irene Cleanup
Tropical Storm Irene clean-up (Photo from The Burlington Free Press)

So, how can we encourage communities, businesses, institutions, and individuals to consider resiliency before a tragic event occurs?  As architects, we are helping our clients design the future they want to live in; shouldn’t this exercise attempt to anticipate potential stresses and demonstrate strategies for sustainability and resiliency?

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been working to imbue in its membership an obligation to address resiliency as scientists predict many more natural disasters as a result of climate change.  I have participated in a couple of AIA seminars recently on just this topic and have also been researching how this way of thinking in many ways is just plain, old good design. While it many have a new moniker (“resiliency”), VIA has been practicing with this mindset all along.

So, what are some of the basic considerations as we design for resiliency? Here are some key points I’ve collected in my research and investigation:

Vulnerability – We must have a basic understanding of the vulnerability of a place. IS this place vulnerable? What is its “Hazard Risk,’ or the likeliness this place will see a catastrophic event in the future? To what degree will the community and building be able to cope with the impacts of both minor, gradual changes and catastrophic events? Where can we as architects engage to have the greatest impact on vulnerability?

Interconnectedness – To what extent is the place dependent on shared systems and services? How can we design to support shared resources and services while being prepared to supplement should a system become dysfunctional? (As an aside here, recognizing and embracing our interconnectedness and interdependence can be a beautiful thing. When individuals and communities are willing to share, collaborate, and support each other, we can often overcome what seems to be impossible.)

Short and Long-Term Recovery – It is important to plan for both short and long-term recovery efforts. In some cases, it may be okay to abandon the building, as long as that potential outcome informed its design (e.g. use of natural, non-toxic materials). Ask some questions: can this building/place resist the impact of an event and adjust immediately to the changed environment with little or no effort/energy? Will this building/place require extensive work to become functional again?

Comprehensive, Interactive Process – Architects are big on process. As we work with our clients to design buildings that are beautiful, well-loved, and sustainable, we can work a few key considerations into our processes that highlight and address resiliency. The abbreviated process may flow something like this:

  1. Establish objectives for the useful life of the project.
  2. Assess the risk tolerance for the project (this includes budget, by the way).
  3. Evaluate site sensitivity and vulnerability.
  4. Determine the project’s (site and construction) ability to adapt to both gradual and significant, immediate changes.
  5. Ensure design strategies support project objectives to the greatest extent possible.
  6. Critically review design options for potential maladaptation, hazardous conditions, potential change of function over time.

The richest and most informative process is one that involves and integrates a diverse group of participants and expertise.

Clearly this is only the tip of the rapidly melting iceberg (pun intended).  But, I wanted you to know that VIA is thinking about its projects in terms of resiliency. Below are a series of resources if you want to dig deeper. Also feel free to give me a call if you’d like to discuss.

Resources:

National Climate Assessment (NCA) – 2018

Intergovernmental Panel on climate Change (IPCC)

U.S. Climate Resistance Tool Kit – Climate Explorer

New York City Resiliency Plan – One NYC 2050

American Institute of Architects – Resilience

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Think about it this way: isn’t it better to eat right, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, wash your hands, etc. and know that you are doing what you can to prevent a major health incident for your own body temple?

We need to think this way about our buildings and project sites as well. Join us in being proactive, instead of reactive because if hindsight is 20-20, imagine the clarity and impact of foresight!

Place, Path, Practice: The Spirituality of Architecture

On August 7, 2016, Jean Terwilliger, Sam Ostrow, and Ashar Nelson gave a sermon during worship at The Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society in Middlebury, VT.  The three-part presentation entitled “Place, Path, Practice” explored the ways that architecture is spiritual.  Jean (“Place”) discussed how buildings, from modest homes to magnificent cathedrals, can evoke feelings of peace and awe and offer a means to greater appreciation of the natural world.  Sam (“Path”) explained how the underlying purpose of creating spaces is to increase opportunities for connection with our surroundings; how the construction of space, done thoughtfully and with care, can facilitate a deep sense of presence, much like meditation.  Ashar (“Practice”) illustrated how the craft of architecture in and of itself can be a meditative and spiritual experience. Click here for the full text of the presentation.

VIA Selected as One of Vermont’s “Emerging Leaders”

SBA Emerging Leaders logoVIA was one of 20 applicants recently chosen to participate in the Small Business Administration’s Emerging Leaders Initiative beginning this April.  Over 70 Vermont business owners applied for this year’s inaugural offering of the federal program in Vermont.  Using the “Streetwise MBA” curriculum developed by Interise, a Boston-based entrepreneurial education organization, the seven-month program will help Andrea Murray, VIA’s president, develop a three-year strategic plan for the business, exploring areas such as financial planning, human resources, marketing, and profitability.  Taking place at Vermont Technical College in Williston about twice each month through October, the course promises to provide Andrea with the tools to plan for VIA’s future growth and become a greater presence in our local economy.

Andrea Attends Regional AIA COTE (Committee on the Environment) Leadership Summit

In June 2015, Andrea Murray attended the Northern New England AIA COTE (Committee on the Environment) Leadership Summit in Portland, Maine (see video summary here).  Invited by AIA-VT to represent one of several Vermont firms notably committed to sustainable design, Andrea joined a select group of design professionals from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Boston to discuss how they can work as individuals and firms as well as a regional community to achieve the Architecture 2030 Challenge.  The 2030 Challenge seeks to transform the built environment from a major source of greenhouse gases to a central part of the solution to climate change, calling for all new buildings, developments, and major renovations to be carbon-neutral by 2030.  Participants in the summit explored ways to move beyond a handful of model green projects to adopting sustainability as a cultural norm throughout a firm’s portfolio and ultimately across architecture as a whole.  VIA is pleased to be part of this conversation and will continue to make sustainability an integral part of our design work.

We’ve moved!

 

 

 

As the VIA team moved the last of the boxes into our new location, we marveled at how we possibly fit it all into our previous office space!  Now at 137 Maple Street, Suite 29B in the South Marbleworks building (between Noonie Deli and American Flatbread), we are quickly back to project work while slowly settling in.  With a high ceiling and large windows, the new light-filled space feels much more conducive to creative collaboration.  Hopes for this new office include more efficient storage, a private conference area, and a loft, all in good time.  We hope you will stop by soon and see us!

How Low Can You Go? Home Energy Efficiency Explained

Acorn Progam Snapshot

On Wednesday, April 29, Jean Terwilliger participated in a panel discussion of Home Energy Efficiency Standards in a program sponsored by the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op and moderated by board member Andrea Murray.  Other panelists included Alex Carver of Northern Timbers Construction, Richard Faesy of Energy Futures Group, and Peter Schneider of VEIC.  They explained the difference between different standards of energy efficiency, discussed current trends in the industry, and addressed questions from the lively and attentive audience. A video of the event is available here.