Beyond the boulders, one of the most eye-catching examples of this philosophy is the poplar bark siding used both on the exterior and inside the center. Crafted by North Carolina-based Highland Craftsmen, the Bark House siding is constantly drawing attention, Kearns says, noting that people “always want to come up and touch it.” That’s something ChrisMcCurry, Highland Craftsmen co-founder, hears a lot. "Touch is perhaps the most important stand-alone characteristic about the product,” she says. “People want to touch it all the time—and are touched by it.”
The siding isn’t just innovative in appearance. City codes wouldn’t typically permit wooden siding on an industrial building, Kearns notes. But the architects collaborated with Highland Craftsmen to design a fire-resistant shingle, backed by fiber cement board, which offers a rustic appearance while creating a non-combustible exterior barrier. Just above those shingles is the green roof, which covers half the building’s footprint.
"This project centers around children. How best to nurture a child, than with real things they can touch… feel the texture… the depth… the honesty of the raw material?" - Chris McCurry
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William McDonough, the Founder of Cradle to Cradle had this to say about Highland Craftsmen back in 2011: “If you look at what’s going on at Highland Craftsmen… you are looking at a product that is almost a sacred thing…. People are being honored with jobs, forests are being honored with sustainable forestry, and the … Continued
For years, Ryan and I have tried to explain to folks how incredibly difficult it is to harvest our Poplar Bark Panels. I have always said “one in a thousand trees” to push the point. Last year we decided to follow one of our favorite logging crews into the forest to try to film the … Continued
Project: Child’s Play at U of Chicago Childcare CenterArchitect: Larry Kearns, AIA, Principal, Wheeler Kearns Architects, Chicago, IllinoisGeneral Contractor: Leopardo CompaniesMagazine or Media Feature: gb&d MagazineBlog: gb&d Material WorldLocation: University of Chicago, Childcare CenterStyle: Modern-Rustic / Urban-NatureProduct Integration: Poplar Bark Shingles, LaminatedProject Awards: 2015 – USGBC Emerald Award / Green Building Innovation, 2014 – National … Continued
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The siding isn’t just innovative in appearance. City codes wouldn’t typically permit wooden siding on an industrial building, Kearns notes. But the architects collaborated with Highland Craftsmen to design a fire-resistant shingle, backed by fiber cement board, which offers a rustic appearance while creating a non-combustible exterior barrier. Just above those shingles is the green roof, which covers half the building’s footprint.
