Rhodes+Brito Architects
PROJECTS
"Someday, our children, and our children's children, will look at us in the eye and they'll ask us, did we do all we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them a cleaner, safer, more stable world?"
– Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States
Rhodes+Brito Architects believes that the built environment created by architects and designers has an important influence on society. From the smallest renovation to the largest mixed-use project, a design firm has the responsibility to create places that will have a positive impact on a community.
USGBC LEED Certified R+B Projects
The goal of LEED is to create better buildings that: reduce contribution to global climate change; enhance individual human health; protect and restore water resources; protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services; promote sustainable and regenerative material cycles; and enhance community quality of life.
In January 2020, the City of Orlando was recognized for achieving the LEED For Cities Gold certification for its citywide sustainability and resiliency efforts, the highest level of performance for any city in the Southeast United States. Orlando is part of a growing group of cities to be certified using the LEED for Cities and Communities rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Orlando has achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies aimed at improving sustainability and quality of life for residents.
Rosemont Community Center and Gymnasium
2021 | Orlando, FL
Orlando Police Department- Crime Scene Facility
2017 | Orlando, FL
The Rosemont Community Center and Gymnasium was awarded LEED Gold for BD+C: New Construction (v4) in September 2021.
The Orlando Police Department Crime Scene Facility was awarded LEED Silver for BD+C: New Construction (v2009) in June 2017.
The Rosemont Gymnasium is a 16,000SF addition to the existing Community Center which focuses on sustainability in order to meet the client's needs of LEED Gold. The site consists of athletic fields, park area, outdoor basketball courts, an outdoor pool, playgrounds, as well as bioswales and retention ponds amongst others. The otherwise "dead" space on top of the gym roof is maximized with a photovoltaic system that is self-ballasted with rooftop inverters that offset the energy demand of the facility.
The Orlando Police Department Crime Scene Facility
High Performance and Sustainable Buildings (HPSB)
In January of 2006 the Memorandum of Understanding on Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings was created, which states that the Federal government is committed to designing, constructing, and operating its facilities in an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable manner, consistent with Federal agency missions. The Memorandum of Understanding encourages the use of life-cycle concepts, consensus-based standards, and performance measurement and verification methods that lead to sustainable buildings. The HPSB principles were based on the Memorandum, which focuses on employing integrated design principles; optimizing energy performance; protecting and conserving water; enhancing indoor environmental quality; and reducing environmental impact of materials.
Tyndall Air Force Base - Fire Station #4
2023 | Florida
Tyndall Airforce Base Fire Station #4 building design (and construction) complies with the United Facilities Criteria (UFC) High Performance and Sustainable Building Requirements (HPSBR) Guiding Principles and industry standards for high performance and sustainable buildings. The fire station employs integrated design principles, optimizes energy performance, protects, and conserves water, enhances indoor environmental quality, reduces environmental impact of materials, and addresses climate change risks. Per Department of Defense (DoD) Sustainable Buildings Policy, a newly constructed building that complies with all the requirements of UFC 1-200-02 (HPSBR), is considered compliant with all federal sustainability requirements.
Sustainable Urban Agriculture
Urban agriculture allows for the development of a variety of environmental, economic, and social benefits to the surrounding communities. Urban farming can reduce transportation costs, help reduce runoff associated with heavy rainfall, and lead to better air quality.
Orange County Convention Center - Vision Gardens
2016 | Orlando, FL
Located in the Westwood Lobby entrance to the Convention Center's West Building. Vision Gardens is a sustainable farm-to-table operation composed of 81 aeroponic towers that grow kale, basil, lettuce, edible flowers, peppers, spinach, celery, rainbow chard, bok choy, and herbs for the in-house catering service (Centerplate). Divided into two zones, the towers' growing areas combine to occupy 2,000SF of the Convention Center's lobby while producing a harvest of food compared to 3,800SF of traditional farmland. Staggered stages of growth allow for the food to be harvested without leaving towers empty, providing maximum production. Since 2016, the gardens have yielded over 50,000 plants a year. The plants thrive on nutrient-rich water mixture delivered on a high-tech misting system via an automated schedule. These plants are grown soil-free and use 90% less water and space than traditional soil farming methods. Vision Gardens showcases a state-of-the-art farming system that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. Through photosynthesis, the plants grown in modular aeroponic towers absorb sunlight and process the nutrients from the carbon dioxide in the building to generate oxygen, allowing for increased clean air and promoting indoor air quality for the convention center occupants.
