High-Profile: Annual Green Supplement 2013 by High-Profile

Annual Green Supplement

December, 2013

1 Annual Supplement:

Green News

N E W E N G L A N D FA C I L I T I E S D E V E L O P M E N T N E W S I N D U S T R Y EXPERT ARTICLES

DECEMBER 2013

Duke’s Med School Strikes Gold

New Learning Center Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative

Suzanne Robinson Page...5

Roland Tang Page...11

Jacob Higginbottom Page...12

Bryan Thorp Page...13

Inside this Issue:

The Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center

William X. Wall Experiment Station Gets LEED Platinum Re-Stream Focuses on Environmental Responsibility The Northern Pass Proposed New Route HP Interview - Tiffany King: A Profile Comfort Block by Chris Genest Benchmarking Energy and Water Use by Michael J. Brier Rainwater Harvesting – Controls in the Cloud by Steve Roy, Marcus Quigley, and Chuck Raymond Plus more green news...

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2 Annual GreenFacilities Supplement High-Profile: Annual Green Developments

December, 2013

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December, 2013

Leasing Green or Working Green, Your Choice by Anastasia Barnes The A/E/C industry is busier than ever designing, building, and retrofitting all kinds of buildings in the Northeast. More and more, tenants are seeking out sustainable workspaces, as well as practicing sustainability in the office. Anastasia Barnes For landlords, this means either building from scratch or retrofitting their existing commercial buildings. Okay, that seems simple, but what if landlords haven’t the funds? They can offer what is called a green lease, which is a contractual obligation that integrates sustainable practice requirements to be maintained by the landlord at the expense of the tenant. This kind of contract must be certified and is offered through resources such as BOMAorg, REALPAC. org, or The Model Green Lease. So what happens if a tenant can’t afford a green lease but still wants to maintain a sustainable environment? Well here are some tips that I came across from Kansas University’s Center for Sustainability: • Maintain a standard of turning off lights, computers, monitors, printers, and copiers. • Use compact fluorescent light bulbs in floor and desk lamps.

• Rearrange workspaces to use areas with natural light and turn off overhead lights. • Set up an ongoing recycling system in your office. Employees can take turns emptying the recycling bin. • Recycle! That means cardboard, newspaper, and food/beverage containers. This can also be with electronic equipment, non-alkaline batteries, or toner cartridges • Use technology over paper, whenever possible. (for applications, evaluations, memos, etc…). • Request reusable dishes, silverware, and napkins. Use pitchers of water instead of bottled water. Nowadays, most of us are already in the habit of practicing green living/working, but it’s always good to be reminded that an individual’s action impacts the whole. This year’s supplement offers our readers a peak into some of New England’s finest green experts and high performance buildings. BE14 is the most established conference in the Northeast that targets people and businesses interested in the renewable energy and high-performance building market. 2014’s conference offers workshops, speakers, exhibits, competitions, awards, and various networking events. Learn and be engaged! Be sure to stop by our booth to say hello. Perhaps you are an expert in green! Anastasia Barnes is Associate Publisher for High-Profile’s Annual Green Issue.

For Those Responsible for the Built Environment

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Towers|Golde’s award-winning design for Gateway Community College incorporates many green systems and technologies.

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Wall Experiment Station Gets Platinum O’Connor CM

Exterior of William X. Wall Experiment Station Canton, MA - O’Connor Constructors, Inc. of Canton was selected as construction managers by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to renovate the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Senator William X. Wall Experiment Station in Lawrence. Together with the architect, Perkins + Will of Boston and Engineer, RDK Engineers of Andover, the team successfully completed the project which recently achieved LEED Platinum certification. This complex project was broken into two scopes of work. After the 13,000sf, three-story addition was constructed, the DEP staff moved into the addition which made the existing 22,000sf available for the necessary renovations. The entire project was conducted while the building remained occupied and operational. Along with the design team at Perkins + Will, O’Connor Constructors worked to accumulate all the necessary credits for review and submission to the U.S. Green Building Council. Elements which helped this building to achieve the LLED Platinum level include: 52.5 kW solar photo-voltaic system, rain gardens and stormwater detention basins to protect the Merrimack River, high performance roof and green roofed areas, rain water harvesting for reuse in water closets and cooling tower, water efficient plumbing (40% savings), day-lighting of 75% of the space, electric vehicle charging stations, optimized energy performance and building materials that are low VOC, come from regional sources, and contain recycled materials. Initially, the William X. Wall Experiment Station’s goal was to obtain LEED Gold certification. During the project design, it was concluded the design and amenities had the potential to surpass Gold and achieve platinum. The owners had a strong desire to meet the platinum status

and establish a benchmark in the industry for future projects. As construction manager, O’Connor Constructors put forth best efforts to guarantee all achievable LEED credits were met. Through early planning and open communication amongst the project team, the design team designed the building to meet and exceed USGBS early in the conceptual stage rather than trying to transform a baseline building design into a green building design. This process was significant to achieving the projects sustainable goals. LEED requirements were built into every subcontract and throughout the submittal process. O’Connor’s LEED accredited Project Engineer carefully reviewed each submittal to confirm the materials met the specifications, were accompanied by the necessary LEED documentation and demonstrated that the subcontractor understood the process. During the first submittal review, the Green Building Council responded with questions regarding design and construction credits. The construction and design team collaborated and responded to each credit question, and with a first resubmittal, The William X. Wall Experiment Station was successful in receiving approval for Platinum Certification. This project is the commonwealth of Massachusetts’s first laboratory to receive the highly regarded LEED Platinum certification. It is one of only 29 LEED certified buildings in Massachusetts. Nationally only 2% of LEED Certified buildings attain the Platinum level. The William X. Wall Experiment Station is not only a LEED Platinum building, but an energy efficient building. The facility has a minimal ecological impact and utilizes its urban surroundings and enhanced indoor systems and will contribute to the comfort and well-being of the occupants within the state of the art laboratory for years to come. Continued on page 11

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December, 2013

Rainwater Harvesting – Controls in the Cloud by Steve Roy, Marcus Quigley, and Chuck Raymond Rainwater harvesting is becoming more and more common in both commercial buildings and single-family and multifamily residential buildings as one aspect of green design, also referred to as green infrastructure or sustainable development. Rainwater harvesting is the collection, pretreatment (as needed), storage, and reuse of rainwater, usually on-site. There are several variations of these systems, and rainwater can be collected from building roofs and both paved and landscaped surfaces. Rainwater is typically directed to any of a number of types of cisterns which can be either aboveground or underground. Once collected, the stored rainwater can be used for a variety of functions. While not suitable for drinking water, it can be used for landscape watering, washing vehicles, cooling water make-up, industrial processes, additional fire protection, and others. Having a dependable, well-designed rainwater harvesting system for on-site reuse of stored runoff is all well and good, but who has the time or excess personnel to check on the fullness of the cisterns, calculate and verify that they have the capacity to handle the next rainstorm, and, if needed, empty them ahead of time? This time and money constraint is what has led to the next step in their advancement, the step towards “smart” rainwater harvesting Geosyntec Consultants has developed an advanced rainwater harvesting controller, known as OptiRTC, that receives Internet-based weather forecast information to automatically empty rainwater cisterns in advance of storm events to maximize stor-

