A Quarterly Newsletter of Plant Operations

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Plant Operations University of Houston

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01 All pictures (not renderings) are “Courtesy of Kenneth Wright, Groundskeeper”

02Plant Operations Newsletter

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Issue

Facilities Centralization

Hurricane Ike Landscape Project

Central Plant Expansion

Programs within Plant OpsFaci l i t ies Condit ion AssessmentJob Order Contract ProgramBui lding CoordinatorFaci l i t ies Design Guidel ines

Inspection Program

Sustainability EffortsEnergy conservation,recycl ing and landscaping

Project HighlightsClassroom & Business Bui ldingThe Health & Biomedical Science Bui ldingThe New Stadium Parking GarageThe University Center Transformation Project

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All pictures (not renderings) are “Courtesy of Kenneth Wright, Groundskeeper”

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The un ivers i ty began to deve lop an integrated fac i l i t ies support model in Apr i l of 2011 . Th is model wi l l br ing a l l the bu i ld ings in to a centra l ized operat ion model which wi l l a l low for a p lanned and systemat ic approach in prov id ing a cons is tent approach to the care and serv ice, maintenance and capi ta l p lann ing that is de l ivered across campus. A centra l part of that p lann ing is complet ing the Fac i l i ty Condi t ion Assessment which is current ly underway. Th is fac i l i t ies audi t a l low us to prov ide a cogent in f rastructure p lan that wi l l be more focused on de l iver ing a de l iberate and intent iona l renewal p lan based on asset va lue and condi t ion .

Another in tegra l component of the centra l izat ion p lan is to de l iver a standard leve l of p lanned custod ia l and maintenance care. The Leve l One (Poo led Serv ices) cons is t of the rout ine maintenance assoc iated wi th the da i ly operat ion of a fac i l i ty and inc ludes bas ic p lumbing, e lectr ica l , carpentry, pa int and mechanica l . The Leve l One custod ia l serv ices inc lude bas ic f loor and carpet c lean ing, dust ing, t rash removal , wal l and window care in common areas and restrooms. The standard izat ion of these serv ices wi l l he lp ensure the ent i re campus inf rastructure is be ing mainta ined at a leve l of care that wi l l ref lect a campus wide commitment to c lean l iness, safety and preventat ive maintenance.

An essent ia l ingred ient to streaml in ing ef f ic ienc ies throughout the campus is the combin ing of custod ia l and maintenance into work groups that are d iv ided into two zones across campus. Those zones (North and South) wi l l be d i rected by Zone Managers that have dual funct iona l i ty of custod ia l and maintenance overs ight . The South zone wi l l be housed in Moody Towers and the North zone wi l l operate out of the Genera l Serv ices Bu i ld ing. A cruc ia l part of the model work ing in harmony wi th the rest of the campus is the revamped Fac i l i t ies Serv ice Center ( former ly the Cal l Center ) and the Bu i ld ing Coord inator program. By combin ing funct ions and upgrad ing systems we are ab le to prov ide extended hours of serv ice through the Fac i l i t ies Serv ice Center (FSC) whi le reduc ing operat iona l costs substant ia l ly . The two tra in ing sess ions for the Bu i ld ing Coord inators in Ju ly, and a th i rd th is month, equ ipped them to be the s ingu lar po int of contact for issues wi th in the i r area of respons ib i l i ty .

The d is t r ibut ion of expenses in th is model is based upon Gross Square Footage (GSF) and the part icu lar needs of spec i f ic areas. For F isca l Year 2012 on ly labor wi l l be spread across the model whi le us ing the average un ivers i ty maintenance and operat ions (M&O) data for 2012 as a base l ine for budget ing 2013. M&O wi l l be assessed as consumed by the ind iv idua l department .

Fac i l i t ies Centralization

04Plant Operations Newsletter

Through al l of these changes the one constant is the continual focus

on Service. Our core values are ref lected in the motto, “Changing to Service, Servicing to Change” and are truly a driving force in al l that we plan to accomplish. Throughout the planning stages of creating the integrated model we asked ourselves if these changes were in concord with the Core Values. We continue to be cognizant of these Core Values as we approach implementation.

We are very exc i ted about the opportun i t ies that th is centra l izat ion prov ides as wel l as the cha l lenge of deve lop ing a long term capi ta l p lan that wi l l support both the student serv ices, res ident ia l and research miss ion as we cont inue to str ive for T ier One in a l l key areas wi th in the Univers i ty .

For quest ions re lated to these changes or ideas for ongo ing improvements p lease contact Mel issa Rockwel l -Hopkins, Execut ive Di rector Fac i l i t ies Management at 743-8750 or mrockwel@centra l .uh .edu

P rofess iona l ismR espectI n tegr i tyT eamworkA ccountab i l i tyS ervice

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Hurricane I ke Landscape Restoration

This past May saw the complet ion of the Hurr icane Ike Landscape Restorat ion pro ject . Star ted in the summer of 2010, th is pro ject has he lped redef ine the landscaping pr inc ip les of campus and has incorporated new techno logy to a l low for greater water conservat ion.

