McGranahan is proud to announce that we have recently completed a merger with PBK. We are excited about the opportunities this offers our staff, clients, and the local communities we serve.
PBK is the ideal partner for McGranahan. It combines two firms deeply committed to excellence in educational design and innovation. McGranahan has specialized in educational design since 1968, focusing on a range of institutions, from preschools and early learning centers to high schools, colleges, and universities. This expertise is complemented by PBK’s award-winning architectural and engineering solutions in education, public safety, healthcare, and sports sectors. Together, we offer unparalleled capabilities to deliver exceptional designs, a deep bench of school design experts, a broad array of in-house specialties, and cutting-edge research.
As the first office in the Pacific Northwest, McGranahanPBK, unites with over 820 professionals across 27 offices throughout Texas, Florida, Georgia, and California. This expansion represents a new chapter of growth and innovation for us. We look forward to leveraging our combined expertise to push boundaries, exceed expectations, and continue delivering exceptional results for our clients and communities.
“We are thrilled to join the PBK family,” said Christopher Lilley, McGranahan’s Managing Principal. “This partnership allows us to expand our reach and enhance our service offerings while remaining committed to our clients, our architectural vision, and our values.”
Join us on this exciting journey of growth and discovery at McGranahanPBK!
Embracing a New Chapter: Michael’s Legacy and Retirement Journey
After 38 years of dedicated service, it is with mixed emotions that we announce our esteemed colleague, Michael McGavock, has decided to embark on a new chapter of life. Throughout his tenure with McGranahan, Michael has been an invaluable asset to our team, contributing expertise in learning environments, and fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and compassion.
“Architecture is not just about designing distinctive buildings; it’s about placemaking for fostering meaningful relationships and creating environments that give agency and enrich lives.” These words, shared by Michael, encapsulate the essence of his impact, and serve as a testament to his visionary leadership.
As we reflect on Michael’s remarkable architectural career, we are inspired by the passion and dedication he has brought to every endeavor. Designing for public institutions has allowed Michael to engage with diverse voices and perspectives, ensuring responsiveness to the varied interests and abilities of those involved. His approach has always been aspirational and future-oriented, striving to positively impact societal changes over the life of his designs. He has contributed to hundreds of projects in more than 25 school districts throughout Western Washington and has been an active member and leader in the Washington Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments. His commitment to excellence, coupled with his unwavering belief in the power of architecture to shape lives and communities, has truly been a guiding light for us all.
While his contribution to the built environment is notable, Michael’s dedication to mentorship and authentic relationships has been unwavering, extending beyond his role in leading the planning and design of innovative learning spaces to his involvement with Rotary. His commitment to guiding and supporting others has made a significant and lasting impact, reaching far beyond the boundaries of any single initiative or project.
As Michael embarks on this new chapter of his life, he leaves behind a legacy of school facilities and meaningful relationships that will endure for generations to come. Michael stated, “My greatest pride lies not only in the buildings I’ve helped design, but in the relationships I’ve shared along the way, each one a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision.”
During his retirement, Michael plans to continue his service journey, exploring new opportunities to make a positive impact locally and globally. From “seeing the world through service” with Rotary to continuing to serve on the board of Elements of Education, Michael’s commitment to giving remains unwavering.
Please join us in extending our warmest wishes to Michael as he embarks on this well-deserved retirement. While his presence will be deeply missed, his influence and spirit will continue to resonate within our company for years to come.
Bringing Technical Excellence to McGranahan Architects’ Owner Group
We are thrilled to announce Amanda Russell’s promotion to Partner at McGranahan Architects. Amanda’s elevation is a testament to her outstanding contributions, leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence in design and project execution.
Message from Amanda:
I am incredibly honored and excited to embark on this new chapter as a Partner at McGranahan Architects. I could not ask for a more inspiring group of people to continue to grow with and invest in, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and support placed in me.
What excites me most about this new role is the opportunity to empower and inspire others within our organization. I am passionate about fostering a culture of inclusivity where every voice is heard and every perspective is valued. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, ensuring that McGranahan Architects remains at the forefront of the industry.
