By Lindsey Coulter

With more than 20 years of architectural experience,��Aaron Jobson, AIA, ALEP, CEO and President��������Quattrocchi Kwok Architects��(�ϰ���), has worked���ɾ��ٳ���numerous school facilities across all grade levels and school types. From f�����������پ������m�����ٱ����planning and new campus development to building transformations and critical modernizations, Jobson brings a wealth of experience and insight to the 91��Ƶ Editorial Advisory Board.

A founding member of the School Energy Coalition (SEC),��Jobson is also a legislative advocate for energy efficiency measures affecting schools and a leading voice on sustainability. He has written��about Building Information Modeling, sustainable design, community engagement, designing for wellness, and in 2015��was certified as an Accredited Learning Environments Planner (ALEP) by the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE).��

When asked what excites him about the future of K-12 and higher education design, Jobson shared a broad vision of progress. “Teaching is continuing to evolve, and I am excited to see how we can evolve the design of learning environments alongside it,” he said. “At the same time, we are learning more about how the physical environment affects the brain, which will continue to influence design.

Jobson spoke with 91��Ƶ about finding new design strategies to connect classrooms to nature, to support teachers and students’ well-being and mental health, and why he’s expanded his view of design to include advocacy and policy.

SCN: With more than 20 years in practice, what experiences most shaped your path into school design and firm leadership?�� ��

Jobson: My architectural journey has been deeply influenced by engaging with, learning from, and understanding the perspectives of educators, including my wife and many members of my family. Understanding their experiences has shaped how I think to design spaces. Over two decades of collaborating with educators on various projects has provided me with a broad understanding of how learning and facilities interact. Together, these have informed a deep level of empathy, appreciation, and respect for the work these professionals do, which informs how I approach the design of school facilities. Our goal with every project is to help educators better serve their students and communities. Some of my most impactful and rewarding experiences are when we get the opportunity to hear from students and teachers who are using the facilities we designed and how our work has��impacted��their educational experience.������

SCN: How has working across all grade levels—from��Pre-K��to higher education— influenced your design approach?����������

Jobson: Working across many grade levels and schools in different communities has provided me with a deep understanding of the breadth of challenges that educators face and how school facilities can support them. This work has helped me understand that each school environment is unique and that the best projects start with actively listening to and learning from teachers and community members.������

SCN: As a founding member of the School Energy Coalition, what gaps in policy or practice compelled you to get involved?������

Jobson: Schools are a unique set of energy users, differing from residential or commercial users, which have��particular challenges��and opportunities. Energy laws and programs often��failed��to address the specific needs and requirements of schools. In part, we started the School Energy Coalition (SEC) to provide a voice for schools and their needs in the California state government.��������

SCN: How do you see the architect’s role evolving in legislative advocacy for energy efficiency in schools?�� ��

Jobson: Architects offer valuable��real world��examples of energy efficiency policy, including the costs and challenges of implementation. Over the past decade or so, the landscape of sustainable design, energy efficiency and regulation has changed a lot. Many older strategies focused on energy efficiency are being replaced by��newer approaches��focusing on decarbonization and renewable energy generation and storage. Architects can also help��identify��regulatory roadblocks that make it harder to implement energy efficiency changes.��������

SCN: How has your definition of “good school design” evolved over time?������

Jobson: In general, my definition of��good design��has always been spaces that are beautiful and functional. Over time, I have learned more about the technical aspects of how the quality of space impacts learning through factors such as acoustics, air quality, etc. These factors have become an important aspect of how I think about functional design and what makes a well-designed learning environment.������

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By Lindsey Coulter��

Arnold��Swanborn, AIA, LEED AP, is one of the newest members of the 91��Ƶ Editorial Advisory Board.��Swanborn��is Design Principal at CO Architects in Los Angeles, and, after more than three decades in the industry,��has created a diverse portfolio of award-winning projects, including higher research and academic facilities, medical and health sciences education buildings, healthcare facilities, and K-12 schools — ranging from��100,000 square feet��to more than��2 million square feet.����

Swanborn��leads CO Architects’ design direction. His work focuses on connecting people to place through the design of sustainable buildings that are responsive to their environments. His widely publicized work includes the Health Sciences Innovation Building, Health Sciences Education Building, and Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building for the University of Arizona and the Loyola Marymount University Life Sciences Building. Notable under-construction��projects of his��include the Wichita Biomedical Campus, the Arizona State University Health Building, and the University of Texas at Austin Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building.

