bercy chen studio firm profile
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b e r c y c h e n s t u d i o design + construction
Peninsula Residence A lake front remodel exercising reflection, translucency, color and geometry to bring natural light deep into the house. Various implemented environmental systems aid in making this project more ecologically sensitive.
Annie Residence A two-family house built in South Austin incorporating modular construction, extensive glass walls and an interior water feature.
A single-family home in the Texas Hill Country incorporating multiple green system components.
Cascading Creek House
A single-family remodel based on the notions of recycling, reuse and the integration of the built environment.
Beverly Skyline Residence
Edgeland House A single family residence constructed with multiple integrated sustainable features.
Image Title: description of imageVolente Residence A steel and glass addition floats above salvaged concrete block walls & foundation of an existing house to connect with the vistas of Lake Travis.
The site is suggestive of the elliptical form that maximizes the beautiful views of the undulating hills beyond.
Shore Vista Boat Dock
A three story mixed-use project in the revitalized 11th Street Corridor of Austin TX. E. 11th Mixed-Use
East Village / Block 19 Mixed-Use A four story mixed-use project in the revitalized 11th Street Corridor of Austin TX.
DEN Property Group A Real Estate Agency and Art Gallery at the North Western corners of the W Hotel located in downtown Austin.
Oak Creek Village 173 units of affordable housing on a sloping site in South Austin, arranged around central courtyards that are intended to foster interaction among residents.
SITE PLAN
COLOR SCHEME DIAGRAMLarge color canyons as organization device and way finding means Southeast View
Color Accent Walls
Balcony Walls
Firm Profile
Bercy Chen Studio LP is an architecture & urban planning firm with design/build capabilities based in Austin, Texas founded in 2001 by partners Thomas Bercy and Calvin Chen.
Bercy Chen Studio LP is committed to collaborating with clients in identifying design solutions and planning strategies to create innovative designs based on environmentally sustainable and financially viable business models in both the public and private sector. Having experience as a design/build operation, the firm’s first hand knowledge of construction & finance is crucial in ensuring successful project implementation. The firm is a member of the City of Austin’s Green Building Program and USGBC with certified 3 Star projects.
Thomas is from Belgium and Calvin is from Taiwan by way of Australia; the partners’ European and Asian backgrounds form a design philosophy of unique perspectives. The work is influenced by vernacular precedents from various cultures- whether Islamic, Indian, African or pre-columbian, while maintaining respect for the particular contemporary contextual conditions.
Due to this unique approach, the work has received national and international attention. Bercy Chen Studio won the prestigious “Emerging Voices” prize from the Architectural League of New York in 2006. Every year the League selects 7 of the most innovative designers from Europe and North America for this award. In the same year the firm was profiled in Architectural Record’s December 2006 “Design Vanguard” award issue, selected as one of top 10 emerging design firms in the world.
The firm’s work has been published in leading international design publications such as Domus, GA Houses, Dwell, Icon, Mark, as well as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & Business Week. Thomas & Calvin have also been invited guest speakers at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. E. 11th Mixed-use, designed and built by Bercy Chen Studio, Current office of the firm.
AWARDSJury Winner & Popular Choice Winner, Architizer A+ Awards | Architecture +Sustainability Category, April 2014Finalist, Archdaily Building of the Year Awards, January 2014Finalist, World Architecture News 21 for 21 Award(London, UK), March 2013Designer of the Year, 7th International Media Prize (Shenzhen, China), 2010Short listed, Barbara Cappochin Prize (Padua, Italy), September 2009European Union 40 Under 40 Prize, August 2009Honorable Mention, Seoul Design Olympiad (S. Korea), September 2008 Finalist, Dallas Asian American Culture Center, September 2008 Design Vanguard Award, Global Top 10 cutting edge firms, December 2006Emerging Voices 2006, The Architectural League of New York, March 2006
MUSEUM EXHIBITIONSGA Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), GA Houses Project 2014, March 2014Seoul Design Olympiad (Seoul, S. Korea), September 2010AIA Austin Homes Tour (Austin, Texas), October 2010The Contemporary Space (Athens, Greece), Green Good Design Award, 2009Art Basel Miami Beach (Miami, Florida), December 2008The German Architecture Museum, Young American Architects, July 2007 The Loisium Museum (Vienna), Best Plot in the World, September 2006The AIA Dallas Gallery, Urban Reserve Project, September 2005
MAGAZINESDomus (Italy)GA House (Japan)Mark (Netherland)Dwell (USA)Architectural Record (USA)Umran Magazine (Saudi Arabia)Interior Digest (Russia)Space (Korea)Vision (China)Gallery (Ukraine)Modern Living (Vietnam)Tribeza (USA)
BOOKSAtrium (Switzerland)Green Homes (Barcelona)Liaoning Publishing (China) New Global ArchitectureRockport (NY) Sustainable EnvironmentsArchiworld (Korea) Modern Interiors (forthcoming)Limited Edition (Germany)Young American ArchitectBest Private Plot (Australia)Actar (Spain) Self-Sufficient HousingLoft Publications (Spain)Mini Houses Now
LECTURESPanel Discussion, Dallas Architecture Forum, 2010Austin Museum of Art, 2010Texas A&M (Fred Hubnik), 2009School of Architectural Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2008SAARQ International Architecture Congress (Monterrey, Mexico), 2007Texas Society of Architects, 2007Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 2007National Building Museum (Washington D.C.), 2006The Urban Center (NYC), 2006
NEWSPAPERWorld Architectural News, Peninsula Residence, December 2008The New York Times, Peninsula Residence, March 2007Corriere Della Sera, Casamica (Milan), January 2007CDC News (Houston), Cover Story, November 2005
TELEVISIONKCBS Los Angeles, Constellation Outdoor Theaters, April 2009 CNN, E. 11th Street, November 2008 What’s up with this house?, January 2006HGTV, Annie House Profile, May 2005 Dwell TV, December 2004
Construction/Design
Design/Build Architecture
As a design/build architectural firm, Bercy Chen Studio has experience in taking projects from the drawing board through final occupancy. Since the beginning, we have recognized the importance of not only designing a project, but of managing and directing its construction. Our team of craftsmen include welders, painters, glass fabricators, cabinet-makers, framers, and roofers; we are constantly expanding the areas of our expertise and developing new building systems.