My commitment to excellence in design and project implementation remains unwavering. As a Partner, I am eager to leverage my multifaceted expertise to drive positive change and advance our capabilities. I am particularly excited about the prospect of elevating document efficiencies, embracing upcoming technologies, and enhancing clarity of communication within the firm. These initiatives will not only streamline our processes but also enable us to deliver projects of the highest quality, exceeding the expectations of our clients.
I firmly believe that our success lies in our ability to embrace change and adapt to new challenges. I am confident that we will continue to achieve great things together with a growth mindset and a collaborative spirit.
I am honored to be part of such a talented and passionate team, and I look forward to the journey ahead as we chart the course for a bright and prosperous future for McGranahan Architects.
The new mural installed at McGranahan Architects is the latest in Tacoma’s grassroots Hope Grows Here campaign. The campaign which originated in the early days of the Covid-19 lockdown, offers flowers for Tacoma as a way of adding beauty to our community, thanking those battling this pandemic, and connecting with one another. Our office wanted to add our message of thanks for the healthcare workers who are helping keep us safe, as well as express support to members of our community who protect, heal, and educate during these difficult times. Words of encouragement and signs of support are important to developing the resolve to get through and power on.
Project Architect Brett Santhuff came up with the concept for the artwork this spring inspired by the signs he was seeing sprout on other storefronts. That same time we all started working from home and public events, like the Daffodil Parade which passes directly in front of our office each year, were canceled. In style and execution, the artwork pays homage to Andy Warhol, who’s never realized flower design for the roof of the Tacoma Dome has become part of the city’s alter ego.
“I’ve long had affinity for Warhol and his work, graphic style, and ability to transform the ordinary to art. Andy Warhol’s Flowers for Tacoma, 2012, exhibit is among my favorites organized by the Tacoma Art Museum,” said Brett. “When the idea for this work originated, I realized how fun it would be to explore Warhol’s work and try to make something of my own and for Tacoma. It was just the kind of creative outlet I needed to feel engaged and hopeful in those first weeks of lockdown.”
Brett shared his idea and a rendering for the mural with the office as part of a digital art gallery which the office organized to help keep employees connected. The idea took root and with the support of the partners and other staff the design was refined and the technicalities resolved. ARC Reprographic printed the artwork on perforated vinyl and installed it at cost. McGranahan’s Leah Engelhardt, whose hobbies include paper cut art, volunteered to cut out the letters.
“How fun to see Brett’s idea come alive! We wanted to share in the energy and determination of our community as we wrestle with so many important issues and work towards healing and progress. Here are a few flowers from all of us to all of you to help brighten the neighborhood a little,” stated Marc Gleason, Principal for Design.
The mural now gives the McGranahan Architects building a colorful and welcoming charm among the many artistic displays throughout the city of Tacoma.
I
looked up from my desk in a sharply lit office on a rainy January day in 2018
and, somehow noticing for the first time, how many others were spending their
lunch hour the same way.
McGranahan
had expanded with a crushing regularity in the last a couple of years, resulting
in an abundance of new projects and opportunities for our architects, but consequentially
less time to connect with each other on a personal level. Besides a coffee or
lunch on occasion, it was difficult to create opportunities to develop
relationships, share stories and ideas, as well as to connect and to rejuvenate
during our brief lunch hour.
How
well do I know the team members who collaborate with me beyond the surface
level?
Then I
thought, Why not start initiating group lunches?
Why not share our personal stories over meals? Why not open ourselves up to
create a sense of connection and belonging through storytelling?
There
is no better way to connect than with meals and storytelling. Eating together
has been a longstanding tradition in many cultures. It is a great way to get to
know other and to strengthen relationships; it also helps us realize that we
have a lot in common.
I brought
this idea up to two coworkers and together we created “Story to Story,” a
gathering experience where everybody can get together over homemade lunch to connect
through personal storytelling. This includes sharing stories based on an array
of entertaining, insightful, meaningful and conversation-starting topics including
Odd Jobs, Culture, Food, Family, and Travel–and connect on a human level.
