Sparkflight Studios

As the year closes, here are some thoughts on living lightly from last year's Eco Home Fair... As always, Anne Johnson, AIA is here to answer questions and provide brief consultations for greening your home and office with sustainable architectural strategies. We would love to visit with you anytime!

Since March of this year, we’ve been working with the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority to upgrade some single-family properties to comply with UFAS/ADA and local codes.   Click here to see where we started. It’s been rewarding to know that individuals with disabilities will enjoy a better quality of life with their families in homes designed to accommodate them. Take a look at these before/after transformations to see the incredible change. Contact us any time if you’re interested in learning more about the process, or what we can do to assist you with property upgrades. Read more about our public housing projects by clicking here and scrolling down... MC Mojave Construction is the contractor. Before & After photos by Henri Sagalow Photography

Our green office status is an ever-evolving process.   It’s fun and challenging to discover new ways to create more sustainability and reduce waste. We have taken our inspiration from the Harvard University Office for Sustainability (HUOS) , which created Leaf level checklists for “Green Office” recognition for its colleges and departments.   The concepts and procedures can be adapted by any size business to develop practices that reduce office resource consumption while boosting the bottom line in small and large ways.   At Anne Johnson, AIA , we are currently pursuing HUOS Leaf Three, which incorporates reviewing all actions from Leafs One and Two to keep us on track.   To participate at Leaf Three level, we have updated our employee manual to include information about our office environmental policies and goals.   We have also established a composting program in our office as part of our commitment to sustainability.   Routinely, we revisit our commitment to reduce, reus

This year, the third annual  Las Vegas PARK(ing) day is being coordinated by Green Jelly, COLABlv and the Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects ( NASLA ) and is held in the 18b Arts District on September 21, 2012 from 4:00PM to 10:00PM.  The nearest address is Artifice at 1025 S. First Street, by South Main and Charleston Boulevard. 18b is just south of downtown Las Vegas in an area bounded by Commerce Street, Hoover Avenue, Fourth Street and Las Vegas Boulevard (at Charleston) and Colorado Avenue. You can find out more about its restaurants, galleries and businesses on their website . The manifesto is "Reclaim your city" and the method is transforming one metered parking space into a park setting for a day. Check out the downtown 18b Arts District, enjoy a little public green space, and engage in the discussion about how urban space is allocated.  The Downtown Backyard Project ( DBP ) kick-off is tonight and will extend the dialogue beyon

We've recently discovered this amazing tool which allows designers to compile color and furniture boards with a click of the mouse.  This fun tool is called the " Olioboard ".  It allows us to quickly communicate our inspirations and design directions with clients.  They can try it themselves too. For my first Olioboard project, I gathered furniture and color pieces to create a traditional space.  A mid-tone color palette was the start of my inspiration, then the furniture came in to play.  When I think of traditional , three words come to mind - calm, orderly, and comforting.  Furniture pieces match, tables have ornate details or chunky baluster legs, sofas and living chairs are upholstered, classic moldings and trims are used on walls, wall covering with a subtle print, draped window coverings, and a large detailed area rug is used to tie to look together. Explore the Olioboard site to discover some of the endless possibilities for creating your perfect retreat

Something exciting is happening in Columbus, Ohio.  Yes, Ohio.  It's a week-long public celebration of design September 27 to October 5.  Events leading up to it have been gelling for months, and the inspiration has been building for years.   Architect Mike Bongiorno, his wife Sarah, and a number of energetic designer-types, seized the opportunity of the city's bicentennial celebration to make Design Week 2012 happen. Events include: CBUS Ideabook Exhibit and Opening Reception DesignRolls: Architectural Bike Tour Fueling the Creative Economy: Columbus as a Design Incubato KSA Lecture Featuring Julie Snow, Julie Snow Architects AIA Columbus Design Awards Built in Cbus Launch Party The Center's 2nd Annual Celebration idUS Space Imagine a similar event in Las Vegas!  A series of interactive, conversation-starting, diverse activities that raise awareness of the impact of all design modalities in our region: graphic, landscape, product, interior, fashion, archi

Next month, construction launches on an approximately 1,400 SF Dance Studio Room addition to the Winchester Cultural Center .  This center has cultivated the arts and beautiful desert gardens for decades.  It’s been an honor and pleasure to work with Patrick Gaffey, center director, and the talented instructors, in designing this great addition for the arts.  It’s our aspiration that this dance studio addition will inspire community members of all ages to continue to advance their talents. The inspiration for the dance studio was taking the outdoor atmosphere indoors.  Inside the dance studio, a decorative tree sculpture with shelving serves as a “pride wall” and welcomes students.  This tree motif, echoed on the natural linoleum entrance floor and walls, enlivens and energizes both place and participants.  Easily accessed cubbies provide quick transition from daily routine into the class setting.  Alcoves on the east and west walls serve multiple purposes for the dance studio: st

