Psychological studies have shown how buildings and urban environments can have both negative and positive stimulation on people just as they walk down a street.

In Michael Bond’s BBC article, The hidden ways that architecture affects how you feel, Colin Ellard, a researcher into the impact that architecture has on people at the University of Waterloo in Canada, noted, “When we ask people about their stress, they say it’s no big deal, yet when we measure their physiology we discover that their responses are off the charts. The difficulty is that your physiological state is the one that impacts your health.”

One of his consistent findings are that people are affected by a building’s façade. A creative and interesting design can have a positive effect on people; reactions are measured through monitoring skin conductance, a marker of psychological arousal. Smart phones have also been used to monitor people’s emotional state as they walked past a series of generic, big box-type retail buildings, for example, and their mood dropped significantly. However, when they passed by a block of restaurants and smaller stores, they reported that they felt much more engaged, and their mood levels also improved.

Beyond these mood-altering effects, the impact of architecture can be significant in a healthcare setting. In an article published in the journal Pain in February 2008, researchers noted how hospital design can have a negative impact on patients’ recovery. Lighting in a building plays a role. In a 2005 study, patients recovering from spine surgery were assigned different rooms with various levels of light. It turned out that those who stayed in rooms with the most light required 22 percent less pain relief medication, compared to the patients who recovered in more dimly lit rooms. There was also a strong statistical tie to a higher rate of death in rooms that were dark compared to the ones that were brightly lit.

The January 2013 journal Building and Environment published an analysis that examined the physical structures of schools in the United Kingdom to see if there was a connection to learning outcomes. Researchers followed 750 students across seven schools, looking at how six design parameters impacted learning progression, including colour and complexity of the buildings that provided environmental stimulation. Design elements were found to have up to a 25 percent impact on the progression of the students, influencing aspects of focus and engagement.

When architecture is well thought out and executed, a lot of good things happen.

An inspiring example is the 230,000-square-foot $465 million Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Opened in the spring of 2024, the building sits partially in Theodore Roosevelt Park. It’s constructed at the same height as the older museum buildings that flank it, but with flowing, gentle curves. The areas of the surrounding park also have a new landscape design, developed with community input, which features more pathways and seating areas.

From the outside, the Gilder Center is composed of curving lines that have an organic feel as if the center could have grown right out of the park it sits in. With bird-safe fritted glass, the building’s surface features Milford pink granite, which matches the museum’s Central Park West entrance (sourced from the original quarry!). The diagonal pattern of the stone panels was meant to evoke both the sense of geological layering and the design of the richly textured surface of the masonry on the museum’s 77^th Street side.

Walking inside gives you the sense of entering a cavern that winds from one space to the next, very much in keeping with the experience of discovery and natural history. These rounded spaces were built by spraying concrete directly on the rebar without using a formwork, a method known as “shotcrete.” And not only is this an impressively designed space; there is also science happening in real time at the museum. The building contains several areas where research leads to new discoveries that are in turn shared with people visiting the museum—a unique immersive experience!

For instance, the Ancient Biomolecular Lab, funded by the National Science Foundation, is open to researchers and makes possible the extraction of genetic and protein data from sample fossils, feathers, skins, prehistoric artifacts, and other organic materials.

The museum also includes the Institute for Comparative Genomics, where researchers map the evolutionary relationships among organisms to help better understand infectious diseases. They also have access to the Ambrose Monell Collection for Molecular and Microbial Research, a frozen-tissue facility that can store up to 1 million DNA specimens in nitrogen-cooled vats and serves as a repository for the U.S. National Park Service.

But it is the design that really creates the bridge between research and education and how strongly the natural world is so powerfully interconnected.

Chicago-based architecture firm Studio Gang is the mastermind behind the Glider Center, with lead designer Jeanne Gang explaining of the project to Dezeen Magazine in April 2023: “Architects in the last few years have been doing object buildings: it looks like something from the outside, a fancy shape or something like that. But that’s not at all what we were doing here because we really started by making the museum more connective.”

But what quickly became apparent was how the interior would be the centerpiece, bringing research, exhibits, and visitors together through the design. “So it ended up being the interior structure that was the most important architectural element,” Gang adds. The center’s interior was inspired by the caves and canyons of the American Southwest and the subway infrastructure underneath Manhattan, for which the shotcrete method is generally used.

