Market Watch - The Wall Street Journal
March 21, 2013, 10:30 a.m. EDT
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash., March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Situated on a prominent corner of Bainbridge Island, Washington, across from the Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry terminal, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) is scheduled to open its doors on June 14th 2013. The museum will feature its collection of artworks from the Puget Sound region of the United States as well as traveling exhibits.
BIMA is the anchor tenant of the Island Gateway project, a high-end mixed-use development also designed by Coates Design Architects. The building's striking curved form opens up the plaza between the museum and its adjacent building, drawing visitors toward the entrance. "We wanted it to be accessible, approachable, inviting," says architect Matthew Coates.
The south side of the building has a skin that is comprised of 28' tall curved glass, offering a transparent view into the museum. Mounted lights will allow the museum to illuminate at night and act as a beacon that is visible from multiple vantages. Coates Design Architects created curved wood louvers to wrap around the outside of the glass to provide ample shade for the artwork. The louvers are automatically controlled by a light sensor that triggers them to open and close in response to the quantity of sunlight and the sun's movement. On the second, uppermost level of the building, three long strip skylights permit natural light into the main gallery space. Curved baffled light shelves float underneath the skylights, diffusing the light to create a pleasant ambiance.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold designation, certified by the US Green Building Council, is a challenging goal for museums as they are inherently energy-intensive due to such narrow tolerances in regard to humidity and temperature stability. In order to achieve this certification, the following features were included in BIMA's design: geothermal energy, daylighting control, solar panels, use of rapidly renewable and recycled materials, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and a vegetated roof garden.
Coates Design Architects specializes in sustainable design and green building techniques. The firm's managing partner, Matthew Coates, achieved international acclaim by winning the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Home Design Competition in 2005. Recent achievements include the first LEED Platinum residence outside of the Seattle City limits, the LEED Silver Bainbridge Island Kid's Discovery Museum, and the Island Gateway development, targeted for LEED Silver.
SOURCE: Coates Design Architects
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Art meets science at Bainbridge museum - KITSAP SUN
KITSAP SUN
By Tad Sooter
Posted March 15, 2013 at 7:12 p.m.
The new building taking shape in Winslow goes to great lengths (and depths) to increase efficiency.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND —
Some of the most interesting features of the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art building begin 400 feet underground.
That’s how deep the deepest of its 14 geothermal wells are drilled, wells that will harness stable temperatures underground to help heat and cool the building. High above, a rooftop photovoltaic array will harvest solar energy while a second-story garden recycles rainwater. Rows of louvers along the curving glass front of the building will open and close automatically to let in light or block out glare.
“It will be a reminder to visitors that this building is alive,”
museum Executive Director Greg Robinson said. “It’s changing and
adapting to the environment.”
The museum, now in its final phase of construction at Highway 305 and Winslow Way, is being built to showcase energy efficient design alongside Northwest artwork. The structure is expected to qualify for a gold rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which awards points for energy conservation and use of recyclable materials among other categories. More than 90 percent of the construction materials used in the museum can be recycled at the end of the building’s predicted 100 year life span, architect Matthew Coates said.
All told, renewable energy will offset about one third of the museum’s energy needs. Coates said that figure is “significant,” given the demands of lighting, heating and climate control in a 20,000-square-foot museum.
“Museums are notoriously energy inefficient,” he said.
The green features will soon be put to the test. The museum recently announced a final $1.2 million fundraising push to close out its $15.6 million capital campaign. A grand opening is set for June 14.
As interesting as the design work was, Robinson said he is eager to finish construction and bring in the art.
“We didn’t just set out to build a building,” he said. “We set out to open a museum and a new cultural amenity.”
That quest began in earnest about three years ago when a board of directors formed and launched a capital campaign. The museum completed a first phase of construction 2011, which included an auditorium, classrooms and a small gallery. The spaces were made available for community events.
The full museum was expected to open in the summer of 2012. The date was pushed back a year as donations lagged.
