GOBBELL HAYS PARTNERS, INC.

As 2011 comes to a close, we at Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous 2012!

On Sunday, November 14, 2011, Mayor Karl Dean hosted the Mayor's Challenge 5K Run/Walk to encourage Nashville to be more active.  An addition to Mr. Dean's "Walk 100 Miles With The Mayor" campaign, more than 5,000 people came out to Public Square at the Metro Courthouse to run or walk 3.1 miles through downtown Nashville.

Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. felt compelled by the Mayor's challenge and send out a team from the downtown Nashville office to "compete" in the race.  While none of our team "won" the race, we all felt like winners at the finish line.  Living a healthy, sustainable life is extremely important.  As we work to live sustainably, GHP also works to apply sustainability to our professional lives as well.  GHP strives to take the holistic approach to our architectural and environmental services and finds our calling in such works.  It was a great day for the GHP team; however, it was also a reminder to us that our professional lives aren't so different from what we completed in the 5K.  Probably the only difference being a leg cramp here and there.

Dominique Arrieta, Project Manager with Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. was recently awarded the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce 2011 Nashville Emerging Leader Award in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction category.  The program sponsored by The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and YP of Nashville recognizes Middle Tennessee’s young professionals under the age of 40 with significant accomplishments in their chosen professional field, as well as their commitment and contribution to the community.  With over 400 applicants received for the fourteen industry categories, we are very proud of Mrs. Arrieta for this well-deserved recognition.

                       Photo credit: Nashville Chamber                                                    Photo credit: Harry Butler

                            (All photos are copyright of Harry Butler and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.)

On July 8, 2011, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Metro General Services and Metro Nashville Public Libraries officially opened the Goodlettsville Branch Library in Goodlettsville, TN.  This 16,000 SF, state-of-the-art library features a children's, young adult/teen and adult/senior area, popular materials/displays, audio visual, vending, meeting spaces, study rooms and a special, Goodlettsville-oriented historic exhibit.  In addition to 38 public computers, wireless technology throughout the library, self-checkout stations, public seating up to 200, an approximate 36,000 item collection and parking for up to 90, the Goodlettsville Branch Library provides everything and more for younger learning minds to professionals and seniors in the community.  The Library is located in front of Goodlettsville Elementary, which creates a sphere of education within a short walking distance.

Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. worked closely with all Metro entities through the entire fruition of the Goodlettsville Branch Library, serving as Bridging Architect.  Dominique G. Arrieta, AIA, LEED AP, served as Program Manager and held this position highly to ensure the Library met and exceeded the expectations of Metro Nashville, Metro Nashville Public Libraries and the community of Goodlettsville.  We are proud to have been associated with such a successful project not only due to its appeal and functionality, but also how highly-beneficial the Library will be for the students and citizens of Goodlettsville.

                     Mayor Karl Dean with Goodlettsville Elementary students at ceremonial ribbon cutting.                          Dominique Arrieta with Library Director Donna Nicely.

Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. was mentioned in the June 27, 2011, edition of Nashville City Paper which details the design of the new Fire Station No. 2 at 416 Russell Street in East Nashville.  The article reflects on GHP's talents for producing quality, appealing work and what might the new Fire Station No. 2 look like upon completion.  Teaming with Messer Construction, GHP is excited for the publicity the Fire Station is receiving and hopes to design a structure that is not only efficient and useful for those that will occupy it, but will appeal to the East Nashville Community as a landmark citizens can appreciate.

If you would like to read the article, you can view it by clicking here.

Our neighbors at The Hermitage Hotel received a very prestigous honor this week being named in the U.S. News Ten Best Hotels in the USA list.  The Hermitage Hotel is ranked as the 6th Best Hotel in the USA along with other luxury hotels located in Chicago, Maui, San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Las Vegas and Naples. Also to note, The Hermitage Hotel is the only hotel in the southeast to be named in the top ten and continues to be the only Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Award winning hotel in the state of Tennessee.  You can view the article on the U.S. News website by clicking here.

