OPAL Architecture

Timothy Lock and Gabriel Tomasulo, AIA wrote a new article for The American Institute of Architects (AIA) on how sustainable home projects can directly benefit both homeowners and architects. "While large-scale commercial and institutional projects tend to garner top sustainability honors, more humble single-family residential designs remain one of the most consistent project types for architects practicing in the United States. Residential design offers a significant opportunity to create positive, resilient ecological impact in a way that can directly benefit both homeowners and architects. To achieve this, our Maine-based firm, OPAL, approaches “sustainability” as an imperative and a design opportunity, with criteria and metrics specifically catered to delivering noticeable quality of life improvements for occupants. We embrace our role as experts and seek to educate our clients and fellow practitioners on how we can all be part of a sustainable future. " Check out the full article at the link below: https://lnkd.in/eDjgnKa6 #architecture #design #ecology #sustainability #residentialdesign

Join OPAL's Timothy Lock on Passive House Accelerator in a free LIVE virtual session next Wednesday November 20 at 12pm EST: Path Toward Zero: Material Choice in Low-Carbon Design. Focused on the critical role that material selection plays in achieving sustainable, low-carbon architecture. Participants will gain insight into the various methodologies used to assess the carbon impact of building materials, including Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA), Upfront Carbon, and traditional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Through a deeper understanding of these frameworks, attendees will learn how consistent application of a chosen methodology is essential for realizing repeatable and positive outcomes in low-carbon design. Link below to register! #passivehouse #passivehouseaccelerator #lowcarbon #netzero #pathtozero https://lnkd.in/eRa4vXZD

Join OPAL's Timothy Lock Tuesday November 19 with AIA Maine for a session on Whole Life Carbon Assessment: Understanding Holistic Emissions Accounting This session will build on the AIA Maine COTEs previous session on Upfront Carbon. AIA COTE CoChair, AIA Maine Strategic Council Representative, and OPAL Management Partner, Timothy Lock, will discuss a variety of existing emissions accounting frameworks, what portion of overall Whole Life Carbon these frameworks account for, and go in-depth in describing current best practices in Whole Life Carbon Assessment using the UK Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Whole Life Carbon Assessment For The Built Environment (Global Edition, V3, August 2024). The session will consist of a 45-minute presentation with graphics and fifteen minutes of questions and answers. Link below to sign up! https://lnkd.in/ed3iGvPM

We are honored to announce that OPAL has been named on the 2025 Forbes America's Top 200 Residential Architects List! A big congratulations to everyone at the firm who is continuing to push the boundaries of ecology, innovation & design in our practice. Timothy Lock Matthew O'Malia Riley Pratt Gabriel Tomasulo, AIA Alexandra Pagán Alex Rosenthal George Switzer Erinn Simmons Samuel Woods Colleen Tully Julia Raite Korina Buozys https://lnkd.in/g_KwGN5W

OPAL designed project CLT Mountain Retreat featured in WSJ!

OPAL Executive Partner Matthew O'Malia was named one of Mainebiz 2024 Business Leaders of the Year along with TimberHP Co-Founder and CEO Joshua Henry! Matt will be speaking next month on August 7 at the Maine Biz Small Business Forum in Freeport, where a panel of small business owners and entrepreneurs explores a variety of challenges facing small businesses and startups. Panelists will provide their experience and expertise to help companies work through and solve complex issues. Matt will be sharing the story of OPAL & TimberHP. Link below to register to attend the event: https://lnkd.in/d-XKG2ex

The College of the Atlantic Davis Center for Human Ecology is the recipient of a Maine Honor Award for excellence in architecture from The American Institute of Architects. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e4Q_npCw . The AIA cites the building’s sustainable design and thoughtful approach to the unique ecology of the site. A collaboration between New York-based Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture • Design PLLC and Maine-based OPAL Architecture, the design draws inspiration from COA’s environmentally focused, interdisciplinary curriculum, the history and ecology of its oceanfront campus on Mount Desert Island, and its #1 Green College ranking by the Princeton Review. . “As a whole, the center’s design is reflective of the college’s unique character and culture, both defined by simplicity, pragmatism, and a commitment to foregrounding the natural world,” AIA officials state. ‘Weaving together the study of human ecology and environmental sustainability, it stands as a dynamic academic venue that amplifies immersive learning experiences at the intersection of land and sea.”

The new Collins House at College of the Atlantic is in Mainebiz today! https://lnkd.in/ezBQCXHX

 The Collins House, a new, 46-bed, ecologically designed residence hall on College of the Atlantic campus, was officially dedicated to outgoing president Dr. Darron Collins ‘92 and his family at an on-site ceremony this past weekend. Check out the video to see OPAL Partner Timothy Lock speak about the ecological design process and collaboration with COA stakeholders as well as see Darron Collins install a ceremonial piece of TimberHP Wood Fiber Insulation. https://lnkd.in/e6rfSWkA

We are excited to announce national recognition for the design of The Davis Center for Human Ecology at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor! The project has received the AIA National Architecture Award - the highest level of recognition possible for a specific project from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). We are pleased to share this honor with Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture Design, our collaborator on the design of this project. Thank you to the entire team who made this project possible. Timothy Lock, OPAL Management Partner, emphasized the significance of this National Award: “We are thrilled to be acknowledged for a project so dear to our heart and for a client so uniquely identified with Maine. The building represents a new milestone for what is possible within the context of ecological building design, and will set a new benchmark both within our practice, and now with this acknowledgement, across the country. Academic buildings, particularly those with labs, tend to be thought of as energy hogs that cannot be avoided, and this is anything but. Additionally, this is a huge moment for Maine architecture and design, for this project to be recognized at this level. Moreover, I am so grateful for our collaborative partnership with Susan Rodrgiuez; Susie and I have a very special working relationship that is evident in the seamless weaving of the cutting-edge design and sustainability seen in this project, and I am happy others have seen it too.” Darron Collins John Gordon Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture • Design PLLC Silman Engineering Van Zelm Associates Hedefine Engineering & Design, Inc. Michael Boucher AIA Maine Trent Bell Photography https://lnkd.in/e4PTUArA