Architect
Zagrodnik and Thomas
Project Size
5,450 sq. ft.
Windows/Daylighting
12 Solatubes in the roof/ceiling for natural daylighting with electric dimmers to vary the amount of light as needed; fluorescent lighting switched to minimize artificial lighting; low-e, dual pane storefront to reduce heat and glare.
Meterial Minimization
Unfinished walls, roofs, and floors; exposed electrical and data conduits/wiring makes revisions less messy.
Mixed Use
Shared space for conference room and art gallery; shower and yoga room for employees.
Recycled Materials
Form boards for concrete walls were used for roof sheathing (part of original construction which was exposed by our remodel)
Flooring
Recycled content carpeting reused from prior location, laid on concrete without adhesives.
Non-toxic Materials
Minimal and low VOC paint.
Reused/Recycled Materials
Office furniture; recycled exposed steel studs and wall panels
Energy Efficiency
Task lighting at each work station.
Ventilation/Air Circulation
Operable windows and ceiling fans.
Recycling Area
Recycling areas for everyday waste such as paper, cardboard, metals and food composting.
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When I first walked up to the home of Zagrodnik and Thomas Architects, I wasn't sure I had the right address; there was no sign on the storefront or windows. So, I peeked inside the door, and then I was sure I had the wrong address: this was an art gallery, not an architect's office. So I called them on my cell phone; “you're in the right place, come on in.”
Located just one block south of the Platt-Whitelaw office (site 5), the Z+T offices are unusual in two ways. First, as noted, the entry looks like an art gallery – and, in fact, it is. Moreover, artwork decorates the entire interior of the workspace. Second, they decided to take a decidedly minimalist and functional approach with the interior design. The result is a workspace that is open, bright, informal and inviting.
Two years ago, when two adjacent storefronts became available, Z+T purchased them, removed the walls separating the two spaces, and all but gutted the interior. What was left was a little framing in the entry area, a balcony at the rear… and a wide open space. The high ceilings reveal the “bones” of the building: great steel trusses spanning the walls from side to side. The floor was stripped to bare concrete, as you will see; carpeting in the work areas is layed directly on the concrete, with no adhesive applied nor required. Even the framed surfaces that were left – in the entry and the balcony stairway at the rear – have been stripped down to the wood structural elements.
Workspaces are defined with bookcases, not walls. Skylights were added, making additional lighting not necessary most of the time. A unique feature, these skylights have electically-operated “dimmers” that can be used to reduce the amount of light delivered. And, of course, all the furniture and fixtures were “recycled” from their previous office.
One of the guiding principals of sustainable architecture and design is materials minimization, and this site must be the “poster child” for that concept. Your tour guide and principal, Scott Thomas, is an expert in “green” architecture, and will explain the details of both what they have now and what they plan for the future.
View of the Zagrodnik + Thomas office from the balcony at the back. One the left you can see the wood studs that enclose the stairway, stripped of their covering. In the upper left you can see one of the skylights that provide ample natural light. |
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