May 9, 2008
  Photovoltaics and Wind Turbines Infuse Colorado Development
Developer draws on multiple strategies to reduce impact, increase sustainability—and save money
At a whopping 104 acres and 22 blocks, the Belmar development in Lakewood, Colo.—just minutes outside Denver—easily could have been a tremendous drain on local and natural resources. Developer Continuum Partners decided instead to reduce their impact by recycling most of the content of the former Villa Italia Mall on the site and incorporating an array of sustainable strategies, including a 1.7 Mw solar array and a small-scale urban wind farm.

On Second Thought, a LEED-certified Hospital
Schmidt Associates was in the design development phase when their client, Community Hospital South, started asking what it would take to achieve formal LEED® certification for the Indianapolis health-care facility. The firm, well into the $9 million addition and expansion to the existing emergency department, looked at how to honor the institution’s request. Turns out, it wasn’t such a daunting request for Managing Principal Ron Fisher, AIA, LEED-AP, and his team because of what the firm terms the “Schmidt 30”: 30 LEED points they work to incorporate into every project, whether they are specifically asked to pursue the certification process.

AIA Birmingham’s AIA4Shelter Competition Offers Homes for the Homeless
Local Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds designs first-place entry
AIA Birmingham’s AIA4Shelter committee is working with nonprofit Aletheia House in Birmingham to build a one-story, three-bedroom, single-family bungalow for a homeless family in the city’s historic Norwood neighborhood. The bungalow home is the result of AIA Birmingham’s design competition that invited chapter members to participate. Construction is expected to begin at a budget of $100,000.

 

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This is the home of the weekly Best Practices column, news of tips and tools that you can use in your day-to-day practice and case studies illustrating “how-tos” and “lessons learned” for all stages of practice. The Practice Zone also features reports of research in architecture and related fields.