MANY design firms have in-house research and development programs to help foster innovative and habitual breakthrough thinking. Little’s LaceUp mini-grant initiative is one such successful program.
Since launching in 2013, LaceUp has funded 43 unique projects, including a program to convert shipping containers into pop-up retail buildings and a forum for young professionals to share ideas and network with the firm’s practice groups.
The crown jewel of the LaceUp initiative is the Center for Building Performance (CBP), which takes a holistic approach to optimizing buildings for occupants and owners throughout the design, construction, and occupancy phases. The center has been in operation for a year and has already helped the firm win 14 jobs: two workplace retrofits, five retail projects, five university new construction projects, and two civic new construction projects.
The program’s architects and engineers conduct simple box modeling on design ideas and present the results in interviews to show the potential for customized high-performance solutions.
“We remain involved with projects from concept through at least one year of occupancy to measure and verify the success of each high performance strategy,” says Elizabeth Ratner, CBP’s Director. “This real-life feedback will help us refine future recommendations, create more accurate energy models, and improve our controls design and occupant training.”
Read about more innovations from BD+C's 2016 Great Solutions Report
Related Stories
Great Solutions | Oct 17, 2017
Loop NYC would reclaim 24 miles of park space from Manhattan’s street grid
A new proposal leverages driverless cars to free up almost all of Manhattan’s Park Avenue and Broadway for pedestrian paths.
Great Solutions | Sep 14, 2017
Hydraulic underground boardwalk and gangway system reunites the public with the coastline in Istanbul
The bespoke system is part of a master plan by Dror and Gensler that creates the world’s first underground cruise operation.
Great Solutions | Aug 14, 2017
Transmogrifying ‘E ink,’ energy-harvesting paint remove the ‘fiction’ from ‘science fiction’
These materials can turn an ordinary wall into dynamic real estate.
Great Solutions | Jul 12, 2017
The writing on the wall: Maker spaces encourage students to take an active role
Maker spaces, dry-erase walls, and flexible furniture highlight Kinkaid’s new Learning Center.
Great Solutions | Jun 6, 2017
Good vibrations: Portable tuned mass damper provides lightweight, cost-effective way to reduce structural vibrations
Developed by a team at Virginia Tech, the PTMD has been shown to reduce vibrations by as much as 75%.
Great Solutions | May 5, 2017
No nails necessary: Framing system comes together with steel zip ties and screws
Clemson University’s School of Architecture develops a patent-pending construction method that is gaining attention for its potential use in rapid, low-tech sustainable housing.
Great Solutions | Apr 6, 2017
Phone booths for the 21st century
Spotting a phone booth on a public street may not become any less rare, but they may soon become fixtures in the modern office.
Great Solutions | Mar 8, 2017
Pop-out balcony is a breath of fresh air for stuffy hotel rooms and apartments
In less than one minute, Bloomframe transforms from an insulated picture window to an open balcony.
Great Solutions | Feb 3, 2017
Drone-based hospitality concept looks to make nomads of us all
Driftscape could take the resort industry to places no hotel has ventured before.
AEC Tech | Sep 6, 2016
Innovation intervention: How AEC firms are driving growth through R&D programs
AEC firms are taking a page from the tech industry, by infusing a deep commitment to innovation and disruption into their cultural DNA.
