80
NEW HEIGHTS THE 2010 EVERGREEN AWARDS ECO-STRUCTURE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

Ecostructure 2010

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Ecostructure 2010

NEW HEIGHTSTHE 2010 EVERGREEN AWARDS

NO

VEMB

ER/D

ECEMB

ER 2010

THE 2010 EVER

GR

EEN AW

AR

DS

ECO-STRUCTURE

ECO-STRUCTURE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

Page 2: Ecostructure 2010

Circle no. 62 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 3: Ecostructure 2010

www.dysonairblade.com

Over 127 million paper towels into waste.On average 175,000 people pass through Chicago O’Hare Airport every day.

If they all visit the restroom just once and use two paper towels each time, that would create 127,750,000 waste towels every year.

And they end up in landfill or have to be incinerated.*

Or none at all.

No more waste paper.

The Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer works in just 12 seconds – faster than any other. It also captures 99.9% of bacteria from the air before it reaches hands – so it’s hygienic.

And most components are recyclable.

* Data from Madson, 2007 report (Life Cycle Assessment of Tissue Products, Prepared for Kimberly Clark. Environmental Resources Management). Source for annual passenger data: World Airport Traffic Report 2009, published August 2010 by Airports Council International.

Circle no. 91 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 4: Ecostructure 2010

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Ned Cramer [email protected] EDITORKatie Weekskweeks @hanleywood.com MANAGING EDITORGreig O’Brien [email protected] SENIOR ART DIRECTORAubrey Altmann [email protected] ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORMarcy Ryan [email protected] SENIOR EDITOR, PRODUCTSLaurie [email protected]

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORLindsey M. Roberts lmroberts @hanleywood.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNERMichael [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITORJim Schneider

ONLINE

SENIOR WEB PRODUCER Amy [email protected]

ASSOCIATE WEB PRODUCER Jack White

ADVISORY BOARD

Lidia Berger, HDR Inc. Carlie Bullock-Jones, Ecoworks Studio Eric Corey Freed, organicARCHITECTMichael Deane, Turner ConstructionBert Gregory, MithunSean O’Malley, SWA GroupTom Paladino, Paladino & Co.Patrick Thibaudeau, HGA Gregory Thomas, Performance Systems Development

SERVICES EDITORIAL INQUIRIES One Thomas Circle N.W. Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20005 202.452.0800 202.785.1974 fax

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES AND BACK-ISSUE ORDERS 888.269.8410 or [email protected]

ADDRESS AND SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES eco-structure P.O. Box 3494 Northbrook, IL 60065-9831 888.269.8410 SUBSCRIPTION FAX 847.291.4816 CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE omeda.com/ecos

LIST RENTALS 203.778.8700

MEDIA KIT Janet Allen [email protected] REPRINTS The YGS Group 717.505.9701 ext. 128

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/ PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES Cathy Underwood [email protected] PRODUCTION/AD TRAFFIC MANAGER Paige S. Hirsch [email protected] PREPRESS MANAGERFred Weisskopf PREPRESS COORDINATOR Betty Kerwin

Vol. 8, No. 7. Nov/Dec 2010. eco-structure® (ISSN 1556-3596; USPS 022-816) is published seven times per year (Jan/Feb, Mar/April, May/June, July/Aug, September, October, and Nov/Dec) by Hanley Wood LLC, One Thomas Circle N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20005. Subscriptions are free to qualified recipients. Publisher reserves the right to determine recipient qualification. Annual subscription rates for nonqualified recipients in the U.S. $15, Canada $64 (U.S. funds), all other countries $192 (U.S. funds). Back copy price: $10 for U.S. residents. Copyright 2010 by Hanley Wood LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written authorization. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to eco-structure, P.O. Box 3494, Northbrook, IL 60065-9831.

Canada Post Registration #40612608/G.S.T. number: R-120931738. Canadian return address: Pitney Bowes Inc., P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

The Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator (papercalculator.org) estimates that eco-structure will save the following resources by using recycled-content cover stock and paper over the course of 2010:

232 trees ▪ 711 million Btu of energy ▪ 37,133 lbs. CO2 equiv. ▪ 92,928 gallons of wastewater ▪ 9,884 lbs. of solid waste

Today's buildings demand reliable, robust, high thermal

performance building envelopes that provide maximum

energy-efficiency, prevent heat loss and eliminate thermal

bridging, all of which, NUDURA Insulated Concrete Forms

can deliver. These performance criteria are key factors in

minimizing energy costs, while maximizing property value

for building owners.

The NUDURA® name and logo are trademarks of NUDURA® Corporation.

Visit Nudura.com for more details

TM

The solution to green building doesn’t have to be this difficult.

CIRCLE NO. 44 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 5: Ecostructure 2010

We’re proud to be the fi rst manufacturer to offer you an NSF-listed PVC Schedule 40 product made with recycled content

and manufactured to ASTM F 1760. RePVC is ideal for all sustainable construction projects that require recycled content DWV pipe.

Specify RePVC for your next job and help give old PVC a new life in green construction.

www.charlottepipe.com

GREEN CONSTRUCTION JUST GOT

A FEW SHADES GREENER.

Circle no. 69 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 6: Ecostructure 2010

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMERCIAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Patrick J. [email protected]

PUBLISHER, COMMERCIAL DESIGNRussell S. [email protected]; 202.736.3310

NATIONAL SALES MANAGERNick Hayman [email protected]; 202.736.3457

NEW ENGLAND, GEORGIA, FLORIDA, INDIANA, OHIODan Coluniodcolunio @hanleywood.com; 617.304.7297

NORTHEAST/SOUTHEAST Michael Lesko [email protected]; 203.445.1484 MIDWEST Michael Gilbert [email protected]; 773.824.2435 LIGHTING, NATIONALCliff Smithcsmith @hanleywood.com; 846.642.9598

WEST COASTMark Weinstein [email protected]; 562.598.5650

CANADAD. John Magner [email protected]; 416.598.0101, x220

UNITED KINGDOM/EUROPEStuart [email protected]

INSIDE SALES Martin Landowski [email protected]; 773.824.2444

GROUP PUBLISHING SUPPORT MANAGER Angie [email protected] MARKETING MANAGER Lucy Hansen [email protected] CIRCULATION MANAGER Mary Leiphart [email protected]

HANLEY WOOD BUSINESS MEDIA PRESIDENT/HANLEY WOODPeter M. Goldstone

PRESIDENT, MARKET INTELLIGENCE/E-MEDIAAndy Reid

PRESIDENT, EXHIBITIONSRick McConnell

DIRECTOR OF FINANCERon Kraft

VICE PRESIDENT/CIRCULATION AND DATABASE DEVELOPMENT Nick Cavnar VICE PRESIDENT/PRODUCTION Nick Elsener VICE PRESIDENT/MARKETING Sheila Harris EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/E-MEDIA Andreas Schmidt GENERAL MANAGER/ONLINE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTIONKim Heneghan

SENIOR DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES Curtis Hine

HANLEY WOOD, LLC CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Frank Anton CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Matthew Flynn EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/ CORPORATE SALESPaul Tourbaf VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTJoe Carroll VICE PRESIDENT/FINANCE Shawn Edwards VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL COUNSEL Mike Bender

All contents of this issue of ECO-STRUCTURE are copyrighted by Hanley Wood LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written authorization. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States. ECO-STRUCTURE is the independent, unbiased source for green-building information. The magazine intends to foster an open dialogue about today’s vital green-building issues. HANLEY WOOD LLC is publisher of Aquatics International, Architect, Architectural Lighting, Big Builder, Builder, Building Products, Concrete & Masonry Construction Products, Concrete Construction, The Concrete Producer, Custom Home, EcoHome, The Journal of Light Construction, Masonry Construction, metalmag, Multifamily Executive, Pool & Spa News, Pro AV, Professional Deck Builder, ProSales, Public Works, Remodeling, Replacement Contractor, Residential Architect, and Tools of The Trade magazines. DISCLOSURE / ECO-STRUCTURE occasionally will write about companies in which its parent organization, Hanley Wood LLC, has an investment interest. When it does, the magazine will fully disclose that relationship. PRIVACY OF MAILING LIST / Sometimes we share our subscriber mailing list with reputable companies we think you’ll find interesting. However, if you do not wish to be included, please call us at 888.269.8410.

To learn more, call 1-800-231-7788 or visit www.tateaccessfl oors.com.

Sometimes, it’s okay for sustainability to

be beneath you.

Take a stand on green-build with Tate underfl oor service distribution systems (UFSD).

With Tate’s UFSD, it’s the things you don’t see that make the

difference. The beauty of this system is in what happens below

the surface. A combination of modular wiring, cabling and air

delivery systems offers savings in materials and energy effi ciency,

while also improving air quality and comfort. In fact, it’s a system so full

of green-build attributes, you never really walk on it, you make a stand.

CIRCLE NO. 55 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 7: Ecostructure 2010

Architect: BRT ArchitektenHamburg, Germany

Retractable Sunshades

Introducingthe most effectiveway to eliminatesolar heat gain and glare.

Not only are C/S Solarmotion™ Retractable Sunshades highly effective, they also offerlots of visual possibilities. Solarmotion can create a dramatic visual effect for your facade orvirtually disappear. They can be used outside the building, inside, or between two panes ofglass.The system allows occupants to control the amount of daylight entering their offices,while reducing glare and energy usage. Through an exclusive agreement with Warema,Europe’s leading manufacturer, C/S is able to bring this technology to the North Americanmarket. To learn more, visit www.c-sgroup.com, call 800-631-7379 or find Construction Specialties on ®, ®or . See us at GreenBuild, booth #1309.

Circle no. 92 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 8: Ecostructure 2010

PAC-CLAD® Panels in 29 Energy Star® Colors!Sustainable materials and eye-catching design. The PAC-CLAD 7.2 Panels offer heavy horizontal shadow lines that are appealing for this LEED® Gold Certifi ed project.

“We selected metal panels to give us the contemporary state-of-the-art look we wanted for the high profi le site”—Tom Norman, Project Manager + Designer with Ebert Norman Brady Architects

See all of our Corrugated Panels at www.PAC-CLAD.com.

Animal Care & Protective Services - Jacksonville, FL Architect: Ebert Norman Brady Architects Panel Contractor: Thorne Metal Systems Profi le: 7.2” Rib & Perforated PanelsFinish: Cardinal Red, Interstate Blue & Weathered Zinc

LEED Gold Certifi ed

WWW.PAC-CLAD.COM I IL: 1 800 PAC CLADMD: 1 800 344 1400 I TX: 1 800 441 8661 GA: 1 800 272 4482 I MN:1 877 571 2025

@6<9�.9,,5�4,;(3�9,:6<9*,

Visit us at GREENBUILD! Booth L1610

Circle no. 79 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 9: Ecostructure 2010

48

6658

CONTENTS

FEATURES

The 2010 Evergreen Awards

Ecommercial Winner 48The Atrium School in Watertown, Mass., designed by Maryann Thompson Architects.

Ecommercial Honorable Mention 54Twelve | West in Portland, Ore., designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects.

Greenhouse Winner 58Virginia Point, a Houston, Texas, residence designed by Adams Architects.

On the Boards Winner 62Digital Media City Landmark Tower in Seoul, South Korea, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Perspective Winner 66Peter Busby of Busby Perkins+Will.

On the Cover: Digital Media City Landmark Tower, the 2010 Evergreen Awards On the Boards winner, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Rendering by SOM.

November/December 2010

7NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 10: Ecostructure 2010

19

31

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

Viewpoint 10

Greenscene 12

Products 39

Deep Green 19One of HOK’s sustainable-design specialists describes the process of searching for and incorporating green building incentives into projects.

Technology 25Two engineers discuss the benefi ts of using BIM to project—and modify—sustainable initiatives and building operations.

Flashback 31Through its design and modifi ed operations and maintenance practices, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center & Park achieved LEED certifi cation twice.

Ecocentric 72This net-zero playhouse is serious about the environment.

ECO-STRUCTURE.COMGo online for more news, projects, products, and essays. Among this month’s highlights:

Awards: Extended coverage of the 2010 Evergreen Awards and the award luncheon from Greenbuild Conference & Expo.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ecostructureBecome a Facebook fan at facebook.com

This

pag

e, to

p to

bot

tom

: Hen

ry O

basi

; Dav

id H

eath

; © A

lber

t Vec

erka

/Est

oPr

evio

us p

age,

cloc

kwis

e fr

om to

p: A

nton

Gra

ssl/E

sto;

Will

iam

Ant

hony

; Joe

Ake

r, Ak

er/Z

vonk

ovic

Pho

togr

aphy

.

8 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

72

Page 11: Ecostructure 2010

Duranar and PPG are registered trademarks and IdeaScapes is a trademark owned by PPG Industries, Inc.

When you want a project to make a statement or simply stand the test of time, turn to the unequaled performance of Duranar® Coatings. And you can rely on the members

of the Certified Applicator Program to gain access to the best people, practices and products – including exclusive access to environmentally-friendly Duranar Powder Coatings. To learn more, call 1-888-PPG-IDEA. Or visit www.ppgduranar.com.

LIQUID OR POWDER, IT ALWAYS MAKES A LASTING IMPRESSION.

SPECIFY AND TRUST PPG CERTIFIED APPLICATORS

2774 PPG Duranar9x10 875 indd 1 3/23/09 2:57:06 PM

PPG Industries, Inc., 151 Colfax Street, Springdale, PA 15144 1-888-PPG-IDEA www.ppgideascapes.com

Circle no. 46 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 12: Ecostructure 2010

Shortly before this issue of eco-structure went to press, a tremor shook the green building community. On Oct. 8, an attorney acting on behalf of Henry Giff ord, president of New York–based Giff ord Fuel Saving, fi led a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against the USGBC, alleging fraud, unfair competition, and deceptive trade practices. In addition to naming the USGBC as a defendant, the suit also specifi cally named David Gottfried, founder and fi rst president of the USGBC; USGBC founding chairman, and current president and CEO Richard Fedrizzi; and past USGBC founding chairman Robert Watson as defendants.

Giff ord alleges that the USGBC is misleading consumers and misrepresenting the energy performance of LEED-certifi ed buildings, among other charges. (View a PDF of the complaint at eco-structure.com.) If you ask me, while increased discussion on post-occupancy performance is needed in the industry, I am not sure that a courtroom is the most productive venue for it.

At eco-structure, we strive to provide a less-litigious environment in which to examine building performance and sustainable design. (Not that we’re casting aside the legal implications of going green: Less than one month prior to Giff ord’s lawsuit, eco-structure explored the issue of green building rating–related litigation, dubbed “LEEDigation” in our September 2010 Deep Green column. Check it out at eco-structure.com.)

Our November/December edition, which celebrates the 2010 Evergreen Awards, continues our focus on performance. In fact, it was a driving factor in the competition’s jury deliberations.