The result is a curving, flowing interior that people can have a childlike experience in, following the rounded halls from one exhibit to another.

Beyond enhancing a visitor’s experience, architecture can have therapeutic benefits. In a November 2018 article for Metropolis titled, How Architecture Can Help Address America’s Mental-Health-Care Crisis, writer Katie Okamoto notes, “More than ever, behavioral-health architects must consider how to design physical and programmatic thresholds that facilitate productive exchange—between patient and caregiver, patient and researcher, patient and community or family. These thresholds not only support the therapeutic functions of care environments but also battle stigma and remove barriers to treatment.” As part of this article, Tim Rommel, Director of CannonDesign’s behavior-health studio, comments on the impact of mental health issues. “Mental health issues cost this country more in terms of GDP than the first five leading physical ailments combined, and that includes cardiovascular diseases and cancer. I think our society is starting to realize that and take steps,” he says.

Okamoto writes that more people are turning to design-driven solutions for better well-being. For example, CannonDesign’s Margaret and Charles Juravinski Centre, part of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, which treats people with acute mental disorders, includes a therapeutic mall that offers patients a fitness facility, bookstore, billiards and table tennis, as well as a salon. The intent is to open up the space and provide people with more freedom. Along with this, the inclusion of nature and natural light into buildings consistently shows a benefit to patients, reducing anxiety and increasing opportunities for physical activities.

It is becoming readily apparent that layering in concepts of people’s experience and well-being is an expectation of clients, and designers and architects need to explore these concepts in their work.

The Richard Gilder Center, for one, is a great example of what’s to come, as Sean M. Decatur, President of the American Museum of Natural History, said in a release: “As a scientist, I’m excited that the Gilder Center will reveal more of the cross-disciplinary processes of science and be a powerful springboard for an even deeper integration of the Museum’s ongoing research with our exhibition program and education initiatives—all while inspiring our visitors to appreciate and learn about how all life on Earth is connected… it heralds a new era of exploring the wonders of nature at the Museum.”

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COST is an award-winning firm whose theme and specialty construction services and team of expert craftsmen, construction professionals, artists, and partners leverage a variety of innovative materials, technologies, and building approaches—and the power of the creative mind—to bring projects to life.

From its offices located in Florida, Arkansas, and Manitoba, as well as its headquarters in Jackson, Wisconsin—home to a 144,000-square-foot manufacturing facility equipped with the latest tools and technology—COST offers preconstruction, fabrication, construction, modeling, and artificial rockwork services for clients around the world.

No monkeying around
Since 1957, COST has provided highly specialized construction services that are fueled by a deeply rooted knowledge, carefully honed skill sets, and the ability to execute on a client’s vision with accuracy and attention to detail. This is the foundation upon which the company was founded and with which it continues to blur the boundaries between imagination and reality today.

The firm was established when John Stanwyck’s contracting company was hired to perform work for the Milwaukee County Zoo. The zoo was interested in new cages that were less institutional and more natural for the animals. Selected for its proficiency in concrete, COST was able to replicate a naturalistic habitat that went beyond the client’s expectations and set the stage for the future.

One project led to many, and the COST name and brand quickly became synonymous with exquisite artistry and an unmatched attention to detail that set its work apart in emerging markets.

Soon, COST was a partner of choice for theme park projects, resorts, golf courses, casinos, and other projects that are designed with structure and aesthetic function at the fore and fueled by an unwavering passion for the work being done.

From Marketing Manager Jared Stanwyck’s perspective “Our diverse industry involvement and unique projects consistently fuel our passion and engagement. Personally, my love for animals makes working in the zoological sector incredibly rewarding. Creating stimulating habitats that teach the importance of conservation provides a sense of purpose. Similarly, creating immersive experiences in theme parks is just plain fun.” Acknowledging that it takes a village to bring projects of this magnitude to life, Stanwyck emphasizes the importance of partnership and collaboration in the work that COST does.

For Vice President of Sales Jeffrey Sheiber, “It’s having those effective team members that we’ve gone to war, gone to battle with, and who know what to expect to bring those projects forth which has really been a hallmark in the company’s growth and allows us to bring these awe-inspiring projects to the marketplace.”

He adds that COST looks to collaborate with people who “have the same type of work ethic and want to do good for society and leave awe-inspiring moments behind for the general public. That is what we’re striving for.”

