Last week, all employees of MKSD packed up our tools and spent the day doing some “field work” at the Perfect Fit on 11th & Hamilton in Allentown city. As part of the “Volunteer Challenge” by the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley, MKSD was teamed up with the Perfect Fit in hopes to provide our services to the non-profit. Utilizing our design and construction talents, we cut & framed a passage through one of the interior walls & rearranged racks to provide better usage of the space.  We also took on many minor improvements including: repairing shelving, cutting and installing wood trim on doorways, painting, hanging artwork, rearranging items, folding & organizing clothing, putting up new dressing room curtains & racking. We received donations of furniture from local contract furniture dealerships; and we are in the process of aiding in the replacement of the dated & worn carpet throughout the space.

MKSD and The Perfect Fit would like to thank the following companies for their donations to this year’s Volunteer Challenge. Our scope of work would not have been possible without the generosity of these companies & their representatives:

• Corporate Environments, Bethlehem – Furniture:  (2) task chairs, (4) guest chairs, (2) 6’ high bookcases & delivery
• Interior Workplace Solutions, Allentown – Furniture:  (1) storage cabinet, (1) file cabinet, (1) white round end table & delivery
• Sherwin Williams, Allentown – Paint & Supplies: 4 gallons, paint trays, brushes & rollers
• Shaw Contract Carpet – Carpet Tile
• Bastian Carpet, Allentown – Carpet donation & installation
• K+H Custom Window Treatments, Trexlertown – New ‘Draper’ Window shades, hardware & installation

We hope our design & labor efforts will reflect the comfort of a “fresh start” that the Perfect Fit wishes to provide for the women they help!

Take a look at our ‘before and after’ photos & vote for MKSD’s renovation of the Perfect Fit by clicking the link: http://www.volunteerlv.org/ Votes are only $1 each, the minimum vote is $5. 

Then visit our booth at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown on May 30 from 5:00-7:30 pm to see our design drawings and meet the women of The Perfect Fit. Winners of the Challenge will be announced. Register for the event at the Volunteer Center website.

You can always help the cause by donating your time or professional clothing (including shoes, handbags & jewelry) to The Perfect Fit at 1101 Hamilton Blvd, 3rd Floor, Allentown, PA 18101. Manager, Heidi Lennick, can be contacted at 610-871-5060.

Silvia is pictured with her diamond award for being named one of the Lehigh Valley’s Women of Influence this past Monday by Lehigh Valley Business.

We’ve all been there! We have all struggled through the process, but persevered to get to where we are. We continue to learn and grow – as everything around us continues to change. Our ability to adapt to changes defines us and makes us who we are. It’s too bad there wasn’t a course on that in school!

Looking back, it would be fair to say that we all needed a little help or push along the way. Whether it is from a parent / family member, a teacher, a coach, or any person offering support and direction, the help would have been greatly appreciated, especially if we didn’t know which way to turn. Today’s students, like us back in the day (I’m now sounding like my sons), need a lot of support, and can certainly benefit from someone offering some direction. The ACE Mentor program is one way that professionals can interact with these students and share our experiences – what we do, why we do it, how we got to where we are now!

The ACE Mentor program is a national organization who oversees the regional mentoring groups. ACE offers its mentors instructional information and meeting guidelines, as well as scholarship opportunities for the students. At the regional level, the local directors form the ‘teams’ that volunteer in the participating school districts. A typical ACE Team consists of an array of Architects, Contractors and Engineers (hence, ACE!). We volunteer a few hours of our free time to meet with the students and discuss our work and how it relates to ‘real life’ building projects. Meeting on a bi-weekly basis, we take turns offering a description of our education, experience, employment and responsibilities. Building materials suppliers and vendors are sometimes invited to share their experiences with the students – demonstrating how they interact with the contractors and professionals throughout the construction process. After just a few meetings, the students are exposed to a wide variety of educational and career path options, as well as future employment opportunities.

The initial meetings typically stress team building skills and involve small group exercises. The students then select a group project. The mentor team guides them through the process of putting their ideas onto paper and developing them into a working plan.  With no boundaries imposed on their work – unlimited money, land, etc – the sky’s the limit! The mentor team defines a working schedule based on the number of weeks & months available. The students complete their work using any resources available and ultimately present their project, formally, to members of the ACE Mentor program, family members, school administrators, teachers, fellow students and friends.

For me, the most important aspect of the program is to create the design, and keep the experience fun for the students.  Understanding that they have already endured a long day in school, we offer after school snacks – pizza or hoagies and soda seem to be the favorites!

It’s now up to you! Give volunteering a try…it benefits all of us!

The images are samples of student work from the program, and they are very impressive!

Below, we follow up with MKSD Partner, Mark Thompson, on his experience at BMW Welt, the major BMW dealership in Munich, Germany…

We spent our last day in Munich visiting the BMW complex near the 1972 Olympic Park.  BMW Welt (World) is the BMW dealership of BMW dealerships.  The building alone is worth the visit.  The exterior envelope is overwhelming and looks like a black storm cloud with a tornado on one end. When you think the building exterior is amazingly expressive, you enter and discover a world of curvilinear lines, solids and voids that is filled with natural light.  The entire building is gray tone, black or silver which makes the cars pop right out of the floor.  Every car BMW currently makes is on display along with a few items from the BMW Museum to peak your interest.

You can wander through the space with no assistance; you can take a guided tour or buy your new car like any other BMW dealership.  Sales assistants drive the cars around the interior just to show them off.

For those of you considering a new BMW, you can order your new car in the US, take delivery of the car at BMW Welt, drive down the curvilinear ramp to the streets of Munich, drive it all over Europe – can you say autobahn? – drop it off at the European port of your choice and BMW will then ship it to your local dealership.  Does it get any better than that?

In the next blog, we travel across the street to the real highlight of the trip – the BMW Museum.

The bridge from Welt to Museum

MKSD architects’ Jessica Klocek, has passed her Architect Registration Examination^®(ARE^®) to become a licensed architect in Pennsylvania. The ARE^® is a testing procedure comprised of seven different examinations related to the various architectural disciplines. It assesses candidates for their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide the various services required in the practice of architecture and has been adopted for use by all 54 U.S. and Canadian member boards.

Jess has been with MKSD architects since 2004. She serves as project designer, project manager, construction administrator, and interiors architect for the firm. Jess has worked on many local design projects, including facilities designs for St. Luke’s University Hospital Network, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Northwestern Lehigh School District, Lehigh Carbon Community College, and Northampton Community College.  She is a 2004 graduate of Lehigh University and 2009 graduate of Drexel University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree and is also a LEED Building Design + Construction accredited professional.

Jess’s registration means that MKSD architects now features eight Pennsylvania-registered architects, along with our five LEED accredited professionals.

Blog topic….Blog topic….b  l  o  g      t  o  p  i  c.   So when Alicia kindly reminded me that it was my turn to blog, I can say that for once I was kind of stumped with coming up with something to share that I think would be of value to read. The only thing I knew is that I didn’t really want to do something related to architecture. Ok, I know that this is an architecture website, but I was thinking a little more globally about something that would simply be inspirational…We could ALL use a little inspiration now and then. That said, rather than having you read this time around, instead, just watch this video on Arthur. I can  promise that (after you skip the commercial)  it will be just under 5 minutes that are extremely well spent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qX9FSZJu448

The project at the Rhawnhurst Elementary School in the School District of Philadelphia was simple: replace the ceiling, mechanical system, and other building finishes within the school’s auditorium. The School District had closed the auditorium to the students and teachers for a better part of two years due to asbestos that was found in the crumbling ceiling. Along with replacing the ceiling, there were some other problems that needed to be addressed, such as, moisture damage to the plaster walls and soffits, a mechanical system that had been decommissioned years ago, and an attic space that was sealed off as part of the containment of the asbestos. Also, during our site visit, comments had been made regarding damage to the brick veneer, which also required work.

The ceiling was a “popcorn” finish plaster barrel vault. The walls were painted plaster, finished with a stained wood wainscot paneling and painted base. The seats were wood with decorative end panels at the end of each row.  The flooring in the auditorium had sealed concrete under the seats and vinyl composite tile in the rows and open areas.