This design/build approach gives us a clear understanding of the challenges and possibilities inherent in architectural design. Because of our hands-on approach to building and our ability to see projects through to the end, we are able to push the envelope of building systems and techniques. Our architectural and construction experience permits us to design and build exacting details, custom elements, and high-end finishes while allowing seamless integration with existing conditions. The time spent overseeing the construction process helps us design efficient and elegant projects, while our craftsmen in the field allow us to build innovative systems to tight tolerances. Green Roofing
Bercy Chen Studio has developed a proprietary planted-roof system. While conventional green roof manufacturers do not supply the water-barrier membrane, which is the most critical and costly component, alternatively, the BCS system contains all the green roof components; from water-barrier and protection and drainage layers to soil and vegetation. Our green roof system can accommodate a series of plant species, but is geared toward native flowers and grasses. The benefits of using native plant species include compatibility with native fauna as well as minimal watering requirements. The BCS planted-roof system is currently being installed at half the cost of other systems.
EXCESS NETMETER BACK
UTILITY GRID TIE
RAIN WATER
MONO-CRYSTALLINE PHOTO-VOLTAIC PANEL SOLAR HOT-WATER PANEL
WATER FALL, HAMILTON POOL, TEXAS
HOLISTIC DESIGN AS PART OF NATIVE ECOLOGY, INSPIRED BY EDWARDS AQUIFER CARBON FIBER WING, ZEPHYR UAV
CARBON FIBER WEAVE. CANTILIVERED ROOF
GREEN-SWALE, ENCHANTED ROCK, TEXAS VERNAL POOL, ENCHANTED ROCK, TEXAS
Systems Engineering
Our systems engineering includes the design, integration and implementation of custom features such as hydronic heating and cooling, radiant heating systems, geothermal, water collection systems, and specialty pools and water features. We can help you drastically reduce your carbon footprint without sacrificing elegant design. With the problem-solving expertise of our in-house chemical/mechanical engineer, going green never looked so good.
Pool Construction & Engineering
The fabrication and pool construction expertise of Bercy Chen Studio allows us to implement solutions out of the range of most landscaping companies. By utilizing a specialty water-proof membrane, we can provide a high quality pool, both warrantied and flawlessly water-tight. In addition, we are able to integrate your pool with solar thermal and mechanical systems in significant ways; by treating the pool and/or rainwater collection as a heat sink to aid the efficiency of a geothermal system and also by using a hydronic heating and cooling system to produce domestic hot water (DHW). This can be applied to heating a spa all year round as well as provide dehumidification with a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). This not only reduces your energy costs by over 60%, but it also extends your swimming season.
Structural Engineering
During the engineering phase, we bring our experience to bear by working with engineers to ensure a rational and economic structural system for the building and subsurface support. Our in-house structural engineers help inform these collaborations, thus safely pushing the limits of design.
PCMPCM
PCMPCM
VP
HP
Hot WaterHeater
Rain Water Collection
Thermal Heat Storage with Phase Change Materials helps reduce peak loads, allowing the heat pump operate more e�ciently.
Heat Transfer Loop
Geothermal Technology uses the earth’s mass and stable tempera-ture to help control the heating and cooling system of the house. Horizontal loops 7 ft below the earth’s surface circulate water via heat pump to either draw heat up or send heat down.
Geothermal Technology
Water tank stores usable water that has been collected form the roof. Water travels downt he slope of the roof into channels along the permieter of the house.
Perimeter channel for water collection
Heat from the Sun is abrorbed through the patio and gets picked by the hydronic system. The heat transfers through the Geothermal System to the cool other zones of the house.
Green Roof is home to seasonal Native Flowersand helps to insulate the house.
Steel Structure supports the roof with minimalInterruption of the interior space.
The double glazed window system takes advantage of the air gap in between for insulation. A vaccum air pump is used to suck air out of the gap to increase the density thereby increasing insulating capacity even more.
grass and soil layer
plywood sheathing
insulation
hydronic tubes
ceiling material
vacuum pump
Water that drains o� the roof collects in a channel and gets stored in a cictern locatedoutside of the building footprint
suction nozzles
line that feeds to vacuum pump
double glazing system
air gap
Engineering & Systems Integration
b e r c y c h e n s t u d i o design + construction
1111 East 11th Street | Suite 200 | Austin TX, 78702512.481.0092 | [email protected] | bcarc.com