As we at Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. congratulate The Hermitage Hotel on their incredible acknowledgment, we cannot go without feeling a sense of pride that we were able to have our hand in making The Hermitage Hotel the destination it is today.  GHP was tasked with providing a full design renovation to the hotel including its 123 guest rooms and suites, including:

• Restoration of all public spaces, including the main lobby, veranda, ballroom, administrative offices and meeting rooms
• Upgrades to finishes, furniture and equipment in the Capitol Grille and Bar
• Mechanical and electrical system upgrades
• Restoration to the exterior facades to stabilize the decorative terracotta and masonry work
• Replacement of existing windows

We are proud to have made our mark in making this historic downtown hotel as beautiful and nationally-recognized as it stands.

Congratulations again to The Hermitage Hotel for this well-deserved honor!

Last week, Ronald V. Gobbell, FAIA, President and various other Nashville business leaders attended the Music City Leadership Study Mission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  The trip was beneficial in learning possible new avenues to stage Nashville on the global economic stage by viewing what other larger cities are doing.  During one of the final tours, Mr. Gobbell had the opportunity to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and take a picture with Lord Stanley's Cup.  As you can plainly see, the Cup desperately needs an extended stay in Nashville.

With our Nashville Predators currently down 3-2 to one of Toronto's Canadian rivals, the Vancouer Canucks, we're crossing our fingers that Mr. Gobbell can take a few more pictures with the Stanley Cup closer to home - along with everyone else here at GHP!

GO PREDS!

Given these tough economic times, we are all searching for ways to cut spending.  A great place to start is operational energy costs.  What measures should I take?  How much will it cost?  This is not as easy as it may seem.  There is a lot of information out there about energy savings and a lot of people touting the importance of specific measures to save energy, but how do we know whom to believe and how accurate their claims are?  To effectively answer these questions, we must understand energy conservation, energy efficiency, and the difference in the two.

Two giant challenges facing the United States are Global Warming and Energy Security.  The key to both is energy conservation.  Energy efficiency is the low hanging fruit.  It will continue to improve and, therefore the cost of acquiring it will flatten.  Energy conservation will provide the true challenges for individuals and organizations.  In this newsletter, we’ll explore some of the facts and myths about energy conservation and efficiency. In addition, we’ll recommend specific measures to reduce operational costs on energy.

Myth: Efficiency equals Conservation

Fact: Efficiency does not equal conservation.  Energy conservation is the lowering of energy consumption by reducing energy services. For example, lowering a thermostat’s setting during the heating season is an example of energy conservation because less heating is provided. However, since the ratio of energy services to energy consumption is unchanged, energy efficiency does not change.  To use a lighting example, replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and you increase efficiency.  Turn the light out when you leave the room and you conserve energy.  Do both and you reduce energy usage and costs. 

Myth: Greater efficiency will result in less energy consumption.

Fact: Even with greater efficiency, demand will rise.  History shows that in the U.S., even as efficiency has increased since the 70’s, consumption has continued to rise.  The Energy Information Agency (EIA) predicts that overall annual energy consumption in the U.S. will increase by more than 30%, rising from 100.1 quadrillion Btu in 2005 to 131.1 quadrillion Btu in 2030. (A quadrillion Btu is equal to about 172 million barrels of crude oil.)

Myth: A LEED building is more energy efficient than a similar non-LEED building.

Fact: It depends.  The key here is energy consumption of one building as compared to another building of similar type and size.  If you design a building with 45% of wall area as windows for more daylighting, then you save on lighting, but the HVAC equipment will be larger and operate longer.  Also, if you increase the outdoor air ventilation above ASHRAE 62.1 (the ventilation standard recognized by LEED), then the size of the HVAC system increases.  This standard is sufficient for outdoor air and, especially with low VOC materials, is not needed for dilution. When making design decisions for a LEED accredited building, analyze every point and keep energy savings at the top of the priority list.