The design approach was inspired by the original decorative end panel at the end of the seat rows. Our ceiling design utilized an acoustical-backed floating curved metal panel system that was designed to simulate the former barrel vaulted plaster ceiling. A simple, thin pendent light fixture was used throughout with a matching thin decorative pendent light fixture centered in the cross aisle. These fixtures all hung below the ceiling system, while the new mechanical system was installed above.  The wood paneling was cleaned and re-stained, and the wood base repainted. The plaster walls were cleaned, fixed, and painted a lighter, modern color finish. At the top of the plaster wall, new wood trim was installed and stained to match the lower section of the wood panel; this “cleaned up” the top of the plaster wall. A new vinyl composite tile was selected and the brick veneer was patched where needed.

Though this project was simple in concept, the work involved created a dramatic change to the aesthetic and health of the space. We were happy to take the lead in the transformation this auditorium… Now the school is no longer concerned with the dangers of asbestos… And they have a beautiful space that will bring pride to the students & teachers.

A delicate balance must be achieved between the code requirements and the look and feel of the space. A successful bathroom design complies with the codes and also enhances the user experience within a facility.

Recently I’ve had the privilege of re-thinking the bathrooms for dormitory buildings on a local college campus as part of an initiative to provide improved quality of life for students. Designed in the late 50s, the existing bathrooms featured an open space for sinks and toilets and another open space for showers. At some point, they were retrofit with partitions to separate the toilets and showers, but they were completely inaccessible to someone in a wheelchair and had fallen into disrepair. I imagine many prisons had better bathrooms… and they reminded me of my college dormitory experience.

The new bathroom design provides a much higher level of privacy for the residents. Toilet, Sink, and Shower areas have been separated into their own spaces. New toilet and shower partitions extend almost floor to ceiling and feature jamb details that overlap the door and frame, resulting in a gap free condition eliminating sight lines. The showers feature a changing area outside of the curtain providing a transition space.

A sophisticated materials palette rounds out the design for the new spaces, and will go a long way to improve the feel of the dormitory buildings.

After an extended design journey and some significant progress on the construction of Northampton Community College’s New Monroe Campus in Tannersville, PA, MKSD is excited to announce we have just submitted for our design review from the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED certification.  This project has taken our firm on a rollercoaster ride of fun for the last 5 years and after 2 ½ years of design consultation and LEED documentation we have pushed the “SUBMIT” button on this portion of the project.

We will keep you all updated when we receive certification!  

St. Luke’s University Hospital purchased the 107,000 square foot former Pennsylvania Expo Center, which once housed the Builders Square Home Improvement Center on 17 acres of property in South Whitehall Township.  St. Luke’s West End Medical Center will be a “one-stop” health center with consolidated services that include doctor offices, out-patient diagnostic and treatment services, diagnostic laboratory, pediatric and adult urgent care.  MKSD’s complete façade and interior renovation transforms the long vacated retail warehouse into an inviting and accessible health campus.  The repurposed facility promotes St. Luke’s brand by utilizing brick, masonry, stone, extensive glazing, entrance canopies and identification signage visible as you enter the site and building.  The use of natural materials and colors enhance the patient experience and reduces their stress level when visiting the health center.  The center’s tentative opening is scheduled for late spring.

During the renovations St. Luke’s recently hosted the Community Emergency Preparedness Day sponsored by South Whitehall, Upper Macungie and North Whitehall townships as well as the 5K Classic Health Expo & Packet Pick-Up.  See link – Women’s 5K Classic

This project will be honored with an Adaptive Reuse Award by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber at The Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Outlook and Awards Luncheon on April 18, 2013.  See link – St. Luke’s West End Center Wins Real Estate Award

Existing North Elevation

Existing East Elevation looking north

Existing North Elevation looking south

View toward the Main Entrance

View toward the future Cancer Center Entrance

Interior main corridor

Cetronia Road Entrance signage

View from Cetronia Road towards the Main Entrance

Main Entrance

East Elevation looking south

A very under-utilized space in the lower level of a girls’ dorm begged for an MKSD intervention.

A little paint, new lighting, carpet, furniture, and some help from some friendly neighborhood construction managers, and voila!

A fun multi-purpose study room and TV room were born again!

When my sister exclaimed that she had the perfect winery for us to visit, I figured she was just exaggerating and that we’d be seeing more of the same.  So we headed out early for another gorgeous drive through rolling green hills and acres of woodlands, complimented by perfectly blue skies and a warm sun shining down on us.  30 minutes later we pulled onto a long driveway flanked by fields of grape vines, which framed a spectacular view of this:

“Castello di Amoroso”  – This place is incredible!  It is a fully functioning winery, housed in a completely authentic 13^th century Tuscan castle!  I’ve always been interested in medieval castles, and their many different details.  My jaw dropped when we pulled up, and I don’t think it closed until we left hours later!  This isn’t just a bogus, fake-looking building someone threw together quickly to be a tourist trap – this is the real thing… and the story is amazing.

The owner of the winery is obsessed with castles, and went to extreme measures to make sure that EVERY detail was constructed authentically.  He traveled to Europe and purchased portions of existing castles that were still standing from medieval times to include in his new building.  While there, he met a mason with experience building them, using old, handmade materials and ancient techniques… so he flew him to the USA to teach crews here how to build this castle the “proper” way!  When things weren’t done absolutely authentically and correctly, they tore them down and started again! They literally hand-chiseled bricks and hand-forged nails!  In fact, all of the ironwork was hand-forged over open flame on site!  That being said, it took many years to complete this project – over 10 years alone just to construct the 80,000sf underground cave system with complex medieval vaulted ceilings!  The entire castle is 121,000sf, with 107 rooms on eight levels. The rest of the complex includes a “dry moat (with Drawbridge), high defensive fortified walls, five towers, courtyards and loggias, a Tuscan farmhouse and other outbuildings.  They erected archways, a big kitchen, a Great Hall (that took one and a half years to completely fresco), stables, apartments for the nobles, wine fermenting rooms, a church and chapel, secret passageways and even a prison and torture chamber.” In order to show that castles used to evolve over time, the owner erected doorways and niches… and then bricked them up!  They also built a partially destroyed tower. There is no way I can go through all of it here, but you should definitely head to http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/  where you can see a lot more pictures and read a detailed history of the entire project – it’s fascinating!

Castello di Amorosa is a work of art, and one could spend days there exploring!  Don’t forget, not only is it a great place to tour and immerse yourself in history… it’s also a WINERY!  There are endless barrels of wine stored throughout the beautifully crafted cave system, with wine tastings offered in an intimate underground setting.  This is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and I highly recommend taking the time to visit if you find yourself in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

Have fun out there,

Nick

Photos taken from http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/

“…In the distance one can see Camelback Mountain, the Delware Water Gap, and the future. Enjoy the view!”

Oh, we are! 

Link to PDF: NCC Magazine Winter 2013 Pg3-4

Link to online viewing: http://northamptoncc.uberflip.com/issue/106661/3

One of the highlights of my experience that summer included the completion of a 1/64” scale site model for a new college campus.  After several trips to the art store, the accumulating mass of basswood, brown chipboard, lichen, and moss had begun to clog one of two main aisles to the print room.  It was not uncommon to find basswood sticks, (the makings for the tree trunks), scattered throughout the office after clinging to the bottom of a shoe.  Within a week, three miniature buildings were assembled, set, and glued into more than twenty layers of chipboard, representing the vision for what one day, would become Northampton Community College’s new Monroe Campus.

The design encompasses a thriving new campus, featuring an array of classrooms, science and computer labs, art studios, student activity areas, a state-of-the-art library, food court, child care center, and gymnasium.  To be located in Pocono Township, the three buildings are individual and architecturally significant, each with a carefully orchestrated assortment of stone, brick, metal panels, and glass curtain walls and openings to capture the picturesque beauty of the surrounding mountains.

In March 2011, several months after graduation and after working a temporary gig for a firm in Philly, I was again walking through the doors of MKSD about to begin my second term of employment with the company.  You could imagine my excitement when I learned that I would have the opportunity to resume work on NCC’s Monroe Campus.  By this time, most of the design was largely completed and another hand was needed to help begin construction documents.  With so many unique and interesting conditions and details, the next seven months served as the perfect learning platform for a young emerging architect.  At the time of my internship, my understanding of each of the building envelopes and layouts was limited, and based only on a few pinned up renderings I had seen and the chipboard skins I had assembled years prior.  In the coming months, I learned how to produce various details and portions of the construction documents, and I saw each building come to life across the page.