Chuck Raymond Steve Roy age. The smart aspect of this, as mentioned above, is that it’s all done automatically with no human intervention. Its actions are based on software programming and online NOAA weather forecasts. Computing and data are stored in the cloud, and access to the system functions is provided through simple-to-use dashboards. Cloud computing, or the cloud, is a term used to describe a variety of different types of computing concepts that involve a real-time communication network such as the Internet. For example, if the cisterns are, say, 75% full, and the NOAA forecast indicates that there will be enough rain the next day to overfill the cisterns, OptiRTC will automatically empty the cisterns ahead of the storm. Not only does this ensure that the cisterns will have the capacity to capture and store the expected rain, but it will have emptied the cisterns when the city’s storm sewer system has the capacity to handle it. This helps to reduce impacts to the stormwater system, especially if you happen to be in a community with combined sewers where large rainstorms combined with municipal sewage can easily overflow the system. This sends a combination of raw untreated rainwater and sewage into waterways, wet-

lands, and other sensitive areas. Utilizing OptiRTC, rainwater harvesting systems provide dual benefits of water conservation and stormwater management through real-time control of rainwater storage. Geosyntec has designed and installed these smart rainwater harvesting systems in some very urban locations thus far, where the owner or proponent has seen that the ability to automatically capture, store, and manage rainwater that would otherwise be wasted is of great value. In Washington, DC, Geosyntec designed and installed a smart OptiRTC-based rainwater harvesting system at two district fire stations. This will not only allow the district to save money by washing their trucks with captured rainwater versus paying for city water, but having OptiRTC empty the cisterns ahead of storms keeps runoff from the stations from impacting the district’s combined sewer system. The district is also saving money on a stormwater utility fee from which they are now exempt because of the cisterns and porous pavement they installed in their parking areas. Other examples of the use of smart rainwater harvesting include several private and city-owned locations in and around New York City and multi-family residential locations in the St. Louis area. This article has touched on a few of the benefits to the municipalities that have these smart rainwater harvesting systems installed within them, but there are also many tangible and cost-based benefits to the real estate owners, developers, and other groups that have these systems on their own properties or those that they develop, including: • USGBS credits (e.g., LEED Sustainable Sites and Water Efficiency)

Harvested rainwater can be used to wash vehicles, water landscapes, and many other uses. • Lower stormwater utility fees/taxes and possibly even fewer penalties in combined sewer system communities • Water conservation (potable water offsets, reduced overall water demand) and associated cost reductions • Stormwater runoff volume reduction and combined sewer overflow mitigation • Improved local surface water quality • Environmental stewardship • Additional water capacity in support of climate resiliency planning OptiRTC is very effective when designed and installed as part of new construction, but it can also be used as a low cost retrofit method during reconstruction and can provide another reliable method to lessen a building’s footprint on the environment. Marcus Quigley and Steve Roy are principals at Geosyntec Consultants in Acton, Mass. Chuck Raymond is the marketing manager for the firm.

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December, 2013

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The Next Generation in Natural Ventilation by Suzanne Robinson Everyone knows the cornerstone to any sustainable project design is integrating passive strategies. The first passive strategy for most is some form of natural daylighting – add some windows and daylight dimming, and there you go. On to the next passive strategy: natural ventilation. Suzanne Robinson Make the windows operable, and you’re good to go, right? If only it was that simple. For natural ventilation, the system relies on more than just putting in some operable windows and vents and calling it a day. To work effectively, the natural ventilation system requires pressure differences to move the fresh air throughout the building. Understanding the balance between supply and exhaust is critical to identify location and sizes of openings. The design of this system cannot be done by the engineer alone like other mechanical systems. It requires an integrated design approach between the engineers and architects from the start of the project to develop a natural ventilation system that works effectively and is fully integrated into the building façade and interiors. The benefits for natural ventilation include lower capital costs, lower operating costs, occupant preferences, and productivity, the list goes on. The one that hits home the most is the reduced environmental im-

pact. As you increase mechanical cooling loads, you directly affect the regional heating effect that then demands more energy to address the extra cooling needed. It becomes a vicious cycle that compounds the issue of climate change. Natural ventilation seems like a nobrainer, and yet very few projects have natural ventilation as part of their design, and there are even fewer that operate well. Looking at projects overseas in Europe, the US is far behind in comparison. There are several items to keep in mind when understanding the differences. First, the weather in many of the areas overseas is much milder, which allows for longer periods to utilize natural ventilation while maintaining an acceptable thermal comfort. And speaking of thermal comfort, the range accepted by Americans is different than Europeans. We love our air conditioning and don’t like to feel warm in the summer. Ironically, we end up wearing more sweaters in the summer than winter sometimes. There is a mindset about acceptable thermal comfort that needs to be overcome. Finally, code in some countries mandates natural ventilation. In the U.S., the code limits the application of natural ventilation due to smoke and fire transfer issues. In the latest iteration of ASHRAE 62.1, it is now mandated that mechanical ventilation systems be provided in certain climate zones, removing the lower capital cost argument for natural ventilation when this used to be an alternative option for code compliance. But fear not. There is still a lot that can be done, working to integrate natural

ventilation into project designs. This year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with organizations and companies that are leading the industry in this arena. Overseas, Breathing Buildings is a company that came about from the research partnership between the University of Cambridge, MIT, and the BP Institute. The company develops and sells low energy ventilation systems. Here in the US, they are partnered with Price to develop these natural ventilation systems and work with project teams to integrate the systems into their project design effectively. Last month, I was out at the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE) at the University of California, Berkeley, participating in their semi-annual Industry Advisory Board Conference. The CBE is “a place where prominent industry leaders and internationally recognized researchers cooperate to produce substantial, holistic, and far-sight-

ed research on buildings.” Reviewing their latest research activities, I was heartened to see the advances in the industry, especially in the area of natural ventilation. Natural ventilation is a challenging system to design effectively. It was something that our predecessors had down to a fine art a century ago. In today’s world, things have changed, and it is through the work and research of organizations, companies, and design professionals that the new generation of natural ventilation systems continues to exist and grow. Suzanne Robinson, PE LEED AP BD+C, is the director of sustainability at Vanderweil Engineers, a MEP consulting firm. Vanderweil Engineers has been exploring new and innovative approaches to the built world with clients all over the globe.