A native of the Netherlands,��Swanborn’s��architectural influences include Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, and Frank Gehry. Visual artists he finds inspiring include Frank Stella and Dutch master Vermeer.��He��received his Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University, and his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California.����

91��Ƶ talked with��Swanborn��about his design philosophy and how he applies sustainable principles across��projects. Watch for more of this interview in the upcoming K-12 issue of 91��Ƶ, introducing all new Editorial Advisory Board members.��

SCN:��What drew you to architecture initially, and how did your early experiences shape your design philosophy?��

Swanborn:��The work I do today has a lineage that goes back to growing up in Holland. I��can’t��remember a time when I was not drawn to crafting, making,��and��creating. As with many young kids, it started with Legos, the ubiquitous blocks from which you could create anything you dreamed of. I was obsessed. My creative outlets expanded to more intricate and delicate creations—functioning balsa-wood airplanes, model cars. These creative outlets were fostered by a grandfather who built sailboats and furniture and a father who was trained as an architect and always tinkered around the house. Those nascent influences grew into an appreciation of tactile experiences and well-crafted objects and spaces. The transition into the field of architecture was seemingly��preordained,��natural. The obsession and drive to design and build that started as a young kid continues to this day. My work explores light and tactile��surfaces, and��is driven by narrative and��the experiential.����

SCN:��Your portfolio spans research, academic, healthcare, and K–12 projects. What common design principles carry across these different building types?��

Swanborn:��At its core, architecture is the artistic expression of an intentional set of experiences.��So��no matter what the program, for me it starts by narratively constructing those experiences. Since the program, location, and climatic conditions��vary��project to project, the outcome is always��bespoke��to the circumstance. In a��way��these building projects are like cities. We��have to��move people, give them places to learn, work, and heal, and do it in a way that inspires them to be at their best.��Connecting to place, time, and nature is what drives the work through the use of daylight to form and define space, surface, and user experiences.��I like to think of light as a material. Free, sustainable, and ever-changing, it creates dynamic and surprisingly new experiences to delight and provide joy in a variety of environments: education, healing, workplace. We��don’t��see light until it reflects and washes across��a surface. Light creates a��mystique when you put it in the right place on and in a building. Light is the life of a building.����

SCN:��Sustainability is a core focus of your work. How do you approach sustainable design in large, complex institutional buildings?��

Swanborn: At the highest level we strive to create 100-year buildings. Designing buildings to be flexible and adaptable over time is the most sustainable measure. Our planet has limited resources; we need to think more holistically about the crafting and making of buildings. For me that begins with understanding where it is in the world vis-à-vis the climate. Then look for passive solutions for daylighting, ways to control solar exposure with an eye on reducing the EUI (energy use index). These have been the basics. Now, embodied carbon and electrification are the big focuses for reducing the initial and operational carbon footprint. For example, we start every project by exploring mass timber, but look at all of our choices with a lens toward carbon neutrality. Hence, while we can design a stunning double-skin glass wall, the question of appropriateness is always at the forefront. The answer is more reasonably found in a vernacular that is regionally appropriate.

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Returning Members

Wendy Rogers has designed and promoted innovative, high-performance learning environments through her work at Irvine, Calif.-headquartered LPA Inc., where she has practiced since 1987. She has worked collaboratively in both public and private schools to create informed solutions for future learners. Serving nine years as the Green Schools Chair for the U.S. Green Building Council, Rogers has been an advocate for the adoption and design of green schools. An experienced educational designer, Rogers uses data and evidence to demonstrate the principles and strategies at work in sustainable school design. Named CEO at LPA in 2017, Rogers’ role will include working with President Dan Heinfeld on the day-to-day operations with a focus on increasing the role of LPA’s propriety research unit, LPAred, and using LPA’s unique informed design approach to differentiate the firm in the marketplace. As chief talent officer, Rogers is responsible for developing the culture and lifestyle at the firm to retain and attract the best and brightest people who want to make a difference in the built environment.

Since establishing Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Quattrocchi Kwok Architects in 1986, Mark Quattrocchi has been at the helm as a lead architect, innovator and renowned industry authority. With K-12 design expertise spanning 30 years, he is an authority on designing environments for 21st century teaching and learning. Quattrocchi frequently publishes substantive articles related to architecture, historic renovation and sustainability, and regularly speaks at events and workshops, including California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing and the California Association of Independent Schools conferences.

Bill Dobyns has extensive knowledge of the construction industry with more than 30 years of construction experience on public and private projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. His expertise lies in alternative delivery methods, including design-build, general contractor/construction manager and construction manager at-risk. He is also well-versed in all facets of construction such as estimating, purchasing, scheduling, contract administration, marketing and overall management. Dobyns is vice president of business development for Lydig Construction Inc., located in Bellevue, Wash., and leads the company’s education sector. Lydig has completed more than 150 K-12 projects in 47 districts as well as several higher-education projects.

Celine Larkin, AIA, LEED AP, heads Urban Design/Master Planning at HGA Architects, Engineers + Planners, and directs planning across the firm’s healthcare, higher-education and corporate-practice groups nationally. With more than 28 years’ experience in architecture, urban design and master planning, her notable projects include a Campus Master Plan for Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., and currently, the Pasadena City College Centennial Master Plan in Pasadena, Calif. Larkin has written extensively for industry journals and spoken at leading trade conferences, addressing issues of campus safety, designing for campus well-being and the impact future generations will have on evolving cultural and social norms that inform tomorrow’s environments. She taught design at MIT, Brandeis and Roger Williams universities, and served as a guest critic and lecturer at Harvard, Georgetown, the University of Southern California and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. She holds a Master of Architecture from MIT and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University.

