Archive for Buildings
Become the Next LEED Certified School
Posted by: | CommentsProponents of the Green movement insist that making environmentally conscious decisions will not only encourage a safe and ecologically friendly atmosphere, but are good for business and will also save money in the end, thanks to a streamlined spending structure.
Five schools across the country have become LEED certified in order to provide the cleanest and most energy-efficient learning environments for their students.
Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins, CO has been certified LEED Silver. By following standards outlined by the USGBC, the Poudre School District saved about $11,500 annually on their water bill. They also incorporated as much natural light as possible, simultaneously saving money on artificial light and creating a more favorable learning environment for students.
Sidwell Friends Middle School in Washington, D.C. received a LEED Platinum certification, the highest award a school has received from the USGBC. They constructed an artificial wetland in between the new and old wings of the school, which serves a dual purpose: allow for efficient, recyclable water, and provide a hands-on learning environment for science classes. Solar panels and natural light systems take full advantage of sunlight while saving on energy costs.
Clearview Elementary in Hanover, PA - certified LEED Gold - is also bathed in natural light thanks to huge windows along its long corridors. According to studies by the California Board for Energy Efficiency, tests scores were 15%-26% higher in classrooms with plenty of natural light versus classrooms with lower levels of sunlight.
Rosa Parks Elementary in Portland, OR - certified LEED Gold - selected paints, carpets adhesives and sealants were selected for their low carbon emissions.
Finally, the LEED certified West Brazos Junior High School in Brazoria, TX, saved 18% on construction costs compared to the average middle school while using 55% locally manufactured materials.
Going Green doesn’t have to cost a fortune either. Whether you have a home you’re looking to turn Green or a local school you’d like to recommend, it can be affordable with government Green tax credits and debt consolidation. With some smart planning and energy efficiency, any school can become the next LEED-certified school.
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BASF Earns LEED EB O&M Silver
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The USGBC has awarded a LEED EB O&M Sliver certification to the BASF Construction Chemicals - Building Systems headquarters in suburban Minneapolis.
The 50,879 square foot Shakopee, Minnesota facility was originally constructed in 1972 and has since three renovations and one major addition. Highlights of the LEED-approved program include landfill waste reduction, an improvement of IAQ for the 100+ on-site employees and a sustainable purchasing program.
“As a supplier of products and solutions to this market, our decision to certify our building is an outward expression of our commitment, and has allowed us to more fully understand what it takes to participate in green and sustainable construction and renovation projects,” said Doug MacRae, Head of Building Systems.
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 15,000 employees in North America, and had sales of approximately $17.5 billion in 2008.
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Gophers Awarded LEED Silver
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The University of Minnesota Gophers’ new 58,800-seat football stadium has been awarded LEED Silver by the USGBC. The Minneapolis venue was designed by Populous is officially named ‘TCF Bank Stadium’ and hosted its first game on September 12th to rave reviews from fans and players.
During a two year construction period, general contracted by M.A. Mortensen Construction Co., the following sustainable features were incorporated:
- 90% recycled steel, primarily locally produced
- A high Albedo roof system
- Low-VOC paint, carpet, sealants and adhesives.
- A comprehensive storm water management system that harvests, filters and drains runoff to the Mississippi River.
The project also achieved a 50% reduction of potable water use in landscaping (30% indoor use reduction) and diverted 98 percent of construction waste from landfills. Further, in a testament to the true sustainable nature of the facility, it can be expanded to just over 80,000 seats.
Take a virtual tour of this impressive stadium at http://stadium.gophersports.com.
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Campus Square Building: Yesterday Meets Tomorrow
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Present Day
A careful integration of the historic facade, renewable energy, and stringent green building practices gave birth to The Campus Square Building in Midtown Harrisburg, Pa. Campus Square is a landmark mixed-use facility in the community and plans to become the first LEED® Gold Core and Shell Building in Harrisburg, Pa. This building is part of a major revitalization by the city which, in Midtown, has been spearheaded by GreenWorks Development. Their plan is to build/renovate over 1 million square feet within the 10 block radius of Midtown and do it all in an environmentally responsible manner.
Anchoring the Green Building Design was forty-six (46) geothermal wells (located under the footprint of the building) and a 220 Panel Solar PV System (42 kW) on the roof. The Energy Harvest Grant which will fund the Solar Equipment was the first stimulus dollars awarded in the state of Pa. In addition to the ground source heat pumps and solar PV system, here are some of the various green aspects of Campus Square Building: fly ash used in every yard of concrete, white roofing material, high efficiency glazing, completely automated building management system (Wireless ATC, Security, Lighting & Solar), regional materials, IAQ plan during construction, low VOC materials, high recycled content in the finishes, low flow water closets and waterless urinals.
Circa 1964
From the early conceptual stages of the project, LEED was a priority. With the Architect (Ganflec Architects), Construction Manager (Wohlsen Construction) and an MEP Design Build Team all working closely together through budgeting and design to come up with the ultimate balance of cost, green aspects, efficiency and quality. The end result is a well thought out, socially and environmentally responsible project which will house the new Green Center of Central Pa and several other tenants. Hopefully the students of the new Green Center will be able to learn first hand from the green building aspects of Campus Square and assist in the continual growth of the industry.