In 2008, Hurr icane Ike caused s ign i f icant damage to campus, both to the bu i ld ings and the landscape. Many trees were lost due to wind damage by e i ther toppl ing or caused severe enough damage that the t ree had to be taken down. Addi t iona l damage was done to the landscape through the repai rs to the bu i ld ing facades and roofs . In ear ly 2010, p lans were made to eva luate the damage and to deve lop p lans for renovat ing the landscape.

The des ign was deve loped by Houston based landscape arch i tecture f i rm Clark Condon and insta l led by Landscape Art , Inc . The process is a pr ime example of what can be accompl ished when des igners and contractors are a l l work ing toward the same goal . The landscape arch i tects were ab le to put together a s impl i f ied set of p lans showing major t ree p lant ings, areas for landscape beds and i r r igat ion repai rs . The contractors kept deta i led records of progress which a l lowed the des igner and the Univers i ty to cont inua l ly eva luate and adjust the des ign as unforeseen issues arose. In the end, the pro ject was completed wi th in $2,500.00 of the or ig ina l contract amount .

06Plant Operations Newsletter

Hurricane I ke Landscape Restoration

Key changes to the campus landscape came in two areas. F i rs t , the d ivers i ty of p lant mater ia l was s impl i f ied to reduce the amount of maintenance needed and to prov ide a more cohes ive look throughout campus. Many of the scat tered perenn ia l p lant ing beds wi th numerous d i f ferent types of p lants were removed. In the i r p lace, large swaths of s ing le p lant ings were insta l led. Typ ica l p lant ings inc lude As ian Jasmine, L i ly of N i le , B ico lor I r is , L i r iope and Shrub Roses. Larger group ings prov ide more of an impact than h igh ly d iverse p lant ings and take much less t ime to mainta in . Addi t iona l ly , by prov id ing a bas ic p lant pa let te throughout campus, areas l ike entr ies to bu i ld ings can be eas i ly h igh l ighted wi th addi t iona l p lant types.

The other key change that wi l l have a s ign i f icant impact on the susta inab i l i ty ef for ts on campus is the insta l la t ion of a new i r r igat ion contro l system that a l lows for centra l overs ight and moni tor ing. The key components of the system are a 2-wire connect ion between the va lves and contro l ler and a centra l contro l ler that moni tors the ent i re system. Th is reduces water use by a l lowing the system to moni tor leaks and automat ica l ly shut t ing down a zone i f a leak is detected. A text message is then sent to the i r r igat ion superv isor to a ler t h im to a prob lem. So i l sensors wi l l a lso be insta l led to a l low the system to automat ica l ly ad just the run t imes of the zones based on the actua l amount of water in the so i l .

Tota l pro ject cost , inc lud ing des ign fees was $1,011,278.00.

For quest ions or concerns re lated to campus landscaping and grounds, p lease contact Roger Warner, Landscape Plann ing & Grounds Manager at 3-9671 or rwwarner@centra l .uh .edu

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Central Plant Expansion, The Addit ion to the Central Plant wi l l add 8,000 s.f. to the exist ing Central Plant bui lding. The expansion wil l accommodate three new 2,700 ton chi l lers, and a new off ice suite for the plant on the ground f loor. The project also includes the purchase and instal lat ion of three new low NOx high eff iciency boi lers, replacement of al l four cool ing towers, and the addit ion of one new cool ing tower.

This project is crit ical for Tier One and Campus expansion and has a number of goals. First, the exist ing equipment in the Central Plant is past its manufacturer recommended l i fe, is increasingly expensive to maintain and repair and must be replaced. Secondly, because it is older equipment our current plant is energy ineff icient and not as clean as new state of the art technology—a major problem in an air qual i ty non attainment zone l ike Houston. The Federal Government and EPA have mandated that we replace exist ing equipment with new lower pol lut ing equipment as part of the mandates to force Houston to meet clean air requirements. Third, with the increased eff iciency we wil l reduce energy usage by 3-4%, save signif icant money and reduce the University’s carbon footprint dramatical ly. Final ly, this project wi l l increase the Central Plant capacity to serve the future bui ldings needed to support the Framework Plan and house Tier One Research, increase campus housing, addit ional instructional and student support space.

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Recently, the University has received a grant to add a photovoltaic array to the roof of the new expansion and it has been instal led. The electr icity generated from the array wil l be used to power the new off ice suite at the Plant. The replacement of the cool ing towers is a mult i-phase project. Currently, the f irst two cool ing towers are in progress with the concrete wal ls being constructed. The steel structural frame of the addit ion is complete, and the exterior wal ls have just begun to start going up.

