H&A Architects & Engineers, based in Richmond, Virginia,will showcase the latest in solar photovoltaic and magnetic levitation technologies at World Environment Day in Geneva, Switzerland on June 5, 2010.
The design firm, under contract with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, received statewide recognition by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Virginia in 2007 for its solution to clad the building façade and roof of the U.S. Mission facility in Geneva with solar photovoltaic panels (arrays of cells that convert solar radiation into direct current electricity).
More recently, H&A received a National Recognition Award from ACEC for designing the replacement of two 1980s vintage refrigerant chillers that utilize a magnetic-levitation (MagLevTM) bearing system. It is expected to reduce the energy required to air condition the U.S. Mission’s facility by 30%.
The awards will be displayed at the World Environment Day celebration in Geneva at Palais des Nations Park, along with models of both the photovoltaic panels and the MagLevTM system.
“It is critical to H&A’s current and future success to stay abreast of the challenges we face as a global community, and to take an aggressive approach to reducing the client’s carbon footprint as we design to meet their needs,” said Ben Lilly, PE, Vice President. “H&A’s work with the U.S. State Department demonstrates our ability to apply new technologies, improve overall system reliability, and show that clients can benefit when green design produces genuine savings.”
H&A Architects & Engineers is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company ranked 316 on Engineering News Record’s 2010 Top 500 Design Firms List and is ZweigWhite’s 2009 Best A/E Multidiscipline Firm to Work For.
