Practical sustainability: Architect Brad Stegemann ’04 balances affordability and sustainability in innovative designs
It was a high school guidance counselor who first suggested that Brad Stegemann ’04
consider studying architecture, as a way to combine his passions for both art and
math.
And when Stegemann toured K-State’s partnership program at the University of Missouri
– Kansas City and noticed the projects the students were working on and saw the smaller
studio sizes, he knew he’d found his perfect match.
“I was thrilled to get to spend the first two years in an urban setting and then to
finish the last three years in Manhattan,” he said of his educational experience.
“I would say that K-State’s architecture program instilled a rigor and attention to
detail that is still with me in my career today, after more than 20 years. All the
late nights in the studio were challenging but it was also heartening to look around
and see my peers, my friends there putting in the time and striving for excellence.”
Building on the solid foundation provided by his time at K-State, Stegemann is now
an architect and principal at SOA Architecture, a firm based in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri. SOA promotes sustainable design
and operations that protect the environment while also improving the client’s bottom
line.
Innovation in sustainability
Stegemann has worked for SOA Architecture since 2005 and said he draws his creative
inspiration from the clients he gets to work with and from hearing the stories of
how they built their businesses. Since SOA Architecture is a generalist firm (i.e.
a firm that doesn’t specialize in one particular sector), he enjoys working with a
wide variety of clients on a diverse collection of projects.
Part of problem-solving for those clients involves finding ways to incorporate sustainability
into a design in a way that is also affordable and practical.
“We designed a medical office building with ground source heating and cooling* for
their 26,000 square foot building,” Stegemann said. “Their utility bills are consistently
around $1,100, which allows them to spend all that savings on hiring new staff and
providing more resources to their patients.”
*Utilizes geothermal energy from the ground. LEARN MORE
SOA Architecture is currently working with a health care client who decided to renovate
an existing 60,000 square foot building rather than starting from scratch. On this
same project, SOA architects were able to source insulated metal wall panels that
were manufactured for a local hospital project that went on indefinite hold.
“Revitalizing and repurposing our current buildings is far more sustainable from a
resources standpoint than it would be to start from the ground up,” Stegemann said.
“We are so very fortunate to work with many clients who are committed to investing
in buildings that will last 100 years or more, so they are committed to doing it right
from the start. The adopted energy code has gone a long way to holding architects
and engineers accountable for designing energy-efficient buildings and establishing
the best practices in constructing new buildings.”
Other sustainable innovations include a system within SOA’s own office building that
harvests rainwater from a 10,000-gallon tank which is then used for flushing water
closets and irrigating the landscaping around the building.
Stegemann said he is dedicated to sustainability on a personal level, as well. Through
his family’s garden, he said it’s fun to teach his children about the lessons of patience
and where food comes from. He also designed and built his personal residence in 2010.
Professional pride
Although Stegemann has worked on many projects throughout his career, one of the designs
he is most proud of is the Our Lady of Lourdes Interparish School Addition in Columbia,
which is where he went to grade school and where all three of his children currently
attend school.
The 25,500 square foot building addition introduced a new media center and music,
science and maker spaces, and enhanced the school’s overall safety. The exterior materials
of the school addition are similar to the adjacent church and visually connect the
facades, giving a unified campus feel.
“Not only did the project add much needed space for their middle school classrooms,
it provided a storm shelter for the whole campus of students,” he said. “It was rewarding
to see the merits of my educational and faith upbringing at Our Lady of Lourdes come
full circle with the opportunity to design the school addition.”
As with any industry, working as an architect involves its own unique set of challenges.
Occasionally an issue in construction will arise that is volatile and potentially
litigious. SOA must work to resolve these issues while treating others with respect
and integrity.
“So much of the success of what we do as architects can be attributed to clear and
consistent communication, whether it is resolving an issue in construction or conveying
a design to a client,” Stegemann said. “SOA Architecture has always treated clients
and contractors alike with equal respect and integrity. In the challenging field of
architecture and construction, the margin for error continues to grow tighter so it
is critical to do the right things right.”