Judging a sustainable design competition is understandably a tough assignment (and one for which we owe great thanks to our jurors, who are spotlighted on page 68). After all, there is no set answer as to what constitutes excellence. Is it a certain level of LEED certifi cation? Is it energy use that is, at minimum, a specifi c percentage below code? Is it reuse of existing infrastructure, rather than new construction? As we all know,

depending on each of our personal fi lters, it can be a combination of the above and much more.

In reviewing nearly 200 entries in our building categories (Ecommercial, Greenhouse, and On the Boards), our jurors repeatedly came back to two questions: One, does the structure perform? And two, does it stand out from an architectural point of view? A “no” vote to either query helped fi lter out fi nalists for a more in-depth discussion.

What the jury sought most from each entry was performance data, something that still seems to fall to the wayside once a project is handed over to the client. “We’re all good with thinking in terms of design expressions,” noted one of our jurors. “It’s trying to get designers to think about energy that is the challenge.”

The yearning for performance data is a sentiment that I hear repeatedly, and the industry certainly is taking steps to be more diligent in its information collection. Before Giff ord fi led his lawsuit, the USGBC was already taking steps to better integrate performance-data collection and analysis into future versions of the LEED rating systems, and the International Living Building Institute requires at least 12 months of performance data for its Living Building Challenge—read about the fi rst offi cial Living Buildings on page 12.

Still, a vast amount of data is missing. What’s the holdup on measurement becoming a natural step in a project? Could it be blamed on the economy, or a lack of initiative and incentive? As our Perspective winner, Peter Busby of Busby Perkins+Will, notes in our Q&A on page 66, it’s not often that an architecture fi rm is paid to go back and measure building performance. One of the keys to acquiring more data, he thinks, is to establish better benchmarks and measurements that will not only hold the building industry accountable, but also will help fi lter the good design from the not-so-good (and certainly from the bad). As an example, he referenced energy labeling practices in Europe, where building owners must provide building performance data as part of the sale of a building.

As noted above, our Evergreen Awards jury also examined whether each entry stood out from an

architectural point of view—which, in a way, adds a twist to the idea of building performance: Does it perform aesthetically?

In this case, the jury sought examples of gracefully integrated sustainable strategies. They took note of retrofi ts that successfully addressed the relationship between new and old, and questioned how urban projects acknowledged their surroundings. They looked at sustainable eff orts—solar, wind, geothermal, access to daylight and the outdoors, green roofs, and use of recycled and renewable materials—with an eye on how they were integrated into a project. Were these characteristics treated as a design element or were they more of a big “I’m green!” statement? (They preferred when it was the former.) As an example, they applauded the technologies employed in Twelve | West, our Ecommercial honorable mention, but wondered whether the wind turbines on the building’s roof could have been more subtly integrated into the structure.

While we will have to wait to see how Giff ord’s lawsuit will be resolved, in the spirit of open-ended discussion, I invite you to browse our Evergreen coverage, starting on page 46 and continued online at eco-structure.com, and send us your feedback.

Performance Issues

VIEWPOINT

Mik

e M

orga

n

10 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 13: Ecostructure 2010

� ax seed eatinbare feetin

tree hugginearth lovin

creating better environments

certi� ed sustainable � ooring solutions

1-800-842-7839www.forbo� ooringNA.comwww.� [email protected]

www.twitter.com/forbo� ooringna

Circle no. 16 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 14: Ecostructure 2010

Three projects have completed the fi rst full set of third-party audits for the Living Building Challenge from the International Living Building Institute (ILBI). The Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, N.Y., designed by BNIM, and Tyson Living Learning Center in Eureka, Mo., designed by Hellmuth+Bicknese Architects, each earned full certifi cation as Living Buildings. Eco-Sense, a private residence in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, designed by its owners, earned partial certifi cation for completing four of a total six performance areas—dubbed petals—in the Living Building Challenge, version 1.3.

The Living Building Challenge was launched in 2006 and the ILBI reports that more than 70

projects are aiming to meet its targets. To be certifi ed as a Living Building, a project must meet all program requirements through a full year of operation. The building must be built only on grayfi elds or brownfi elds, and set aside an equal amount of land for habitat exchange in return for each hectare of development; must generate all of its own energy through renewable resources; must capture and treat its own water through ecologically sound techniques; must incorporate only nontoxic, appropriately sourced materials; must operate effi ciently; and must be built for maximum beauty. Projects meeting a minimum of three of the six petals, such as Eco-Sense, are eligible for Petal Recognition.

“The Living Building Challenge calls for a fundamental shift in how we conceive of the built environment,” says Jason F. McLennan, CEO of the ILBI. “These three projects have demonstrated that we have all of the skills and technology we need to completely transform the built environment. These are quite simply the greenest buildings in the world. If the building industry follows the example set by these pioneering teams, we can begin healing our ecosystems and creating a future in which all life can thrive.” ▪

To learn more about the three projects, visit ilbi.org/lbc/certifi ed. To read a profi le on the Tyson Living Learning Center, visit eco-structure.com.

Text ECO-STRUCTURE STAFF

They’re Alive!

GREENSCENE

TWO PROJECTS EARN LIVING BUILDING CERTIFICATION, AND A THIRD PROJECT EARNS PARTIAL PROGRAM CERTIFICATION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL LIVING BUILDING INSTITUTE.

The Omega Center for Sustainable Living Tyson Living Learning Center

Eco-Sense

Clo

ckw

ise

from

left:

Cou

rtes

y th

e O

meg

a In

stitu

te fo

r H

olis

tic S

tudi

es; A

nn a

nd

Gor

d B

aird

; Joe

Ang

eles

/WU

STL

phot

ogra

pher

, cou

rtes

y H

ellm

uth+

Bic

knes

e

12 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 15: Ecostructure 2010

WE LOVE IT WHEN A ROOF COMES TOGETHER COOLR, TOPR AND SOLR. ONLY FROM SHEFFIELD METALS

NEWER ROOF. COOLER ROOF. SOLAR ROOF. LAYER ON ONE, TWO OR ALL THREE ROOFING SOLUTIONS. THERE’S TOPR RETROFIT

ROOFING SOLUTION THAT SAVES THE ROOF AND STRENGTHENS THE STRUCTURE. AND COOLR ENERGY EFFICIENT COOL METAL

ROOFING THAT REFLECTS THE SUN. PLUS SOLR, AFFORDABLE SOLAR ROOFING FOR ANY BUDGET OR REQUIREMENT. CALL TODAY

TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN BUILD THE ULTIMATE ROOF.

CLEVELAND: 800.283.5262ATLANTA: 800.929.9359DALLAS: 877.853.4904DENVER: 877.375.1477 www.sheffieldmetals.com

THE INDUSTRY’S MOST ADVANCED RETROFIT

FRAMING SYSTEM.

AN AFFORDABLE, BEST-OF-BREED SOLAR STANDING

SEAM ROOF SYSTEM

THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IN SUSTAINABLE, ENERGY

EFFICIENT ROOFING METAL

CLEVELAND: 800.283.5262

GREENBUILD BOOTH

267

Circle no. 51 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 16: Ecostructure 2010

GREENSCENE

Rhode Island is the fi rst state to adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). Under the Rhode Island Green Buildings Act, all public agency major facility projects must be designed and constructed as green buildings, and the IGCC is now identifi ed as an equivalent standard in compliance with this requirement. The rules and regulations to implement the act took eff ect in October. In August, Richland, Wash., became the fi rst city to adopt the IGCC as a nonmandatory document for commercial buildings.

The Rhode Island Green Buildings Act applies to any public project that is owned, leased, or controlled by the state, including new construction projects larger than 5,000 gross square feet, or renovations involving more than 10,000 gross square feet of occupied or conditioned space. Other standards recognized under the legislation include the USGBC’s LEED rating system and the Northeast Collaborative for High-Performance Schools Protocol.

The act was passed by Rhode Island’s General Assembly and was signed into law by the governor in late 2009, and applies to buildings that entered the design phase after Jan. 1, 2010. Under the act, the state’s Department of Administration is required to publish an annual report documenting operational savings resulting from the legislation.

The IGCC was released for public review in March 2010, with a goal of fi nal publication in 2012. It applies to new and existing commercial buildings. The requirements of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Codes provide a baseline energy provision for the IGCC, and ASHRAE Standard 189.1-2009 for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings is integrated into the IGCC’s technical content as an alternative compliance path. ▪

Rhode Island Adopts IGCC

CIRCLE NO. 96 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 17: Ecostructure 2010

Longest Indoor Living Wall Opens

Topping out with a total surface area of 4,072 square feet, the new green wall at the recently opened East Conservatory Plaza of Longwood Gardens, a horticultural center in Kennett Square, Pa., is the longest indoor green wall in North America.

Designed by British landscape architect Kim Wilkie Associates, the green wall features a panel wall system from GSky Plant Systems of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that supports more than 47,000 plants from 25 plant species, the majority of which are varieties of ferns. Its surface area makes the new wall more than 50 percent larger than the next-largest indoor green wall, located at the PNC Bank building in Pittsburgh, which measures 2,380 square feet.

The plants of the Longwood wall are planted in 3,590 panels, which were started at a nursery for 32 weeks before installation, and then were transported to the site in three climate-controlled trucks. Twenty-four irrigation zones and 3,900 linear feet of irrigation drip line maintain the plants.

It is estimated that the wall will provide an annual amount of oxygen equivalent to that produced by 90 14-foot-tall trees and will clean more than 15,000 pounds of dust and toxins from the air per year.

The living wall lines a glass-roofed corridor that forms a spine between two rows of 17 domed underground lavatories of the new East Conservatory Plaza, also designed by Wilkie in collaboration with London-based architect Michaelis Boyd Architects; Princeton, N.J.–based Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects; and Philadelphia-based landscape architecture fi rm Wells Appel. The new plaza acts as an arrival point for conservatory visitors and is structured as fi ve tiered terraces that are meant to appear as steps in the site’s landscape. ▪

To read a more detailed article on the green wall technology employed at Longwood Gardens from the November 2010 issue of architect magazine, visit eco-structure.com.

Longwood Gardens/L. Albee

Page 18: Ecostructure 2010

Visit the GREENSITE area of the show floor located in the Central Hall. There you will find exhibitors showcasing green build technologies along with displays, video presentations and limitless information about this exciting new aspect of the construction industry.

Learn how to integrate green strategies into your business by registering for a Green Building 90-minute seminar:MO-113 NEW! Cementitious Blends and Their Impact on Sustainable Construction

MO-114 NEW! Creating Sustainable Concrete Through Performance-Based Cementitious Systems

TU-115 NEW! Introduction to Sustainable Design and BIM (Building Information Modeling)

WE-116 NEW! Sustainable Concrete & You: How to Survive and Thrive in the Green Revolution

TH-117 NEW! The Concrete Home as a System—The Building Science Behind the Benefits

TH-118 NEW! Pervious Mix Designs and Testing

SOURCE CODE: 079 NU

January 18-21, 2011 t Seminars January 17-21Las Vegas Convention Center t Las Vegas, Nevada

START YOUR YEAR OFF RIGHT: www.worldofconcrete.com

Doing business in today’s market means knowing how to “go green”.

GREENSITE Luncheon & Forum Sponsored by Thursday, January 20, 12:00–2:00 pmMany contractors are fearful that “green” techniques can reduce profit margins, require additional capital equipment, or involve excessive documentation. With the growing demand for greener construction techniques, this luncheon connects interested contractors with experienced green professionals who have surpassed these challenges.

Topics include:t�6QEBUF�PO�UIF�SPMF�PG�TQFDJmDBUJPOT�JO�TVTUBJOBCMF�EFTJHOt�)PX�DPOTUSVDUJPO�ESBXJOHT�TVQQPSU�-&&%�TQFDJmDBUJPO�SFRVJSFNFOUTt�)PX�DPOUSBDUPST�DBO�MFBSO�PG�HSFFO�QSPKFDUT�JO�UIFJS�BSFBt�*OTJHIU�PO�IPX�UP�JODMVEF�NPSF�SFDZDMFE�NBUFSJBM�JO�DPOTUSVDUJPOt�/FX�UPPMT�BOE�TPGUXBSF�UIBU�NBLF�UIF�TFMFDUJPO�BOE�EPDVNFOUBUJPO����� process simple yet effective

Page 19: Ecostructure 2010

Peak Energy Efficiency.The intersection of operational value and building performance created through superior thermal efficiencies in component fit, form and structure.

An innovation in bottom line thinking for building envelopes from SYNTHEON.

A new generation of insulated components delivering enhanced R-values throughout the building envelope.

It’s a solution for thermal ROI in the age of energy independence.

OPERATINGATPEAKENERGYEFFICIENCY

Page 20: Ecostructure 2010

Light speed.The velocity of

construction made possible by a reduction in weight for concrete

forms, foundations, walls and deck systems.

An innovation in rapid construction of building

envelopes from SYNTHEON.

Lightweight components, engineered with less

mass to be more agile on site, easier to control, with less equipment and

fewer specialized crew requirements.

It’s technology that moves high-performance

architecture into the fast lane.

888-922-2353

BUILDINGATLIGHTSPEED

Page 21: Ecostructure 2010

The Edge of Tomorrow. The future of fast, efficient, environmentally sound architecture, built to LEED®

specifications made possiblethrough advanced component fabrication and eco-engineering.

An innovation in the sustainability of building envelopes from SYNTHEON.

The visionary potential behind SYNTHEON building envelopes creates a new global model that transforms the birth to life cycle of modern construction.

It’s the power of possibilitieswhen time and energy have been transformed.

www.syntheoninc.com

LIVINGATTHEEDGEOFTOMORROW

Page 22: Ecostructure 2010

SYNCORE™ Building Envelope Systems are at the heart of the SYNTHEON name.

Our SYNCORE product family is specifically engineered to provide superior building advantages for architects, builders, developers, contractors, and building owners through one easy process.

In markets around the world, we offer systemized solutions that capitalize on the latest technologies — enabling environmentally andeconomically sound structures that perform to consistent, reliable standards globally.

SYNCORE Wall Insulated, steel-reinforced panels and stay-in-place formwork that provides strong, rapid, energy-efficient construction. Featuring theaccel-E® Steel Thermal Efficient Panel (STEP) as a high-performance wall system.

SYNCORE RoofStructural insulated panels, deck forms, and standard roof insulation.

SYNCORE DeckC- and Z-channel stay-in-place deck formwork that creates flooring inone easy process.

SYNCORE Additives Innovative additives that provide durability, energy-efficiency and lighter weight performance. Featuring Elemix® concrete additive, a specially formulated additive for structural and non-structural concrete applications.

SYNTHEON’s global business is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with affiliates and joint venture partners throughout the world — United States, Mexico, Chile, and India.