For quest ions re lated to th is pro ject , p lease contact Ke l ly Bueh ler , Sr . Pro ject Manager at 3-9637 or kbueh ler@uh.edu

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Programs within Plant Ops

Plant Operat ions is commit ted to cont inuous improvement in the performance of pro ject de l ivery . To ensure we are prov id ing the best qua l i ty in the arena of p lanned pro jects, P lant Operat ions has se lected the serv ices of SHW Group to perform a h igh leve l assessment of bu i ld ings on the Univers i ty of Houston main campus which is current ly be ing completed. The program / pro ject cons is ts of , look ing at research, l i fe safety, academic, dormi tor ies, and other aux i l iary bu i ld ings.

The Univers i ty , in support of i ts master and long term capi ta l p lan deve lopment, has a l ready begun conduct ing fac i l i ty condi t ion and bu i ld ing systems assessments: inc lud ing rev iew of st ructura l , MEP and safety systems. The pro ject of f ic ia l ly k icked of f May 25th. An in i t ia l FCA report for Campus Recreat ion was completed in June 14, 2011, for submiss ion to The Texas Higher Educat ion Coord inat ing Board in support of the i r new annual report ing process. Th is pro ject is be ing managed by Fac i l i t ies Management, under the sponsorsh ip of Dr . Car l Car lucc i , Execut ive V ice Chance l lor and Execut ive V ice Pres ident for Admin is t rat ion and F inance and The Off ice of the Provost .

The pro ject is be ing completed in two major phases:

Phase I (COMPLETE) – SR1, SR2, Eng ineer ing 1, Eng ineer ing 2, Heal th Sc ience Center , Set tegast Hal l , Bates Hal l , Taub Hal l , Oberho l tzer Hal l , Moody Towers and Campus Recreat ion and Wel lness Center . *Summary reports have been completed and submit ted to execut ive leadersh ip . Phase 2 – wi l l assess the remain ing 67 bu i ld ings

In support of the T IER ONE miss ion, other tasks to be performed s imul taneous ly are noted be low:

1 . Inventory of equ ipment on campus ( research & d in ing on ly ) 2. Determine load and emergency power needs ( research on ly ) 3. Phased p lan to address any ident i f ied cr i t ica l issues by phase

Capi ta l p lann ing recommendat ions wi l l be ranked and categor ized at a h igh leve l us ing the be low rank ings, for which pro ject summar ies and est imated construct ion tota ls wi l l be prov ided. Pr ior i ty 1 – Current ly Cr i t ica l ( Immediate) Pr ior i ty 2 – Potent ia l ly Cr i t ica l (One year ) Pr ior i ty 3 – Not Yet Cr i t ica l (2-5 years) Pr ior i ty 4 – Recommended (6-30 years)

The fo l lowing three c lass i f icat ions wi l l be used to gu ide recommendat ions; 1 ) fac i l i ty adaptat ion, 2) deferred maintenance and 3) capi ta l renewal / p lanned maintenance pro jects .

For quest ions or fur ther in format ion regard ing th is pro ject , you may contact the fo l lowing Mel issa Rockwel l -Hopkins at 3-8750 or J im Norcom at 3-5804.

Facilities Condition Assessment

Plant Operations Newsletter

Programs within Plant Ops

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Facilities Condition Assessment

Plant Operat ions has restructured the Univers i ty of Houston’s Job Order Contract ing (JOC) program. Over the last year, Fac i l i t ies Management ident i f ied cr i t ica l pr ior i t ies and restructured the JOC program to perform as an extens ion of the department wi th the he lp of UH staf f and departmenta l adv isory commit tee.

The miss ion of the JOC program is to perform an ef fect ive and qu ick method of de l iver ing p lanned pro jects . Th is is not l im i ted to improvements and/or maintenance for UH owned or leased fac i l i t ies .

The Univers i ty of Houston executed the parent agreement in September of 2010 and wi l l eva luate the program quarter ly and at the end of the contract term. The JOC program is one of s ix state approved construct ion de l ivery methods. The UH JOC program cons is t of four contractors se lected through the Request for Proposal (RFP) Procurement process. The four contractors cons is t of two genera l contractors spec ia l iz ing in research renovat ions and inter ior renewal , one f loor ing contractor and one asbestos and remediat ion contractor . The JOC parent agreement per contractor a l lows ind iv idua l Job Orders to be wr i t ten in short term for construct ion, repai r , rehabi l i ta t ion or a l terat ions to fac i l i t ies . The max imum Job Order may not exceed a tota l pro ject cost of $250,000.00.

The JOC program is an ef fect ive and qu ick method to de l iver renovat ion pro jects .

