n e w s

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2006
For More Information:
Chris Schroder, SchroderPR, 404.872.7289x13
chris@schroderpr.com
Suzanne Brownlow, SchroderPR 404.872.7289x12
suzanne@schroderpr.com

Perkins+Will Designs Sustainable Computing,
Engineering Center at Georgia Tech

ATLANTA , (October 26, 2006) -- Perkins+Will, a global leader in sustainable architecture and design, announced the debut Thursday of the Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. The Klaus Building will house research and teaching facilities for Georgia Tech's College of Computing and School of Electrical and Computing Engineering. Perkins+Will envisioned and designed the building to integrate with the site's natural environment and to function as a campus model for sustainable architecture.

"The Klaus Building exemplifies our approach to design since 1935, which is to create buildings that mesh harmoniously with nature," said Manuel Cadrecha, design principal for the project. "Rather than imposing on a landscape, architecture should emerge organically from a site, creating an experience that is sustainable, practical, beautiful and, ultimately, enjoyable. Working with a world-class institution like Georgia Tech to expand its sustainable design mandate is an honor and a pleasure."

The new Klaus Building has received the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver Certification, a designation granted to buildings that meet the USGBC's stringent design criteria for environmentally sustainable architecture. LEED® certification is the industry standard for green design and evaluates architecture by an index that includes site development, water conservation, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED® certified-buildings are designed holistically to conserve natural resources and provide healthy environments for occupants.

The 414,000 square-foot Klaus Building is a study in how innovative design can maximize resources to minimize environmental impact. The building's operating systems use 40 percent less energy than required by current energy codes, with artificial and natural light modulated to create an indoor environment that is as aesthetically appealing as it is energy efficient. Indoor air quality is achieved by combining sophisticated monitoring technologies with old-fashioned, manually operable windows.

Building materials for the project were thoughtfully considered to minimize natural resource use as well. Many of the project's building materials were either salvaged or recycled, with a significant percentage sourced from within 500 miles of the site. Floor coverings throughout the Klaus Building are made of recyclable materials and have interchangeable, nature-inspired random color patterns to accommodate wear and reduce replacement needs.

Perkins+Will architects planned the six-acre project to preserve more than 50 percent of the site as green space, creating a lush outdoor oasis for students, faculty and visitors to the urban Atlanta campus. Rather than clearing land for surface parking, three levels of underground parking were built to accommodate campus parking needs.   On the grounds surrounding the building, an expanded tree canopy was incorporated to filter sunlight, creating a more comfortable outdoor space and reducing energy needs. Design also incorporated water conservation priorities, with systems implemented to filter and store storm water in underground vaults to irrigate native Georgia Piedmont plant communities.

The Klaus Building was named after former Georgia Tech student and Internet Security Systems founder Christopher W. Klaus, who donated $15 million for its construction in 1999.

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Established in 1935, Perkins+Will (www.perkinswill.com) is an integrated architecture, interiors, and planning practice recognized as the preeminent sustainable design firm in the country. Perkins+Will has the highest number of LEED® Accredited Professionals in North America (ranked by Building Design & Construction magazine), with nearly half of the firm's 1,000 professionals accredited.

Perkins+Will serves clients out of offices in Atlanta, Beijing, Boston, Calgary, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Research Triangle Park, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Vancouver, Victoria and Washington, DC. The firm practices architecture, interiors, branded environments and planning + strategies with clients in corporate + commercial + civic, healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, and science + technology. Perkins+Will routinely ranks among the world's top design firms and has received hundreds of awards, including the prestigious American Institute of Architects Firm of the Year Award.