Blog

Eagle Veterinary Hospital, Olmos Park

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 10:51:13 -0500

Mdn Architects, Inc. is proud to introduce to you Eagle Veterinary Hospital, completed in December 2010. Since its completion, the project has been in the news and has received an award for San Antonio’s best Commercial Green Building Design.
The Design of this Veterinarian Hospital is derived from understanding the owner’s vision to create a facility that is ecologically responsible for the resources used throughout its life cycle, and understand the hospital occupants of both humans and animals. This lead to studying the operations within the hospital and understanding each function, as well as, the sociological state of mind of the animals being treated. The site was previously the hospital’s old building, which is located in a neighborhood setting. The new building encourages pedestrian transit to the facility by providing amenities for both employees and customers. Bicycle racks, changing rooms and showers are provided for employees and patrons have WI-FI access and a children’s area within the waiting room. The project has a photovoltaic system that produces 30% of the buildings energy, collects 3,100 gallons of water for indoor and outdoor use, and has achieved a 47% energy savings. Dr. Kirlin’s dream of making this a state of the art practice which was not only built green but implements green practices was made a reality. The project was co-designed by Cesar Garcia and Jason Feuge, it is currently pending LEED Platinum certification.

See below for links to several publications about the project.

Green Energy in San Antonio Now Saves Animals, Too
Reducing Your Carbon Pawprint | San Antonio Business Journal
San Antonio Green Building Awards
CPS Energy Presentation
Achieving Pet Health and Healing through Rebate Programs

San Antonio International Airport - New Terminal Projects

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:30:32 -0600

San Antonio recently received an amazing new airport terminal giving the city a bright new face for visitors and traveling residents.
Mdn Architects helped enhance this experience by teaming with concession franchising giant HMS Host to design 6 new food service and retail spaces throughout the concourse and waiting areas.
The center piece being the new Starbucks and R Sala Bebida Botana Bar located at the end of the terminal. Using an innovative trellis design over the two spaces, the resulting structure becomes the visual focus for travelers both arriving and departing.
Working with local restaurateur Lisa Wong and designer Jill Giles, we created the latest location for Rosario’s Café y Cantina; the perfect stop for contemporary Mexican food and award-winning margaritas.
For those on a quick schedule, Mdn laid out several convenient newsstands which have taken their local character from Texas Monthly magazine and the San Antonio Express News.
The next time you’re in the airport, please look for these new stores and remember to think of Mdn Architects when grabbing a bite to eat, sipping a coffee or enjoying a cold cocktail.

AVEDA Corpus Christi

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:53:44 -0600

On November 12, 2010, Mdn Architects was present for the dedication ceremony of the Newest Aveda Institute at the beautifully refurbished La Palmera Mall in Corpus Christi, Texas. The owner’s design criteria was simple: Design the finest school of hair styling and cosmetology in South Texas. The interior designers at Mdn worked to transform the former retail spaces into one cohesive environment suitable for a first-class educational experience.

The Aveda Corporation is a strong proponent for the environment and bringing a sustainable sensibility into the everyday lives of its customers is a large part of their message. The architecture needed to evoke these ideals. To achieve this goal, natural light was introduced through new windows and solar tubes, recycled materials were used throughout, and most visibly, a 60 foot tall wind turbine was installed which provides electricity back into the school.

We are very excited to help bring this ambitious project into reality and see it as a fantastic example of sustainable interior architecture and how these ideals can be a win-win for all involved.

Southwest Research Institute Fitness and Recreational Center

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:40:37 -0500

Mdn Architects is proud to announce a new professional association with the Southwest Research Institute. Founded in 1947 by the visionary Thomas Slick Jr., SwRI offers its industrial and governmental clients World-class scientific exploration in State of the Art laboratory facilities on its 2000 acre San Antonio campus.

In August of this year, Mdn Architects was selected to design the new Fitness and Recreational Center. The project’s goal is to be the “Coolest” place on campus; housing extensive Strength and Cardio exercise programs, as well as, a full court Gymnasium and an inviting Cafe with an outdoor Patio for socializing and brain storming.
Building 170, as it is known to its many users, is planned to be SwRI’s first LEED Certified facility. Sustainable elements will be derived from owner goals including overall energy reduction, daylighting throughout facility, water reclamation, and possible onsite photo voltaic system to name a few.

Click below to view a computer simulation of the exciting new Design!

Ecoxera retail sustainability consulting Webinars

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:39:25 -0500

To help retailers navigate LEED Retail, learn what it means for their company, and evaluate the benefits of the system, a three-part educational series is offered exclusively from Ecoxera and presented by the former LEED Retail Technical Manager, Justin Doak and LEED Retail Development Committee Member, Lisa Russell. The educational series will include:

Module One - Introduction to LEED Retail
This module will overview why and how LEED Retail was developed and showcase retailers that have used LEED to date.

Module Two - Technical Requirements and Credit Variances
This module will explore the difference between LEED Retail and traditional LEED NC and CI systems specific to the credit categories SS, WE, EA, MR & EQ - addressing credits that have valuable payback in a retail setting.

Module Three - LEED Integration and Beyond
The final module of this series will address how LEED is being used by some retailers, how they are taking steps to integrate the system into their standard operational procedures, and how to best utilize LEED certification across your portfolio.

For more information regarding Webinars on any of the three modules please feel free to contact Cesar Garcia, LEED AP.