Now fundraising and construction are on track for an early summer opening. Saws and hammers clamored inside the building during a hard-hat tour early this week.
The museum’s most prominent feature is the two-story curved glass facade, which opens a cutaway view of the museum’s interior. The design was the favorite among 12 presented to members of the public during planning meetings.
“I think it creates a graceful presence on the street,” Coates said.
Visitors who enter from the main Winslow Way entrance will be greeted by a reception space, bookended by a gift shop an a “bistro” dining area. The museum’s permanent art collection will rotate through a 1,000-square-foot gallery on the main floor.
A broad staircase leads to a second floor landing with a view of the new Waypoint park and a broad stretch of Winslow Way. The expanse of glass keeps the museum connected to the world around it, Coates said.
“Having a lot of transparency and allowing that connection was one of the most important parts of the design,” he said. “From the outside you’ll be able to see people inside experiencing art, and from the inside you’ll look out and see your community members.”
The second floor art experience begins with the “Beacon” gallery, sized for small solo artist shows. It leads to the museum’s main gallery, a 2,500-square-foot space for traveling exhibits. Movable walls will give curators flexibility to section out the room as needed. Behind the main exhibition room, another small gallery lined with glass cases will display three dimensional pieces and touchable artwork.
Several doors on the second floor open onto terrace overlooking Winslow Way. The patio is bare now, but will soon be outfitted with a rain garden courtesy of island gardeners George and David Lewis, of Little & Lewis fame.
“They’re doing a simple but very beautiful design,” Robinson said.
Other museum spaces are hidden from public view. In the basement, an archive room will store artwork when it’s not on display upstairs. The archive is climate controlled and secured against burglary.
“I like to tell people on tours that they’ll probably never see this room again,” museum Development Director Renate Raymond said.
The museum is still collecting pieces for its permanent display but plans to showcase a diverse assortment of contemporary art representing Puget Sound and West Sound. As for the temporary displays, Robinson said the museum sees itself as a “launching pad for new artists.”
“How wonderful it would be if in 20 years we’re borrowing work from another regional museum that came from an artist who we debuted for the first time,” he said.
Robinson expects to announce the museum’s first offering of programs and exhibits next month as the June opening nears. General admission to the museum will be free and exact hours have yet to be set.
The museum will operate in an “open house” format for the first six weeks after opening, meaning visitors can view exhibits and participate in workshops as they wish. After six weeks the museum will begin selling tickets for some of its lectures, classes and special events.
And after that, “we’re open for the next hundred years,” Robinson said.
That’s how deep the deepest of its 14 geothermal wells are drilled, wells that will harness stable temperatures underground to help heat and cool the building. High above, a rooftop photovoltaic array will harvest solar energy while a second-story garden recycles rainwater. Rows of louvers along the curving glass front of the building will open and close automatically to let in light or block out glare.
 |
| Gilbert Dominguez works this week inside the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, which is taking shape in Winslow. The museum is scheduled to open June 14. |
The museum, now in its final phase of construction at Highway 305 and Winslow Way, is being built to showcase energy efficient design alongside Northwest artwork. The structure is expected to qualify for a gold rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which awards points for energy conservation and use of recyclable materials among other categories. More than 90 percent of the construction materials used in the museum can be recycled at the end of the building’s predicted 100 year life span, architect Matthew Coates said.
All told, renewable energy will offset about one third of the museum’s energy needs. Coates said that figure is “significant,” given the demands of lighting, heating and climate control in a 20,000-square-foot museum.
“Museums are notoriously energy inefficient,” he said.
The green features will soon be put to the test. The museum recently announced a final $1.2 million fundraising push to close out its $15.6 million capital campaign. A grand opening is set for June 14.
As interesting as the design work was, Robinson said he is eager to finish construction and bring in the art.
“We didn’t just set out to build a building,” he said. “We set out to open a museum and a new cultural amenity.”
That quest began in earnest about three years ago when a board of directors formed and launched a capital campaign. The museum completed a first phase of construction 2011, which included an auditorium, classrooms and a small gallery. The spaces were made available for community events.