For more informat ion regard ing th is program, p lease contact J im Norcom, Di rector of Minor & P lanned Pro jects, Fac i l i t ies Management at ext 3-5804 or jgnorcom@uh.edu

Job Order Contract Program

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Building Coordinator Program

As the Univers i ty of Houston cont inues to grow and change, our fac i l i t ies, many of which are ag ing, are requ i red to meet not on ly the needs of current facu l ty, staf f and students but future growth needs as wel l . Th is requ i res a l l of us partner ing together as a un ivers i ty communi ty . To ass is t the un ivers i ty in address ing these fac i l i ty needs, the UH Plant Operat ions department wi th the he lp of the Bu i ld ing Coord inator Program Commit tee has deve loped the Univers i ty of Houston Bu i ld ing Coord inator Program.

The un ivers i ty ’s d iverse programs and act iv i t ies of ten requ i re coord inat ion between bu i ld ing operat ions, campus serv ice prov iders, and departments . The Bu i ld ing Coord inator Program is des igned to he lp br idge these components by prov id ing a forum for d iscuss ion, enhanced informat ion shar ing, and reso lut ion of bu i ld ing occupant prob lems. The Program’s miss ion is to fac i l i ta te communicat ions, support fac i l i ty capi ta l p lann ing and represent user needs wi th in fac i l i t ies . The Bu i ld ing Coord inator is the pr imary po int of contact for custod ia l and maintenance serv ices, energy management, heat ing and coo l ing, f i re and env i ronmenta l safety, bu i ld ing secur i ty , construct ion p lann ing and pro ject management act iv i t ies wi th in any fac i l i ty . They wi l l serve as the pr imary communicat ion l ia ison between campus support agenc ies and bu i ld ing occupants, and they wi l l he lp implement fac i l i ty emergency response and evacuat ion p lans. Bu i ld ing Coord inators and the i r a l ternates wi l l work c lose ly wi th P lant Operat ions, Un ivers i ty Po l ice, F i re and Safety, and Env i ronmenta l Heal th and safety to he lp enhance and improve fac i l i ty serv ices on campus. They wi l l a lso in teract wi th other un i ts across campus – Student Af fa i rs , Ath let ics, and Informat ion Technology -- to coord inate fac i l i ty serv ices seamless ly as wel l as he lp the un ivers i ty meet bu i ld ing and safety needs.

Bu i ld ing Coord inators and a l ternates have been appointed by the Execut ive V ice Chance l lor and Vice Pres ident for Admin is t rat ion and F inance, and wi l l be ca l led upon to he lp ass is t in reso lv ing fac i l i ty issues and af ter-hours fac i l i ty-re lated emergenc ies . The un ivers i ty has prov ided bu i ld ing coord inators wi th the

necessary port fo l io of resources and tra in ing requ i red to fac i l i ta te th is ro le . For addi t iona l in format ion regard ing the UH Bui ld ing Coord inator Program, p lease contact Cynth ia Ramos, Programs Manager at 713-743-5566, or cmramos@centra l .uh .edu. You may a lso v is i t the webs i te at ht tp://www.uh.edu/p lantops/bcp.

The program has successfu l ly ro l led out in summer 2011 and a tota l of three t ra in ing sess ions to coord inators has been prov ided. The bu i ld ing coord inator l is t is now posted on l ine and is kept up-to-date a long wi th the t ra in ing mater ia ls inc lud ing, presentat ion and handbook. A l is tserv to the campus bu i ld ing coord inators has been estab l ished and communicat ions have been ongoing inc lud ing updates to fac i l i t ies centra l izat ion, outage communicat ions, and updates to the program as wel l as any other fac i l i t ies re lated informat ion. The next step for th is program wi l l be to estab l ish ter t iary ca l l t rees wi th in each bu i ld ing to be used for fac i l i t ies emergenc ies . A process in implement ing these ter t iary t rees has been communicated to coord inators and p lann ing has a l ready begun. For genera l quest ions re lated to th is program or i f you would l ike to prov ide feedback, p lease submit to bcp@uh.edu

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University of Houston Facilities Design Guidelines

The Univers i ty of Houston’s Fac i l i t ies Des ign Guide l ines have been deve loped through a combined ef for t by a l l d iv is ions of P lant Operat ions as wel l as f rom var ious outs ide consu l tants that ident i f ied preferred methods and mater ia ls for fac i l i ty des ign and construct ion. The Des ign Guide l ine documents are in tended to be cont inua l ly eva luated and modi f ied so that they become a too l to assure h igh qual i ty fac i l i t ies that are not on ly h igh ly funct iona l and aesthet ica l ly p leas ing, but are a lso ef f ic ient to mainta in and operate . The Des ign Guide l ines are for use in the preparat ion of contract documents on a l l UH fac i l i ty des ign and construct ion pro jects . There are three major components of the Des ign Guide l ines:

Campus Des ign Guide l ines and Standards – fundamenta l va lues and p lann ing gu ide l ines thatt ransmi t the t rad i t ions of the campus p lan and arch i tectura l sty le in to the future, encourag inginnovat ion and qual i ty construct ion. The pr inc ip les draw from the 1998 Sense of P lace P lanand the 2006 Campus Framework P lan. A lso inc luded are space inventory procedures, andarch i tectura l , landscape, l ight ing, way-f ind ing and construct ion gu ide l ines.