Visit the building science company specializing in high-efficiency

building envelope systems with advanced component fabrication. SYNTHEON, SYNCORE, SYNTHEON & SYNCORE logos, accel-E and Elemix logos are trademarks of SYNTHEON Inc.

LEED is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council. Elemix is a registered trademark of SYNTHEON Inc. The accel-E wall system is trademarked by Accelerated Building Technologies, LLC.

888-922-2353 • www.syntheoninc.com

GREENBUILD 2010 CHICAGO BOOTH # 282

Page 23: Ecostructure 2010
Page 24: Ecostructure 2010

Premier visual comfort and energy sensibilityfrom a controllable system of single luminairesthat combines task and ambient lighting.

More on t(ask)ambient at TheLightingQuotient.com.

PPrreemmmiiiieeeerrrr vvviiisssuuaalll cccooommmffffoorrrttt aannddd eeenneeerrrgggyyy sseenssiibbbiiillliiitttyyyfrom a controlllabblllee sssyyysssstttteeeemmm oofff ssiiinnnggglllleee llluuummiinnaaiiiirreesssthat combines task and ambientt lliigghhhhttttiiiinnnngggg.

More on t(ask)ambient at TheLightingQuotient.com.

The answer:t(ask)ambient. A controllable system of single T-5 luminaires for anyopen office environment. The solution for visual comfort and energy sensibility.

Learn more about tambient at TheLightingQuotient.com.

Circle no. 89 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 25: Ecostructure 2010

Text Anica Landreneau Illustration Henry Obasi

ONE OF HOK’S SUSTAINABLE-DESIGN SPECIALISTS DESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF SEARCHING FOR AND INCORPORATING GREEN BUILDING INCENTIVES INTO PROJECTS.

Money Matters

DEEP GREEN

As a sustainable-design practice leader in HOK’s Washington, D.C., offi ce, I’m part of a network of sustainable design specialists spread across the fi rm that constantly seeks out and shares information about green incentives, rebates, and benefi ts. How do we stay on top of it all to fi nd the best options for each project?

Where We LookOur fi rst stop is the Web. To make sure everyone in our network is aware of all the federal, state, local, and utility incentives related to energy performance, our starting point is the easily searchable U.S. Department of Energy–funded Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Effi ciency (DSIRE) at dsireusa.org. It’s updated regularly—there’s a “What’s New?” page for quick reference—and we search by sector, state, or technology.

Though DSIRE’s database includes some American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding opportunities, these options are covered more extensively on the U.S. Department of Energy’s website (energy.gov/recovery/funding.htm). In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s and USGBC’s websites (epa.gov/greenbuilding/tools/funding.htm and usgbc.org, respectively) are helpful. (For more sources, see eco-structure’s September 2009 story on green project incentives at eco-structure.com/greenincentives2009.)

19NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 26: Ecostructure 2010

Next, we often check with utility companies, as they may provide their own rebates and incentives. Off ering their larger customers incentives for energy-effi cient initiatives and renewable energy systems helps the utilities shave peak usage, maintain enough capacity to meet peak demand, and postpone the need to build costly new power plants. Also, many water utilities off er incentives for water conservation, and municipalities across the country off er rebates for water-saving products such as aerators for faucets, showerheads, and toilets.

Speaking of municipalities, we regularly look at the local level. Across the country, cities

are coaxing the building industry into making environmentally friendly choices by enacting new codes or legislation and creating incentive programs to make building green more appealing. For example, many cities with older infrastructure systems are experiencing combined sewer overfl ow problems. Here, stormwater can wash sewage into local waterways during heavy rain. Repairing this infrastructure could cost a municipality billions of dollars and take many years to complete; so one way that they’re combating this problem is by providing low-impact development (LID) incentives.

In Washington, D.C., the District of Columbia Department of the Environment (DDOE) off ers rebates of $5 to $7 per square foot for green roof installations and other LID incentives. The District’s goal is to encourage building owners to keep stormwater on green roofs or infi ltrated in site landscape features, rather than having it run directly into municipal storm sewers. LID features also include landscape elements such as bioswales and rain gardens. As a specifi c example, at the new 351,000-gross-square-foot Consolidated Forensic Laboratory, HOK’s team is channeling runoff water into rain garden planter boxes instead of the street so that it can be absorbed on the site instead of entering the District’s stormwater system.

Complementing these eff orts on the code side of the equation, the District’s building codes now require 75 percent of a new building’s roof to be a vegetated or cool roof (either refl ective or limestone ballasted), and a project that is built from lot line to lot line can avoid installing structural stormwater management features if at least half of the roof is vegetated with an approved system. For owners, stormwater fees are based on a site’s impervious surface area—the lower the percentage of impervious surface, the lower the fees. Thus, in addition to the green roof rebate and up-front savings on structural stormwater features, buildings with green roofs can save money during operations.

Most cities have green building, planning, and permitting agencies. You can get to know staff members by participating in your local USGBC chapter or other building industry associations. In my offi ce, we have developed relationships with the staff at the DDOE, so that we can contact them to explain our projects and inquire about green incentives, and they often send us e-mails announcing new programs. Agencies such as DDOE often consult with fi rms like ours about pending stormwater legislation, fees, or building code changes, to get feedback and determine if they are pushing the envelope environmentally without discouraging people from building in the District.

When We StartResearching and targeting possible opportunities should start early. Green incentives typically aren’t mutually exclusive —we have found that we can

DEEP GREEN

CIRCLE NO. 31 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 27: Ecostructure 2010

In partnership with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

(ETH Zurich), Switzerland; the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, Cambridge, USA; Tongji University, Shanghai, China;

Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City; and the Ecole Supérieure

d’Architecture de Casablanca, Morocco. The universities lead the

independent juries in five regions of the world. Entries at

www.holcimawards.org close March 23, 2011.

The Holcim Awards competition is an initiative of the Holcim

Foundation for Sustainable Construction. Based in Switzerland,

the foundation is supported by Holcim Ltd and its Group companies

and affiliates in more than 70 countries. Holcim is one of the

world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates as well

as further activities such as ready-mix concrete and asphalt

including services.

Adèle Naudé Santos, Architect and Urban Planner, Professor at the

MIT in Cambridge (USA) and Head of the Holcim Awards jury 2008

North America, on the prize-winning Center for freshwater

restoration and research, Sudbury, Canada.

“A practical demonstration of a sustainable way of building.”

Develop new perspectives for our

future: 3rd International Holcim

Awards competition for projects

in sustainable construction. Prize

money totals USD 2 million.

www.holcimawards.org

Circle no. 20 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 28: Ecostructure 2010

DEEP GREEN combine several if a project qualifi es. At HOK, once we identify an incentive, we rely on our client’s fi nancial analysts and tax specialists to determine whether they are desirable. If there will be additional up-front costs involved in designing a more energy-effi cient envelope or HVAC system, for example, the client helps calculate whether the payback is worth the initial investment. Many organizations also take into account the marketing and public relations benefi ts of occupying an innovative green building. If the incentives are deemed attractive, we meet with the client to chart out exactly what the project team needs to do to qualify for them.

It’s helpful to identify incentives early to address any eff ects on compensation. For example, many green incentives are tax-based. However, since a public school or public agency does not pay taxes, those projects cannot get the tax benefi ts available for energy-effi cient commercial buildings. The good news is that some tax benefi ts for public projects can be transferred to the professional design fi rm. In that case, a school district or government agency could negotiate to transfer the tax benefi t to the primary architect in exchange for designing an energy-effi cient building. The architect then gets that tax benefi t or rebate as a bonus and, in return, charges the owner a reduced design fee. This, naturally, makes negotiating the architect’s professional compensation trickier, so these incentives should be identifi ed as soon as possible.

Incentives also can be used to help secure project fi nancing. We are working with a local developer who is planning an 800,000-square-foot mixed-use project to anchor an eco-district in D.C.’s southeast quadrant. The team is exploring strategies that could result in a building that uses 50 percent less energy than that mandated in the ASHRAE 90.1 standard. Meeting this will make the project eligible for up to $1.80 per square foot in federal tax incentives under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

In addition, some technologies under consideration for the project, such as high-pressure gas microturbines and photovoltaics (PV), will be eligible for local rebates and incentives. PV and wind energy installations can earn up to $3 per watt in rebates from the District. The local electric utility is off ering rebates for enhanced commissioning, and LID strategies such as green roofs will earn up to $7 per square foot through the Anacostia Watershed Society.

Our hope is that the advanced environmental attributes included in the building design will help our client obtain the leverage it needs to secure construction fi nancing in today’s diffi cult market—while still providing an acceptable return on investment. ▪

Anica Landreneau is a sustainable design practice leader in HOK’s Washington, D.C., offi ce. She can be reached at [email protected].

Cities are coaxing the green building industry into making environmentally friendly choices by enacting new codes or legislation and creating incentive programs.

CIRCLE NO. 71 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

AIA and CSI members: earn Sustainable Design

credit online with “Cool Roofing: A Solution to

National Energy and Environmental Challenges”

COOL ROOF

Do your part to reduce the urban

heat island effect. Learn more at

WWW.VINYLROOFS.ORG

WHAT MAKES ONE ROOFING MATERIAL COOLER THAN ANOTHER?High solar reflectance + High thermal emittance = Lower energy demand

Page 29: Ecostructure 2010

Circle no. 61 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 30: Ecostructure 2010

EPIC’s structural roof and

fl oor deck ceiling systems

complement open-concept

architecture that expose and

emphasize the building’s

truss system. Wideck® systems offer longer spans

up to 55’, an acoustic option

which reduces interior

noise, and a highly recycled

content contributing to

LEED® certifi cation.

Sustainable Buildingwith EPIC Metals Roof and Floor Deck Ceiling Systems

877-696-3742 Toll-Free www.epicmetals.com

Pictured: LEED NC-Silver certifi ed Ohio State Student Union, The Great Hall Columbus, Ohio

Architect: Moody Nolan Inc., Columbus, Ohio

Wideck WPA

Circle no. 77 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 31: Ecostructure 2010

TECHNOLOGY

At IBE Consulting Engineers, we were designing the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems for a courthouse in California, when we noticed an unusual spike in energy consumed for cooling in the late summer weeks. As engineers devoted to sustainability, we run frequent load calculations and space analyses that are based upon standard Building Information Modeling (BIM) software. Seeing the increase, we turned to the BIM model to examine the cause of this spike, which was too high to be explained by hot weather alone.

One benefi t of BIM is the ease in which we can relate a building’s orientation to the sun’s seasonal paths across the sky, and plot the resulting energy use given factors such as the building’s geometry, orientation, fenestration, and U-values (insulating properties) of its walls. Prior to BIM, validating performance model inputs was time consuming and produced more opportunities for misinterpretation of information. For this project’s analysis we used Autodesk Revit and exported data to Trace for load and energy-use calculations.

Reviewing the results produced from the analysis obtained using BIM, and focusing on the suspected hot room in the courthouse, we found the reason behind the spike: There was a window

Text Bungane Mehlomakulu and Natalia Khaldi Illustration Jameson Simpson

BIM: As Green As Users Make It TWO ENGINEERS DISCUSS THE BENEFITS OF USING BIM TO PROJECT—AND MODIFY—SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES AND BUILDING OPERATIONS.

25NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 32: Ecostructure 2010

TECHNOLOGY into which sunlight poured directly for only a few hours each day during only a few weeks each year. We consulted with the architect, and were able to arrive at a solution well before the design process was mature. This behind-the-scenes ability to locate and fi x problem areas early is an often overlooked aspect of sustainable design, but in the long run it can save time, materials, and money.

The energy spike in the courthouse, and the resulting fi x, underline several strengths of BIM as it relates to sustainable initiatives. Energy calculations performed as often as necessary can inform owners and architects early of potential problems. Also, what-if scenarios can be fruitfully explored. Studying sun paths and the resulting

energy loads is just one area that lends itself well to using BIM to explore possible solutions.

On a larger level, coordination among engineers, architects, and owners in the design stage means that green initiatives are embedded early into the building design process, thus minimizing confl ict with other building goals. We are beginning to see that green initiatives are not seen as supplemental, but as intrinsic, to a project. Increasingly, building owners seize on green initiatives in an eff ort to cut gas and electric bills.

Beyond the design stage, BIM aids communication with all parties, including contractors who benefi t from seeing the design in a more concrete, less abstract way. It can also aid in the reduction of jobsite material waste through better scheduling and construction management. Early proper placement of mechanical equipment and rooms—allowing for ease of access, future upgrades, and reduced system disruption—is another result.

IBE supplements BIM with Trace, a program that calculates a building’s probable energy consumption. We export certain data from BIM—such as building size, orientation, and U-values—to Trace to run load or energy-consumption calculations. We do this because BIM software does

As BIM matures, more clients are becoming familiar with its attributes. That should lead to greater use of BIM, and earlier insertion of … sustainable initiatives into the design and construction process. But, like most tools, BIM is only as good as the people who use it.

LOWERS FOOTPRINTS.RAISES PROFILES.

More architects than ever are using our Insulated Metal Panels. The result is an inspiring combination of strength, beauty and ef�ciency. Metl-Span IMPs feature

a urethane foam core with high R-values encased by attractively �nished, low-maintenance metal skins. A versatile system that enables you to both lower the carbon footprint of your project and raise your pro�le as a designer. To specify your own solution, call 877.585.9969 or visit metlspan.com/corevalues now.

P I O N E E R I N G I N S U L A T E D M E T A L P A N E L T E C H N O L O G Y

CIRCLE NO. 36 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 33: Ecostructure 2010

British Columbia, Canada is a world leader in sustainable forest management. Today’s quality wood and paper products won’t come at the expense of tomorrow’s forests.

Visit www.naturallywood.com/es to discover green building tools and source certified wood products.

British Columbia wood. Sustainable by nature. Innovative by design.

Circle no. 94 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 34: Ecostructure 2010

TECHNOLOGY not directly calculate probable building energy consumption. From an engineer’s perspective, the ideal—perhaps an on-screen box that presents projected energy consumption as design changes are made—is not yet a reality. Software developers have made advances in providing rapid feedback for early prototyping, but these platforms still lack the detail and fl exibility to explore nontraditional systems and design alternatives. As it stands, several software developers have developed plug-ins that integrate into Revit to allow information in a model to be exported to the secondary platform for further calculation. Some of these calculations can then be populated back into BIM for use in design layouts.

But technology alone is not a panacea. Rational, nuanced thought, the kind BIM cannot do, is required. Both architectural and systems designers must be experienced enough to know the various passive, active, and environmental factors that can infl uence the building’s energy use over time.