The full museum was expected to open in the summer of 2012. The date was pushed back a year as donations lagged.
Now fundraising and construction are on track for an early summer opening. Saws and hammers clamored inside the building during a hard-hat tour early this week.
The museum’s most prominent feature is the two-story curved glass facade, which opens a cutaway view of the museum’s interior. The design was the favorite among 12 presented to members of the public during planning meetings.
“I think it creates a graceful presence on the street,” Coates said.
Visitors who enter from the main Winslow Way entrance will be greeted by a reception space, bookended by a gift shop an a “bistro” dining area. The museum’s permanent art collection will rotate through a 1,000-square-foot gallery on the main floor.
A broad staircase leads to a second floor landing with a view of the new Waypoint park and a broad stretch of Winslow Way. The expanse of glass keeps the museum connected to the world around it, Coates said.
“Having a lot of transparency and allowing that connection was one of the most important parts of the design,” he said. “From the outside you’ll be able to see people inside experiencing art, and from the inside you’ll look out and see your community members.”
The second floor art experience begins with the “Beacon” gallery, sized for small solo artist shows. It leads to the museum’s main gallery, a 2,500-square-foot space for traveling exhibits. Movable walls will give curators flexibility to section out the room as needed. Behind the main exhibition room, another small gallery lined with glass cases will display three dimensional pieces and touchable artwork.
Several doors on the second floor open onto terrace overlooking Winslow Way. The patio is bare now, but will soon be outfitted with a rain garden courtesy of island gardeners George and David Lewis, of Little & Lewis fame.
“They’re doing a simple but very beautiful design,” Robinson said.
Other museum spaces are hidden from public view. In the basement, an archive room will store artwork when it’s not on display upstairs. The archive is climate controlled and secured against burglary.
“I like to tell people on tours that they’ll probably never see this room again,” museum Development Director Renate Raymond said.
The museum is still collecting pieces for its permanent display but plans to showcase a diverse assortment of contemporary art representing Puget Sound and West Sound. As for the temporary displays, Robinson said the museum sees itself as a “launching pad for new artists.”
“How wonderful it would be if in 20 years we’re borrowing work from another regional museum that came from an artist who we debuted for the first time,” he said.
Robinson expects to announce the museum’s first offering of programs and exhibits next month as the June opening nears. General admission to the museum will be free and exact hours have yet to be set.
The museum will operate in an “open house” format for the first six weeks after opening, meaning visitors can view exhibits and participate in workshops as they wish. After six weeks the museum will begin selling tickets for some of its lectures, classes and special events.
And after that, “we’re open for the next hundred years,” Robinson said.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Eagle Harbor Market Building - COMING SOON!
Exceptional ground level retail space available for lease along Winslow Way in the new Eagle Harbor Market Building.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Corner by ferry becomes welcoming spot for Bainbridge - KITSAP SUN
KITSAP SUN
By Tad Sooter
Posted February 27, 2013 at 6:40 p.m.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND —
A construction crew and volunteers put the final flourishes Wednesday on what will become Bainbridge Island’s most visible park.
Workers installed signs and fastened down benches along the serpentine walking boulevard above the ferry landing, while others raked gravel. All their labor was being donated, something that’s become the norm for The Waypoint project.
“Pretty much everyone has volunteered everything,” said park supporter Bruce Weiland, neatly summing up the two-year effort that brought The Waypoint into existence.
The gateway park opens Friday on a 1-acre lot wedged into the bustling southwest corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305.
The property is jointly owned by the city and Kitsap Transit and will be managed by the Bainbridge park district, but credit for the creation of the park rests largely with a committee of volunteer organizers.
The Bainbridge Island Park Task Force spearheaded the planning, funding and building of The Waypoint, transforming a vacant and contaminated property into a public amenity. Organizer Jim Chapel estimates 700 people lent time, expertise or money to the effort.
“Here’s an example, that doesn’t happen often, of an entire community coming together to make something happen,” Chapel said at the site Wednesday.