Master Construct ion Spec i f icat ions – pro ject manual template to be used for a l l fac i l i ty des ign and construct ion pro jects . S ince the documents wi l l be cont inua l ly updated, the users (consu l tants/contractors/ fac i l i t ies staf f ) , wi l l be respons ib le for ut i l i z ing the most current requ i rements . A l l documents have been posted to the P lant Ops web s i te for v iewing and downloading, and user concerns, suggest ions and quest ions wi l l be encouraged for formal cons iderat ion. Supplementa l Resources – var ious other resources such as CAD standards, b idd ing gu ide l ines,Un i form Genera l Condi t ions, Supplementa l Genera l Condi t ions, space and furn ish ings standards,and inter ior f in ishes standards are a lso mainta ined as a component of the Fac i l i t ies Des ignGuide l ines.

For more informat ion regard ing th is program, p lease contact Mike Yancey, D i rector of P lann ing, FPC, at 3-2449 or myancey@uh.edu

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Project Controls and Construction Inspections Program

The Univers i ty of Houston’s Fac i l i t ies P lann ing and Construct ion Pro ject Contro ls – Construct ion Inspect ions Department ( “FPC-PCCI” ) current ly employs one Pr inc ipa l Pro ject Manager of Pro ject Contro ls and Construct ion Inspect ions ( “PPM-PCCI” ) and four Fac i l i t ies Pro ject Inspectors ( “FP I ” ) who perform in-process inspect ions on UH System Capi ta l Pro jects .

The ob ject ive of th is process inspect ion is to ver i fy and document that a l l app l icab le spec i f icat ions and requ i rements perta in ing to the bu i ld ing cont inue to meet spec i f icat ions and requ i rements throughout the construct ion per iod. Approva l to cont inue construct ion as in process inspect ion documentat ion ind icates a l l contract requ i rements cont inue to be sat is f ied. The FPIs prov ide assurance to FPC management that a l l contractors work ing on Univers i ty of Houston System Capi ta l Pro jects are in fu l l compl iance wi th the requ i rements of the i r contract wi th the UH System.

The FPI ver i f ies that contracted 3rd party inspect ion/test ing f i rms fu l f i l l the i r contractua l test ing, inspect ion, and report ing ob l igat ions. They deve lop and mainta in records of construct ion progress, weather impacts, contractor personne l and equ ipment usage, contractor safety issues, changed jobs i te condi t ions, and rev iew reports created by the contracted inspect ion/test ing f i rm. The FPI ver i f ies the submi t ted documentat ion and cert i f icates for mater ia ls purchased by contractors and rev iews procured mater ia ls to ensure they match the i r respect ive approved submit ta ls . The FPI a lso ass is ts the SPM and des ign team in reso lut ion of techn ica l d iscrepanc ies .

In performance of the i r dut ies the FPI regu lar ly at tends weekly contractor managed, Owner, Arch i tect ,Contractor ( “OAC”) Meet ings, pre-construct ion meet ings wi th subcontractors as new d isc ip l ines prepare tobeg in work ing on the pro ject , and pre- insta l la t ion meet ings for major work act iv i t ies .

The FPIs document and report non-comply ing work (def ic ienc ies) in non-conformance reports that are submi t ted to FPC’s Sen ior Pro ject Manager ( “SPM”) for d is t r ibut ion to the contractor , the pro ject des ign team, and commiss ion ing agent . The FPI is respons ib le for t rack ing to c losure a l l documented non-conformance issues. In performance of the i r dut ies the FPI regu lar ly at tends weekly contractor managed Owner, Arch i tect , Contractor ( “OAC”) Meet ings, pre-construct ion meet ings wi th subcontractors as new d isc ip l ines prepare to beg in work ing on the pro ject , and pre- insta l la t ion meet ings for major work act iv i t ies .

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The pr imary records processed and/or mainta ined by the FPI inc lude but are not l im i ted to, the fo l lowing:

Dai ly Inspect ion Records: Records of da i ly pro ject act iv i t ies us ingthe appropr iate FPC documents and forms. Mainta in a record of da i lyconstruct ion act iv i t ies on each ass igned pro ject s i te .

Not ices of Non-Compl iance: Not ices of Non-Compl ianceare issued to the Contractor as a wr i t ten d i rect ive to correctunacceptab le work, unsafe s i te condi t ions, or other fa i lure(s )and to adhere to the requ i rements of the Contract Documents,p lans, spec i f icat ions, or appl icab le laws and/or codes.

