Insights

Press Release: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 CST

Committed to enhancing the quality of dental education, research, patient care, and service within the state of North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill formally dedicated its newest facility, the Koury Oral Health Sciences Building, after a four-year construction process.

read the press release

University of North Carolina, UNC, Koury Oral Health Sciences Building, School of Dentistry, Chuck Mummert

Press Release : The Infusion Technology Center at UF Innovation Square Transforms Discoveries

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:00:00 CST

In order to transform discoveries from the University of Florida's research community into commercially viable business enterprises, the Infusion Technology Center will move innovation beyond the laboratory and into daily life.

read the press release

Infusion Technology Center, ITC, University of Florida, Innovation Square, Jeffrey Raasch

Press Release : St. Anthony's Hospital Opens New Emergency Center

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:00:00 CST

St. Anthony's Hospital is improving patient care for the St. Petersburg community with the recent opening of a new emergency center and patient bed tower addition.

read the press release

St. Anthony's Hospital, Emergency Center, St. Petersburg

Press Release : Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa has a new Emergency Center for the Mason City Community

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:00:00 CST

Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa wanted to create a positive healing environment, efficient seamless patient flow, and an experience with more privacy. That is why the medical center formed a design team to use Lean methodologies in planning and designing its new ED.

read the press release

Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, Emergency Center, Mason City, Lean, Mark Trotter

Press Release : Brookhaven National Laboratory Modernizing Existing Research Facilities

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:00:00 CST

Brookhaven National Laboratory has concluded the first phase of an ongoing effort to modernize their existing research facilities, including materials science and fuel testing laboratories.

read the press release

Brookhaven National Laboratory, Department of Energy, materials science

Repurposing - Thinking Inside the Box

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:00:00 CST

Three repurposing projects are profiled – the introduction of entirely new functions and operations to existing buildings incorporating the reinvention of space and attitudes.

repurposing, repurpose, General Motors, Bayer Corporation, Eli Lilly, Rachel Nelan, Rob Graves, Jerry Polly, holistic, Renovated Lab of the Year

Adding Insight to Injury

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:00:00 CST

Sometimes the people with the worst injuries are not hospital patients...they are employees. This article by James FitzPatrick, ACHE; Mark Trotter, AIA, ACHE; and Zach Frush, AIA, EDAC describes how the process improvement team at Mercy Medical Center developed the new 2/5 ergonomic guideline in a series of LEAN kaizen events.

read the article

injury, Mercy Medical Center, James FitzPatrick, Mark Trotter, Zach Frush, ergonomic, LEAN kaizen, LEAN 3P, LEAN, 3P

University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry Complex

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:00 CST

Flad’s design of the biochemistry complex on the University of Wisconsin, Madison began with the design of the new Biochemistry building completed in 1998. The second phase of design for the Biochemistry Department is an interdisciplinary facility, completed in 2012, to replace the 1956, 1937, and part of the 1912 wing of the biochemistry complex. The remodeled, connected buildings now comprise the biochemistry complex. Valuable wall murals by John Steuart Curry and a venerable elm tree have been preserved. Sound intriguing? Learn more from the University’s on-line tour!

UW-Madison, University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry, Curry

University of Wisconsin Clinical Simulation Center

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:00 CST

The new Simulation Center, located in the University of Wisconsin Hospital, provides doctors, nurses, and other health professionals with high tech facilities to practice their skills and test their knowledge in real-world settings with no risk of harm to patients or practitioners.

University of Wisconsin, Simulation Center, UW Hospital, Laura Serebin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Medical Foundation, George Keeler

Enhancing, Engaging, and Inspiring Campus Community

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

Four higher education projects are profiled – each designed to enhance students’ experiences as well as engage with a broader community.

Merritt College, Romberg Tiburon Center, STEM, California Maritime Academy, academic, Stevens Williams, San Francisco State University, CSU East Bay

Press Release : University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Opens Simulation Center

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics unveiled a new, cutting-edge simulation center that lets medical students and staff practice their skills in a realistic environment without putting patients at risk. Flad Architects worked with UW Health to design the 6,300 square foot facility.

read the press release

UW Health, clinical simulation, healthcare, Flad Architects

Press Release : Construction for the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes Takes Shape

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

The new building that will house state-of-the-art translational research for obesity and diabetes will open in early 2012 .

Read the press release

Florida Hospital, translational research, health village, Orlando, Flad Architects, diabetes, TRI

Press Release : Flad Architects Awarded Livermore Valley Open Campus Master Plan

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

Flad Architects has been selected by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration and the Office of Science to complete a master site planning study for a new, collaborative science and technology campus in Livermore, California.

Read the press release

LVOC, Master Planning

Press Release : Flad Architects is Taking the Mpower Pledge

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

A leader in sustainable planning and design, Flad is enhancing their understanding and desire for a better environment through participation in the Mpower ChaMpion program, a voluntary carbon reduction program for Madison-area businesses.

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sustainability

Press Release : Malcom Randall VA Medical Center Patient Tower Addition Now Open to Veterans

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

The Malcom Randall VA Medical Center is improving patient care for veterans with the recent opening of a new patient bed tower addition to its existing hospital in Gainesville, Florida.

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Press Release : Affinity Health System Breaks Ground on New Outpatient Clinic

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

Affinity Health System broke ground recently on a new outpatient clinic in Neenah, Wisconsin, that will replace their Lincoln Street clinic.

Read the press release

Steven R. Smith, MD, Scientific Director / Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes (TRI)

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

Steven R. Smith, MD, discusses the creative process and how the center's design captures the excitement and innovation regarding the research program at the new TRI.

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Working with the Flad Team

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

Steven R. Smith, MD, Scientific Director / Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes (TRI), shares his experience of working with the Flad Healthcare team on the Florida Hospital / Sanford - Burnham Institute TRI.

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Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 CST

Gregory Taylor, Dean of Science at the University of Alberta, introduces CCIS as the new home for collaborative scientific research.

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serebin_alberta, CCIS, Interdisciplinary Science, collaborative

University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Clinical Simulation Center

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 CST

Designed by Flad Architects, the new Clinical Simulation Center at the University of Wisconsin, as described in the School of Medicine and Public Health Quarterly publication, promotes simulated learning at the university and raises the bar in medical education. "The program is modeled on those at Stanford University, Mayo Clinic, and the University of Pittsburgh, but may be in a class by itself when it comes to flexibility. Each of the six rooms can be set up in varying configurations of beds occupied by a variety of high-tech manikins."

Click Here to read the full article.

flad_health_change,University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Clinical Simulation Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, simulated learning, flexibility, manikins

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories/California

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:00:00 CST

These two neighboring research facilities in Livermore Valley, California, are working together to create an open, national security research and development space called the Livermore Valley Open Campus.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore Valley Open Campus, Department of Energy, research and development, LLNL, LVOC, SNL, partnerships, collaboration

How Design makes a Difference

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:00:00 CST

At Flad, we focus on design as a means to a solution, we listen to our clients and respond to their needs.

