Chrism

About Chris Mayrides

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Chris Mayrides has created 45 entries.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) studies coastal ecosystems and their change and has been on the forefront of climate studies for over 30 years.  Their research addresses global climate change, the effects of nutrients and chemicals passing through our landscapes, maintenance of productive fisheries, changes to our environment from biological invaders and protection of fragile wetlands and woodlands.

When we began designing SERC’s Mathias Lab, our analysis of the physical ground truth and the programmatic needs of the lab began by revisiting our master plan for SERC’s entire 2,650-acre campus in Edgewater, Maryland.  This largely undeveloped site is the platform for much of SERC’s research and the home of all of its laboratory facilities.  As we studied daily activities and began to understand how SERC works, we noticed that water represents a critical resource:

 

Research buildings produce a significant amount of waste water, primarily a result of the manufacture of RO/DI water for lab use.
The hazards related to lab activity and the storage of specimens in alcohol requires significant amounts of water for fire suppression.

 

The design team wondered if the waste stream from labs and other buildings could be treated on site and stored for use for fire protection systems.   By calculating the sprinklers anticipated during the next 25 years, we were able to determine a total capacity of water to be stored.  We then speculated that this resource could be put to use, since water would be constantly consumed on site, treated to a tertiary stand, but (hopefully) rarely used for fire protection.

Our resulting […]

Children as Agents for Preventive Conservation

At the 42nd Annual AIC Meeting, Jeff Hirsch presented a session titled “Children as Agents for Preventive Conservation.” This session explained how children can change a family’s learning and its attitude towards conservation, drawing on studies that show how an understanding of complex issues, including sustainability, can be extended from children to the rest of the family. This process may be used to help protect collections by increasing public understanding of, and sensitivity to, preservation and the limits of museum resources.

Click here to view PDF

EwingCole Principal Elevated to the College of Fellows

EwingCole is pleased to announce that Don Jones, a principal of the firm, is being elevated to the College of Fellows in 2014. According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession.

This year, the Jury of Fellows from the AIA elevated 139 members to its prestigious College of Fellows. Out of a total AIA membership of over 80,000 there are over 3,000 members distinguished with this honor. Don will receive his medal at the AIA convention in Chicago this June.

It’s Kind Of A Big Deal

EwingCole makes a clean sweep in the Ambulatory Care Design Award category at the 2013 Healthcare Design Conference

EwingCole was honored as the recipient of two prestigious awards for Pocono Medical Center’s Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center and Bayhealth Medical Center’s Kent Campus Expansion.

On hand to accept the awards was Natalie Miovski Hagerty, AIA, LEED AP, EDAC who also picked up her own award – Healthcare Design’s Rising Star Award.

http://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/article/hcd10miovski

EwingCole Designs Urgent Care Center from former Shopping Center

EwingCole Designs Urgent Care Center from former Shopping Center
New walk-in facility eases busy ER

Camp Hill, PA (July 2013) — A new Urgent Care Center designed by EwingCole has opened adjacent to the Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill. EwingCole redesigned the 50,000 sf former shopping center to include the 6,000 sf, walk-in Spirit Urgent Care.

“Spirit Urgent Care will relieve the strain on the Holy Spirit Emergency Department, which had reached an all-time high of 50,000 visits annually,” said healthcare planner Karan Hoffman. “In designing a facility that cares for those with non-life-threatening conditions, the location and size of the old shopping center was well-suited to adaptive reuse.”

The new Urgent Care Center houses eight exam rooms, including one procedure room, one treatment room, one general radiographic X-ray room, a small lab and a centralized nursing station. The walk-in center is designed to be a convenient and affordable option for those with non-emergency health problems like colds and flu, cuts and bruises, ear and throat infections, skin rashes, sprains and minor musculoskeletal injuries.

“When designing Spirit Urgent Care, it was important that the building reflect the same quality of care patients receive at Holy Spirit Hospital,” continued Hoffman. “The challenge was to the change the building’s appearance to be visually interesting and inviting.”

The design objectives were met by expanding the exterior with various shapes consistent with the new plan. These include a porte-cochere entrance with a skylight, various logo towers, a glass entrance foyer, glass waiting room extensions and raised planters.

In addition to architectural design services, EwingCole […]