Building green in the
Countryside
PROJECT SUMMARY
Client: The Center for Discovery
Architecture: Guenther 5 Architects, PLLC
General Contractor: Storm King Contracting, Inc.
Structural Engineering: Dunne & Markis
MEP Engineering: Lilker Associates Consulting Engineers, PC
NYSERDA’s MEP Review Engineer: Joseph R. Long and Associates, Inc.
Photography: David Allee
Completed: January 2003
Total Construction Cost: $5,600,000
Cost/Sq. Ft.: $207
ROBIN GUENTHER, AIA
The
to
drop by on a neighborly basis, whether for The Center’s farmer’s market to
purchase fresh produce or the on-campus “bed-and-breakfast” for
harvest-baked bread and planned social events. These programs provide
meaningful work opportunities for adult residents of the school, as well as
others living in
The building has been designed to blend in with and honor
its natural environment. It is registered LEED™ 2.0 and has completed the
commissioning
phase for pending certification. This design process enabled
Development Authority [NYSERDA]) to award
funding to the project. Since then, the
Kresge Foundation has offered a sizable matching grant as part
of
its Green Building Initiative program.
To achieve NYSERDA compliance, Guenther 5 Architects
planned and designed for a ground-source heat pump system and, to maintain
quality
efficiency in its rating, developed a high-efficiency building
envelope. These became the bases for an alternative energy design that
eliminates on-site
combustion and rooftop evaporative cooling equipment.
The construction methods and technologies employed
responded to a windswept and snowy winter climate, strong solar exposure,
pastoral settings,
a
nearby agricultural community, and the need for human comfort inside. The design
team chose materials that advance interior environmental
quality by reducing toxic emissions, in line with the principles
of sustainable design (for details, see sidebar, “Specifics of a Sustainable
Design”).
The
in the wider community. As such, the building operates as both a physical and metaphoric “gateway” into The Center for Discovery campus
and its service offerings.
Once the site was identified, important goals for its development included recapturing and restoring what was previously an industrial
agriculture site (for large-scale chicken coops) and minimizing the impact of the development on water resources and streamflows. The site
contours softly downhill toward the north, and a series of marshes and ponds (not classified as wetlands) recharges a fast-moving underground
aquifer (figure 1). Downslope, The Center for Discovery operates a 600-acre organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm that
depends on this aquifer. Absence of a city water system necessitates well drilling for potable water; this would have further taxed the site’s
natural resources if not carefully handled.
Another goal was to eliminate dependence on fuel-oil pricing and energy consumption. As this project began in the fall of 1999, concern
mounted regarding the possibility of rolling blackouts and
imposition of steep heating oil price increases throughout the Northeast. The
Center for Discovery, which operates approximately 75 small buildings, was
completely dependent upon No. 2 heating oil (natural gas is not available in
this region). Moreover, since these are relatively small-scale structures,
large central plants and evaporative cooling towers are technologies foreign to
the building maintenance staff. The Center favors radiant-slab heating systems
in its buildings for superior comfort and lack of visible heating equipment in
the wheelchair zone. The
Design
Highlights
The form of the building developed out of varied considerations: site energy and water flow, outdoor access, high altitude and solar gain, and available long-range, mountainous views beyond the adjacent farm. Minimizing energy requirements through building layout, human scale, and carefully planned volume contributes to a manageable two level footprint and building envelope (figure 3).
Guenther 5 determined that all occupied spaces (including medical treatment spaces) would have windows. Large glazed areas incorporate a bris-soleil—an exterior, architectural shading device that creates aesthetic appeal and eliminates direct solar gain during warm summer months (figure 4).
The sealed building envelope was designed to exceed the New York State Energy Code’s efficiency standards by more than 50% while still meeting strict Department of Health air-exchange requirements. A reflective metal roof reduces heat buildup and the corresponding air-conditioned energy demand (figure 5). Snow and rainwater recharge the lower pond and, in turn, feed a sprinkler-system reserve shed with ease.
While the CSA farm has long practiced organic farming methods, routine landscape maintenance practices on the residential campus
and properties used conventional landscaping and yard maintenance, including heavy reliance on chemical insecticides. Now The Center for
Discovery has shifted its landscaping approach to align with broader sustainability principles and design goals. It has reshaped landscaping
and maintenance practices on campus and has launched an integrated pest management program in all buildings and on all grounds.
Structural
Strategies
The entire 14,000-square-foot roof area encompasses essentially two long, single spans. The reflective, simple, planar shed roof optimizes
storm water runoff and snowfall (figure 5). The client required exterior snow-melting capabilities, given the facility’s high wheelchair
occupancy; therefore, a ground-source glycol loop ties back into the ground-source heat system to provide highly effective snow-melting
capability.