Chitani Ndisale, Architectural Intern

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flad_enhancing

Flad Participates in the Mpower ChaMpion Program

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:00:00 CST

A leader in sustainable planning and design, Flad enhances their understanding and desire for a better environment in-house through participation in the Mpower program. This program connects businesses with a wealth of energy-focused resources and will allow Flad to share strategies for reducing the firm's carbon footprint through usage of electricity, natural gas, water, and transportation.

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Mpower, MG&E, Champion, sustainable, energy, carbon footprint, environmen

Fast and Smart: Design Principles for Academic Research Laboratories

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:00:00 CST

Cited in the August 2011 Laboratory Design Newsletter, this article is a culmination of a three-year study that explored the characteristics of productivity within research space and specific ways in which the physical environment supports collaboration, idea creation, and development. An interdisciplinary group led by Flad Architects, and composed of Indiana University sociologist Tom Gieryn, entomologist Mike Chippendale, and lab planners/architects Trevor Calarco and Michael Haggans, completed the study.

Read the article
See Indiana University in the Gallery:
MSB I
MSB II

Indiana University, Simon Hall, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, collaboration, academic research, laboratory, Flad Architects, Laboratory Design

Satellite Emergency Center

Tue, 24 May 2011 08:00:00 CST

SSM Health Care of Wisconsin (SSMHC) - St. Mary's Hospital builds Wisconsin's first freestanding satellite emergency center.

emergency center, SSMHC, St. Mary's, Flad Architects, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, ED, hospital campus

The Next Generation of Vaccine QA/QC Facilities

Tue, 24 May 2011 08:00:00 CST

The new QA/QC facility for Novartis Vaccines enhances team communication and interaction while solving technical challenges associated with manufacturing and testing flu related products

vaccine production, QA/QC, Novartis, flu, manufacturing, pandemic, pharmaceutical, influenza, quality assurance, quality control, James Gazvoda, Flad Architects

University of California-Davis, Teaching/Research Winery and Brewing & Food Science Laboratory (WBF)

Thu, 05 May 2011 08:00:00 CST

Andrew Cunningham was the principal-in-charge of the WBF project demonstrating research and innovation where bench-top science was integrated with applied process technologies.

University of California-Davis, Teaching/Research Winery and Brewing & Food Science Laboratory (WBF)

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 CST

Awarded LEED® Platinum, the WBF showcases the commitment of UC Davis to environmental excellence, serving as a catalyst for sustainable economic development and social progress.

incorporate_sustainability, University of California-Davis, WBF, winery, brewing, food science, LEED Platinum, sustainable design, innovation, Laboratory of the Year High Honors

The Third Place

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:00:00 CST

Sociologists talk about communities having three places – first is home, second is work, and the third place is where people go to hang out, socialize, and build community. The third place is a place where people choose to be.

Read the Article

flad_health_change, Third Place, Health Village, healthcare, Accountable Care Organizations

University of California-Davis, Teaching/Research Winery and Brewing & Food Science Laboratory (WBF)

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:00:00 CST

The WBF provides a showcase for Institute programs and the flexible design provides the innovation to be ahead of the industry.

University of California-Davis, WBF, winery, brewing, food science, LEED Platinum, sustainable design, innovation, Laboratory of the Year High Honors

University of California, Davis - New Science Facility Making Headlines

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:00:00 CST

LEED® Platinum | High Honors

University of California-Davis, WBF, winery, brewing, food science, LEED Platinum, sustainable design, innovation, Laboratory of the Year High Honors

Press Release : Construction Begins on the 54,000-square-foot Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes at Florida Hospital

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:00:00 CST

This new research facility, expected to be completed by the end of 2011, will be a landmark building for Florida Hospital, and the signature building in their new Health Village in Orlando.

Read this press release

Florida Hospital, translational research, health village, Orlando, Flad Architects, diabetes, TRI

Healthcare Facilities Magazine features Shands Cancer Hospital

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:00:00 CST

"The team took it as a challenge to redesign what an academic center would look like. We thought we could do better by incorporating some things that spoke to the body, mind and spirit — not just the science," says Brad Pollit, Vice President, Facilities.

Read this article

See Shands Hospital in the Gallery

flad_health_change, Health Facilities Management, Shands Cancer Hospital, University of Florida, academic medical center, LEED Gold, Integrated Project Delivery

Press Release : St. Petersburg College, Awarded LEED® Gold Certification

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:00:00 CST

St. Petersburg College (SPC) is emerging as an environmentally responsible education provider. Its newly constructed Natural Science, Mathematics and College of Education building recently received LEED® Gold Certification level status.

St. Petersburg College, LEED Gold, sustainable design, Flad Architects, Natural Science Mathematics and College of Education

Successful Biocontainment Facilities
in the New Economy

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:00:00 CST

Whether the client is a pharmaceutical company, a government agency or a university, the design of a biocontainment facility must be tailored to the specifics of that client. Therefore, the foremost challenge often faced is the development of a clear and informed understanding of what clients are trying to achieve and how they will be using the facility to pursue their objectives.

Who are the scientists? What kind of research are they going to be doing? What processes will be needed? How much flexibility will they require? There are as many different ways to perform a research study as there are researchers, so approaching the project with an established process is a necessity.

On the recently completed Influenza Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, we used an established process to address several challenging situations, resulting in a successful facility. The 20,000-square-foot Institute is helping to lead the nation’s efforts in preparing for a possible flu pandemic and includes laboratories, lab support space, animal holding rooms, and offices to house a staff of 30. The lab space consists of BSL-2, -3, -3E, and -3Ag research space to study influenza viruses. As the Institute has been in operation for more than a year, we have gained an understanding of how the processes used during design and construction are effectively expressed in the built environment.

To ensure the final facility would not only function well, but would also function within the client’s financial parameters, four general guidelines were followed.

Align the Client’s Science and Business Goals

If the client’s business and science goals were not aligned up front, and maintained throughout the process, any conflict between those goals could derail the project. If discovered halfway through the design process that the goals have changed or do not complement each other, the design will not work. This is where an architect becomes a business consultant, guiding the client through a review of their strategic objectives and how their science works within that context. This alignment effort also benefits the entire project team, as their refined knowledge of the client’s goals further inform the choices made during the design process.

Establish Operating Procedures for the Completed Facility

How is the facility going to be used on a day-to-day basis? How will the waste be taken out? How will animals and other materials be brought in? How will people don their personal protective equipment as they move through the gowning process? It is nearly impossible for an architect to create a successful facility without working directly with the operators and users. They are the people who can answer these process-specific questions and establish standard operating procedures. These procedures must be integrated into the estimates for the running costs of the completed facility to determine if adjustments need to be made.

