Category: News

Understanding the significance of biophilic sustainable initiatives.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” -Edmund Burke

With numerous O’Brien and Open Concept projects on the boards and in construction along the Oregon coast, several are noteworthy for their emphasis on direct connections to nature. Projects such as the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, the Whaler Hotel, Lincoln Sands, and the Hull Residence all incorporate the design strategy of connecting to nature.

Designing and constructing buildings with a direct connection to nature is called biophilia. Biophilic design enhances human-nature relationships.

These design strategies have many implications. On a smaller scale, their impact can be seen in the way they affect an individual occupant, and on a broader scale, with its direct impact on the environment.

Studies have shown that biophilic design contributes to improved physical and mental health, productivity, and overall well-being.

Below are several biophilic design strategies:

1. Providing access to, and views of, nature.

2. Incorporating passive heating and cooling.

3. Incorporating natural lighting.

4. Incorporating natural materials and colors.

5. Use natural shapes and forms.

Biophilic design benefits the individual occupant in a variety of ways; below are just a few:

1. Helps sharpen your senses.

2. Improves mindfulness.

3. Reduces stress and blood pressure.

4. Increases creativity.

5. Improves overall mood.

Benefits of biophilic design for the environment:

1. Helps increase biodiversity.

2. Reduces the carbon footprint and energy consumption.

3. Aids in natural resource conservation.

4. Helps manage stormwater runoff and reduces pollution.

5. Improves the air quality.

While the projects listed here may not be entirely biophilic or totally sustainable, the incorporation of biophilic design strategies such as those listed above on projects like the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, where reclaimed natural materials are incorporated, and views of the ocean are celebrated, can have a profound impact on the building’s inhabitants and the environment.

As stated in the above quote, let’s begin by making a small difference instead of risking doing nothing. Small initiatives can have large implications.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” -Edmund Burke

With numerous O’Brien and Open Concept projects on the boards and in construction along the Oregon coast, several are noteworthy for their emphasis on direct connections to nature. Projects such as the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, the Whaler Hotel, Lincoln Sands, and the Hull Residence all incorporate the design strategy of connecting to nature.

Designing and constructing buildings with a direct connection to nature is called biophilia. Biophilic design enhances human-nature relationships.

These design strategies have many implications. On a smaller scale, their impact can be seen in the way they affect an individual occupant, and on a broader scale, with its direct impact on the environment.

Studies have shown that biophilic design contributes to improved physical and mental health, productivity, and overall well-being.

Below are several biophilic design strategies:

1. Providing access to, and views of, nature.

2. Incorporating passive heating and cooling.

3. Incorporating natural lighting.

4. Incorporating natural materials and colors.

5. Use natural shapes and forms.

Biophilic design benefits the individual occupant in a variety of ways; below are just a few:

1. Helps sharpen your senses.

2. Improves mindfulness.

3. Reduces stress and blood pressure.

4. Increases creativity.

5. Improves overall mood.

Benefits of biophilic design for the environment:

1. Helps increase biodiversity.

2. Reduces the carbon footprint and energy consumption.

3. Aids in natural resource conservation.

4. Helps manage stormwater runoff and reduces pollution.

5. Improves the air quality.

While the projects listed here may not be entirely biophilic or totally sustainable, the incorporation of biophilic design strategies such as those listed above on projects like the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, where reclaimed natural materials are incorporated, and views of the ocean are celebrated, can have a profound impact on the building’s inhabitants and the environment.

As stated in the above quote, let’s begin by making a small difference instead of risking doing nothing. Small initiatives can have large implications.

Do you know we need to double the number of our buildings in the next 40 years to support our growing population, that a majority of people now can’t afford a decent house or that 50% of our landfills are construction waste? How do we solve such issues? Prefabrication!