Seeing is believing
COST’s portfolio boasts countless projects that demonstrate artistic capabilities and innovative construction practices that you simply must see for yourself, as photos cannot do the work justice.

An exemplary project that was made possible because of COST’s specialized knowledge and unique design-assist expertise is the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of National History in Brooklyn, a project that blended art and engineering. The new wing of the museum spans 230,000 square feet and offers 33 individual connections across four levels to 10 other buildings. But beyond function, it was inspired by the weathered forms of slot canyons—no easy feat, but one that would become an architectural marvel.

The rocklike interior of the structure, which includes an atrium in the heart of the building, is flanked by undulating walls accented by skylights that allowed natural light to shine through into the cavernous space. The light softly reflects on the variegated colors of sand that cascade along the rock walls and leave visitors wondering if it is real or not.

COST achieved this look, which served both a structural and aesthetic function, with shotcrete, which is typically used to create the forms seen in pools and skateparks, as well as the application of a lighter concrete to capture the color and texture of the real canyon rocks.

This project went far beyond decorative theme work to demonstrate why COST is a partner on some of the highest profile projects around the world. From the design stage to the engineering and fabrication, which included over 900 custom pipe forms and 453 tons of rebar, much of which was fabricated at its Wisconsin facility and shipped to Brooklyn, it is a true work of art.

Part of the reason for the project’s success was the team’s ability to offer a proof-of-concept sample using 3D modeling, which Sheiber credits with ensuring accuracy in terms of the color, texture, and overall look. As he notes, “The devil is in the details.”

Some of the details he is referring to are the logistical challenges associated with transporting materials into the heart of Brooklyn—not a simple task given the population density and limited space. “It was a challenging project and the inner workings of that were not easy, but I think our ability, our craftsmanship, and our workmanship, just the ability to stay true to the project, helped us persevere.”

Another project where COST pushed the envelope from a design and execution standpoint is the Kingdoms of Asia exhibit at Fresno Chaffee Zoo. On this project, the company impressively delivered on an aesthetic, architectural, cultural, religious, and historic level.

“The attention to detail, particularly in Kingdoms of Asia, made that project truly remarkable,” Stanwyck tells us. “The focus on cultural and ecological accuracy was exceptional. Our goal was to capture the essence of various Asian regions, from the architecture to natural landscaping, creating an educational and surreal experience for all visitors.”

The project was inspired by Cambodia’s 12^th century Angkor Wat temple and was informed by a cultural advisory committee representing Cambodian, Thai, and Hmong people. This is the degree to which COST is committed to executing a vision: the firm takes great pride in its ability to listen and communicate with all project stakeholders.

To ensure that the outcome matched the vision on this project, COST created a scale model that showcased the attention to detail it would employ. From the strangler fig roots that entwined the structure to the animal exhibits, the visitor experience is seamlessly integrated into the Asian façade.

Transporting people to other places and times is a consistent theme in the work that COST undertakes. This is also true of the Galapagos Islands exhibit at the Houston Zoo, which was a first-of-its-kind exhibit that brought the unique landscapes, oceanic habitats, and endemic species of the Galapagos region to the U.S.

The exhibit was part of the close to the Zoo’s centennial celebrations, its $150 million Keeping Our World Wild Centennial Capital Campaign, which was launched in 2018 and endeavored to promote conservation and education through the immersive experiences created. The Galapagos exhibit features Humboldt penguins, California sea lions, giant tortoises, and many other diverse species that are indigenous to the region to give visitors a firsthand look at the ecosystem upon which they depend. COST expertly crafted that ecosystem and all its complexities for visitors to enjoy and learn from.

Diverse and competitive
Whether it is a highly complex project or a drop and pick order that is shipped around the world and installed on site, COST is in the business of bringing ideas to life and elevating user experiences beyond imagination. Quality and attention to detail are the standard, and part of maintaining this level of quality and delivery is the firm’s ability to strengthen itself from within by ensuring it has the right team and partnerships in place.

“We continue to look for those kinds of individuals as needed to supplement our staff with some of the artisans, the sculptors, the painters, and the carvers, so we’re always looking to add additional talent,” explains Sheiber of COST’s efforts to seek out new visionaries to support its efforts.