Every Story to Story lunch gathering usually involves sharing homemade dishes and making connections through storytelling.
Sometimes
we would even collaborate with other groups in the office to lead Story to
Story. Our most recent Story to Story in September was lead through a
collaboration by our Vital Workplace team and the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
The goal was to better understand how our unique experiences and backgrounds help
make us better coworkers as well as stronger architectural planners and
designers.
Under
the guidance of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee, we formed a safe space
for our speakers to share meaningful stories on the topic of Ancestry,
Allyship, and Inclusivity and for our audience to ask respectful and insightful
questions.
During
the first Story to Story lunch of the season, we shared about our ancestry and
how we all came to be in the City of Tacoma now thanks to our families’
immigration to the U.S. during the 1600s to 1990s. We hung a map, strings, a
pen, and a sheet of paper with a list of all the names of those in the firm on
a wall near the lobby. We then invite everyone to engage by putting a pin on
the map to indicate their ancestors’ home country, then use a string to connect
another pin on the sheet of paper by the map next to their name and write down
the year their family immigrated to America. This unique exercise yielded interesting
results. The widespread pins indicated that we all are descendants of
immigrants–that our families came to America from a myriad of different places
and brought along with them unique cultures and traditions.
Our interactive “Family Story” map on the McGranahan art wall
Our
Project Designer Shona shared with us how her background shaped her to the designer
and individual she is today:
“I am biracial, growing up in
two cultures from my mother’s bohemian ancestors who have farmed the Midwest
since the 1850s to my father who immigrated here in 1968. I am heartland
American and first generation respectively.
It’s interesting living between
two cultures and finding a voice between. But I also realized today that I grew
up cultivating a kind of strength that comes from being just a little different
and a confidence that evolved through navigating my unique cultural
experiences. I can bring those experiences to my work helping design schools
that serve every student.”
Our
next few topics on Allyship and Inclusivity also resulted in enriching
conversations and deeper connections with each other.
“I’ve enjoyed all the stories,
but I think I was especially impacted by Shona and Dion’s stories. They discussed
topics we don’t normally get a chance to talk about in the office and I’m so
glad this series has created an opportunity for it,” said our Project Architect Aaron. “Not only did I get to know them on a
deeper level, but I was inspired by their vulnerability and creativity at the
same time.”
Our Diversity & Inclusion Committee’s group purpose statement successfully highlights our values: McGranahan Architects’ Diversity and Inclusion Committee encourages all employees to take an active role in creating a culture of trust, vulnerability, and authenticity within the company. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is the foundation of meaningful contribution, genuine collaboration, and a sense of belonging for all of us.
One of the most rewarding opportunities of an architect’s career
is providing a valuable learning experience for young creatives who are
passionate about Architecture. Over the years, McGranahan’s internship program
welcomed students from all over the nation, providing them with solid hands-on
experience.
At the beginning of June, we welcomed two bright additions onto
our team: first time intern Leah Davis and second-year intern Innocent Muhalia.
Both quickly became a regular part of project presentations, meetings, and
construction site visits for a variety of projects including Lake Washington
and Fife High Schools.
Hailing from Montana State University, Leah took a big leap and traveled 300 miles from her hometown to spend the summer as part of McGranahan’s internship program. In addition to studying Architecture, she is also interested in gaining a better understanding of the industry, developing a versatile skill set, and increasing her understanding of school design.
After completing her internship in August, Leah returned to MSU to start her Junior year utilizing her internship experience in her studies.
First-Year Intern Leah Davis
Originally from Kenya, Innocent is currently an Architecture
student at the University of Washington pursuing his Bachelor degree. Having
grown up with role models who study and practice Architecture, Innocent
realized his dream of joining the field early on.
At McGranahan, Innocent quickly got involved in learning more
about schematic design and how to communicate with clients and consultants. His
weekly schedule ranged from visits to the Timberline Middle School construction
site to sitting in on construction administration meetings and to participate
in project team discussions. Innocent and Leah also utilized their studio
experience in working with various tools to help put together our sponsored
hole for PCS Structural Solutions’ annual Charity Putt-Putt Tournament.