At O’Brien we have the technology, the collaboration, the right projects and mindset, so let’s push into prefabrication and learn how to be smarter, more economical and create higher quality and energy performing buildings. Attached are a few slides from the Prefabrication conference this year to show you where the industry and we are going.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are talking about it! In order to break the stigma and create safe environments for these discussions we have to make time every month, every day and in every meeting for this issue.

According to the CDC, construction has the highest suicide rate of all industries, at 53.2 suicides per 100,000 workers. There are many reasons why construction workers are so prone to facing mental health issues that can result in substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. One of the biggest factors is that 89 percent of construction workers are men. Generally speaking, men underreport mental health issues and are therefore less likely to receive appropriate treatment. It’s not a coincidence that men are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and commit suicide, both of which are extreme forms of self-treatment for chronic mental health problems.

Help us change by starting to say:

• It’s okay not to be okay

• Create a safe space

• Listen without judgment, blame, shame, or criticism

• Don’t minimize someone’s challenge

• Don’t compare challenges

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention

https://preventconstructionsuicide.com/Are_You_at_Risk

O’Brien Design+Build had a dominant presence at our first ever OSU Career Fair in February. We met dozens of eager, young talented professionals looking to place their newly accredited skills.

Alex Noble, Brandon Venegas, Elly Carroll and Wayne Corrick represented O’Brien & OCA at the Winter OSU Civil, Construction & Architectural Engineering Fair in February in Corvallis.  This was an inaugural event for us. We were very proud to have participated in this among many of our industry partners such as MacKenzie, ZCS, and Kirby-Nagelhout.  Standing by examples of our innovation as one of the first tables students saw was exciting. The timing of the Winter Fair is perfect, as students in the final year of academia are there to make their first official professional step after completing their degree.  Many had industry experience by way of internships throughout their collegiate path and some would be entering the workplace in their specified field for the first time. We met with so many bright, driven and qualified candidates for positions in fields related to Architecture/Design and Civil/Construction Management including a couple specializing in BIM. Overall, 25 resumes were gathered and 6 were entered into a final candidate pool for potential hire. The proudest report of the day though, was being able to tell students about their very own OSU Alumni, Alex Noble, and his successful path with O’Brien Design+Build post-graduation.

Alex, Brandon, and Elly at the OSU Career Fair

Construction safety week is an annual week-long event with the intention of inspiring everyone in the industry to be leaders in safety. Since 2008, the construction industry is the leader in worker fatalities in the United States with an average of 1,008 annual deaths.1 The goal for Construction Safety Week is to strengthen the industry’s safety culture and performance through awareness and a personal dedication to safety.

This year’s theme of “Strong Voices, Strong Choices” is focused on building a collaborative environment that aims at building empowered teams. Taking care of one another is a powerful cultural initiative that is often missing in our industry. Giving each person the ability to use their voice to speak up and work collectively to ensure that everyone goes home at the end of the day is crucial. When we empower everyone, from the newest of laborers to the office administrators, we are creating a collaborative environment that is refreshing and inspiring for everyone involved.

On each jobsite, there are a myriad of hazards that exist, from the obvious to the not so easy to spot; each of these hazards pose a risk to our industry professionals. As leaders in safety, every single one of us has the obligation to stop the job and assess those hazards whenever they are identified, even when they present as just a “feeling”, and the hazards may be hidden.

It’s paramount that we collectively support an environment in which we are maintaining a level of awareness on our surroundings, our actions, and the actions of others. Through working together to maintain this focus, we are creating a unified front that fosters collaboration and trust. The more eyes we have looking for hazards, the better we are able to be proactive in eliminating injuries.

The objective of O’Brien’s Health and Safety Program is to continually improve upon the overall safety performance at OBCO. Recognizing that unsafe work practices generally cause as many or more accidents as unsafe conditions, a focus will be placed on both to create a safe and healthy workplace for all OBCO employees, subcontractors, clients, vendors, and visitors. Our Core Values of Collaboration, Trust, and Innovation, serve as the principles that guide us in creating a positive, strong, and empowered workforce.