This week, the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach, Va., earned Living Building Challenge certification from the International Living Future Institute. The certification means the building produced more energy than it used for 12 consecutive months while meeting other sustainable criteria.
One feature that defines the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s education building for the is rainwater filtration system that makes the rain drinkable. According to the building’s architect, SmithGroupJJR, the Brock Center is the first commercial building in the continental U.S. to be permitted to treat, to federal standards, harvested rainwater for potable uses. Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in tanks below an elevated first floor. A filtration system renders the water suitable for drinking and hand washing.
The Brock Center also has waterless, composting toilets, and grey water from sinks and showers is filtered for use in an attached garden of native plants. Water is then naturally cleaned and returned to an underground aquifier.
SmithGroupJJR says the Brock Center generated 83% more energy than it used over the past year. Two 70-foot 10-kilowatt wind turbines and 168 solar panels were used to generate all of the building’s energy.
The 10,500-sf building also has sustainable features like natural daylighting and sunshading, natural ventilation, and geo-thermal heating and cooling.
The Brock Center was completed in November 2014 for $8 million.
(Click photos to enlarge. Photos: Prakash Patel, courtesy SmithGroupJJR.)
Related Stories
| Jan 11, 2014
Getting to net-zero energy with brick masonry construction [AIA course]
When targeting net-zero energy performance, AEC professionals are advised to tackle energy demand first. This AIA course covers brick masonry's role in reducing energy consumption in buildings.
| Jan 7, 2014
World Expo village in Kazakhstan to be triple net zero
World Expo 2017, planned for Astana, Kazakhstan, calls for an expo village that rates triple net zero—zero net use of energy and water and zero net generation of landfill waste.
| Jan 6, 2014
Green Building Initiative names Jerry Yudelson as new President
The Green Building Initiative announced today that it has named Jerry Yudelson as its president to accelerate growth of the non-profit and further leverage its green building assessment tools, including the highly recognized Green Globes rating system.
| Jan 6, 2014
An interview with Jerry Yudelson, President, The Green Building Initiative
Green building consultant Jerry Yudelson has been named President of the Green Building Initiative and the Green Globes rating program. BD+C's Robert Cassidy talks with Yudelson about his appointment and the future of Green Globes.
| Jan 3, 2014
World’s tallest vegetated façade to sprout in Sri Lanka [slideshow]
Set to open in late 2015, the 46-story Clearpoint Residences condo tower will feature planted terraces circling the entire structure.
| Jan 2, 2014
Measuring whole building energy use among big changes in LEED v4
A new prerequisite in LEED v4 calls for each project to measure whole building energy use, and then share that data with USGBC.
| Jan 2, 2014
Sacramento utility maintenance facility earns LEED Platinum, targets net zero
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s new maintenance facility, which is targeting net zero, has received LEED Platinum certification.
| Dec 27, 2013
Grand Cancun to be first net-zero energy luxury eco-tourism resort
Using a marine platform concept instead of an artificial island, the development will create more space with less impact in the fragile marine ecosystem.
| Dec 26, 2013
WDMA launches project to create ISO-compliant architectural doors
WDMA's National Architectural Door Council has initiated a project to create ISO-compliant Product Category Rules for architectural wood flush and stile and rail doors
| Dec 17, 2013
Nation's largest net-zero K-12 school among winners of 2013 Best of Green Schools award
The Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, was named a winner of USGBC's annual award, along with nine other schools, individuals and communities working toward the common goal of healthy, high-performing learning places.
