High Performing Buildings - Spring 2008 - (Page 44) Green Historic Preservation G R E E N F E AT U R E S A N D E X P E C TAT I O N S The renovation of this 134-year-old building used LEED certification as a design goal: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies A 26.5 kW solar photovoltaic system is installed on the roof. No furnace or boiler: Eight ground-source heat pumps meet all the building’s heating and cooling needs. They also operate together with a traditional office variable air volume (VAV) air-distribution system (the central air handler). Makeup air in public meeting rooms comes from the outside operated by the displacement ventilation system. The heat recovery system minimizes heat loss by preheating the incoming air with heat from the outgoing air. The white roof minimizes heat absorption. Low-e double glazed panes in operable windows prevent heat loss and gain and reduce passage of infrared and ultraviolet radiation into the space. Using intelligent lighting, light output is adjusted to daylight levels and occupancy. A heat recovery system targets energy use. Sustainable Site Reuse of an existing building contributes positively to urban redevelopment. Water efficient landscaping reduces water use by 50%. Alternative transportation is supported: public transit, cycling, carpooling, hybrid car available for employees who use alternative transportation. Indoor Environmental Quality CO2 sensors have been installed. Low VOC-emitting materials were used for paints, adhesives, carpets and wood products. Sources of indoor pollutants, such as copiers and printers, are segregated. Operable windows enhance ventilation effectiveness and distribution of air in naturally ventilated spaces in at least 90% of the rooms. Ninety percent of the building interior receives daylight, and 90% of the interior space has outside views. Original skylights were restored. A lightwell was created between the third and fourth floors. Materials, Waste and Resource Management Eighty-five percent of the construction waste was recycled. Recycled materials, including steel framing, carpet and ceiling tiles, were used. Over 50% of the framing lumber used in the building came from certified forests. The annex presents sustainable restoration and adaptive reuse of a historic city building. The overall design process required approval from the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Historic District Commission. The 19th century building façade was preserved and restored. However, the commission opposed any adverse impact on the historic nature of the building, such as rooftop mechanical equipment or photovoltaic panels that were visible from the street. The small footprint created a conflict between locating the rooftop mechanical equipment and providing a large enough array of solar photovoltaic panels. The design team solved the problem by adding a steel superstructure above the rooftop units that allowed us to mount the photovoltaic panels on a flat surface with little or no visibility from the 44 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS Spring 2008 Photovoltaic panels, mounted on a flat surface, are not visible from the ground. © Dan Gair/Blind Dog Photo, Inc. and signage, efficient offices, several staff lounges and restrooms, and code upgrades including handicapped accessibility. Eighty-five percent of the construction waste was recycled in this complete interior renovation. Natural daylight floods into every room and most employees have an operable window in their office. The small percentage without windows benefits from borrowed light via transoms, transparent sidelights and skylights. Murals, commis- sioned through the city’s Public Art Program, enrich a busy public space. Tens of thousands of visitors pass through the building annually. The building stands at a prominent corner and houses many of Cambridge’s public offices, including the Arts Council’s art gallery and service windows for paying traffic and parking tickets. It is also the meeting place of the Planning Board and Conservation Commission as well as several advisory committees.
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