Masonry Magazine February 1981 Page. 49
HAMMURABI AWARDS
and mason contractors, and the masonry foremen on each project.
A jury of prominent architects, consisting of Edwin B. Crittenden, FAIA, chairman, William Donald Cassady, AIA, Vancouver, and Richard Campbell, FAIA, Portland, selected the award winners.
The Hammurabi Awards program is named after an ancient king of Babylon who established a sophisticated and strict code which governed the ethics and behavior of Babylonian citizens. Building practices were carefully outlined in this code and were inscribed on a black diorite monolith and displayed in the ancient tower of Babel for many centuries. Most of the buildings of Hammurabi's time were constructed of sun-dried mud brick.
Unthank Plaza, Portland, Ore. Architect: Michael & Lakeman Architects, AIA. Structural Engineer: Don Kramer & Associates. Mason Contractor: GKW, Inc. Brick veneer was chosen for the exterior because of its attractive appearance, permanence and ease of maintenance, and to better relate the building to other masonry structures in the area.
Reed College Studio Arts Building, Portland, Ore. Architect: Griggs, Lee, Ruff, Ankrom Architects. Structural Engineer: Van Domelen-Looijenga & Associates. General Contractor: Smith Masonry Contractors, Inc. The design centered around the use of exposed standard building materials, standard construction techniques and simple finishes as a response to budget restrictions and the need for durable, neutral surfaces in the art studios. Concrete masonry walls were an ideal choice, providing durability, economy and handsome texture as well as scale for both interior and exterior surfaces.
Russian Fireplaces Stir Interest Among U.S. Researchers
A Russian fireplace may not be conventional looking, but it certainly is thought to be one of the most efficient. A well-constructed Russian fireplace has an efficiency rating of about 90%, outperforming a woodburning stove by 20% and most gas furnaces by the same amount. And it is three times more efficient than an ordinary fireplace, according to Jay Jarpe, staff engineer with the New Mexico Energy Institute of Albuquerque.
Jarpe, who is conducting research on the Russian fireplace, says that this unique unit has been used in Russia and northern Europe for hundreds of years. It has been popularized in the United States by a Maine carpenter and mason, Bassilio Leputschenko, who grew up in Byelorussia, an area of the USSR where these fireplaces are commonly used. He now builds them throughout New England, and it is his classic design that Jarpe is studying in New Mexico.
The Russian fireplace is typically 5 ft. 10% in. wide, 2 ft. 11 in. deep, and approximately 7 ft. high. The interior of the unit has chambers above an enclosed firebox which capture heat from the burning wood. The firebox holds about a cubic foot of dry wood cut into 24 to 30-inch lengths. The wood must be split into pieces no larger than 3 in. dia. to ensure complete, even burning.
When a small quantity of wood has burned down to a bed of hot coals, the chimney damper may be closed with no danger of carbon monoxide escaping. The fireplace is now a closed system and will heat a medium-sized home for about 12 hours, using a cord of wood every 40 days.
"The magic of this heating system is that nearly all of the energy is given off as heat to the brick walls," Jarpe explained. "Because of the heat retention characteristics of masonry, the fireplace requires fueling only twice a day, even in the worst weather. The brick walls radiate a constant, even warmth. You can even hold your hand over the chimney and feel no heat escaping."
For more information about the Russian fireplace, contact Charles Ostrander, P.E., Illinois Masonry Institute, 1550 Northwest Hwy., Suite 201, Park Ridge, IL 60069, or phone 312/297-6704.