Integrate Biocontainment and Research Equipment with the Facility

Biocontainment equipment requires different HVAC and mechanical systems than standard buildings, necessitating special expertise and understanding. During the design process these complex pieces of equipment must be thoughtfully integrated into the facility.

Maintain Project Cost and Schedule Using a Proven Project Delivery Process

No matter how expertly designed the facility is, if it costs too much to build and operate, it can never truly be successful. Monitoring and maintaining costs throughout the design process ensures early detection of financial issues so designs can be optimized, minimizing wasted effort.

The Institute’s science goal was to create a single pathogen, multi-specie biocontainment facility. The business goal was to secure a key principal investigator and his associated grant funding for high pathogen avian influenza. A key issue was a competing offer from another university to acquire this researcher, so the schedule needed to be accelerated to counter their offer.

To allow for this accelerated schedule, the project was funded through the University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation instead of standard state legislative funding processes, and the project was moved off campus to the University Research Park. As the project was functioning outside of the traditional academic design and construction delivery process, several opportunities were created to speed delivery.

At the beginning of the project, the Owner was reluctant to provide us a clear idea of their budget, in the hope that the needs of the researcher would shape that number. Unfortunately, this caused some issues, as the science goals and the business goals were not fully aligned in this area.

The principal researcher outlined his vision of what the Institute could include. Based upon his vision, the proposed preliminary project came in at $38 million dollars and 75,000 square feet. Unfortunately, when this was presented to the Foundation, they stated the actual budget for the project was only $6 million. At that point, the team had to help bring the science and financial aspects of the project into alignment. In the end, the design team redefined the program and the Owner allocated additional funds, bringing the project into alignment at 28,000 square feet with a budget of $12.5 million.

This example demonstrates how necessary it is to understand both the scientific aspects and the financial constraints of the project from the beginning. On a fast-delivery schedule, a design team can not afford to waste time by working with a scope that is not fully understood.

To allow for the agreed-upon budget and accelerated timeline, the team chose to renovate an existing commercial building. The BSL-3Ag containment space and the BSL-2 and -3 labs were new construction inserted into an existing structure, and the office spaces were renovations within the pre-existing building.

Having pre-established standard operating procedures (SOPs) already in place was a considerable benefit to this project. As this researcher had an existing BSL-3 space on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, he already had SOPs that were fully vetted and approved by the governing regulatory agencies. From the beginning, the researcher was able to share these SOPs with the team, using them to drive the design process. When the research team used the SOPs as a tool to analyze design documents, the team was able to take their input and fine tune the design to match the SOPs.

For example, personnel flow was assessed for facility access. How would people move through the facility? What security barriers would be needed? How would they come into the facility through the first changing room and shower, and then move on to either the BSL-3 or the -3Ag space? How would they move through another shower, a clean/dirty changing room, and then go into each of the individual animal rooms or necropsy suite?

The SOPs were used to clarify each step and to review and refine the resulting designs. Similarly, the SOPs were able to assist in determining how to move animals into the facility and remove waste after the studies are concluded.

When the user moved into the completed space, after the containment areas received approval, and began using the space for their research, they had only minimal changes to their SOPs. If the space had been designed without the SOPs in place, it would have highly limited the user’s research capability and constrained their productivity. As a result, both the scientific and business goals for the facility would have been affected.

The design/build approach for the Institute was as an integrated, unified team. This form of collaboration allowed the architects, engineers, construction team, and the client to focus on issues beyond their own specialty or discipline. Each team member viewed the project holistically. One of the advantages this brought to the purchase of the research and containment equipment, as well as the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment, during the final design stage. As a result, the design was completed with known pieces of equipment and these systems were more effectively integrated into the facility.

This holistic approach was one of the key factors in maintaining cost control throughout the project. With the established budget of $12.5 million, the team had a target to use as a benchmark for all costs. The integrated team could continually monitor all aspects of the project and identify any changes, selecting the correct way to adjust the project to accommodate that increased cost, or remedy it.

The greatest challenge in projects such as this is not the individual details of the design. The greatest challenge is gaining a clear understanding of the clients’ needs and their objectives. By helping the client align their scientific and business goals, utilizing established operating procedures, integrating the complex equipment into the facility, and maintaining project cost, a functional and financially responsible biocontainment facility is created.

There are as many different ways to perform a research study as there are researchers, so approaching the project with an established process is a necessity.

“If the client’s business and science goals were not aligned up front, and maintained throughout the process, any conflict between those goals could derail the project.”

It is nearly impossible for an architect to create a successful facility without working directly with the operators and users.

No matter how expertly designed the facility is, if it costs too much to build and operate, it can never truly be successful.

This example demonstrates how necessary it is to understand both the scientific aspects and the financial constraints of the project from the beginning.

The design/build approach for the Institute was as an integrated, unified team. This form of collaboration allowed the architects, engineers, construction team, and the client to focus on issues beyond their own specialty or discipline.

This holistic approach was one of the key factors in maintaining cost control throughout the project. With the established budget of $12.5 million, the team had a target to use as a benchmark for all costs.

Biocontainment, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University Research Park, BSL

Modern Steel Construction Magazine features Genentech HFF Project

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:00:00 CST

">How fast can you deliver a project from schematic to owner occupancy?
Craig Weisensel discusses timed-release design and the Genentech - Hillsboro Fill and Finish project.

Read the Article (Courtesy of "Modern Steel Construction")

See Genentech HFF in the Gallery

Read more about the project in "Pharmaceutical Engineering"

Genentech, Hillsboro, Oregon, operational efficiency, technology solutions, quality control, budget savings, lessons learned, design-build. cGMP, BIM, seismic design

Meeting Business and Design Goals

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:00 CST

Steve Freson discusses Flad's partnering role for meeting strategic and design goals.

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Steve Freson, strategic design goals, Flad Architects

Stony Brook University

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:00 CST

Jerry Polly discusses the methodologies Flad used to create the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center.

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AERTC, flad_clean_energy, Stony Brook University, LEED Platinum

Advanced Energy Research: Understanding Our Impact

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:00 CST

Energy laboratories are energy consumptive spaces; Jerry Polly discusses how the built environment can provide researchers with energy requirement information and what slight modifications can mean for usage.

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jerry_polly_info, energy research, sustainable design, Flad Architects

LEED® Platinum

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:00 CST

Stony Brook University — A Commitment to Sustainability

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AERTC, incorporate_sustainability, sustainable design, energy research, Flad Architects, LEED Platinum

Advanced Energy Research: A Global Dialog

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:00 CST

Jerry Polly shares his thoughts on the role of architecture in the global energy dialog.

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jerry_polly_info, global energy

Lean Provides Tools for ED Design

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 CST

Health Facilities Management features Mercy Medical Center and its design partners utilizing Lean principles that provided clinical staff an opportunity to become directly involved in creating Mercy's new Emergency Department.

read the article

Mercy Medical Center, LEAN, 3P, LEAN 3P, ED, Mark Trotter

Press Release : Community Need Sparks State’s First Freestanding Emergency Center

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:00 CST

Wisconsin’s newest emergency department opened this past July, miles from any hospital campus.

