Green For Good

Green for Good:How and why Wilder Built Green

Wednesday, May 28, 2008Wilder Center Auditorium

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Green for Good: How & Why Wilder Built Green | May 28, 2008 | www.wilder.org

About Wilder


About WilderPrograms working for

• Successful Aging

• Troubled Youth and Families

• Affordable Housing

• School Success

• Leadership

• Research


The need for Wilder Center• An efficient and cost effective future for the Foundation

• Improve and transform core businesses

• An inspirational new face of the Wilder Foundation by: – Showing how the “business of the Foundation” is done– Creating a place that “delights & dignifies every visitor”– Showing how sustainable building design

contributes to the shaping of sustainable communities


Wilder Center Overview

• 100,000 square feet, 4 stories

• 300 employees from 4 sites

• 3.5 acre property, .3 acre green space

• 400-car parking ramp

• $35.6 million project cost

• $10.4 million fundraising goal

• Occupancy completed January 2008


Initial Project Partners key to LEED®

Duke Construction

General Contractor

Perkins + Will

Architecture and Interior Design

Dunham Associates

Mechanical & Electrical Engineers

RLK Incorporated

Civil Engineers


Project Partners key to LEED cont..

• Weidt Group, Energy Design Consultants

• Hunt Electric, Electrical Engineers

• Horwitz, Mechanical Engineers

• General Sheet Metal (GSM), Mechanical Engineers

• Damon Farber Associates, Landscape Architect

• Architectural Energy Corporation (AEC), Commissioning Agent

• All firms and sub-contractors to implement the design

• Generous foundations, corporations and individual donors


Wilder’s growing interest in being Green

Duke engaged

P+W selected

June ‘05Feb ‘05

Today and beyond

Jan ‘05

Site selected


Why was Wilder interested in LEED?

• Wilder works to build sustainable families and communities

• LEED promotes practices that emphasize environmental sustainability

• Wilder Center is a showcase for the connection between sustainable communities and their built environment


Wilder’s Business Case for LEED

1. Improved indoor environmental quality promotes a healthy and productive workforce

2. Reduced operating costs

3. Fundraising tool - sets Wilder apart and increases opportunities to engage potential donors


What is LEED?

“The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

(LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages

and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green

building and development practices through the

creation and implementation of universally understood

and accepted tools and performance criteria.”-USGBC

The Wilder Foundation is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)


A LEED for every building

LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.

LEED Rating systems are available for different types of projects and their entire life-cycle.

Wilder Center was designed and built

using the LEED-NC rating system.


Four Levels of LEED

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Certified

Wilder Center is expectedto receive a LEED Gold rating


LEED Credits in six Categories

• Sustainable Sites

• Water Efficiency

• Energy and Atmosphere

• Materials and Resources

• Indoor Environment

• Design and Innovation


The LEED checklist

We’ve included a working draft of the Wilder Center LEED checklist as a handout.

• Projects earn points for the credits they employ

• Each level of certification (silver, gold, etc) has a threshold of a minimum number of points


For more information

Please refer to the Wilder Center + LEED handout for additional details on which credits Wilder chose to pursue. This information is also available at our green design education center in the lobby.

After occupancy


Exemplary recycling program

• Increased recycling by over 30% in 1st quarter

• Mixed recycling at every desk collected each night

• Small trash bins are emptied by employees

• This encourages employees to be more thoughtful about what they throw away vs. recycle

Trash bins at employees’ desks are only 5” high!


Employees’ reactions

“I’m more excited to work here because it is a green building; part of my value system is reflected at my workplace.”

“Just by having built this building in a sustainable way Wilder has accomplished something – and I’m proud of that.”


Employees’ reactions cont…

“I love the natural light, especially since I’m in a

cubicle. It is energizing and invigorating.”

“My behavior at work around trash and recycling has

changed what I do at home.”

“I use the shower when I bike to work – it’s great!”

Dale EmterPre-Construction ManagerDuke Construction


Lexington Park - 2008


LEED Workshop

Owner Interestin Green

Verification

Construction

Construction: 18 months

Planning\Design: 12 months

Commission: 8 months

LEED Worksho

p

Planning & Design

LEED Certification

May ‘08**

******

Wilder Center: LEED TimelineMay ‘05

*

*

*****


Wilder Center: LEED Strategies

• Site Selection

• Under Floor Air Distribution (UFAD)

• Daylight Harvesting


Wilder Center: Site Selection


ACCESS FLOORING, DISPLACEMENT VENTILATION, DAYLIGHTING

Green for Good: How & Why Wilder Built Green | May 28, 2008 | www.wilder.orgSource: “Turning Green Into Gold” by B. Alan Whitson


Wilder Center: Under Floor

Green for Good: How & Why Wilder Built Green | May 28, 2008 | www.wilder.orgSource: “Turning Green Into Gold” by B. Alan Whitson


Wilder Center: Silver to Gold Cost

Note: This is a guideline determined for the Wilder project, and will vary from project to project due to location, scope and product type variables.