BAC On-Line Spring Registration Boston - The Boston Architectural College (BAC) offers the Sustainable Design Certificate program, completely online, with graduate-level classes that are small, instructor-led, interactive, and asynchronous. The courses carry college credit and may be taken individually or applied towards one of four certificate programs. The program is administered by the Sustainable Design Institute (SDI) at the BAC. Four certificates are available in: Sustainable Design, Sustainable Community Planning and Design, Sustainable

Building Design, and Construction and Sustainable Residential Design. To earn a certificate, students must successfully complete six courses. Details of the course requirements for each certificate are available on the program website at www.the-bac.edu / green. The program offers a strong foundation in green building practices and principles in all aspects of the design, creation, and operation of the built environment. Spring registration opens December 16.

Benchmarking Energy and Water Use

by Michael J. Brier Benchmarking calculates energy performance. Monthly benchmarking a building’s energy and water use produces a monthly building energy performance rating. This rating makes it possible to compare energy performance of a building to similar buildings throughout the United States. With regards to apartment houses, monthly benchmarking compares energy and water efficiency and operating expense of a building to similar local buildings. What are the benefits of benchmarking? The energy performance rating is an industry standard. Ratings tell that money, energy and water can be saved. The higher the performance rating, the more savings. A low rating indicates that upgrades projects can be done to increase the rating. Benchmarking is easy and quick to set up. Monthly benchmarking quickly detects new building problems that occur. Baseline benchmarking is the starting

point and can be used to measure operational performance of upgrade projects, and benchmarking increases property values. Customer case studies show how benchmarking monthly energy and water utility bills helps to keep track of utility costs and to identify building deficiencies. In the above study of a medium-sized house of worship, deficiencies discovered in 2011 were eliminated in 2012, resulting in savings. The bar charts illustrate that over $6000 in energy and water costs were saved because of projects implemented in 2012: greater than $4000 energy savings as a result of energy-saving projects such as replacing incandescent and inefficient fluorescent lights; replacing old HVAC unit, and weatherizing exterior doors; and greater than $2000 water savings as a result of repairing a faulty outdoor sprinkler. Michael J. Brier is president of MJBrier Consulting of Westwood, Mass.

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First Passive House Certified Shrewsbury, MA - State Representative Matt Beaton and his wife Laura completed the first residence and project of any kind in Massachusetts to be formally certified as meeting the Passive House standard, currently considered the most rigorous energy-efficiency standard in the world. Beaton, who is also a general contractor and an owner of Beaton Construction LLC, and Residential Energy Solutions, a division of the company focused on weatherization and energy efficiency, built the home in Shrewsbury in the neighborhood he grew up in. The Passive House standard is aptly named as it uses passive solar design strategies along with greatly increased levels of thermal insulation and rigorous air sealing in order to balance the interior comfort of a building rather than rely primarily on “active” mechanical equipment. Based essentially on the principles of super-insulation first developed in both Canada and Massachusetts in the late 1970s, but then largely set aside in this country, the Passive House approach to design and construction was refined in Germany in the early 1990s, and has been spreading through Europe since the mid1990s. German architect Katrin Klingenberg brought the concept back to the US in the early 2000s, completing the first US Passive House in Urbana IL in 2002-2003. She helped found the Passive

December, 2013

Aiken Center Gets Platinum PC Construction GC

Completed exterior of passive house House Institute US (PHIUS) in 2007, and in just a few short years the standard has transformed the idea of “green” and energy efficient construction in the United States. As the American Institute of Architects (AIA) posted on their website for a recent conference in Seattle, “Passive House (passivhaus) is the world’s most rigorous approach to energy efficient design and construction, achieving 75%90% greaterefficiency than standard builtto-code buildings in the U.S.” In early 2009, Beaton approached AIA Associate Member Mark Yanowitz of Verdeco Designs, LLC, with the goal of designing and building his own “green” residence that could also be a model of energy efficiency for his growing business. After evaluating various construction and “clean energy” options such as geothermal and solar thermal, Yanowitz suggested the Passive House approach as the ultimate in energy efficiency.

Newly renovated George D. Aiken Center Burlington, VT - PC Construction served as the general contractor for the University of Vermont’s renovated George D. Aiken Center, constructing the university’s first LEED Platinum certified building and only the sixth LEED Platinum building in the state of Vermont. The $13 million center, home to UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, includes 37,000sf of renovations and a 2,300sf addition to house a solarium and an EcoMachine. The innovative building envelope design had never been constructed before and presented significant challenges. “Building a new LEED certified structure is one thing; renovating an existing, 30-year-old building to LEED Platinum standards is quite another,” said Jay Fayette, senior vice president for PC Construction. “We’re proud of our team’s efforts to construct this unique and highly efficient project and the first LEED platinum building for the University of Vermont.” Specifically, the building envelope represents energy performance that is over 40% more efficient than ASHRAE standards. PC Construction developed a matrix of 23 products, installed or applied by six subcontractors, which it then verified for compatibility. Prior to construction,

photo by Rajan Chawla Photography

hundreds of hours were spent constructing a mock-up of the proposed design for review and coordination. Once construction began, dimensional inconsistencies in the existing building were discovered that resulted in modification of construction details. When the air leakage compliance tests were performed upon completion of the project, PC Construction’s work had resulted in leakage rates 25% lower than the university’s goal. In all, the Aiken project earned 60 of 69 potential points in the LEED evaluation, or 87% of the total. Although the LEED scoring system has changed over the years, no other Vermont building has achieved such a high percentage of the total points possible. In the rating system used for the Aiken Center, version 2.2, 52 LEED points earns a LEED Platinum designation. Some of the components specifically associated with the LEED Platinum rating include: a green roof for stormwater management, a high performance building envelope and windows, wood for millwork harvested from UVM’s research forest, low or no VOC sealers and adhesives, water efficient plumbing fixtures, and approximately 85% of construction waste diverted from the landfill.

