The Pop Apartments - LEED Gold
Bothell Washington GGLO Design |
The Pop Apartments
The "Pop" represented the second project where I was the point of contact between the Architect and General Contractor during construction. For this project I was fully involved in the Design Development and Construction Drawings so I had an intimate knowledge of the building, having zoomed in on almost every element digitally prior to breaking ground. As each project is an opportunity for understanding all the various systems that go into putting a building like this together there were many valuable lessons that the team worked through that I'll definitely reflect on for future projects; here are a few examples.
Wall sections are key to understanding all the transitions of materials and structure, the upper floor steps back from the face of the building due to zoning as it provides a sense of relief on the ground from a potentially looming structure. And in the case of the Pop, where it steps back at a building corner, with unconditioned exterior space above in the form of a patio, there is a point load of structure (think wall corner and roof above) coming down on top of what is typically a living space. There was a lot of thought behind how it's supported and how it's drained, all while keeping the living space free of columns below.
Collaboration with design and engineering disciplines is key, and is an easier process to coordinate when the team is in the same office! The Pop benefitted from having the Architecture and Interiors team working together. To highlight the Pop influence of the design, the color palette of materials and finishes changes from floor to floor within corridors and stairs and provides a great way finding element for residents.
As I reflect on the process I could name a dozen other challenges that were encountered during construction having to do with every discipline: structure, building envelope, materials transitions, HVAC locations, MEP integration, fire protection, acoustics and landscape. As a designer using a 3D BIM model, the team had a pretty good forecast as to where the challenges were so they were not unexpected. Similar to the model, during the development phase of the project the more that the team can coordinate with all of the disciplines involved the better the final product will come together as everyone has a forecast to where the challenging areas are going to occur. So, lesson learned as an Architect... and it sounds obvious but can't be said enough, collaboration with all the parties involved in the project is key, bring them into the design process so that all of the systems work together!
Designs and images courtesy of GGLO Design & Mainstreet Property Group
The "Pop" represented the second project where I was the point of contact between the Architect and General Contractor during construction. For this project I was fully involved in the Design Development and Construction Drawings so I had an intimate knowledge of the building, having zoomed in on almost every element digitally prior to breaking ground. As each project is an opportunity for understanding all the various systems that go into putting a building like this together there were many valuable lessons that the team worked through that I'll definitely reflect on for future projects; here are a few examples.
Wall sections are key to understanding all the transitions of materials and structure, the upper floor steps back from the face of the building due to zoning as it provides a sense of relief on the ground from a potentially looming structure. And in the case of the Pop, where it steps back at a building corner, with unconditioned exterior space above in the form of a patio, there is a point load of structure (think wall corner and roof above) coming down on top of what is typically a living space. There was a lot of thought behind how it's supported and how it's drained, all while keeping the living space free of columns below.
Collaboration with design and engineering disciplines is key, and is an easier process to coordinate when the team is in the same office! The Pop benefitted from having the Architecture and Interiors team working together. To highlight the Pop influence of the design, the color palette of materials and finishes changes from floor to floor within corridors and stairs and provides a great way finding element for residents.
As I reflect on the process I could name a dozen other challenges that were encountered during construction having to do with every discipline: structure, building envelope, materials transitions, HVAC locations, MEP integration, fire protection, acoustics and landscape. As a designer using a 3D BIM model, the team had a pretty good forecast as to where the challenges were so they were not unexpected. Similar to the model, during the development phase of the project the more that the team can coordinate with all of the disciplines involved the better the final product will come together as everyone has a forecast to where the challenging areas are going to occur. So, lesson learned as an Architect... and it sounds obvious but can't be said enough, collaboration with all the parties involved in the project is key, bring them into the design process so that all of the systems work together!
Designs and images courtesy of GGLO Design & Mainstreet Property Group