Second-Year Intern Innocent Muhalia
“I really enjoyed my time
here,” said Innocent. “McGranahan has
a comfortable and inclusive environment that promotes both individual and
social growth. This helped me in developing professionally and personally.
One of the
helpful things I learned was knowing how to ask the right questions. This came
from client prep meetings I was in which helped me learn how to get meaningful
information from the client. I also learned design and concept development
through diagramming in a deeper aspect with the intent of explaining early and
abstract ideas clearly.”
Moving forward, Innocent plans to finish his senior year at the University of Washington and looks forward to obtaining his architectural license and returning to McGranahan in the future. In addition, Innocent plans to volunteer for One Vibe Africa and other organizations focused on social unity and growth.
Leah and Innocent discussing ideas over their latest summer project
McGranahan has mentored students from universities and colleges as well as those from programs such as the ACE Mentorship Program of Washington and Tacoma Public Schools’ Next Move. Our internship curriculum was recently overhauled in 2018 by Matthew Bissen, our Director of Design & Research and Part-Time University of Washington Faculty. The program centers on developing our interns’ professional and personal growth beyond traditional job shadowing.
Our aim is to have interns work directly with mentors in all
phases of the design process and gain a more experiential form of learning. The
program covers four main areas:
1. Exposure to Design Practice – This is an opportunity for interns to experience the range of architectural practice by attending sessions of each of the following activities over the course of the program:
Part 1
Areas
of Practice
Interview
Prep
Pre-Design
Planning/Community Meeting
Design
– Working Session and/or Planning/Community Meeting
Technical
– Tech Group Meeting or Focused Product Rep Meeting
Construction
– Construction Meeting and Site Visit
Built Work – Team Leader Guided Completed Building/Site Visit
Part 2
This is an opportunity for interns to
experience one area of practice in more depth through a longer time of
exposure. They attend all working sessions/meetings for a chosen area of
practice which they would like to learn more about:
Areas
of Practice
Marketing
and Strategic Planning
Technical
Detailing & Construction Administration
Learning
Environments
Sustainability
and Environmental Responsibility
Project
Management
Design
Operations
2. Defined Activity with Documented Result – Interns will work on a defined activity and or project which they will be instrumental in developing with a firm or project leader. This work will expose interns to an area of work within the firm in need of deeper or longer lasting attention. This is developed specifically for each intern to be able to achieve tangible accomplishment by the end of the summer and will serve as a product or knowledge for them to take from the program.
3. Team Participation – Interns will participate on a team as a team member to accomplish tasks commiserate with their skill level and team needs. This includes current projects that are in early planning/design phases.
4. Meaningful Contact – Experience meaningful contact with our professional and creative staff .
Each area allows interns to be involved in hands-on projects with
educational facilities throughout Washington state.
McGranahan’s internship program builds upon a student’s experience
each year to further develop their skills and knowledge. First-year interns start
with a broad overview of the different programs in the firm and mastering the
basics of day-to-day tasks. Second-year interns who have had the initial
exposure to a professional setting can follow a curriculum determined by their
chosen areas of interest. This opens doors to selected hands-on learning experiences
on a deeper level of architectural practice.
Supporting young talent and nurturing their creative passions are crucial for their development. The more well-equipped students are, the more prepared they will be when the opportunity comes to join the field. We hope to help pave the way for success and allow our mentees room for growth and exploration as they continue their journey in Architecture.
For further information on how to participate in our internship program, please contact our Director of HR Emily Level at emily.level@mcgranahan.com
Why Diversity and Inclusion in Learning Spaces Matter
Today, I am reflecting upon my American experience and the diversity and inclusion efforts on college and university campuses. I will explore what it means to create more diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces in college and university educational environments, drawing from my unique position as both a foreign-born Korean-American woman and as an architectural designer whose focus is on environmental design.
My life journey in America started in 1979 with a dream of continuing education in the U.S., the melting pot country made up of immigrants from all over the world. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture and worked in Palo Alto, California – a city full of creative minds, colorful faces, and voices with foreign accents during the ‘80s. I remember how it felt working and socializing there; I felt comfortable and that I belonged in that beautiful and innovative city.