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December, 2013

Duke’s School of Medicine Learning Center Strikes Gold Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative

smart

Durham, NC - The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) recently announced that The Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center has received LEED Gold certification. This 115,000sf learning center, designed by SLAM in association with Duda Paine Architects, serves as Duke University’s School of Medicine and is the first building on the medical center campus to receive this level of certification. The project team’s dedication and commitment to environmental stewardship went above and beyond the client’s original request for Silver certification and was granted 98% of the total attempted points for LEED Gold certification. The newly-constructed pedestrian pathway surrounding the building not only energizes and connects the medical campus, but enhances the outdoor environment in an attractive and sustainable way. More than half of the site was restored with adaptive plants and grasses that are native to the southeast region and minimize water use. The site’s terraced rain garden captures all of the stormwater run-off from the adjoining roofs and surface run-off, serving as both water retention and water-filtering steps before being recaptured into the campus stormwater system. One of the team’s goals was to reinforce the connection to the outdoors through ample daylight and views

Duke University’s School of Medicine throughout the building. The building’s east-west orientation allows for a long southern façade that incorporates horizontal light shelves to diffuse direct sunlight into deep penetrating daylight, while the western façade utilizes vertical fins to convert direct sunlight into

deep penetrating diffused daylight, reducing overheating and saving energy by reduce lighting loads. In an effort to further enhance the learning environment, the mechanical system can sense occupancy and monitor CO2 levels to control air flow with vari-

INNOVATE… FOR EARTH’S SAKE.

able speed drives to reduce energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. Low emitting, local, rapidly renewable and recycled materials were utilized to further enhance occupant comfort and reduce the impact on the environment.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Construction will always require the management of documents, but they don’t

Duke University School of Medicine Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education

have to be paper documents. By managing our project information using online collaboration tools and cutting-edge mobile devices, we are cutting costs, streamlining projects and helping the environment.

Clients call our approach a “game changer.” We call it “building smart.”

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December, 2013

Comfort Block by Chris Genest In 2007, Genest Concrete of Sanford, Maine began to design a masonry product that could be used to help build extremely durable and energy efficient buildings. The research began in Germany to better understand a culture where most of its housing is constructed of masonry and appreciate structures that are known to be some of the most efficient in the world. Germany, like other neighboring European countries, has extremely high energy prices. It has perhaps the most passive houses in the world, and many of these are built using only masonry construction material. These homes are built using extremely thick, insulated monolithic external masonry walls as well as concrete floors and internal masonry partition walls. The walls are covered with renderings such as stucco and plaster. These homes are extremely air tight and become a concrete thermal battery able to balance internal temperature and maintain consistent temperatures through extreme cold and extreme heat. Accompanied with high performing triple pane windows, high-performance tapes and house wraps, as well as clay or steel roof tile, these homes are built to withstand the most extreme weather events and natural disasters. These masonry homes are durable and enjoy low maintenance costs over their lifetime. Genest Concrete has brought this

Example of a German House constructed with masonry

Three layers with utility channel for a small building section made with Comfort Block

commercial buildings & More

insulated monolithic masonry building technology to the United States with the introduction of Comfort Block. The blocks are 16” thick with four layers of insulation. The blocks are machine calibrated so that they may be constructed using nothing more than a couple of millimeters of adhesive between the blocks. This type of construction allows for faster building. The blocks reflect the latest masonry building technology from Europe but are designed to meet current American masonry ASTM specifications. Due to the thickness of the concrete mass accompanied by insulation, these blocks are expected to have a performance of R-30+. More research is being conducted continuously by Genest Concrete to be able to provide the building industry with efficient building methods that deliver excellent building performance. Chris Genest is general manager of Genest in Sanford, Maine, and president of its Comfort Block division.

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December, 2013

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MathWorks: A Case Study in Sustainability by Jacob Higginbottom Engineers and scientists worldwide rely on MathWorks products to accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and development. For MathWorks, technology has been the driving force to its continued achievement and innovation in developing mathematically computing Jacob Higginbottom based software. With this understanding and concept in mind, the project design team envisioned the company’s newest office building to be just as innovative as MathWorks is – especially in the areas of energy conservation, building operations technology, and sustainability. Fusing smart and sustainable elements, the team of Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, Macnamera Salvia, VanZelm Engineers, Vico Software, and Cranshaw Construction set out to build the new 180,000sf corporate facility which houses over 460 offices, multiple conference rooms, a 300 person cafeteria, a monumental stair atrium, and corporate support facilities. Unique to this core and shell design by SG&A are many sustainable highlights. Revolutionary construction coordination methods facilitated by SG&A’s use of BIM during design and construction also sets this project apart. The building exceeds the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Code for energy consumption through the use of triple glazed windows, chilled beams, progressive envelope design, close construction

Tower Entrance monitoring, an integrated cogeneration facility to convert the byproduct of the heavy cooling demands of the new data center into on-site energy, and a new 7,000sf integrated campus data center. Cogeneration – combined heat and power – refers here to the simultaneous production of thermal

and electrical energy from a single fuel source. The inherent thermal byproduct of electrical production is effectively utilized; therefore, energy costs are significantly reduced by the higher overall conversion efficiencies. The integrated campus data center allows the cogeneration system to

run and produce heating and chilled water – which are in fact by-products of the system’s waste heat. The BIM was further developed during construction to coordinate the system’s installations and for use in a revolutionary attempt to concurrently populate the model with real product data from the approved shop drawings, thus creating a true 3D as-built. This model ultimately serves as the building asset management tool, fully integrated with FM systems software and the building management and controls systems. This presents an exceptional opportunity to support post-occupancy facilities management, including preventive maintenance programs. All employees can regulate their own workspace climates through the building’s active chilled beam and cooling system implementation. In this case study, SG&A has helped create a contract with all parties where the data flows from AE to CM to subs and back into a final model representative of actual built data. The project also benefits from a unique client passionate about software and committed to streamlined FM systems support, vibrant state-of-the-art corporate environments, and environmental sustainability. This partnership between SG&A’s high-tech understanding of the BIM modeling process and MathWorks’ passion for software provides a unique opportunity to broaden the scope of architectural services, create a functional and adaptable space, and enhance post-occupancy facilities management. Jacob Higginbottom A(IA LEED AP) is a project architect at Spagnolo Gisness & Associates.

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December, 2013

Bridgeport School Leads in Green Bridgeport, CT - Fairchild Wheeler Multi-Magnet High School in Bridgeport opened its doors to the initial enrollment of 750 high school students (1,500 future) from Bridgeport and surrounding communities. With a project budget of over $100 million, this school is Connecticut’s largest new school construction project to date, as well as its most environmentally friendly. Hartford-based JCJ Architecture was selected to be the architect. Diversified Technology Consultants (DTC) was brought onboard to tackle the engineering aspects of the project. The resulting structure is nearly 300,000sf and features the latest in energy efficiency technology and sustainable strategies; fitting for a school focused on science education. Fairchild Wheeler Multi-Magnet H.S.

Wind turbines and solar panels installed on the roof

DTC designed wind turbines and solar panels to be installed on the roof in order to generate close to 120kW of on-site renewable power. The exterior of the building was made from high performance and recycled building materials, while the HVAC system was designed to incorporate high efficiency heating and cooling systems. Stephen Gendreau, PE, manager of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering at DTC, explained that the entire school was planned and constructed with the students in mind. “Since this is a teaching school, we installed flat screen monitors throughout the school that show the

l-r: Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, Gov. Dannel Malloy, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal production of the solar panels so the kids could see how they were energizing the building,” he said. DTC and JCJ Architecture modeled the entire structure in 3D using BIM technology to ensure all the mechanical systems fit within the building before the start of construction. This ultimately led to fewer issues during construction. The new high school is expected to achieve a LEED Gold rating by the USGBC, as well as perform 40% better than the code required amount of energy usage.