The Waypoint was a unifying project in part because it addressed a glaring need. The property is located at one of the island’s busiest intersections and across the street from the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, now in the final phase of construction. Yet the high-profile property sat vacant since a gas station closed on the site in 1989.
The city and Kitsap Transit bought the land in 2005, with interest in
widening the highway, building a bus terminal and opening park space.
Budget constraints put the brakes on those plans.
The property gathered weeds. A chain-link fence around the lot was used to hang banners and painted signs. Ideas for development were floated and sunk over the years.
\
In the meantime, nearly every island resident and visitor to Bainbridge passed by the lot while traveling to and from the ferry. What they saw was a “postindustrial eyesore,” Weiland said.
“It was already the gateway anyway,” he said. “It was just ugly.”
That thought ran through Chapel’s mind in 2011 when he became stuck in traffic while driving off the ferry and had a few minutes to revel in the ungainliness of the property. The longtime islander decided to pitch the idea of a gateway park to the City Council and recruited the help of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art board member Steve Davis. Chapel and Davis secured the blessing of the city to explore options and joined with Weiland to create the park task force. The city gave the group two clear directives from the start.
“They said, you can’t cost us money and you can’t do anything environmentally harmful,” Weiland recalled.
The second directive proved trickiest. Fuel leaks from the Unocal gas station left contamination soaked into the soil below the property. Unocal hauled away 6,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and capped the site with clean fill but testing showed some petroleum chemicals remained. The state Department of Ecology added the property to its hazardous site register in 2008.
Scientists and community members were concerned contamination from the site was leaching into an adjacent creek and Eagle Harbor, and worried construction could stir up contaminants locked underground.
The park plan earned official approval from the City Council and Kitsap Transit board in early 2012, only after the agencies were convinced it could be built without significant excavation. The effort received a boost when a series of groundwater tests in 2012 showed contaminants were declining and not migrating off the site. The city and Kitsap Transit have agreed to continue testing in 2013.
The park task force enjoyed a groundswell of support from islanders from the beginning of the effort. The group quickly swelled to 60 members and a series of public planning meetings were well attended. The Bainbridge Rotary signed on to manage the project and renowned island architect Johnpaul Jones volunteered to design the park.
Fundraising also was a grass-roots effort. Rotary launched the campaign with an $80,000 grant, and other large donations, combined with more than 500 individual contributions, fleshed out the $360,000 project budget. A large sign at The Waypoint will recognize donors.
Chapel estimates the project received another $170,000 in labor and services. PHC Construction and other contractors donated labor and equipment, while island groups like the park district and Bainbridge Historical Museum offered support. Bloedel Reserve sent down a squad of volunteer landscapers to install plantings on four occasions, devoting 500 work hours to the site.
“And that’s just what one group did,” Chapel said.
Construction began in September and continued through the winter. The completed park features a broad walking corridor and a curved stone wall, surrounded by raised landscaping. Historical signs, benches and lighting punctuate the walkway.
Jones said managing expectations given the constraints of the property was the most difficult part of the design.
“There were a lot of demands on that site,” Jones said during a recent interview, adding the key was to keep the vision simple. “It’s a welcoming place, it’s not a park.”
Kitsap Transit board member and City Councilwoman Anne Blair said The Waypoint reflects the inclusive effort behind its creation.
“It’s a place that makes tangible the welcoming spirit that exists in the community,” she said.
OFFICIAL OPENING
WHAT: Grand opening
WHEN: 11:20 a.m. Friday
WHERE: The Waypoint at Highway 305 and Winslow Way
By Tad Sooter
Posted February 27, 2013 at 6:40 p.m.
Workers installed signs and fastened down benches along the serpentine walking boulevard above the ferry landing, while others raked gravel. All their labor was being donated, something that’s become the norm for The Waypoint project.
“Pretty much everyone has volunteered everything,” said park supporter Bruce Weiland, neatly summing up the two-year effort that brought The Waypoint into existence.