Energy Reduction Actions

•  Hire someone to perform an energy audit for your facility.  This is costly but worth it.
•  Recycling “waste energy” can significantly increase the energy performance of a building. Energy recovery:  Combine fresh air and exhaust systems into an energy recovery unit. 
•  Demand Control ventilation (DCV) reduces the outside air demand based on occupancy at any given time.  DCV utilizes automatic controls, CO2 sensors, and actuators to modulate the fresh air based on occupancy.
•  Use less glass during design.  Windows and curtain walls are among the most expensive building components and they provide the worst energy performance. 
•  If your building is steel stud wall construction, insulate the studs on the outside for a continuous layer of insulation instead of cavity insulation.  This will create a true thermal break to isolate the inside from the outside.
•  Don’t operate equipment or fixtures when you don’t need them. Automatic control sequences can turn off air conditioning/heating equipment and lights based on your facility’s occupancy schedule, enable variable frequency drives (VFDs) to ramp pumps and fans down as demand decreases, raise air handler discharge air temperature when the ambient temperature lowers, and modulate air economizer sequences.
•  Lighting consumption can be reduced by using basic occupancy sensors. Lighting efficiency can be improved with use of compact fluorescent and light-emitting diode (LED) site lighting.
•  Inspect the building envelope for tightness.  Windows and doors should be properly caulked.  Exterior wall, floor, and roof insulation should be properly installed.
•  Inspect ductwork for leaks.  If you have leaky ductwork, it is inefficient and should be repaired by patching holes and applying mastic at the seams, equipment connections, and grille connections. 
•  To increase efficiency, install energy efficient HVAC equipment and low flow water fixtures. 
•  Maintain the equipment you own so it will reach its expected useful life and efficiency: Develop a strict and recurring maintenance plan for the staff at each facility.
•  Renewable resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy may effectively contribute to reducing the fossil fuel based energy consumption. Depending on your region, it is worth exploring government incentives that offer to abate the cost of the capital investment. 
•  The energy savings in adaptive reuse of existing facilities should be considered. While these savings do not translate into a direct financial advantage to the institution over the life of the building, they do save capital costs.  From an environmental standpoint, the amount of CO2 emitted by the cement industry is nearly 900Kg of CO2 for every 1,000Kg of cement produced.

Finally, energy usage is measured in BTUs and kWs.  These are specific scientific standards that cannot be reduced.  Only a reduction in the quantity of these measurements will result in energy savings. There are no magic solutions that will change that fact. The choice becomes how and when to cut it off.  As spring approaches, give yourself a gift: Fatten your pocketbook by reducing operating costs through reduced energy consumption.

Written by: Casey R. Hester, PE, LEED AP

On May 26, 2010, in a special ceremony at the AIHce President's Reception in Denver, Steve M. Hays, Chairman of Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc., was honored as a Fellow of The American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Advance to Fellowship is one of the highest honors The American Industrial Hygiene Association can bestow upon a member.  Only five percent of the AIHA membership can qualify for the Fellow Award, which is given to those individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of industrial hygiene.  These accomplishments are recognized by industry peers as outstanding contributions to the AIHA and to the profession.

Fast forward to February 17, 2011.  Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. honored Mr. Hays for this prestigious award with a party held at the GHP offices.  Family, friends, colleagues and fellow staff attended the occasion and were treated to food, drinks and live music from Les Kerr and his band.  It was truly a wonderful occasion to celebrate Mr. Hays' momentous achievement.

In addition, GHP surprised Mr. Hays with an early birthday celebration.  The cake, created by Crumb de la Crumb in Nashville, was a big surprise to Mr. Hays, which proves we can still pull a surprise or two for him without him finding out!

Congratulations for your Fellowship and Happy (early) Birthday, Mr. Hays!