Read this press release

Wisconsin, Emergency Center, St. Mary's Hospital, emergency department, Sun Prairie, SSM, Madison

Press Release : Flad Architects to Design New Simulation Center for UW Health Clinical Simulation Program

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:00 CST

Flad Architects has been selected by UW Health to design a new 6,300-square-foot simulation center in support of the new UW Health Clinical Simulation Program.

Read this press release

UW Health, clinical simulation, healthcare, Flad Architects

Executive Profile: For Jeff Raasch, it all started atop the Empire State Building about 40 years ago.

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:00:00 CST

"Jeff Raasch is a principal and architect at Flad Architects, where he leads design teams for construction of hospitals, clinics and office and research buildings."

Read this article

Jeff Raasch, principal, architect, designer, healthcare

Sustainable Healthcare:
Flad Architects Innovates to Deliver a LEED-Gold Certified Shands Cancer Hospital

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:00:00 CST

Shands Cancer Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville has received LEED Gold certification, making it the first hospital in the state and one of a handful in the country to earn the designation. It is a remarkable achievement.

Healthcare facilities are not the easiest buildings to make “green”. Because of stringent health and building codes that address everything from air circulation to laundry processes, there are unique sustainability challenges for hospitals and related buildings.

However, enhanced environmental performance was a goal from the outset for the owner, Flad Architects, and general contractor Skanska USA. The University of Florida established a LEED-NC Silver rating as its baseline for all new facilities, so the hospital, at a very minimum, would have to strive for that. Then, while the project was still in very early stages, it became clear that the hospital could aspire to the higher Gold rating.

“We were so close. Why not try?” says Brad Pollitt, vice president of facilities for Shands HealthCare. “We already wanted an efficient building. We already wanted to do whatever we could to minimize our environmental impact. We just capitalized on our efforts.”

Of course, LEED is not in itself a definitive measure for health care facilities, and the project design team looked to incorporate other best practice standards as well (including the AIA Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, ASHRAE HVAC Design Manual for Hospitals and Clinics, and the Green Guide for Health Care). In a number of areas the design of the Cancer Hospital exceeds LEED requirements.

“It is certainly a valuable distinction, but we didn’t need LEED to reach our sustainability goals,” says Laura Stillman, national health care group leader for Flad. “We were going to reach our goals regardless. We were already practicing sustainable design.”

Some specific sustainable features of the project include a demolition waste management process that recycled 96 percent (by weight) of an existing hotel and parking structure cleared from the site. Half of the site area was restored to native and adapted vegetation. Low VOC-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, wood products, and carpet systems were used throughout the interior to maintain a high quality indoor air environment. Also, building orientation, solar shading, high performance glass, and energy transfer wheels, sensors, and controls were used to optimize energy performance.

Perhaps the most significant sustainability feature is the Gainesville Regional Utility’s South Energy Center, an on-site, stand-alone, 4.3-megawatt facility that will supply all of the hospital’s energy needs. Thus, power outages on the regular grid will not affect hospital operations. The South Energy Center is one of a very few combined heat and power plants located in the Southeast and capable of providing all of a hospital’s energy needs.

The new facility promises both enhanced energy efficiency and reduced emissions with a projected 46 percent savings over traditional fossil-burning generation. Key to this is capturing the turbine’s hot exhaust and using it to run the hospital’s heating and cooling systems. The projected annual savings equals the amount of energy needed to run more than 3,000 homes.

The South Energy Center is also a testament to the integrated team project delivery model. In this case the integrated team allowed for greater creativity and collaboration, which helped propel Shands into LEED gold territory.

Here, GRU owns the South Energy Center building on Shands’ property. Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture, and construction firm, contracted with GRU to design and build the energy center, which had to harmonize with Flad’s design for the hospital. It was critical that the energy center design be able to accommodate future growth as Shands pursues later phases of its South Campus plan (developed by Flad). Yet there was no formal contractual agreement between Flad and Burns & McDonnell or GRU.

The integrated team structure allowed these key team members (along with multiple consultants, agencies, and subcontractors) to work across organizations to accomplish mutual and individual goals. That is, Flad team members worked directly with Burns & McDonnell and GRU team members. All viewed their separate projects as one-in-the-same: They were creating the Shands Cancer Hospital, not individual pieces of it.

In the end, GRU has a new accomplishment for its portfolio, Shands has the power it needs now and in the future (come hurricane or high water) from an energy-efficient facility with cutting-edge technology, thanks to Burns & McDonnell’s innovation. The South Energy Center design respects and complements the campus as well as the new hospital due to intense coordination with Flad. Finally, the entire project has earned a LEED Gold certification that distinguishes all of the team members.

“This brings national attention, and I think it is an extra feather in our cap,” says Pollitt. “And yet it was somewhat easy. When you set the bar high and have high expectations, then people start performing.”

Shands is the first hospital in the state and one of a handful in the country to earn LEED Gold designation. It is a remarkable achievement.

Half of the site area was restored to native and adapted vegetation.

The new facility promises both enhanced energy efficiency and reduced emissions with a projected 46 percent savings over traditional fossil-burning generation.

Creating a Sense of Place

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:00:00 CST

David Black, Design Principal discusses creating a sense of place. "Every campus has its own identity, or its own personality about it... its own sense of place."

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flad_spaces, David Black, academic campus, sense of place, Flad Architects

The Legacy of Architecture

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:00:00 CST

All art forms have a lasting quality, David Black discusses the legacy of architecture.

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David Black, legacy of architecture, academic campus, Flad Architects

Carl Bauer, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:00:00 CST

Dr. Carl Bauer talks about the university's recruitment efforts and the impact Simon Hall has had. "They love the facility...it's mainly because of the research infrastructure and facilities in Simon Hall..."

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flad_enhancing

Making the Impossible, Possible. Just-in-Time Approach for Genentech’s Fill-Finish Facility

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:00:00 CST

Designing 1,500 square feet per day; breaking ground five months after the start of design; local government collaborative accelerated approval process. These are crazy concepts for almost any project but especially challenging when delivering a technically complex, yet efficient, fully integrated fill-finish facility. In the "Pharmaceutical Engineering" article below, Andrew Cunningham shares seven lessons that help achieve project success in a “Just-in-Time” environment.

Hillsboro, Oregon, BIM, operational efficiency, technology solutions, quality control, budget savings, lessons learned, design build, cGMP

Jerry Polly, Principal

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

Jerry Polly is on the cutting edge of science and technology. He is not a biochemist or physicist, but he works with teams of scientists to address urgent needs – particularly finding new ways to meet the world’s energy demands without compromising the planet. He understands the unique requirements of researchers in this field and partners with them to expedite their work and facilitate exploration. Through architecture, he is leading the search for solutions, helping invent a better future for everyone.