J. Calnan & Associates, Inc. (JC&A) strives to implement sustainable construction methodologies on projects that incorporate energy efficiency, minimal waste and reduce consumption of natural resources whenever possible. Part of this ongoing commitment includes training and ensuring that our employees are LEED accredited. JC&A is proud to report that over 90% of our project management team is LEED accredited, further enhancing our ability to offer cost effective sustainable solutions to our clients. For more information about our award winning projects and our approach to sustainability, please visit our website at: www.jcalnan.com

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December, 2013

Annual Green Supplement

Sunny Side Up: Is Your Building Appropriate for Solar? Osterville, MA - “Going green may not cost as much ‘green’ as most people think – and can even return more ‘green’ over time,” says Russ Cazeault of Cazeault Solar, based in Osterville on Cape Cod. Builders and engineers agree that a perfect roof for solar (photovoltaic / PV) shingles or panels would be large, south facing and pitched at an angle between 30º and 45º. Unfortunately, every roof can’t be ideally situated. But Cazeault says, with state-ofthe-art solar shingles or panels, an expertly designed system, and experienced installers, “Even a less-than-perfect roof can get great results, saving the residential or commercial customer on their monthly electric bills and adding value to their buildings,” Cazeault heads Cazeault Solar, a division of Cazeault Roofing, founded in 1927. It’s a locally based third-generation family business that claims to have put more roofs on Cape Cod properties than anyone. Today their service territory covers all of Eastern Massachusetts. He says that anyone considering a new roof should seriously look at combining that installation with a solar shingle or panel system. Of course, the initial cost will be more, but doing both at the same time is cost-effective. For example, a traditional roof can cost about $14,700. Doing a new roof with solar panels or including a solar panel system adds about $23,000, bringing the cost to about $37,500. Tax incentives can reduce that total to $28,000. During 25 years, solar panels will save the homeowner over $35,000, and solar renewable energy credits (SREC) will bring another $7,000 in savings. Lifetime savings will

total $42,800 and the home’s value will increase by $19,000. The expected investment rate of return (IRR) over a traditional roof is estimated to be 11.4%. Cazeault says the technology, savings, tax credits, rebates, added property value, and the overall appearance of today’s solar panels make this an ideal time for owners of homes and commercial buildings in Massachusetts to jump into solar. “Costs of solar shingles and panels and faster installation also help lower costs to help buyers reap quicker benefits,” he notes. As with any cost-benefit analysis, the estimates are site-specific and should include an analysis of the site’s shading, orientation, and roof pitch, as well as the solar equipment’s efficiency, local electric rates, and other factors. Upfront costs can be offset by such items as: • Federal Tax Credit – A 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for qualified residential and commercial projects • MassCEC’s Commonwealth Solar II – Rebate for residential and commercial systems that meet program requirements • Massachusetts Personal Income Tax Credit – The lesser of 15% of the total cost of the PV system or $1,000, for qualified clean energy projects. • Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) – Accelerated depreciation is available for eligible commercial projects. Among other incentives: Today’s solar shingled roofs have a deep, dark, purplish-blue color, closely resembling standard roof shingles, so that aesthetics is no longer an issue. Also, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center provides grants to homeowners and business owners.

Wall Experiment Station Gets Platinum

Senator William X. Wall Experiment Station Continued from page 3 RDK Engineers attended the LEED Platinum celebration of the MassDEP’s Senator William X.Wall Experiment Station project. Members of the Patrick Administration were in attendance and spoke about the cutting-edge sustainable design that helped the facility in achieving the LEED Platinum designation. Design features include a graywater collection system, photovoltaic panels, a high-efficiency HVAC system, a rainwa-

ter reclamation system, and an electric vehicle charging station. RDK Engineers served as the MEP/ FP engineer on the $31 million Senator William X. Wall Experiment Station project. It is the principal testing laboratory for the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection, responsible for regularly monitoring the air and water quality throughout the state. The work performed at Wall Experiment Station is critical for ensuring public health safety.

The Continued Greening of Massachusetts Schools by Roland Tang Schools in Massachusetts continue to go green when it comes to new construction, expansion and renovation. Students at the Douglas Elementary and Middle School, the Vinson-Owen Elementary School in Winchester, Maynard High School, and Tewksbury Memorial Roland Tang High School that CTA Construction and their project teams completed this summer, celebrated the commencement of their new school year by moving back into new learning environments that not only support a 21st century curriculum, but spaces that were designed to promote productive learning and enhance the student’s overall well-being. Some of these schools are now up to code and no longer overcrowded,

with energy performance enhanced and infrastructure updated. The Leroy L. Wood Elementary School in Fairhaven, also completed this summer, now occupies a new energy-efficient building that is oriented to take advantage of day-lighting through skylights and new classroom windows, and the artificial lighting is designed to dim automatically when there is sufficient daylight. The new Beverly High School, completed earlier, included a multitude of sustainable attributes and much consideration for sustainable site development, water usage, energy performance, material selection, recycling, and indoor environmental quality. Major building systems included exterior shading, high efficiency condensing boilers, natural ventilation and energy control systems. The building systems were designed in anticipation that the owner would, and did, install a photovoltaic array system on the roof of the building. To further enhance the sustainability of the

building project, during construction, up to 90% of the debris from the demolished building was recycled. The steel and other metals were segregated and shipped to various locations and melted down and reused. The concrete and other building materials were crushed into a finer aggregate material and sold for reuse. The recycling was part of the city of Beverly’s effort to achieve “green school” status as it completed its new high school project. The Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in New Bedford also featured a multitude of sustainable attributes. The building is located near public transit and has bike/pedestrian access. All roofing has a high solar reflective index, and exterior sunshades were used to reduce the heat island effect. Low flow fixtures are utilized throughout the building and there is no irrigation to reduce water usage. Highefficiency mechanical and electrical systems were installed. A solar array was installed on the roof to supplement the

electrical supply needed to operate the building. Over 90% of the waste generated from the construction activities was diverted from a landfill and was recycled. Academic institutions, both public and private, will continue to incorporate sustainable features into their new buildings and renovations for years to come. Whether these buildings will be specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Massachusetts Collaborative for High Performing Schools (MA-CHPS) or LEED standards, owners see the continued environmental, economic, and social benefits of building green – from improved air quality, reduced operating costs, to improved occupant productivity and learning, occupants and users will enjoy an overall improved quality of life. Roland Tang is VP of business development at CTA Construction in Waltham, Mass.

