Project Name: The Phoenix

Company Name: MBH Architects

Project Location: West Oakland, California United States

Project Information/Details: MBH Architects, in collaboration with Factory_OS, Autodesk, Ecovative and Heintges, Kreysler & Associates, proudly announces the groundbreaking initiative, "The Phoenix," unveiled at the AU2023 Conference hosted by Autodesk. This transformative project showcases the power of innovative design, cutting-edge technological solutions, industrialized construction, and groundbreaking biomaterials to address the global housing crisis at scale and on an accelerated timeline. In 1989, The Phoenix Ironworks Steel Factory in West Oakland, CA, demolished its buildings, leaving an empty plot of land nestled between Interstate 880 and a BART track. It was a site impacted by congestion, noise, and pollution. Soon, a new project, known as The Phoenix, will rise out of this underused 5-acre patch of concrete. A collaboration among MBH Architects, modular housing builders Factory_OS, expert design technology developers Autodesk, bio-materials company Ecovative, and building envelope consultant Heintges, Kreysler & Associates, “The Phoenix” will consist of over 300 affordable and sustainable residences, constructed at almost half the cost, time, and carbon footprint of a similar multi-family developments in the Bay Area. Integrated cloud-connected software solutions from Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform allowed for seamless collaboration across the multidisciplinary team, increasing the ability to bring this modular project to market at astonishing speed – the Phoenix units, manufactured by Factory_OS, can be assembled in 10 days, a stark contrast to the traditional process, which usually spans close to a year. A challenge facing the creation of sustainable, affordable housing is the building’s façade. A building’s façade often accounts for an outsized proportion of its embodied carbon and, despite the rapid construction schedules that modular construction provides, can take six months to install. "The Phoenix" team created an innovative 36-foot-long prefabricated panel. The panel begins its journey at Ecovative, where sustainable biomaterials are cultivated through the fusion of agricultural byproducts like corn stover with the intricate, rootlike structure of mushrooms known as mycelium. Ecovative’s custom-engineered mycelium components serve as the environmentally conscious core enclosed within a fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) shell crafted by Kreysler & Associates. The façade offers a dual benefit – the mycelium core provides carbon sequestration, while the FRP shell ensures durability. The outcome is a pioneering façade system that is carbon negative, as the production process absorbs more carbon than it emits. These panels provide five layers of performance, serving as structure, waterproofing, fire resistance, thermal insulation, and acoustic dampening, all while adhering to current building codes and construction methods. Because the façade is installed in a factory and not the field, this novel approach can shave five months off the construction schedule. Together with Autodesk, MBH Architects is using “The Phoenix” to test new technologies and transform traditional workflows. MBH utilized Autodesk Forma’s AI-powered predictive analyses during the early-stage design process to explore a huge range of options for the project that meet our goals. For example, Forma’s Rapid Noise Analysis was used to test the impact of noise from highway traffic on different configurations to inform the final placement of structures. Ryan McNulty, Principal, Architect, MBH Architects said, “Through using Autodesk AI, we realized that we could maximize our goals to provide homes that are sustainable, affordable, and comfortable for residents by leaning on predictive analyses to make more informed design decisions. Autodesk Forma empowered us to test the impact of shifting the location of a playground or greenspace, for example, on the project’s score for cost, carbon, and livability. As a result, we were able to get an initial design package done in six hours that would typically take two weeks.“

Project Name: Biosolids Upgrade for Arlington County Water Pollution Control Plant

Company Name: Stantec

Project Location: Arlington, Virginia United States

Project Information/Details: PC Construction, a leading environmental design-build contractor on the East Coast, and Stantec, its lead design partner and global consulting and engineering firm, have been selected to design and construct a major biosolids upgrade project for the Arlington County Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) in Northern Virginia. The progressive design-build project, totaling approximately $175 million, will upgrade solids handling facilities and incorporate cutting-edge technology to sustainably transform wastewater to a renewable energy source and a nutrient-rich soil amendment. PC and Stantec will work together to design and construct the thermal hydrolysis process (THP), pre- and post-dewatering facilities, primary and secondary anaerobic digesters, odor control, biogas treatment systems, and steam generation. THP will allow the WPCP to produce Class A biosolids that can be used as fertilizer and the resulting biogas will be captured, treated, and used as a renewable energy source. The design-build team is a leader in these specialized facilities, combining PC’s construction experience—including the largest THP facility in the world—with Stantec’s history of designing nearly half of the world’s THP facilities. PC and Stantec are currently in the commissioning phase for WSSC Water’s Piscataway Water Resource Recovery Facility Bioenergy Project, which will be one of only five operating THP facilities in the US. “This is an incredibly important project for Arlington County and the community,” said Matt Cooke, president / CEO at PC Construction. “THP technology is quickly gaining traction in the US as an effective, energy efficient, and sustainable method for managing wastewater biosolids. We are excited to put our expertise in this innovative field to work to help Arlington County achieve its long-term vision.” “The opportunity to work with Arlington County on this groundbreaking project is significant,” said Nicolle Boulay, vice president at Stantec. “The County’s priorities around sustainability align very well with Stantec’s, and we look forward to helping the County achieve its goals.” Building on Arlington County’s Solids Master Plan, this project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region and generate negative net energy usage. Completion is projected by the end of 2029.

Project Name: Jean Ribault High School

Company Name: T&T Construction Management Group

Project Location: Jacksonville, Florida United States

Project Information/Details: T&T Construction Management Group, Inc., a woman-owned premier concrete specialty contractor, has begun its work on the new Jean Ribault High School, which is part of Duval County Public Schools. The $120-million project will replace the existing high school facility, built in 1957, with a modern, state-of-the-art learning space. Gilbane Building Company is the general contractor and Schenkel Shultz Architecture is the architect. T&T Construction Management Group, Inc. is providing complete concrete scope, including tilt-up panels for the new school. The 150,000-square-foot project entails ground-up construction of two instructional buildings that will serve more than 1,500 students when the new school opens in 2025. Current high school students will use the learning space at Jean Ribault Middle School, which is located on the same land tract, until construction is complete. The overall site plan also calls for remodeling the campus’s auditorium, JROTC, fieldhouse, and music buildings. “We are pleased to be partnering with Gilbane on this historical project. We are honored to be one of many contributors at Duval County Public Schools,” said T&T Business Development Manager Ryan McDavid. “T&T Construction Management Group, Inc. is proud to continue our work in the educational space in north Florida, and we look forward to providing Jean Ribault High School students with a modern facility that will serve the community and educate future generations of leaders.” The new high school will offer over 40 new classrooms as well as a 12,500-square-foot gymnasium and cafeteria that can comfortably seat 650 students. The design plan from Schenkel Shultz calls for a half- dozen career and technical education areas where students will gain first-hand knowledge in professions such as nursing, digital audio production, banking, aviation and robotics, and culinary arts. County voters approved a half-cent sales tax in 2020 to fund a $2-billion plan to update schools throughout Duval County, including Jean Ribault High School.