Library Table & Chair, Designed by Peter Bohlin, FAIA & Robert Miller, AIA, LEED AP; Produced by Reveal Designs
Peter Bohlin & Robert Miller
Ballard Library – Ballard Library, Designed by Peter Bohlin, FAIA & Robert Miller, AIA, LEED AP
Peter Bohlin, FAIA
Peter Bohlin, founding design principal of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Established in 1965 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the firm of more than 100 architects now has offices in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco as well. A fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Peter Bohlin served as Chairman of the Committee on Design in 1984 – 1985.
Mr. Bohlin’s work first came to national attention in 1975, when Forest House, a summer house for his parents in West Cornwall, Connecticut appeared on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. An early national Honor Award from the AIA came in 1989 when Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute was called the “Soft machine” by the Architectural Record… “respectful of both place and program; there is a kind of architectural hum as aspects of its heterogeneous neighbors resonate throughout.”
Paul Goldberger has described Peter Bohlin as a “romantic modernist, determined to use the forms of modernism to achieve the emotional impact of traditionalism.” William Bruder in his introduction to Ledge House says, “It is architecture of its time that aspires to timelessness. … It is a place where the magic of architecture inspires one to relax and dream what might be.” Of the house, the national AIA awards jury said, “a tour de force, a deeply American building.”
Peter Bohlin has taught and lectured at many schools of architecture throughout the United States. A monograph on the firm, The Architecture of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson was published in 1994, and a second book, Ledge House, detailing the design and construction of that house was released in 1999. The most recent book, Arcadian Architecture, documents twelve of the most firm’s most relevant homes.
In recent years, there has been an increased demand for Bohlin’s houses, which have ranged in scale from the Pacific Rim Estate, done by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in a joint venture with James Cutler Architects, to Gosline, a modest house in Seattle. Peter Bohlin and his firm, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, continue to work on a wide variety of architectural projects, from houses to large buildings for universities, corporations and public institutions.
Robert E. Miller, AIA, LEED AP
Robert Miller, Senior Associate managing the Seattle office of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Ball State University, and attended Graduate courses at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia. Robert provides oversight, coordination and leadership for most Pacific Northwest projects. Robert has championed both sustainable design practices and regional sensitivity throughout the offices work.
Robert’s life long interests in social issues, alternative construction, renewable energy, and industrial design are reflected in his holistic approach to architecture. He believes strongly that thoughtful innovation and integration are the future of successful sustainable design.
As project manager for the Ballard Library and Neighborhood Service Center in Seattle, Robert incorporated his vision for the library as a teaching tool for sustainable concepts. Fully integrated and interactive photovoltaic panels, 18,000 square feet of green roof with a periscope and a public art installation that monitors the microclimate around the building are only a few of the innovations incorporated into the building. This building also incorporated one of the first installations of PV film technology in the US and integrated it into the architecture as a learning tool. Robert has presented this building at sustainable conferences in the Pacific Northwest and Washington DC. The library has received a Regional Civic Design Award, AIA National Award for Design, AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Award, and a Livable Cities Green Roof Award.
A line of “green” furniture, designed by Robert Miller and Peter Bohlin, was incorporated in the Ballard Library. The design has been submitted for patent and is being released for manufacturing and public sales. A series of architectural hardware is currently on the boards.
The Ballard Collection
Consultant Listing:
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (www.bcj.com)
Interiors: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Furniture Design: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Hardware Design: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
First Run Manufacturer: Worden Company
Production Manufacturer: Milltech Group
Marketing/ Sales: Reveal Designs (www.reveal-designs.com)
Owner/ Owner Contact Name:
Prototypes: Seattle Public Library/ David Kunselman
Production and Sales: www.Reveal-Designs.com
Project Name:
Ballard Collection
Project Type:
Furniture
Completion Date:
May 2005
Connection:
The Ballard Collection was designed in response to the Ballard community’s expectations of a new civic building then under design. The community desired the design reflect not only an expression of their Scandinavian heritage and maritime working waterfront, but also the young and hip new members of their evolving community. This collection blends those seemingly divergent groups with a common value repeatedly heard; an interest in sustainable design.
Classic Scandinavian influenced modern furniture such as Aalto tables and chairs were beyond the reach of the modest publicly funded project. Attention quickly turned to a table design utilizing slotted plywood panels mocked up and utilized in the architects’ office. Conceived in an effort to minimize waste from the four foot by eight foot sheets of plywood, the proportions of nested pieces were balanced until a desired overall aesthetic was achieved. Based on the low cost and success of that design, an entire line of furniture took form as a solution to the needs at the Ballard Library. Mockups were completed in the architect’s basement and evaluated by the client group as modifications were made to fine tune the height and angles of each piece. The resulting family of plywood based designs includes; chairs, tables, study carrels, display tables, a globe stand, and an information kiosk.
Close attention was given to maximizing the durability and longevity of the furniture and hardware. All pieces of the collection can be relocated and reused. Reversible tops and seats were incorporated doubling the lifespan of the parts most susceptible to damage as public furniture. Several pieces are reversible assemblies, allowing either right or left hand configurations depending on specific needs and location. Interchangeable parts between many of the pieces allow institutions to stock fewer replacement parts for long term repair of furniture. All parts store and ship flat making the most efficient use of valuable storage space.