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Annual Green Supplement

December, 2013

Re-Stream Focuses on Environmental Responsibility Waltham, MA - Founded by the team that created an industry, Re-Stream is a woman-owned business enterprise based in Waltham. It is a green logistics company focused on environmental responsibility by reducing waste on both a project-based and contractual basis. The built environment has contributed more than 70% of total landfill content, and Re-Stream knows that thoughtfully repurposing and recycling from this waste source can have a positive impact on our environment now and for future generations. The company is committed to helping you execute successful business practices, backed by years of experience in logistics solutions and an extensive network of partners to ensure all physical assets be reused and or recycled, in a cost-effective manner, on any schedule you choose. The heart of the team includes Karen Osborn Shanley, who launched Re-Stream because she wanted to help businesses rethink and re-imagine how their commercial office spaces can reduce their impact on the environment while still remaining cost-effective to their bottom line. Having previously cofounded the company which introduced in the U.S. the use of what is now an industry standard of sustainable moving products (the reusable plastic moving crate), Shanley’s passion for logistics

is matched only by her dedication to the environment. Bill Osborn came to Re-Stream as a leader in green logistics. He has a lifetime of experience in sustainable moving products and recycling on a national basis. His honest enthusiasm for delivering and growing successful programs for his customer base is a continuing source of innovation. John Fantasia is an expert in operations, sustainability, and logistics. He brings excitement and energy along with his extensive previous experience with East Coast operations, which has helped Re-Stream lay a solid foundation for growth. In addition to a comprehensive line of sustainable relocation rental products, Re-Stream also offers a one-stop, white glove recycling service. Single-stream, sorted, or a combination… whatever you require, Re-Stream can develop a program to meet a company’s needs. Products and services run the the gamut from shredding, secure document and electronic equipment destruction to the recycling of PCB lightbulbs, batteries, cell phones, furniture, paper, cardboard, toner to composting and organic matter recycling, de-commissioning and debranding services – because its mission to achieve zero waste for office space. The company’s approach includes three steps to a smooth relocation proj-

ect: 1) We meet with you to assess your needs; 2) We design a program that responds to those needs; 3) We implement the program, measure and report. Re-Stream provides the following services: Development and management of sustainable recycling programs, elec-

tronic recycling, relocation rental products, composting and organic matter, recycling, secure document shredding and recycling to reduce waste, asset recycling for re-use, green clean-out/relocation purging and decommissioning, and de-branding.

ERA Completes Air Pollution Control Design for Uranium Mill Greenville, RI – Environmental Resource Associates Inc. (ERA) recently completed a design of air pollution control devices for a large grass-roots uranium ore processing facility in Southwestern United States. Operations at the facility are to include ore stockpiling and transportation, conveying, SAG milling, screening, chemical leaching, purification, and packaging. ERA’s design was governed by the need to protect workers and the environment from potential radiation and dust hazards typically associated with uranium ore processing. Local and area ventilation systems such as exhaust hoods, canopies, vents, and exhausts were sized to adequately capture the pollutants and direct the air streams to the pollution control devices. Various agency standards were applicable including the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Bureau of Mines, EPA, and

Uranium yellowcake OSHA. Due to the variable nature of the pollutants, extreme fluctuations in air temperature and humidity, ERA had to custom design air pollution control devices for each processing area and building. Air pollution control devices included bag houses, dust collectors, wet scrubbers, acid scrubbers, venturi scrubbers, and HEPA filter devices.

Joppa Flat Reopens for Commercial Clam Digging

Newburyport, MA - The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced that 250 acres of Joppa Flat in the Merrimack River estuary will be open for the commercial harvest of softshell clams by specially licensed commercial diggers. “I am happy to credit the city of Newburyport and the staff of our Division of Marine Fisheries for the hard work that was necessary to open this area to commercial clammers,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Mary Griffin. “Massachusetts’ soft shell clam har-

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vest is worth five to six million dollars annually and the opening of Joppa Flat will benefit commercial shell fishermen in the area who rely on open and productive flats for their livelihood.” The reclassification and reopening of the Joppa Flat allows the conditionally restricted commercial harvest of softshell clams (Mya arenaria). Under the restrictions, harvesting is limited to weekdays only and must be conducted by specially licensed diggers. The clams must be treated at the DMF depuration plant. Harvesting for direct human consumption remains prohibited.

Once considered among the top clam producing flats in Massachusetts, bacterial contamination had shut down this highly productive bed for over 80 years. Improved water quality and a comprehensive management plan developed with the City of Newburyport, has allowed the area to be reopened. The restrictive state and local harvesting regulations will ensure clams harvested from the area are safe to eat. Rainfall will trigger episodes of bacterial contamination in excess of national standards. Accordingly, the area will be closed to shellfishing for five to seven days after rainfalls of 0.25 inches or greater. Rainfalls of 1.50 inches or greater will result in longer closures subject to resampling.

organisms to humans if the shellfish are eaten raw or under-cooked. At the DMF Shellfish Purification Plant, the clams are placed on pallets and then lowered into one of nine 3,500 gallon tanks for depuration. Depuration is a self-cleansing process where the shellfish purge their digestive system of particulates in clean seawater; the shellfish are typically clean after two to three days at the plant. The Merrimack River was once considered one of the nation’s ten most polluted rivers. This reopening is due to concerted clean-up efforts begun over 20 years ago by local, state and federal programs and an aggressive re-sampling initiative by DMF. The reopening encompasses over 251 acres of the southeastern portion of the Joppa Flat, while the north-

The Merrimack River was once considered one of the nation’s ten most polluted rivers. This reopening is due to concerted clean-up efforts begun over 20 years ago by local, state and federal programs and an aggressive re-sampling initiative by DMF. Softshell clams and other bivalve mollusks become contaminated by filtering both harmless and pathogenic, or disease-causing, bacteria and viruses from seawater during feeding and respiration. Contaminated shellfish can transmit these

west section remains closed. Joppa Flat will join some 534 acres of Merrimack River estuary clam flats in Newburyport and Salisbury that were reopened in 2006.