The next steps should be to take BIM beyond the design and construction phases and place it in the hands of the owners, who could then use the information to remodel, maintain, and operate the building long after the designers and builders have left the site. Integration with an owner’s maintenance and controls systems would add

an additional level of management, but it also would provide facilities with greater insight and a single source for complete building information. While some owners are making this integration now, it is not yet at a plug-and-play level. In the very near future, however, building performance, maintenance information, and controls will become an integral part of BIM. This will yield buildings that are not only designed with a sustainable and integrated approach, but are also run effi ciently, with continual monitoring and opportunities for incremental upgrades as new opportunities arise.

As BIM matures, more clients are becoming familiar with its attributes. That should lead to greater use of BIM, and earlier insertion of MEP engineers and sustainable initiatives into the design and construction process. But, like most tools, BIM is only as good as the people who use it. ▪

Bungane Mehlomakulu, IBE Consulting Engineers principal, specializes in advanced building systems, design technologies, and radiant, displacement, and passive mechanical systems. Natalia Khaldi, IBE Consulting Engineers’ BIM manager, trains MEP engineers in BIM, and manages the delivery of engineering design drawings and BIM models to clients. Visit IBE Consulting Engineers at ibece.com.

REROOF WITH BUTLER.The industry’s #1 standing-seam roof system—

the MR-24® roof system—is also the smartest way to build green. To discover why, call Butler Manufacturing™ at 800-250-5596

or visit www.butlermfg.com/reroof.

©2010 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved.Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc.

RETHINKSUSTAINABILITY.

CIRCLE NO. 8 or http://ecostructure.hotims.comCIRCLE NO. 19 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 35: Ecostructure 2010

����� ����������������� ���������� �����������

Page 36: Ecostructure 2010

There’s always a

Page 37: Ecostructure 2010

© A

lber

t Vec

erka

/Est

oFLASHBACK

Around Little Rock, Ark., they call it “Bill’s Bridge.” In a lush setting that was once a brownfi eld and reaches out towards the Arkansas River, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center & Park is reminiscent of Little Rock’s six bridges that cross the river nearby, its modern design emblematic of a “bridge to the 21st century.” The center, which opened in November 2004, is home to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. Designed to LEED Silver certifi cation by Ennead Architects (formerly Polshek Partnership) of New York, the center’s main museum wing rises over a 27-acre city park that stretches along the south bank of the river. Nearby, the refurbished Choctaw Station, a 111-year-old train depot, houses the

William J. Clinton Foundation offi ces and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. The library elevated its status further in 2007 when it received Platinum LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) certifi cation, becoming the only federally maintained facility to earn this recognition.

Collaboration on the building’s concept became a clear theme for architects James Polshek, Richard Olcott, and Kevin McClurkan upon their invitation to the White House in 1999 by then-President Clinton. The president had been impressed with the fi rm’s cultural and educational projects, particularly the design of the Rose planetarium at New York’s American Museum of Natural History and the

Text David R. Macaulay

Bridge of Possibilities THROUGH ITS DESIGN AND MODIFIED OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PRACTICES, THE WILLIAM J. CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER & PARK ACHIEVED LEED CERTIFICATION TWICE.

The William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., has won several awards including an AIA National Honor Award for Architecture in 2006, an AIA/Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Projects honorable mention in 2007, and an AIA/American Library Association Building Award in 2007.

31NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 38: Ecostructure 2010

FLASHBACKart museum at Stanford University. Clinton had given considerable thought to his own presidential library, picturing a public and archival space as an exemplar of sustainable design. Olcott, a founding partner and design principal, recalls, “You won’t fi nd many clients as enlightened as President Clinton. It’s not like we had to convince him to make a green building. It was quite the other way around—he was leading the charge.”

Site DevelopmentThe project designers met with Clinton every six weeks over the course of a year. Site selection, led by the former president, focused on a long-abandoned rail yard and old warehouses near downtown. “Here, he chose to make a bigger impact by cleaning up this derelict site, to use this urban locale as a catalyst for enlightened development,” Olcott notes. “He immediately saw the possibilities there that others didn’t.”

On site, Clinton envisioned bicycling and pedestrian paths, as well as restoration of the old train station and adjacent railroad bridge. In addition to a public park, today the area features nearly a dozen new offi ce buildings.

Natural light represents another signature element in the building’s design and orientation.

After visiting the libraries of several former presidents, the architects better understood Clinton’s desire to emphasize openness, accessibility, and light. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) dictates requirements for protecting and preserving the artifacts and documents from a presidency, and the rest of the building serves as an active meeting place and policy think tank. “He didn’t want archivists laboring in a dark, vault-like environment,” Olcott says.

Yet prominent use of daylight presented a challenge in such a hot, humid climate. Olcott recalls thinking: “We’ve got a glass bridge that’s facing west. How are we going to keep the sun off it?” The designers fi rst considered placing a system of louvers over the glass, but later opted for a curtain-wall system that incorporates a fl oating glass scrim, with a sun-screening interlayer and coatings, to reduce solar heat gain by half. Whereas the designers predicted energy performance at 25 percent better than ASHRAE 90.1–1999, the center currently uses 34 percent less energy than comparable code-compliant buildings. Likewise, potable water reduction strategies total 23 percent less than that permitted by code, for a savings of approximately 324,000 gallons annually.

CIRCLE NO. 35 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 39: Ecostructure 2010

search. source. learn. connect. ebuild.

headline!

a 360 degree view of product information

ebuild is the destination for construction pros searching for comprehensive information about building products. ebuild provides them with a source of unbiased coverage of new products, trends and news to help them make the best buying decisions. Pros visit ebuild to learn how they can do their jobs faster, safer and easier. ebuild connects professionals to building product manufacturers, experts and peers.

magazine!

“ebuild provides the new product information and innovative building techniques I need to give the best possible service to my clients.”

testimonial!

:)Cindy Lowes (happy customer)

new & improved Web site!

features!

s� -ORE�THAN��������BUILDING�� product manufacturers

s� -ORE�THAN�����BUILDING�� product catalogs

s� -ORE�THAN�������NEW� product releases

s� -ORE�THAN�����BUILDING� product videos

e-Newsletter!

Page 40: Ecostructure 2010

Tim

othy

Hur

sley

FLASHBACK

Natural light was a key design element as President Clinton sought to emphasize openness, accessibility, and light. The west-facing glass bridge, however, proved challenging in Little Rock’s hot, humid climate. The solution to controlling solar heat gain was a fl oating glass scrim with a sun-screening interlayer and coating.

Continued ProgressHailed by the press upon its opening, the Clinton Presidential Center has since attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. But the president and his foundation elected to green the three-building complex further. Through a detailed LEED-EB certifi cation process, consultants at Leonardo Academy of Madison, Wis., identifi ed a series of performance improvements. Among them: updated operating procedures for erosion and sedimentation control, as well as updated procedures for green site and building exterior management, and the addition of low-VOC purchasing practices and green cleaning policies. Ninety-four percent of the center’s waste is now recycled and carbon neutrality was achieved via Green-e certifi ed renewable energy credits.

In addition to staff and contractor training, Leonardo Academy also managed the procurement process to install a 5,000-square-foot green roof over the library and oversaw the application for recertifi cation under LEED-EB. The results were recognized with LEED Platinum certifi cation in November 2007.

Olcott takes pride in realizing the president’s original vision as an award-winning green building. “For us, the bridge metaphor captures the spirit of Bill Clinton and his presidency,” he says. “I can’t think of another client we could convince to build a building like that. Certainly an ambitious undertaking for anyone, but it captured his imagination—and it was all new to us then, too.” ▪

David R. Macaulay is the author of Integrated Design: Mithun and the blog Green ArchiTEXT, greenarchitext.com .

CIRCLE NO. 95 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 41: Ecostructure 2010

�����������������������������������������������

Page 42: Ecostructure 2010

Tim

othy

Hur

sley

FLASHBACK LESSONS LEARNEDTo create transformative change in the built

environment of Little Rock, Ark., and the

surrounding region, stands as one of the

primary goals for the design and construction

of the Clinton Presidential Center. “President

Clinton’s vision was to create ripples within

Arkansas in terms of challenging people,

government, and other NGOs to pursue

this sort of sustainable construction,” says

Jordan Johnson of the Clinton Foundation.

Meeting LEED Silver and then LEED Platinum

requirements for the library and museum

resulted in several lessons. According to

Richard Olcott of Ennead Architects and Michael

Arny of the Leonardo Academy, these included:

• Broaden use of recycled and reclaimed

materials. While green design once called for

a series of compromises in material selection,

today’s choices are greater than ever (i.e.,

carpets made of recycled plastics); the center’s

structure includes 100 percent recycled steel.

• Future-proof buildings. Although Ennead’s

design originally included a green roof, at the

time the client decided to use white gravel

instead to improve reflectivity (and earn a LEED

point). Reaching for LEED-EB Platinum made it

possible to complete the green roof, which now

provides habitat, reduces stormwater runoff,

and improves energy efficiency.

• Reconcile green and federal standards.

Gaining approval for a water-retaining green

roof and locating the right system proved a

bigger challenge than anticipated, Arny says,

due to strict National Archives and Records

Administration requirements that are in place

to protect records against fire, flood, and

other threats.

• Continually improve building performance.

Other than a green roof, the project’s Platinum

certification involved no new sustainable

building components; rather, its optimized

performance may be credited largely to the

addition of green building and site operating

protocols that comply with LEED-EB standards.

The center’s main wing rises out over a 27-acre city park alongside the south bank of the Arkansas River that was previously home to an abandoned rail yard and old warehouses.

The smarter technology

1.888.415.6449 l logixicf.com

In the future buildings willsell energy, not buy it.

Are you ready?One day, buildings will be incredibly

air-tight and energy efficient – so

efficient that they will consume zero

net energy and even sell energy

back to the grid. For condominiums,

this could make condo fees “net-

zero” as well. LOGIX is net-zero

ready now. LOGIX Platinum Series is

powered by millions of tiny graphite

particles that act as infrared absorbers

and heat reflectors, for an R-value that

practically goes through the roof. It’s

tomorrow’s smarter technology, today.

CIRCLE NO. 30 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 43: Ecostructure 2010

SPEED UPBUILD TIME

SLOW DOWNENERGY COSTS

Circle no. 1 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 44: Ecostructure 2010

���������������!���������� ��#� �!�∃∃∃��� ∀��!����!������� �����

IMProvedInsulative Properties

���� ����� ���� ∀��!�����!�������� ��!�������#���������#��∀� �����!������%����������&

��������∀������! ���������������!�����∀�������!��!�� ������&���������!�������&��∀����&����

�����&�!�%������! ������ ������������!����!������� !�����!&����∃�����!������������� ��� !����!���

!����# ���∀�!����������!�� ������ ������&������#�������������∃����#����!&���� �∋� ���������� �

MCA-Improved:Layout 1 7/8/10 10:41 AM Page 1

Circle no. 34 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 45: Ecostructure 2010

Text Laurie Grant

Products

Kawneer Co. has introduced Versoleil SunShades, designed to easily integrate into building envelopes. Beginning with the Single Blade SunShade System, the line’s options are designed to be mounted in either horizontal or vertical confi gurations. Horizontal blades can be tilted at eight diff erent angles in fi ve-degree increments, while vertical blades can be oriented in 15 angles in fi ve-degree increments. Depths from 6 inches to 14 inches are available, and fi nish options include Permanodic anodized fi nishes as well as standard and custom paint fi nishes. The line can contribute to LEED points in three categories. kawneer.com; 770.449.5555. Circle 100 ecostructure.hotims.com

39NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 46: Ecostructure 2010

Knight Wall Systems has launched CI-Girt, a rainscreen system that accommodates continuous rigid insulation on the exterior to increase a structure’s energy effi ciency. The adaptable system eliminates the need to manually cut and fi t insulation around girts and allows for cladding attachment over continuous insulation. knightwallsystems.com; 509.262.0104. Circle 102 ecostructure.hotims.com

Accoya wood is a solid wood product for outdoor applications such as cladding and decking. It is dimensionally stable, reducing shrink and swell by 75 percent, and can last up to 50 years above-ground and 25 years in-ground. The wood is Cradle-to-Cradle certifi ed Gold and uses Forest Stewardship Council–certifi ed, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certifi cation–certifi ed, and other regionally certifi ed woods. In addition, it acts as a barrier to insects, including termites. accoya.com; 972.233.6565. Circle 101 ecostructure.hotims.com

Siding

PRODUCTS

CIRCLE NO. 82 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 47: Ecostructure 2010

Grasspave2 porous paving for parking, fi re lanes, access roads & more

Strength - 823,824 pounds per square foot (5721 psi)

Beauty - 100% grass coverage for green space AND paving

Flexibilty - Large, fl exible rolls for easy installation

invisiblestructures.com | 800-233-1510

Strength | Beauty | Flexibility Strength | Beauty | Flexibility...in perfect balance ...in perfect balance

Circle no. 24 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 48: Ecostructure 2010

Wallcoverings

The Dimension Walls line by MDC Wallcoverings off ers 3D wallcovering options that create distinct accents and add texture to a room. Two new additions to the zero-VOC line —Elliptical and Hammered—bring the total texture options up to nine. Designers can choose from 28 standard fi nishes, some of which are half postindustrial recycled content. The panels have an overlapping lip to create an almost seamless wall application. mdcwall.com; 847.437.4000. Circle 103 ecostructure.hotims.com

Waterfall Damask from Cirqa captures the richness of natural fi bers through 12 saturated colors ranging from complex neutrals to mid-tones. Colors incorporate a glint of metallic gold or silver that pays homage to antique royal textures. The wallcovering is available with 20 percent recycled content as part of Versa’s Second-Look technology, which recycles post-consumer vinyl wallcovering into new product. Made of low-VOC type II vinyl with Osnaburg backing, the wallcovering measures 52 inches by 54 inches, and uses water-based inks and adhesives. cirqawallcovering.com; 502.458.1502. Circle 105 ecostructure.hotims.com

The Brasilia wallpaper collection from Wallquest draws inspiration from leaves, grasses, tree bark, and other natural elements. The pulp is derived from renewable resource forests or recycled sources, and the production process relies on solvent-free, water-based inks. Any water used during production is fi ltered and cleaned before being returned to the environment. Textures are produced using special inks that raise the surface of the patterns for an embossed or etched texture. wallquest.com; 888.425.9255. Circle 104 ecostructure.hotims.com

PRODUCTS

CIRCLE NO. 29 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 49: Ecostructure 2010

800.290.5460 I [email protected]

The YGS Group is the authorized provider ofcustom reprint products from ECO-STRUCTURE.

integrated publishing solutions

Place your press directly in thehands of your customers andprospects with custom reprintsfrom ECO-STRUCTURE.

Event CollateralMedia KitsDirect MailOnline MarketingRecruiting PackagesPresentations

Develop greater brand awareness andshowcase yourfeatured editorialfrom this industryrespected publication.

