welcome to REHQ
Our design build company always dreamed of having the design team and the build team integrated under one roof — in constant search of better ways to integrate the design and build processes, we believe having our shop space, design studios and offices in one place is the best way to deliver high quality, sustainable buildings to our clients. For years we searched for the perfect property. In 2017, the search ended just north of downtown Raleigh at 111 Old Williamson Rd, where REdesign.build found and purchased the perfect spot. Kindred in purpose — the site we found was originally built as a lumber yard. There are 3 buildings; a long skinny lumber shed, the office of the lumber yard, and a large metal warehouse building. The warehouse was the obvious choice to renovate into that singular place where our shop space, our offices and design studio could come together. REdesign.build’s headquarters, R E H Q as we call it, was born.
Within the double height warehouse building, we proceeded to design a 2 story upfit for our offices, design studios and conference room along one side of the building. There was room to include common areas and tenant spaces. Sustainability is core to REdesign.build’s mission, so we set about creating a highly energy efficient, highly sustainable upfit within the leaky, thin walled metal building. We started with the envelope, using passive house techniques and standards, we made the envelope for the offices and studios extremely well insulated, and very air-tight from the exterior. Separated from the shop space by a solid 2 story, well insulated fire wall, the offices have an air-tight envelope, triple pane windows in the offices, and highly efficient double pane curtain wall in the main entrance. The black ‘fins’ surrounding the window openings are carefully calibrated to passively block the direct summer sun and allow in the low winter sun. The offices are heated and cooled with a highly efficient Mitsubishi variable speed mini-split systems, allowing varying zones and the two floors to be operated independently, all controlled by NEST smart thermostats. To keep the indoor air quality high in our airtight envelope, a 90+% efficient Zehnder ERV circulates in fresh air from above the roof continuously 24hrs a day. Our hot water is provided by a Sanden heat pump water heater, the most efficient water heater available. We covered the entire south facing roof slope of REHQ with a 63 kw Photovoltaic solar panel system, which powers our entire operation including two vehicle chargers. In conjunction with a pair of TESLA powerwall batteries to run the office overnight, R E H Q operates in a net positive capacity – producing more power than we consume. 90% of our energy comes from solar power and when produce more energy than RE needs, we send clean green power back to the Duke Energy grid. See how we are doing here:
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The upfit work to create R E H Q was done by a combination of our trusted subcontractors and vendors and our own staff. Architectural features of the metal warehouse, such as the massive steel frames that form the roof are celebrated with in the space, and character defining materials such as the original concrete floor were cleaned and left raw, showing the marks of the building’s former uses. Simple ‘off the shelf’ materials, such as the primed steel beams, and white painted steel bar joists were utilized whenever possible and left exposed to be appreciated for what they are. Warm, dimmable LED lighting is used throughout for its energy efficiency, and cutting edge centralized drivers are used so that the LED lighting can exist in its smallest, cleanest profile and eliminating the need for dozens of drivers hidden throughout the project. The extensive LED lighting, used in conjunction with the TESLA power wall, eliminated the need for multiple ‘wall pack’ emergency lights and batteries scattered throughout standard buildings.
The space between REHQ and the shed building marks the entry path into our new home and is referred to as ‘the groove’. Within the groove is a vine wall planted with native flowering vines and a lawn area. Intentionally planted in the lawn, you will find two items which symbolize our commitment to a sustainable future: first, a newly planted Ginkgo tree; an ancient species, symbolizing the billions of tons of biomass that accumulated over millennia and through heat and pressure became crude oil, the non-renewable resource that fuels global climate change. And beyond the Ginkgo, you will find a crumpled up oil tank, left to rust away forever more, symbolizing our commitment to renewable energy sources, and the ultimate departure from dependency on oil.
It’s difficult to analyze just how much more efficient this office is than a conventional office. But initial metrics suggest the energy costs are 90% lower. The natural light, the indoor quality and the comfort the building offers to the inhabitants, however, are priceless.
Our team are REdesign.build would love to share our knowledge and experience with you in order to make your built environment better for you, our shared community and the planet.
WE WELCOME YOU TO R E H Q