Conscientious Designs for the Future
NODE Architecture, Engineering, Consulting P.C. focuses design paradigm on sustainability, creativity and continuous improvement
It is the cultivation and realization of an American dream. In 1999, Jakov Saric came to America from Croatia possessing a distinct fascination with construction, design and architecture. His father was a developer and Jakov spent much of his early days learning and observing design and building operations. With technical school training in architectural technology, it was natural for him to fall back on what he knew and loved when he arrived in the U.S., starting with freelance work supplying construction documents and eventually working his way up to design. During this time he also earned a degree in construction management from the NYU School of Professional Studies and later passed the state exam and became a registered architect. Then, in 2010, he and business partner Radomir Delic, PE founded NODE Architecture, Engineering, Consulting P.C. (Node AEC), a firm based in New York City. In 2011, Node AEC began its journey to interconnect architectural design with sustainability principles.
Principal Architect Jakov says, “The driving idea behind our organization is to find a ‘node’ where design and function meet and add the greatest value. We have an integrated, multidisciplinary team that strives to create value across the board through knowledge, technology and these key principles.”
Node AEC is the complete package, offering integrated architecture and engineering design services to its clients. The full suite of services includes architectural design; mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and sprinkler design; and equipment and furniture guidance. The company works in a variety of markets including single and multifamily residential, commercial (restaurants and offices), and tenant fit-outs. It also provides engineering services for structures impacted by the New York City Department of Buildings’ Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), which requires regular repairs and maintenance to buildings taller than six stories.
Giving Back Through Efficient Design
One of Node AEC’s core guiding principles is to enhance the quality of life for clients and the surrounding community. Jakov is able to achieve this objective because he is one of 3,000 professionals worldwide to become a certified Passive House Designer through the Passive House Institute, which developed the Passive House Standard, a global building standard promoting energy-efficient building solutions.
For a house or building to achieve Passive House certification, the structure must meet stringent criteria under the following categories: space heating demand, space cooling demand, primary energy demand, airtightness and thermal comfort. Passive House designs conserve energy by creating airtight, insulated buildings that enhance indoor air quality and use the sun’s heat to achieve a comfortable indoor environment.
Jakov says, “In this day and age, there are many sustainable standards in existence. However, following Passive House principles is one way we improve the eco-friendliness of our built environment and contribute to society. From our design process to the selection of materials, we implement these principles on every building we design—it’s second nature to us.”
One future Passive House-certified project Jakov is particularly proud of is a two-building, 18,000-square-foot development in the Bronx on Bryant Avenue that the project team calls “Off Bryant.” Off Bryant is a midrise, multifamily development that will have a total 24 units and is slated to begin construction this year. Jakov says, “We worked with a developer that is very oriented toward building a portfolio of sustainable and efficient properties. This project will passively generate electricity using solar energy and by creating super airtight building envelopes (roofs and facades) that have continuous ventilation.”
The project will also feature energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), which contribute to overall energy efficiency of the buildings by recovering energy embedded into the ambient air that is exhausted/ventilated. The exhaust air stream is used to temper, preheat or precool the incoming fresh and filtered airstream before it is discharged into the spaces throughout the building. Jakov says, “The hope is that once this project is complete and operating it will be off-grid and not utilizing any outside energy. In other words, it will be a completely self-sufficient building.”
Improving Processes for Future Generations
Node AEC’s expertise with FISP, formerly known as Local Law 11, is another sought-after service by clients. This law requires New York City buildings taller than six stories to have their facades inspected and repaired every five years. Jakov says, “Rather than doing these repairs every five years, why not think about how can we improve the building envelopes now? There’s so much waste in maintaining inefficient facades. To avoid cyclical building envelope repairs that will deteriorate because of air leakage, freeze and thaw cycles, and underperforming insulation, my team aims to think two to three cycles ahead and design our facade repair and modernization programs with improved performance and longevity of the envelope in mind.”
With existing FISP structures, Node AEC practices a retrofit approach that eliminates the spoiling and deterioration of the facade. Jakov’s team already includes building information modeling (BIM) in this process. Through BIM’s digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of systems and assemblies used in the envelope, the team is able to discern what repairs were done in the past—and in what areas—more easily, and ascertain whether the previous repairs were effective. This enhanced data is beneficial in providing recommended improvements.
Jakov says, “Thanks to the forward thinking of our lawmakers, we have historical benchmarking and energy consumption data of the buildings that can be used in assessing needed improvements. If we bring together well-thought processes that utilize technology properly, we can make certain principle assumptions in future construction that will greatly influence our approach to design. This will provide a great value to the New York City community—not just in reducing energy but also in reducing the entire carbon footprint because buildings are the No. 1 carbon pollutant.”
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Node AEC embraces sustainability not only in the buildings it designs for clients, but also in how the organization is structured and operates. Jakov says, “We are a one-stop shop, but the focus isn’t on the ‘shop’—it is about the talent and processes that enable us to function smoothly and with transparency. I’ve put great effort into reducing waste, including finding ways to avoid the misuse of our employees’ time or wasting a client’s money. For me, it’s all about gaining efficiency in everything we do—and that is the key word for us in the 21st century.”
As a small team starting out, Node AEC experienced typical challenges of a limited workforce. “Initially, we had quality control and process issues to overcome,” Jakov says, “but we have developed a rhythm of communicating that allows us to embrace being a lean and efficient team. Our efficiency brings value to our clients by helping us produce successful projects; for us, it’s really all about the result.” He continues, “We are also very careful about who we hire. The people who join our team must complement the existing staff by bringing either a new skill set or improving the existing skill sets we already have.” Jakov’s approach seems to be working as the company now has a diverse team of 20 professionals working together seamlessly among a variety of disciplines. “When we talk about the efficiency of the Passive House building certification program, the same approach applies to our internal team. Achieving efficiency through hiring people with the right skill sets and perspectives has been the right approach for us. Our knowledge is not stacked in silos; we are collaborative and gain inspiration from one another to evolve our design processes.”
The team at Node AEC embraces the idea that its contributions to humanity is achieved by providing efficient, environmentally friendly building designs. The company’s ultimate goal goes beyond providing an innovative design to clients—rather, it is to enhance quality of life for those in their communities, for both the present and future generations.