Of course this new project was not simply handed to us.  As a way to find the most innovative and creative ideas in data center design eBay procured proposals through a public process, meaning we were up against 20 other qualified firms.  All our hard work paid off when we learned eBay selected team Winter Street Architects and AHA Consulting Engineers for the job.

Winter Street Architects and AHA Consulting Engineers’ compelling submission was selected for the thoroughness of our response, creativity of our design, and our ability to execute.  The cost-effective design includes free cooling year round, room for expansion, and the flexibility to keep up with rapidly changing technologies.  

Unique to our  submission was a section outlining lessons learned from eBay’s first modular data center competition in Phoenix…here we go again!

For more information visit:

http://datacenterpulse.org/blogs/geekism/quicksilver_winner_announced

Could today get any bigger?

A. It’s Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts

B. eCommerce Giant eBay publically announced their list of finalists for their data center design competition…yes, we made it too the finalists circle!!!!!!

eCommerce giant eBay revealed its list of design challenge finalists competing to win Project Quicksilver, the company’s newest modular data center in South Jordan, Utah. Earning its spot on the highly competitive shortlist is Winter Street Architects and their engineering partner AHA Consulting Engineers.

In 2010 eBay opened its 240,000 square foot flagship data center in Utah, housing eBay.com and Paypal.com. Processing $2,000 in transactions per second, the 287 million dollar facility is the company’s largest infrastructure investment to date. Now looking to expand, Project Quicksilver will involve the design and construction of a new building on the South Jordan campus. Seeking to capture the most innovative ideas in data center design, eBay commissioned proposals through an open RFP process. Qualified architecture and engineering firms from around the nation had two months to tackle the challenge and create submissions that addressed eBay’s core data center issues.

Winter Street Architects is no stranger to eBay’s unique RFP process.  Winner of Project Mercury, eBay’s first modular data center competition in Phoenix, Arizona; Winter Street Architects knows how to push design boundaries. Slated for full operation this month, Project Mercury employs innovative and effective building technologies that reduce energy costs while improving the environmental sustainability of the data center.  Project Quicksilver will be a greenfield construction project optimized for modular data centers, and comprehensive of the designs being implemented in eBay’s Project Mercury.

Winter Street’s compelling Project Quicksilver proposal focused on the concept of flexibility, while addressing the site’s specific needs.  The team’s cost effective design includes free cooling year round, room for expansion, and the ability to keep up with rapidly changing technologies.  Principal architect Mark Meche, along with Project Manager Annette Popp, pitched Winter Street’s Project Quicksilver design solution in San Jose, California last Wednesday.

We will find out the verdict in mid-November, stay tuned!

 My business partner and I started our careers in a highly regarded design firm that was dysfunctional in just about every way.  It wasn’t long in our career that The White Rabbit beckoned us to a new world. With time on our hands, a dream, and a subtle twist of the tale we turned the tables on the notion of the design business and designed one of our own.  Our advantage was that we had no business training whatsoever and at a tender age of 29, little experience as well.  

Although there were bumps in the road, after 24 years Winter Street Architects is a thriving, tight-knit design firm, with some really cool clients.  Below are 5 overarching themes that will help any design entrepreneur or seasoned designer jumpstart their firm.

1.       Focus on your client

How can you help if you don’t know what they need?

Focusing on your client, this seems obvious right? But we can all be a little egocentric at times.  The key is, to marry good design with your clients business in a way that directly has an effect on their bottom line. Your work needs to make your client’s endeavor better, whatever, that endeavor may be.   We developed a process at Winter Street Architects to understand our clients, know their business, and what drives them.  “Walk a mile in their shoes” as I always say.   (more on this to come in a later blog)

2.       Form the cult company

Having a good team is not enough. It needs to be cult-like. 

Not a Jonestown kind of thing, but rather a company that is held together and motivated by ideals, and driven by a common purpose. Little did we know back in the day that forming a firm like ours was much aligned with what business schools teach as being the highest form of business: “the cult company.”  In order to bind your team, and provide motivation and direction for your firm, you need to stand for something. Winter Street stands for ideals of architecture, business, and humanity that are far too many and complex to list here, but at the basis are: honesty, integrity, fairness and pursuit of excellence.  Having ideals at the core of your business will drive everything you do, from hiring, to the workplace, into accounting and management and of course, in the work you provide.

