ARC International is pleased to announce that Taylor Klinkel and Hannah Schmitz have joined the ARC team as summer interns.

Taylor Klinkel is majoring in Environmental Design at student at Montana State University. She will graduate in the spring of 2014 and plans on attending graduate school. Taylor is interested in sustainable design and its effects throughout the world. She attended a hands on design / build studio in Kenya helping to build straw bale structures in the summer of 2012. She will return to Kenya next year to research sustainable buying and building habits and to conduct post occupancy studies. “I am honored to be a part of the ARC International team,” Taylor said. Her parents are Mike and Danita Klinkel of Spearfish, SD.

Hannah Schmitz was born in Omaha, NE and relocated to Rapid City in 1997. She will be working with Computer Aided Drafting at ARC International. She has had a passion for architecture as long as she can remember. She discovered Computer Aided Drafting at Western Dakota Technical Institute and knew right away that it was the program for her. Hannah will graduate in May, 2014 to achieve an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science and hopes to gain a career as a drafter with ARC International. “I believe I will get an exceptional view into the career I am studying for with this internship,” noted Hannah. “I am fortunate to be a part of the ARC International team and look forward to continuing my experience this summer as a full time intern.”

Here is a nice story about Terra Sancta in the local press:

http://www.newscenter1.tv/stories/11613.aspx

Exterior of the Outdoor Campus, overlooking the fishing pond.

ARC International Design achieves LEED GOLD Certification

(March 2012) The South Dakota Game Fish & Parks Outdoor Campus in Rapid City was recently awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the nationally recognized standard for the design, construction, and operation of environmentally efficient and sustainable buildings. The LEED rating promotes design and construction practices that reduce the negative environmental impacts of buildings, improve occupant health and increase energy efficiencies and reductions, thus resulting in increased profitability.

Design and construction of the project was led by ARC International of Rapid City. Both the Owner and Design Team focused on conservation tie-ins with material recycling, use of regional materials and land conservation as a starting point for the LEED strategy. Geothermal systems, high efficiency fixtures and lighting formed the second tier that allowed the project to continue towards working to reach LEED Gold certification.

The efforts of the entire team helped the Outdoor Campus achieve 44 LEED credits – well over the minimum of 39 required to be awarded LEED Gold – through site planning, material use, indoor environment quality and water management.

“It’s not often there is such a perfect fit between the mission of a project owner and LEED, but in this case the Outdoor Campus and LEED meshed together almost flawlessly. It was exciting to be able to develop all of these sustainable concepts that just seamlessly integrated with everything the South Dakota Game Fish & Parks does on a day to day basis,” commented Kelli Trebil, LEED Accredited Professional at ARC International.

Through the use of various energy saving building and system strategies, the Outdoor Campus is approximately 40% more energy efficient and 30% more water efficient than a traditionally designed building.

The Outdoor Campus is one of only four facilities in Rapid City and one of eight in South Dakota to have achieved LEED Gold certification.

We are proud to announce that the following individuals were honored as master craftsman award winners at the Construction Industry Center’s Annual meeting on Feb. 25, 2012.The awards were given for work done on two of ARC International’s recent projects;  the Game Fish and Park Outdoor Campus West and Terra Sancta at the old St. Martin Monastery. Both projects are in Rapid City,South Dakota.

Robert Johnson, Jim Turner, Chad Bingaman and Bruce Nickels of J. Scull Construction Service, Inc., Rapid City, were awarded for timber framing at the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Outdoor Campus West, Rapid City.

Jeff Jonas, Brad Rehling, Brad Flesner, Jeff Komes, Rob Christol, Jason Hagen, Larry Mantei, Jesse Whitehead, Brad West, Chris Wright, Barry Schock, Dion Tennyson, Butch Rick, Rob Wiedeman, Jared Hagen and Eric Nix of Hagen Glass, Windows & Siding, Rapid City were awarded for for glazing, curtain wall and resin panels at the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Outdoor Campus West, Rapid City.

Robert Johnson and Julian Postelnicu of J. Scull Construction Service, Inc. were awarded for ceramic & quarry tile at the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Outdoor Campus West.

Mitch Brown of Brownstone, Inc., Rapid City was awarded for granite outcropping replica and concrete floor topping at the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Outdoor Campus West.

Patrick Hudalla, Rocky Thompson and Randy Ables of Rapid Fire Protection, Inc, Rapid City were awarded for fire protection system, Terra Sancta, Rapid City.

We extend our congratulations for a job well done! What a great honor. As always, all of our partners were incredible to work with. Thank you to all of you!

Currently under construction, the project was designed around owner provided concepts and materials which added programming flexibility and economy to the overall project.

Box Elder Planning Director, Mike McMahon, said the idea is to create a downtown atmosphere similar to Rapid City’s Main Street Square. Potential future plans include a park with a water feature, room for outdoor entertainment and space for retail spaces. The hope is to provide an attractive environment for retailers into the new downtown area.

Box Elder Mayor Al Dial said “Everyone’s pretty excited for the project. It’s something that’s been in the works for many years.”

The tornado resistant building will also function as a point of safety for area residents in the surrounding community during emergencies.

The facility is slated to be completed by the Summer of 2012.

Trebil attended presentations by keynote speakers Alex Steffen and Sarah Susanka, who presented new strategies and insight into sustainable design as a building block for improving communities. Additional lectures focused on elements of green design, such as sustainable products, improved strategies for health care design and using design as an outreach tool in the community. The event also included workshops, a local food luncheon, a green exhibitors market and a community project.

According to the “Plain Green” website: “Plain Green” is where innovators and change-makers gather to learn and connect around green design, healthcare, education, business and ideas.

See: http://plaingreen.org/ for more information on this annual event.