Jerry Polly, Flad Architects, principal, science, technology, energy

Laura Stillman, Principal

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

Laura Stillman understands that the healthcare industry is facing a complex set of variables. Demographic demands are shifting. Technology is changing. Many hospital buildings are outdated and obsolete. As Flad’s healthcare practice leader, she understands these challenges, and can lead clients through the process of finding solutions and planning proactively for the future. Clients across the country rely on her as a knowledgeable strategic partner as well as an exceptional design partner.

Laura Stillman, Flad Architects, principal, healthcare, health science

Jeff Zutz, Managing Principal

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

Jeff Zutz’s work has helped usher in the era of sustainable design – not as an afterthought, but as an intrinsic part of every project. Responding to clients who are increasingly concerned about the environment, he creates buildings that conserve electricity, maximize daylighting, utilize “green” building materials, and protect clean water. By implementing sustainable solutions, his designs have a positive impact on people’s work environment, as well as the global environment.

View "Sustainable Design: Exciting Times in Architecture"

Jeff Zutz, Flad Architects, principal, sustainable design, architecture

Shands Cancer Hospital:
Wellness through Integrated Arts

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

Shands HealthCare has a renowned Arts in Medicine program designed to utilize the arts in numerous channels to improve healthcare outcomes for patients, to enhance the work environment for employees, and to distinguish and differentiate Shands from its competitors. Ultimately the arts at Shands are an essential part of the culture of care.

“If the purpose of art is to nourish the spirit, then what better place to find it than in a hospital where the spirit encounters its most critical moments,” asks Shands HealthCare Arts in Medicine program director Tina Mullen.

When it set out to build the new bed tower that became Shands Cancer Hospital, Shands HealthCare sought out partners who would utilize art and design elements to actively support the hospital’s mission and goals. “This commitment speaks to [Shands’] understanding that the arts are more than something that makes the hospital ‘feel nice.’ It really speaks to the organization’s humanitarian mission to serve,” Mullen says. “I know that sounds grandiose, but that is how we think about it.

“Every hospital likes to think that they are creating spaces of art, and they are. But for us, art needs to be part of the orchestra, not the background music. So placing art on available wall space isn’t enough. Leading people through a space with art was our objective. That means creating places that have a visual impact on your travel path through the building, lighting those spaces, and preparing walls to receive art. All of these things have made the art feel very purposeful.”

Alana Schrader, an interior designer and senior associate at Flad Architects, appreciated the opportunity to showcase the functionality of thoughtful art and design in a healthcare setting.

“Art at Shands was an essential component of the building program,” Schrader explains. “It wasn’t an afterthought. Fully integrated art was a client goal from the outset, and it was our challenge and responsibility to maximize the value of the investment in art and design elements.”

In the end, the arts at Shands Cancer Hospital serve many purposes. For example, the carefully crafted healing environment communicates branding messages (e.g. “the humanity of Shands”) and reinforces core organizational concepts (e.g. that healing is not only a medical process). Patient-room art, created and donated by caregivers, fosters patient connections with healthcare providers and further establishes employees as stakeholders in the new hospital. Artwork used as architectural landmarks supports intuitive wayfinding, which eases stress for patients, families, and visitors.

Working as an integrated team with general contractor SkanskaUSA, Flad and Shands were able to prioritize the arts from the outset by establishing clear, mutual goals. Strategically planned partnering sessions helped sustain the arts goals throughout planning, design, and construction.

“The thing that was critical for us in the build program was recognizing that Arts in Medicine is part of our culture of care, and that as an organization we are committed to creating patient care settings that support creativity and wellness,” Mullen says. “What made this process unique was that the integrated team could comment up front about real targets: what was monetarily feasible, what would work, and what would not within the physical constraints of the project.”

Ultimately the arts at Shands are an essential part of the culture of care.

“...That means creating places that have a visual impact on your travel path through the building, lighting those spaces, and preparing walls to receive art. All of these things have made the art feel very purposeful.”

Rethinking Project Delivery:
Integrated Teams Help Manage Risk, Maximize Investments

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

This story begins with a move across the street. Ultimately, though, it’s a story about more than a change of address. Shands Cancer Hospital is the story about a shift in attitude and approach that yielded remarkable results.

Shands HealthCare had a hospital on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville. Operating at capacity, Shands at UF ran the risk of being unable to meet the growing demand for cancer care. Hospital management had remodeled and carved space from the existing hospital to add beds a half dozen at a time. The need, however, was growing faster than Shands could respond. The American Cancer Society estimates that Florida will see 100,000 new cancer cases annually, and Shands HealthCare will provide cancer treatment to 1 in 7 Floridians.

Facing this reality, Shands decided to “jump the street” and create a new South Campus on the other side of SW Archer Road.

The move made sense strategically. By bringing most adult cancer care under one roof, doctors could better meet the growing need for cancer care and collaborate more fully on individual patients and their treatment plans. Yet developing a new South Campus would prove to be no small task. It required extraordinary vision and a unique approach to the traditional design and construction process.

Shands partnered with Flad Architects and general contractor SkanskaUSA. Together the three organizations worked as a noncontractual integrated team to create a long-term expansion plan and then design and build the first phase of that plan. Operating on principles of shared risk, budgeting transparency, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving and conflict resolution, the integrated team delivered a $364 million, 500,000-square-foot building in 48 months—shaving a year off the traditional timetable for a project of this size and scope.

Laura Stillman, Flad principal and national leader of its health care group, says the nontraditional process—which she expects to become a new model for the construction industry—worked because the owner, architect, and builder were all equally committed to the approach, timeline, and product.

“There was nothing adversarial about this process or these relationships. This was truly an integrated team,” Stillman says. “Everyone was publicly accountable, project leaders had the authority to make decisions and take action, and an atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration was maintained by constant vigilance.”

The shared goals, incentives, and rewards of an integrated team give each team member a stake in each other’s success. Without the need to protect individual interests, deflect blame, or expose others’ inefficiencies or errors, team members were freed and motivated to direct all energy and resources into efforts that moved the project toward completion.

“Shands has always had a belief in team,” says Brad Pollitt, vice president of facilities for Shands HealthCare. “I felt confident that if we hired the right people, this would work.”

The right people had to share Pollitt’s commitment to innovation. After all, an integrated team required a fundamental shift in attitude and approach toward project delivery. Each team member would have to shed expectations and assumptions and approach the project with no preconceived notions about the other team members or their roles.

Stillman says Flad embraced the opportunity. “Our overriding differentiator is strategic approach,” she says. “Medical planning and design are expected to be excellent. Beyond that our firm customizes each service to the strategic need of the client. This client wanted an integrated team, which requires not only a different attitude, but also a different staffing model. Flad was committed to both.”