By October’s end the bid documents were completed, and more than a year later, I saw them jump from the page to reality.  To begin work on a project as an eager architecture student, and reprise a role in the same project two and a half years later as a fresh architecture grad, has been a unique, thrilling, and fulfilling experience.  So this past February, when it was announced that a few more heads could accompany a site visit to Monroe during construction, I jumped at the chance.

We pulled up the rear entrance to the campus; I immediately forgot how hungry I was with the absence of lunch when I saw Building 2.  There it stood, the bright green surface of the DensGlass sheathing almost seemed as if it were illuminating our entry to the construction site.  For the next two hours, we trudged through thick mud, exhausting every possible vantage point for a photograph.  I had neglected to bring a few necessary winter accessories, and with my hands continuously out of my pockets taking pictures, I could no longer feel them – but I didn’t care.  Work on Building 3 had just begun, its plywood skeleton of concrete formwork crawling out of the ground.  We sought warmth in Building 1, standing amongst the composition of metal and steel that would one day be the library.  After occupying nearly every room, we threw our boots into the back of the truck, and headed back to the office.  As we began our descent back to Route 715, I looked back at the masonry walls slowly receding from sight.  It was as if I had just gotten acquainted with “someone” I had waited nearly five years to meet.

A long time ago, in a far-away place, I received my M. Arch. from Rice University, following my B.Arts (architecture major) at the University of Pennsylvania.  When hand drafting was replaced by Computer-Aided-Drafting, I was apprehensive at first.  But now I love it!  I worked first with AutoCAD10, and then DataCAD for many years at my previous job, and now I’m learning the basics of Revit, which is great for its parametrics and has some amazing 3-D capabilities. 

Other than architecture, I enjoy amateur astronomy and all kinds of museums, but I also cherish the preciousness of our natural world.

Lehigh Valley Business magazine, February 21, 2013:

” Silvia Hoffman has been named one of Greater Lehigh Valley’s 2013 Women of Influence. The award program, produced by Lehigh Valley Business, the region’s premier business news publication, is sponsored by Lehigh Valley Financial Group, Kitchen Magic and Northampton Coin & Jewelry.

The Women of Influence awards program honors the Greater Lehigh Valley’s most dynamic women in business that have been making headlines in their field. To qualify, a nominee had to meet selection criteria that included living or working in the Greater Lehigh Valley and holding significant authority for decision making in her company.

An independent panel of judges selected the Women of Influence winners based on their dedication to business growth, professional and personal accomplishments, community involvement and advocacy for women.

“We are truly fortunate to have the opportunity to recognize this outstanding group of women,” said Troy T. Bausinger, Publisher of Lehigh Valley Business.  “As business and community leaders they are constantly redefining success inside and outside the business arena.  On behalf of Lehigh Valley Business, we would like to thank and congratulate these outstanding women for their dedication to the Greater Lehigh Valley’s future.”

Lehigh Valley Business and the program sponsors will honor this year’s winners during an awards luncheon on Monday, May 6, 2013 at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, PA.  The honorees will also be highlighted in a special supplement to Lehigh Valley Business on May 13, 2013.

For more information about the Lehigh Valley Business, Women of Influence awards program or to reserve seats to the event, please visit www.lvb.com/events or contact Kayla Reppert at kaylar@lvb.com or (610) 807-9619. “

Last year about this time, I decided to go “undercover” and spent 2 weeks as a patient at a hospital (to remain unidentified to protect the innocence).   I investigated the patient experience from an architectural stand point – understand how the patient experience can be improved through architecture.

As I was escorted to my room I could not help but notice the neutral finishes, a spark of color could have brighten my mood as I walked nervously to my room.   The patient rooms were organized around the perimeter with the support spaces centrally located, however, the nurse’s station could not visually see all of the rooms.   It made me a little uneasy knowing they might not be able to see me.  After a short walk I was at my room, I looked around the space that would be my “home “for the next two weeks of research (thankfully a private room!).

Right away, I was impressed by the large windows!  While they were not operable, the connection to the outdoors and natural light was definitely a positive.   The space also included built–in casework that housed some of the equipment, nice detail.  It’s already a nerve-wracking time, so I appreciated not being overwhelmed with all the equipment.  One area that could have been improved was the sound insulation.   The noise from the adjacent corridor or patient rooms was sometimes loud at night time, and getting rest was very critical.   The lighting in the room was acceptable, but a few more variations of lighting levels could have been helpful for my various tasks through the day, which of course included reading, watching television, entertaining guests, or sleeping.   The temperature control was perfect!   I was able to make the room warmer or cooler as needed, however the controls should have been closer to the bed.  All in all the space was comfortable.  The design of hospital spaces can directly impact a patient’s comfort and health.  However, while I would love to say that the architecture of a space makes or breaks a person’s entire experience at the hospital, I would be incorrect.  The nurses, doctors, and staff are what truly provide for an exceptional experience.   Architecture just supports it!

Ok, so maybe this wasn’t all for the job… as many of you know, at the end of my stay, my husband and I were blessed with two little baby boys!

This week, the MKSD staff was asked to share their New Year’s resolutions (if they lasted through January) and career goals for 2013! These are our ambitions…

Mark Thompson … is going to go to the gym at least 4 times a week, and work at becoming proficient in SketchUp 3D design software!

Silvia Hoffman … is planning to be consistent with eating healthy and exercising this year, taking vitamins & drinking water. She wants to laugh a little more & enjoy life a little more, as well as practicing patience with herself and others. She also mentioned that she is trying to “slow down”, but we all know that will be challenging! Her career goals include passing the American Council of Healthcare Architects exam. Good Luck, Silvia!

Todd Chambers … would like to keep himself from being distracted by online social networking and spend more time with his children.

Gabe Rizzi … hopes to learn something new each day… put a smile on someone’s face with a kind word or gesture… and make each day worthwhile with no regrets.

Nick Hewes … will be house hunting this year! Nick and his wife, Jill, are looking for a larger home for their family since the arrival of their twin boys.

Jill Hewes … will try to get more sleep at night – when the twins are not waking up her and Nick!

Mel Doyle … is hoping to be LEED certified in 2013! Good luck, Mel! She will also be volunteering and working on furniture building projects at home between studying.

Kathy Gowka-Weiss … will eat healthier food & exercise more. She recently joined MKSD and is excited to be a productive worker and a great addition to our team!

Jess Klocek … is planning to take her final Architectural Registration Exam and become a licensed architect – Good Luck, Jess! She hopes to design great projects this year at MKSD… At home, she would like to take some relaxing “mommy” time at least once a week.

Jason Monroig … is excited to complete his degree from Drexel University in June of 2013. Congrats, Jason!

Christian Didra … would like to get more experience in the Construction Administration phase. He is also preparing to take at least two more ARE’s this year. Good luck, Christian!

Alicia Mason … will be jumping back into IDP and hopefully passing a few Registration exams this year! She also wants to teach herself how to tile walls & floors in her home!

Please comment if you have similar goals and can provide some advice… or can add one to our list!  Thanks for reading!

The MKSD team is excited to announce that our Employee Blog is making its return to the World Wide Web beginning this February!

The team has chosen me to undertake the assignment of the gathering and posting of our blogs this year; coincidentally, I am also making a happy return to MKSD… For the last year, I was employed by a contract furniture dealership; though most of my time was spent as a designer for Facilities department in a large local corporate office.  As a designer, I was naturally thrilled by the idea of a new challenge.  And as an architect, there is no better way to understand the concerns and desires of a Facilities client than to put oneself in that position.  (And wow, I learned a lot!)

Facilities Management is its own engine inside a company’s train.  Often faced with difficult terrain and no time to slow down, this group is always rolling at top speed down the tracks to reach the destination with safe & happy passengers.

Though I am sure each organization has unique challenges and diverse personnel, the goals are most likely very similar.  It is important to recognize the biggest concerns for a Facilities team:

• Budgets & Estimating
• Sustainability & Life Cycle
• End User Concerns & Desires
• Coordination & Scheduling
• Individual Project Design & Construction Challenges… And the list goes on!

