An Architect’s View of Port of Spain

30th November, 2011 by Mandilee Newton | 2 comments

The latest issue of the Trinidad Guardian's Building & Construction magazine has an article on downtown beautification by acla:works director Gary Turton. Gary offers a ten-point perspective: [1] improved drainage and underground services, [2] better sidewalks and tree lined streets, [3] mass transit system within city limits (see: Transit Oriented Development), [4] multi-story car parking on perimeter of city, [5] maximise retail shop frontage, [6] green roofs, [7] public art, upgraded museums and a museum of modern art (see: Percent for Art program), [8] preserve and protect built heritage, [9] higher density, mixed-use, mixed income developments, and, [10] planning. Read the article here.

Speaking of Design . . .

24th October, 2011 by Melanie Archer | 0 comments

Last month, a couple of acla:works team members were invited to speak at separate conferences.

On September 15 acla:works associate, Mandilee Newton, presented at the Institution of Structural Engineers' conference, Environmentally Sustainable Construction – Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change. Mandilee spoke about the applicability of the LEED rating system to the region and offered anecdotal advice on the challenges one can expect to face as an architect and LEED practitioner in the region. [For reading on this topic, check out Mandilee's 2010 white paper, LEED – A Caribbean Architect’s Perspective.]

On September 28 acla:works director, Gary Turton, spoke at AmCham T&T's 15th annual HSSE Conference. Gary spoke about green design and sustainability – opportunities and barriers. acla:works projects – Ministry of Public Information and Administration [MPAI], Environmental Management Authority [EMA] and acla:works' new offices – were used as case studies in the presentation. Gary's presentation was well received and stimulated a lively discussion within the audience. 

Above: acla:works' projects – MPAI, EMA, and our new offices.

Developing an FM Culture

11th July, 2011 by Melanie Archer | 0 comments

Last week Thursday, acla:works associate Mandilee Newton presented at the 3rd Annual Caribbean Facilities Management and Maintenance Conference held by the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Mandilee – who was invited to speak in her capacity as acting VP [Research & Development] of the Trinidad and Tobago Green Building Council – presented on the topic of greening existing facilities. Other presenters included Gerard D'Arcy of RGM Limited, Bruce Melizan of Interserve, and Iain Murray of Europa.

The conference was opened by Minister of Public Administration and Information, Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan.

Above: Mandilee delivers her presentation. Image © Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce. For more photographs of the conference, click here.
 

A Forum [or Two] for Good

17th March, 2011 by Melanie Archer | 0 comments

We're honoured – acla:works has been asked to speak at two forums, both of which take place next week. If you're in Trinidad, we hope to see you there. Here are a few details:

Director Gary Turton will speak at the first ever Caribbean Construction Forum [on Reconstructing Haiti]. This forum takes place March 21 and 22 at the Hyatt Regency, and will address "issues and challenges facing the sector regionally with specific focus on the situation in Haiti."

Gary is participating in Session Five – Emerging Trends in Design – which takes place Tuesday March 22 from 10.30 am - 12.15 pm. His focus, along with co-presenter, Josh Bone, will be how Integrated Project Delivery/ Building Information Modeling can be used to help in reconstruction efforts.

Later in the week, acla:works associate Mandilee Newton will speak at the EMA's Green Business Forum, which takes place March 23 and 24 at the Trinidad Hilton. This forum's main objective is "to develop viable options for developing a greener economy for Trinidad and Tobago."

On Thursday March 24 at 3.00 pm Mandilee will serve on a panel with the theme, Increasing Economic and Competitive Advantages through Environmental Improvements. She will deliver a 10-minute presentation on the Green Building Council’s strategies to encourage architects, developers and planners to implement green technologies in their plans and codes.

Have a question about either of these presentations or forums? Feel free to leave us a comment here and we'll answer as best we can.

And, as usual, watch this space for post-event reports.

Upwall Visits

18th February, 2011 by Melanie Archer | 0 comments

Last week Thursday D.C. based architect, Gregory Upwall, visited acla:works. Greg was in Trinidad and Tobago to speak at the Energy Conference: his presence there [and in T+T] was made possible by DaCosta Gwendoline, Ltd. – a strategic partner of Greg's firm, Studio Upwall. Greg met acla:works director, Peter Chandler, at the conference; they got to talking and Peter invited Greg to our office to share with us a bit about his practice.

Greg started his presentation with a brief explanation of how he came to be invited to the Energy Conference, and then touched on his [relatively] recent move from San Francisco – where he had first set up his practice – to D.C.

Although he does commercial projects, sustainable housing makes up the majority of Greg's practice. He spoke about this – that we should seek to find "regionally appropriate solutions" to housing issues. He spoke as well of making soul-impacting decisions, and lamented that "we once knew how to make places that were places." [Text continues after the break]

Above: Greg Upwall at our office

One residential work that Greg highlighted was the P.A.A.V. project. This AIA award-winning modular hillside pod/office was designed and constructed in just three months by a team comprising Greg and five students at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he taught. 

In addition to demonstrative slides of his own work, Greg referenced the practices of Rural Studio and Glenn Murcutt and the written works of James Howard Kunstler [The Geography of Nowhere] and Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake [Refabricating Architecture]. 

Ultimately, Greg's message was this: Passive First. In other words, if we are looking to build sustainably, we should first concern ourselves with building for climate and in harmony with the environment before considering the implementation of costly systems into our buildings. 

The William McDonough quotation – "How do we love all the children, of all species, for all time?" – rounded out Greg's presentation, and started enthusiastic discussions on the local application of that question.

Above: Greg talks about passive design in relation to housing