The Collections upholstery is also designed for flexibility. Seat cushions are a consistent size throughout the collection, and are reversible, extending the life of each cushion. Durable, easily cleaned, and natural renewable fabrics or heavy duty recycled content synthetic leathers are used as coverings.
Collaboration:
The decision to pursue custom sustainable accessories required a commitment from all parties, made possible through well established working relationships and shared values. Without the efforts of individual members of the entire team it would have been difficult to succeed in this endeavor.
Thinking outside the box was necessary to create the best solution possible for this building. The owner trusted the team to succeed and follow through with designs that would not only meet their tight budget but to also withstand the extensive wear of public use. A commitment was made by the architects to develop products which would require investing vast amounts of time trusting that they would be recouped later in product sales. The manufacturers were willing to discuss and educate the team on the workings and capacities of their machinery assisting us in understanding the most effective manufacturing processes. Identifying methods that reduced manual operations allow local companies to be competitive with overseas manufacturers. Reveal Designs provided early support to protect the collection with patent applications and continue to provide feedback on marketing and production aspects of the furniture.
The process proves one of the most important aspects of sustainable design is collaboration and the commitment to a common goal. Fortunately, it happens to also be one of the most enjoyable aspects of design.
Energy:
“Cradle to grave” evaluations informed much of the design process. The design team focused on low energy production techniques and materials.
Flat pack design and simple site fabrication allows ease of shipping, maximum amounts of product per shipment, and minimal packaging material.
Site assembly is accomplished with a rubber mallet and takes only minutes. No fasteners or glue are necessary eliminating the additional production and packaging of those traditionally necessary items.
Waste:
Nested pieces allow for maximum efficiency of material use. The reduction of waste maximizes the public benefit of the energy used in manufacturing recognizing that wasted usable raw material also wastes large amounts of embedded energy even if recycled. Manufacturing at the source point allows any waste or by products to be efficiently recycled in useful quantities.
Prototypes were manufactured with regional materials. Other materials are now being offered as alternatives based on their benefit as renewable or their impact on local economies. Kirei board for example is manufactured on site where it utilizes waste products from food production in regions of China. Consideration of these alternative materials allows the Collection to have a global impact, allowing for potential local manufacturing, using locally produced materials.
Materials:
Prototype interior furniture was manufactured from Appleply, a regional material supplied by States Industries who work with FSC certified wood; the sheets of plywood also use faster growing Alder cores.
Other materials are now being offered as alternatives based on their benefit as renewable or their impact on local economies. Kirei board for example is manufactured on site where it utilizes waste products from food production in regions of China. Consideration of these alternative materials allows the Collection to have a global impact, allowing for potential local manufacturing, using locally produced materials.
Alternative material choices for the furniture currently include Plyboo, Kirei Board, Straw Board, a series of BioFiber products, and Medite.
Indoor Air Quality:
The lack of fasteners and glues eliminates issues of potential off-gassing of VOC’s and odors. The furniture and hardware are all factory finished, where careful monitoring and control of air quality issues can be handled effectively. All finishes are stored and used in bulk at the manufacturing location, eliminating the potential contamination issues associated with small quantities of leftover paints and finishes on site. All pieces are allowed to cure before arriving on site eliminating air quality contamination within the occupied building.
Each of the pieces is easily cleaned and has durable finishes that can withstand liquids, cleaners, stains, and the removal of vandalism.
Site:
Inside the building innovative offset seating at the square tables allow a closer spacing taking up to 30% less space. The reduction of table spacing from 110 inches on center minimum to 96 inches on center minimum potentially allows a reduction of the building footprint or increased seating in the same amount of space.
The furniture’s design marks the individuals own “territory” for books and materials with the subtle slot and tab design. Observation indicates users are sitting several people per table instead of one per table as often occurs at shared tables in public venues.
Integration:
Sustainability permeates the project from the original building placement to this creation of a new line of sustainable furniture and hardware. The same rigor applied to the building was also applied to the Ballard Collection. Manufacturing at the source to limit on site fabrication, maximizes material utilization, controls waste, facilitates recycling, and decreases schedule. New machining technology was tapped, allowing parts to be nested within the field of the raw materials standard dimensions, virtually eliminating waste.
Low energy manufacturing such as simply bending metal plate or connecting plywood with slots and tabs considers the cradle to grave life of the products. The low embedded energy approach informed the design creating a unique aesthetic that fits well in sustainable architecture.
Lessons Learned:
Many lessons were learned working at this scale of design. The most important is the power of collaboration and the reminder of the impact of detail on the overall architecture.
During the process the design team became attuned to the technological limitations and opportunities that ultimately must be considered to fully integrate sustainability and design.
The specification of materials and careful attention to the stock sizes of these materials is an often overlooked aspect of sustainable design. Modification of product design at any scale should consider how to maximize the use of these materials and resources.
Quality control ensures long term function and use of the products. Strong design of a timeless nature should also be paramount. Good design and trendy fashion must be separated if a commitment to sustainability is being made.
Careful design and thoughtful consideration can result in cost savings. The custom solutions for the Ballard Collection traded additional design consideration up front for a lower end cost and increased durability and useful life. Finding holistic avenues to justify this cost, such as marketing the collection to a larger group, permits us to pursue continued incorporation of our values at all scales.