Dennis Mires receives AIA NH award for NH Institute of Art project

Dennis Mires, P.A., The Architects, received a Merit Award in the AIA New Hampshire Excellence in Architecture Awards program for the New Hampshire Institute of Art's addition and renovation of 88 Lowell St. Milestone Engineering & Construction, Inc. was the construction manager. This project saved Manchester's historic, first high school building by moving it forward on the site over a new basement, restoring it, and constructing a new connector and six story addition. The completed mixed-use project provides 11 classrooms and studios, 54 dormitory beds, faculty offices and support spaces. The solution employs many sustainable strategies including reusing the embodied energy of the historic building; providing a high performance envelope; using daylighting, shading and glazing to advantage; employing a geothermal heating and cooling energy source; using rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing; employing a photovoltaic array on the sunshades to provide a portion of the electrical needs; no VOC materials; and locally produced materials. This effort expects to result in a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for the property.