I have learned so much in just a year, and I’m ready to utilize my experience now that I have returned to architectural design.  It is encouraging to again work for MKSD, since I know this staff has worked hard to build such a great rapport with our Facilities (and all) clients.  I am looking forward to new projects and professional growth… and I hope our clients are too!

For me the choice eventually ended up between two noteworthy professions….Pharmacy or Architecture. And you’re thinking, “Really?” How strange, two careers so diametrically opposed to one another that you wonder how I could have come up with both of them. Well…here goes. In high school, I loved art but wasn’t necessarily the artistic type, excelling in Science, Math and English at the same time.  Even as an 11^th grader I was a good problem solver and speaker, a global thinker, and I was by no means afraid of big ideas. In my drafting class, my soft spoken, bespeckled instructor looked down at my drawings and then looked up at me….”Silvia, you do a really nice work, have you thought of becoming an architect?”

It only takes a one single match to start a blazing fire and this question was like a match for me, it was all it took to get the romantic notion of becoming an architect in my head and then it refused to leave. At the same time as these inspired thoughts were brewing, I had a part time job as pharmacy technician, saving dollars to put gas my Mustang and my college account at the same time. I think back to days standing in the pharmacy, white plastic shelves filled with neatly stacked and organized bottles, counting out little pills and securing them under child proof lids so they wouldn’t escape, placing them in white paper bags, neatly stacked in baskets, alphabetically, waiting for customers to pick them up. The pharmacist sat on a stool, hunched over, bored, reading a magazine, getting up on occasion to check my work or to answer the same questions from customers over and over and over again “What’s good for runny nose?” ,“ I have this rash on my arm” “Can you tell me where the Ace bandages are?”

When I started that pharmacy job, people were so impressed and they automatically assumed that I would become a pharmacist. It seemed the smart thing to do…But when I objected and expressed my interest in architecture I was on the receiving end of puzzled looks followed by a repeated chorus telling me that it wasn’t such a good idea for many reasons.”We are in a recession, you will never get a job”, “That’s not really a job for a girl, maybe you should be a teacher instead”, “Architects are a dime a dozen…, why would you want to be an architect?”,  “Pharmacy is much better, better pay, flexible hours, job security, plus when you have kids you can work part time.” All of these things seemed very logical and I was a logical girl. It all made perfect and practical sense, becoming a pharmacist, but then why were my head and heart in such conflict? My head fought for what was practical and my heart for what it really loved.

Never one to just do what I was told or take the easy way out, I started architecture school (a little afraid that I might fail and “they” would be right) But I figured that I would give it all I had and still keep my job at the pharmacy just in case the architecture thing didn’t work out. Then I had my first architecture studio and the battle ended quietly. It was over, and there was no question that the stool I was meant to sit on was not a pharmacy stool, but a drafting stool.  Every day in architecture school, the world began to open up and unfold before me in ways I could never have imagined. I was on the right path, regardless of what the future would actually hold.

Today I am an architect, first and foremost.   Not only am I an architect, I’m a partner in a firm that I am genuinely proud to be part of. I design environments that make peoples lives better, surrounded every day by people who feel just like me; passionate, compelled, engaged, happy. I can’t and don’t want to imagine my life in any other way than exactly how it is today. I am so grateful for that and especially to my parents for never dissuading me from persuing what I loved and to my drafting teacher who inspired me with his simple question. We all have the potential to make a tremendous impact on people by even the smallest action

Almost 25 years later, when I see a pharmacist standing on a raised platform, surrounded by little bottles; counting, counting, watching the clock, looking bored in a white lab coat, I breathe a tremendous and satisfying sigh of relief.

I love flying, so for every journey the flight itself is almost as exciting as the stay. For this trip I was fortunate enough to steal the window seats on both the departing and returning flights. During landings and take – off, I’m always intrigued by how the sense of scale changes and how we perceive the world as it steadily recedes within that small glass window. Very quickly Philadelphia began to look more like a site model, and at 38,000 feet, it’s like an extremely large model at an incredibly small scale. I’ve never flown cross country before, so I really enjoyed seeing the landscape transform: vast white clouds, to endless farm fields, to snow-capped mountains, to barren red dessert and rock, and then all the sudden there’s an enormous city in the middle of the desert.

When we landed, most noticeably I could see the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino in the distance. During the cab ride to our hotel, the allure of the famous Las Vegas strip was still a mystery as our route hadn’t intersected it. The entrance to the hotel is enclosed by a semi-circle structure and canopy with continuous and controlled flows of water trickling in various amounts. The ground floors of Casinos/Hotels are always interesting to me. It’s not the endless rows of slots machines and tables that captivate me; it’s the sheer size of the space that holds them, and how incomprehensible that is from the outside. Contrary to most Casino’s I’ve been in, the first floor at the Aria Resort and Casino felt mostly airy and spacious. You experience a series of compression and release as you navigate through different spaces on the ground floor and to the elevators. After rising 25 stories, we walked through a curved corridor (a curvature clearly expressed on the exterior of the building) towards our room. As soon as we opened the door, the TV automatically turned on and displayed the room temperature, followed by the curtains opening automatically and revealing a portion of City Center. The view is an overwhelming but captivating spectacle of intertwined buildings and structures. The circular structure marking the entry is a main focal point. Adjacent is Gehry’s “Crystals” shopping and dining center, which sits at the base of two skewed sister towers screened with yellow-green colored glass. Additionally, a monorail track is seen weaving through. Looking further out, the city gradually dissolves into barren desert and eventually the red rock mountains. The night shot is equally impressive.

Other photos reveal some day-time adventures, including a trip to the top of the Stratosphere Tower, New York New York, and a quick taxi drive – by glimpse of the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Before I knew it the weekend was over, and 90 degrees and sunshine turned into 60 degrees and rain. As they say, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, however the experience has certainly left a lasting impression.

Granted, this IS an architectural blog, so I should probably include something in these posts relating to it.  As the title suggests and as many architects can relate – having children means that soon enough it’ll be time to break out my old Tub-O- LEGOs®! Who am I kidding – you don’t need to be young to enjoy LEGOs®… I’m sitting at my desk in my office and can see LEGO® models of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Robie House” and SOM’s “Willis Tower” (formerly “Sears Tower”) on two of my co-workers’ desks!  Those tiny blocks are such great toys/learning tools, and played a large role in shaping my desire to learn to be a designer.  Though they still have the same old-school stackable bricks we all remember from our childhood, LEGO® now offers some great new theme sets, which can get very intricate.  How can you NOT expect me to get my boys a Star Wars™ set?! Or even a LEGO® Ninja set?! I can already see myself enjoying these things just as much as they will! There should also be no problem with finding the various LEGO® pieces… I believe you can purchase individual blocks right off their website (or in a LEGO® store)!  The four of us are going to have a great time creating and designing with these timelessly fun building blocks.

Another activity that has me bursting with anticipation is being able to build a Treehouse for the boys to play in!! (Obviously this would require us to own property with more than just the few 5-year-old pine trees that we currently have… but don’t worry – it’ll happen eventually!)  I’ve always loved treehouses, and find myself perusing through books about them whenever I’m in a bookstore.  When I was younger, my friends and I built a 2-story treehouse, complete with zip-line access to the 2^nd floor, as well as a pulley-system elevator (though that didn’t work too well).  We had high hopes to mimic something out of “Robin Hood-Prince of Thieves”… but there’s only so much a group of teenagers can accomplish!  I still can’t believe we didn’t hurt ourselves on that zip-line!  Looking through those books, it’s amazing to see the different treehouses people have created.  It’s going to be hard to wait until they are old enough to enjoy it, but watching them experience it is going to be worth it!  Having children gives me an excuse to think and act like a kid again… and I can’t wait!  They may not know it yet, but we are going to have so much fun together!

Have fun out there,

Nick

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-lehigh-wrestling-caruso-complex-20120312,0,6965195.story

MKSD announces two staff members promoted to full time Project Designers: Christian Didra and Karen Sander.