If you received the latest e-newsletter from GHP, you may be curious as to what our binary code message says.  I can imagine some of you may think those numbers represent absolutely nothing.  I wouldn't blame you for thinking such a thought, but I assure you it is a message that everyone at Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. is taking seriously as we move into 2011.  "Technology Leading the Way at GHP" is the hidden message, and we at GHP are looking to utilize various techological advances to improve the level of service we provide to our clientele.  Whether small or large, near or far, architectural or environmental, GHP is prepared to face every project and continues to strive for ways to provide a more streamlined, economical approach for our work.

While you're here, take a few minutes to check out our new website!  We have added several new features including expanded company and staff profiles, a more detailed training page and GHP blog (which just so happens to be the page you're on right now).  Our newly redesigned website is the first step in our technological advances, and we anticipate more to

Written by: Grant Waldron

Happy Holidays From GHP (don't forget to turn up your speakers for sound!)

Come gather round, friends, and join us in cheer,
We’re happy to complete yet another good year.
We’ve been blessed with change and tried to adapt,
Using technology and time to not get strapped.
So it’s here that we say goodbye to ‘ten’,
And to a new year of changin’ yet again.
To all of our friends who are far and are near,
A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We want to thank all of you for being a part of GHP and making 2010 a great year!

It’s not every day you get to see the Founder and President of your firm hurl himself off the top of a 27-story building.  At Gobbell Hays Partners, rare instances such as this can, and did, happen to the delight of family, friends, colleagues and employees.  Ron Gobbell rappelled down a skyscraper – and it was quite a sight to see.

Being relatively new and Mr. Gobbell’s assistant, my first thought was that I would be drafted in to take his place at the very last moment.  Being extremely afraid of heights, I didn’t think too fondly of it being in the realm of possibility.  Thankfully, Mr. Gobbell put me out of my misery - going through a bit of misery himself - by taking that small hop off Nashville City Center. 

Whew.

After a few sighs of relief, my second thought was the cause behind why we were all watching Mr. Gobbell and others tempt fate.  The event in question, Over the Edge, was held to raise funds for Special Olympics Tennessee.  With 16,000 Special Olympians in Tennessee, this event was a great way to spread awareness and raise money for an organization that does so much for those that are part of the Special Olympics program in Tennessee.  As humorous as it was to see Mr. Gobbell repel slowly down a massive downtown building, supporting Special Olympics Tennessee was definitely icing on the cake.

If you’re looking for a great organization, look no further than Special Olympics Tennessee.  As a matter of fact, you don’t have to hug the side of a building to make a difference.  Instead, take a moment and visit specialolympicstn.org to make a donation.  Any contribution goes a long way to helping this extraordinary organization’s cause.

Written by: Grant Waldron

The experience of watching the use and development of the LEED™ project implementation process has been an amazing thing to behold.  Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. (GHP) has been a member of USGBC since 2001 back when LEED™ was largely an unknown acronym and commonly, yet incorrectly,  pronounced with an errant ‘s’ on the end of it.  At that time, there were only about ten LEED™ Accredited Professionals in the Middle Tennessee area and we all had that "deer-in-the-headlights" look about us wondering if this initiative was going to take hold. Something needed to be done as looming environmental threats became more publicized and we realized the adverse impact that the buildings we created made on the environment.  There were others, and some colleagues, who challenged us with the assumption that LEED™ was just a fad.  Well, fast forward to today and here we are with LEED certification quickly becoming the norm for validating sustainable design and while other forms of sustainable design validation exist, none have taken hold or are used to the extent of LEED™.
 