December, 2013

Annual Green Supplement

How the Albert Sherman Center Exceeded its Sustainable Goal

Gathering Space crease daylight penetration. South-facing glazing incorporates external sun shades and interior light shelves to decrease solar gain while directing daylight deep into interior spaces, creating a light and airy environment for building users. In collaboration with ARC’s lighting design consultant, Lam Partners, we incorporated daylight- harvesting sensors to adjust lighting in offices, labs, and corridors to supplement the natural light only as needed. Rainwater from the roof and condensate water from the heating and cooling systems are captured and reused

owner to evaluate. Six major ERMs were implemented after considering energy cost savings, first costs, and annual maintenance costs: 1. Lab system energy recovery wheels 2. Lab/ office active chilled beams 3. Lab system reheat recovery 4. Demand control ventilation 5. VAV fume hoods 6. Displacement ventilation system Our sustainable material approach resulted in 82.9% of the construction waste to be diverted from landfills, 22.5% of all building materials were made of recycled content, and 14.53% of the materials selected were made from regional materials. The Albert Sherman Center exceeded the project’s original sustainable goal of LEED Silver, and achieved LEED Gold certification. In addition, the project has received numerous awards including the “Best Green Practices” award from The Boston Business Journal for its innovative sustainable design. We are thrilled with the results we have seen so far and are especially proud of the success from the collaborative project team approach. Bryan Thorp, AIA, LEED AP, is an associate principal at ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge in Cambridge, Mass.

photo by Vanderwarker

by the campus power plant, conserving 750,000 gallons of water each year. The Sherman Center realized the greatest energy savings by effectively managing HVAC systems and implementing innovative technologies with the help of our mechanical, electrical, and plumbing consultant, BR+A Consulting Engineers. Our team studied many options for reducing this energy usage. In developing the HVAC basis of design, we reviewed a series of energy reduction measures (ERMs) and prepared life-cycle cost information for the

The Northern Pass Proposed New Route Pittsburg Clarksville Stewartstown

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The heart of the Northern Pass project is the construction of a transmission line that will link Hydro-Québec’s electrical system with New Hampshire and New England’s electrical grid. The direct current (DC) power will travel from Canada to a converter terminal in Franklin, where it will be converted to alternating current (AC) power. The AC power will then travel to an existing electric substation located in Deerfield and be distributed throughout New Hampshire and New England. The line will deliver 1,200 megawatts (MW) of renewable power, helping to significantly reduce the region’s greenhouse gas emissions and bring great economic benefit to New Hampshire and the region.

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Hooksett, NH - The Northern Pass project, a proposed transmission line carrying low-cost renewable hydroelectric power to New Hampshire and New England, recently proposed an improved route in the northernmost section of the project area. The $1.4 billion project is subject to a comprehensive state and federal public permitting process and is expected to be operational by mid 2017. Customers will not pay any of the costs associated with the project as it will be financed by its developers. The new proposal includes an improved route, partially underground, through New Hampshire’s North Country, and was developed in response to concerns about potential visual impacts and property rights. “Over the past two years, we’ve met with landowners, citizens, key stakeholders, and public officials from across New Hampshire in an effort to better understand their concerns with our original proposal,” said Gary Long, president and COO of Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), a subsidiary of the project’s parent company, Northeast Utilities. “We have worked hard to develop a new proposal that is better for New Hampshire and responsive to feedback we’ve received.” With the new route proposal in place, the project team plans to increase its community outreach efforts in the weeks and months ahead as the federal and state permitting processes continue in earnest. For the complete story, please visit http://wp.me/p434Q8-2BX.

rimac Mer

by Bryan Thorp ARC/ Architectural Resources Cambridge (ARC) completed the $378 million Albert Sherman Center, a 512,000sf facility (with a 465,500sf adjacent parking garage) for biomedical research and education in December 2012. The Sherman Center contains 200,000sf of educational space includBryan Thorp ing a 350-seat auditorium, conference and seminar spaces, a cafeteria, a flexible function suite, campus support spaces, and a fitness center for faculty, students, and staff. It also includes 300,000sf of wet laboratory space, administrative spaces, and a vivarium for small animals. A certified LEED Gold facility, the Sherman Center expands and unifies the campus, doubles its research capacity, and supports the medical school’s new learnercentered curriculum. The project was successfully built ontime and under budget, a tribute to the collaborative efforts of the entire design, engineering, and construction team. The building design seeks to minimize the gulf between scientists doing laboratory bench work and doctors in clinical care, to encourage the cross-fertilization of ideas. Throughout the design and construction of the Albert Sherman Center, the project team delivered on a pledge to provide both The University of Massachusetts Building Authority (UMBA) and UMass Medical School with sustainable and cost effective solutions for the new facility. From early energy modeling designed to explore optimal building orientation to enhanced commissioning to confirm energy savings, ARC’s design team worked closely with the UMBA, UMass Medical School, Suffolk Construction, PMA Consultants, and our sustainable design consultant, Thornton Tomasetti, to ensure that sustainability goals were met. The combination of efficient design, sustainable building practices and advanced technologies has resulted in an expectation that the new facility will operate 25% more efficiently than the code requirement baseline, consuming 4.1 million fewer kilowatt hours of electricity, using 30% less water, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 4.5 million pounds annually, compared to similar buildings of standard design. The predicted Energy Use Intensity (EUI) for this facility is 170 kBtu/sf/yr. Material choices were also carefully made to create a sustainable and healthy indoor environment for building users. The building has a core of recycled steel, a well-insulated building envelope, advanced heating and cooling systems, wood finishes harvested from sustainable forests, and carpets and other textiles woven with recycled fibers. Acoustic natural wood paneling on the interior walls imparts a sense of comfort and warmth to the public spaces. The northfacing, open lab modules were designed with high-sloped ceilings and tall glazing to capture maximum indirect light and in-

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The Northern Pass • PO Box 330 • 780 North Commercial Street • Manchester, NH 03105-0330 • 800-286-7305 • www.northernpass.us

Annual Green Supplement

December, 2013

Tiffany King: A Profile High Profile recently interviewed Tiffany King, a LEED certified project manager at Commodore Builders. From a very early age, King knew her career would involve buildings. First she pursued a career in architecture, but quickly realized she couldn’t draw. Then she considered civil engineering, but realized she didn’t like being chained to a desk. Trial and error eventually led her to the field of construction, where she found the ideal balance between mobility, design and technical detail. King’s career has taken her from a commercial general contractor in the mid-west, where she built concrete tilt-up warehouses and several large senior living facilities, to Commodore Builders, a construction management firm in Newton. Recently relocated and exploring her new hometown of Boston, her first assignment as a project manager at Commodore is managing a large office park project in Waltham. In addition to her project management responsibilities, King heads the sustainability initiatives of the growing firm. Accredited as a LEED AP in 2006, she is over-the-top enthusiastic about building green. She is a member of the USGBC and facilitates LEED Green Associate prep classes. “I’m passionate about the sustainable side of construction and the importance of making sure buildings are built with minimal waste and the highest level of efficiency,” said King during our interview. HiPro: The concept of sustainability is now ubiquitous in the A/E/C industry

Tiffany King consulting with Ed Corey, senior superintendent, at the 1265 Main Street project site in Waltham, Mass. lexicon. It’s a buzz word. Is it also an expectation? TK: There’s been a shift in the expectations of clients. Of course cost and schedule are still important for any construction project, but many building owners are also considering sustainability when selecting their team and developing their projects. They want architects and engineers who can design highly efficient buildings, and they want contractors who can build them correctly. These buildings will, in return, keep their maintenance costs down and their user satisfaction up. Building green is smart business. HiPro: Is there a particular sector