3.       A clear view to the top

Transparency of business workings dissolves a glass ceiling.

People are the engine of any company. In this industry, we mostly sell anticipated labor in the fashion of fixed fees.  So making a profit is like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.  Many design firms that I know simply over work their employees.  They pay them a market-rate professional salary, and then work them an extra 500 hours, or more, per year to ensure their profit.  Not the way it should be, and clearly self serving.  It pays to be more socialistic and humane.  A sweat shop is for the small minded with shallow souls; aim to have none of that.

It is important that a business be transparent to staff, and that mentoring colleagues is institutionalized.  There should be no secrets.  It’s about growing careers, as well as having more complete and able bodied talent capable of moving to new ground.  How can everybody help if they don’t have a clue about the inner workings? It is about teamwork, there should be no corporate ceiling.  If an employee can do what principals do (bring in new work, new clients, and drive the firm’s vision forward) then they should be able to join the leadership.

 I’m amazed how often I interview architects in their 50’s who know nothing about this business.  They say they love “doing” architecture, drawing, being involved in projects, the details, etc. as they attempt to convince me of their value.  They have been shut out, and kept out by their own unwillingness to fully understand how firm’s operate.  To me they have little value except as a functionary; in fact, they have one foot in the tar pit.   These candidates are highly salaried and have capabilities, but are moving to extinction.  I tell my team you have to make yourself valuable, and it’s not doing what everybody else does.  Being a commodity is dangerous; there’s always that tar pit looming ominously near the watering hole.

The diagram above has been borrowed from the crazed Dr. Emilio Lizardo from the movie spoof The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai. This is an example of a mangement hierachy that should be avoided at all costs. Try not to seperate your team into the two catergories “ME” and “Everyone Else.”

4.       Create your petri dish for talent while encouraging ideas

Provide an environment for the passionate and ambitious to flourish

A key to keeping your design firm moving forward is “home-grown management.”  You can hire experienced people from outside but indoctrination into the fold is hard. Most lessons learned in the early years are deeply imbedded (look at how many people refer back to their childhood for their shortcomings way past mid-life).  Impressions made in the formidable years are strong; subliminal pulls back to those ways and ideas are equally strong and indefatigable.   Starting with young, eager employees, and training new hires in “your way of doing things” can be much more efficient.

In our firm once a new employee is chosen they are one of us. We teach them what we do starting day one…from the bottom to the top.  We are respectful across the disciplines of interior designers, architects and support staff, and across experience levels -from the interns to the owners.  Everyone’s contribution is realized.  We allow everyone access and participation in all that we do (finances, policy, marketing strategy, fee proposals, just about everything that is not confidential personnel information).  Everyone is responsible for the success of the firm.

 My basic rule is that any new hire needs to have a passion for what they do; they need to be ambitious and want to do excellent work.  After that, most things fall into place.  This type of environment is empowering.

 Having, thoughtful, smart and clever people around is a necessity.  Tapping into employee ideas is your greatest source of performance improvements, and why not? Ideas are free.  It is important to share ideas and grow new people into your workplace.  New energy, enthusiasm, and positive outlook feed the firm.  

5.       Reward

When it comes time for a yearly review, and a team member can demonstrate success-especially financial success, how can you refuse that raise or bonus?  It empowers employees to better themselves in terms of bettering the firm.  That’s what we’re about.   If an employee can make money for the firm, doing good work, you should be happy to give them their fair share. 

 But it’s not all about the monetary award. When it comes down to it people want to be valued. As a culture we tend to associate our value with our wealth, but we appreciate other forms of rewards as well.  Acknowledgement of a job well done goes a long way.  Here are 25 ways to reward employees without spending a dime.

 These are a few themes that have worked for Winter Street Architects; we welcome comments and ideas below.

Other resources:

If you are starting from complete scratch, you may want to read Build LLC’s blog about how to start your own design firm.

If you would like to help make a difference please gather old clothes, non-perishable foods, and basic necessities (diapers, toiletries, etc) that you wish to donate to these families. Drop the items off at our office in downtown Salem. Sarah will bring these donations along with other supplies up to Vermont next Saturday. Below is our address, (we are located on the pedestrian walkway, across from CVS):

209 Essex Street
Suite 300
Salem, MA 01970

Anything helps. Remember, some of these people have nothing to return home to.