Tracy S. Carusi, AIA, is a principal at Collins Cooper Carusi Architects (CCCA) in Atlanta and a LEED-certified professional, having graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee in 1983. Carusi has been an integral part of CCCA’s growth since 1990. An industry leader in design, she leads studio teams in various award-winning community-based projects, including public and private K-12, college and university, religious, cultural and recreational/wellness. Her notable projects include the Emory University Candler School of Theology Center for Ethics and Pitts Library, Mt. Pisgah Christian School and North Atlanta High School.

Susan Tully LEED AP, BD+C, has managed education construction projects for more than 25 years. Since joining Gilbane Building Company of Philadelphia in 2000, Tully has accumulated an impressive portfolio of large construction projects throughout the northeast, with a concentration in the K-12 and higher-education markets. She serves Gilbane as senior project manager, with experience working with owners, design teams and engineers. She has managed elementary school construction projects for the School District of Cheltenham Township in Pennsylvania since 2007 — projects totaling more than $50 million and renovations/additions totaling more than 200,000 square feet. She has also managed construction of high-profile projects for several national educational institutions, including Community College of Philadelphia, Princeton University, Rutgers University and Trenton School District.

David Johnson, LEED AP, BD+C, vice president and higher-education practice strategist for the Detroit office of SmithGroupJJR, is actively engaged in understanding and articulating the forces shaping higher education. Johnson guides design teams to align programming and planning with client strategy, develop design narratives for multiple audiences, envision hybrid space types and facilities, and advance design research that informs the practice and profession. Johnson has broad experience in design leadership and has completed work at numerous university campuses, providing master planning, programming and architecture.

Kirk Marchisen, AIA, LEED AP, is principal and vice president at Stevens & Wilkinson, an Atlanta architecture, engineering and interiors firm. Marchisen is also a project manager with extensive educational facility experience. He works closely with the project team during all phases of a project, including programming, concept design, design development, construction documents and construction administration. He earned both a Bachelor of Science and a master’s degree in technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a registered architect in the state of Georgia. Throughout his 31-year career, he has successfully completed dozens of education projects throughout the state, including the renovation and addition to Oakhurst Elementary School in Decatur, the design of Sandtown Middle School in Atlanta and the Gwinnett Technical College Horticulture Center in Lawrenceville.

New Members

Pam Loeffelman, FAIA, is a K-12 education leader at national architecture firm DLR Group, elevating education for local school districts across the country. Loeffelman has been actively engaged in a dialogue about the return on investment of educational designs for more than three decades. She believes a combination of economic, social and pedagogy trends along with benchmarking can better shape the built environment so as to engage and inspire students, educators and local communities. She has served multiple leadership roles within the industry, including AIA national vice president and on the board of multiple AIA Knowledge Communities. She also participated in the initial American Architecture Foundation Mayor’s Institute on School Design in 2005 in Washington, D.C.

David Schrader, founding/managing partner of Philadelphia-based Schradergroup Architecture, is responsible for the design leadership, management and business development for the firm. For a quarter of a century, his professional experience has focused on the design of facilities of public interest, with a specific emphasis on educational facility design. Acting as principal in charge and lead planner/designer for close to 100 K-12 projects, Schrader’s daily involvement spans from initial design through to project completion. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania as well as Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Architecture degrees from Pennsylvania State University. He is a registered architect in more than 14 states and is an active member of a number of professional organizations, including the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), formerly the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI).

Jackie Avello is a project manager for JE Dunn Construction whose 10-year career — five with JE Dunn — includes overseeing multiple complex renovation projects for Atlanta Public Schools, and providing key leadership of JE Dunn’s process improvement efforts using lean construction and other tools. Her portfolio includes transformation of an IBM corporate campus into the new North Atlanta High School and modernization of the 1920s-era Brown Middle School. The Brown project won a first place honor in the 2017 AGC Build Georgia Awards Program as well as a 2017 CMMA Project Achievement Award. Avello is a member of Construction Owners of America and is active in various industry organizations. She is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction with Highest Honor as well as a Certificate in Entrepreneurship.

Ian McQuoid is a project director at McCarthy Building Companies Inc., a national construction contractor. With a focus on lease-leaseback and design-build, McQuoid serves as project executive on education projects, managing all phases of construction. McQuoid has worked with San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento County, Calif., on projects that range from an innovative performing arts center to STEM classrooms to elementary schools. He believes in constantly elevating his craft by incorporating cutting-edge technology and tools. McQuoid received his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from California State University, Sacramento.

Check out the entire list in the January/February issue of .

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