As a talented and enthusiastic designer, Christian’s desk is occupied with endless fragments of sketch paper and pinned-up three dimensional renderings. Two Lego models from the Architecture Series flank his computer monitor.  Before coming to MKSD architects, Christian earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Philadelphia University, where he passionately exercised his creative talent and augmented his design sensibilities. Christian studied drawing and photography in Rome. He also placed 2^nd in Lighting Design competitions and had designs featured in the National Sustainable Design Expo in Washington D.C., as well as other exhibits, including Philadelphia University’s Spirit of Innovation Gala.  Prior to coming to MKSD architects, he enjoyed a short-term assignment working for Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in Philadelphia. At MKSD, Christian continues his Intern Development Program with the goal of architectural licensing. He contributes to nearly every facet of design, or according to him…practicing what he loves – “to create”. Christian lends his talents to clients such as Northampton Community College and Muhlenberg College.

An extremely resourceful and self motivated designer, Karen has brought a fresh approach to all of the design projects she lends her talents to. Tackling every project with a positive attitude, she thrives on the attention to detail. She comes to MKSD with a Bachelor of Architecture from Penn State University.  As a LEED Green Associate, her focus on sustainability in architecture informs her designs. Working with clients such as Kutztown University and St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network, she has proved to be an invaluable part of our team. Karen is highly responsive and always puts the needs and goals of the clients first. “I am thrilled to be a part of the MKSD team.  Never have I worked at a firm with such an incredible team dynamic and camaraderie.  Our firm’s adventures outside of work have led to a collaborative design experience inside the office walls also.  I know this will be a great learning experience and I look forward to the work ahead.”

It’s what you’ve been waiting for! In this, Part 2 of the “LEED”ing Green Design blog series, we will begin to take a closer look at the various ways a green or “LEED” design approach can benefit our clients.

One of the easiest and often overlooked ways to incorporate green design is through the implementation of indoor environmental control systems to improve the quality of the lighting and thermal systems of a building.  LEED groups these systems under a series of credits known as the Indoor Environmental Quality credits (IEQ).  The IEQ credits include things such as programmable lighting, thermal comfort systems, day lighting, and views of the exterior.  LEED created these standards “to provide comfort, well-being, and increase the productivity of the building’s occupants.”  Studies have found not only can these credits create a greener building, but they can actually improve occupant health, productivity, and in turn improve a company’s profit.

Research has shown that employees who are more comfortable in their environment are more efficient and productive at their jobs.  In addition, a thermally comfortable space may help control moisture issues which can lead to mold growth or worse the presence of bacteria and viruses.  Avoiding such hazards keeps employees healthier and they use less sick time.

It isn’t hard to understand why day lighting and views of the exterior are important components to green design.  Day lighting will reduce the energy load from unnecessary lighting, and views to the exterior bring the “green” world around a building into the interior.  What you might not realize is that employees who have a day lit space with visual connection to the outdoors are often more attentive, creative, and sometimes can even be better problem solvers.  These are all major benefits to a company.

So when considering some of the LEED credits, it is important to take into account what achieving that credit may do for the environment, your company, and even your employees health and well being!

When I was a kid, my brother and I had developed a lingo around Legos, we called them two-ers and three-ers, and two by two-ers and flat two by fours.  This radically simplified our communications during the many hours spent huddled around the Lego pile sprawled out on the floor of our bedroom.  Not too long ago, in simpler times, Legos were simpler as well.  The typical kit was composed of mostly rectilinear blocks of varying dimension and the basis of our language was to describe the geometry of the bricks we sought to complete our creations.  As a kid I never really thought about the bricks much beyond what I could create with them.  As I sat down to build with my 5 year old recently, it occurred to me that they are an unbelievably precise (The LEGO manufacturing process is so precise that only 18 out of 1 million LEGO bricks produced is considered defective), well thought out medium.  You read that correctly, I said medium, as in art.  Admittedly, this is not an original idea.  There are people who agree with me, and they are accredited by Lego as Lego Certified Professionals.

Trust me when I tell you that Legos have come a long way since when I was a kid.  While the Lego kits of today are still built around the basic block shapes, the level of customization that the company has achieved is astonishing.  Today’s palette of Lego pieces seems much more robust than what I remember from when I was a kid.  However, researching the stats on this I found that Lego went from 12,000 different pieces to 6,800 in the last few years-a number that includes the color variations.  I can only conclude that I grew up near the bottom of the bell curve that describes the number of different Lego pieces.  If you take a look at Lego’s web site, you’ll find that the company has diversified, big time.  From the basic brick sets to Architectural icons, from super heroes like Batman and Robin to Harry Potter, from Pirates to Friends there is something for everyone.  They have even created an entirely new (brick free!) building system for the creation of larger scale figures in their Hero Factory and Bionicle lines, which just so happen to be my kids’ favorites.

They have also made it possible to design your own models on your computer.  You can download the Lego Digital Designer program for Mac or PC, design your custom model, and then order it via the internet.  Lego packages all of the bricks required to build your creation and ships them to you complete with a custom instruction manual!  I’m eagerly waiting for the day when a client asks me to build them a Lego model of their building design.

At this point, I’m sure you’re dying to know what I spent Christmas break building with my kids.  Since a recent family trip to Disney this past fall, they are recently inaugurated Star Wars fans.  We painstakingly assembled over 5,000 pieces to create the Millennium Falcon, the AT-AT (now discontinued), Hoth Echo Base, and an Imperial Frigate, among others.  The time spent with my kids was the most fun I’ve ever had with Legos… and they’re already starting to pick up on the Lego lingo!

Munich

I visited Munich in 1981 for a few days spent mostly studying churches, museums and baroque architecture.  Ok, maybe there was one night at the Hofbrau House, but that’s a story for another time.  Other than the central old town, Munich has the feel of an American city.  The destruction of a majority of the buildings during WWII combined with the following American occupation and expansion of the city has led to modern buildings and a city designed for the automobile surrounding the history of old town.  The old town is primarily a pedestrian shopping and entertainment district now, somewhat touristy, but still an enjoyable place to observe significant architecture and people and enjoy one of the many outdoor cafes / beer gardens.  Most cafes serve their own beer and all of it is just amazing.  Our typical day here was taking a walking tour of city sights such as the Oktoberfest grounds, Hofgarten or urban Alpine surfers in the morning and using the afternoon to wander the old town with hourly stops for a break at one of the outdoor cafes – yes, an afternoon beer crawl.  Unfortunately, I knew I was an American lightweight when on Easter Sunday I observed a twelve year old German girl down a pint about four times faster than I did.  On the central square Marienplatz you can observe the active Glockenspiel in the gothic tower of the New Rauthaus (city hall) and listen to the echo of numerous church bells mark each hour.

Neuschwanstein Castle – Fussen

Of all the interesting things we did in Munich, the most fun we had was leaving the city on a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle near Fussen in the Bavarian Alps.  The 19^th Century Romanesque Revival palace is built on the top of a rugged mountain and is most famously known for its inspiration of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.  The views of the surrounding mountains and valleys from the castle are spectacular as are the stories of King Ludwig II life and mysterious demise and the construction of the castle.  We were very lucky to have a fabulous tour guide for the entire day, Roland.  Roland who is originally from England has been teaching English in Munich and leading tours of various architectural sites as a hobby for ten years.  Roland’s knowledge of the castle and Bavarian history and his dramatic humorous delivery certainly created a day that was so much better than if we had done this tour on our own.  The train ride to and from Fussen, the hike up the mountain, the tour of the castle and the cold refreshments at the end of the tour left us all with great memories of a day well spent.

Please take this tour if you are in Munich and ask for Roland.  While in Munich, you must also visit BMW Welt and Museum as I will tell you all about soon!

Jessica Klocek

My favorite architect is Antoni Gaudi because he was so far out of the box he created his own style, and I could never in a million years come up with the types of designs he did.  The Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (more commonly known as the Sagrada Familia) is my favorite of his works.  It looks like a castle you would make at the beach with really wet runny sand!

Karen Sander

I decided to write about my favorite interior designer, Laura Day.  Interior design is such a crucial part of architecture and can change the entire feeling of a space.  Laura was born in farm country but transitioned to Manhattan.  She brings her love of nature and the outdoors from back home and uses it in her upscale/chic city designs.  She has a way of weaving the two together that I absolutely love and admire.  She also has an eye for how to give more than one function to a room without making it feel overcrowded (quite necessary in small city apartments). One of my favorite apartment designs is her West Village Penthouse where she introduced bold colors and patterns to spruce up the interior.  Her renovations to the interior of a farmhouse in Bridgehampton is also an impressive collage of interior spaces that are simple, tasteful, and modern yet rustic at the same time.

