ATMOSPHERIC AND GEOMORPHIC RESEARCH CENTER

As part of our ongoing Research & Development program, PJHM Architects is currently working with the University of California Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Thornton Tomasetti to develop alternative architectures in regard to optimizing wind velocity and renewable energy accumulation. Design Manager James Bucknam of PJHM and Brett Kaufmann, P.E., Vice President of Thornton Tomasetti are heading up the team. The project is an investigation into land and building formation aiding in optimizing air velocities adjacent to and within building structure. Inspired by aerospace design, the project includes many principles used in aviation. Augmenting the thermal material characteristics of alternative structural skin systems also plays a large part in the design.
“We are striving to unearth and introduce age old thermo and fluid dynamic principles into the contemporary discourse and scale of architecture. Our cross-disciplinary approach is allowing these ideas to flourish, and it is PJHM Architect's intent to lead in this realm,” says James Bucknam, the project manager. "We are tremendously excited to have such a close and fruitful relationship with the University of California, Irvine's talented set of faculty, engineers and students."
The project, aptly named the Atmospheric and Geomorphic Research Center, is set in Irvine, Ca, and will be the first building typology of its kind in Orange County. The team predicts the current design iterations to produce nearly triple the velocity of a traditional orthographic structure, and plans to incorporate their findings into their future projects that include wind turbine and alternative energy accumulation.
Project team:

Project team:

2015-16
James Bucknam, Design/Project Manager, PJHM Architects
Ken Podany, Architect and Principal, CEO, PJHM Architects
Brett Kaufmann, S.E., Associate Principal, VCA Structural, Inc.
Joon Lee, S.E., VCA Structural, Inc.
Yun Wang, Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UCI
Hammer Lazaro, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Lorica Elazegui Subida, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Francis Mallari, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Mia Prieto, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Heather Tran, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Martin Xian, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI

2014-15
James Bucknam, Design/Project Manager, PJHM Architects
Ken Podany, Architect and Principal, CEO, PJHM Architects
Avideh Haghighi, PJHM Architects
Brett Kaufmann, S.E., Associate Principal, VCA Structural, Inc.
Joon Lee, S.E., VCA Structural, Inc.
Nick Weis, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Rachelle Habchi, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Jung Kim, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Sam Farsi, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Andrew Ho, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI

2013-14
James Bucknam, Design/Project Manager, PJHM Architects
Ken Podany, Architect and Principal, CEO, PJHM Architects
Avideh Haghighi, PJHM Architects
Mason McCarthy, PJHM Architects
Brett Kaufmann, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti
David Kirschenbaum, Project Engineer, Thornton Tomasetti
Yun Wang, Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UCI
PJ Caguioa, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Angelica Martinez (PM), Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Edward Mehrabian, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Joseph Sabolboro, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Kenneth Edward Teeter, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI

2012-13
James Bucknam, Design/Project Manager, PJHM Architects
Ken Podany, Architect and Principal, CEO, PJHM Architects
Jeffrey Kuruvilla, PJHM Architects
Brett Kaufmann, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti
David Kirschenbaum, Project Engineer, Thornton Tomasetti
Yun Wang, Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UCI
Sung Chan Cho, Graduate Student, UCI
Jefferson Du, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Jesse Plasmyer Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Carter Cox, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Michael Mah, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Gabrielle Custodio, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Megan Kile, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI

2011-12
James Bucknam, Design/Project Manager, PJHM Architects
Ken Podany, Architect and Principal, CEO, PJHM Architects
Chris Garcia, Architect, PJHM Architects
Derek Stemrich, Project Manager, PJHM Architects
Brett Kaufmann, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti
Yun Wang, Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UCI
Sung Chan Cho, Graduate Student, UCI
Ming Qi, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Robbie Damiani, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Christine Cosip, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Rachel Yang, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI
Brok Burchatz, Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI