High Performing Buildings - Winter 2008 - (Page 29)

essence, it’s a solar-powered dehumidiﬁcation system. RWDI’s modeling helped optimize the airﬂow needed to size the dehumidiﬁcation system and airﬂow, and found that an estimated few hours of running the system after a shut down will remove moisture from the space and prevent condensation on the radiant ceiling panels. Automated shading devices, integrated into the façade on the north and south exposures, will be integrated in the active double-wall enclosure. These devices will be operated by a daylight-responsive control tied into an energy management system and will optimize the amount of daylight and heat being delivered to the space. RWDI project manager Ray Sinclair, Ph.D., helped model the ﬂow of air from the façade through the building. With automatic shading and the façade’s airﬂow design, modeling shows that the inside of the façade will never get hotter than about 80°F, and that glare will not impair the comfort of the occupants. “We modeled all of the factors that affect heat transfer and heat moving through the cavities,” said Sinclair. “Then, we optimized the amount of air moving through the cavity, and we showed that you could achieve comfort at the perimeter of the space even in worst-case solar times of the day — while still maintaining views and daylight.” with the local Guangzhou Design Institute to take the lead on the assembly of training manuals, and the owner plans to hire an experienced ﬁrm to operate the building. But, according to Frechette, the unique systems being implemented actually should decrease the amount of operation and maintenance effort required, compared to a conventionally designed building. For example, the radiant ceiling systems, serving the ofﬁce ﬂoors, eliminate the need for VAV boxes and fan coil units, minimizing maintenance and operations tasks such as changing ﬁlters, cleaning coils, repairing damper actuators, and responding to complaints about fan and air noise — not to mention the frequent requirement of balancing and rebalancing air systems as tenants move in and out of the building. Wind and photovoltaic systems reduce the amount of electricy needed from the power grid to operate the building. Looking to the Future Though the project has been a challenge, Frechette said he has found it to be exciting and very rewarding. He hopes that the technologies included in the tower design will become more mainstream, and that the project will encourage other designers to consider high performance technologies. “We’re in the middle of an environmental crisis that largely has to do with carbon emissions,” Frechette said. “Even architects and engineers need to be reminded that buildings produce more emissions than industry or transportation. We need to challenge ourselves to take this on, and we hope this project is a baby step in the right direction.” Or maybe a giant, 71-story leap in a single bound. • Winter 2008 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kyra Epstein is a technical writer who has worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Architectural Energy Corporation, and LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability). Operations and Maintenance: Is It Easy to Work? A high performance building requires attention even after the design is implemented and the building is operational. The SOM team partnered HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS 29

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

High Performance Buildings - Winter 2008 Passing On the Gift: Heifer International Headquarters Head of the Class: University of Florida’s Rinker Hall How Far Can You Go? Pearl River Tower The Proof Is Performance: How Does 4 Times Square Measure Up? Lighting the Way: Two Guilford County Schools Montreal’s Retail Example: Mountain Equipment Co-op® (MEC)

High Performing Buildings - Winter 2008

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