Eventually, I moved to the Northwest in the ‘90s, first to Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill, and then to a gated country club in Gig Harbor, a neighborhood with mostly white faces. I spent all my time immersing and assimilating to a mono culture. However, in 2007, I moved to the Tacoma Triangle District, the center of an urban environment with a diverse population made up of multi-racial, multi-generational, LGBTQ, and socioeconomically diverse neighbors and professionals. My journey of planning and designing colleges and universities started at the same time. I am grateful to apply my personal life experiences to the practice of more inclusive learning and environmental design.
How do we design campus learning spaces with the intent of creating more welcoming and inclusive environments to all students, with different backgrounds and from all walks of life? I want to share my experience with three essential campus environments: welcoming spaces that reflect students’ heritage and identity, safe spaces to support those students who are marginalized, and accessible and non-discriminatory spaces to serve all of us.
Welcoming
Spaces that Reflect Students’ Heritage and Identity
Higher
education institutions are more diverse today than ever before and represent
the rich diversity that defines our country. College and university campuses
have become much more diverse in terms of race, gender, generational status,
nationality, ethnicity, linguistic background, sexual orientation, religious
affiliation, and socioeconomic status, among other social identities.
Institutions have responded to this changing context in multiple ways – by
creating separate cultural center spaces in the past and gradually addressing
physical facility planning and design opportunities associated with co-located
diverse and inclusive environments.
By
sharing common spaces on their campuses, historically marginalized communities
can be in closer proximity to one another while maintaining a sense of their
own space. These communities are often seeking a strong sense of
connection within their own group as well as solidarity with others.
I believe that the ability of individuals to see their heritage and identity reflected in their surroundings is essential to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. The campus aesthetics and its history communicate meaning and influence upon each individual’s perceptions of welcome and belonging. The homogeneity of buildings, as well as neutral and uniform palettes of interior spaces, can reinforce feelings of exclusion and intimidation by highlighting a single vernacular.
As planners and designers, we need to seize opportunities to include moments of variety and physical expression. Saint Martin’s University, like many institutions across the country, has seen an increase in the number of students speaking foreign languages. Our design team and the SMU art committee added featured wood panels in the fireplace Study Lounge and carved a welcoming message in the 16 languages spoken on the campus. This design strategy has helped students feel more at home.
Saint Martin’s University Harned Hall Academic Building Lobby Art Panel in 16 Languages
Safe
Spaces to Support Marginalized Students
We
can also support students in their personal development by creating ‘safe
spaces,’ or places from which they can develop comfort in cross-cultural interactions
at their own pace.
We recently worked with the University of Washington Tacoma on a predesign for their new “Learning Commons,” which will connect three existing buildings. Our design team proposed a plan that brings their Center for Equity and Inclusion (CEI), previously separated, into the new Learning Commons. The idea is that while this new relocated CEI is planned in a central location, they should also exist independently from highly visible public spaces.
This plan is in response to a feeling expressed by students and faculty from historically marginalized groups. They felt that too much exposure might lead to their feeling under surveillance by other members of the campus community. They wanted a new space to provide students with a sense of freedom from judgment, harassment, or discrimination based on their various social identities. They also wanted a space that facilitates the opportunity to build solidarity with others who are also seeking a more just and equitable university atmosphere. The new transparent glass wall system, with branding colors and logo, was planned to create movement that promotes interaction, dialogue, and collaboration.
UWT Center for Equity and Inclusion Design Concept Sketch Transparent Glass Wall System with Brand Colors and Logo
Accessible
and Non-discriminatory Spaces to Serve Us All
Finally, many institutions are embracing fully accessible non-discriminatory spaces. I share the belief that accessible design serves to benefit us all. There has been a recent emphasis on providing all-genders restrooms, and our Pacific Lutheran University School of Nursing Simulation and Skills Center is a great example. The PLU School of Nursing believes that the art and science of nursing is relationship-based and directed by humanitarian values of dignity, interdependence, and social justice. The university’s efforts to provide restrooms to all-gender facilities reflect its commitment to person-centered care and inclusiveness. Our environmental and social design strategies for this project include not only creating healthy learning environments to support nursing education spaces and industry partnerships, but also designing accessible non-discriminatory ‘built’ environment as one way to respect the dignity of each individual.