Page 50: Ecostructure 2010

PRODUCTS

Redeux, by Trove, is a PVC-free commercial grade wallcovering that contains 31 percent post-consumer recycled material. It contributes to enhanced indoor air quality because of its high level of breathability and resistance to mold and mildew with no harmful gas emissions. The company off ers a reclamation program for Redeux in which excess material or waste can be sent back to Trove for reuse and recycling. troveline.com; 212.268.2046. Circle 106 ecostructure.hotims.com

FaçadeScapeGreen Wall Systems

• Covers walls & pillars

• Reduces heat gain

• Easy to specify & install

• Protects building exteriors

• Promotes healthy plant growth

• Manufactured in ISO 9001 and

ISO 14001 compliant facilities for

environmental responsibility.

TM

Toll Free 800-444-6271

[email protected]

www.decorcable.com

The Best InTension

CIRCLE NO. 10 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 51: Ecostructure 2010

CONGRATULAT IONSto Hanley Wood’s Jesse H. Neal Award Winners

Hanley Wood is committed

to publishing quality content

that serves the information

needs of the construction

industry professionals.

Our editors have once

again been honored by

the most prestigious editorial

awards program. Join us

in congratulating them.

BUILDERWinner, Best Educational Content, 2010

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2009

Finalist, Best Online Article, 2009

Finalist, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2008

Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2008

Finalist, Best News Coverage, 2008

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2008

Finalist, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2007

Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2007

Winner, Best Single Issue, 2006

Finalist, Best Web Site, 2004

Finalist, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2004

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2004

Finalist, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2004

Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2004

Finalist, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2001

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2001

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2001

Finalist, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2000

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2000

Winner, Best Web Site, 1999

REMODELINGFinalist, Best Profile, 2010

Finalist, Best Department or Column, 2004

Winner, Best Department or Column, 2000

Winner, Best Department or Column, 1999

Finalist, Best Feature Article, 1999

CUSTOM HOMEWinner, Best Department or Column, 2007

Finalist, Best Department or Column, 2006

Winner, Best Department or Column, 2001

AQUATICS INTERNATIONALWinner, Best Single Article, 2009

Winner, Best Single Article, 2007

Finalist, Best News Coverage, 2003

POOL & SPA NEWSFinalist, Best Technical Content, 2010

Winner, Best Single Article, 2006

ARCHITECTFinalist, Best Single Article, 2010

Finalist, Best Commentary, 2010

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2010

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2009

ECOHOMEFinalist, Best Profile, 2010

Finalist, Best Web Site, 2010

Finalist, Best e-Newsletter, 2010

Winner, Best Start-Up Publication, 2009

PUBLIC WORKSFinalist, Best Single Article, 2009

residential architectFinalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2008

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2007

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2006

Finalist, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2005

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2004

Winner, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2003

MULTIFAMILY EXECUTIVEWinner, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2009

Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2009

Finalist, Best Online Article, 2009

Finalist, Best Feature Series, 2006

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2005

Finalist, Best News Coverage, 2005

TOOLS OF THE TRADEFinalist, Best How-To Article, 2005

Winner, Best Department or Column, 2002

Finalist, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2001

BIG BUILDERWinner, Best Department, 2009

Finalist, Best Single Article, 2009

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2009

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2007

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2005

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2005

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCEWinner, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2008

Winner, Best Single Issue, 2008

Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2007

REPLACEMENT CONTRACTORFinalist, Best Single Issue, 2007

Page 52: Ecostructure 2010

THE PURSUIT OF

EXCELLENCE

Page 53: Ecostructure 2010

In the ever-growing realm of green building, what constitutes a noteworthy project? We off er one

set of examples with the winners of the 2010 Evergreen Awards, eco-structure’s third-annual

competition recognizing innovation in environmental performance and design. Showcased on

the pages that follow, this year’s winners, plus one honorable mention, span four categories —

Ecommercial, Greenhouse, On the Boards (which recognizes unbuilt work), and Perspective (which

spotlights an industry champion). The winners share a core attribute: They make projects work both

technically and aesthetically, marrying admirable environmental performance that pushes beyond

baseline measurements with innovative and thoughtful architecture. These projects (or, in the case

of our Perspective winner, his portfolio and industry leadership) are further support in striking

down the argument that good design may need to be sacrifi ced for green design, or vice versa.

As our jury discussed in mulling over this year’s entries, there should no longer be a viable excuse for not combining sustainability and outstanding aesthetics in any space. The industry and its clients deserve—and should demand—excellence across the board.

Charged with fi ltering this year’s winners out of a sizeable entry fi eld were Marc J. Cohen,

director of sustainable design at MVE Institutional in Irvine, Calif.; Narada Golden, senior

sustainability manager at YRG in Boulder, Colo.; Daniel J. Kaplan, senior partner at FXFowle

Architects in New York; Patrick Thibaudeau, vice president at HGA in Minneapolis; and William

J. Worthen, vice president at Simon & Associates in San Francisco and director, resource architect

for sustainability for the American Institute of Architects.

The 2010 winners will be recognized at a lunch during Greenbuild International Conference

and Expo. For more information on the awards and the event, visit eco-structure.com ▪

Page 54: Ecostructure 2010

Project: Atrium SchoolLocation: Watertown, Mass.

GREEN TEAM

Architect, interior designer, lighting designer:

Maryann Thompson Architects, maryannthompson.com

Client/owner: Atrium School, atrium.org

MEP engineer: Wozny/Barbar & Associates, wbaengineers.com

Structural engineer: Richmond So Engineers, richmondso.com

Civil engineer: Gala Simon Associates, gsadesign.com

Construction manager, general contractor: Bowdoin

Construction Corp., bowdoinconstruction.com

Landscape architect: Landworks Studio, landworksstudio.com

Green engineer: The Green Engineer, greenengineer.com

MATERIALS AND SOURCES

Acoustical system, ceiling: Decoustics, decoustics.ca

Flooring: Forbo Flooring Systems, forboflooringna.com

Millwork: Environ Biocomposites, environbiocomposites.com

HVAC: FabricAir, fabricair.com

Lighting: B-K Lighting, bklighting.com ; Lightolier by

Philips, lightolier.com ; LSI Industries, lsi-industries.com;

Teka Illumination, teka-illumination.com

Metal: Von Duprin, vonduprin.com

Paints and finishes: The Sherwin-Williams Co.,

sherwin-williams.com

Plumbing and water systems: Excel Dryer, exceldryer.com ;

Haws Corp., hawsco.com ; Toto USA, totousa.com

Signage: Montana Lettering, signlettersource.com

Windows and doors: EFCO Corp., efcocorp.com; Kamco

Supply Corp., kamco.com ; Modulex Interior Products,

www.modulexinc.com; Schweiss Doors, bifold.co m

The whole-child education mission of the Atrium School is not just the stuff of blackboards and gym class. In addition to academic and cognitive growth, the 120-student, K–6 school in Watertown, Mass., emphasizes social development, dialogue across age groups, and environmental awareness. Atrium’s methods for achieving progressive results include weekly school-wide assemblies and common curricula. In all, its approach could have been adapted from the Quaker playbook.

While Atrium’s current pedagogy may coincidentally reference historic educational precedents, its building concretely merges past and present. Since the 2006–2007 academic year, the institution has occupied a 20,000-square-foot warehouse that Maryann Thompson Architects remade as a contemporary learning space and a lesson in sustainable design. The Cambridge, Mass.–based fi rm accomplished this feat in spite of a lean budget of $110 per square foot.

The project required a vow of ee ciency: In August 2005, the Watertown municipality claimed Atrium’s old building in eminent domain, and gave the school 13 months to vacate. School oe cials promptly leased a former Wordsworth Books storage facility as a new site. Still, restrictions of time and money dissuaded several of Maryann Thompson’s colleagues from competing for the job, she recalls, adding that initial glimpses of the 1920s-era warehouse caused shudders: “That fi rst walkthrough was a little intimidating. The building has an amazing truss system, but it was painted all black and there were no windows.”

It may have been scary, but it also was sound. The structure, brick on concrete block, was in excellent condition, and the roof membrane required only minimal patching. Thompson’s team removed the “fl imsy stage-set partitions” that had divided the interior when the building was a warehouse, and inserted skylights and double-glazed windows—with 85-percent recycled-content aluminum frames—where there would be eight classrooms, fi ve administrative oe ces, and communal spaces.

The fi rm then set about transforming the interior from black to white. “We sprayed the whole interior in low-VOC white paint. The trusses are beautiful, like a spiderweb, and [the paint] allows the children to see how the structural systems work,” Thompson says. Acknowledging that an 18-foot-tall warehouse fi lled with kids could be noisy, the design team installed white linen–covered acoustical tiles liberally.

Minimizing intervention became the rule of thumb. Waterless urinals and low-fl ow toilets, which are largely responsible for a yearly water consumption of roughly 5.2 gallons per square foot—a fi gure that is on the low end of the water use range of high-performance schools in the High Performance Buildings Database—were added without moving plumbing lines. Similarly, Thompson “wove the school around” the existing electrical infrastructure. Ductwork was inserted inconspicuously—made of a washable white cloth, it expands and contracts according to use.

One main change, however, dealt with perception. The warehouse originally faced a light-industrial section of Watertown, while its rear elevation and expansive parking lot opened to a residential area. Thompson achieved the zoning change required to fl ip those faces. “Setting the school’s entrance toward what would seem to be the rear of the building was a deliberate choice to engage the kids in their natural world as their fi rst interaction with the school,” says Jim Newman, chair of the Atrium School’s Board of Trustees. Now, students start their day by passing through a landscape of undulating landforms designed by Michael Blier of Boston-based landscape fi rm Landworks Studio. This playground is a community amenity that is open to residents. It also conceals basins beneath the mounds that retain stormwater to reduce site runoff and refi ll the aquifer. The design team also reinstituted grass, trees, and natural drainage on site, decreasing the impervious area from 89 percent to 51 percent.

Thompson designed diagonal wood screens that cover portions of the south-facing brick masonry. These expanses of western red cedar soften the former warehouse’s sharp edges and, Thompson says, “they provide Atrium with an iconographic image.” The move is a gesture toward the residential neighborhood and an exercise in branding. One portion rises above the roofl ine to form a light well for the multipurpose space below—which acts as a gymnasium, assembly area, theater, and afterschool-program venue— and it expedites natural ventilation in that space by the stack eff ect. The light well, other skylights, and windows work in tandem with interior luminaires that are activated by motion and daylight sensors. As a result, the school consumes only 14.24 kBtu per square foot. Factoring in a high-intensity boiler and other mechanical systems, total energy consumption is 38.51 kBtu per square foot, or 25 percent less than comparable schools in the High Performance Buildings Database.

The south-facing multipurpose space exemplifi es Thompson’s diverse sustainability strategy. In addition to using daylighting and natural ventilation, the building has concrete fl oors that provide excellent thermal mass; perimeter casework that was fabricated from recycled wheatboard; and a dramatic garage door that emphasizes students’ connections to the outdoors.

While the multipurpose space bookends the building’s southern end, a library forms the northern terminus. Between these two rooms, Thompson threaded classrooms, a faculty lounge, and administrative oe ces around the existing infrastructure to create an undulating double-loaded corridor that promotes a sense of discovery. More generally, Thompson calls the Atrium School a personal turning point. “Atrium showed me that you could make an adaptive-reuse project beautiful and emotionally interesting,” she says. “Now I think of adaptive reuse as almost a holy thing. It is the most profound form of recycling.” ▪

David Sokol writes about architecture from Beacon, N.Y. For all Evergreen Awards coverage, visit eco-structure.com.

ECOMMERCIAL WINNER

SECOND LIFE

Text David Sokol Photos Anton Grassl/Esto

48 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 55: Ecostructure 2010

Now: The new entrance to the Atrium School

Before: The warehouse side viewBefore: The warehouse rear viewBefore: The streetside warehouse entrance

49NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 56: Ecostructure 2010

The entry landscape, hiding a stormwater storage basin

ATRIUM SCHOOLECOMMERCIAL WINNER

50 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 57: Ecostructure 2010

The entry canopy’s side view

kBtu Per Month—Gas Plus Electricity

kBtu/Square Foot—Gas kBtu/Square Foot—Electricity

300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0

M J J A S O N D J F M AMONTH

51NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 58: Ecostructure 2010

Multipurpose space and reception area

Flexible multipurpose spacesCorridor woven between classrooms

and administrative offices

ATRIUM SCHOOLECOMMERCIAL WINNER

52 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 59: Ecostructure 2010

A classroom brightened up with a new skylight and white paint

53NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 60: Ecostructure 2010

Twelve | West

54 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 61: Ecostructure 2010

Project: Twelve | WestLocation: Portland, Ore.

GREEN TEAM: Architect, interior designer, landscape architect, green consultant, LEED consultant: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, zgf.com Client/owner, construction manager: Gerding Edlen Development Co., gerdingedlen.com Mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, lighting designer: Glumac, glumac.com ; Total Mechanical, totalmechanical.com Structural engineer: KPFF, kpff.co m Civil engineer: David Evans and Associates, deainc.com Geotechnical engineer: GeoDesign, geodesigninc.com General contractor: Hoffman Construction Co., hoffmancorp.com

MATERIALS AND SOURCES:

Building management systems and services: Siemens,

buildingtechnologies.siemens.com

Cladding: Cold Spring Granite, coldspringgranite.com ;

Dri-Design, dri-design.com ; Streimer Sheet Metal Works,

streimer.com ; Swisspearl, swisspearl.com

Curtain walls: Benson Industries, bensonglobal.com

Glass: Viracon, viracon.com

HVAC: Total Mechanical

Lighting control systems: Lutron Electronics Co., lutron.com

Lighting: Architectural Lighting Works, archltgworks.com ;

Artemide, artemide.us ; Bartco Lighting, bartcolighting.com ;

Designplan Lighting, designplan.com ; Focal Point, focal

pointlights.com ; Haworth, haworth.com; ilight Technology,

ilight-tech.com ; iol Lighting Services; Kurt Versen Co. ,

kurtversen.com ; Ledalite, ledalite.com ; Lightolier by Philips,

lightolier.com ; Lithonia Lighting, lithonia.com ; Louis Poulsen,

louispoulsen.com ; Sistemalux, sistemalux.com ; Visual Lighting

Technologies, visual-lighting.com ; Vode Lighting, vode.com ;

Zumtobel, zumtobel.com

Plumbing and water systems: Construction Products,

contech-cpi.com ; Contech Total Mechanical; Siemens

Renewable energy systems: Southwest Windpower,

windenergy.com ; Trox, trox.us

Roofing: Snyder Roofing and Sheet Metal, snyderroofing.com

Windows and doors: Bamboo Revolution, bamboorevolution

.com; Benson Industries; Grand View Glass & Metal, grand

viewglass.com ; Kawneer, kawneer.com ; Oregon Door,

oregondoor.com ; Quantum Windows, quantumwindows.com

For more, visit eco-structure.com

In many ways, the Twelve | West building in downtown Portland, Ore., is about energy—its generation, conservation, and participation—on a district scale. But the energy that drove the 23-story project was a desire to bring new life to a neglected area of the city core. For local project designers Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF), the solution lay in transparency.

