by Avery Yale Kamila
Published in SOSUpdate
(June 2002) When planning began for the 1.2 million square foot Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) campus in Research Triangle Park, those in charge of the
project wanted it to reflect EPA's mission of protecting the natural environment.
Like all government organizations, the EPA had to stay within the standard
government budget for buildings of this size and scope. The end result is a
project that cost $272 million, which is comparable to similar, mixed-use buildings,
and a campus with minimal environmental impact.
"We got creative when we had pressure to save money," says Chris Long, EPAšs Project
Manager for the new campus. "We never got any extra money to do conservation or green
building."
Mr. Long cites an example of trading doors for light sensors. In the original plan,
110 office suites were designed to include 220 doors. Placing doors in doorways is a
fairly automatic design feature.
However, EPA decided against the doors. Not only would the elimination of the
doors help facilitate collaboration, the reduced costs would allow daylight dimmers
and motion sensors to be added to the lighting system. In addition, the environmental
impacts of manufacturing, painting and shipping 220 doors were avoided.
Another money saver was the decision not to use curbs and gutters along most of
the parking lots and roadways. Curbs and gutters, with their expensive underground
concrete drains, are used in traditional site developments to channel stormwater into
an underground waste water system.
The new EPA campus relies on sheet flow. Instead of being channeled underground,
water flows across parking lots and other impermeable surfaces and into native grasses,
forests and pocket wetlands.
This both saves money and reduces the pollution and erosion caused when stormwater
(typically contaminated with oil and other automotive fluids) flows from underground
drainage systems into lakes and streams.
All traditional building materials, practices and designs were examined during
the construction process to determine how the environmental impact could be lessened.
Some examples:
- During construction, contractor Clark Construction arranged for 80 percent of
the construction waste to be recycled.
- The site's natural landscaping almost eliminates the need to water, fertilize or
mow. The buildings contain 10,000 tons of recycled steel.
- To preserve indoor air quality, only paints and sealants with low VOC emissions
were used.
- Once everything is fully operational, it is estimated that the building will
use 42 percent less energy than the Department of Energy benchmark.
"We plan to be a community resource in North Carolina and support other people as
they work on similar projects," says Mr. Long.
For more information on the project, visit www.epa.gov/rtp/new-bldg
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