Military and government clients—federal, state, and local—have been strong advocates of green building for more than a decade. They see sustainable design as vital to cost savings, as well as fulfilling their mission to minimize the impact on the environment.
On the military front, consider the New Hampshire Air National Guard Operations and Training Facility, located on the Pease Air National Guard Base at Portsmouth International Airport. The Building Team of P&S Construction (GC) and Science Applications International Corp. was able to achieve LEED Gold for the client. Sustainable strategies included minimizing solar heat gain on the roof and window exposures, installing a heat pump system, and specifying water-efficient plumbing fixtures that met maintenance requirements.
Last year, the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California became home to the first LEED Platinum U.S. Marine building, the Wounded Warrior Barracks, designed by Cass, Sowatsky, Chapman & Associates and built by Balfour Beatty via design/build delivery for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command.
This year, Balfour Beatty completed construction of two new Platinum buildings—the Wounded Warrior Headquarters Building and the Hope and Care Center (photo, page 38)—at the Wounded Warrior West Coast headquarters location at Camp Pendleton. The two buildings are expected to reduce annual water use by 84,000 gallons and provide energy savings of more than $52,000 annually.
At the federal level, the Marine Research and Education Center at the Salt River Bay National Park and History Preserve on the island of St. Croix, V.I., takes an in-depth approach to water conservation in its design.
A 60,000-sf facility dedicated to the study and education of marine ecosystems, this net-zero water and energy project will treat all wastewater on site. One hundred percent of water usage will be collected from rainwater, thus enabling the project to target both LEED Gold and at least three petals under Living Building Challenge guidelines.
Water conservation and reuse is also a major sustainable feature at the Federal Center South Building 1202 in Seattle. Designed by ZGF Architects and constructed by Heery International, the LEED Gold-targeted, 209,000-sf converted warehouse houses a 25,000-gallon concrete cistern for capturing rainwater for reuse in irrigation and toilet use throughout the facility.
At the U.S. Customs Field Operations Facility in Sells, Ariz., architectural shading and drought-tolerant and native landscaping allows for a 45% savings in water over a comparable building. The 10,092-sf expansion earned LEED Silver, thanks to the efforts of its Building Team: Green Ideas Sustainability Consultants, Davis Enterprises, Acceleration Construction Technologies, and Logan E. Van Sittert Architects.
A major contributor to that rating was the team’s prefabrication strategy. Sixty percent of the building was prefabricated offsite and delivered in 12 modular units, reducing construction waste by 89% and minimizing habitat disturbance.
The NASA Langley Research Center Headquarters in Hampton, Va., was constructed as part of Langley’s 15-year New Town Strategic Concept Plan, which is designed to create modernized facilities while developing cost-effective strategies.
Using sustainable techniques, Hill International, along with Whiting-Turner Contracting, was able to modernize the design while incorporating green products to save energy and lower costs. The team was originally shooting for LEED Gold, but was happy to learn the project had achieved Platinum status.
Builders and designers are also employing green methods for buildings at the state and local level, many of which begin on the roof.
At the Johnson County Criminalistics Lab in Olathe, Kan., a 1,100-sf vegetative roofing system sits atop the LEED Platinum building. The roof’s membrane also houses photovoltaic panels, making it an onsite renewable energy source.
A 15,000-sf 911 facility in Morris, Ill., designed and built by Wight & Co., received the 2011 Excellence in Engineering Award from the Illinois chapter of ASHRAE. The building’s only source of heating and cooling comes from a ground-loop geothermal system, where heat generated by the mission critical facility’s computer system is captured to heat the building.
In Alexandria, Va., the city’s Public Safety Headquarters was rated LEED Gold (v2.2). Pipes from the HVAC system conduct condensate into the facility’s 30,000-gallon cistern to assist with irrigation, reducing the building’s potable water use by 30%. Designed by HDR Architecture and constructed by the Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., 64% of the building is daylit, including the atrium, first-floor offices, and basement open office areas.
Sustainable design has even penetrated the wastewater industry. The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks earned LEED Platinum for the Brightwater Environmental Education and Community Center, Woodinville, Wash.
Designed by MITHUN (with Streeter and Associates), engineered by CH2M Hill and Brown and Caldwell, and built by Hoffman Construction, the 15,0000-sf center functions on the resources generated from the adjacent wastewater treatment plant, harnessing methane for heat and using reclaimed water for toilets and irrigation.
Mortenson Construction used similar processes at the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Facility in Pierce County, Wash., where waste-to-energy is used to heat the plant year-round, while yielding 40 dry tons of fertilizer per week. +
Related Stories
| Mar 6, 2013
Robert Ivy, Jerry Yudelson announced as keynoters for BUILDINGChicago
Robert Ivy, FAIA, CEO of the American Institute of Architects, will be the keynote speaker at BUILDINGChicago on Tuesday, September 10, 2013. Jerry Yudelson, PE, LEED Fellow, the author of 13 books on sustainable design, will deliver the Wednesday, September 11, keynote address.
| Mar 6, 2013
German demonstration building features algae-powered façade
Exterior of carbon-neutral demonstration building consists of hollow glass panels containing micro-algae "farms."
| Mar 5, 2013
Recycled recreation: Waste-to-energy plant combines with ski resort
A new project near Copenhagen pushes the boundaries of the term "mixed use," combining a waste-to-energy plant with a ski resort.
| Mar 5, 2013
Barbara Mullenex joins Washington, D.C., office of Perkins Eastman as principal
The Board of Directors of top international design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman is pleased to announce that Barbara Mullenex RA has joined the growing Washington, DC, office as a Principal. Mullenex joins with a distinguished career of more than 26 years of industry experience in architecture and interior design focused on hospitality and corporate interiors.
| Mar 4, 2013
Dewberry names James Draheim president of architectural practice
Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, has recently hired James Draheim, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, as president of the firm’s 175-person nationwide architectural practice. Draheim will be responsible for all facets of the firm’s business development, operations, strategic planning, and growth.
| Mar 4, 2013
German healthcare design specialist TMK Architekten joins HDR Architecture
TMK Architekten • Ingenieure, one of Germany’s leading healthcare architecture firms, announced today that it is joining forces with HDR Architecture, the world’s No. 1 healthcare and science + technology design firm. The merged company will conduct business as HDR TMK, and will be the hub for the firm’s healthcare and science + technology design programs in Europe.
| Mar 4, 2013
Korean Air, AC Martin collaborating on Western region's tallest tower
The 1,100-foot Wilshire Grand will combine retail and restaurant space, offices, and a luxury hotel in the sky.
| Mar 4, 2013
Gehry unveils design for Santa Monica hotel-condo tower
If all goes as planned, Frank Gehry will design the first building in his hometown in some 25 years.
| Mar 3, 2013
World's first LEGO museum planned in Denmark
Bjarke Ingels Group and Ralph Appelbaum Associates will team up with the LEGO Group to design the physical home for The LEGO House, the world's first museum dedicated to LEGO.
| Feb 28, 2013
Daniel J. Rectenwald promoted to chief operating officer of HGA
HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) has promoted Daniel J. Rectenwald, AIA, to Chief Operating Officer. He will oversee daily operation of the firm’s design and business strategies across seven national offices.