Space
matters.
Welcoming
and inclusive learning environments support a growing number of students from
all walks of life. Promoting openness and expanding student participation in
our planning and design process are extremely important. Listening to the needs
and desires of our students is crucial to closing the achievement gap. We
must provide students and faculty with every available opportunity to feel that
they belong. That they can grow and succeed for our future society, just as I
did in Palo Alto, collaborating with and supporting one another through the
kaleidoscope of various experiences and identities.
Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Conference 2019
Last Monday and Tuesday, I had an opportunity to come to the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Conference for the first time. It was a truly amazing and transformative experience for both learning and networking opportunities.
The main theme I learned this year is the importance of all life to have equal value. To believe in this and to act on it, each of us needs to adopt a culture of care as discussed at the opening keynote “What’s the Plan: Conversation on How We Can Work Together to Help More Striving Students Reach Their Goals” featuring Patrick Methvin of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
We need to care for other people beyond the surface and accept the fact that each of us is uniquely different, including our learning style. This is reinforced by the fact there is no two brains are exactly the same, as presented in “Learning Spaces for the Future: Personal Learning and Neurodiversity.” The solution for this requires innovations and evaluations to ensure we are going to the right path.
“Planning and Designing for Innovation: A Hackathon” provides glimpses and exercise on how we shall think innovatively. The exercise we did produces innovative solution and concept using the provided bagged items.
Another attempt on innovative solution is through a research on the best classroom layout to deliver teaching from both teacher and student perspectives presented in “The Geometry of Learning: Experiences from the Arena Classroom.” Finally, to know the solution is the right one, we will have to do post-occupancy evaluation. “Post-Occupancy Evaluation for Active Learning Environments: Methodologies, Results, & Impacts” provides some examples and attempts to evaluate the success of the proposed solution. Although we are still far away from an effective method, the direction is the right path to take.
The conference also offers more concrete example of campus
wide transformation. One particularly
interesting example is “Innovative Ecosystem at Campus Edge: MIT’s Kendall
Square Initiative” where MIT is trying to support learning with working in the
real world by attracting tech start-up, medium, and large companies to its
campus and by blurring the edge of its traditional learning campus area with
this innovative development mixing tech companies with student housing, museum,
and retail in both new and renovated existing buildings. The result is a dynamic campus, a place
making, where people want to be in.
With this great first-time experience, I will for sure look
forward to another opportunity to attend SCUP conference in the future.
Olympic Hills Elementary School: A Daily Sustainable Lesson Plan
Olympic Hills Elementary
School was designed to support Differentiated Instruction pedagogy, meeting
each student where they are learning best and providing an environment in which
the whole child can thrive. At the same time, the new building has
significantly reduced the operational carbon footprint and serves as an example
for the District, the community, and educational designers about being a better
steward of the environment.
Washington state has one of
the nation’s most stringent energy codes, and biannual code updates ensure new buildings
are minimizing their overall energy consumption.
AIA 2030
Architectural firms
participating in the 2030 Commitment saved 17.8 million metric tons of CO2 in
2017 alone, which is equivalent to the carbon that would be sequestered by 21 million
acres of forest – nearly the size of the state of Maine! As signatories to the
AIA 2030 Commitment, our goal is to reduce carbon emissions on all our
projects, track progress, and evaluate the impact design decisions have on
energy performance. We believe the way we address energy and climate issues
through the built environment is crucial to our mission.
When this project started, it was benchmarked against the 2015 target to achieve a 70% reduction in energy consumption as tracked by the buildings Energy Use Index (EUI). Knowing this was a challenging target, we were thrilled to learn that the verified performance of 18.4 EUI exceeded our goal by nearly 15%.