The gateway park opens Friday on a 1-acre lot wedged into the bustling southwest corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305.
The property is jointly owned by the city and Kitsap Transit and will be managed by the Bainbridge park district, but credit for the creation of the park rests largely with a committee of volunteer organizers.
The Bainbridge Island Park Task Force spearheaded the planning, funding and building of The Waypoint, transforming a vacant and contaminated property into a public amenity. Organizer Jim Chapel estimates 700 people lent time, expertise or money to the effort.
“Here’s an example, that doesn’t happen often, of an entire community coming together to make something happen,” Chapel said at the site Wednesday.
The Waypoint was a unifying project in part because it addressed a glaring need. The property is located at one of the island’s busiest intersections and across the street from the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, now in the final phase of construction. Yet the high-profile property sat vacant since a gas station closed on the site in 1989.
The property gathered weeds. A chain-link fence around the lot was used to hang banners and painted signs. Ideas for development were floated and sunk over the years.
\
In the meantime, nearly every island resident and visitor to Bainbridge passed by the lot while traveling to and from the ferry. What they saw was a “postindustrial eyesore,” Weiland said.
“It was already the gateway anyway,” he said. “It was just ugly.”
That thought ran through Chapel’s mind in 2011 when he became stuck in traffic while driving off the ferry and had a few minutes to revel in the ungainliness of the property. The longtime islander decided to pitch the idea of a gateway park to the City Council and recruited the help of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art board member Steve Davis. Chapel and Davis secured the blessing of the city to explore options and joined with Weiland to create the park task force. The city gave the group two clear directives from the start.
“They said, you can’t cost us money and you can’t do anything environmentally harmful,” Weiland recalled.
The second directive proved trickiest. Fuel leaks from the Unocal gas station left contamination soaked into the soil below the property. Unocal hauled away 6,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and capped the site with clean fill but testing showed some petroleum chemicals remained. The state Department of Ecology added the property to its hazardous site register in 2008.
Scientists and community members were concerned contamination from the site was leaching into an adjacent creek and Eagle Harbor, and worried construction could stir up contaminants locked underground.
The park plan earned official approval from the City Council and Kitsap Transit board in early 2012, only after the agencies were convinced it could be built without significant excavation. The effort received a boost when a series of groundwater tests in 2012 showed contaminants were declining and not migrating off the site. The city and Kitsap Transit have agreed to continue testing in 2013.
The park task force enjoyed a groundswell of support from islanders from the beginning of the effort. The group quickly swelled to 60 members and a series of public planning meetings were well attended. The Bainbridge Rotary signed on to manage the project and renowned island architect Johnpaul Jones volunteered to design the park.
Fundraising also was a grass-roots effort. Rotary launched the campaign with an $80,000 grant, and other large donations, combined with more than 500 individual contributions, fleshed out the $360,000 project budget. A large sign at The Waypoint will recognize donors.
Chapel estimates the project received another $170,000 in labor and services. PHC Construction and other contractors donated labor and equipment, while island groups like the park district and Bainbridge Historical Museum offered support. Bloedel Reserve sent down a squad of volunteer landscapers to install plantings on four occasions, devoting 500 work hours to the site.
“And that’s just what one group did,” Chapel said.
Construction began in September and continued through the winter. The completed park features a broad walking corridor and a curved stone wall, surrounded by raised landscaping. Historical signs, benches and lighting punctuate the walkway.
Jones said managing expectations given the constraints of the property was the most difficult part of the design.
“There were a lot of demands on that site,” Jones said during a recent interview, adding the key was to keep the vision simple. “It’s a welcoming place, it’s not a park.”
Kitsap Transit board member and City Councilwoman Anne Blair said The Waypoint reflects the inclusive effort behind its creation.
“It’s a place that makes tangible the welcoming spirit that exists in the community,” she said.
OFFICIAL OPENING
WHAT: Grand opening
WHEN: 11:20 a.m. Friday
WHERE: The Waypoint at Highway 305 and Winslow Way
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