Building Launches Entrepreneurship into a Greener Future
The Center for Developing Entrepreneurs (CODE) Building is a new landmark in the heart of downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. The developer envisioned the rustic bricks from his past encasing the exterior of a building that propels local businesses into the future. With ambitious goals and LEED certification in mind, architects from two firms, Wolf Ackerman and EskewDumezRipple worked together over a five-year process to create a building that brings together some of the brightest business minds, while benefitting the community.
Energy efficiency and clean air were two of the top priorities that drove design. That presented architects with a challenge. They had to figure out a way to bring in fresh air, while keeping the building envelope tight. There was another puzzle: how the structure would support thin bricks, chosen from dozens of options that reminded the developer of his childhood farm.