The Arizona Army National Guard (AZ ARNG) Readiness Center in Florence, Ariz., has been awarded LEED Silver certification, as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), through its wholly owned subsidiary SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, LLC, provided design and contract administration services for the facility, including sustainable design and LEED administration services.
LEED certification of the AZ ARNG Readiness Center was based on a number of green design and construction features SAIC implemented that positively impacted the project and the broader community. These features included:
- Preferred parking stalls for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles and covered parking for motorcycles to encourage use of alternative means of transportation.
- Exterior and interior lighting system designs that reduce night sky light pollution and support the nocturnal ecosystem.
- Mechanical systems that reduce energy costs by 29%, thus saving money for AZ ARNG while lessening the building’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
- Low-flow plumbing fixtures that result in a 40% reduction in water usage, saving money and contributing to a more secure water future.
- Solar heated water system that reduces energy costs for hot water.
- Sustainable materials that contained 30% recycled content--more than 20% of which was harvested and manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.
- Wood products used in the project harvested from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests.
- More than 85% of construction and demolition waste diverted from landfill to be either recycled or salvaged for reuse.
- Interior finish materials, paint coatings, sealants, and adhesives that meet low-volatile organic compound standards. +
Related Stories
| Nov 1, 2010
Vancouver’s former Olympic Village shoots for Gold
The first tenants of the Millennium Water development in Vancouver, B.C., were Olympic athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Games. Now the former Olympic Village, located on a 17-acre brownfield site, is being transformed into a residential neighborhood targeting LEED ND Gold. The buildings are expected to consume 30-70% less energy than comparable structures.
| Oct 27, 2010
Grid-neutral education complex to serve students, community
MVE Institutional designed the Downtown Educational Complex in Oakland, Calif., to serve as an educational facility, community center, and grid-neutral green building. The 123,000-sf complex, now under construction on a 5.5-acre site in the city’s Lake Merritt neighborhood, will be built in two phases, the first expected to be completed in spring 2012 and the second in fall 2014.
| Oct 21, 2010
GSA confirms new LEED Gold requirement
The General Services Administration has increased its sustainability requirements and now mandates LEED Gold for its projects.
| Oct 18, 2010
World’s first zero-carbon city on track in Abu Dhabi
Masdar City, the world’s only zero-carbon city, is on track to be built in Abu Dhabi, with completion expected as early as 2020. Foster + Partners developed the $22 billion city’s master plan, with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, Aedas, and Lava Architects designing buildings for the project’s first phase, which is on track to be ready for occupancy by 2015.
| Oct 13, 2010
Editorial
The AEC industry shares a widespread obsession with the new. New is fresh. New is youthful. New is cool. But “old” or “slightly used” can be financially profitable and professionally rewarding, too.
| Oct 13, 2010
Test run on the HP Z200 SFF Good Value in a Small Package
Contributing Editor Jeff Yoders tests a new small-form factor, workstation-class desktop in Hewlett-Packard’s line that combines performance of its minitower machine with a smaller chassis and a lower price.
| Oct 13, 2010
Prefab Trailblazer
The $137 million, 12-story, 500,000-sf Miami Valley Hospital cardiac center, Dayton, Ohio, is the first major hospital project in the U.S. to have made extensive use of prefabricated components in its design and construction.
| Oct 13, 2010
Thought Leader
Sundra L. Ryce, President and CEO of SLR Contracting & Service Company, Buffalo, N.Y., talks about her firm’s success in new construction, renovation, CM, and design-build projects for the Navy, Air Force, and Buffalo Public Schools.
| Oct 13, 2010
Hospital tower gets modern makeover
The Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn., expanded its D unit, a project that includes a 243,443-sf addition with a 12-room operating suite, a 36-bed intensive care unit, and an enlarged emergency department.