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As 2007 draws to a close, we are reflecting on the fullness of the year. It was a dynamic and fruitful year, and we were fortunate to participate in numerous projects that challenged our talents and stretched our capabilities to new levels. Among these diverse design opportunities were a multi-clinic cardiac medical care office,bank branches, multiple community centers, historic redevelopment, two high schools and renovation plans, a hotel, and an urban redevelopment plan for the City of Newnan that can set the stage for many future opportunities. We have been able to develop new relationships with clients, including Atlanta Christian College, Serenbe, Microtel Hotels, and many others. Our firm has been very blessed. With this success has come the addition of creative and productive new staff members. It has also presented new challenges, with the realization that we need to begin to do business in a new and better way.
As you read this article, you are being introduced to one of the many changes we are making around our office. To kick off the New Year, KAOD is launching three new forms of client communication. Later in the month will be the release of our new website, which will be an online brochure detailing who we are and how we can beneficially participate in your projects. You may even see a project of yours used as a case study! Secondly, we are releasing a monthly newsletter that we are calling "The Details"...you are reading the inaugural edition. It will be a regular announcement of our projects and events, as well as information that we have run across that may be helpful to you in your business or planning efforts. Lastly, we will officially launch KAOD Blog. We are venturing out into this exciting web world of interaction. This real-time, on-going communication will contain contributions from each one of our creative staff members and will occasionally feature interesting and relevant guest writers. It promises to be spontaneous, imaginative and educational. We will use it to tell you what is going on in the offices and minds of the talented folks here in the trenches. I hope that you will take some time to investigate some of this new adventure with us! Please be open with your comments and suggestions so that we can make this a better tool for you. For links to these and other interesting places, please see the list on the right side of the page. Have a prosperous, creative and very happy New Year!
Kip |
| Conceptual Design for Serenbe |
We are excited to be involved in the design of three new buildings at Grange, the second phase of construction at Serenbe Community in Chattahoochee Hill Country. The first project is a Farm Store and classroom/office space for Serenbe Farms, which focuses on organic and sustainable agriculture. Our design evokes a quaint, old-fashioned country store, but will be built using innovative construction techniques to maximize the building's energy efficiency. The design incorporates structural insulated panels (SIPs), which are sandwich panels comprised of two layers of oriented strand board with a layer of expanded polystyrene insulation in between. These panels improve the insulating capability of the exterior walls by dramatically reducing thermal bridging-the transmission of heat through building materials such as wood or metal studs. The building will also incorporate a timber frame, similar to those used in barns; but in this case, the frame will be composed of engineered glulam trusses and columns instead of solid timber. The glulam structural members are built up of thin layers of wood laminated together, resulting in a strong and dimensionally stable product that captures the warmth of wood, without the harvesting of high-grade timber. The Serenbe Farm Store project demonstrates that sustainable design and construction practices can be used to create attractive, functional, healthy, energy-efficient buildings, regardless of the building's style or size. In addition to the Farm Store, KAOD has produced conceptual designs for the main commercial area in the Grange, including a feed and seed store with a restaurant on the lower level and a block of two-story commercial office and retail units. |
| Microtel Hotel |
The Microtel Hotel project offered a unique opportunity to design and coordinate prototypical drawings with atypical construction materials. The project is located nearly 20 miles south of Columbus, Georgia, in the city of Cusseta. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) was selected as the building's main structural system and exterior wall construction, in lieu of typical wood-frame construction found in Microtel Prototypes. AAC shares similar physical properties to that of Concrete Masonry Units and Precast Concrete systems, but takes advantage of light material weight, both thermal and sound insulation values, and increased fire ratings. Also considered a green material, AAC is a an environmentally conscious material due to its pure raw material construction and efficient manufacturing processes which produce little to no waste. While AAC has yet to become popular among most areas, its use is rapidly growing in coastal areas subject to high wind conditions. To learn more about AAC as an alternative construction material, visit www.aacpa.org. | |
| The One Percent |
One of our goals at KAOD is to think outside of our current horizons. We believe very strongly in giving back to our community and our world, and have had many opportunities to participate in local charities and pro-bono works. The One Percent is a new organization that has formed to help architectural firms assist non-profit organizations. It is a national effort to match design services with the organizations that could benefit from different types of services. This would help match us with new opportunities to serve others using the creative and resourceful talents of our people. KAOD has just joined the crew at The 1%. We are learning how the whole operation will work and will see where it leads. If you want to learn more about this program and see if it is something you are interested in participating, check it out at www.theonepercent.org. We will keep you posted on what we learn and would love to hear your comments. |
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Sincerely,
Brittney K. Walls
K A Oldham Design, Inc |
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| KAOD Newsletter and Logo |
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Welcome to the inaugural edition of "The Details", our brand new newsletter! This monthly bulletin will keep you up-to-date with the projects and opportunities here at KAOD, as well as inform you of industry news and interesting tidbits. We want you to be a part of it |
| TownWorks, llc |
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