CitiesGoGreen - December 2008 - (Page 18)

Construction choices and methods are a vital part of meeting LEED standards, and the team at CCGT performed well. One aspect of adhering to LEED standards and building sustainably is locality of products. Half the building materials for the Center were either manufactured or assembled within 300 miles From the beginning, the City of Chicago stressed of the construction site. Using recycled products to the architectural firm chosen to manage the and recycling as much construction debris as possible project, FARR Associates, that they wanted to also play a role. The DOE estimates that the building meet the highest standard—they wanted the is made of at least 40% recybuilding to be exemplary. cled materials, and that 84% of all construction waste was recycled in some form. While all the materials have held up and Lighting at CCGT is mostly natural, or at the time were innovative and affordpassive solar. Big windows and natural able, now Wong would probably choose lighting cut 25% off the energy a stanpermeable pavers and more advanced dard system would use. A smart lighting cisterns. He said the project pressed them system monitors light, filling in with only to research and integrate different design as much electric light as needed. Some techniques. It was a major shift for the 18rooms have motion sensors, eliminating year-old company, and now he “looks for the problem of leaving lights on ‘when no native first.” one’s home.’ Solar panels provide 20% of the building’s energy, and altogether the Center estimates it saves approximately $29,000 per year in energy costs. Other interesting additions to the building that earned LEED points are the parts of the roof not covered in plants or solar panels that are painted white for reflectivity, the elevators, which run on vegetable oil, and the low-flow toilets throughout the building that reduce water consumption. ©Farr Associates Architecture | Planning | Preservation, Chicago, Illinois mental is a sustainable landscaping firm. WRD contributed a solar-powered fountain to the Center using rainwater from the roof, and two demonstration gardens and signs made from debris. The City Department of the Environment has a satellite office in the building as well. The building is open for self or guided tours seven days a week, and hosts a multitude of green education events, including LEED trainings for professionals. On a daily basis it is occupied by about 35 employees more than 50 hours a week, and hosts approximately 100 visitors a week. Looking back Boyer says doing the project now would be entirely different. New green technology in all aspects of building would make the project more affordable and less-time consuming. But even more than the new products available, Boyer urges builders to take advantage of the multiplying LEED accredited contractors and of the shift in thinking that has occurred since the construction of CCGT. Looking ahead, Boyer says that while it is not yet a LEED requirement, postoccupancy evaluations should be integrated into the design process and planned from the beginning. Pointing to the mileage gauge in a Prius as an example, he says the ability of clients or renters to see how their actions are saving money and resources (or not) is an important aspect of green building. Chicago Center for Green Technology The City said it wanted tenants who had green in mind, and for environmental education to be a focus of the project, and that’s what it got. Chicago Green Corps is a job training and community greening program, and WRD Environ- Page Buono is an editorial assistant and staff writer for CitiesGoGreen. 18 December 2008 ©Farr Associates Architecture | Planning | Preservation, Chicago, Illinois High Performance Buildings discovered dogwood, whose red and yellow branches are attractive even in the winter months. In the long term, he says, native plants are much more affordable than a traditional lawn because they don’t require the maintenance or the usual quantities of water, fertilizer and pesticides. LEED Platinum http://citiesgogreen.com http://citiesgogreen.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CitiesGoGreen - December 2008

Citites Go Green Contents In Motion We’re Taking Steps 10,000 Rain Gardens in Kansas City Chicago Center for Green Technology Connecticut’s ‘One Thing’ Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management Philadelphia The Economics of What Matters New Context: New Possibility

CitiesGoGreen - December 2008

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