Papers and Presentations
Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Southwest Regional Conference: Achieving High Performance LEED/Green Buildings Using Design-Build
April, 2012
This conference presentation focused on lessons learned on recent design-build projects in the Southwest pursuing LEED certification, ENERGY STAR ratings, or high performance design. Topics covered include advantages and disadvantages of the design-build process for achieving sustainability goals, typical differences between sustainability contract requirements on private, school, and federal design-build projects, how the design-build team can work together to evaluate cost-based LEED credits to inform material choices, how specifications and submittals on a design-build LEED project differ from typical LEED projects or typical design-build projects, and strategies for success on fast-track projects.
Research at D/P/S
April, 2012
This presentation was given to the UNM School of Architecture Research Methods course, to describe how D/P/S uses research throughout the design process. It details recent sustainability research efforts such as thermal comfort surveys and tracking of energy bill performance. It also describes how extensive pre-design research informed the design of the preschool for the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and how post-occupancy observation at the UNR Knowledge Center was used to determine how various library spaces were being used by patrons.
Madrid Mining Landscape
October, 2011
The New Mexico Abandoned Mine Land Program (AML) has been addressing hazardous conditions resulting from historic coal mining practices in Madrid, New Mexico for thirty years. In an effort to proactively address the secondary effects of coal mining in Madrid, AML hired Dekker/Perich/Sabatini to develop a community-based plan that focused on the quality of life issues for Madrid residents.
Significant outreach efforts led to consensus for several projects that will mitigate flooding and sedimentation, and naturalize the hydraulic conditions of the watershed. D/P/S staff gave this presentation at the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs Conference in California on October 12, 2011.
Preserving Our Parks and Conserving Water Resources
October, 2011
Public parks are part of our culture and bring transformative value to our communities. This presentation addresses water conserving landscape renovation and design techniques that will help preserve the beauty and presence of our existing parks and help move our communities toward sustainable site and low impact development approaches to park and landscape design.
Native Meadows- a Sustainable Park Landscape Typology
September, 2011
Parks provide an opportunity for a community to connect with nature. However, our park landscapes typically do not reflect the look or performance of local ecosystems and plant communities. Introduction of irrigated areas of native seed as a staple of park landscapes will reduce water use and costs for installation, operations and maintenance, and create regionally appropriate habitat that will help connect people with nature.
BIM for Project Managers
May 2011
This presentation - given by D/P/S employees Brandon Garrett and Ana Baker at the 2011 CSI Southwest Regional Conference - is intended for Architectural Project Managers who may not be familiar with how a Building Information Model is assembled but need to know how to manage the process. The presentation includes a basic overview of what Building Information Modeling is and how this new methodology differs from the typical CAD drafting process.
Water Use in New Mexico
May 2011
Balancing growth and water - how water use shapes the NM economy and impacts development trends - presented by Dale Dekker, AIA, AICP to the New Mexico Water Dialog Convention in March of 2011.
Sustainable Sites and Low Impact Development
September, 2010
Environmentally sensitive and sustainable site design is a necessity in the desert Southwest. This presentation introduces concepts of sustainable sites and low impact development within the context of desert development and provides tools and methodologies for integration and implementation.
Sustainable Approach to Existing Buildings
April 2010
This presentation, by D/P/S Principal Andrea M. Hanson, includes strategies to make existing facilities more sustainable and more marketable for owners and potential tenants. Associate discussion will include cost effective interior and exterior upgrades, energy and water efficiency and maintenance solutions.
New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NMSBVI)
December 2009
This article, published in CEFPI’s Educational Facility Planner magazine, describes the planning and design process for this preschool for blind and visually impaired children. This includes establishing programmatic requirements in the absence of state standards, and incorporating meaningful multi-sensory features to encourage wayfinding and exploration.
UNM Campus Needs to Graduate Beyond Cars
July 17, 2009
Dale Dekker’s Op/Ed letter, as published in the Albuquerque Journal, provides insight into the importance of sustainability regarding an urban university campus’ planned growth and its impact on its surrounding communities, especially with regards to the impact of private and public commuter transit on the community surrounding and on the campus
Plasmas, Pizzas, Socializing, and Silence: Creating Library Spaces Tuned to Today's Users
July 2009
This paper, published by the American Library Association, details the results of a space utilization study conducted at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. The study focused on patron usage of amenities such as group study rooms, reading rooms, plasma clusters, computer labs, and open stack areas, and collected data on occupancy rates, seating utilization, and patron activities.
New High School for Las Cruces Public Schools
Preliminary HiP Presentation to PSFA
Chris Goad, Architect
July 2009
Designing for Students with Specialized Needs: An Early Childhood Program Facility for the New Mexico School for the Blind & Visually Imparied.
April 2009
This case study illustrates the design process, and design features, of a new preschool building for NMSBVI. The preschool was designed to support student mobility, safety, and independence through a highly functional and flexible design that provides a rich sensory environment for students. NMSBVI and the design team worked closely together to establish programmatic requirements in the absence of state standards, set clear goals to guide the interior and exterior design, evaluate multiple options to identify the best design solutions, and incorporate meaningful multi-sensory features to encourage wayfinding and create a joyful space for children.