Divney Tung Schwalbe - Intelligent Land Use

Applied Intelligent Land Use |

Not-for-Profit Organizations

Your mission is your primary focus. It may be related to the protection, preservation or improvement of health, welfare, spirit, environment, education or any combination thereof. The great majority of your organization’s energies and efforts are centered on providing services to your targeted audience. But unless your organization is only a virtual one, your people must be located somewhere. Your clients, patrons and partners may visit you there. If your location is visible to the general public, their view of where you are will elicit some reaction about who you are.

Does how you utilize your land or facilities support your mission? Is your environment:

Supportive of your people, providing them with a setting in which they can be most effective
Welcoming to your visitors, to the extent appropriate
Reflective of your organization’s philosophy

To what extent is “sustainability” part of your mission? How well is it reflected in where and how you live?
How do you as an organization make decisions about the land and facilities you use or are considering, such as:

Existing buildings and sites
Currently-owned unutilized land
Prospective buildings or land

DTS’s Intelligent Land Use approach to planning is especially applicable to helping NFPs make informed decisions about where and how they live. Utilizing our in-house multi-disciplinary site skills in combination, where applicable, with partners experienced in architecture and building MEP systems, we can help NFPs to strategically plan the use of existing and future space and to help implement those plans in accordance with their mission.

Existing Buildings and Sites

Site sustainability assessments

Site elements – roads, parking, paving
Utility infrastructure – stormwater, sanitary, water
Vegetation – landscaped areas, natural areas, specimen trees
Maintenance and operations – landscape, snow
Environmental conditions
Accessibility review

Building sustainability assessments

Space utilization
Building envelope assessment
Mechanical systems
Energy usage
Water usage

Future Buildings and Sites

Site assessments - existing properties and due diligence
- Site constraints to use or development
- Program satisfaction
- Constructability and budget
- Zoning and approvals
- Alternative sites
- Design opportunities
Site searches