Citizens for Modern Transit Elects a New Board Chair

Grace Corbin, AIA, IIDA, LEED, Senior Associate and Interior Designer at Christner, has been named Chair of the Board of Directors of Citizens for Modern Transit. Grace has worked with CMT since being elected a Board Member in 2002, and will serve as Board Chair for the next two years. Grace is a long-standing advocate for a thriving light-rail network in St. Louis, stemming from her experience working on the Christner-designed MetroLink station at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in 1993.

Leading Sustainble Design Efforts In St. Louis

Dan Jay, Managing Principal and CFO at Christner, has been named a Green Power Player by St. Louis CEO Magazine.  Dan is in good company - the list recognizes civic and corporate leaders around the region who are leading the sustainability movement in St. Louis. 

Dan heads Christner’s sustainable design practice, which includes the LEED Silver Certified Tarlton Corporation Headquarters and  Enterprise Rent-A-Car Fleet Services Operations Center and the new Express Scripts Headquarters that is currently awaiting certification. 

Design Review - 5/23/08 - Belden Headquarters Renovation

Amy Angell, Lois Sechrist, Marilyn Sander and Nicholas Iyadurai presented their progress on renovations for Belden.  Belden’s new offices will represent a shift in the corporate mindset from an older paradigm of perimeter offices and an administrative core.  Once renovated, the Clayton offices will offer ample daylight throughout, warm contemporary finishes, and the first installation of the innovative Herman Miller My Studio system in the St. Louis area. 

Regular Friday afternoon design reviews  – with beer, soda and pretzels – generate lively discussions in our office. Team members present their progress and engage in active dialog about their ongoing work for clients.  We also invite expert speakers to share their knowledge, and take periodic field trips to visit buildings of interest around St. Louis.

Design Review - 5/9/08 - Lincoln University Institute for Integrated Micro-Community

Mike Moser and Laurel Harrington led a discussion about their ongoing Master Plan for the Institute for Integrated Micro-Community for the 21st Century at Lincoln University.  When completed, the Institute, located on a 280-acre site near Jefferson City, Missouri, will be dedicated to the development of sustainable habits in the lives of visitors and farmers throughout the region.  These principles will be conveyed through demonstration farming and research in aquaculture, agriculture and sustainable energy.  Small groups of visitors will live and work on the farm and gain first-hand experience in gardening and farming techniques that lead to greater sustainability and self-sufficiency.  Portions of the farm will be dedicated to cattle grazing, fish farming, biomass production, community gardens and an orchard. 

Regular Friday afternoon design reviews  – with beer, soda and pretzels – generate lively discussions in our office. Team members present their progress and engage in active dialog about their ongoing work for clients.  We also invite expert speakers to share their knowledge, and take periodic field trips to visit buildings of interest around St. Louis.

Non-Profit Group to Build New Health Clinic for Children in Haiti

Several of Christner’s planners and designers have been working on a pro-bono basis with a non-profit group dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished Haitian children.  Todd Jacobs, Bob Ducker, Chris Striegel, Mariabelen Andrews, Bryan Sechrist and Mike Corner have teamed with representatives from Hope Lutheran Church and the House of Hope in Haiti to design a health clinic to expand the services offered to children.  

Plans call for a clinic exam rooms, a food distribution center, sleeping quarters for doctors and staff members, and plenty of room for growth.  To protect financial and environmental resources, the facility is designed with sustainability in mind which also allows for the clinic to be largely self-sufficient.  Features include extensive natural ventilation, a photovoltaic array and a water cistern.  A generator will provide a reliable source of electricity, normally available for only two hours per day.