As local environmental consciousness grows, green architecture begins to blossom

As local firms practicing green architecture prove, you don’t have to break out the Birkenstocks in order to nurture Mother Nature.

“Buildings use half of the energy in the country,” said Nick Peckham of Peckham and Wright Architects. “Back when our office opened, people looked at us as solar hippies, or tree huggers or whatnot. Now that global warming is an issue, people are thinking that we should probably be hugging a few more trees.”

Peckham’s practice is just part of an ever growing trend that fits in with a growing environmental consciousness in the United States.

“Green architecture is a term used to categorize a specific attribute or application to the way we plan, build, and live in a conscious and responsible way for one another and for society,” said Brian Pape of Brian J. Pape Architect and Consultant. “It’s a continuation from the solar architecture and environmental design movement that started several years ago.”

Pape cites the smoking ban and a proliferation of of bicycle racks around town as other local examples of Columbians practicing environmental consciousness. Others include curbside recycling pick-up and community gardens.

“This is very much an outward trend that has really taken off in the past five to eight years,” Pape said. “More and more people are realizing what we’ve been doing to the environment and are wanting to make a difference to avoid pollution.”

Pape admits that it’s possible to initially spend more on green architecture than you would otherwise, but he says that spending a little more up front will save you a bundle throughout the life of the building.

“Schools are a good example because if the owner is going to have the building a long time they need to consider the long term costs,“ said Pape. “Our society has not been good at that. We’ve been building throw-away buildings, just like we do with cars and electronics.”

Pape is using a green approach in the renovation of the Kelly Press Building, located at 10 Hitt St., which will house the future Ragtag Cinemacafé, Uprise Bakery and Ninth Street Video.

“It’s one of the historical buildings in town, which is a green approach right off the bat by saving and re-using resources,” Pape said.

Renovation plans also will include salvaging the concrete flooring, all the brick walls and the old industrial steel windows. Synthetic products, which include vinyl, glue products in carpets, chipboard, foam furniture framing, paints and varnishes, will be avoided in the renovation.

The Mule Barn, at the corner of Fay and Hinkson, is another green architecture project of Pape’s. The building will be renovated to house eight loft apartments and a mix of retail stores, studios, galleries and offices.

“We’re starting with the existing two-story brick and heavy timber building and many of the original windows,” said Pape. “From there, we are replacing missing brick, using solid wood for cabinets and fixtures, using locally cut lumber for replacement, rebuilding and cutting more skylights for natural lighting, using energy-efficient lamps, and incorporating more than the required amount of trees and grassy areas.”

The building will also feature a partial live roof. This consists of a bottom layer of wood lined with a rubber membrane and filled with plants. Aside from providing fresh air to breathe, the plants work double duty to protect the roof from the sun’s wear and tear.

“We’re also doing something innovative here in Columbia by using a pavement that allows storm water to soak through,” said Pape. “This slows down runoff and controls sewer water.”

As Peckham, co-founder of the Missouri Chapter of the United Green Building Council (USGBC), will tell you, that what is considered “green” really counts. The USGBC created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which measures green architecture in the five key areas of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

“LEED is the most significant thing to occur in the construction industry in the past 10 years,” Peckham said. “Peckham and Wright was the 136th member, and now there are more than 10,000. We obtain points in each of the LEED categories by incorporating factors such as being close to transportation, using locally produced materials, avoiding light pollution, avoiding more parking space than necessary, and restoring the habitat.”

Peckham and his business partner, Brad Wright, are hired as LEED consultants for area projects, such as phase one of the City Hall remodeling. Their firm will also oversee the designing and building of the two new Columbia fire stations, on the corners of Blue Ridge and North Providence and on Green Meadows.

Local architect Shelly Simon of Simon Oswald Associates Architecture and Interiors strives to use the LEED system in her work.

“I don’t really like the term ‘green architecture’ because it’s so much more than just the ‘green’ aspects,” Simon said. “It’s about improving the quality of life of the people in the building. We have been told by the occupants of Columbia College’s Missouri Hall building that the employees and students are nicer to each other after the remodeling- there was a buzz about it at the dedication ceremony.”

A current goal of Simon’s firm is to obtain silver or gold LEED status for their work on Missouri Hall, which they convinced the board of directors to commit to on the basis that the incorporation of their ideas would cost no more than the commissioning. As a result of Missouri Hall’s success, the school has decided to bring Simon Oswald Associates on board for the design of their new science building.

“There’s a current generation of people in their 20s showing us what fair trade and responsible living are all about,” Simon said. “I think it’s important for baby boomers such as myself to be aware and learn something about how we can improve our well-being.”