"Open the building like a flower towards the sun. And like roots of the flower use vertical ground source piping to help condition the building. This project is both an addition (40%) and a renovation (60%).

City departments were reviewed by the team. Shared dept. spaces were formed which allowed shared work areas, conference rooms and larger/integrated service counters. Circulation areas were widened and seating pockets formed which provided spots for casual conferencing and art displays. Energy optimization including bldg. envelope studies in concert with HVAC study. The city hall went from being enclosure or “skin” based to an even level of skin & internal loads. Resulting energy bills: cut in half.

Improve delivery to city customers, improve the employee work environment, create a social atmosphere in which art can also be exhibited, and greatly reduce energy bills.

The site design optimizes the existing stormwater detention and piping through a combination of pervious pavers at new parking spaces, green roof over most of the addition, and roof gardens at the east side. Constant energy modeling helped to limit total glazing area and use translucent, insulated panels for natural daylight illumination."