LEED Cert Silver Gold

40% + Energy Savings

Workplace Environment

Local Community

Doug PierceSenior Architectural AssociatePerkins + Will

1250+ Professionals Nationwide750+ LEED Accredited

Professionals65 Member Staff in Minneapolis

Architecture and Interiors47 LEED Accredited Professionals

The Wilder Center - Green for Good

What is Sustainable Design?

It’s Integrative Whole Systems Thinking + Analysis

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the Parts.

Whole Systems - Focused on Relationships and Their Outcomes. - Includes as many Variables as Possible .

Analysis - Focused on Objects. - Eliminates as many Variables as Possible.

Whole Systems Matrix Analytical Linear Flow Diagram



Smaller is Beautiful

Example: Integrated Design

Going Green Reduced Building Size 10,000 Sq. Ft.

- $2.5 Million Saved in Construction Costs - $1.2 Million in Green Construction Costs - $1.3 Million in Total Construction Cost Savings

Shifted From Closed Offices to Open Offices. - Equitable Access to Abundant Daylight and Views - Easy Access to Colleagues for Collaboration - 20% More Fresh Air than Normal

- Increased Health and Productivity - Greatly improved Energy Efficiency - Reduced Carbon Footprint

Equity

EcologyEconomy

It’s Integrative Whole Systems Thinking + Analysis



It’s Evolutionary Incremental Change @ Revolutionary Speed

Start Early. It Takes Time to Evolve the Design and Your Thinking.

Example: Underfloor Displacement Ventilation

- Several Million Sq Ft Installed on the Coasts - Wilder Center one of the Very First in Upper Midwest - Significant Change in Design and Performance - 20% of Overall Energy Savings

2 Months to Decide - Field Trips To Washington D.C. - 4 Energy Modeling Scenarios Studied

LEED: 4-5 Points

- (2-3) Energy Optimization Points - 1 Point Occupant Thermal Control - 1 Point Increased Ventilation (Supports this Point)



It’s Resourceful Identify + Creatively Use Available Resources

Resources are NOT always Identified As Resources

Example: Stormwater or Rainwater?

Stormwater gets a Sewer = Negative Rainwater gets Harvested = Positive

The Development installed Stormwater Tanks - Did not provide for Rainwater Harvesting - Construction Cost of Infrastructure was Spent - Wilder Could not justify the cost to Re-construct

Lost 3 Potential LEED Points - No Use of Potable Water for Irrigation - Innovative Waste Water (Rainwater for Toilets) - Reduced Stormwater Run-off (LEED Level)

Rainwater should be considered a Resource.




Sometimes, Perceived Negatives can be Positives

Example: Concrete Retaining Wall

Urban Blight or Site Resource? - Originally Everyone focused on Covering Up the Wall






Urban Blight or Historic Artifact? - Last Remaining Elements of Lexington Park – Original Home of the Saints






Urban Blight or Site Resource? - Main Body of Building Already Moved North - Visible from University, Better Transit Access




Sometimes, Perceived Negatives can be PositivesExample: Concrete Retaining Wall

Urban Blight or Urban Oasis? - Previous Negative Became a Positive Creating The Wilder Center Backyard - Choose a Compact Ramp and the Backyard over a Green Roof LEED: 1 Point for Site Heat Island Reduction and 1 Point for Development Footprint




Where’s the Solar? Where’s the Wind Turbine?

Example: Energy Efficiency First

Excel Energy Design Assistance – A Free Site Resource - Energy Efficiency Cost 1/3 as much as Renewable Energy - More Carbon / Pollution Reduction for the investment. - Best Operations Payback; Not as Inspiring or Readily Visible.

LEED: 6-7 Points Energy Optimization 1 Point Green Energy (Excel Wind Source)

http://www.green-e.org/



Example: The Inherent Beauty of Energy Efficiency

- 2005: 5,000 Minnesota Babies at risk of behavioral and learning disorders. - Coal Fired Power Plants: Responsible for 46% of Mercury Contamination. - Building use 65% of U.S. Electricity.

Children’s Behavioral Health – One of Wilders Most Venerable Programs

“Nothing is Beautiful that Creates Ugliness at any other place or any other time.” David Orr

It’s Authentic Needs + Wants + Ethics + Values



Example: The Inherent Beauty of Energy Efficiency

- Buildings are responsible for over 48% if U.S. Green House Gas Emissions.

- The Wilder Center will operate on 40% to 50% less energy. - Save over 1200 Tons of Carbon Annually. (48,000 Tons over 40 years) - Equal to planting about 350 Acres of Trees Annually.

“Nothing is Beautiful that Creates Ugliness at any other place or any other time.” David Orr

It’s Authentic Needs + Wants + Ethics + Values



It’s Infinite Needs + Wants + Ethics + Values

We play Finite games to compete and win. They always have losers and are called war…NBA, Wall Street and politics.

We play Infinite games to play; they have no losers because the object of the game is to keep playing.

Infinite Games are called family, culture, tree planting, storytelling, community, <sustainable design>

Paul Hawken – Blessed Unrest

“There are two kinds of Games in the world. Games that end and games that don’t. There are finite games and infinite games.

Thank You!

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Green For Good