With future projects needing
to meet a higher energy reduction rate in 2020, our mechanical engineer, Brian Cawley
of Hargis Engineers, noted that adding heat recovery to classrooms and
installing 100kw of PV’s on the roof could achieve another 15% EUI reduction.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GGE)
At the outset of design, we
pursued an “All-Electric” school, eliminating the use of fossil fuels across
the entire site. What does that mean for Seattle Public Schools, their students
and teachers, and the community?
It starts with an incredibly
clean energy source. The City of Seattle generates its own electrical power and
less than 2% of the energy is created by sources that generate greenhouse
gases!
Thoughtful building
orientation and judicious placement of windows minimize the need for
supplemental lighting. The high-performance building envelope results in a
minimal 5-degree heat loss overnight. Compiling this all together results in an
annual utility bill (heat and lighting) of just over 65-cents per square foot
per year. (around $100/student each year).
Based on actual consumption data, Olympic Hills only contributes an average of 23.2 kilograms of GGE per day. That is the equivalent of driving a typical car 57 miles. Over time, each new building that Seattle Public Schools completes makes a significant impact.
Plug Loads
The real story of the success
of Olympic Hills is grounded in the daily habits of the teachers and students.
As the built environment gets more efficient each code cycle, the habits of the
users and what they plug-in to the building accounts for over half of the
annual consumption of the building.
The City of Seattle energy
code exceeds the state code on many levels, and in particular, utilizes
mandatory ‘green plugs’ that de-energized each night to ensure conservation. Seattle
Public Schools has verified that Olympic Hills has the lowest plug-load
consumption of energy in the district.
As part of the project, we created a simple User’s Guidebook that identifies the manual and automatic energy systems in the building and explains the ’why’ behind the green-plugs. By raising the awareness regarding this system, there is little to no circumvention of this system. This guidebook was provided to everyone who works in the building and survives digitally allowing new educators to become acquainted with the way the building operates.
Project Architect Tim Mahoney’s Experience at McGranahan
I was drawn to McGranahan initially because of their focus on designing educational facilities. I was raised in a family that fostered learning and placed a high value on education. My mother worked as a reading specialist, my grandfather as a college professor, and my brother went on to become a college professor as well. I wanted to find a way through my own career path to help give back and contribute to the education of future generations, and McGranahan offered me the opportunity to pursue that goal.
The design approach at McGranahan is to provide learning environments that foster learning and inspire students to develop their own creativity; a student should want to attend school, and their learning environment should help to enhance that desire. A firm must hold design in a high regard to succeed in this approach, and I’ve found that McGranahan does. By having clear Project Designer and Project Architect roles, each team member can focus on their areas of strength. Simultaneously, collaborative opportunities are readily available for one to learn from the other. This way of working ultimately leads to a better building. The emphasis on collaboration extends to the project team makeup as well. The project Designer will help to mentor developing Project Architects and Designers, giving those with less experienced staff the opportunity to expand their focus and realize that design, technical resolution and project management are all interrelated and necessary for a project to be successful. Having practiced architecture for 15+ years, I’m able to be a mentor to some of the younger architects in the firm. It’s really rewarding.
Never before in my career have I worked for an architecture firm where design, constructability and budget have all been given equal value within a project team’s goals. McGranahan has adapted their project team makeup to allow for leadership in each of those three categories: Project Manager, Project Designer and Project Architect. Each role assumes the responsibility of working towards their associated goal through clear communication and collaboration with each other, and the team as a whole. By giving equal importance to all three team leaders, a set of checks and balances for meeting the project goals are established; it emphasizes the need for open collaboration amongst the team. Throughout the various phases of the project each team leader is involved in all design, detailing and budget discussions or working sessions. By maintaining leadership presence within the team throughout the design process, it allows for the core project goals to remain equally balanced. In the end, each team member has had the opportunity to connect with the project in a meaningful way.
Working as a Project Architect with McGranahan, I’m able to do my best work, collaborate effectively and ultimately produce an end product that is of the highest quality.
To join Tim and the McGranahan Team, check out our careers page, and apply today.
