Beinfield ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO Ironworks

beinfield ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO Ironworks This urban infill mixed-use project in The Washington Street Historic District in South Norwalk, Connecti- cut, has played a critical role in stabilizing a neigh- borhood in decline. The program included 108 rental apartments, amenities for those apartments, and 18,000 sqft of office, retail and restaurant space. The project provided enhanced connectivity between the historic district that had been created and revitalized in 1983, and the Maritime Aquarium that had been built as another component of an urban revitalization project at that time. A 230 space precast parking structure is hidden from public view. The place-making aspect of this project has suc- ceeded in offering a reason to visit this district that had been trending downward. On the ground level restaurants, a juice bar and a yoga studio open to a courtyard that has become a vital new place in the community. The Architecture of the courtyard echoes the scale and character of the historic district. The fountain crafted from recycled granite is a central feature of the courtyard, and a center of activity. The place is full of life, and the goal of en- dowing it with energy is being realized. I I • ... � • .. t, ·1 I Kayak Kayak.com’s interest in attracting and maintain- ing a young urban workforce brought them to an abandoned police station close to the Stamford transit hub. Within the shell of the historic structure we helped craft a headquarters facility with the goal of providing brand reinforcement, and enabling Kayak to have enhanced connectivity to New York City’s millennial population. The original structure was designed by James Gamble Rogers, who was an architect known for his elegant “Yale Gothic” style. Our architectural intervention takes advantage of the soaring interi- or space, and celebrates the raw nature of the sal- vaged building, while referencing air travel, which is at the core of Kayak’s business. A client request to suspend a used jet fuselage in the hanger like building shell was challenged by the difficulties of getting the aircraft into the historic structure. Alternatively it was decided to build a new fuselage from within. The existing space was adapted to maintain the sense of building as artifact. Exposed brick, metal and concrete trusses, as well as remnants of the buildings more ornate former life is preserved. Rooms constructed of metal and glass house offices and support space. The fuselage suspended from reinforced trusses houses a digital virtual conference center that connects headquarters to the satellite offices around the world. A suspended catwalk bridge access further emphasizes the floating nature of the room. Enclosed executive offices are housed on the first floor, while the upper levels are given over to the work stations, collaborative spaces and meeting areas. north american Power Designing the offices for North American power was all about creating a great space to work. Our clients at North American Power believe that “Great things happen when you give individuals the power to change the world around them.” The clients wanted to encourage a team-based environment that would coalesce and reflect the company mission to support and promote sustainable resources. Likewise, the space should embody the company’s sincerity to preserve and protect the environment. Their space had to speak of green energy. At the core of the work environment are recycled and sustainable materials branding their work- place as a progressive 21st century company. The living walls form an indoor garden, with plants that oxygenate the air. Systems are exposed to make the work space more dynamic than the typical corporate cast. Live edge wood conference tables are juxtaposed against classic mid-century modern and industrial pieces to en- rich the space. A mix of furniture from mid-century masters Le Corbusier and Mies Van der Rohe, along with a collection of reclaimed industrial artifacts make the space feel much more like a sophisticated New York loft than a corporate office. The café was designed as a place to gather around expres- so machine, sending a message to the employees that this is a cool and caring community. Stepping Stones The Architecture of the new wing of the Museum for Children acknowledges that the magic of energizing young minds happens within its walls. The building form is a simple recycled steel box, with an erector set of parts attached, which add architectural and educational content. This new wing maintains a di- alogue with the original Centerbrook Architects designed structure, while orienting to a different set of priorities. The Gold LEED Certified building is a celebration of natural energies, and the magic of discovery. The building harnesses energy from the sun and trans- mits it into the building through a series of photo- voltaic panels that animate the facade. The result is a whimsical building that speaks of possibilities and marks the museum as a place of magic. The joys of childhood are expressed with the slightly mis- chievous use of corrugated metal siding that wiggles across the facade like wrapping paper on a gift box. Energy collection devices provide the ribbons and bows, while layering the structure with educational content. The building opens up to an exterior courtyard shel- tered by a fabric tensile structure to create a dynamic performance venue for young audiences. The project team was committed to sustainability from the outset, an attitude that informed every deci- sion along the way, from design through construction and beyond. The unique function of the institution as a children’s museum also offers the opportunity to educate about these goals on a daily, functioning ba- sis. An interior telescope lets children view the plant and animal life flourishing on the green roof above. In addition to the structure itself, three garden “fol- lies” use local solar, wind and water energy to delight and instruct museum-goers. This colorful set of ki- netic sculptures demonstrates simple principles of energy generation while creating percussive music. Attendance at the Museum has increased dramat- ically since the new wing opened in November of 2010. In addition to Gold LEED Certification, the Museum has been awarded the 2011 Green Advo- cate Award from the US Green Building Council, and the building received an Award of Merit from the CT Chapter of the US Green Building Council. Corsair The Corsair project uses storytelling as a tool for architectural placemaking and community building. Storytelling that celebrates the history, geography, and culture of a particular place and speaks to what it can become. At a time when so much of the built environment is placeless and faceless, celebrating the history of a place adds authenticity and provides continuity with the past. During World War II, propellers for the Corsair aircraft that helped turn the tide in the Pacific were manu- factured at this location, the workforce was primarily female, and their heroic story is memorialized there. The Corsair story provided a common thread that tied the place together. The integration of the architecture into the urban fabric of the street, and the referencing of the local brick industrial mill building typology helped to make the building both fit in, and stand out. Within the community space at corsair we developed a wide range of environments to house a variety of activities. The recycling of the historic industrial materials and artifacts from an earlier age endows Corsair with spir- it, and provides authenticity to the experience of living there. The attention to brand related details, like the displaying old bottles that were found during the exca- vation, and the preservation of cast stone panels that adorned the prior building on the site, layer additional meaning into the placemaking, and sent out strong messages to residents, or future residents that this is a caring community, and a great place to live. Duras Located in a 150-year-old mill building, this As- set Management Firm focuses its interest in the biotech industry. Taking cues from the sciences, the office design reflects the duality of scientific inquiry: its logic and creativity, its rigor and chaos. Concrete floors connote the hard clean surfaces of the laboratory and glass and steel give the office an industrial feel. Color plays an important part of the composition and is a reference to the color- coding of laboratory materials. Oranges, blues and greens are used throughout. The existing structure of the mill building is an un- hidden presence in the exposed brick walls and skeleton of timber columns that march down the center of the office. This order is also reinforced by the cellular nature of the analysts’ office that anchor the front wing. Their angled translucent walls alternating with transparent glass doors create intriguing glimpses into the offices for visitors while sharing daylight with the interior. Shaped slip-matched sycamore panels define an organic waiting area that contrasts with the underlying structural order. The opposing wall of the entry hall is skewed in relation to the building grid, to create a forced perspective that leads visitors towards the conference and operations area. A narrow blue light running the length of this space becomes a marker that knits the plan together. The wings intersect at a conference room glazed in entirely with both frosted and clear glass illumi- nated by colored light sources. Norden Park Norden Park sits on 80 acres with direct access from I-95. Norden Park is an acclaimed exam- ple of adaptive reuse. The site originally housed a vintage 1961 700,000 square foot defense plant and is still partially occupied by the Norden division of the Northrop Grumman Corporation.

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