Art by Adriann Helton Get out and enjoy the first annual Solarbration this evening.  It's an arts and energy festival for Southern Nevada.  Held this year at Henderson's downtown plaza off Water Street, it will always be on June 21 for the summer solstice.  The Conservation District of Southern Nevada is hosting this outreach event, and there are many local sponsors, including Solar NV and Natural Awakenings . Vendors at this FREE event include face-painting, energy efficiency experts, hybrid and electric vehicles, and of course food! Per the Conservation District of Southern Nevada , proceeds will be used to commission a solar-powered public art project. Put it on your calendars for next year! Like it on facebook .

Along with meeting requirements to comply with UFAS/ADA and local codes, our design work is mindful of a special livable quality of life essential to the success of the remodel of five Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA) properties. Accessibility for occupant-mobility begins with street side landscaping that is navigable and inviting. Our design work for these five scattered sites in Henderson and Las Vegas includes re-grading and concrete work, full exterior repairs and painting, full interior finishes, replacement of kitchen and bath fixtures and cabinetry, as well as provision of hard-wired smoke detectors and audio/visual doorbell alert systems for the hearing impaired.  The design chosen for the interior includes soft and neutral colors creating a cozy atmosphere. Neutral beiges are selected for the flooring and wall treatment, while warm chestnut stains and deep brown laminates finish the cabinetry and countertops. The transfer showers are covered in wa

To back up a bit, LEED is a third-party certification process for energy efficient and "green" building.  It stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  LEED AP stands for LEED Accredited Professional, and is someone who has undertaken extensive training and continues to gain experience and knowledge in the field of sustainable building. According to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) website, "The Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) is the process by which LEED APs with specialty and LEED Green Associates renew their LEED credentials every two years through continuing education.  The renewal process allows LEED professionals to continue developing professionally within the field of green building, enhancing their resumes and improving job performance. It continues rewarding hard work while renewing the credential holder’s commitment to green building and sustainability." Our firm principal's specialty is a LEED AP sin

Opower, in partnership with Facebook and NRDC , has established a social energy app that allows you to see how your energy use stacks up against friends and homes across the US.  Join groups and discover how you can save even more. This leadership challenge provides a path for everyone to be a winner with individual energy savings and positive results for the very air we breathe. Opower partnered with their first utility client in 2007 from a rented desk in San Francisco. Their purpose is to engage the millions of people who are in the dark about their energy use. “Our product platform now reaches more than 10 million homes in North America. Together with our clients and their customers, we're saving energy, saving money, and helping reduce global carbon emissions.” Get started now on Opower .  You can also try a home comparison without connecting to Facebook at the same link.  After your first pass, make sure to click the "Update home information" button for the most

Anne Johnson, AIA architecture and graphics studio is pleased to have Rochelle Aquino on board and actively engaged in multiple ongoing projects.    Rochelle is a versatile designer with a background in education and healthcare administration.  Her design skills encompass graphic and interior design, and work experience includes interfacing with small business and the broad perspective of the ASID Design Salon at World Market Center. A graduate of The Art Institute of Las Vegas, Aquino completed a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design, a CIDA Accredited institution.   Her sketching, rendering, and 3D modeling skills are being used in the Winchester Cultural Center - Dance Studio addition currently in studio, while her ArchiCAD technology skills have aided our work on the Lewis Building.   Aquino is drawing on her space planning, sustainable materials, and color theory specialties for input on the remodeling of five scattered SNRHA houses.   Her enthusiasm, creativity, and appre

Recently a few intriguing books have come to our attention, and we're more than happy to share! Conundrum ( YouTube link ) David Owen, a writer for the New Yorker , has released a thoughtful book with a lengthy title-- The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse .  Bloomberg Businessweek's review sums it up as " [Owen's] catalogs the parodoxes of living green, including why driving a Prius may just make things worse." The more efficient an activity gets, the more people do it, canceling out environmental benefits. Illustration by Alex Nabaum  Climate Change and Cities Explore the link between city organization and greenhouse gas emissions with the newly published Climate Change and Cities: First Assessment Report (ARC3) .  Edited by top names in the field the report speaks to city leaders as "first responders" to climate change.  Their position is that