Kim LaBrake

Strangely I would say my favorite architect is one Vincent Scully criticized for “having no identifiable style”.  I believe this trait is what made Eero Saarinen an icon.  When most architects of his time were pushing the Modern Style even if elements of the final projects presented issues for the specific building or its usability, Saarinen adapted his modernist vision for each client to complete a successful project.  His belief that no 2 clients are the same allowed him to avoid being stereotyped which is evident in his vast catalogue of buildings, monuments and furniture.  The TWA terminal at JFK was considered his greatest building, but I am drawn to the impact he made on “community”, specifically Columbus, Indiana where his building types were as varied as his furniture designs.  I applaud his ambition to include his clients and their needs which as an architect I believe vital in any successful project.  My favorite building would be the Miller House in Indiana, where coincidently he designed the first “conversation pit”. Eero Saarinen understood the key to success was to communicate.

Morning Call, October 4th
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-housenick-estate-master-plan-20111004,0,6056895.story

Bethlehem Patch, September 23rd
http://bethlehem.patch.com/articles/park-committee-recommends-reuse-of-mansion

Morning Call, September 23rd
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-bethlehem-township-housenick-property-20110923,0,3676735.story

I visited Amsterdam in 1981 for a grand total of one afternoon so I consider this spring’s visit to be my first time there.  I discovered a city that is like no other I have ever visited because of the canal system, people, openness and walkability.  Think Venice without the humidity and sewage smell.   In the historic city, you don’t need to watch for cars when you cross the street because there are so few of them.  You need to watch for the silent killers – electric trams and by my estimate one million bicycles!  Everyone from businessmen in suits to Rastafarians bike everywhere.  Now you might think they ride nice new European stylish touring bicycles, but you would be wrong.  They ride what look like pre-WWII heavy steel bicycles mostly because of the cobblestone streets, but perhaps more importantly because they are practical and unpretentious.  I found the Dutch to be the most down to earth, friendly, non-judgmental and unpretentious people I have ever spent time with so no need for a new fancy bike when you have one or can share one that is perfectly functional.  I believe these characteristics are pervasive in their culture reflected in their lifestyle, respect for the environment (now that they have control of it) and their contemporary architecture and engineering.  Amsterdam is clearly a fantastic place to live with no concern for being welcomed or accepted for exactly who you are.  The city is vibrant, open and diverse as a reflection of this philosophy and not filled with the tension created by automobile traffic as so many other cities are.

A few of the sites I visited and highly recommended:

Amsterdam Museum – excellent exhibit on the history of the region primarily focused on economic drivers and the engineering of reclaiming land from the sea.

Ann Frank House and Museum – we finally got in on Saturday night at 10pm which was an appropriately quiet hour.  I had read the Ann Frank Diary on the flight over so being there brought it all to life.

Van Gogh and Rembrandt Museums – need I say more about these two Dutch painters?

Canal Cruise – the best perspective of the city, its infinite crooked buildings, draw bridges and harbor.

Edam –  we took a half day bus tour to this small coastal town just outside of Amsterdam to learn about many Dutch customs including wooden shoes, dikes, cheese and operating windmills.  Edam was spectacularly quaint – beautiful homes, two monumental churches, and public plaza, all connected by narrow stone streets and a mini-canal system loaded with innovative manual draw bridges.  The drive to Edam brought us by numerous tulip farms which painted the landscape in a rainbow of colors.

Dam Square – Times Square meets Piccadilly Circus with amusement rides.

Other reflections:

Food surprise – for a city near the sea, surprisingly little seafood in restaurants.

The pancakes are the best – thin like crepes, but you can put anything on them like pizza and they are served any time of day or night.

Beer – Heineken with no aftertaste (what do they put in the American version?) Grolsch and Amstel among many other local micros.  I’d love to be the company that provides the exterior beer signs for Amsterdam as there are twice as many signs as bicycles!

Street Cleaning – there are very few trash receptacles and in a town that can party like any other so the streets are completely littered at the end of the night.  However, they are sparkling clean by 9am because the street cleaning crews are enormous and have state of the art equipment!

No Guardrails – not on the canals, not anywhere – take responsibility for your own actions – if only we could.

Houseboats – they are made from everything including masonry and there is no requirement to connect to the sewer system. (don’t swim in the canals)

Red Light District – a must on a city walk, just keep walking!

Coffee Houses – aromatic.

Hard Rock Café – unfortunately there is one.

Please, go visit Amsterdam, go for at least 4 or 5 days and when you are there, look me up!

A little background on this year’s race from our race reporter, Karen Sander:

• Due to the flooding earlier in the week, two of the legs (first & last) had to be rerouted which created a more difficult run with steep hills for Nick, Kim, & John.
• Both teams were neck and neck most of the way so we were able to stick together and watch members of both teams finish.
• The weather was perfect for a Sunday morning run!  You could definitely tell fall is rolling in because it was nice and cool, especially along the river.  Most legs were along the river trail so the course was very scenic.

 Q: What did you think of the course?

Nick: The course was nice – same as last year except for the adjustments due to flooding.  AND it wasn’t pouring rain (like last year) so that was great!!

Kim: I enjoyed seeing the Lehigh Valley from my everyday view

John: 5^th leg detour was unfortunate but provided an often missed ‘opportunity’ to see Easton’s South Side neighborhood and hills.

Silvia: Beautiful, flat, (except for SOME sections!) toe path is easy on the legs and knees. Nice and shaded in my section, great views!

Alicia: My leg of the race was the BEST!! I was in the shade along the river looking across to the beautiful Steel for most of the run – The views kept me going!!

Q: What was the most interesting thing you saw all day?

Nick: Most interesting was that each MKSD pair finished pretty much at the same time on each leg!  Oh, and John running in the opposite direction on the course after Christian tagged him!

Kim: John running atop a 42” high railroad embankment along the last leg.

John: The red dress running with men’s nipples team

Silvia: I just love seeing so many people we know having a great time running the race. Especially the many people you never knew were runners. It gives you a true view of the network of friends throughout the Lehigh Valley.

Alicia: The plethora of bagels waiting for runners at the end of the race.

Q: Did the course re-routing make your leg a lot more difficult than you expected?

Nick: Yes – 1^st leg included A LOT more hills!  Much harder than the planned route in the Parkway

Kim:  I ran on a similar level path to train, so re-routing me onto a hard surface with a huge, long hill had me walking more than I wanted to.

John: Yea…….approximately 150-ft elevation rise

Silvia: I was a lucky one with a very flat section that didn’t change. My friend Rick Holtzman from the Allentown Parks Department made sure my section was nice and cleaned up for me after the storms. Thanks Rick! Didn’t trip on any branches or step in any puddles!

Q: Will you do it again next year?

Nick: Yes I’d do it again next year.

Kim: Yes, the last leg! Not sure I want to run more than 4 miles!

John: Sure – I need a goal to get me to run past the refrigerator

Silvia: Yes and I will be scouting for a THIRD MKSD team….

Q: Did running against a co-worker motivate you to run faster?

Kim:  Running WITH John made my day! I actually ran my fastest 5k because his antics kept me laughing and moving!

John: Hmm? Heck yea……. and sometimes backwards and sideways and on a railroad retaining wall!

Silvia: Karen, AKA the Gazelle, flew past me on the 6.6 leg. She asked me not to fire her as she past me, since she left me in the dust. I ran fast, but knew I would never catch Karen.

Additional Quotes:

Kim: I loved the camaraderie our teams displayed!  Much more fun to have a team of 10 than 2 teams of 5 each!

Silvia: Many of our team members have never run much before this race. I am really impressed by their commitment to not letting the team down. Everyone did a great job and had fun. Just like everything else in life, team effort wins the game. We may not individually be able to run a marathon, but we can run one together!

Alicia Mason

Carlo Scarpa is my favorite architect because I believe he is the master of detailing architecture materials into meaningful form.  I have visited some of his projects and small renovations in Italy and his style and material choice and the way that he details his work creates a specific spacial experience that is particular to each project.  One of my favorite, the Brion-Vega Cemetery/garden/sculpture, is his ode to the Italian couple and their marriage together.

