The Best of the Best
One of the awards in the Mid-Atlantic area for excellence in design and construction is of special note for two reasons: it was nowhere near the size of a megaproject and it is the first building in the state of Virginia to receive platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Walter L. Rice Education Building at the VCU Inger & Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, in Charles City, won McGraw-Hill’s overall project of the year.
But there were plenty of other top green design awards around the country (McGraw-Hill breaks the country down into 10 regions). Other award winners include:
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NOVUS International Global Headquarters, St. Charles, MO – Only the fourth commercial building in Missouri to achieve LEED Platinum certification and one of fewer than 100 commercial buildings in the U.S. to receive the designation.
- Windrush School Energy Efficient Classroom Wing, El Cerrito, CA – Compared to a building of similar size and function, the new wing is 97% more energy efficient and prevents the release of 38 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, and it will save the school nearly $16,000 per year in utility bills.
- Swaner Eco Center, Park City, UT – Known as the greenest building in Utah, this project features green design elements such as: “a water reclamation system, photovoltaic solar panels, solar hot water heating panels, rapidly renewable products throughout the building, reclaimed products utilized for timber framing, waterless urinals, pervious paving.”
- 41 Cooper Square, New York, NY – Consolidation of facilities within the building permits the college to lease other facilities to developers, and combined with energy savings from green design features, this will allow the college to extend their scholarship offerings.
- East Portland Community Center Natatorium, Portland, OR – The first LEED platinum swim center. To achieve this required some innovative design features, including “1,500,000 gallons per year using an automatic variable drive pump system, storm water runoff bioswales…an ultraviolet water treatment system reducing the amount of chlorine required and an HVAC heat recovery system using recycled heat energy to warm the pool. The building is over 60% more efficient than required by Oregon State code.”
- Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Leeds, AL – This retail store combines with an adjacent 36-acre nature park as a one-of-a-kind study in environmentally conscious design and construction.
- Pine Jog Elementary School and FAU/Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, West Palm Beach, FL – First school project to be designated LEED Gold in Florida, this elementary school and education center, it also won the top overall prize in the Southeast region. The combined project allows the university to help the local school district with its mission to educate young children about the environment.
- Museum of Northern Arizona Easton Collection Center, Flagstaff, AZ – This project should achieve LEED platinum status, with green design features such as “photovoltaics to water conservation to appropriate solar orientation and thermal massing.” The The 14,000-sq-ft living roof was the largest in the region at the time of construction.
- (tie) Lance Armstrong Foundation, Austin, TX and Texas A&M University Cox-McFerrin Center for Aggie Basketball, College Station, TX – The Armstrong Foundation project has a LEED gold certification pending, which saw an old warehouse converted using “a unique design and construction technique included the addition of a north-facing steel and glass sawtooth skylight system installed within an existing 60-year-old wood-frame warehouse roof. The sawtooth skylight created a significant daylighting effect while minimizing glare and heat gain.” The Texas A&M basketball center was designed for LEED silver standing, and earned an exemplary performance point by diverting 95% of the project’s construction waste away from landfills.
For more of the awards, visit Mid-Atlantic Construction online. Other regions can also be viewed for information on their best awards by using the drop-down menu at the top of the page.