“We wanted Twelve | West to be an urban catalyst that bridged a major thoroughfare to the vibrant aesthetic of Portland’s Pearl District,” explains ZGF principal John Breshears. ZGF’s interest in the project’s success was personal. The company occupies four fl oors inside the 550,000-square-foot structure, which also includes 17 stories of apartments, fi ve levels of below-grade parking, and three roof-level terraces and gardens. “By making the building transparent, we could reveal the vitality inside,” Breshears says, “but transparency and sustainable performance can be in direct confl ict with each other.” In order to resolve the competing goals of visual openness and environmental stewardship, the designers fi rst sought to optimize the mechanical systems.

The team employed computer modeling and design predictions to control lighting in the space and worked with a local curtain-wall fabricator to fi nd the exact glass needed to control thermal gain. ZGF’s offi ce space is served by underfl oor air distribution and overhead passive chilled beams that cool the space through a natural convention loop, as well as heat recovery at the air handling units and demand-driven airfl ow control. The team also exposed the concrete ceilings and structure, which provide thermal mass to moderate temperature swings. In the apartments, the HVAC system includes extremely effi cient motors and equipment, and a district utility in the Pearl District extended its service area to provide chilled water for Twelve | West.

On the top of the building, four wind turbines serve as an open-air experiment on wind power generation in an urban environment and are projected to produce nearly 10,000 kWh per year, enough electricity to off set that used by the building’s elevators. More renewable power comes from 1,360 square feet of fl at-plate solar hot-water panels on the roof, which provide 24 percent of the energy needed to heat the domestic hot water in the building. Energy models predict that Twelve | West will exceed current 2030 Challenge benchmarks for energy use and achieve a 46 percent savings over code baseline.

Breshears says that project materials for the offi ce space were painstakingly researched, and low-emitting materials and fi nishes were used throughout the building. In the offi ce lobby, white metal ceiling panels are coated with a water-based, solvent-free fi nish that was not available from the panel manufacturer, so the designers paired two companies together to create the custom product. Recycled materials include 100 percent corn-fi ber curtains, linoleum fl ooring, recycled-denim insulation, and 96 percent recycled, locally manufactured gypsum wallboard. Locally sourced concrete and natural materials also were specifi ed throughout the building.

More than half of the wood used in the offi ce space is Forest Stewardship Council certifi ed. The designers selected bamboo for veneers on doors, casework, fl ooring, and cabinets, and the offi ce lobby’s wood siding was salvaged from an old trolley barn. An artist crafted the reception desk from wood salvaged from a 270-year-old walnut tree that was felled in Salem, Ore., because it was diseased. One lobby wall showcases a collection of old photographic slides of past projects that were mounted and backlit to create a portfolio display.

Twelve | West’s vegetated roof contains an unusually deep plant medium of 18 to 24 inches, which allowed the team to incorporate plants that will grow tall, some up to 20 feet, to create a lush garden. The deeper substrate also off ers a substantial stormwater benefi t. Excess rainwater is collected in a 23,000-gallon tank. Combined with cooling coil condensate in the summer months, the rainwater provides all of the project’s irrigation needs and approximately 90 percent of the offi ces’ toilet fl ushing needs. In response to the amount of waste diverted from the local sewer system, the city of Portland agreed to off set system development charges for the stormwater retention system, off setting 91 percent of the system’s total cost, and the system saves a projected 286,225 gallons of potable water annually.

Opened in 2009, the project achieved two LEED Platinum certifi cations, one under LEED for New Construction and another under LEED for Commercial Interiors for the offi ce fl oors. At press time, a comprehensive energy performance review was being conducted, as well as metering of the building’s overall energy use and submetering of the offi ce lighting and plug loads, total domestic hot-water use, heating, cooling, and electrical use in the residences. In addition, the wind resources and energy production will be measured by ZGF in conjunction with outside partners, including the building’s construction manager, electrical and mechanical engineer, and the National Wind Technology Center, for fi ve years against predictions. Similarly, researchers at the Center for the Built Environment at the University of California at Berkeley, have partnered with the design team to study glare, daylighting controls, and roller-blind eff ectiveness to better understand the impact of the high-transparency façade on both occupants and energy use. “We’re benchmarking our energy performance and we launched a measurement and verifi cation plan,” Breshears says. “We want to share what we’ve learned with others to promote more sustainable buildings everywhere.” ▪

KJ Fields writes about sustainability and architecture from Portland, Ore. To see a slide show of Twelve | West, as well as extended coverage of this year’s Evergreen Award winners, visit eco-structure.com.

ECOMMERCIAL HONORABLE MENTION

FORWARD MOMENTUM

Text KJ Fields Photos Basil Childers, Pete Eckert, and Nick Merrick

55NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 62: Ecostructure 2010

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects’ (ZGF) offices

r i produce W h of electricity per ring of wind conditions performance will improve or future projects.

al panels heat 24% used in the building, tural gas use.

ns clean, detain and filter d significantly reduce

atures in warmer months.

s admits 55% of visible reflects 70% o f the eat, reducing energy use nd space cooling.

Re -use in toilet flushing floors, and to irrigate

ofs, reduces use of city ,00 0 gallons per year.

ient Plumbing Fix tures water use by more than

Four wind turbines Operable windows

Daylight sensors

Exposed concrete

Passive/chilled beams

Underfloor air distribution

Water storage tank

Efficient central cooling

Rainwater harvesting

Condensation from air handler system

Solar thermal panels

Roof gardens

Low-E glass

Rainwater reuse in toilet flushing

Water-efficient plumbing fixtures

TWELVE | WESTHONORABLE MENTION

56 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 63: Ecostructure 2010

ZGF’s offices

57NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 64: Ecostructure 2010

Project: Virginia PointLocation: Houston, Texas

GREEN TEAM

Architect: Adams Architects, adamsarchitectshouston.com

Interior designer: Tokerud & Co.

Client/owner: Daniel and Adele Hedges

Structural engineer, geotechnical engineer: Gessner

Engineering, gessnerengineering.com

Construction manager, general contractor: Chris Fry,

Dovetail Builders, dovetailbuild.com

Landscape architect: Asakura Robinson Co.,

asakurarobinson.com

Lighting designer: Bernard Woolf, Lighting Unlimited,

lulighting.com

LEED consultant: Contects Consultants & Architects,

contects.com

MATERIALS AND SOURCES

Appliances: General Electric Co., geappliances.com

Building management systems and services:

Lutron Electronics Co., lutron.com

Cladding: Galvalume, galvalume.com

Curtainwalls: HRCG, hrcgonline.com

Flooring: EcoTimber, ecotimber.com; Plyboo by Smith &

Fong Co., plyboo.com ; Teragren, teragren.com ;

HVAC: WaterFurnace International, waterfurnace.com

Lighting: American Lighting, americanlighting.com ;

Elco Lighting, elcolighting.com ; Eurofase Lighting, eurofase

.com ; Halo by Cooper Lighting, haloltg.com; Hydrel, hydrel

.com ; Jesco Lighting Group, jescolighting.com ; LBL Lighting,

lbllighting.com ; Louis Poulsen, louispoulsen.com ; Lumiere by

Cooper Lighting, lumiere-lighting.com; Lutron Electronics

Co.; Matthews Fan Co., matthewsfanco.com ; The Modern

Fan Co., modernfan.com ; Panasonic, panasonic.com ;

Rotaliana, rotaliana.it ; Techlight, techlightusa.com ; Tech

Lighting, techlighting.com; Visual Lighting Technologies,

visual-lighting.com ; WAC Lighting, waclighting.com

Paints and finishes: The Sherwin-Williams Co.,

sherwin-williams.com

Photovoltaics: Sharp Electronics Corp., sharpusa.com

Plumbing and water systems: PexSupply, pexsupply.com

Rainwater recovery system: SparkleTap Water Co.,

sparkletap.com

For many people, the ideal home looks a lot like Daniel and Adele Hedges’ old house: a two-story vision of Georgian graciousness with brick walls and crown molding. But the Hedgeses have made it their mission to completely change that ideal, using the full force of modern architecture and technology. Their new home, dubbed Virginia Point and located in Houston, gleams with cobalt-blue solar panels, galvanized aluminum, and the force of their convictions. It is the fi rst house in the city to receive LEED Platinum certifi cation and is a net-zero consumer of energy. “It’s the most radical project we’ve done,” says architect Joe Adams of Adams Architects, a local fi rm.

The Hedgeses wanted to make a statement, not simply build a new house. “Houston is the energy capital of the U.S., so what better place to have a home that produces its own energy?” says Daniel Hedges. He and wife Adele are both part of the political establishment—he’s a former U.S. attorney and she is a state judge —and they now consider themselves “environmental evangelists,” opening up their home for public tours. “It’s a very warm and comfortable house. You expect you’re going to come into a hard, cold place, but it’s anything but that,” Daniel Hedges says.

Joe and Gail Adams were family friends of the Hedgeses with a 30-year architecture practice and had built off -the-grid houses in remote locations. When the Hedgeses asked them to go all out on the sustainability front, the Adamses designed a house specifi cally to maximize solar collection. The process started with the site selection itself. The Adamses helped the Hedgeses pick a prominent corner lot, with its long side facing south. The two-story house’s form then followed suit: It is shaped like a simple shed, with a roof that is pitched south at the optimum angle for the region (30 degrees) and holds most of the home’s 140 170W solar panels (which generate a total output of 23.8 kW). The orientation also allows for a long row of north-facing clerestory windows, which bring soft, diff use light into the house and minimize the need for artifi cial lighting. “Texas is graced with a lot of natural light, but most people don’t know what to do with it,” Joe Adams says. “We are taking the brunt of the hot sun and making power out of it, and using the cooler northern lighting for living.”

The Adamses also designed a second volume, enclosed in glass, to create a show-stopping double-height entryway. With its solar panels tilted west, toward the street, the architects made a point of showcasing these very unique roofi ng tiles.

“I believe that one of the biggest impediments to the green revolution is nostalgia and sentimentality in architecture,” Joe Adams says. “Once you tie your building to a preordained style, you’re going to cut yourself off from a lot of the most sustainable things you can do.”

The house is about 3,500 square feet, with an additional 1,500 square feet of shaded outdoor space. Because the Houston area is prone to fl ooding, the primary living spaces are on the second level, which features an open living and dining area, along with a master suite and a kitchen. The contemporary design also incorporates traditional passive cooling techniques. The upper fl oor has a long screened-in porch, built with decking fabricated from recycled plastics, where the Hedgeses frequently take their meals. “To engage the outdoors in Houston is really unheard of,” notes Adams. On the fi rst level, a dogtrot—a covered breezeway—separates the garage from a wing of guest bedrooms. The shady spot is a favorite hangout of the Hedges family dogs.

Contributing to the home’s mechanical effi ciency, a geothermal system (with four 2-ton heat pumps and 10 300-feet-deep wells that house cooling loops) takes care of the heating and cooling, contributing to a Home Energy Rating (HERS) index performance of negative 11. (The HERS index is a 100-point scale based off of a reference home built to the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code, where a score of zero equates to being net-zero energy.) A 7,000-gallon rainwater cistern stored underground supplies all of the house’s potable water needs—the stored water is purifi ed using ultraviolet radiation before use. These measures also were fi nancially effi cient: The geothermal materials and system installation costs, along with the house’s solar system, inverters, and backup battery system, were eligible for federal tax credits. The rainwater system helps contribute to a near-net-zero water utility bill (not zero, as the Hedgeses still pay for a sewer connection).

The home’s architecture of effi ciency also meant that building materials and fi nishes were picked for their extreme durability; in addition to fl oods, the area is regularly beset by hurricanes. The rooftop solar panels are integrated with the home’s steel framing and have withstood one hurricane already without incident. A battery backup system lets the home function free from the electrical grid in dramatic weather. When it came to the exterior, the Hedgeses were tired of having to repaint trim and replace windows on their Georgian, and the Adamses responded with a zero-maintenance structure that has exposed galvanized steel framing and galvanized aluminum siding in large, medium, and fi ne textures to distinguish the diff erent volumes of the building. Inside, the fi rst fl oor is covered with polished concrete, while the second fl oor features warm bamboo fl ooring and cabinetry. The interiors reveal the house’s structure, with framing and bracing clearly visible within the lofty spaces. “This building has a realness to it that even a lot of modernist architecture doesn’t have,” Joe Adams says. “It’s not a pristine white box, which you have to do a lot of shenanigans to achieve, by the way. But I think this house is beautiful in its own way.” ▪

Lydia Lee writes about architecture and design from Menlo Park, Calif. To see a slide show of Virginia Point, as well as additional coverage of the 2010 Evergreen Awards, visit eco-structure.com.

GREENHOUSE WINNER

LONE STAR

Text Lydia Lee Photos Joe Aker, Aker/Zvonkovic Photography

58 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 65: Ecostructure 2010

Entry

Aerial view

South Elevation

North Elevation

South-facing solar array

Rain harvest cistern

Geothermal heat pump HVAC system

Ambient daylighting

Page 66: Ecostructure 2010

Living room

VIRGINIA POINTGREENHOUSE WINNER

60 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 67: Ecostructure 2010

Dining area and living room Second-floor porch and master bedroom

Kitchen

61NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 68: Ecostructure 2010

Digital Media City Tower

62 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 69: Ecostructure 2010

Project: Digital Media City Landmark TowerLocation: Seoul, South Korea

GREEN TEAM: Design architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, som.com Architect of record: SAMOO Architects & Engineers, www.samoo.com/eng Client/owner: Seoul Light AMC MEP engineer: Syska Hennessy Group, syska.com Structural engineer: SOM Structures Landscape architect: Thomas Balsley Associates, tbany.com Lighting designer: SBLD, sbldstudio.com Sustainable design: Buro Happold, burohappold.com Fire and life safety: Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp., aonfpe.com Vertical transportation: VDA, vdassoc.com

The 20th and 21st centuries are dotted with iconic skyscrapers by the architecture and engineering fi rm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The Hancock Tower, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), the Burj Khalifa, and the still-under-construction One World Trade Center all soar heavenwards as feats of design and engineering. And some 40 years into designing super-tall structures, the fi rm is continuing to innovate. Its Digital Media City Landmark Tower in southwestern Seoul, South Korea, brings sustainable design skyward.

