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Architects apply sustainable design to Tulsa buildings.
Going green has never tasted so good. That’s because every slice of pizza served at Joe Momma’s in downtown Tulsa (112 S. Elgin Ave.) has been prepared in a sustainably designed restaurant.
And that’s just the way owner Blake Ewing wanted it.
“It was important for me from the beginning to make sure we had a restaurant that emphasized sustainability as well as maintaining the historical integrity of the original building,” he says.
Joe Momma’s, which opened last November, is the result. The restaurant’s “green” elements include abundant natural lighting (lots of windows), recycled glass tiles, reused tables and chairs, plumbing that uses less water and lighting that drains less electricity.
Plus, the restaurant gives its fry oil to a local company that turns it into biodiesel.
Ewing also acquired the old wooden gym floor at his alma mater, Nathan Hale High School, and incorporated it into a stage. He wanted to use as much of the already existing materials in the restaurant as possible.
“It was important to me that we didn’t throw everything out in a scrap heap in the back,” he says. “We get a ton of compliments on the place, and it just goes to show you can create a great atmosphere using sustainable elements.”
Local architect Shelby Navarro of One Architecture designed the restaurant, and says sustainable design is slowly catching on.
“I always try to emphasize to clients the benefits of sustainable design, and more and more they are coming to me and saying, ‘I want to be sustainable; I want to be green,’” he says.
Today, many architects like Navarro obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, giving them the experience and knowledge in sustainable design.
Shane Fernandez, corporate director of architecture at CraftonTullSparks, says younger people are leading the way toward green architecture.
“The younger generation and young professionals now have an expectation that buildings will incorporate sustainable design,” he says.
Existing buildings account for 43 percent of emissions because of their design and the energy they use, he says. Sustainable design helps to dramatically reduce buildings’ emissions without compromising comfort and utility.
For chiropractor Michael Lau, owner of Awaken Wellness and Rejuvenation Spa and Natural Health and Chiropractic Center, remodeling his business to make it greener made sense.
“It was a good fit for us,” he says. “We’re into natural healing, and so we resonate with natural solutions and sustainability.”
The remodeled building at 6130 S. Maplewood Ave. incorporates skylights and low-voltage lighting and used nontoxic paints and finishes, bamboo flooring, recycled carpet tile and concrete countertops.
“We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out,” Lau says.
Architects say sustainable building, remodels and retrofittings may be a little more expensive up front, but in the long run, cost savings will be realized.
Wallace Engineering at 200 E. Brady St. in north downtown Tulsa underwent an extensive redesign incorporating sustainable elements. The 1920s-era building, redesigned by Selser Schaefer Architects, preserved the building’s old feel while using extensive natural lighting, a ground-source heat pump and other energy-saving fixtures. In 2007, the Tulsa Preservation Commission gave Wallace the 2007 Preservation Award for the adaptive reuse of the building.
