NORR

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We brought together our leadership team from all 12 sectors and disciplines across the globe to reflect on the evolution of the built environment and to innovate new concepts of design and design thinking.

Led by our President and CEO, Brian Gerstmar, the collaboration harmonized the global commitment to sustainability and sustainable design, demonstrated the power of new and emerging design technology, and harnessed the collective vision of design excellence.

Imagine - architecture that is good for the soul is also good for the planet.

Lights. Camera. Action.

We are happy to welcome Spencer Rand as Director, Global Marketing.

Educated as an architect, Spencer merged his love for design with his passion for digital media to create meaningful content through video, 3D and virtual and augmented reality. Focusing on the most impactful stories of our time, his role is to keep people connected. As digital media has become the staple for the way individuals consume information, his focus will be to bring these stories to life by producing content from our team about sustainability and design that informs and inspires.

Get to know Spencer: https://norr.com/team/spencer-rand/

Take a moment to remember and reflect on military veterans and those who gave their lives to serve their country.

Commemorating (Canada), (US) and (UK).

What are the key drivers for converting office buildings to residential uses?

In our Insight Article titled, Transforming Office Buildings to Livable Spaces, our Residential team leaders outline the drivers and consideration to identity candidates for conversion. The starting point is a feasibility study to assess the economic, aesthetic, environmental, structural, engineering and market viability for a successful conversion to residential uses that range from apartment rentals and condos to attainable housing and hotels.

Read on with our roundtable featuring George Sorich, Ross Roy, Olivia Fung, Bruce McKenzie and Simon Bell: https://norr.com/spotlight/insights/transforming-office-buildings-to-livable-spaces/

Climate change impacts everyone. So, everyone needs to act to push for global climate action.

On the first day of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, world leaders are gathering to agree on steps to limit global temperature rises. The
world is warming because of emissions produced by humans, mostly from burning fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. The built environment is also a contributor. We are working with our clients and partners to advance low energy and carbon neutral buildings through actions such as advocacy, energy modelling and carbon analysis at the start of every project.

Learn why climate change is important: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24021772

November 1, 2022, marked the 15th Anniversary of NORR ed, our continuing education guest lecture series that features thought-provoking architects and engineers from around the world.

The day was celebrated with the virtual viewing of the very first recorded NORR ed session, Rod Robbie – My life as an Architect, followed by a retrospective panel discussion about how Robbie influenced the craft over his lifetime. He was big on sustainability and a driving force to find ways to design structures that had never been built before. Robbie collaborated on and designed notable large, complex structures including the Government Pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal, QC and the SkyDome (now known as Rogers Centre), a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Toronto, ON, as part of the Robbie Adjeleian NORR Consortium.

A huge thank you to our host, Silvio Baldassarra, and panelists Caroline Robbie, Geoff Smith, Jamie Wright and Chris Andrews.

The presentation is still inspiring for the current and next generation of designers: https://youtu.be/73Twc6dtXg8

This is truly where art and science meet for a meaningful conversation.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and its partners are launching a drawing competition for UK schools, to inspire the next generation of polar engineers, scientists and explorers. School children between the ages of 8 and 15 years old can share a drawing of a polar research station and its surrounding environment. The winning entry will be framed for display in the Discovery Building, when completed, at the research station in Rothera, Antarctica – and will receive a visit from the construction team in their classroom to talk about work and life in Antarctica.

The Discovery Building is a modernization project that advances climate, biodiversity and ocean research in the polar regions. It brings together specialists in sustainable engineering, including construction partner BAM Construct UK, design consultants Sweco and Hugh Broughton Architects. Ramboll is acting as BAS’s Technical Advisers, with NORR architects and Turner & Townsend.

Learn more about how to participate in the UK student drawing competition: https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/antarctica-drawing-competition-launches/

As Scotland's Scotch Whisky Association vows to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 in all local operations, architects and engineers are working to integrate old traditions with sustainable design from grain to glass.

In our latest Insight Article titled, Net Zero Scotch Whisky Distillation, Mark Fresson, our resident scotch distillery subject matter expert, looks at design considerations from past and present regeneration projects in melding guaranteed age with a guaranteed future.

Learn more about the advancing energy and carbon reduction solutions at distilleries in Scotland and the resulting influence in North America: https://norr.com/spotlight/insights/net-zero-scotch-whisky-distillation/

Slàinte mhath.

It was an honor to welcome Bill Baker, one of the world’s leading structural engineers from SOM, to our most recent NORR ed Lecture Series.

Bill is celebrated for his work as the structural designer for many iconic buildings including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Broadgate Exchange House in London, and Bridge over Liverpool Street Station. During his acceptance speech for the Lifetime Gold Medal from The Institution of Structural Engineers, Bill commented that: “Essentially, a clear idea results in an informed aesthetic. It can yield a structure that is simple, elegant, and quite simple, easy to construct…. I would urge all engineers to challenge themselves to distill their ideas as simple an idea as possible.”

We are sharing the recording of the session to inspire designers around the world about the power of simplicity and clarity, and scale and form: https://youtu.be/fZvAtpT18a0

This award-winning project at the UNFI (United Natural Foods Inc.) Distribution Center in Allentown, PA has so many intriguing facets.

Our interior design team created the narrative and design for the amenity spaces for this two-building tenant improvement project, led by ARCO Design/Build. Both buildings in this 22-foot-high distribution center were transformed, taking inspiration from the company’s 1970s California farming roots. Farmhouse truss structures created a functional, aesthetic solution enabling suspension of catenary lighting, acoustics baffles and biophilic greenery. The amenity spaces were guided by the concept of four seasons and influenced materiality and wayfinding. Even with the challenges presented through the pandemic, we were super thrilled to be recognized with a recent American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Design Excellence Award.

Great collaboration by our interior design team of Peter Dubin AIA, NCARB, IIDA, ASID, Mohan Srinivasan, AIA, LEED AP, P**a Bradbury ASID LEED AP ID C, Wally Funk, Margaret Seid, Jason Colturi, John Alexa, Rebekah Cianfrocco, Olivia Diaz and Pao-yi Warner.

Learn more about the project that is targeting LEED® Gold: https://norr.com/project/unfi-allentown-distribution-center-amenity-spaces/