Growth opening doors for architects
As Butler County grows, architects have the opportunity to build interesting and long-lasting structures. What do architects consider when designing a building?
"Comfort is our goal," said Lee Ligo, the owner and principle architect of Ligo Architects in Slippery Rock.
Ligo Architects does about $12 to $15 million worth of business a year, mostly designing medium- to high-end homes along the East Coast.
"The individual has to be comfortable in the building and the building has to be comfortable in its environment," said Ligo.
He said architects look at the styles of homes in a neighborhood and design homes that fit there.
Architects consider size proportions and color coordination.
"Aesthetically, these are things that have not changed in hundreds of years," said Ligo.
Others agree.
"All buildings should have a personality," said Ron Olsen, project engineer and licensed land surveyor with Olsen/Hill Design Associates in Butler.
Olsen works mainly with commercial and industrial projects. That company has designed buildings like the Mental Health Association building in Butler and the Frank Preston Environmental Center at Camp Bucoco, a Boy Scout camp in Slippery Rock Township.
Olsen likes commercial buildings to have personality, but they also need to fit in with neighboring businesses.
"Usually neighbors like a harmony to be there," said Olsen.
"We usually don't want something in there with metal walls painted red or purple," he joked.
Architects and clients have to agree on what is aesthetically pleasing.
"What is nice in my mind isn't always nice for others," he said.
Comfort for the individual means the design matches the residents' needs. He gave the example of someone who had a specific antique table they wanted in their dining room.
"The building might look nice and be functional, but if the main room is too small, it won't work," said Olsen.
On the exterior of homes, many clients choose traditional brick because it is low maintenance, said Brett Ligo, another architect with Ligo Architects."We're starting to see more and more stone as well," said Ligo, who said both stone and brick work well for insulation.He said vinyl siding and fiber cement siding are popular as well.Homes are regularly made of wood frames with cement foundations. But commercial buildings are usually made of masonry or metal.Masonry is solid, and takes less time to order materials, said Olsen. But it is less forgiving to a settling foundation, and does not provide as much insulation.Steel is a cheaper material, although not by much. It takes about 11 weeks to receive a steel order, but it provides better insulation.Metal buildings are still favored for industrial buildings, said Olsen. The steel frames on cement foundations have been the style for 20 years."But just because it's a metal building does not mean it cannot be beautiful," said Olsen.An example of beautiful metal is the Fox Chapel Yacht Clubhouse in O'Hara Township, Allegheny County, he said.Insulation is key to building in the Western Pennsylvania climate, said Olsen."We have to prepare for extreme highs and lows," he said.He said the climate here is less disaster-prone. A building's design here does not have to be prepared for an earthquake. And buildings here are designed to withstand 80 to 100 mph winds, as opposed to the 180 mph winds coastal buildings must face.
Nationwide, there is a growing trend toward "green" buildings, which are environment-friendly projects, said Rebecca Flora, executive director of the Pittsburgh-based Green Building AllianceThe alliance educates and guides developers in the Pittsburgh area to achieve environmentally-friendly buildings. One tool used to measure what is environmentally friendly is LEED certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.The U.S. Green Building Council awards LEED certification, which certifies a building meets requirements in five key areas: site sustainability, responsible water use, indoor quality, use of renewable or reused materials, and energy efficiency.For example, CastCon-Stone Inc. has a manufacturing building in Saxonburg. The building is on a redeveloped former steel plant site. It uses collected rainwater for irrigation, has extra insulation, maintains a naturally-lit office and consistently recycles scrap metal and concrete.Other LEED certified buildings in the area include Slippery Rock University's Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Research Center and the North Street SRO in New Castle, Lawrence County.The Regional Learning Alliance at Cranberry Woods in Marshall Township is predicted to be certified, said Flora. Also, PNC Bank has a certified branch on Route 228 in Adams Township.In the greater Pittsburgh area, about 36 buildings are LEED certified. There are relatively few in Butler County, but the trend is growing, Flora said."Pittsburgh is a national leader in the LEED program, and we're hoping that continues into the surrounding areas," said Flora.