In 2009, GHP was delighted to guide several projects to LEED™ Silver Certification.  Of those, one was completed by way of the third-party LEED™ Facilitation process.  This process establishes GHP as the LEED™ facilitator for the project as a complement to the entire design team; meaning that your usual architectural and engineering design professionals are the respective professionals of record while GHP spearheads all of the LEED™ administration.  The actual list of services that can be handled by GHP can be customized to the needs of your project and according to those necessary to complement the team, but can include any combination of the following:
Preliminary LEED™ Point Planning, Assessment, and Allocation
LEED™ Online Administration
LEED™ Online Template Input
Preparation of Energy Models – usually by a GHP consultant
Fundamental, Enhanced, and/or Retro Commissioning
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing and Verification

Sustainable design not only makes a positive impact on public health and the environment, but it also reduces operating costs, enhances building and organizational marketability, increases occupant productivity, and helps create a sustainable community. GHP is excited to utilize its LEED Accredited Professionals for many of our current and future projects.

Written by: Mark Smith, AIA, LEED AP, Vice President and Carl Gerhold, Chemical Hygiene Officer, Senior Industrial Hygienist

Are industry regulators or the local fire marshal knocking on your door?  Are you confident in your facility’s compliance with applicable codes?
 
While model building codes such as the IBC are enforced by building officials only when a structure is constructed or renovated, building safety codes and standards are routinely being enforced in existing buildings by local fire departments, OSHA and other regulatory bodies. Building professionals are noticing an upward trend in the enforcement of the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) in private-sector facilities, most notably health care organizations accommodating overnight patients. Some believe it is only a matter of time before this trend is reproduced in other types of facilities where people spend the night.
 
Overview:  The primary purpose of the Life Safety Code is to protect the safety of building occupants during a fire. Requirements are organized by occupancy type, as they vary substantially among different types of buildings. Code requirements for high-occupant buildings and/or those containing sleeping accommodations are generally more stringent than for other building types. The bulk of requirements for any occupancy fall under one of the following categories:
Means of Egress - (or safe way out) consists of three components: exit access, exit, and exit discharge. The exit access includes the path you travel from wherever you may be standing when danger is perceived to the point you reach the exit. The exit begins at the point you are sufficiently protected from the fire. In multi-story buildings, the exit usually begins as you enter the stairwell. An exit discharge consists of the path between the protected exit and a public way.
Protection -requirements include fire resistance, detection, alarm, extinguishment, and compartmentation. Satisfying requirements in this category can be a balancing act between sprinkler systems and fire resistance: greater sprinkler coverage can significantly reduce other code requirements.
Building Services - requirements include specific provisions for building systems such as utilities, HVAC systems and elevators.
Operating Features - building owners are required to develop evacuation plans, conduct routine inspections, maintain exits in a safe and unobstructed condition, and to limit storage and use of hazardous materials which could compromise the safety of occupants.
 
Common Misconceptions:
People sometimes say a building is “grandfathered” and therefore not required to comply with building codes.  There is no legal basis for this!  However, the Life Safety Code and other codes provide specific exceptions for existing buildings and the requirements are generally less stringent.
It is often assumed that electrical panel rooms are required to be enclosed with fire partitions or fire barriers.  However, unless an electrical room contains oil-insulated or dry-type transformers rated at or above 112 ½ kVA or is considered an “electrical vault” there are no fire resistance requirements for walls surrounding electrical rooms.
Fire and smoke dampers are commonly assumed to be required at all locations where a duct penetrates a fire or smoke rated assembly.  In fact, there are significant code exceptions which sometimes permit ducts without dampers.
 
In order to better assist our valued clients with their code-compliance concerns, Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. specializes in the following areas of service:
Comprehensive Life Safety Assessments
Turn-Key Building Life Safety Improvements
Environment of Care Life Safety Mock Surveys
Life Safety Consultation and Peer Reviews
Owner Representation for a Variance or Code Appeal
Expert Witness and Litigation Support
Life Safety Drawing and Document Management
Architecture / Building Design

Recently, GHP’s very own Dominique Arrieta was a co-speaker at an Urban Land Institute presentation for the Lofts at Werthan Mills.  Dominique, who provided master planning design to Phase II, III and IV, spoke on the project’s architectural elements including existing structure challenges, sound transmission and code appeals and led the ULI Young Leader Group on a tour of the property.  Together with Core Development, the presentation and tour was a highly successful venture in displaying one of Nashville’s oldest and largest historic sites transformed into a modern, multi-family residential property.

