Case Studies Commercial

Case Studies Commercial

Columbus State University Technology and Commerce Building

Joe LaValle/Farrington Design Group
Atlanta, GA 30303-1515
404-836-3011

http://www.farrington.com
The Columbus State University Technology and Commerce Building project is a 90,000 sqaure foot classroom facility housing the School of Business, the Department of Computer Sciences and the Computer Center for the University. Sustainable design features include: 1. Building Orientation: The building is oriented so that the majority of the windows are on the North and South sides of the building; Sun screens and light shelves reduce heat build up and project daylighting into the building interiors. 2. Energy Saving Concepts: A raised floor (24 inch high) is being utilized to distribute cooling and heating at the floor line; Power and data are distributed via the raised floor providing the flexibility to rearrange classroom furniture configurations at will, as well as resize classrooms with little disturbance; Uplighting is used to provide high quality, glare free lighting with reduced energy consumption; Energy Recovery units are utilized to reduce the amount of energy needed to reheat low temperature air; occupancy sensors are provided to adjust cooling and heating requirements in unoccupied rooms; motion detectors are provided to turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied.

Case Studies Commercial

Disney Wilderness Preserve Gateway Center

Nature Conservancy Jora Young
Kissimmee, FL 34759
407-935-0002

The Disney Wilderness Preserve Gateway Center showcases a number of principals of sustainabilty: the 12,000 acre sanctuarty's wetlands were restored, fire cycled were reintroduced, nonnative plants were replaced, and its 16 threatened and endangered species are being monitored. The Conservation Learning center was designed to minimize the use of nonrenewable resources, as well as contain as many recyeled materials as possible. Autoclaved aerated concrete block walls and energy efficient windows reduce heat gain throughout the building envelope. Operable windows and high ceilings allow for the natural ventilation. Photovoltaic roof panels provide renewable energy. A geothermal HVAC system provides energy efficient air conditioning. Materials were chosen for low toxicity, low embodied energy, recycled content and recyclabilty. The wood is sustainable harvested, and the pressure treating process is less toxic than conventional methods. To conserve water resources, a cistern allows rainwater to be used for washing maintenance equipment. A construction waste management program allows waste materials to be sorted and recycled. This project proves that even within a very tight budget, there can still be an environmentally responsible solution.

Case Studies Commercial

Georgia Environmental Education Center Bldg

W. Allen Hoss, AIA
Atlanta, GA 30308
404-875-1517

Pimsler Hoss Architects developed the winning design for the Georgia Environmental Education Center in a competition sponsored by the Georgia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The project provides an illustration of "green' building principals. The facility includes and exhibit hall principally oriented to environmental education with a focus on wetlands. There is also a water testing laboratory, a classroom/education wing, and administrative offices for Alpharetta Environmental Services. The site development includes a native plant garden and an educational boardwalk through 35 acres of wetlands environment.

Case Studies Commercial

Harvest for Humanity, Inc

Richard J. Nogaj, President
Immokalee, FL 34142
941-303-9103

Harvest for Humanity, a not-for-profit organization initiated in Immokalee, is a developmental model combining farming and housing in a unique partnership that is the first of its kind in this country. Ownership of both the farm and the homes is based on a collaborative approach. Ownership is made available through long term no-interest loans provided to primarily low income seasonal farmworker families. The families are pre-selected based on a willingness to enter into an agreement that provides the opportunity for sole ownership of each family's own home and shared ownership of the cooperative farm. The two elements of the community project are traditional neighborhood housing and cooperative farming. The Harvest Housing Community consists of approximately 20 families pre-selected to be participants in the Harvest Cooperative Farm. These families may be approved by Habitat for Humanity for homes built in partnership between Habitat and Harvest. Additional families come from the area at large. The Harvest Community is intentionally marketed to families that are consciously committed to living and working together in a community. The 50 homes are clustered around a courtyard and plaza and laced with pedestrian walkways. Automobile traffic is mainly limited to the periphery of the community and outside the living area.

Case Studies Commercial

Lake Claire Commons

Greg Ramsey
Atlanta, GA 30307
404-378-7949

Lake Claire Commons was designed by Village Habitat Design, and is the first cohousing community in Georgia. Cohousing is a susinability model emphasising shared resources. This project won the 1998 AIA Georgia's Excellence in Design award for sustainability. It was pedestrian planned and de-emphased automobile use. The homes were designed for energy efficiency including a more compact home plan and footprint, a tight building envelop, thicker walls with cellulose insulation, and an HVAC system that can be retrofit for solar.