At 2,100 feet tall (133 stories), the mixed-use tower hosts a collection of green technologies, including solar panels, wind turbines, enhanced daylighting, and living walls. SOM anticipates that these strategies will reduce overall building energy use by 66 percent. “Original constraints on super-tall buildings were vertical transportation and structural requirements,” explains SOM design partner Mustafa Abadan. “Today, those requirements have become easier to solve with technological advancements, but sustainability needs to be addressed. We’ve shifted our priorities to environmental issues.”

Located on a 37,208-square-meter (401,278-square-foot) site west of downtown Seoul and north of the Han River, in an area slated for development as a technology and media hub, the super high-rise is designed to be a beacon for the region—literally. LED lights integrated into the façade will be programmed to correspond to sky color and come on at sunset, creating a dynamic light display.

Yet the building’s environmental responsiveness is not just for show. The tower promotes urban density. A micro-city in itself, its mixed-use program includes an eight-story retail podium, 39 offi ce fl oors, a 16-fl oor hotel with a double-height lobby, 19 serviced apartment fl oors, 39 residential fl oors, one restaurant fl oor, three observation decks, and eight mechanical fl oors. One of Seoul’s major train stations is within walking distance.

Despite the symbolic display, the tower’s spectacle comes in its forward-thinking production of renewable energy. SOM’s team reconfi gured the standard super-tall building footprint, where the core is usually taken up with structural supports and vertical transportation. About halfway up the building—at the hotel lobby— the more-traditional core is replaced by a 1,000-foot-tall vertical void. Roughly 60 feet wide by 100 feet long, the void is based on the principles of a solar updraft tower. Using the stack eff ect, air will be drawn into a collection area, where it will be heated naturally by the sun before it rises up through the tower to drive six horizontal-axis wind turbines, each 3 meters (about 10 feet) in diameter. SOM predicts that this “solar engine” will provide 3 to 5 percent of the building’s overall energy. “Tall buildings naturally act as chimneys,” Abadan explains. “There is a natural draw of air that, up until now, we’ve had to fi ght. In this tower we’ve embraced this phenomenon. Super-tall towers have always been designed around structural concerns, but we’ve also recognized that other forces acting on the building can be harnessed in a diff erent way.” Additionally, there are plans to capture methane from an adjacent landfi ll and convert it to fuel. Nicholas Holt, a director at SOM, projects that the gas given off from decomposing trash combined with wind turbines installed on land south of the site could supply 20 percent of the entire building’s power.

Integrated systems are key to maintaining an effi cient super-tall building. For example, the structure’s electrical and mechanical systems are optimized with high-effi ciency lighting fi xtures, chilled beam cooling in the offi ce spaces, and radiant fl ooring in all residential and hotel guest room spaces. The exterior façade is designed to generate both shade and energy. The southern façade will be outfi tted with horizontal shading fi ns, while the eastern and western façades will have a combination of horizontal and vertical fi ns. Discussions are under way to install photovoltaic (PV) panels on a to-be-determined mix of fi ns on all three sides. It is anticipated that the PV panels will be installed on the lower portion of the building for easy maintenance and will generate 1,400 mWh of energy to be fed back into the site or sold back to the grid. Around the central atrium, glass panels will allow natural light to fi lter deep into the fl oor plates.

SOM’s ability to stay on the cutting edge of performance technologies comes from in-house research and advanced computational power. By using a combination of software packages, the team is able to empirically model complex environmental systems such as heat gain, solar incidence, and thermal dynamics. In fact, prototypical development done in partnership with the Center for Architecture, Science, and Ecology (CASE), which is a research entity co-hosted by SOM New York and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, led to the tower’s “lungs.” CASE had designed an Active Modular Phytoremediation System (which won a 2009 R+D Award from architffct magazine) and, for the tower, collaborated with SOM to improve existing green wall technology. Up to 90,000 square feet have been allocated within two U-shaped perimeter voids—one on the building’s north side, one on the south—to house green walls. Each void will be broken into three stacked segments and in the upper segments of each U, the green walls will cleanse air by drawing it across the plant leaves, roots, and rhizomes, which together fi lter out VOCs and toxins. The walls also will pre-cool the air, reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the apartments. Grown hydroponically, the green walls will be supported by the building’s graywater reclamation system.

Although the Digital Media City Landmark Tower is just out of schematic design and completion is anticipated in 2014, it represents the future of super-tall architecture. “We’ve incorporated a level of environmental enhancement that goes beyond what has been thought of up until now,” Abadan says. No longer will it be enough to race upwards solely on feats of structural engineering, it’s now sustainability’s turn to scrape the sky. ▪

Mimi Zeiger writes about architecture from Brooklyn, N.Y. See more Evergreen Awards coverage at eco-structure.com.

ON THE BOARDS WINNER

JOLLY GREEN GIANT

Text Mimi Zeiger Renderings Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

63NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 70: Ecostructure 2010

Office space

Daylight, energy, and fresh air pathways

Perimeter Atria

Central Void

Solar Engine Air Intake

Central Void

Turbines Fresh Air

Returned Air

64 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 71: Ecostructure 2010

Office entry

Summer sun angle

Ventilation at the Spire

Winter sun angle

Heliostat

Wind turbine

Roof

DIGITAL CITY MEDIA LANDMARK TOWERON THE BOARDS WINNER

65NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 72: Ecostructure 2010

PERSPECTIVE WINNER

PETER BUSBY

Interview Katie Weeks Portrait William Anthony

Page 73: Ecostructure 2010

How would you defi ne your philosophy on what it means to design green?The only consistent aspect of our approach to designing a sustainable building is that it is always changing. There is no ultimate textbook on sustainable design. There is no list of what you must do and what you must not do. It’s a constantly evolving position. Each year, we learn more. For example, we’re now working with the Living Building Challenge and learning about material composition in buildings. We’re not chemists. It’s a whole new chapter in sustainable design. In this vein, you can go back over the past 25 years and fi nd things we learned each year. We’re constantly striving to learn more, do better work, and move toward realizing what the word “sustainability” really means.

In terms of the environmental impact of buildings, what do you consider to be the most pressing challenges facing architects, designers, and other allied professionals today?I think in the early days of sustainable design—say, when the LEED tools were just coming out—people found it pretty easy to obtain a level of sustainable or green design. The hard part is coming now, when we really have to improve the energy performance of our buildings. We have to build better envelopes and encourage our clients to make better investments in the hard physical aspects of their buildings.

The price of energy is going to rise and the real estate industry is competitive, so having a building consume less energy makes it more marketable. Landlords are starting to press architects and engineers for true building performance, but I think there is still a lot to be learned, particularly by the mainstream public, about better envelopes and better performance.

If you look at building standards in parts of Europe, they get the envelope right fi rst, and then work on other elements. In North America and Asia, we tend not to do that. We essentially build cheap buildings and we’ve got to stop. We have to invest in the envelope, and that’s going to be a big challenge over the next three to four years.

Architects and engineers are just now beginning to understand what is a reasonable level of energy consumption in a given building type per square foot or square meter per year, and we’re just starting to get comfortable with those numbers. In Europe, there have been laws in place by building type regarding the maximum amount of energy that should be consumed per square meter per year per building. We’re slow off the mark here.

In Europe, there are laws requiring building owners to post the energy consumption of a building before they lease or sell it. We need those kinds of things in North America in order to force people to address the issue of energy consumption.

When it comes to sustainable design, are there any common misconceptions that you see? For example, there often seems to be confusion regarding the costs associated with going green.I’m always asked how much it will cost. I haven’t been to a meeting with people considering doing a green building where someone doesn’t want to know how much it costs. The truth is that when designed properly, there should be little to no cost for most building types with reasonably aggressive solutions. When you get into sophisticated solutions like net-zero energy, carbon-free buildings, or living buildings, then there is a cost, but usually those types of buildings are trying to do other things that make them more expensive in their very nature.

I always remind people, however, that even if there is a 7 percent premium for a high-performing green building, that’s [the same percentage] we pay our real estate agents to sell a building. It’s lasting value that pays back over 40 to 50 years and is incredibly good value for the money. But because a lot of buildings are developed on spec and we hand off the operational costs to tenants or purchasers, our system has no inherent mechanism for reconciliation. The builder often doesn’t carry the long-term costs of his operational decisions. We need a method that allows this to happen.

Another challenge is greenwashing. There’s hardly a building advertiser, architect, builder, or

engineer whose buildings are not green today, but if you look at the fi nal product, it looks the same as buildings that were built 10 years ago. So, either we’re snowing each other, or nothing’s changing, and I think that’s troubling. When we get to measuring buildings, where you label a building and understand how it performs, then the truth will come out as to what is a good building and what is not. It’s time for the industry to have measurements and be accountable for what it does—it’s past time.

Do you regularly check back in on projects to see how they are performing?We have done some post-occupancy reviews over the past fi ve years, but to tell you the truth, it’s hard to do. No one pays you to do it, so you have to be rigorous and go back. We’re in the process of trying to inventory all of our buildings across Perkins+Will to benchmark them.

What do you think will be the biggest factors to infl uence sustainable design and construction in the next fi ve years?Once again, the biggest challenge will be understanding actual energy performance. At the moment, the LEED process requires energy modeling, but it’s often done at the end of a project and done as a result of the USGBC requiring it for certifi cation submissions. We should be doing energy models at the beginning of the process and they should infl uence how we design our buildings. They should be done in real time so that as we make design decisions, we can see the energy impact.

The second challenge will be in the material realm: understanding the carbon content of our materials, their environmental impact, and what they’re made of. We’ve got to take it much farther beyond LEED and VOC-type standards for interior fi nishes and remove all poisons and carcinogens from the materials surrounding us. We spend most of our time in buildings. They should be healthy. ▪

Log on to eco-structure.com to see all coverage of the 2010 Evergreen Award winners.

What constitutes green design? For Peter Busby, sustainable design is an ever-evolving entity with one constant: Green design is an inherent part of good design. This perspective can be traced back to the University of Toronto where Busby received a Bachelors of Arts degree in political philosophy in 1974. “I studied morals and ethics and came away from my fi rst degree with a strong opinion about doing the right thing and fi nding a career path that would allow me to do something inherently good,” he explains. “I turned to architecture as a vehicle to do good and to build the right things for people.”

As Busby studied architecture at the University of British Columbia and ventured into practice, doing good via architecture grew to incorporate sustainability. “I studied under Ray Cole, who brought a lot of sustainable design trends over from the United Kingdom,” he recalls. “Then I went to work in Europe … At [Norman] Foster’s offi ce, I was able to work on projects in Europe and Asia that were pretty green. This was 30-odd years ago.”

The green-design-is-good-design perspective has served Busby well. His fi rm—founded in Vancouver in 1984 as Peter Busby Architects and renamed Busby Perkins+Will in 2004—has raked in accolades including two AIA Committee on the Environment Top 10 Awards (one in 2004 for the City of White Rock Operations Building in White Rock, British Columbia, and one in 2009 for Dockside Green in Vancouver, British Columbia); an AIA What Makes It Green? Award (for Dockside Green); and recognition as the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s 2005 fi rm of the year and as one of Canada’s top 50 green employers for 2009 and 2010.

Busby’s dedication to sustainability continues to drive him. As a managing director at Perkins+Will, he serves as high-level adviser for the fi rm’s Sustainable Design Initiative, overseeing internal operations and strategic plans to elevate the fi rm’s green design practice. On a personal level, he earmarks 20 percent of his time for environmental advocacy. He is a past chairperson for the Sustainable Buildings Canada Committee, a co-founder of the Canada Green Building Council, the fi rst architect to sit on the board of BC Hydro, and a participant in several local task forces and the USGBC.

Now in the mix of honors: the 2010 Evergreen Award in the Perspective category, bestowed in recognition of Busby’s continued dedication to fostering innovation in environmental performance and architecture. eco-structure recently spoke with Busby about current challenges in sustainable design.

67NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ECO-STRUCTURE

Page 74: Ecostructure 2010

1. Marc J. CohenWith more than 23 years of experience in architecture, facility planning and management, and sustainable design consulting, Marc J. Cohen joined MVE Institutional in Irvine, Calif., in January 2010 as director of sustainable design. As such, he leads the firm’s sustainable design program and oversees project planning, design, scheduling, cost estimating, specification preparation, subcontractor coordination, and client briefings. Cohen is a faculty member of the USGBC, and leads programs on green building basics, LEED core concepts and strategies, and LEED technical workshops.

2. Narada GoldenSenior sustainability manager and the design and construction team lead at YRG Sustainability in Boulder, Colo., Narada Golden has over 10 years of experience in architectural design, construction administration, LEED project management, and leadership in the field of green building, and has worked on commercial, educational, cultural, laboratory, and residential projects. Golden is currently an ambassador for the Cascadia Green Building Council, gives presentations on the Living Building Challenge, and is developing a toolkit to train a national network of Cascadia Ambassadors. He also is on the Rocky Mountain Earth Institute steering committee for the Northwest Earth Institute, has started over 100 courses on personal sustainability in Portland, Ore., and Denver, is trained in the Natural Step, and helped to organize Natural Step trainings in Portland.

3. Daniel J. KaplanDaniel J. Kaplan is a senior partner in the New York office of FXFowle Architects, and design director of the firm’s Urban Studio. He has more than 26 years of experience in the industry, 23 of which have been served at FXFowle. Projects currently under his direction include the HealthCare Chaplaincy’s palliative care campus in New York City that combines residential, medical, and educational uses; Eleven Times Square, a LEED Gold–certified corporate office tower in Manhattan; the Clinical Sciences Center at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.; Atasehir Renaissance Tower in

Istanbul; and the Science Applications International Corp. headquarters in McLean, Va. Kaplan is a visiting critic at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art & Planning New York center, where he is teaching a master’s design studio. In 2009, he co-taught a graduate-level course at Cornell that explored the marriage of design invention with environmental performance in the building envelope.

4. Patrick ThibaudeauAs vice president, sustainable design, at Minneapolis, Minn.–based HGA, Patrick Thibaudeau is responsible for the firm’s sustainable design practice and also oversees cost estimating, construction administration, and operating councils. He was an early member of the AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE), worked on the AIA’s Environmental Resource Guide, and was instrumental in forming AIA Minnesota’s COTE. Under Thibaudeau’s leadership, HGA received the 2007 National Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Environmental Stewardship Award and the 2006 CSI Minneapolis–St. Paul Chapter Rebecca L. Foss Environmental Stewardship Award. He is a current member of eec-ostresrte’s editorial advisory board.

5. William J. WorthenWilliam J. Worthen is director, resource architect for sustainability for the American Institute of Architects. In this role, he is a staff subject matter expert on sustainability to identify, guide, and facilitate smooth access to information, knowledge, and practice tools for architects. In addition, Worthen is a vice president of Simon & Associates in San Francisco. He is a member of the USGBC’s Implementation Advisory Committee (National LEED Advisory Board), sits on the San Francisco Mayor’s Task Force on Green Building, has advised California’s Attorney General on green building, and is a technical advisor on the implementation of San Francisco’s Green Building Ordinance and a member of the AIA California Council.