As a Project Manager at Gobbell Hays Partners, Dominique has ten years of experience in design and construction with an emphasis in healthcare architecture.  In addition, she has experience in educational, religious, civic, and residential architecture.  She has planned, coordinated, and administered projects through all phases of development and construction and has served as an owner’s program manager on a number of projects.  Dominique is current working on projects including Goodlettsville Public Library, West Precinct and Metro Crime Lab, and Hickory Hollow Master Plan.

At Gobbell Hays Partners, we are always working on various architectural and environmental projects to exceed our clients’ highest expectations.  Whether it is an indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment or large renovation project, such as the Lofts at Werthan Mills, GHP strives to provide the utmost service keeping in mind the little details that make a project what it is – unique and important.

Written by: Grant Waldron

NEW EPA RENOVATION, REPAIR AND PAINTING (RRP) LEAD PAINT REGULATION IN CHILD OCCUPIED FACILITIES
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented a new regulation that addresses disturbing Lead-Based Paint (LBP) in residences, child care facilities and schools built before 1978.  These buildings are referred to as “Child Occupied Facilities.”  The EPA estimates that almost a million children have elevated blood lead levels as a result of exposure to lead hazards, which can lead to adverse neurological effects, lower intelligence, learning disabilities, and behavior issues.  Adults exposed to lead hazards can suffer from high blood pressure, headaches and other severe symptoms.  Young children are most at risk and exposure to these children can cause permanent damage.  Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can then lead to exposure.
 
To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. This regulation is called the Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program Final Rule (RRP Rule).
 
Beginning in December 2008, the rule requires that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint provide to owners and occupants of child care facilities and to parents and guardians of children under age six that attend child care facilities built prior to 1978, the lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF).
 
Under the rule, beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in child occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
 
EPA requires that firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 child occupied facilities be certified by EPA and that they use certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training providers to follow lead-safe work practices.  Individuals can become certified renovators by taking an eight-hour training course from an EPA-approved training provider.  In a memorandum from the EPA this month, the EPA states that they will not enforce violations of the rule’s worker certification requirement as long as the individual is enrolled in the eight-hour training course by September 30, 2010.
 
Property owners who renovate, repair, or prepare surfaces for painting in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must, before beginning work, provide tenants with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF).  Owners of these rental properties must document compliance with this requirement.
 
After April 22, 2010, property owners who perform these projects in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must be certified and must follow the lead-safe work practices required by EPA's Renovation, Repair and Remodeling rule.  To become certified, property owners must submit an application for firm certification (PDF) and fee payment to EPA.
 
Property owners who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in rental property must also:

• Take training to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices.
• Learn the lead laws that apply regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning April 22, 2010.
• Keep records to demonstrate workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and follow those work practices.

The EPA announced earlier this year proposed rulemaking to apply lead-safe work practices to renovations on public and commercial buildings.  The advance notice also announces EPA’s investigation into lead-based paint hazards that may be created by renovations on the interior of these public and commercial buildings.  If EPA determines that lead-based paint hazards are created by interior renovations, EPA will propose regulations to address the hazards.
 
The rule does not apply to minor maintenance or repair activities where less than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed in a room or where less than 20 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed on the exterior.  Window replacement is not considered minor maintenance or repair.
 
Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. is an EPA approved training provider for the 8-Hour RRP Renovator Course.  For more information about the RRP class or any of the other asbestos or lead classes that GHP provides please contact Melissa Jones at 303-574-0082 x201 or mjones@ghp1.com or you can also visit our website at http://www.ghp1.com/training.

Written by: Wade Anderson, Vice President