Richard Wittschiebe Hand (RWH, formerly Richard + Wittschiebe, Hand Design Studio) is a medium-sized architecture firm based in Atlanta, Georgia with an office in Madison, Wisconsin.[1] Richard Wittschiebe Hand specializes in architecture, interior design, planning, and green/LEED consulting. RWH focuses primarily on K-12 schools, colleges and universities, corporate and industrial office spaces, aquatic facilities, recreational and parks buildings, and fraternity houses.[2]
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Richard Wittschiebe Hand was formed in 2007 when Richard + Wittschiebe merged[3] with Hand Design Studio (formerly Peter H. Hand and Associates, Inc.) to become Richard Wittschiebe Hand. Richard + Wittschiebe was formed by Janice Wittschiebe, AIA and Carol Richard, AIA.[4]
Carol Richard, AIA, LEED AP Homes[5] has been providing professional services since 1980 as a project designer and project manager for numerous project types and sizes. As founder of the firm, she brings a diversity of experience to the practice. In addition to her architectural experience, she has led the firm in technological advances to better serve clients. She is instrumental in providing team leadership and direction.
Janice Wittschiebe, AIA, NCIDQ, LEED AP[6] has been providing professional services since 1980 as a project designer, project manager and principal for large multi-faceted projects. As a registered architect and a registered interior designer, she brings a wide range of abilities and understanding to the RWH. Key to her experience has been the management of design teams, coordination of multiple consultants, contract administration and work on ADA-oriented projects as well as corporate responsibilities for marketing.
Peter Hand, AIA, LEED AP has provided professional architecture services in the southeast since 1973. As Principal of Hand Design Studio, he coordinated master planning, architecture, construction management, and interior design services for a wide range of project types. As Consulting Principal of Richard Wittschiebe Hand, Peter is responsible for working with the architectural team in the creation and development of project design. He is responsible for working closely with the team to ensure the design has integrity, simplicity and innovation and that it meets the owner’s goals and needs.
William (Bill) Polk, AIA, LEED AP, CSI[7] has provided professional expertise in all phases of planning, design, production and contract administration for a variety of project types, including medical facilities, education, single and multi-family housing, and institutional including kitchen and assembly design and military facilities since 1984. He is especially talented at project management, working well with owners, user groups and consultants to gain the most from prescribed budgets through creative consideration of options.
RWH utilizes ArchiCAD BIM 3D modeling software on quad-core Apple MacPro workstations for architectural projects, and was one of the first firms in Atlanta to implement a BIM design system in 1989, and the first in Atlanta to use ArchiCAD.[8] In addition, Ross Street House, the first LEED-Platinum home in the state of Wisconsin, was designed by RWH using entirely ArchiCAD. Richard Wittschiebe Hand emphasizes sustainability in all of their projects, and 75% of the architectural staff are LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED AP).
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Atlanta, Georgia. In 2006, the ASHRAE headquarters building in Atlanta, Georgia underwent planning and development for the renewal of their 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) office building. ASHRAE hired Richard Wittschiebe Hand as the architecture firm.[9] The finished building achieved a LEED-Platinum rating by the USGBC. The building renovation/addition includes a new training center, meeting and education spaces, a technical library, offices, a loading area and bulk storage.
One of the most innovative components in the building’s design is an extensive measurement and verification system that monitors and measures electricity, energy consumption, water use, and local weather conditions in real-time. This monitoring was essential to ASHRAE’s “walk the walk” theme by proving the tangible and financial benefits of green design. The data is available to national and international members through internet-based programs.
Northlake-Barbara Loar Library, Tucker, Georgia, United States The existing library space was completely renovated to create a cohesive 15,000 SF library. Library functions are reorganized to provide larger reading and stack areas, a larger children's library area, a new teen area, a new circulation desk, additional administration space, and a more functional multi-purpose community space. The building addition will reflect the ship metaphor of the existing design by extending a prow towards the parking that directs pedestrians to the entrance and creates an interior children's library space in the prow of a ship.
Bethseda Park Aquatics Center, Lawrenceville, Georgia Bethesda Park Aquatic Center has a leisure pool with slide and water play features for the young and an instructional pool for the young and old. The two bodies of water are separated with glass walls for noise control, but the transparency of these walls allows space and daylight. Sloping metal roofs that rise and dip according to the necessities of the space inside allow for a fluid, sculptural shaping of the building’s enclosure. Metal canopies and sunscreens enliven the facades with additional detail, while mitigating glare and heat in the common areas. The durable materials, simple forms, and clear program were developed to minimize maintenance, maximize building life, and simplify operations.
Sigma Nu Fraternity House, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia The new 12,300 sq ft (1,140 m2) facility provides ample gathering space for the 80 brother membership, and provides housing for 48 brothers. The interiors reflect the fraternity colors including a specialty rug incorporating the Sigma Nu seal. The surfaces were designed to address all the possible wear and usage in a fraternity house. The grounds have been designed to offer an array of seating areas and recreational spaces, including a swimming pool and basketball court. The house, with its transitional modern design, reflects the new spirit of the fraternity rooted in a long history of tradition and values.
Dunwoody Community Church, Dunwoody, Georgia The Dunwoody Community Church addition is a new 23,700 sf, 400 seat sanctuary on a beautifully wooded site. The addition includes a baptistery and chapel that seat 30 to 40 people, a parlor, and administration area and meeting spaces below.