The U.S. Green Building Council awarded the Joliet Junior College (JJC) Facility Services Building a LEED New Construction 2009 Gold certification – making the Facility Services Building the first of its kind on a higher education campus to receive this level of certification.
Designed by Legat Architects and built by Gilbane, the Facility Services Building’s new mechanical and electrical systems resulted in a 42% reduction in energy use and an annual savings of approximately 37% in operating costs.
Gilbane oversaw the procurement, installation and commissioning of all the LEED systems, working with contractors to ensure that they used LEED-compliant materials and submitting the documentation for all of the LEED construction-related points. The team also worked with JJC to lead a significant construction waste recycling effort.
Sustainable elements of the building include:
- Geothermal HVAC system to reduce heating and cooling loads
- Reflective roof surface to reduce heat gain
- Solar heat collectors tied to outside air intake to minimize the amount of energy used to heat the inside of the building
- Use of LED lighting in all areas of the building
- Motion sensors for lighting in occupied spaces
- Operable, high-efficiency windows to improve ventilation and bring in fresh air
- More than 75% of construction waste diverted from landfills
- Use of recycled and locally sourced materials during construction
- Low-VOC paints, adhesives, and sealants used in all spaces of the building
JJC’s Facility Services Building is part of a $220 million master plan aimed at transforming the college’s approach to sustainability and efficiency. The 42,500-square-foot facility replaces several scattered temporary buildings that previously housed the custodial, maintenance, planning/construction and roads/grounds staff at JJC. BD+C
Related Stories
| Nov 9, 2010
U.S. Army steps up requirements for greening building
Cool roofs, solar water heating, and advanced metering are among energy-efficiency elements that will have to be used in new permanent Army buildings in the U.S. and abroad starting in FY 2013. Designs for new construction and major renovations will incorporate sustainable design and development principles contained in ASHRAE 189.1.
| Nov 9, 2010
Designing a library? Don’t focus on books
How do you design a library when print books are no longer its core business? Turn them into massive study halls. That’s what designers did at the University of Amsterdam, where they transformed the existing 27,000-sf library into a study center—without any visible books. About 2,000 students visit the facility daily and encounter workspaces instead of stacks.
| Nov 9, 2010
Turner Construction report: Green buildings still on the agenda
Green buildings continue to be on the agenda for real estate owners, developers, and corporate owner-occupants, according to the Turner 2010 Green Building Market Barometer. Key findings: Almost 90% of respondents said it was extremely or very likely they would incorporate energy-efficiency improvements in their new construction or renovation project, and 60% expected to incorporate improvements to water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and green materials.
| Nov 5, 2010
New Millennium’s Gary Heasley on BIM, LEED, and the nonresidential market
Gary Heasley, president of New Millennium Building Systems, Fort Wayne, Ind., and EVP of its parent company, Steel Dynamics, Inc., tells BD+C’s Robert Cassidy about the Steel Joist Manufacturer’s westward expansion, its push to create BIM tools for its products, LEED, and the outlook for the nonresidential construction market.
| Nov 3, 2010
First of three green labs opens at Iowa State University
Designed by ZGF Architects, in association with OPN Architects, the Biorenewable Research Laboratory on the Ames campus of Iowa State University is the first of three projects completed as part of the school’s Biorenewables Complex. The 71,800-sf LEED Gold project is one of three wings that will make up the 210,000-sf complex.
| Nov 3, 2010
Park’s green education center a lesson in sustainability
The new Cantigny Outdoor Education Center, located within the 500-acre Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Ill., earned LEED Silver. Designed by DLA Architects, the 3,100-sf multipurpose center will serve patrons of the park’s golf courses, museums, and display garden, one of the largest such gardens in the Midwest.
| Nov 3, 2010
Public works complex gets eco-friendly addition
The renovation and expansion of the public works operations facility in Wilmette, Ill., including a 5,000-sf addition that houses administrative and engineering offices, locker rooms, and a lunch room/meeting room, is seeking LEED Gold certification.
| Nov 3, 2010
Sailing center sets course for energy efficiency, sustainability
The Milwaukee (Wis.) Community Sailing Center’s new facility on Lake Michigan counts a geothermal heating and cooling system among its sustainable features. The facility was designed for the nonprofit instructional sailing organization with energy efficiency and low operating costs in mind.
| Nov 3, 2010
Seattle University’s expanded library trying for LEED Gold
Pfeiffer Partners Architects, in collaboration with Mithun Architects, programmed, planned, and designed the $55 million renovation and expansion of Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons at Seattle University. The LEED-Gold-designed facility’s green features include daylighting, sustainable and recycled materials, and a rain garden.
| Nov 3, 2010
Recreation center targets student health, earns LEED Platinum
Not only is the student recreation center at the University of Arizona, Tucson, the hub of student life but its new 54,000-sf addition is also super-green, having recently attained LEED Platinum certification.
