High Performing Buildings - Spring 2008 - (Page 68)

forms the hub of a water system that serves several purposes. An on-site well capable of producing 1,500 gallons per minute provides water for geothermal heating and cooling of the building while also supporting the building’s domestic use and ﬁre protection. Geothermal by-product water ﬁlls the 1.7 acre wetland pond in the front of the building, as well as the series of ponds and wetlands downstream. Water Treatment The well water on-site is quite hard and contains high levels of iron and manganese. Without water treatment, the iron and manganese would quickly stain the building’s plumbing ﬁxtures. Various types of ﬁltra- tion systems were discussed during the design phase. With a number of fairly remote parks surrounding Detroit, the Metropolitan Park Authority had extensive experience with well water treatment systems. They guided the design team to a treatment system that uses sodium hypochlorite pellets to oxidize the iron and manganese so that they can be ﬁltered out. Similar to the building plumbing ﬁxtures, the water sprayground also required well water treatment to prevent staining of the various water toys and surfaces. Therefore, a second substantially larger treatment system was installed parallel to the building’s domestic water system. This system is used only in the sum- mer months when the sprayground is operating. In the domestic hot water system, a traditional water softener is used for scale prevention. Materials and Resources Building materials were selected for energy efﬁciency and resource effectiveness. Oriented southwest toward the view, major windows are protected by overhangs, sun screens and adjustable interior shades. Fenestration is minimal on the other elevations, thereby limiting exposure. Clear glazing was selected to avoid disruption of views. High-efﬁciency argon gas ﬁlled insulated-type was selected with a low-e coating. The roof and walls also are well insulated. W AT E R F L O W 68 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS Spring 2008 © SmithGroup

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of High Performing Buildings - Spring 2008

High Performing Buildings - Spring 2008
Daikin AC (Americas)
Contents
Seattle City Hall
SEMCO
3M Energy & Advanced Materials
Price
Sofame Technologies Inc.
Sweetwater Creek Visitor Center
ASHRAE Certification
Greenheck
Daylighting Strategies That Maximize Benefits
Energy Conservatory, The
ASHRAE e-learning
Ecobuild America
CTG Energetics, Inc.
Cambridge City Hall Annex
Tate Access Floors, Inc
Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute
31 Tannery Project
Building Owners & Managers Institute
Indian Springs Discovery Center
International Facility Management Association
ASHRAE Healthcare
Fulton Companies, The
AAON, Inc.

High Performing Buildings - Spring 2008