Christian Didra

Tom Kundig is easily one of my favorite architects of residential space. I am captivated by his ability to instill a modern and “industrial” aesthetic into his designs, while maintaining human comfort and beauty within the natural serenity of Washington State’s beautiful landscape.  His designs for residences are an entourage of starkly contrasting materials – wood, concrete, and steel.  He emphasizes each to take advantage of the views and topography around it, and left unfinished to age naturally with the surrounding landscape.  Chicken Point Cabin on Lake Hayden in Idaho features a large window that opens via a wheel attached to a hand crank; in a few moments the entire main living space is open to the lake and the mountains.

Nick Hewes

My favorite architect tends to change from time to time.  The one that seems to stand out for me right now is Santiago Calatrava.  As an engineer AND an architect, he has the ability to design buildings and structures that seem very physically detailed and complex while also showcasing their forms as true pieces of art.  The “Auditorio de Tenerife” is one of my favorites – an auditorium & concert hall in Tenerife, Spain, made of large swooping concrete arches and located right on the water.

 Episode 1: Scuba Diving… part 1 

While this seems like the natural starting point for my blogs, it also runs the risk of being really long.  The reason is simple… I. LOVE. SCUBA DIVING.  It’s my absolute favorite activity and I can talk about it at great lengths… but I will try to keep this fairly reasonable.  I’ll start with a question… Have you ever dreamed of flying?  I’m not talking about piloting a fighter jet or commercial airliner – I’m talking about having your feet lift off the ground as you glide effortlessly through the air Superman-style! Of course you have!  As an architect, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked up at tall skyscrapers or other homes/buildings and thought to myself, “I wish I could just float up there to get a better look at that detail… or see the view from that executive corner office in NYC.”  “How easy it would be to get from here to there!”  “It would be incredible to sail next to the birds, experiencing exciting new landscapes and beautiful scenery!”  Recently, I discovered the secret to flying was “right under our noses”… literally!  Jump in the water, strap on some scuba gear, and you’ll experience something you never thought possible!

Picture yourself standing on the ground looking up at the bright blue sky and tall buildings.  Now replace the ground with white sand… replace the blue sky with crystal blue turquoise water… and replace the buildings with large rock formations, coral reefs, and kelp forests.  On the surface, a little thing called gravity keeps our feet planted firmly in place. Beneath the surface, however, you’re free to lift off the ground and explore wherever your heart desires.  You can travel from here to there without ever having your feet hit the ground. You can glide in any direction, see playful wildlife you never knew existed, and gaze upon gorgeous scenery that can rival even the most beautiful state parks.  You can do all of that while at the same time accomplishing yet another incredible phenomenon – breathing underwater!  Though it may be a word I use way too often, it describes my favorite hobby perfectly – AWESOME!  Both relaxing and exhilarating, Scuba Diving is something I would absolutely recommend everyone try at least once in their lives – you won’t regret it!

Luckily, one of the largest Freshwater Diving facilities on the East Coast is only 20 minutes from my house… and is where I do most of my diving every summer – Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA (www.dutchsprings.com).  It’s a 50 acre lake, with various attractions sunk at different depths for divers to explore (some up to 100’ deep!).  Some of these include: a fire truck, a school bus, small airplanes, and even a large World War 2 helicopter!  The lake is naturally spring-fed, making it really clear!  There are tons of fish in the lake, including large-mouth bass, rainbow trout, and even Koi – some of which can get up to 3 feet long!  I’ll talk more about my trips to Dutch, as well as dive trips to West Palm Beach, Key West, and St. Lucia in a future blog.

Have fun out there,
Nick

MKSD architects’ Associate Partner Jill Palazzo Hewes, RA, LEED AP, has passed her Architect Registration Examination^® (ARE^®) to become a licensed architect in Pennsylvania. The ARE^® is a testing procedure comprised of seven different examinations related to the various architectural disciplines. It assesses candidates for their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide the various services required in the practice of architecture and has been adopted for use by all 54 U.S. and Canadian member boards.

Jill has been a MKSD architects employee since 2004. She serves as project designer, project manager, and construction administrator for the firm. Jill has worked on many local design projects, including facility designs for Northampton Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lehigh University, and MINI of Allentown . She is a 2004 graduate of Philadelphia University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree and is also a LEED accredited professional.

Jill’s registration means that MKSD architects now features eight Pennsylvania-registered architects, along with our five LEED accredited professionals.

“We might not always consciously acknowledge it but, as we move, the places we experience take us from emotion to emotion: from the confusion of a dark forest into the sunlit certainty of a rocky clearing; from the invigoration of open heath into the calm of a country church…or the knee-weakening precipice of a thousand-foot cliff; from the fresh warmth of a summer beach into the nausea-inducing urine stink of an uncleaned public lavatory; from the solitude of a dark deserted street into the fellowship of a local pub . . . Instances are innumerable and range from the infinitesimally subtle to the starkly dramatic, from the remote to the intimate, from the life threatening to the life affirming.  Every time we cross a threshold we feel a slight frisson as if the crossing will change us in some way . . . which it always does.”

As I continued my study I revisited the memories I have as a young toddler, mesmerized by the seemingly infinite stretch of grass in my backyard and that one awesome tree that stood in the middle of it, or the comfort that the ugly shag carpet in the living room of my childhood home provided as I weaved my wooden train tracks around packaging cardboard that resembled mountains.  There is inexhaustible curiosity and wonder inherent within toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners.  These types of experiences, whether indoor or outdoor, man-made or natural, or both combined are incredibly important for the developing minds and bodies of young children, therefore I focused on them as the primary user of whatever it was I was going to design.  To avoid a seemingly never ending study, I decided to focus my studies on the learning and developmental potentials of just one experience, how the architecture was influenced by that experience, and therefore how a new experience is then created.   Simply put, because I remember spending more of my time in trees than indoors, I chose experiences in nature as my vehicle of study.

Consider this: studies indicate that multisensory interactions in nature are particularly effective in influencing creative, cognitive and other important developments in a growing child.  In today’s frequent and rapidly changing world of technology, it’s hard to ignore the benefits of educational television programming and computer games that are able to expand children’s mental capacities in ways they couldn’t before.   However, studies also reveal that children are becoming increasingly more consumed by such media, masking the unique learning experiences provided by interactions in nature.  Arguably, I could design a building that perfectly housed digital media in inventive ways to achieve a similar goal, but because I’d hate to see the day where digital media has replaced all physical interaction with our natural world, I aimed to create spaces where as the power of its learning potential lay within its placement and manipulation upon its site.  After several months of immersive site analysis and 300 sheets of chipboard later, I presented the following:

A daycare/nature center fragmented among various conditions in Philadelphia’s Pennypack Park becomes a vehicle with vast potential for resolving what researchers and various authors have defined as “nature deficit disorder”.  It is here, and among other natural settings dispersed among large urban densities that it becomes vital to orchestrate such efforts.  An architecture in the landscape can heighten and transcend the natural experience, providing endless interactive combinations of play and learning for these young users.  The careful processes inherent in exploring and designing such opportunities gives architects/designers an intimate knowledge and understanding of their chosen site.  This understanding translates into a design that gives toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners profound alterations of the natural experience that otherwise wouldn’t exist had that architecture not been there.  “Inside” and “outside” become loose terms blurred together by careful manipulations of form and space upon a site that is as intimately known to the designer as it is to the user.  The Design becomes the threshold of the natural experience defining a place for new ways of furthering the developmental potentials within young children today.

I drove along every mile of Pennypack Park’s perimeter.  I took pictures at every time of day through three different seasons.  I trudged through two feet of snow, crawled through tall grass, and risked harassment from angry parents concerned by the strange male college student wandering through and taking pictures of the playground from which their kids played.  I viewed the site as a young kid would, not only because I assumed the “spidey” position and crawled through grass and among trees to lower myself to child height, but perhaps also because every second of the 24 hours I spent there brought back the inner child in me.  My study became my own personal threshold – a place, a design, and an idea that I can always revisit in my mind . . . and imagination is endless.

Karen also loves to run and hike; anything outdoors. She is into hiking more than camping but it usually comes after by default.

