The EPMA committee met for an energetic monthly meeting ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Although Greenbuild/ABX 2017 had passed, the excitement continued as members carried on with the “ALL IN” commitment to advancing the green building movement. Every seat in the room was filled as the committee gathered to share their Greenbuild experiences and reflect on the wealth of information shared over the week’s long event. For those seeking to continue learning, member Ben Silverman is planning to form a study group to prepare for the LEED AP BD+C credential exam.
This month’s meeting kicked off planning for 2018 as the committee aims to launch the next phase of the Green Classroom Renovation at Tech Boston Academy in Dorchester as well as the early concept Leadership Institute. While planning for 2018 will continue at the December meeting, the EPMA also looks forward to a few great upcoming events this month including the WiD and KAD Art Show on 12/6 and the EBC 19th Annual Winter Garden Party on 12/7. If you missed this month’s meeting be sure to attend the next monthly meeting on December 11th.
This month’s feature presentation was delivered by EPMA member Oliver Bautista and focused on the process of prefab residential architecture. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Oliver has led an exciting career working on mixed-use, office, and retail projects both in the United States and abroad. He currently is a Designer III at Turkel Design – a Boston based designer and manufacturer of modern prefab homes and the topic of his presentation. Turkel Design offers clients the option to select a standard home design, modify a standard home design, or create a custom home design. Depending on the design type chosen the budget and schedule may vary, but the prefabricated approach is maintained.
The prefab approach to design and construction offers multiple advantages to owners and builders over the traditional building approach. Prefabricated building items are built in a controlled shop which improves quality, can reduce waste, and eliminates delays related to weather conditions. Perhaps the most significant advantage to the prefab approach is the substantial reduction in the construction schedule. Following design approval, fabrication can begin in the shop while site preparation and foundations are in progress. This allows for completed building components and modules to be shipped to the job site and simply erected instead of constructed in the field, greatly reducing on-site construction time.
To illustrate the building process, Oliver shared a visual timeline of a sample project which was completely assembled in just 100 days. The timeline presented a fantastic visual of the accelerated pace of construction provided by the prefab approach. In 54 days the entire home had been completely framed and the core and shell assembly was completed just 46 days later. The modern home, situated on a beautiful coastal lot, featured floor-to-ceiling windows facing the water with two balconies allowing the owners to enjoy the view both indoors and outdoors. Due to new building codes, the home was constructed on a raised foundation consisting of 11ft concrete piers with breakaway basement wall panels to allow water to flow beneath the home in the event of coastal flooding.
For more information visit turkeldesign.com and be sure to explore the Turkel Design Axiom Series provided in partnership with Dwell Magazine.
Global Head of Sustainability, Superior Essex
Sustainability Director, Steven Winter Associates
PE | Associate, LeMessurier
Vice President, AEW’s Architecture & Engineering group
Interior Designer, Jacobs, Boston
Senior Vice President, Market Transformation and Development U.S. Green Building Council
AIA LEED AP BD+C | Senior Associate, Gensler Boston 
LEED Fellow, WELL AP | Founder and Principal, Ecoworks Studio
AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
LEED AP BD+C | Environmental Sustainability Manager, Armstrong World Industries
Assistant Professor of Exposure Science | Director of the Healthy Buildings program
Managing Director, Harvard University Office for Sustainability
Principal & Director of Certifications and Consulting, Epsten Group, Inc.
Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Jamestown
Director of Sustainability Programs, DASNY | LEED AP BD+C
Associate Principal, BuroHappold Engineering
Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation
Co-Founder, Facilitator at The Laurentia Project | LEED AP BD+C, LFA
Vice President of Sustainable Development, Shaw
Founder and President, Board of the Healthy Building Network
Building Technology Director, Kingspan North America
LEED® AP ID+C, BD+C, USGBC Faculty, WELL® AP, WELL Faculty and Fitwel Ambassador
Workplace Strategy Expert and Researcher, EYP
Principal, Integrated Ecostrategy
Senior Vice President, International WELL Building Institute
Principal, Bruner/Cott
Architect, Associate, and Sustainability Design Leader, Stantec Architecture and Engineering
FAIA, LEED Fellow, Long Green Specs
Products & Materials Specialist, BuildingGreen
Director of Acquisitions and Development
Director of Restorative Enterprise, Interface
Sustainability Manager, Consigli Construction Company