At the outset, the integrated team had to establish shared goals, objectives, standards, and expectations. They had to adopt uniform approaches and communication strategies so that all staff could work together, across organizations, and unencumbered by traditional hierarchies. They then had to maintain these approaches and strategies for the duration of the process.

If the team failed, the process itself would fail. If the process failed, the benefits and efficiencies of integration would be undermined or lost altogether. With Shands, that never happened because of rigorous methodology used to ensure that the shift in organizational structure lost none of the rigor necessary to achieve all design, budgeting, and timing goals of the building program.

“Standards were higher, not lower,” says Stillman, “and we developed tools and systems to ensure that those standards were met and maintained throughout the project.”

Indeed, vigilant project tracking and ongoing measurement kept the team focused on progress and goals. Flad utilized several specific project delivery tools to evaluate individual and collective performance and to identify issues that required additional attention.

A custom Scorecard allowed the team to routinely and consistently revisit and measure progress toward project goals. The tool assessed hard metrics (including deadlines, budgets, RFIs, and other quantifiable factors) along with soft metrics (including organizational readiness, plan quality, and clarity of goals). All project goals were broken down into discrete objectives that were periodically ranked as “high performance,” “mid-range performance,” or “low performance.” Scorecards allowed the team to not only measure performance on specific items, but also to capture data to track changes in performance to ensure continued excellence or improvement when and where necessary.

Other tools included a Total Project Budget, Cost Event Log Tracking, Future Cost Events (which projected cost analysis at key milestones) and Special Studies (used to verify early cost estimates throughout the project). As a result, at every juncture all team members knew exactly where they stood in terms of budget, performance, deliverables, and quality. The tools also made clear all expectations moving forward, and this reinforced accountability across the entire team.

Ultimately, the integrated team is more than a different approach — it is an excellent strategy to meet and exceed client expectations and program goals. Here the accelerated timeline allowed Shands to save construction costs and accelerate market-share penetration and growth with a design that reflects its organizational commitment to patient-centered care.

“This was an expansion project, but it became much more than that,” says Brad Pollitt, vice president of facilities for Shands HealthCare. “It has changed Archer Road. It has set up a new campus. Everyone who sees it is amazed. It is overwhelmingly impressive.”

Shands partnered with Flad Architects and general contractor SkanskaUSA. Together the three organizations worked as a noncontractual integrated team to create a long-term expansion plan and then design and build the first phase of that plan.

At the outset, the integrated team had to establish shared goals, objectives, standards and expectations.

Sustainable Energy Research Laboratories

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

It goes without saying that sustainability is a core belief of the energy research community. But when scientific laboratories consume up to ten times more energy and water than standard commercial office buildings, creating sustainable spaces can be a challenge. Flad Architects teamed with Stony Brook University to design an Advanced Energy Center that embodies the University's commitment to campus sustainability. Learn about the energy strategies employed that enable this cutting-edge energy research facility to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

AEC, Advanced Energy, LEED Platinum, campus sustainability, energy strategies, flad_clean_energy, jerry_polly_info

Lisa M. Pratt, Ph.D., Professor of Geological Sciences, Indiana University

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

Dr. Lisa Pratt shares insights into the design process with Flad for Multidisciplinary Sciences Buildings 1 and 2 at Indiana University.

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flad_enhancing, Lisa Pratt, Indiana University, higher education, Lab of the Year High Honors, Simon Hall

Michael M. Cox, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

Dr. Michael Cox shares the details of working with Flad Architects on the UW-Madison Biochemistry buildings, Phase I and II.

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Michael Cox, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Biochemistry, higher education

Recent Awards and Recognition

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:00:00 CST

Our clients don’t work on small problems. They are tackling challenges that will change how we live. These organizations are working towards the smartest solutions and the most dramatic accomplishments. We are inspired by the work of our clients, and happy to share these recent awards with them.

International Interior Design Association (IIDA)

Novartis; Holly Springs, North Carolina

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals; Ridgefield, Connecticut

Shands at the University of Florida; Gainesville, Florida

Central Insurance; VanWert, Ohio

American Family Insurance; Madison, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Pediatric Specialties Clinic; Madison, Wisconsin

ACT Corporate Headquarters; Iowa City, Iowa

American Institute of Architects (AIA)

Novartis; Holly Springs, North Carolina

University of California, Teaching and Research Winery and the
August A. Busch lll Brewing and Food Science Laboratory; Davis, California

Shands at the University of Florida; Gainesville, Florida

Florida Hospital Reference Laboratory; Orlando, Florida

University of Florida, Performing Arts Center; Gainesville, Florida

Indiana University, Simon Hall; Bloomington, Indiana

Florida State University, Psychology Building; Tallahassee, Florida

ACT Corporate Headquarters; Iowa City, Iowa

University of Wisconsin, Engineering Centers; Madison, Wisconsin

NASA, Space Life Science Laboratory; Kennedy Space Center, Florida

University of Connecticut, Visitors Center; Storrs, Connecticut

University of Wisconsin, Chemistry Research Tower; Madison, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry Building; Madison, Wisconsin

ZymoGenetics, Nelson Site Laboratory Expansion; Seattle, Washington

American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

University of California, Teaching and Research Winery and the
August A. Busch lll Brewing and Food Science Laboratory; Davis, California

Indiana University, Simon Hall; Bloomington, Indiana

University of Alberta, Campus Quad Redevelopment; Alberta, Canada

ACT Corporate Headquarters; Iowa City, Iowa

University of Wisconsin, Engineering Centers; Madison, Wisconsin

R&D Magazine Laboratory of the Year

University of California, Teaching and Research Winery and the
August A. Busch lll Brewing and Food Science Laboratory; Davis, California (High Honors)

Indiana University, Simon Hall; Bloomington, Indiana (High Honors)

Bayer Corporation, High Throughput Laboratory; West Haven, Connecticut (Renovated Lab of the Year)

Pharmacia Corporation, Life Science Building; Skokie, Illinois (Special Mention, Lab Planning and Sustainability)

Chiron Corporation, Life Sciences Building; Emeryville, California (Laboratory of the Year)

Genentech, Process Science Center; South San Francisco, California (High Honors)

Bausch & Lomb, Optics Research Center; Rochester, New York (High Honors)

USDA, Dairy Forage Research Laboratory; Madison, Wisconsin (Special Mention)

awards, recognition, AIA, IIDA, R&D Magazine, Laboratory of the Year

Bill Bula, President

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Bill Bula has been studying the spaces we work in for more than 25 years. He has been quietly coordinating technically complex projects of enormous proportion, just as he has guided the firm as president of Flad Architects — with calm, thoughtful leadership and keen insight.

His astute observations of human behavior within corporate office environments, research and development facilities, and educational and learning centers has led to new approaches in design. His determination to provide the spaces that allow each member of a team to reach his or her potential has resulted in dynamic new facilities for clients and an inspiring workplace for Flad.