You can also make a monetary donation through the Stratton Foundation Website. The Stratton Foundation provides support to organizations that promise to have an impact on the quality of life in Southern Vermont’s communities. They have established a disaster relief fund and are accepting financial contributions to specifically raise money to help families recover from the sudden and dramatic loss caused by Irene. Please visit their website and donate online.

Thank you for your consideration. Take a moment to retweet this blog and post on your facebook pages, we need your help in spreading the word.

This word cloud shows what we talked about the most in 2010. Make your own word cloud at wordle.net

Looking back at 2010, you can tell we talked a lot about Sustainability, Data Centers, Our Consultants, and even a few Awards! But 2011 presents a unique opportunity to look forward, to move onward and upward, even…to usher in bigger and better projects, unique collaborations and fresh ideas. Over this new year, we’re looking forward to sharing those stories and more with you.

Now, giddy-up — we’ve got work to do!

Please click the image above to see our Holiday Newsletter!

Also, we would like to say congratulations to our wonderful design studio who brought home an Honorable Mention at the Union Office Toys for Tots Box Decorating Contest!  The Winter Street box theme was a “LEED Certified Gingerbread House,” featuring chocolate covered solar panels, renewable graham cracker paneling, and structured columns made entirely from organic peppermint.

As the write up attests, “the project aims to not only serve area children, but also boost the local economy by putting over one hundred unemployed gummy bears back to work during construction.”   Congrats to our team who worked so hard putting together a fabulous submission, and helping to fill it with wonderful toys for needy children this holiday!

We are thrilled to announce that Winter Street Architects, along with our awesome partners EDI ltd, and AHA Consulting Engineers have been awarded the coveted Modular Data Center project with eBay, now being dubbed “Project Mercury!“

The team responded to eBay’s open RFP back in August of this year and was selected out of 37 firms, as well as 6 distinguished finalists. Working in close collaboration, Winter Street, EDI and AHA crafted a compelling and dynamic proposal for eBay’s newest Data Center in phoenix, focusing on such topics like modularity, containerized solutions, hot water cooling, extreme density, rack & roll, energy efficiency and sustainability. We are full steam ahead on the project and invite you to see the announcement video created by Dean Nelson and Mike Lewis at eBay. Congrats to our amazing team!

Also find the announcement shared here:

Data Center Knowledge

Portsmouth Fire Station's Radiant Heated, Drive-thru Apparatus Bay. Image Credit: Damianos Photography http://www.damianosphotography.com/

We are very proud to announce that the LEED Silver, Portsmouth Fire Department, Station 2 has been honored by Fire Chief Magazine with a “NOTABLE” award in the Career Station category of the 2010 Station Style Awards!

This station is currently being tracked as the first LEED Fire Station in NH. Working closely with the Fire Chief and end users, the design team successfully combined the best of fire safety practices, training, flexibility and sustainability strategies. The gender-neutral station incorporates low maintenance, recycled materials with performance features like energy controls, high efficiency systems, premium day-lighting/views, and a modular, publicly accessible training room that can quickly be converted into a cutting-edge Emergency Operations Center. The building’s layout optimizes functionality, and comfortably accommodates 100% staff growth with no reconfiguration. Project Team shoutouts to RDK Engineers, Baybutt Construction, Emanuel Engineering, R.W. Gillespie & Associates, KVA Associates, Inc., and James K. Emmanuel & Associates. 

You can see more on the station in the Online Edition here: http://digital-edition.firechief.com/ and going to Page 104...And Here’s some more eye candy by our talented photographer, Lynn Damianos of Damianos Photography!

Our friends at Shaw are asking a great question this week during GreenBuild: What Makes Sustainability PERSONAL for You? For every response they get on twitter tagged #ShawGreenEdge until 5:00pm 11/19/2010, they will donate $1 to the Make It Right foundation, which supports green home building for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Check out Shaw Green Edge and watch the live stream here: http://tweetchat.com/room/ShawgreenEdge.