Although heavy wheelchair use might have predicated a single-floor structure, the steep slope of the site, in addition to The Center’s
desire for maximizing children’s access to nature and minimizing unnecessary site disturbance, led instead to a terraced design. The
narrow floorplate allows the lower level to receive daylight from the northern downslope side of the site yet retain at-grade access at
the entry level (figure 6).
Children
and adults, wheelchair-bound or not, use large elevators to move between
floors. At the upper (entry) level, direct solar exposure that would cause
excessive heat gain or extreme discomfort to building occupants during certain
times of the year is controlled through architectural
assemblies, such as roof overhangs and the bris-soleil (figure 4).
The structural roof assembly offers superior insulating
qualities and a handsomely finished ceiling assembly by exposing the wood
decking to the inside.
This permitted the elimination of suspended ceiling
construction over a large area of the building. Structural wood decking can be
salvaged for future use, as
can
the engineered lumber roof structure and metal roofing assemblies, should the
building be torn down generations from now (figure 7).
The architects selected materials with a careful eye toward
their environmental benefits—a range of low-emitting, recycled/recyclable, and
rapidly renewable
materials in structural fabrication, millwork construction, surface
finish, and adhesive selection. Known asthma triggers, such as carpet and other
substrates
containing formaldehyde, were avoided to the largest degree possible.
Likewise, the replacement of suspended ceilings with an exposed (wood)
structure
eliminated concealed plenums, increased warmth, and reduced demand
for materials (figure 8).
Rather than use Acrovyn® (PVC) bumpers, corner guards, and
wall-protection systems extensively throughout, the building uses natural sisal
wallcovering
to
protect walls. Recycled aluminum corner and edge guards strengthen vulnerable
outside corners. The translucent glass doors, with black frames
and
thresholds, maximize contrast at treatment area entrances for visually impaired
users (figure 6).
Low-VOC materials in flooring, adhesives, casework
products, and cleaning products have reduced overall life-cycle impacts and
provide improved air quality.
Outcomes
To preserve optimal indoor air quality and lessen the harm
to the building occupants’ health, floors are maintained without waxing and
stripping. Administrators
have adjusted to the “dull” finish on the flooring materials. Staff members remark about the lack of odors and fragrances
associated with conventional
cleaning products and maintenance protocols. Overall, the building
requires less maintenance than other community buildings with wax and strip maintenance
protocols, and The Center is tracking its costs over a one-year
period with confidence that they will demonstrate savings from this practice.
Figure 8
Water resources on the larger site footprint are noticeably
improved. The area has had a record-high rainfall this year, which has been
effectively directed
through the site and into the pond system. Grazing areas and marsh
areas are regenerating with natural grasses.
Potential energy reduction was modeled at 27% below the
“conventional baseline” building, as defined by ASHRAE 90.1-1999
(LEED-referenced
standard). The building has completed its first heating and cooling
cycle, has performed without failure, and has exceeded the owner’s energy
performance
requirements. Occupants note that HVAC operation is virtually silent;
no heating or cooling appliances that need maintenance or adjustment are in
occupied
space. During a recent regional blackout, the emergency
generator was not required during the initial daylight hours for lighting;
staff continued providing
services without interruption.
In terms of construction practices, this project was competitively bid on and awarded to a general contractor. Therefore, no preconstruction input or participation came from the contractor with regard to sustainable construction practices. Given the evolution of this field, the Guenther 5 architectural team believes it could have achieved substantially more sustainable results in the construction process with more comprehensive preconstruction services.
The modeling analysis projected payback of between 1 and 8 years for the range of strategies employed to reduce energy: one year payback for variable speed drives and 7 to 8 years for the ground-source heat pump system. These paybacks are calculated at current energy prices. Although the client pays the
lowest power rates in
The
sustainable building process has already yielded substantial economic benefits
for the client. First, the project has received grant funding from NYSERDA and the Kresge Foundation on the basis of its sustainable
features. It has also generated considerable local and regional interest,
providing an educational opportunity for the design and construction community. The
staff and building occupants are thrilled with the environmental benefits of
the building. They appreciate the greater attention to indoor air-quality issues, the
daylighting and connection to nature, and the overall performance of the
building. Finally, the building
has manifested The Center’s fundamental mission: to provide a high quality life
experience for its residents and, by extension, the larger community of medically fragile and developmentally impaired clients. HD
Robin
Guenther, AIA, Principal, Guenther 5 Architects, PLLC, can be reached at
(212) 941-9911 or rg@g5arch.com.