View "Core Purpose and Practice"

Bill Bula, Flad Architects, leadership, president

Media Contact

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Mary Hirsch: 608-232-1275
flad@flad.com

Bringing Critical Care to the Community - Insights from St. Mary's Emergency Staff and Laura Stillman

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

One mile can seem like hundreds when a medical emergency is occurring. Yet, until Wisconsin’s first freestanding emergency center opened, the residents of Sun Prairie drove over 30 minutes to seek emergency care. Resolving issues of limited funds for new hospitals, door-to-doc care, and unique emergency care models, this St. Mary’s Hospital facility may start a trend toward freestanding emergency centers in Wisconsin. St. Mary’s emergency staff, hospital leadership, and Laura Stillman from Flad share in this "InBusiness" article how the center resolved the needs of the hospital, staff, patients, and community.

healthcare, electronic records, Epic Systems, acute care, racetrack design, triage room, nursing station, patients, emergency room

Bringing the Past and Present Together – Indiana University’s Simon Hall

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Balancing 21st century science needs with 1800's architecture could have spelled disaster for Indiana University and its multidisciplinary science building. By returning to a more traditional way of designing and constructing, David Black surpassed all expectations for Simon Hall. The article below describes how Flad Architects successfully married science innovation with early architecture.

Lab of the Year, design, construction, science innovation, higher education, Simon Hall, Indiana University

David Black, Design Principal

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

David Black is an award-winning architect whose skill lies not only in small precise details, but also in understanding and working within a larger context. His contributions to college campuses across the country exemplify his talent for creating buildings that pay homage to the history and tradition of the institution, while providing spaces for cutting-edge research and scholarship. Responding thoughtfully to the natural landscape, his designs allow the buildings and their users to interact harmoniously with the environment.

View "Creating a Sense of Place"
View "The Legacy of Architecture"
View "Architecture as a Journey"

David Black, principal, legacy of architecture, award-winning, Flad Architects

Mark Corey, Principal

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Mark Corey loves solving puzzles. For more than three decades, he has specialized in one of the most challenging aspects of architectural planning and design – laboratory and animal facilities. Assembling these buildings, housing some of the most important medical research being conducted today, is a puzzle of staggering proportions. Adhering to strict security, safety, and scientific protocols while maximizing efficiency, he is an expert in managing diverse animal populations and addressing the unique challenges that each species presents.

Mark Corey, Flad Architects, principal, higher education, academic, laboratory

Architecture as a Journey

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

David Black, Design Principal at Flad Architects

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architecture, academic campus, Flad Architects, David Black

Tom Grove, Principal

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Tom Grove understands that healing takes place in many environments; in waiting areas, in atria, in patient rooms specially designed to soothe and comfort, in hallways flooded with natural light. He listens to caregivers, patients, families and administrators, and through careful planning he ensures that the physical space maximizes the potential of a healthcare organization. Though transparent to the average visitor, his work expedites care in emergencies, provides respite for families in crisis, and allows patients to concentrate fully on their recovery.

Tom Grove, Flad Architects, principal, health care, medical planning

James Gazvoda, Principal

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

James Gazvoda is not a scientist, but his work is essential to researchers all across the country. Scientists are making breakthroughs in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals because he has a deep understanding of their processes, the nature of their challenges, and their needs from a physical space. In research and development laboratories, production plants, and pilot facilities, he looks for the convergence of science, process, and creativity and translates it into architecture.

Jim Gazvoda, Flad Architects, principal, process, research and development

John Mickow, Principal

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

John Mickow knows how to assemble an extraordinary team – a group of professionals with outstanding credentials and extensive practical experience; a cadre that will work well collaboratively toward a common goal. From programming through construction documents, Mr. Mickow’s strength lies not only in his ability to organize, plan, and coordinate work, but to convey ideas clearly to clients and team members. With this singular vision, he guides, questions, evaluates, and encourages each member of the team of specialists, focusing their expertise to create a successful project.

John Mickow, Flad Architects, San Francisco, principal, architect, research and development

Core Purpose and Practice

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Bill Bula, Flad's CEO and President

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flad_spaces, Bill Bula, Flad Architects

Stevens Williams, Principal

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Stevens Williams approaches innovative building design thinking about more than wood, metal, concrete, and glass. He also thinks about the sun. Rainwater. Trees, grasses, and prairies. He thinks about how the building will fit into the landscape, conserve energy and resources, and operate in harmony with the natural world around it. While expressing the unique needs and aspirations of academic, federal, scientific, and corporate clients, he applies ambitious environmental design concepts, integrating technology in sustainable settings.

Stevens Williams, Flad Architects, San Francisco, principal, design, sustainable, sustainability

Irene Lo, Principal

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Irene Lo has been fascinated by space, forms, patterns, colors, and light since she was a child. More than visual elements to simply appreciate and admire, these design fundamentals form her palette and inspire her to create. As a principal-in-charge or project manager, she plans technically complex research and development facilities, exhibiting unparalleled leadership, knowledge, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Not surprisingly, the laboratories are informed by her careful use of space. Interiors are enlivened by her sophisticated application of pattern and color. Buildings are bathed in the dynamic light she was enamored with in her youth.

Irene Lo, Flad Architects, San Francisco, principal, architect, research and development

Steve Freson, Principal

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Steve Freson understands laboratories. He understands how they work, and how researchers work in them. He knows the different protocols and procedures employed in high containment, biology, chemistry, physical science, vivarium, and radiological facilities, and how the physical environment must be adapted to fit the nature of the research. However, he goes beyond the technical aspects of a project to gain real insight into the client’s corporate mission, their vision, their research goals. His job is not creating a better building. It’s facilitating discovery and advancing science.

View "Meeting Design and Business Goals"

Steve Freson, Flad Architects, principal, architect, biocontainment, bio-ag

About Flad

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Founded in 1927, Flad specializes in the planning and design of innovative spaces for corporate, healthcare, health science, higher education, and science and technology clients. In addition to architectural design, Flad offers interior design, landscape architecture, master planning, strategic planning, structural engineering, and sustainable design.

At Flad Architects it’s not about our firm, it’s about people. Listening to people. Ensuring their goals are understood. Needs are addressed. Vision is realized. That’s how innovation happens. Simple conversations turning into big ideas. Bridging the gap between “what is” and “what could be” can lead to startling breakthroughs that allow our clients to envision their future.

Crossing Disciplines of Medicine and Science

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Laura Stillman, Executive Vice President and Principal

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flad_health_change, Laura Stillman, Flad Architects, medicine, science

Going Beyond Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): Sustainable Laboratory Design

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

The pursuit of sustainability goals, as defined by LEED, has generated increased efforts by both owners and the construction industry. However, to actually create a sustainable facility it must go beyond LEED and, in fact, fully sustain itself. Two Flad projects embodying this challenge are a confidential client’s Renewable Energy Laboratory in Malaysia and Stony Brook University’s Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center. This paper explores how the design team must move beyond a standard approach and embrace a myriad of new challenges.