Contractor ’s Month ly Progress Payment : Ass is t the SPMwith the rev iew/ver i f icat ion of the contractor ’s Month ly ProgressPayment requests . Ver i fy and report to the SPM the accuracy ofthe completed contract and change order work reported in theb i l l ing by the contractor .

Jobs i te Memorandum Records: The Job Memorandum isut i l i zed as a wr i t ten record of instruct ions and/or in format iong iven to the Contractor which does not requ i re correct ive act ion.Document in teract ion between the contractor , FP I , arch i tect ,eng ineer, and/or the publ ic .

FPC-PCCI Inspect ion Records: Contractor requested inspect ions performed by FPC-PCCI Inspectors are noted in the FPI ’s Contractor Requested Inspect ion Report Form. I t is the Contractor ’s respons ib i l i ty to not i fy FPC-PCCI of ca l led inspect ions and record the inspect ion act iv i ty by mainta in ing FPC-PCCI Inspect ion Record Drawings at the jobs i te for s ign-of f by the FPC-PCCI inspectors .

Jobs i te In ter ference Records: Jobs i te In ter ference Recordsshal l be def ined as the documentat ion of the c i rcumstances of anunforeseen or changed condi t ion which in ter feres wi th the ab i l i ty ofthe Contractor to construct the Work per the contract requ i rements .Document any unforeseen condi t ions (Jobs i te In ter ferences) , changedcondi t ions, and other poss ib le c la im s i tuat ions as they ar ise .

For more informat ion regard ing th is program,p lease contact Gary A l ley, Pr inc ipa l Pro ject Manager at3-9612 or gmal ley@uh.edu

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Susta inab i l i tyEffortsSusta inab i l i ty contr ibut ions of P lant Operat ions through energy conservat ion,recyc l ing and landscaping:

The concept of susta inab i l i ty has been around for a whi le ; however in the past f ive to s ix years i t has become more v is ib le . Every day we hear th is term d iscussed in resource management and in genera lbus iness pract ices. There are many dr iv ing forces beh ind the implementat ion of susta inab i l i ty and thetrans i t ion to a more susta inab le future: economic, the indoor env i ronment, growing l im i tat ion on nonrenewable energy sources, and po l lu t ion and i ts ef fect on c l imate change and eco log ica l hea l th .

P lant Operat ions staf f began work ing on susta inab i l i ty pract ices ear ly in the movement and has s i lent lycont inued do ing the i r part in reduc ing campus carbon footpr in t . Focus ing on the past decade, P lantOperat ions has engaged in myr iad of energy and water conservat ion pro jects . In 1999, a l l in ter iorl ight ing was upgraded to h igh ef f ic iency l ight ing throughout the campus through energy performancecontract ing. Other energy conservat ion pro jects completed in severa l of the campus bu i ld ings inc luded1. upgrades to h igh ef f ic iency HVAC (Heat ing, Vent i la t ion, and Ai r Condi t ion ing) systems,2. insta l l ing var iab le f requency dr ives on a i r handler fan and pump motors, 3. upgrad ing bu i ld ing energy management systems, incorporat ing demand contro l led vent i la t ion strateg ies,4. use of occupancy sensors for l ight ing and HVAC.

In the areas of water conservat ion, we have incorporated ways toreduce water use and rec la im some of the water which otherwisewould go to waste. We have been int roduc ing more nat ive p lants anddrought to lerant spec ies, reduc ing tur f areas, and adding an i r r igat ioncontro l system. The i r r igat ion contro l system is ab le to ident i fyleaks, contro l water ing run t imes through sensors p laced in the so i land a l lows for the ent i re campus i r r igat ion system to be contro l ledfrom one centra l locat ion. Addi t iona l ly , in HVAC intens ive bu i ld ings,condensate which ord inar i ly would go to waste is now co l lected and reused as make up water for coo l ing towers.

A l l these energy and water conservat ion ef for ts have led us to a. win mul t ip le energy conservat iongrants, b . rece ive f ree retro commiss ion ing and energy audi t serv ices and c. earn recogn i t ion byCenterPo int Energy to be the f i rs t in the i r terr i tory to lead the way wi th energy conservat ion. BetweenFY 2005-9, we have reduced our energy ut i l i zat ion index (EUI – BTU/sf/yr ) and annual water usageby approx imate ly 18% whi le the campus exper ienced a growth of 12% in gross square footagedur ing the same per iod. A l l these ef for ts cont inue sav ing $3Mi l l ion to $4Mi l l ion annual ly in energy and water re lated expenses.

