Most of the renovations to A3C Collaborative Architecture's headquarters at 210 E Huron St. in downtown Ann Arbor are done. The last bit of work, installing a green roof, is expected to be done this spring when the weather warms.
"We are moving back into our main studio space and completing some finish work both there and in the roof top urban retreat," says Aubrey Kane, marketing manager for A3C.
The firm has transformed its home, a historic building across the street from the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum, into an example of how green building can work and why it's a good idea. It will also become the first building in the city's downtown to incorporate a green roof and geothermal heating and cooling system. A number of renewable options will be utilized in the inside, including recycled carpet and other sustainable building materials.
A3C is going for LEED gold status and will become the first company to meet the city's 30 percent challenge. The city is challenging local companies to generate more than 30 percent of their energy from renewable sources, a goal the city set for itself to accomplish by 2010.
A3C's two-story building was originally built in the 1920s for retail and office space on the first and second floors, respectively. The renovation will essentially give the building three floors. The first floor will be kept as 6,500 square feet of retail space. The second floor will remain the offices for A3C. It will also build a conference room area on the building's green roof, which it will make available for meetings by city officials and local non-profits.
Source: Aubrey Kane, marketing manager for A3C
Writer: Jon Zemke
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