A few things you may not know about Karen:

Karen started PSU as a Secondary Education/ Math Major but made the switch to architecture because she needed something more hands on and creative.

LOVES Football! She loves the Eagles and went to every home game while she was at Penn State except when she studied abroad.

Family Nickname: “Little Tornado” because she is never in one place very long.

The home, which was built in 1936, was very innovative for its time.  Wright utilized many sustainable methods of construction and chose materials that were local and easy to maintain.  He also employed the use of cantilevers, or deep overhanging patios without structure supporting them from below.  Frankie was also a marketer of his own architectural ideals, specifically what he called ‘organic architecture’, or the immersion of architecture with nature and the immediate surroundings.  For example, the boulders on which he built the home physically come through the walls and create the hearth of the fireplace.  His beliefs about the relationship between buildings and nature are profound; and speak to architects today when we consider site and context in our designs.

Of all of the remarkable qualities of this house; from the history of the wealthy family who lived there, the innovation in design and construction, and the architectural theory behind FLW’s designs; I was most impressed with the design of the architectural details throughout the home.  All of the materials were thoughtfully joined together with regard to their use and function.  Most of the windows turn the corners of the walls, where Wright removed the vertical mullion, or frame, to ultimately give an uninterrupted view of the surrounding nature. The casework in each of the studies and bedrooms functions as bookshelves, radiator covers, desks, and pedestals for light fixtures in one piece, minimalizing the need for a clutter of furniture.  Wright even carefully designed furniture and storage pieces himself so that the use of the spaces and the color and styles of anything in the rooms would work well functionally and aesthetically.  I remember learning about Frank Lloyd Wright’s tight control over the interior design when I was younger.  I assumed he did this simply because he was controlling in nature, or had an interest in furniture design.  After working in the profession for a small time, I can understand how important it is to consider all the elements of the building even after the walls are constructed.  If we design buildings so carefully to consider the circulation of the spaces, why not design the furniture that the client is circulating around!

Unlike most actual design projects, it seems Frank and the Kaufmanns had little concern with a construction schedule or budget, making it easy for him to focus on small details of the home.  However, I think all of the components of a building and how they are constructed are influential to the complete design of any structure.  The concept of the design should be seen through the way in which each part is carefully drawn and joined together, and therefore inform the whole.  The details of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater enforce his ultimate concept for the home.  I definitely recommend anyone (architect or otherwise) to visit the building and take note of where Frank puts his genius into the details.

But what is so “LEED” about it?  Isn’t it green design not “LEED” design we are all after?

After becoming a LEED AP in 2008 and beginning to work on LEED projects in our office, I quickly realized that there is a lot to green design that is inherently good design.  At MKSD, we strive to create sound architectural solutions for our clients that include at a minimum: recycled products, day lighting of interior spaces, controllability of HVAC systems, reuse of building components or systems, and reduced energy use.  So what is the benefit of a “LEED” building? And why should we bother with the added costs, time, and money associated with the design and documentation?

It really isn’t the use of “LEED” products that creates a “LEED” building.  Green products and materials are such a small component of what the benefits are to LEED certification.  After documenting my first major LEED project, I have found that there are certain credits within the LEED rating system that go above our normal “green” design approach and provide not only a “greener” solution, but can provide our client with great benefit in ways that aren’t always obvious, in some instances even operational or construction cost savings.

These credits include the following LEED credits which are part of the LEED for New Construction rating system:

Sustainable Sites Credits:
Alternative Transportation: Public Transportation Access(SSc4.1)
Light Pollution Reduction (SSc8)

Energy & Atmosphere Credits: 
Fundamental Commissioning of Building Systems (EAp1)                                                          Optimize Energy Performance (EAc1)

Materials & Resources Credits:
Building Reuse (MRc1.1)
Construction Waste Management (MRc2)
Regional Materials (MRc5)

Indoor Environmental Quality: 
Controllability of Systems- Lighting (IEQc6.1)
Controllability of Systems- Thermal Comfort (IEQ6.2)
Daylight and Views- Daylight (IEQ8.1)
Daylight and Views- Views (IEQ8.2)

Some of these credits may produce reduced construction costs, others may provide a more enjoyable working environment for employees, and a few may even promote growth in your local economy!   In future blogs in this series, I will take a look at some of these credits and how specifically our clients can benefit from the approach to the credit.  So stay tuned for future installments in the “LEED”ing Green Design blog series!

Another passion of Christian’s is hiking! His favorite place to hike is Glen Onoko Falls where he visits about 6 times year. His love of the outdoors has definitely influenced hi s choice for favorite vacation spot- Chincoteague Island in VA where he enjoys hanging out with the wild ponies, surfing and ocean kayaking.

A few things you may not know about Christian:

He has a younger sister, who married his best friend

Favorite Superhero: Spiderman, he dressed at Spidey for MANY Halloween’s in a row.

Couldn’t live without:  Nature. He says he knows its corny but he is not a city dweller.

Please click here to view the full article or all of Aspire magazine is available on LCCC’s website.

John’s broad experience background started working for his father moving buildings out of the Tocks Island Dam area from Delaware Water Gap to Milford, PA. John knew that he liked the construction industry but also knew that he wasn’t a fan of handling cold steel at 7 am in January and opted for designing buildings instead.

John designed & built his first home (earth sheltered) with a geo-exchange heating/cooling! He was incorporating sustainable design before green was green with influences from Mother Earth News in the 70s.

A few things you may not know about John:

In his first job John earned $12 a summer loading hay on a dairy farm……the local fitness club.

He is a surfer wanna-be: bought a used long board from Dana Point, CA 4 years ago.

John ran out of gas with his new bride Catherine, in the desert near Death Valley, CA, after being turned away at Fort Irwin, Air Force Base.

The changing models of care have forced a change in the types of buildings where health care is provided, with the biggest change being a dramatic increase in the number of outpatient facilities and medical office buildings.  These types of facilities bring healthcare directly to the people, where ever they may be, even if they are not in close proximity to a hospital.

Many changes have prompted the growth and success of these stand alone facilities. For example, the demographics of our society have changed and the aging population, although not always in need of hospitalization, may require consistent care, for example for a chronic illness like diabetes.  Technological advances in health care are made on what seems to be a daily basis and many minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures now can take place in an out-patient facility rather than a hospital requiring an expensive overnight stay. The economics of ambulatory is clearly evident in the bottom line. These facilities are not only faster and less expensive to build, but also cheaper to run and maintain than a 24 hour a day hospital. They are also more profitable.

Outpatient facilities are everywhere, on each corner and even in many shopping complexes. Locating these facilities in high traffic areas goes hand in hand with making health care easily accessible. But perhaps more importantly, easy access makes healthcare a part of daily life which is a modern phenomenon. Health care reform has moved firmly away from just treating the illness and instead creating a whole life of wellness. This focus on wellness has also created a different architectural image for health centers. The buildings and spaces within them have a more ‘hotel’ or ‘hospitality’ feel.

The trend in creating ‘homey’ environments delivers a clear message about comfort and personalization of care. Doctors don’t make house calls anymore, but we can bring the house to you. Health care consumers are also concerned with their privacy, keeping their level of stress down during a doctor visit or procedure and the environment impacts these emotions.

Convenient, one stop shopping attracts and retains health care consumers. If a person has a doctor’s appointment, they want to be able to get an x-ray and even a prescription filled in the same place.  The facility that can provide this will see repeat clientele.

Health care planners, facilities directors and architects have an opportunity to influence consumers from the moment they drive to a facility, on the walk into the building, on the path to their destination, in the waiting room and exam room and then again as they leave the appointment or procedure. Each part of their experience creates an opportunity to enhance and support the mission of the health care provider. Each part of the experience is an opportunity to make the consumer aware that they are receiving exceptional care and to continue to serve them.

MKSD team members joined the crowd of 600 people to celebrate the official grand opening of the 40,000 sf facility which currently includes suites for family practice, physical therapy, radiology, orthopedics, pediatrics and OB/GYN with additional spaces planned for the future.  We are working on this renovation project with Bucks Development & Contracting Corporation. The evening included project tours, opportunities to meet the physicians, refreshments and even mini-golf!

http://www.slhn-lehighvalley.org/about/news/wind-gap-medical-ctr-grand-opening.aspx