Bes ides energy and water conservat ion, P lant Operat ions has put po l ic ies and procedures in p laceto reduce the use of non-organ ic chemica ls in landscaping and adopt ing in tegrated pest management

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programs. The Grounds department has been work ing on anexper imenta l 4 acre p lot at the in t ramura l f ie lds us ing on lyorgan ic fer t i l i zers . Lessons learned here wi l l be appl ied to theent i re campus. I t is ant ic ipated the swi tch to complete ly organ ic fer t i l i zers wi l l happen wi th in the next 3-5 years . The I tegrated Pest Management ( IPM) Program is a lso be ing incorporated. Th is program emphas izes ident i fy ing and contro l l ing p lant hea l th prob lems at the in i t ia l outbreak. Th is reduces the need to use chemica ls on large areas by us ing non-chemica l st rateg ies .

The last three years have seen s ign i f icant increases in campus recyc l ing and incorporat ion ofsusta inab le pract ices in so l id waste. P lant Operat ions now recyc les paper, cardboard, most p last ics,g lass, and bat ter ies . Last year, 35% of campus waste was d iver ted f rom the landf i l l s to be put backin our soc iety for reuse though recyc l ing. Most of our so l id waste t rucks are now equ ipped wi thadvanced fue l in ject ion system to reduce combust ion temperatures and thereby decreas ing emiss ionsand improv ing ef f ic iency. Id le l im i ters are insta l led on our t rucks to shut of f eng ines af ter f ive minutesof id l ing, to reduce energy and decrease po l lu t ion .

P lant Operat ions is an act ive member of campus susta inab i l i ty task force and part ic ipates in campus carbon footpr in t ca lcu lat ions, energy po l icy deve lopment, and green house gas reduct ion p lans. Mov ing forward P lant Operat ions has embarked on the f i rs t so lar insta l la t ion pro ject for the campus. So lar pane ls were insta l led at the Centra l P lant and wi l l generate approx imate ly 20KW of energy, enough to take Centra l P lant of f ices of f the convent iona l e lectr ica l gr id . An Energy/Green Bui ld po l icy is be ing draf ted in con junct ion wi th Campus Susta inab i l i ty Taskforce commit tee. Wi th the newly created and f i l led Ut i l i ty and Susta inab i l i ty Coord inator pos i t ion, P lant Operat ions in tends to cont inue the momentum gained so far to pursue energy grants and fur ther enhance the i r ef for ts in susta inab i l i ty .

The Univers i ty of Houston he ld the i r f i rs t UH Campus Clean Up Day. Vo lunteers f rom across campus grabbed garbage and recyc lab le bags and went f rom one end to the other p ick ing up i tems. Over 600 pounds of mater ia l was p icked up and d isposed of by P lant Operat ions. Not on ly was trash p icked up of f the ground but s igns that were posted on t rees and po les were removed. When f in ished the campus had a much bet ter face to show to the publ ic and the many students, staf f and facu l ty that l i ve and work at the Univers i ty of Houston.

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Classroom and Business Building The Classroom and Bus iness Bu i ld ing wi l l be a new $30 mi l l ion f ive-story, 140,000 SF fac i l i ty located inthe center of campus between Melcher Hal l and the Centra l P lant . Th is locat ion wi l l a l low for centra l andconven ient access to bus iness & non-bus iness students a l ike .

There are severa l ob ject ives to be ach ieved wi th th is new bu i ld ing: To prov ide much needed c lassroom space for the Univers i ty ’s academic programs To prov ide expanded wr i t ing and test ing serv ices To prov ide a new home for the Cyv ia and Melvyn Wol f f Center for Entrepreneursh ip To prov ide c lassroom, meet ing and admin is t rat ion space for the Col lege of Bus iness ’s EMBA program To prov ide of f ice and meet ing space for student organ izat ions

What th is means for the un ivers i ty The Univers i ty of Houston’s C. T . Bauer Col lege of Bus iness is Houston’s most comprehens ive bus iness school .Bauer prov ides an exce l lent env i ronment for an outstand ing educat ion.

S ince 2007, The Wol f f Center for Entrepreneursh ip program has been ranked in the top two by Entrepreneurmagaz ine and The Pr inceton Rev iew in the i r l is t of the top 25 undergraduate entrepreneursh ip programs in theU.S. . The Col lege’s Execut ive MBA program is a founding member of the nat iona l counc i l of MBA programs andis the o ldest of the AACSB accred i ted programs in Houston.

The new fac i l i ty wi l l prov ide much needed c lassroom and academic support space for the Col lege of Bus inessand other genera l academic programs, as wel l as a new home f i t t ing the qual i ty of the Col lege’s premierprograms. The current approved scope inc ludes the bu i ld out of the f i rs t two f loors to prov ide modern teach ingspaces wi th state of the ar t equ ipment . The top three f loors wi l l be constructed in a second phase to servefuture Bauer Col lege of Bus iness needs and wi l l be f in ished as funds become ava i lab le .

