2022 Education Facility Design Awards Project Profiles: Blakely Elementary and the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex at Northeastern University
Blakely Elementary School is a preK-4 project set within the woods of Washington’s Bainbridge Island. The facility incorporates extensive shared learning spaces indoors and out, biophilic design, and optimized daylighting and energy performance. The combination of natural ventilation and outdoor learning spaces enhanced the school’s resilience during the global pandemic. Tactile details throughout campus invite exploration and haptic learning by children. In addition to a 2022 AIA Education Facility Design Award, the project received the 2021 MacConnell Award from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE).
The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts is the recent recipient of the 2021 AIA Architecture Award honored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The Architecture Awards program celebrates the best contemporary architecture and highlights the many ways buildings and spaces can improve lives. ISEC is also a recipient of the 2021 AIA Regional & Urban Design Award, recognized as one of the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development. Other notable awards received by ISEC include the 2019 AIA COTE Top Ten and 2019 Harleston Parker Medal – the most beautiful building in Boston.
Presenters:
Richard Franko, FAIA
Rich brings an integrated design approach to work spanning diverse typologies, landscapes and clients. He has led educational facility projects from early learning and K-12 schools to environmental education and children’s museums. A common thread across efforts is his thoughtful attention to a ‘choreography of experience’ unique to the mission, community and ecosystem of each project. Rich leads Mithun’s sustainability team and has plays a key role in the development of the firm’s design practices driving integrated workflow and advancing project performance.
Kevin Sullivan
Kevin joined Payette in 1987, became a partner in 1998 and became President in 2014. He provides strategic direction, vision, and intellectual design leadership to the firm. He believes that the FUSION of Design and Performance are essential for successful high technology buildings. His body of work includes seminal healthcare, science and campus planning projects which have been consistently recognized nationally for their innovative approach to social geometry, detail, and sustainability through transformative landscapes. Kevin is an Adjunct Professor in Practice at the Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design where he is the Director of the Boston Studio; he is also a Design Critic in Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 2012 he was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) for his contributions in Design.
Andrea Love
As a Building Scientist, Andrea’s interests are in pushing the performance and minimizing the environmental impact of her projects. She also enjoys building the firm’s knowledge and intuition about sustainability through research endeavors and project explorations. At Payette, Andrea works across projects to bring rigor to the performance of projects. She integrates performance modeling tools into Payette’s design process at the very beginning to inform and push designs. Additionally, she leads a number of internal research projects, and was the Principal Investigator on the 2012 AIA Upjohn Research Initiative-funded “Thermal Performance of Facades,” a research project focused on thermal bridging. She also leads the firm’s efforts on the AIA 2030 Commitment, tracking and benchmarking the performance of projects across the firm. Andrea received a Master of Science in Architecture Studies in Building Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in 2023.