JURY1

2

3

4

5

68 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 75: Ecostructure 2010

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Resource

Accelerate Build Time … Decelerate Energy Costs

The accel-E™ Steel Thermal Efficient Panel (S.T.E.P.) from ACCELERATED Building Technologies is a thermally resistant, high performance building panel that’s strong, lightweight and energy efficient.

Combining the strength and performance of cold-formed steel framing with the superior insulation properties of expanded polystyrene, the accel-E™ STEP wall system simplifies framing, insulation and sheathing to one process.

888.9.accelE www.accel-E.com

The 3rd International Holcim Awards competition is now open.

The Holcim Awards is an international competition recognizing innovative projects and future-oriented concepts. A total of $2 million in prize money is awarded in each three-year cycle. The competition seeks projects demonstrating an ability to stretch conventional notions about sustainable building while balancing environmental, social and economic performance while exemplifying architectural excellence.

www.holcimawards.org

HIGH PERFORMANCE, LAMINATED INSULATION

amvicsystem.com

,QWHULRU�DQG�H[WHULRU�ZDOOV��

DERYH�RU�EHORZ�JUDGH

&DWKHGUDO�FHLOLQJV�DQG�DWWLFV

5DGLDQW�IORRU�KHDWLQJ

6ODE�RQ�JUDGH

&DYLW\�ZDOOV

5H�VLGLQJ�SURMHFWV

([WHULRU�URRI�GHFNV

MORE ENERGY STAR COLORS FOR PAC-CLAD PANELS!

Petersen Aluminum Corporation is pleased to now offer 29 Energy Star® Cool Colors! We have just added 3 more: Hemlock Green, Military Blue and Slate Blue. PAC-CLAD Cool Colors are designed to improve the energy saving performance of our metal roofing products without compromising color selection.

In creating this product line, we worked with our coating supplier, The Valspar Corporation, to significantly broaden the range of PAC-CLAD Colors that would meet ENERGY STAR®, LEED™ and/or cool roof certification requirements for solar reflectance and emissivity ratings.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 1-800-323-1960; or visit www.pac-clad.com.

Tile of Spain Spanish ceramic is the ceramic of choice. Tile of Spain branded manufacturers offer modern design, boundless creativity, consistent technological strides and a firm environmental commitment. Discover why architects and designers around the world are joining in the mantra: Yes, We Choose Spanish Ceramic.

Contact Tile of Spain at 305.446.4387 or www.spaintiles.info

British Columbia wood. Sustainable by nature. Innovative by design.

Discover green building

tools, view our supplier

directory and source

certified wood products.

Page 76: Ecostructure 2010

1. Publication Title: Eco-Structure2. Publication Number: 022-8163. Filing Date: 9/27/104. Issue of Frequency: Seven times per year (Jan/Feb, March/April, May/June, July/August, September, October, Nov/Dec)5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 76. “Annual Subscription Price: Free To Qualified Non qual = $15”7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer): One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 200058. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer): One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 200059. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor – Publisher: Russell Ellis, One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005; Editor: Katie Weeks, One Thomas

Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005; Managing Editor: Greig O’Brien, One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 2000510. Owner – Full name: FSC Holdings, LLC; J.P. Morgan Partners (BHCA), L.P.; J.P. Morgan Partners Global Investors, L.P; J.P. Morgan Partners Global Investors (Cayman), L.P.; J.P Morgan Partners Global Investors

(Cayman) II, L.P.; J.P. Morgan Partners Global Investors (Selldown), L.P.; JPMP Global Fund/Hanley, L.P.; JPMP Global Fund/Hanley A, L.P.; JPMP Global Fund/Hanley/Selldown, L.P.; USEP II HW Acquisition, LLC; Apollo Investment Corporation; HW Co-Investors, LLC; Co-Investment Partners, L.P.; Michael Wood; Frank Anton; Peter Goldstone; Galen Poss; One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None13. Publication Title: Eco-Structure14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: July/August 2010 Average No. Copies Each Issue No. Copies of Single Issue During Preceding 12 Months Published Nearest to Filing Date15. Extent and Nature of Circulation a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 31,003 29,109 b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. 23,001 23,350 (2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. 0 0 (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS ® 661 33 (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS 0 0 c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b 1, 2, 3 & 4] 23,662 23,383 d. Nonrequested Distribution (1) Outside Country Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS From 3541 5,359 5,023 (2) In-Country Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS From 3541 0 0 (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail 0 0 (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 824 0 e. Total Nonrequested Distribution ((Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4)) 6,183 5,023 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 29,845 28,406 g. Copies not Distributed 1,158 703 h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15g) 31,003 29,109 i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 79.3% 82.3% 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of this publication. 17. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. Signature and title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner – Mary Leiphart, Group Circulation Manager, 9/27/10

CONGRATULAT IONS to Hanley Wood’s Jesse H. Neal Award Winners

BUILDERWinner, Best Educational Content, 2010Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2009Finalist, Best Online Article, 2009Finalist, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2008Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2008Finalist, Best News Coverage, 2008Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2008Finalist, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2007Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2007Winner, Best Single Issue, 2006Finalist, Best Web Site, 2004Finalist, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2004Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2004Finalist, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2004

Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2004

REMODELINGFinalist, Best Profile, 2010

Finalist, Best Department or Column, 2004

CUSTOM HOMEWinner, Best Department or Column, 2007

Finalist, Best Department or Column, 2006

AQUATICS INTERNATIONALWinner, Best Single Article, 2009Winner, Best Single Article, 2007Finalist, Best News Coverage, 2003

POOL & SPA NEWSFinalist, Best Technical Content, 2010

Winner, Best Single Article, 2006

ARCHITECTFinalist, Best Single Article, 2010Finalist, Best Commentary, 2010Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2010

Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2009

ECOHOMEFinalist, Best Profile, 2010Finalist, Best Web Site, 2010Finalist, Best e-Newsletter, 2010Winner, Best Start-Up Publication, 2009

PUBLIC WORKSFinalist, Best Single Article, 2009

residential architectFinalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2008Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2007Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2006Finalist, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2005Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2004Winner, Best Staff-Written Editorials, 2003

MULTIFAMILY EXECUTIVEWinner, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2009Finalist, Best How-To Article, 2009Finalist, Best Online Article, 2009Finalist, Best Feature Series, 2006Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2005Finalist, Best News Coverage, 2005

TOOLS OF THE TRADEFinalist, Best How-To Article, 2005Winner, Best Department or Column, 2002

BIG BUILDERWinner, Best Department, 2009Finalist, Best Single Article, 2009Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2009Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2007Finalist, Best Single Issue, 2005Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2005

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCEWinner, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2008Winner, Best Single Issue, 2008Finalist, Best Single-Theme Issue, 2007

REPLACEMENT CONTRACTORFinalist, Best Single Issue, 2007

Hanley Wood is committed

to publishing quality content

that serves the information

needs of the construction

industry professionals. Our

editors have once again

been honored by the

most prestigious editorial

awards program. Join us in

congratulating them.

Page 77: Ecostructure 2010

ADVERTISERS

ACCELERATED BUILDINGPage 37 Circle No. 1www.accel-E.com(888) 922-2353

AMERICAN HYDROTECHPage 29 Circle No. 3www.hydrotechusa.com(800) 877-6125

AISCPage 30 Circle No. 5

AMVICPage 34 Circle No. 95www.amvicsystem.com(877) 470-9991

BLUEBEAM SOFTWAREPage 14 Circle No. 96www.bluebeam.com/savegreen

BUTLERPage 28 Circle No. 8www.butlermfg.com/energy(800) 250-5596

CARL STAHLPage 44 Circle No. 10www.decorcable.com(800) 444-6271

CHARLOTTE PIPEPage 3 Circle No. 69www.charlottepipe.com

CONSTRUCTION SPECIALTIESPage 5 Circle No. 92www.c-sgroup.com(800) 631-7379

DYSON AIRBLADEPage 1 Circle No. 91www.dysonairblade.com

EBUILDPage 33www.ebuild.com

EPIC METALSPage 24 Circle No. 77www.epicmetals.com(877) 696-3742

FORBOPage 11 Circle No. 16www.forboflooringNA.com(800) 842-7839

FORESTRY INNOVATIONINVESTMENTPage 27 Circle No. 94www.naturallywood.com/es

HANLEY WOOD UNIVERSITYPage 17 www.hanleywooduniversity.com

HEADWATERSPage 28 Circle No. 19www.flyash.com(888) 236-6236

HOLCIMPage 21 Circle No. 20www.holcimawards.org

INVISIBLE STRUCTURESPage 41 Circle No. 24www.invisiblestructures.com(800) 233-1510

JESSIE H. NEAL AWARDSPage 45

KAWNEERPage C3 Circle No. 67www.kawneer.com

THE LIGHTING QUOTIENTPage 18 Circle No. 89www.TheLightingQuotient.com

LIVEROOFSPage 42 Circle No. 29www.LiveRoof.com(800) 875-1392

LOGIXPage 36 Circle No. 30www.logixicf.com(888) 415-6449

MAJOR INDUSTRIESPage 20 Circle No. 31www.majorskylights.com(888) 759-2678

METAL CONSTRUCTION ASSN.Page 38 Circle No. 34www.insulatedpanels.org

METL-SPANPage 26 Circle No. 36www.metlspan.com/corevalues(877) 585-9969

MP GLOBAL PRODUCTSPage 40 Circle No. 82www.quietwalk.com(888) 379-9695

MULE-HIDEPage 15 Circle No. 41www.mulehide.com(800) 786-1492

NUDURAPage 2 Circle No. 44www.nudura.com

PETERSEN ALUMINUM INC.Page 6 Circle No. 79www.PAC-CLAD.com(800) PAC-CLAD

PPGPage 9 Circle No. 46 www.ppgideascapes.com(888) PPG-IDEA

REPRINTSPage 43 [email protected](800) 290-5460

S-5!Page 32 Circle No. 35 www.s-5-solar.com/es(888) 825-3432

SHEFFIELD METALSPage 13 Circle No. 51www.sheffieldmetals.com(800) 283-5262

SYNTHEONPage 16a-d www.sytheoninc.com(888) 922-2353

TATE ACCESS FLOORSPage 44 Circle No. 55www.tateaccessfloors.com(800) 231-7788

USGBCPage 23 Circle No. 61www.usgbc.org/leed

VINYL ROOFINGPage 22 Circle No. 71www.vinylroofs.org

VPPage C2 Circle No. 62www.vp.com

WASTE MANAGEMENTPage C4 Circle No. 93www.wm.com/construction(877) 731-0118

WESTERN RED CEDARPage 35 Circle No. 64www.wrcla.org(866) 778-9096

WORLD OF CONCRETEPage 16 www.worldofconcrete.com

search. source. learn. connect. ebuild.

ebuild is the destination for construction pros searching for information about building products. ebuild is a source of unbiased coverage of new products, trends and news. Pros visit ebuild to learn how to do their jobs faster, safer and easier. ebuild connects pros to product manufacturers, experts and peers.

a 360 degree view of product information

ebuild.com

Page 78: Ecostructure 2010

ECOCENTRIC

Each summer, a village of palatial playhouses materializes in southern California. Teams of architects, engineers, and product manufacturers donate their time and resources to Project Playhouse, a fundraiser that benefi ts HomeAid Orange County, a nonprofi t organization that builds and renovates shelters for the homeless.

The playhouses are predictably small, each with an 8-foot-by-10-foot footprint, but they are more intricately detailed than most full-sized homes. Each of the seven playhouses on view at the Irvine Spectrum Center this year featured a theme, chosen by the design teams, from a fi rehouse and a Craftsman-style home to a Nantucket beach house. The Ocean Adventure Lab stood out as the lone modern design. It also was crafted to be a sustainable, net-zero showcase.

Project team members—Turner Construction Co., LPA, ProRepro, and Tangram Interiors—all share a sustainable mindset. Working off of this commonality, they partnered with the Ocean Institute—a nonprofi t organization based in Dana Point, Calif., that is dedicated to ocean preservation through education—to create an environment to teach kids of all ages about oceanography and green building principles.

Since all materials were donated, the resulting color palette was eclectic, which was fi tting for a playhouse promoting adventure, explains LPA team member Keith Hempel. The exterior is clad in durable Trespa Meteon panels in ochre, silver, and

wood tones, as well as blue plexiglass panels and Trex Accents siding. The “truth wall,” an interior wall covered in acrylic instead of gypsum board, reveals the playhouse’s construction, including 100 percent natural wool insulation and a wood structure. Large sliding doors make up two walls, providing natural ventilation and daylight.

Other sustainable features of the playhouse include salvaged materials and those made from recycled content, such as Extira panels for millwork and IceStone countertops, as well as native and water-effi cient vegetation on the viewing deck and around the playhouse, energy effi cient LED lighting, and Suntech Black Label photovoltaic solar modules, which can be viewed up close from the roof deck. As Project Playhouse’s fi rst net-zero playhouse in its 19-year history, the Ocean Adventure Lab received an honorary certifi cation from the USGBC’s Orange County chapter.

In addition to learning about sustainable design, visitors to the Lab also were invited to experiment with a wave-generating tank and play the role of oceanographer using microscopes, lab coats, and books provided by the Ocean Institute. It’s obvious that visitors and team members alike were entertained—LPA even created its own mockumentary of the design and construction process. (View it online at eco-structure.com.)

Following the summer exhibition, the playhouses were auctioned off , with proceeds of the auction going to HomeAid. ▪

Text Murrye Bernard Photo David Heath

Playing House THIS NET-ZERO PLAYHOUSE IS SERIOUS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT.

72 ECO-STRUCTURE.COM

Page 79: Ecostructure 2010

Architectural Aluminum SystemsSteel + Stainless Steel SystemsEntrances + FramingCurtain WallsWindows

kawneer.comkawneergreen.com

© 2010 Kawneer Company, Inc.

Introducing VersoleilTM SunShades — the nextgeneration of Kawneer’s sunshade platform —offering a broad range of versatile products to suitalmost any project under the sun. Pre-engineeredfor multiple curtain wall systems, the commoncomponent design offers versatility in both formand function. And, Versoleil™ SunShades provideyou with the design flexibility to incorporatesunshades easily into any building envelopeto help create your vision. All this, plus highlyconfigurable blade options for maximum shadingand energy saving potential. Kawneer’s Versoleil™SunShades — versatility eclipsing all others.

VERSOLEILTM

.SHADES OF VERSATILITY.

See us at Greenbuild International Conference andExpo Booth #1015.

Circle no. 67 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com

Page 80: Ecostructure 2010

Circle no. 93 or http://ecostructure.hotims.com