When it came time for CSHQA, an award-winning, full-service architecture and engineering firm, to move office locations, they didn’t need to look far. The 20,000-square-foot warehouse was not only a mere three blocks away, its renovation would be an ideal demonstration piece to show existing and potential clients how a building can be updated without changing its historic nature and while respecting the surrounding area architecturally.
Built in 1959, the building was originally used as storage for the rail lines that once ran along Front Street adjacent to the building. The interior space, although smaller, occupies only one floor—unlike the three floors in their previous location—allowing for closer collaboration of employees. The interior design philosophy was to expose the original wood ceiling composed of 10x26 solid timber beams and joists, and and to add 14 new skylights to create uniform interior light levels and reduce energy use. The existing interior columns, 10” diameter concrete, were refurbished and many were left exposed. In keeping with the vintage feel, reclaimed timber was used for some of the interior woodwork as well as frames for artwork.
In addition, the design takes into account several building efficiencies, including the connection to the city’s geothermal system for radiant floor heating throughout the space. The same radiant system is used to cool the space in the summer. Other sustainability upgrades include extensive daylight harvesting with integrated automated lighting and dimming systems, the use of LED fixtures, sustainable landscaping and on-site storm water management, low-use water fixtures, covered bicycle storage, and preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles. The building is targeting LEED Platinum and Green Globes certifications. If achieved, the CSHQA office will be the first LEED Platinum office renovation in Idaho.
CHALLENGE
Find an exterior technology that understood the design and aesthetic goals while also contributing to the building’s LEED Platinum certification.SOLUTION
The Illumination Series Panels, in a custom cool white color, and Smooth NichiBoard to ensure a clean, flawless exterior look.RESULT
The Nichiha panels provided the client design flexibility to modernize the historic building and the first large-scale use of fiber cement panels in the area.
Like many urban areas, Boise is seeing quite a bit of transition in its downtown core. Amidst the tear-downs and new structures, this warehouse renovation was a chance for CSHQA to showcase something new out of something old. With that in mind, the team specified Nichiha’s Illumination Series panels and Smooth NichiBoard to ensure a clean, flawless look on the exterior. The building called for a specific color match, a cool white, to match the sheet metal coping at the top of the new walls.
Another selling point: a built-in ventilated rainscreen system, unique to Nichiha panels, that eliminates the threat of trapped moisture.
“One of the many goals of the building renovation was to explore different technologies and showcase them within and on the building,” says Ted Isbell, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, a senior associate at CSHQA. “We looked at several exterior wall cladding systems, including metal, wood, ACP panels, phenolic resin panels, and fiber cement. Nichiha worked with us to understand our goals.”
Nichiha panels on the CSHQA warehouse were the first large-scale use of fiber cement panels in the Boise area. The panels provided flexibility to work with different design decisions, while modernizing the historic building.
“It completely changed the look of the building,” said Mandie Brozo, project manager at CSHQA, noting that the clean look of the panels has attracted the attention of the real estate community. “Before the renovation, the building was anonymous, no one ever remembered it, and now people are noticing; it’s like a new building.”
For more information about Illumination and other Nichiha products, please visit: www.nichiha.com.
Architect: CSHQA
Location: Boise, Idaho
Project type: Historic remodel
Product: Illumination Series
Project features:
- Smooth, satin finish
- Virtually limitless color palette
- Easy installation
- Low maintenance
- 40% recycled content
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Feb 9, 2023
Post-Covid Manhattan office market rebound gaining momentum
Office workers in Manhattan continue to return to their workplaces in sufficient numbers for many of their employers to maintain or expand their footprint in the city, according to a survey of more than 140 major Manhattan office employers conducted in January by The Partnership for New York City.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Codes and Standards | Feb 8, 2023
GSA releases draft of federal low embodied carbon material standards
The General Services Administration recently released a document that outlines standards for low embodied carbon materials and products to be used on federal construction projects.
Giants 400 | Feb 6, 2023
2022 Reconstruction Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. building reconstruction and renovation sector
Gensler, Stantec, IPS, Alfa Tech, STO Building Group, and Turner Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest reconstruction sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Feb 3, 2023
Top Workplace/Interior Fitout Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Firms for 2022
Gensler, Interior Architects, AECOM, STO Building Group, and CBRE top the ranking of the nation's largest workplace/interior fitout architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 23, 2023
Long Beach, Calif., office tower converted to market rate multifamily housing
A project to convert an underperforming mid-century office tower in Long Beach, Calif., created badly needed market rate housing with a significantly lowered carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse project, composed of 203,177 sf including parking, created 106 apartment units out of a Class B office building that had been vacant for about 10 years.
Mechanical Systems | Jan 17, 2023
Why the auto industry is key to designing healthier, more comfortable buildings
Peter Alspach of NBBJ shares how workplaces can benefit from a few automotive industry techniques.
Government Buildings | Jan 9, 2023
Blackstone, Starwood among real estate giants urging President Biden to repurpose unused federal office space for housing
The Real Estate Roundtable, a group including major real estate firms such as Brookfield Properties, Blackstone, Empire State Realty Trust, Starwood Capital, as well as multiple major banks and CRE professional organizations, recently sent a letter to President Joe Biden on the implications of remote work within the federal government.
Sustainability | Jan 9, 2023
Innovative solutions emerge to address New York’s new greenhouse gas law
New York City’s Local Law 97, an ambitious climate plan that includes fines for owners of large buildings that don’t significantly reduce carbon emissions, has spawned innovations to address the law’s provisions.
Fire and Life Safety | Jan 9, 2023
Why lithium-ion batteries pose fire safety concerns for buildings
Lithium-ion batteries have become the dominant technology in phones, laptops, scooters, electric bikes, electric vehicles, and large-scale battery energy storage facilities. Here’s what you need to know about the fire safety concerns they pose for building owners and occupants.
