The new 56,000 sf District Energy Facility (DEF) sets the stage for a state-of-the-art, cost effective, and sustainable utility generation and distribution system for Harvard’s Allston campus that also makes a significant contribution to the urban design of the campus.

The building’s compact cubic form with rounded corners allows for maximum flexibility of future development around it while maintaining a singular bold and refined presence. A wrapper of anodized aluminum metal fins forms a screen around the facility, with petal-like elements set at varying degrees of openness to reveal or conceal the various equipment areas within. The exterior fins are most open at the structure’s corner entry, and most closed on its service sides. On the public faces of the building, the fins are raised to engage the community through technology on display.

See press release for Harvard District Energy Facility here: https://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/entries/harvard-university-district-energy-facility/

On the southwest coast, Kaohsiung, Taiwan must expand its power plant to enable replacement of nuclear power on the island. The site for the new Regional Power Plant and Ecological Park is in an area below sea level within a system of dikes. It is set within a surrounding watery seaside wetlands landscape primarily devoted to fish-farming in a context that is relentlessly flat. The site design for the Ecological Energy Park aims to unite natural and industrial scale systems by providing a variety of spaces and programs for visitors to enjoy while also creating critical habitat for native flora and fauna.

See press release for Jumping Fish Ecological Energy Park here: https://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/entries/jumping-fish-ecological-energy-park/

We are honored to receive the Architect’s Newspaper Best of Practice, Northeast Large Firm Award.

“The Architect’s Newspaper acknowledges the work of national leaders in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry through our awards programs. Whether through the realization of captivating projects (recognized through our Best of Design Awards) or the creation of unique items (realized through our Best of Products Awards), AN supports the AEC industry as a trusted source for news, products, developments, trends, and updates.”

“With a clear focus on the cultural and historical context of each project, LWA’s body of work demonstrates that a project’s unique location should result in a building that is responsive. Not defined by style, but more so by a building’s performance, the work seems particularly adept at navigating various typologies.” —Trey Trahan

Learn more: https://www.archpaper.com/2022/07/announcing-winners-2022-best-of-practice-awards/ 

Principal Tom Chung FAIA LEED AP BD+C, Senior Associate Ashley Rao AIA LEED AP, CPHC and Associate Juliet Chun AIA will be hosting a workshop “Living Building Challenge and Beyond: Strategies for Deep Green Envelopes” at The Architect’s Newspaper Facades+ Boston Conference on June 7 from 1:30EST.

Learn more and register here: https://facadesplus.com/boston/agenda/

The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design has announced the winners of  2022 Green GOOD DESIGN® Awards for Adohi Hall University of Arkansas and Anonymous Hall Dartmouth College. These projects were selected among 160 products and projects around the world.

“Now in turn and in 2022, GREEN GOOD DESIGN‘s goal is to bestow international recognition to those outstanding individuals, companies, organizations, governments, and institutions – together with their products, services, programs, ideas, and concepts-that have forwarded exceptional thinking and inspired greater progress toward a more healthier and more sustainable universe.” 

Adohi Hall:

Adohi Hall, a 708-bed, 200,000sf student housing complex at the University of Arkansas, demonstrates a pioneering use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and an innovative approach to live-learn communities, with embedded arts and academic spaces. Upon its completion in August 2019, it was the largest CLT building in the US, supporting the economic potential of Arkansas’ burgeoning timber industry.

Anonymous Hall:

This project reuses and adds to a vacant library in the heart of the medical school quad, transforming it into a vibrant administrative and social center for the School of Graduate Studies and for the north campus as a whole. Located at the heart of 1960s era buildings on the school’s siloed north campus, the 32,995sf Anonymous Hall project — as well as new entrances for its surrounding buildings, a wide pedestrian bridge, and new circulation between buildings — transforms an overlooked corner of campus into a well-scaled, inviting north quad as well as an accessible, seamless link to the historic green and main campus shared with undergraduate sciences.

Learn more: www.europeanarch.eu

“Wood Design & Building magazine announces the winning projects of the 38th annual Wood Design & Building Awards program. The influential awards program recognizes and celebrates the outstanding work of visionaries around the world who achieve excellence in wood architecture.

Wood Design & Building magazine and the Canadian Wood Council extend their appreciation to all participants in the 2021/22 awards program and thank both the program’s sponsors for their ongoing support, and the esteemed members of the jury for their time and expertise. The members of this year’s jury are: • Marie-Odile Marceau, Principal at McFarland Marceau Architects • Donald Chong, Design Principal at HDR • Tom Chung, Principal at Leers Weinzapfel Associates” – Wood Design & Building Press Release

https://cwc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Awards-Winners.pdf

Tom S. Chung, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Mass Timber has tremendous potential to address issues of climate change, disrupt outdated construction processes and create unique spaces that promote user well-being. We investigate these potentials through research and apply them in a design project. Studio travel thru New England gives students direct exposure to all major elements of Mass Timber architecture:

• Sustainable forestry and tree harvesting
• Softwood Lumber yard and production of laminates for Mass Timber
• Digital fabrication technology and CNC machinery
• Prefabrication and Assembly line optimization of building components
• Testing & Research of Mass Timber building products
• Exemplary works of Mass Timber architecture in New England

Studio begins with analysis of mass timber precedents, each selected for a specific creative approach. This exercise equips the studio with a wide catalog of references for inspiration and approach to mass timber design, tectonics, details, construction and spatial quality. Students are then tasked with “inventing” their own mass timber panel, beyond available products such as CLT, NLT, DLT & MPP to investigate mass timber’s architectural and structural potential regarding material reuse, efficiency, systems integration and aesthetics & spatial quality. Studio culminates in a semester long design project, a synthesis of their research, analysis and explorations of mass timber.

Learn more about his award winning course: https://www.acsa-arch.org/resource/2022-timber-education-prize/2022-timber-education-prize-winners/

Architizer’s core mission is to Empower Architects by connecting designers with building-product manufacturers, and via inspiring content, awards programs, competitions and global reach spotlighting the world’s best architecture.

The Architizer A+Awards is the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture. Its mission is to nurture the appreciation of meaningful design in the world and champion its potential for a positive impact on everyday life. They share the world’s best architecture with a global audience of 400+ million.

Finalists and Winners are chosen by an illustrious jury including such industry leaders as Julie Eizenberg, Suchi Reddy, Germane Barnes, Irene Osei-Poku and Fermin Tribaldos, as well as luminaries from beyond architecture like Karim Rashid (Karim Rashid), Yves Behar (Fuseproject), David Rockwell (Rockwell Group), and Aric Chen (Design Miami).

Learn more and vote for our projects for the “People’s Choice Award” here: https://www.architizerawards.com/a/page/vote-now

Leers Weinzapfel Associates celebrated the Roslindale Library receiving the Preservation Massachusetts Mayor Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award!

The recently completed renovation of the Boston Public Library – Roslindale Branch preserves the essence of a historic 1960s community library while transforming it to embrace the needs of the 21st century. As both a “community living room” and an “information hub”, this restoration serves as a vibrant piece of the city, restoring the old structure and celebrating the new.

Principals Josiah Stevenson FAIA LEED, Jane Weinzapfel FAIA, Andrea Leers FAIA, Tom Chung FAIA LEED AP BD+C and Associate Principal Winne Stopps FAIA LEED AP BD+C attended the 39th Annual @bsaaia Fellows Dinner! This dinner celebrated the new BSA fellows including Tom Chung, elevated in 2020 and Winne Stopps, elevated in 2022.