Firm Feature: Aedis建筑师

I sat down with John Diffenderfer, 和阿夫沙·阿里, to learn more about the work they’re doing at Aedis建筑师, 他是加州领先的皇冠99hg现金网设计建筑师之一，也是加州公立学校应用高性能建筑技术的创新者. John is the company’s President, and Afsha was named Associate Principal this year, having led projects for Aedis since 2008.   

John and Afsha share their vision for TimberQuest®, 这是一个预先设计的大规模木结构建筑解决方案，可以容纳加州学校的各种皇冠99hg现金网项目, and why the firm prioritizes wood as a sustainable design solution. 

John started off the interview: “大约是早上9点.m. 在一个阳光明媚的早晨, 孩子们在幼儿园新教学楼前的草坪上玩耍. They were in little circles, each around their own adult, 谁会在一天结束的时候读一个关于建筑工地的可爱的儿童故事. The readers were from Aedis建筑师, XL建设, 代达罗斯工程师——他们负责制造独一无二的——也许是众多中的第一个——Sacred Heart School’s Timberquest® kindergarten classroom building. 为了我们所有人, 这是我们与学生和老师分享的庆祝活动，他们将从这个神奇的地方受益. I don’t think they even knew what it signified; they just knew they loved it!” 

切尔西: John, thanks for that charming mental picture! I can feel your excitement as you talk about TimberQuest. What is it and what makes it so important?    

约翰: 在过去的几年里，我们看到了大量关于设计和建筑行业如何处于颠覆性变革的边缘的新闻. We have been contemplating our part in this for a while, 最终让我们与另外两家公司达成了共识，这两家公司后来成为了我们的合作伙伴. We each brought a piece of the puzzle—engineering and construction experience with CLT; experience with the school design marketplace and the agencies involved. 同样重要的是, 我们每个人都有一个共同的动力去做不可能的事情: 生产一个负担得起的系统, 快, 亲生, AND gentle on the environment. Thus TimberQuest was born.  

TimberQuest是一个预先设计(和“预先检查”)的建筑解决方案，以容纳加州学校的各种皇冠99hg现金网计划, 由专利系统的交叉层压木材(CLT)板建造，用于墙壁和屋顶, that leverages best practices in daylighting, 通风, 能源效率. 它创造了一个很好的学习环境，减少了68%的二氧化碳₂e from a baseline steel-framed building of the same size and function.

切尔西: 二氧化碳减少68%₂e? That seems too good to be true. 这是如何实现的?? 

Afsha: 我们与STŌK合作, a prominent environmental consulting firm, to analyze our specifications, 以及建立我们第一次安装的计算碳影响的手段和方法. 我们还要求他们将更传统的建筑技术应用到完全相同的建筑配置中, using both wood and steel. Concrete foundations and slabs were the same across the board. We found that wood in any form will beat steel by a long shot. 传统木结构建筑的碳含量将比全钢结构建筑低30%以上. 用大量的木材, embodied carbon can be further offset; we have a net 68% reduction compared to steel. This is all due to biogenic carbon storage in the wood products, 大量的木材比传统的木质框架有更多的木纤维. The way we understand it, trees essentially soak up carbon like a sponge, and in sequestering carbon, wood products are essentially cleaning the atmosphere, thus providing a lasting positive impact on the atmosphere. 木材越多, the more positive impact, 在结构的其余部分中，哪些可以抵消碳的负面影响.  

切尔西: You used the word “亲生” in your description. Tell us more about why that matters. 

约翰: 亲生命被定义为人类与自然和其他生物联系的天生本能. Biophilic design seeks to increase this connectivity using nature, 自然的形式, 材料, 和条件. TimberQuest employs abundant but controlled daylight, fresh air and 通风, 访问视图, and of course the warmth and texture of the exposed wood on the walls, 光线, 和天花板. 我们不能声称自己做过这样的研究，证明亲生物设计的模式能改善情感, 生理, and cognitive performance, but we sure did deploy its lessons! 当你一踏进圣心学校的幼儿园大楼，你就会感到快乐. 当然,有 an academic paper that explains why.  

切尔西: What else are you working on? Do you see this as your only foray into CLT?  

Afsha: 在任何时候，Aedis都在进行着100多个这样或那样的活跃项目. 我们的许多工作是对现有学校进行修复和现代化改造. So far, we have only been able to use CLT in our new construction work. 新18,600-square-foot classroom building at Prospect High School in Saratoga, CA was actually our first use of CLT. That was also a design-bid-build job, so bid day was a nail-biter. 获胜者, Calstate Construction, stepped up to the challenge and weathered the steep learning curve, this being their first project using the material. Two key factors in working with CLT are the precision with which it is manufactured and its lead times. 车间图纸与工程中几乎所有的行业都协调一致——电气, 机械, and plumbing—requiring all the sub-contractors to step up too, 在1 / 16英寸的公差范围内确定穿透和锚定位置, and to do so before the floor slab was poured!

We have other [CLT] projects in the works currently. A somewhat larger TimberQuest installation is underway in Pleasanton. 它的面积约为8000平方英尺，将于2023年秋季开始使用. 我们还在为TimberQuest®开发额外的类型学——体育馆的高湾和大跨度规划, assembly and multi-use buildings, and two-story configurations with interior and exterior circulation. 你将在2024年春天在加利福尼亚州帕洛阿尔托的一个地方看到第一个这样的建筑.  

除了, CLT is finding its way into our multi-family residential projects, and we believe that it will soon be our go-to primary structure, 特别是当新的碳影响减少指令明年开始从国家建筑师部门出来时. 

切尔西: You folks seem so passionate about CLT. Is this part of a larger sustainability agenda? 

约翰: 多年来，Aedis建筑事务所一直在为环保设计而战. 我们还记得我们在2010年建造的第一座净零能源/排放大楼. It was practically unheard of back then, just like mass timber is considered an emerging technology today. Some of our clients are saving up to 80% on their energy bills now, 多亏了我们在新建和翻新的建筑中设计的节能策略. 几乎在所有情况下, the by-product of energy-efficient design is daylight, 访问视图 and fresh air, and an enhanced connection to nature. 我们相信设计的积极持久影响和为下一代保护我们的星球. 

切尔西: Thank you Afsha and John for joining me today and sharing about Aedis. 我期待在不久的将来看到贵公司建造更多的TimberQuest项目和其他大型木材项目.