Pub. 5 2017 Directory

24 THE MONTANA ARCHITECT | 2017 | www.aia-mt.org T he Tipping Addition is a small base-isolated building on an infill lot in Berkeley, California, and is located one mile away from the Hayward Fault. Our client, who is also our structural engineer, occupies the top two floors of the adjacent three-story corner building to the north, which we designed for him in 1994. Having outgrown their original build- ing, they approached us to design a new building for them on the infill lot next door. Feeling the original building was well suited to their needs, they were keen for the two buildings to share the same architectural DNA, and to function as a whole. Whereas the goal with the original building had been to foreground sustainability through first principles such as sunshades, day lighting, and natural ventilation, the goal with the Tipping Addition was to focus on sustainability through structural resilience. Design Solutions Our approach was to visually highlight the seismic condition in the East Bay. Because the site was located only a mile away from the Hay- ward fault, the decision was made early on that the building would be base-isolated. Instead of hiding the base isolators, as typically done, we made them a fundamental visual component by splicing them visibly into columns to underscore the unique mechanics of the building. Six of these columns cantilever out of the structural slab and support the top two “floating” office floors. An oversized bifold on the first floor opens the pub up to the sidewalk, further enhancing the “floating” look of the solid upper stories. At the ground floor entry, one of these hybrid columns was pushed out towards the street. The isolation plane upon which the building surfaces are designed to slide was painted yellow. At the second-floor courtyard, where the engineers enter the office, a yellow grate covers the moat’s 24” crumple zone, and gangways bridge the entries. Through these combined gestures, the seismic system becomes transparent and visually accessible to the public: the engineer’s clients, passerby, and the Berkeley students that frequent the brewpub expansion known as the “Richter Room.” Sustainability Objectives Designed to last for a 100 years, the building is equipped with a base-isolation system that enables the building to withstand a large seismic event with minimal damage. Materials, such as copper siding, were accordingly chosen for their longevity. Strat- egies of natural ventilation, mechanically-assisted night cooling, and thermal mass were also employed to significantly minimize the operating load for heating and cooling. Bicycle parking and showers are provided to encourage staff to bike to work. b Tipping Addition Fernau & Hartman Architects, Inc. e Citation Design Award