He adds, “We like working hand in hand with other design firms, other architects, other tradespeople just to supplement ourselves because we are very refined in what we do. So we rely on other people to supplement with lighting, sound—things that we don’t necessarily do but we know it’s an important facet of the story and project.”

With this level of understanding of the value and uniqueness of the skill sets that are paramount to its (and its clients’) success, COST takes great effort to develop and grow talent internally while creating new talent pipelines to ensure that its competitive edge is not lost with attrition. For Stanwyck, a big part of this strategy to protect institutional memory is promoting from within. “We love seeing our employees develop and grow and we do everything we can to foster it,” he shares.

He adds, “Because [the work] is so niche, so specialized, we’re trying to not only ensure that knowledge is not lost, but to maintain it and build upon it, foster and grow it within new staff; that is essential. “There aren’t many people who do this type of work, so finding and cultivating the best possible candidates is essential. The talent and dedication of our team are what truly set us apart.”

To this end, efforts are also being made to ensure the next generation of craftspeople and artisans are aware of the opportunities available to them at COST. This includes working with schools and other agencies to develop internship programs to ensure that there is a steady flow of talent to sustain demand.

This investment in its people, as well as its commitment to adopting the latest technologies, materials, and techniques, will all but guarantee COST’s competitiveness long into the future. The team’s carefully curated blend of artistry and skill will continue to result in unique and immersive experiences that blur the boundaries between imagination and reality.

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The firm’s engineering duties cover everything “from the pool edge—or water edge—in: the pool structures, the mechanical systems to keep the water clean, controls, power, and the structural design and waterproofing,” explains Managing Partner Allen Clawson.

This includes planning and conceptual design, water treatment and circulation engineering, hydraulic analysis and modeling, aquatic life support design, structural engineering, and power distribution and controls.

Naturally, Cloward H₂O works closely with architects, designers, and developers. The company’s engineers review project designs as early as possible to ensure these “don’t violate the laws of physics, are constructable, and will work the way [the architects and developers] show it. We strive to bring the creative visions of our clients and designers to life in a thriving, collaborative design process,” says Corry Cloward, President and son of the company’s founder.

A workable infrastructure, much of it buried or hidden, is critical for the success of any recreational water facility. “If you don’t get all the underground elements right, all the pretty stuff aboveground isn’t going to matter because you will have to dig it all up to fix it. So, you’d better get it right the first time,” Clawson points out.

The firm takes on anywhere from 80 to 100 projects a year, roughly half of which are based outside of the United States. The lion’s share of the company’s revenue comes from resorts and the hospitality sector. All of its projects fall within the recreational water market. “We don’t do civil projects; we don’t do water treatment, sewers, drinking water facilities,” explains Dan Aldred, Associate Principal.

“Sometimes aquatic visions start with a napkin and pencil. We specialize in turning those initial sketches into exceptional recreational aquatic environments across the globe through engineering!”

Among noteworthy overseas engineering projects is Deep Dive Dubai, a swimming pool in the Middle East that drops 60 meters for scuba diving and free diving. At present, this is the deepest swimming pool on the planet.

Domestic projects include Glenwood Hot Springs, a Colorado facility that was in need of a lift. “The owners and client decided they wanted to bring it up to par with modern technologies. That project turned out really spectacular,” says Aldred. Glenwood Hot Springs maintains their claim to the world’s largest hot springs pool and with the recent renovations, currently boasts wade-in pools with waterfalls, an impressive water-spraying fountain, an adventure river feature, and numerous soaking pools.

In a similar vein, Cloward H₂O handled engineering tasks at Montgomery Whitewater. “It’s a whitewater rafting and kayaking facility in Montgomery, Alabama. It opened last summer, and it’s exemplary in terms of size,” says Clawson. The facility features a 2,200-foot-long channel for introductory whitewater rafting and a 1,600-foot channel for more advanced enthusiasts. The structure in which these channels were built contains millions of gallons of fast-flowing water. Given this, the margin for error in the construction process was nonexistent.

“It’s an $80 million project, and it had to work the first time. You’re pouring 200,000 cubic yards of concrete, and you’re putting in 600 to 750 horsepower pumps. If you go to turn those pumps on and something doesn’t work or the concrete’s cracked… it’s millions [of dollars] to go and fix it. So, there’s a lot of testing, a lot of validation with computer models, physical models, simulations, and expert opinions on every aspect,” says Clawson.