LEEDBlogger.com guest author William Sutton was named Wohlsen Construction Companies‘ Green Liason in 2008 and works day to day as a Project Manager on their LEED and Green Building Projects. To date, he has worked on 6 LEED projects in various phases of construction and is working with several owners currently to determine and establish green building goals. William is on several green building committees throughout Central Pa and also volunteers at local schools and colleges to give informative talks about Green and LEED. Follow William on Twitter via @LEED_Resource.If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Video: Empire State Building to Seek LEED Gold
Posted by: | CommentsNew York’s famous Empire State Building is pursing LEED Gold certification with a goal of reducing annual energy consumption by an impressive 38%.
Planned improvements include an ambitious replacement of the building’s entire window system, an upgrade of heating and cooling plants and the integration of a smart lighting system. The $13.2MM project will provide an estimated annual energy savings of $4.4MM, yielding a three-year payback on investment.
The following video summarizes the project and includes interviews with the building’s owner, Anthony E. Malkin, and Scott Horst, EVP of LEED with the USGBC.
Special thanks to Brandon Bloch with the US Department of State and America.gov for providing this video.
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ASHRAE Releases Prototype Label for Building Efficiency
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Similar in intent to the EnergyGuide label that is present on appliances, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released the prototype design for its advanced building energy labeling program.
The Building Energy Quotient program, which will be known as Building EQ, will rank all types of buildings except residential from a grade scale of ‘A+’ for Net Zero Energy to ‘F’ for Unsatisfactory. Each asset will have a two rankings based on (i) it’s designed/modeled efficiency and the (ii) operational efficiency of a building - and both will be displayed on the label.
“ASHRAE’s label will help building owners differentiate their product in a technically sound manner while providing tenants with the tools they need to select energy-efficient spaces,” said Ron Jarnagin, chair of ASHRAE’s committee for developing the program .
In the Building EQ system, ASHRAE has borrowed quite a bit from the UK’s Display Energy Certificate (DEC) program. The DEC system became mandatory for large buildings in the UK in October of 2008.
The Building EQ system will officially be launched in 2010, but beta testing by a select group of users will start in the fall of 2009.
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Salem State College Announces LEED Dormitory
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Photo Credit: DiMella Shaffer
Salem State College has announced that they will be targeting LEED silver certification on a new, 525-student residence hall.
The project, estimated to cost $57.5MM, will feature a green roof, high recycled content materials, an occupant-interactive energy management system, a high percentage of daylighted spaces and, possibly, a solar PV system.
Built on a former light bulb factory site, the new building will incorporate the use of 15-resident pods that may be grouped together based on common interests or degrees of study. Additionally, the 320-seat in-building cafeteria will have a fully glazed exterior wall, creating a fully-daylighted dining area.
“One reason higher education institutions have latched onto the concept of sustainability is that this is what we are teaching the next generation of leaders,” said Edward Adelman, executive director of the Massachusetts State College Building Authority.
The project was designed by firm of DiMella Shaffer.
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Cub Foods Store Awarded LEED Gold
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A newly-opened 62,900 square foot Cub Foods store in Phelan, MN has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the USGBC, making it one of only three grocery stores in the nation to attain Gold certification.
“Cub Foods has a vested interest in supporting the communities where we do business, and contributing to the redevelopment of St. Paul’s East Side was a natural fit for us,” said Brian Huff, president of Cub Foods. “Choosing to build a LEED Gold Certified building was another example of Cub’s dedication to preserving the environment for future generations.”
- 44 skylights that illuminate 75 percent of regularly occupied spaces are daylighted with a solar-powered GPS tracking system that redirects sunlight.
- A maintenance-free floor system that eliminates the need for chemical cleaners.
- 75 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills.
- Interior fixture that provide a 35% savings in lighting costs.
- LED parking lot lighting with a useful life of 40 years and results in a 50% energy savings
- 35 percent savings in lighting costs compared to typical Cub stores.
- 50% of the materials from the building previously on the site (and demolished) were recycled or reused in the construction of the new building.
- A landscape irrigation system that uses 50% less water.
“Cub Foods submitted 41 points to the USGBC for LEED Gold consideration,” said Scott Reinke, senior project manager for SuperValu, Cub Foods’ parent company. “To have all 41 points approved is exceptional in the industry of green building development.”
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Frito-Lay Plans LEED Certified Addition, Biomass Boiler in Topeka
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Frito-Lay has announced plans to expand their Topeka, KS facility with a 30,000 square foot addition that is targeting LEED Silver certification.
The warehouse building, to be built adjacent an existing manufacturing and distribution facility will, among other strategies employ daylighting, recycled-content materials, a high-efficiency lighting system, energy-saving motors and conveyors, and a construction waste management program to meet requirements.
In addition to expanding the current facility, the company plans to install a biomass boiler to heat the oil used in the manufacture of snack chips. The new boiler is forecasted to reduce the natural gas consumption of the factory by an impressive 85%.
The biomass used in the new system will be wood waste, primarily sourced from the a nearby city of Topeka yard materials recycling center.
Frito-Lay employs just over 800 people in the facility. To learn more about Frito-Lay’s environmental programs, visit www.FritoLay.com.
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Video: Nation’s First LEED Platinum Hotel
Posted by: | CommentsThe Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina has earned a coveted LEED Platinum certification - the first hotel in North America to do so.
The hotel features solar hot water, a geothermal system, 97% daylighting, low-flow fixtures that are estimated to save in excess of 2 million gallons of water each year, and a regenerative drive elevator.
To find out more about the 70+ sustainable initiatives that add up to more than 39% energy saving each year visit Proximity Hotel’s site here.
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