In the spirit of sustainable giving, we polled our office with this question and here is what some of them had to say:

• It takes more energy to NOT be sustainable:  stay close , use less, and experience more
• Mother Nature is trying to tell us something, let’s listen
• Through my sustainable actions: Practice, Enjoy, Spend and Share Locally
• Consider all the big and little choices with their impact on sustainability. short commute, no plastic bags, trash, windows
• Practice and always advocate for the best Sustainable design solution
• Sustainability is about creating and providing healthier living environments and lifestyles. It would be reckless to want otherwise.
• A personal impact on the environment can be achieved through  small inexpensive and easily attainable steps
• I want my children to live in a healthier world, and my personal actions effect that future
• Think Global; but be, act and live local
• Sustainability isn’t about buildings or products, its about people
• A minimal impact on the natural world
• Sustainability is personal to me because it melds my two loves—great designs and environmental respect.
• I look to the future of America and hope that my family’s respect for the environment will continue to grow. We all need to take care of our part.
• Sustainability allows me to brush my teeth with clean water, and not everybody has that luxury.

Alexandra Yavarow

Endicott College 2011

B.S. Interior Design, concentration in Sustainable Design

What three words describe your personal design style?

Thoughtful, inspired, welcoming.

What course in your studies has influenced you the most?

My first sustainable studio class, Intermediate Sustainable Interior Design Studio.  When I declared my concentration in sustainability at the end of my first year, I knew I had found the perfect major that was a blend of all my interests.  My love of design and architecture were melded with my respect and concern for the environment, thus reigniting a passion for design and sustainability.  That class helped me learn more about environmentally conscious design and gave me skills that I currently use and will continue to use in my future designs.

How do you think this internship experience will prepare you for your career?

I can already tell  that Winter Street Architects will prepare me for my career.  In the past, I had only worked for smaller firms, mainly focusing on residential design.  Working at Winter Street Architects, I have already gained knowledge about working in a larger company that works on several different types of projects.  I have also already improved my computer skills, and I am learning what it is like to design with a budget (as opposed to designing in a fantastical world with no monetary boundaries as I do in school.)

If you could design anything you wanted for the client of your dreams, what would it be and for who?

I know it sounds silly, but I would love to design an office, a workspace, a home or even a barn for Martha Stewart.  Yes, the Martha Stewart who went to jail.  When I was growing up, she was a real inspiration for me.  I remember I wanted to be her when I was about ten years old.  She just executes everything she does with such finesse and perfection (again, jail time aside).  If I could design something for her that she loved, it would be like fulfilling a childhood dream.

Chris Dunn

Endicott College 2010

B.S. Interior Design, concentration in Sustainable Design

What three words describe your personal design style?

Cohesive, resourceful, practical

What course in your studies has influenced you the most?

That course would have to be History of Architecture and Interior Design II. It opened my eyes to a number of different design techniques and theories along with aesthetic values. I have to admit that before the class started, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it, but I didn’t mind heading into that classroom every Tuesday and Thursday at 11 am. Plus, it allowed me to sleep in.

How do you think this internship experience will prepare you for your career?

This is my first internship in an architectural firm, so I am sure I will learn a great deal during it. I plan on going to graduate school for architecture and I believe that working closely with  Winter Street Architects will allow me to learn most of the ins and outs of the profession.

If you could design anything you wanted for the client of your dreams, what would it be and for who?

I would design a 32’ sailboat made completely out of recycled materials for my father. I would want to design everything from the keel to the sails, most likely with the help of a marine engineer so that it stays afloat. It would be a challenging but fun project and as an added bonus, I would be able to sail it.

Joanne Nhip

Endicott College 2011

B.S. Interior Design, concentration in Sustainable Design

What three words describe your personal design style?

Classic: I am infatuated with white & black; a classic color combination; Balanced: I desire symmetry & it has to make sense; Conceptual: Design starts with a vision.

What course in your studies has influenced you the most?

Dance Techniques & Production: This dance class was an artistic discipline unrelated to interior design but it still challenged me creatively. I always felt inspired after having a class that allowed me to move freely & express myself without thinking & without pressure. Dance opened my eyes & ears to rhythm, repetition, improvisation, & flexibility which all can be applied to interior design.

How do you think this internship experience will prepare you for your career?

Winter Street has an eclectic group of personalities & projects! Therefore, I have high hopes of leaving this experience more technologically savvy than I came & full of excitement to jumpstart my career without any fear of the unexpected. But most importantly, it will ease me into the corporate structure of 9-5 workdays!

If you could design anything you wanted for the client of your dreams, what would it be and for who?

I’ve heard that designing for yourself is a challenge, but it has always been a pipe dream of mine to own a flower shop/café business. To design that & have an unlimited budget to do so would be a dream come true.