Ensuring structural integrity is central to everything Cloward H₂O does. While a breakdown in pumping or filtration might be expensive to fix, a leak or collapse could lead to calamitous results and injury. To prevent such things from occurring, the company takes a cautious approach and strictly adheres to established best practices, standards, and building regulations.

“There are standards for watertight concrete. We not only follow those, but also a whole bunch of best practices we’ve found over the years. We have a highly evolved system of in-house standards that we use for not only structural and piping, but electrical, bonding, grounding, and lighting and everything else you can think of related to water,” says Clawson.

Following building regulations is “just part of doing the work. You have to comply with the local codes and the design, then the local contractors have to build to the design and the local codes. The design and the code can never be in conflict,” he continues.

Concrete, tile, stainless steel, stone, plaster, and synthetic materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are some of the main materials used in the company’s projects. Pipes, pumps, filters, and electrical systems are also ubiquitous. Meanwhile, smart technology in the form of sensors, wireless networks, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming more commonplace in recreational water facilities. Smart systems can provide real-time data regarding water temperature, flow, and volume while enabling operators to make instant adjustments.

“They can adjust the temperature of the pool, turn water features on and off, and get real-time data on flowrates and energy consumption. If the client decides they don’t like the color of lights and they want to change it for a wedding event they’re going to have on the deck, a simple flip of the switch and they have different color lights,” says Aldred.

Other new technologies have improved filtration and pumping, while reducing power and chemical usage and enhancing water cleanliness.

The team tells us that outdated budgets have become a significant challenge. Thanks to inflation and material cost escalation, budgets set by clients just two to three years ago might now be wildly unrealistic. “The world has really, really changed and construction has changed as much or more than normal commodities. People thought they had things figured out two years ago and now they’re trying to get it built today [with] a budget that’s two or three years old. We’re not in the same world anymore. That has been a real challenge,” says Cloward.

The company has also changed significantly since it was launched. When Greg Cloward founded the firm in 1975, its mandate was traditional civil engineering. The business began taking on recreational water projects, and by the early 1990s, the focus had shifted entirely to aquatic engineering. Around 2008, he entered into a gradual retirement process and eventually, the company was purchased by a core group of employees.

The firm employs 25 people at present, many of whom are certified, professional engineers. With a growing workload, Cloward H₂O remains on the lookout for new engineering and drafting talent with a broad skill set who can engage in “a specialized branch of engineering. We really get involved in everything. You may be a civil engineer by education and training and experience but you’re going to do an awful lot of mechanical, electrical, and hydrology, among other things. That goes for all of our engineers,” says Clawson.

Job applicants also “need to be up to speed with the latest technology [such as] Revit 3D design,” he adds. Attitude, aptitude, and work ethic, of course, are also requirements for all new hires.

Cloward H₂O attends trade shows for promotional purposes but relies heavily on business relationships to garner new work. The company has established strong ties with various architects, landscape architects, designers, and developers. These partners know that the company does sterling work and frequently connect for new assignments. “Our reputation is by far our most important and successful marketing tool,” notes Clawson.

Going forward, sustainability and innovation are two key areas to which Cloward H₂O is paying close attention. “How can we be more resource-efficient with power and water usage? That’s been an ongoing trend for a lot of years, but the emphasis is heightened now,” says Aldred.

Innovation, meanwhile, is closely connected to what Clawson calls “the amenity wars.” Hotels, resorts, waterparks, and other facilities are locked in a competition to “get a better water amenity, or a bigger water park, or a more impressive aquarium,” he explains.

Be that as it may, landing big, high-profile projects is only one way that Cloward H₂O measures success. Success can also be gauged “by smiles. When you see people using your project and having a great time and they’re kind of pointing it out to their friends and then they go home and say, ‘You gotta go there! We had a great time! You gotta go do that!’ To us, that’s the real success—watching people enjoy what you’ve created,” says Cloward.

With this in mind, Cloward H₂O wants to focus on enhancing its existing services instead of branching out into brand-new specialties. “In five years, I see us continuing to do exactly what we’re doing, just doing more of it around the world. We love what we’re doing. We think we do it well and see no reason to change that,” says Cloward.

The post This Aquatic Engineering Firm Stands for High Standards and Big Fun<p class="company">Cloward H2O</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.