FEFPA Awards
Florida Educational Facilities Planners' Association, FEFPA, Conference Architectural Showcase has entries for elementary school, middle school, high school, college, university and special projects.
The entries were evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. Innovative Response To Educational Program 2. Aesthetics And Use of Materials 3. Flexibility For Community Use 4. Technology Provisions
5. Green Design 6. Relationship of Spaces and Expandability 7. Site Development
The 94,000SF PK-5 Elementary School and Community Cultural Center features architectural elements that integrate the coastal atmosphere of the school urban campus while integrating into the historic westside neighborhood. The front of the school incorporates an ocean wave and the exterior uses coastal colors. The interior reception area showcases the history of the community, neighborhood and former Chisholm High School and highlights local artists with large wall murals. The School’s secure courtyard has outdoor tiered seating to accommodate varying grades by height for al fresco performances, and gardens used for the 2nd grade classrooms.
This state-of-the-art facility accommodates:
21st Century Collaborative Learning Studios
PE Pavilion and Playgrounds
Safety and security features
Technology throughout the school
School Capacity: 688 permanent student stations
Design process was influenced by the: Students, Parents, Community, Faculty & Staff
Adaptive Reuse
Adaptive reuse, is repurposing existing buildings that have outlived their use. The main goals is to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of the building and give vitality to the community that was otherwise blight. It focuses on providing new life to a building and community that would otherwise be torn down to build new.
Orange County Multicultural Community Center
2023 | Pine Hills, Florida
The Orange County Multicultural Community Center (OCMCC) has the potential to become a cultural hub for the Pine Hills community. It will facilitate learning, connecting with neighbors, fellowship, cultural events, celebrating significant life events, and enjoying art exhibitions. The OCMCC is where people get inspired and motivated to do extraordinary things and influence the larger community. The Multicultural Center is a sustainable adaptive reuse design that retains 95% of the existing 60,000 SF shell previously used as a grocery store and transforms it into a community hub. The entire shell remains the foundation and support for the new dynamic design. To incorporate character and reinforce the multicultural concept, perforated metal panels, and vibrant colors were added to the facade to represent the cultures that make Pine Hills a special place. The facade reinforces the community coming together to start a brighter future. The perforations of the skin purposely allow the existing structure to be seen. Existing clerestories and roof framing are exposed in the main public areas in keeping with the modern industrial aesthetic. A new community garden was designed as part of the original concept to grow out of the pavement and be a welcomed resource to support a local farmers' market. The adaptive reuse process allowed for significant cost savings and reduced environmental impact by not having to build a new shell and keep materials out of the landfill. The name of the project reflects the ethnically diverse community it will serve; the program responds to its community's requests, needs, and desires. The design integrates and brings to life the vibrancy of the community by healing the wound left by an abandoned building that sat empty for many years. The adaptive reuse approach converted the silent site into an active destination where the community can come together and grow.
The Design integrates the history of the place’s existing structure with the dynamic energy of the community. On the interior of the building, the same language is used, extended, and adapted to the new function. The exposed structure in the main assembly spaces, vibrant colors on the walls, and the acoustic ceiling baffles work to elevate the space for its new purpose. Existing clerestory windows bring natural light to the main exhibition (lobby) area, polished concrete floors and a beautiful mural representing Pine Hills' values welcome visitors and instill a sense of pride.
Words like: Family, Faith, Pride, resiliency, culture, creativity, education, and safety are emphasized and adorn the walls of the exhibition area and flex space. It is extraordinary to see the transformation that a sustainably sensitive architectural design can produce, especially to an existing, almost forgotten site. Colors represent the diverse ethnic population that live in Pine Hills: African-Americans, Hispanics, Caribbean and Asian. The shell of the building remains, new openings on the North and West of the building are added and these walls serve as a canvas for a new painting that introduces vibrant colors and showcases the identity of the community:”Many cultures, one bright future”... The exterior steel framing that once served as the main feature of the North Façade, becomes the background and support of a new perforated metallic skin that transforms the look and provides a renewed image and aesthetic to the building. Renovation design connects people and efficiently reuses and adapts existing spaces to a refreshing new purpose. It balances beauty and function; it generates activity, comfort, and well-being. It respects nature and its context and the specific needs of the people.