Page 12 - 2014 SDCA Project

PROCESS: CLIENT SELECTION & CLIENT MEETING

The Client Selection

2014’s collaborative effort began with four strong project candidates. This can be
attributed to the strong finish and sustained growth from last year’s association with
the Lifecycle Building Center. This year’s prospective clients ranged from groups

associated with the Atlanta Beltline, to urban agriculture, to a well-established group
serving the under-privileged in the wake of the Stadium changes. However, it was the

Friends Of Refugees (F.O.R.) that captured Sustainable Design Collaborative Atlanta’s
(SDCA) attention due to their spirit and attitude. The fact that they were highly
organized and well prepared, provided a complete picture of the project at hand,

owned the site and had received their zoning permit, and were extremely interested in
using the Passive House Institute guidelines set them apart. The Friends Of Refugees

offered SDCA an opportunity to serve the community with immediate impact.

Client Meeting & Site Visit

The initial meeting with Executive Director Brian Bollinger and his team was almost as
exciting as reading their proposal. His board of a wide range of community invested

players drove home the ever growing need and the groundswell of optimism that was
energizing for our team. Brian shared their story, their history, their challenges, and
their goals. These culminated in hard work that paid off in good fortune with local

vendors and favorable zoning considerations from the local agencies. Most
importantly, SDCA heard from the Architect and Engineering team about their design

guidelines for the property as well as the consultants who advised us on Passive House
and its associated characteristics.

10 SDCA