Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first tour + social of 2019.

AIA Maine’s Women in Design + Construction and Emerging Professionals Committees collaborated to present the January 31, 2019 tour and social gathering at The Nature Conservancy in Maine.

The architectural team, led by Harry Hepburn of BRIBURN, the sustainability team, led by Heather Walters at Thornton Tomasetti, as well as leaders from the client team at The Nature Conservancy in Maine shared their collaborative efforts to create a space that supports staff well-being and productivity, models green and sustainable design, and inspires innovative and collaborative problem-solving.

This project included a complete interior renovation and fit-up of approximately 8,800 square feet of existing space and a new 600 square foot mezzanine.

The new space features natural and recycled elements that artfully reflect the client’s mission. The curving wood wall is made from yellow birch sustainably harvested from The Nature Conservancy in Maine’s own certified forest property in the St. John River valley. The carpet tiles underfoot, with a pattern reminiscent of crashing surf, are made from recycled fishing nets in a partnership that cleans beaches and the ocean of nylon waste. The countertop in the kitchen/lounge was crafted using historic log-drive lumber salvaged from the bottom of the Penobscot River—a place where The Nature Conservancy in Maine has played a significant role in a historic river restoration project.

This project is on target for LEED Gold certification, and is the first office in northern New England, and the first non-profit space in the Eastern U.S., to meet the requirements for the WELL Building Standard™ certification.