Integral Projects Win AIA-COTE Top 10 Awards

AIA-COTE Top 10 Awards Feature Two Integral Group  Projects

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and ecological design projects that protect and enhance the environment. The projects will be honored at the AIA 2014 National Convention and Design Exposition in Chicago.

Integral Group provided MEP services for two of the top ten projects, the David & Lucille Packard Foundation in Los Altos, CA and the Sustainability Treehouse in Glen Jean, West Virginia.

Integral Group was part of the multidisciplinary team that designed the Sustainability Treehouse for the Boy Scouts of America, the newest educational center in the 10,600-acre Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. This massive new 3,350-square-foot structure serves as an educational adventure for all visiting Boy Scouts. As they walk through this impressive Treehouse, towering at 125 feet tall, the visiting Boy Scouts can learn how the Treehouse produces and manages its own water, waste and energy through interactive exhibits—a water-purifying “Rain Chain,” a light bulb-powering tricycle, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and a large cistern and water cleansing system.

The iconic educational center is targeting several green building certifications, from Living Building Challenge, the built environment’s most rigorous and ambitious performance standard, to LEED Platinum. In addition to capturing the attention of many visitors, the Sustainability Treehouse has also been awarded a 2013 Award of Honor Washington, which celebrates excellence in design. Tom Simpson, Managing Principal at Integral Group, led the project for Integral.

The 49,000-square-foot Packard Foundation Headquarters is the largest certified net zero energy office in the nation. The American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers has also awarded Integral Group the first place Technology Award in the new commercial buildings category for the Packard Foundation. Eric Soladay, Managing Principal at Integral Group, managed the project for Integral.

See the AIA-COTE press release and a complete of this year’s winners.