DISTILLED FARMHOUSE Compelled by sentimentality and the knowledge that the former owners (a farm family) would be retained to work the land, a Chicago couple commissioned architect Margaret McCurry to convert a 26-acre (11-hectare) farm in Galien, Michigan, into an expanded family compound while preserving as much as was practical of the original farmhouse. — Published 2012.0411
	LEED FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS The Empire State Building made headlines recently for achieving LEED Gold certification following a major green retrofit project that will reduce the skyscraper's energy consumption by more than 38 percent. The building's electric chiller plant was rebuilt, electric meters were installed at the tenant level, and all 6,514 window units were removed, refurbished to improve their energy efficiency, and reinstalled. — Published 2011.1012
	AIA MICHIGAN AWARDS 2010 The Richmond Center for Visual Arts in Kalamazoo is striking, with building forms tied to its arts hub functions. Copper cladding, curving in two dimensions, wraps the lobby and front exhibit areas, setting off a large glazed facade section that allows natural light deep into the space. The lightness of the glass and copper, and of zinc that wraps the lecture areas, contrasts with the visual weight of the precast concrete panels cladding the rest of the building. — Published 2010.0811
	CHRISTMAN BUILDING For the new Christman Company headquarters in downtown Lansing, Michigan, SmithGroup set out to design modern, high-end offices within a historic building. What resulted, somewhat surprisingly, was a sustainable exemplar. Christman, a Lansing-based construction company, had purchased a 1928 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and set a modest goal for sustainable renovation: basic certification under LEED for Core & Shell. — Published 2009.1216
	MICHIGAN AIA AWARDS 2009 For its new northeastern branch, the Ann Arbor District Library asked inFORM studio to design a sustainable building that would promote observation of and respect for its natural surroundings. The resulting Traverwood Branch Library traces a narrow L shape on the corner of a triangular lot, treading lightly on its wooded site while also engaging the street edge. — Published 2009.0715
	MICHIGAN AIA AWARDS In May 2006, in its annual awards program, the Michigan Chapter of the American Institute of Architects cited sixteen projects for design excellence and creativity. Many of these fall, coincidentally, into pairs of similar building types, inviting design comparisons. — Published 2006.0816
	NEW HUB, NO HUBCAPS The Edward H. McNamara Terminal in Detroit, Michigan opened to passengers on February 24th. This major new terminal, for Northwest Airlines' largest hub, is designed to reposition Wayne County's Detroit Metropolitan Airport as a world-class facility, with architecture demonstrating the latest in passenger amenities. — Published 2002.0313
	FIRST LEED FACTORY A wood-furniture manufacturing facility, recently constructed by Steelcase Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has set a new standard in environmental achievement. It is the first factory to achieve certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program. — Published 2002.0102

Architecture Design and Building in Michigan, USA