Case Studies Commercial

Prince Street and Ray Anderson Plant

Thompson Ventulett Stainback & Associates, William (Bill) Abballe Jr.
Atlanta, GA 30309-3591
404-888-6600
http://www.TVSA.com

Ray Anderson Chairman & CEO of Interface, Inc., and Co-Chair of the President's Council on Sustainable Development defined the vision for a sustainable building which became the focus for the design team for both projects. The Prince Street project in Cartersville, Georgia and the Ray Anderson Plant in West Point, Georgia both led to several sensible and sustainable building decisions: * Site and building storm drainage was cascaded over the ground surface in lieu of piping, therefore creating zero impact on the adjacent water ways. * Indigenous plant materials including wild flowers eliminated the need for toxic fertilizer and supplemental irrigation. * Controlled daylighting helped optimize showroom activities as well as daylight harvesting thru 32 individual skylight reflectors in the manufacturing plant. Energy saving is estimated at $15,000 to $20,000 per year. * Materials conservation included bamboo wood flooring, resilient flooring from natural materials, Interface carpet tiles, vintage refurbished furniture for conference rooms, and recycled and recyclable acoustical ceiling tiles. * Rooftop units for heating and air conditioning are equipped with zero ozone depletion refrigerant. * An anti-microbial coating, is used on the mechanical equipment including the air filters, duct liners, condensate pan, fan blades, cooling coils, and interior exposed surfaces and insulation. * Accessible points were created for periodic inspection and cleaning of the mechanical delivery systems to reduce the build-up of airborne contaminants. * Interior finishes were tested for volatile organic compound (VOC). * Toilet room fixtures use low water volume to minimize water consumption. * Unique to the Ray Anderson Plant, currently the plant runs 25% of it's loom production off photovoltaic power with future plans to increase this to 100%. All these factor help contribute to a exceptional working environment for the Prince Street and the Ray Anderson Plant employees.

Case Studies Commercial

Refuge at Ocklawaha

Ockawaha, FL 32179
352-288-2233

Stanley Selengut, founder of the environmentally responsible Maho Bay Campground on St. John in the US Virgin Islands, launched a new eco-resort north of Orlando. Opened two months ago, the Refuge at Ocklawaha is the result of Selengut's partnership with the Florida Audubon Society, Excel Legacy (a San Diego real estate development company), and the Philadelphia-based Pew Foundation, which provided the initial investment to turn land controlled by the local water management district into a site for "quality ecotourism." The 52-acre site, formerly a family hunting lodge and farm, is now part of a 6,000-acre wetland restoration. According to resort manager Jonnie Williams, "Right from the beginning, the big concept was recycling." Existing buildings were renovated, not torn down; screened porches were added to the 11 Cracker-style cottages, and white tin replaced old roofs to better reflect the sun's heat. "It's all very sophisticated and design-oriented, with minimum need for air conditioners, maximum preservation of trees and foliage, using SmartWood and nontoxic furnishings," says Williams. As the resort expands, new cabins will have graywater recycling, solar panels, and other environmentally responsible technology. (from In Business, Jul/Aug 99)

Case Studies Commercial

Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse

HOK, Monte Wilson
Atlanta, FL 30303
404-439-9000
http://www.hok.com

Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse in Tampa, Florida is the new 17-story, 417,000-square-foot U.S Courthouse in Tampa housing the District, Magistrate, and Bankruptcy Courts for the Middle District of Florida. HOK provided architecture, interior design and landscape design for the project. The General Services Administration (GSA), landlord for all U.S. Courthouses, has recently formed a "Green Team" that has adopted sustainable design as an objective of its "Design Excellence" program. The project earned a 1998 National Department of Energy Award, the first such honor bestowed on a GSA Region IV building. For GSA, the Courthouse stands as an example of environmentally responsible design that has improved performance and lowered operating costs, without adding cost to the project.

Case Studies Commercial

Southface Energy Institute Headquarters Building

Atlanta, GA 30308
404-872-3549
http://www.southface.org

The Southface Energy Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and technical support in the area of environmentally responsible and energy efficient building construction. Pimsler Hoss Architects designed the national headquarters for Southface in 1996. The facility serves as a demonstration home illustrating "green" building principles. It also functions as an educational facility and the administrative offices for Southface. The project has won a Sustainable Design Award presented by the Georgia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and has been published on several occasions.

Case Studies Commercial

UPS Corporate Headquarters

Thompson Ventulett Stainback & Associates (TVS) Gene Montezinos
Atlanta, GA 30309-3591
404-888-6600
http://www.TVSA.com

With a sophisticated and environmentally sensitive client such as UPS, the architects and their consultants were able to address a large number of sustainable design issues. The prime objective was to impact the site as little as possible while providing a conservative, low profile, timeless facility. Trees were saved as close as 15 feet from the building, while disturbed areas were replanted primarily with indigenous plant materials. Storm water from the buildings and an adjacent major highway is aerated and filtrated before the water flows into the wetland at the low end of the natural ravine. Water leaves the site cleaner than when it enters. Energy savings for the lighting are realized through external sunscreens that maximize daylight harvesting possibilities, fluorescent fixtures designed especially for computerized offices, compact fluorescents for supplemental lighting and an advanced energy management system. Several energy saving features were also designed into the mechanical system such as energy recovery heat exchangers, and a natural gas fired standby engine/generator to supplement the response to peak energy demands. Constant outside air volume (20 cfm/person) and series filtration (25%, 65%) help maintain indoor air quality throughout the facility. The HVAC system is CFC free. Interior materials were selected in consideration of their off gassing and a burn off period was specified. The architects were also careful to use wood from renewable forests. All these elements help to maintain a healthy working environment for the UPS employees.