Project High l ights

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Other Project Highlights

The bu i ld ing wi l l inc lude: E ight 80-seat , t iered genera l use c lassrooms One 52-seat , t iered genera l use computer c lassroom Two smal ler genera l use c lassrooms Off ice space for the Instruct iona l Des ign Group Relocat ion of the Wr i t ing Center f rom Agnes Arno ld Hal l A new un ivers i ty test ing center Four EMBA c lassrooms Off ice space for the EMBA Admin is t rat ion Conference/meet ing & of f ice space for the Wol f f Center for Entrepreneursh ip Meet ing & of f ice space for student organ izat ions A Great Hal l Reading Room Three 40 seat genera l use seminar rooms

The Des ign-Bu i ld team of L inbeck and Gens ler was se lected for th is pro ject . The bu i ld ing is current ly scheduled for part ia l occupancy in the Spr ing of 2012 and complet ion in the Fa l l of 2012.

For more informat ion regard ing the Classroom and Bus iness Bu i ld ing, p lease contact Bern ie Har less at ext 3-8049 or bhar less@uh.edu.

2011 promises to be a banner year for major capi ta l pro jects at UH. With more than $400M ofrenovated and new bu i ld ing pro jects current ly in deve lopment or construct ion, our team is busywi th the bus iness of advanc ing our Un ivers i ty to T ier One status. But , just as 2011 ushers in manyexc i t ing endeavors for our System, so d id 2010 see some long awai ted ach ievements and therewards of many dedicated construct ion profess iona ls . Here are a few of the pro jects we sawcompleted in 2010: Cougar V i l lage (Freshman Res idence Hal l ) Tota l Pro ject Budget : $50,000,000SERC Phase I I & I I I (3rd & 5th F l r . Lab Bui ld-out ) Tota l Pro ject Budget : $15,000,000CEMO Lecture Hal l : Tota l Pro ject Budget : $9,770,000Hi l ton Hote l Renovat ions: Tota l Pro ject Budget : $13,600,000Moody Tower Din ing Renovat ions: Tota l Pro ject Budget : $11,000,000

Of the many important pro jects we look forward to in 2011 and beyond, here are a few of theh igh l ights and the i r s ign i f icance in shaping the future of UH:

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The Health & Biomedical Sciences CenterTota l Pro ject Budget : $70,000,000

Broke ground ear l ier th is year and is current ly under construct ion. The new fac i l i ty wi l l be des igned for de l iver ing state-of- the-ar t pat ient eye care and research in order to strengthen and supplement the current serv ices prov ided at the un ivers i ty . Th is pro ject wi l l br ing together N IH-supported invest igators f rom across departments and co l leges and serve as the home of an in ter-d isc ip l inary b iomedica l research program. The bu i ld ing wi l l inc lude an ambulatory surg ica l center , the laser center (TLC), spec ia l ized research laborator ies, an imal care fac i l i t ies, c l in ica l fac i l i t ies, laborator ies, of f ices, seminar spaces and c lassrooms. The new HBSC wi l l connect to the ex is t ing J . Dav is Armistead Bui ld ing at the corner of Wheeler and Calhoun. Th is pro ject is scheduled for complet ion in Fa l l of 2012.

The New Stadium Parking GarageTota l Pro ject Budget : $26,000,000

The th i rd park ing garage in UH’s comprehens ive park ing program, the Stad ium Garage wi l l be a4-story, 2400 car fac i l i ty wi th 10,000 SF of reta i l space and wi l l rep lace surface park ing spaces lostto the METRO as wel l as prov ide addi t iona l spaces for students commut ing to the sc ience complex andUH Ath let ics game day act iv i t ies . The reta i l space, which wi l l be located a long the south edge of thegarage, wi l l def ine a mixed use corr idor which wi l l extend the major pedestr ian c i rcu lat ion of Entrance14 west . The mixed use corr idor wi l l beg in to enhance the game day exper ience as wel l as prov ideeveryday serv ices to the underserved west port ion of campus. Th is pro ject is scheduled to be open foruse at the beg inn ing of c lasses Fa l l 2012.

The University Center Transformation ProjectTota l Pro ject Budget : $80,000,000

The Univers i ty Center Transformat ion pro ject responds to the need to rev i ta l ize current Un ivers i ty Center fac i l i t ies dat ing f rom 1967, which have not seen any s ign i f icant renovat ion s ince the ear ly 1970s. Af ter undertak ing two years of feas ib i l i ty stud ies, focus groups, and student in terv iews, the Univers i ty has ident i f ied a scope which encompasses an addi t ion to the fac i l i ty to inc lude new serv ices (Phase I ) and a renovat ion of the ex is t ing fac i l i ty (Phase I I ) . The t ransformed Univers i ty Center wi l l prov ide an unprecedented leve l of T ier One serv ice to the Univers i ty of Houston communi ty as the populat ion moves toward 45,000 students . Th is pro ject is scheduled for complet ion in 2014.

Plant Operations Newsletter

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