Past, present and future of sustainable building with Hnedak Bobo

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Coral Smith

The West Tennessee Mental Health Institute in Bolivar, Tennessee, is a LEED Silver certified project that Hnedak Bobo Group completed. The site is oriented closely to the north/south axis with a reflective roof so that heat gain is maximized and consumption of cooling energy is minimized.

Madeline Faber

Editorial Intern- Memphis Business Journal

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In 1979, architects predicted the oil embargo of 1973 and ensuing energy crisis would be the "greatest molder of architectural style since the pyramids." When energy became affordable again in the 1980s, people lost focus on the groundbreaking energy-saving design work that was just gaining traction.

Now, with current interest in climate change and sustainability, those architectural ideals have come full circle.

"Sustainability has just become part and parcel of how we do business," says Deidre Brady, an interior designer with Hnedak Bobo Group Inc. Like the Memphis Business Journal, the architecture firm began in 1979.

Sound energy practices pay multiple dividends, Brady says.

"It's so true that sustainability in buildings affects the people, planet and the profit," she says.

Conserving heat or cool air were the main concerns in 1979. In an early MBJ article, Joseph Barnett, who was president of the Memphis chapter of the American Institute of Architects, described "completely passive buildings" with massive walls and high ceilings to cut out the need for artificial temperature control.

Today those concerns are still present, especially because proper insulation and ventilation reduce operating costs. Builders and owners, however, now have a much wider view of what constitutes a green building.

LEED standards, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, are evolving and becoming more stringent, Brady says. Being Silver, Gold or Platinum LEED-certified in resource management has become a common goal for commercial building owners.

Brady is currently working on Tower 4 at International Paper Co.'s headquarters in East Memphis. The project is likely going to be LEED certified. Additionally, materials chosen for the project were selected for their contribution to good air quality. Many of the materials are regionally available or have recycled contents.

Brady is impressed by how the concepts of sustainable building have become so widespread and looks forward to the day when houses move from the passive ideal in 1979 into active regeneration through technology like solar panels.