AERTC, REL, net-zero, high performance, passive design, lab planning, day lighting, LEED platinum, sustainable design, energy research

Sustainable Design: Exciting Times in Architecture

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Jeff Zutz, Managing Principal at Flad

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Jeff Zutz, Flad Architects, sustainable design, architecture

It's the Economy, Stupid (or is it about Strategy?)

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Do business executives ever face easy decisions? In this CoreNet “The Leader” article, Rob Osgood of Flad Architects explores the implications of key issues C-suite members address in driving their businesses to a competitive advantage during difficult economic climates.

Robert Osgood, Jr., innovation, Fortune 1000, real estate, business strategies, practical experience, strategy alignment, facilities

Andrew Cunningham, Principal

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Andrew Cunningham loves the built landscape. Growing up in Scotland, he studied the storied architecture of that country, from its rustic medieval castles to sleek modern office buildings. But today he works in Flad’s San Francisco office and serves on the planning board for the City of Alameda, California, so he can help shape the landscape of his new home — preserving what is historically interesting and important, while planning for a dynamic, environmentally responsible future.

Read "Genentech's Fill-Finish Facility: Just in Time Approach"

Andrew Cunningham, Flad Architects, principal, architect, research, science, higher education

Jeff Raasch, Principal

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 CST

Jeff Raasch sees himself as an interpreter. Someone who assembles ideas into space and form. This philosophy has led to exceptional, award-winning designs in corporate, healthcare and research facilities. His completed projects, both nationally and internationally, are a true reflection of the clients they serve. Each structure strives to create a balance of space and light, integral to its place, and appropriate for its time. As a university instructor and practicing professional, his designs reflect an in-depth knowledge of both the historical roots of architecture as well as the upcoming trends in tomorrow’s buildings.

Read article "It all started atop the Empire State Building"

Jeff Raasch, Flad Architects, principal, architect, design

Robert Osgood, Principal

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:00:00 CST

Robert Osgood knows that one of the biggest decisions companies make is determining the best ways to connect global, virtual 24/7 teams charged with driving innovation. As a strategist and researcher, he maps ways in which individuals and teams work, examining the processes they employ, the cultures they establish and collaboration networks in which they engage. In doing so, he arrives at solutions that align organizational change initiatives with enhancements to business processes, team building, physical workplaces and ever-changing technology that facilitates virtual connectivity.

Read article "It's the Economy, Stupid (or is it Strategy?)"

Robert Osgood, Jr., Flad Architects, principal, innovation, Fortune 1000, real estate, business strategies, practical experience, strategy alignment, facilities

Insights

Press Release: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Press Release : The Infusion Technology Center at UF Innovation Square Transforms Discoveries

Press Release : St. Anthony's Hospital Opens New Emergency Center

Press Release : Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa has a new Emergency Center for the Mason City Community

Press Release : Brookhaven National Laboratory Modernizing Existing Research Facilities

Repurposing - Thinking Inside the Box

Adding Insight to Injury

University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry Complex

University of Wisconsin Clinical Simulation Center

Enhancing, Engaging, and Inspiring Campus Community

Press Release : University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Opens Simulation Center

Press Release : Construction for the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes Takes Shape

Press Release : Flad Architects Awarded Livermore Valley Open Campus Master Plan

Press Release : Flad Architects is Taking the Mpower Pledge

Press Release : Malcom Randall VA Medical Center Patient Tower Addition Now Open to Veterans

Press Release : Affinity Health System Breaks Ground on New Outpatient Clinic

Steven R. Smith, MD, Scientific Director / Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes (TRI)

Working with the Flad Team

Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science

University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Clinical Simulation Center

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories/California

How Design makes a Difference

Flad Participates in the Mpower ChaMpion Program

Fast and Smart: Design Principles for Academic Research Laboratories

Satellite Emergency Center

The Next Generation of Vaccine QA/QC Facilities

University of California-Davis, Teaching/Research Winery and Brewing & Food Science Laboratory (WBF)

University of California-Davis, Teaching/Research Winery and Brewing & Food Science Laboratory (WBF)

The Third Place

University of California-Davis, Teaching/Research Winery and Brewing & Food Science Laboratory (WBF)

University of California, Davis - New Science Facility Making Headlines

Press Release : Construction Begins on the 54,000-square-foot Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes at Florida Hospital

Healthcare Facilities Magazine features Shands Cancer Hospital

Press Release : St. Petersburg College, Awarded LEED® Gold Certification

Successful Biocontainment Facilities in the New Economy

Modern Steel Construction Magazine features Genentech HFF Project

Meeting Business and Design Goals

Stony Brook University

Advanced Energy Research: Understanding Our Impact

LEED® Platinum

Advanced Energy Research: A Global Dialog

Lean Provides Tools for ED Design

Press Release : Community Need Sparks State’s First Freestanding Emergency Center

Press Release : Flad Architects to Design New Simulation Center for UW Health Clinical Simulation Program

Executive Profile: For Jeff Raasch, it all started atop the Empire State Building about 40 years ago.

Sustainable Healthcare:Flad Architects Innovates to Deliver a LEED-Gold Certified Shands Cancer Hospital

Creating a Sense of Place

The Legacy of Architecture

Carl Bauer, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University

Making the Impossible, Possible. Just-in-Time Approach for Genentech’s Fill-Finish Facility

Jerry Polly, Principal

Laura Stillman, Principal

Jeff Zutz, Managing Principal

Shands Cancer Hospital:Wellness through Integrated Arts

Rethinking Project Delivery:Integrated Teams Help Manage Risk, Maximize Investments

Sustainable Energy Research Laboratories

Lisa M. Pratt, Ph.D., Professor of Geological Sciences, Indiana University

Michael M. Cox, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin

Recent Awards and Recognition

Bill Bula, President

Media Contact

Bringing Critical Care to the Community - Insights from St. Mary's Emergency Staff and Laura Stillman

Bringing the Past and Present Together – Indiana University’s Simon Hall

David Black, Design Principal

Mark Corey, Principal

Architecture as a Journey

Tom Grove, Principal

James Gazvoda, Principal

John Mickow, Principal

Core Purpose and Practice

Stevens Williams, Principal

Irene Lo, Principal

Steve Freson, Principal

About Flad

Crossing Disciplines of Medicine and Science

Going Beyond Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): Sustainable Laboratory Design

Sustainable Design: Exciting Times in Architecture

It's the Economy, Stupid (or is it about Strategy?)

Andrew Cunningham, Principal

Successful Biocontainment Facilities
in the New Economy

Sustainable Healthcare:
Flad Architects Innovates to Deliver a LEED-Gold Certified Shands Cancer Hospital

Shands Cancer Hospital:
Wellness through Integrated Arts

Rethinking Project Delivery:
Integrated Teams Help Manage Risk, Maximize Investments