ATHENS REAL ESTATE OFFICE Russell Chamberlain not only sought a comfortable, modern place to operate his burgeoning real estate company, but also envisioned a cultural hub for the neighborhood. His 3300 square-foot office and coffee shop located on the western edge of a college town in southeast Ohio realizes both aims. Designed and built to optimize available local resources, the Architects and Contractor hope to achieve LEED® Silver certification as a demonstration of the owner's commitment to resource and energy conservation along with environmental accountability. SITING The south-facing long façade faces the street and incorporates high performance glazing and exterior, brise soleil sun shading to take advantage of available sun and views while controlling solar heat gain and glare from direct sunlight. The structure's roof slants dramatically down towards the east sheltering a mezzanine below that provides a 180° view of the falls along the Hocking River at historic White's Mill. ENERGY CONSERVATION In order to achieve the owner's goal "to reduce by at least 25% typical energy costs for an office building of this size", ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide FOR SMALL OFFICE BUILDINGS is helping to inform systems design decisions. The guide predicts performance improvement of 30% over a similarly-sized office building for energy and water use. NEIGHBORHOOD HUB The café creates a public face to what may be perceived as an otherwise private venture. Rather than seeking a national brand to run the barista-side of the outfit, Mr. Chamberlain, adamantly pursued local entrepreneurs to start-up the business. He hopes the café will help bring people together to experience the comforts of green design and energy conservation, with the offshoot of closing deals. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN / COMMERICAL ATHENS REAL ESTATE OFFICE RAIN FRESH HARVEST