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that has had a boost in green building? TK: The hospitality sector has really jumped on the green building bandwagon. According to McGraw Hill Construction, the percentage of hotel owners investing in green building practices in over half of their building projects has increased by 20% in the last two years, and is projected to rise another 16% by 2015. There are strong financial reasons motivating the growth in green building. Hotel owners have realized that by building green, they are able to reduce their annual operating costs, reduce their energy use, and enhance their brand. All of these things help the bottom line. Again, good business! HiPro: Are there green building rating systems other than LEED that aren’t getting enough attention? TK: While the US Green Building Council’s LEED rating system is a name people recognize, there are other certification options out there with a lot to offer. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently recognized this and recommends both LEED and Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes systems for use in federal buildings. Green Globes is a userfriendly, on-line system that uses a series of questionnaires and provides automated reporting. It’s currently the only green building standard that is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). More involved certifications are Pas-

sive House and the Living Building Challenge. Both of these systems are taking much larger steps to directly reduce green house gas emissions from the building sector by dramatically reducing or eliminating fossil fuel consumption. While they can certainly be a challenge for larger buildings, the design principles behind both systems are commendable and exciting! HiPro: What do you feel is the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your experience with building green? TK: Start early! The quickest way to create budget and schedule problems for a project is to change the design parameters midstream. Getting the entire project team – architect, engineers, client, and contractors – in the mindset of building sustainably from the beginning is key to building a successful project. There are a lot of green principles and features that can be easily integrated into a project design with no cost minimal cost impacts – if they are in place from the start. HiPro: You say “no cost impacts,” but often times building green is considered more expensive. Is this true? TK: There are two ways to look at cost: (1) the cost of green materials, and (2) the cost of the green systems. In general, the cost of green materials is going down as the demand is going up and more options are becoming readily available. For example, we used to be hard pressed to find a decent, low-VOC paint that fit in the standard budget. Now there are countless options available and at prices that are consistent with traditional paints. Photovoltaic (PV) power systems are another great example of falling costs. In 2012, the cost of installed PV systems fell 6-14% depending on size, from the prior year, and installed prices have already dropped another10-15% in the first half of 2013.When looking from a building system perspective, we can actually eliminate some of the traditional hard costs, such as expensive mechanical equipment, by integrating smart design and implementing passive techniques. Tiffany King is a LEED AP BD+C certified project manager at Commodore Builders and specializes in corporate projects as well as sustainable initiatives for the firm.

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Inside this Issue

September 2011

Windover Construction Completes Three School and College Projects BOND CM for UMass Fitchburg State Project Erland Tops Off New School Center with Robert Olsen + Assoc. LLD Designs, KBE Builds URI’s Hillside Residence Hall Profile: CTA Cements Place as Leading School Builder Cutler Associates’ Design Build Anna Maria College Holds Open House Oldcastle Precast Awarded Liberty Terrace Dormitory Featuring: BC Project Achieves LEED Platinum Tewksbury High School Tops Off UMass Lowell Begins Steel Erection

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Suffolk Construction Builds The Victor Luxury Apartments Pro Con Breaks Ground For Aviv Center for Living, KDA Architect Contracting Specialists Awarded Ground Breaking for Bristol Hotel Construction Starts on New Storrs Center Increasing Natural Gas Demand in NE by Douglas Pope MIT Sloan: Archieving Acoustical, Audiovisual, and Technological Success Colleges Carving out New Space on Existing Campuses by Julie Nugent

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Annual Green Supplement

December, 2013

Noble & Greenough School Castle Project Designed For Leed Gold

The new addition matches the stone of the original castle. Dedham, MA - The Noble and Gresion that the addition, like the castle, rises enough School’s Castle Project repurposes out of the rocky hill. Necessary demolition and expands a campus landmark, a masof a site wall yielded a stockpile of original sive stone structure originally designed by stone, which was carefully salvaged, cut in H.H. Richardson and Frederick Law Olmhalf, and reused on the exterior walls of the sted, epitomizing 19th century American terrace, constituting approximately 20% of architecture and landscape design. Richthe exterior wall area, Overall 90% of the ardson and Olmsted sited the castle on the exterior stone was salvaged. edge of a rocky escarpment overlooking Inside the new addition, a skylight the Charles River. reveals the original castle stone exterior, The 19th century edifice is a mix of now serving as the interior walls of the local granites and Brownstone trim capped school’s dining hall. Large stone portals, with a red terra cotta roof. A new addition cut into the existing castle walls, were supmatches the stone of the original castle, usported with steel lintels and trimmed with ing a mix of local granite and brownstone salvaged stone to effect a seamless trantrim for the building base, terrace wall, sition between old and new. Public areas chimney, and fireplace. Exterior walls are feature stone-like, recycled porcelain floor sheathed in local slate. Both stone and slate tile, patterned in two colors and textures are expressed in random sizes and multiple to create visual interest and accentuate the colors, deliberately chosen to create rich, flow of space from old to new. Kitchen warm tones and interesting, varied textures floors are finished in quarry tile designed harmonizing with the original structure. in a dual-tone, checkerboard pattern to reThe addition preserves the granite call kitchens of Richardson’s residential outcrops and steep natural topography in masterworks. Kitchen walls are sheathed order to restore and enhance the Olmstedian in recycled ceramic tile set in a running landscape design, and uses glacial boulders bond pattern and light colored to brighten found on the site to enhance the impresthe vaulted workspace.

ARC

The school’s courageous decision to commit resources to renovating and adding to the castle, rather than demolishing it, reaped substantial benefits both in the conservation of the embodied energy in the structure’s massive fabric and meticulous detailing, and in the long term preservation of the building’s historic importance for the school and for American architecture. Careful reuse of salvaged stone and recycled preweathered slate enhanced the look of the addition as well as limiting new material extraction and landfill disposal. The use of tile with a very high recycled content also furthered the environmental goals of the project. The entire project, comprising both the total renovation of the castle and the new dining addition, is designed to a

LEED Gold standard. While the new addition nearly doubled the footprint of the castle, the project results in no increase in overall campus energy use. This was achieved through the design of new energy conserving environmental systems, extensive new insulation in the renovation and high performance envelope design in the new addition. The Castle Project is an exemplar of how to achieve the difficult goal of high energy and environmental performance through the careful repurposing of an important historic structure. The project team included architectural firm Architerra, Inc., Boston; construction manager Shawmut Design and Construction, Boston; and natural stone contractor Kenneth Castellucci & Associates, Inc., Lincoln, R.I.

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Annual Green Supplement

December, 2013

The Spirit to COLLABORATE