Sustainability
How We Create Great Designs for Early Childhood Education
Designing facilities that meet the unique needs of young children and the educators responsible for their care and teaching requires attention to a few key elements. For example, there should be plenty of informal learning spaces, certain elements of the design need to be scaled appropriately for children, and consideration needs to be given to…
Read MoreLearn About Helpful Funding Sources for Historic Building Renovations
If you own a historic building and are considering improving it, you should keep in mind that there are funds available for the renovation, restoration, or rehabilitation of these types of structures. The Secretary of the Interior maintains separate “standards” documents for the different types of work performed on historic properties, but our team can…
Read MoreHow to Create Successful Master Plans for Early Childhood Facilities
Master planning in any environment has its challenges. When it’s done within the broader context of an academic campus, a high degree of coordination with the institution’s existing plans, processes, and goals is essential. Our firm recently undertook a project for a new facility called the Neighborhood Preschool on the campus of Wesleyan University.…
Read MoreKarin Patriquin Receives 2020 AIA Connecticut Women In Architecture Award!
Our own Karin Patriquin won the inaugural award from AIA CT Women in Architecture Committee. The Women in Architecture Award recognizes licensed women architects within AIA Connecticut who showcase exceptional design skills, advocate for fair and sustainable practices, and make a positive impact in the industry. A Note from the 2020 Women in Architecture Award…
Read MoreSlate School: A Virtual Tour
As part of the 2020 Sustainability Week at AIA Connecticut and for the CT Green Building Council’s annual site tour, we were asked to guide a walking tour of Slate School. Due to the current health regulations, this has been postponed. As a small teaser, we are featuring a recent video of drone footage prepared…
Read MoreHow Top Trends are Affecting Architecture Today
It’s surprising when I stop and think about the fact that I began working as an architect more than 20 years ago. I’ve seen many changes in my two decades in this profession, including new areas of emphasis like sustainability, and new tools such as 3D printers. Yet it seems that the evolution of architecture…
Read MoreHow to Design a Natural Playscape
As children, the first lessons we learn are about the natural world around us. And those lessons are important, because they become the framework for much of the learning that follows. That’s one of the reasons nature themes are so prevalent in childcare and early education settings. This includes outdoor play areas, where it seems…
Read MoreHelping Young Minds Bloom with an Educational Greenhouse and Gardens
Slate School is an independent elementary school in North Haven, CT. Its 25-acre parcel is a beautiful plot of land, with both open meadow lands and forest. When school leaders approached us to design the school building, they expressed their vision of capitalizing on this incredible setting and having nature play a central role in…
Read MoreFitwel and Our Office Renovation: Taking Great Strides for a Better Score
People who work in an office environment spend a significant percentage of their life there. It’s certainly true for our team, which is one of the reasons we are proponents of the Fitwel System. Developed by the United States General Services Administration (GSA) based on research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),…
Read MoreWhat Goes Into the Design of a New Elementary School Campus?
One of the most important characteristics for young students to possess is curiosity. For one elementary school in North Haven, CT, the notion of exploration is central to its mission: “Slate School cultivates creativity, fosters ingenuity, and inspires a deep passion for lifelong learning and discovery. Slate School’s priority is that each child’s innate and…
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