The National Building Museum organized a private tour of the new LEED platinum spaces of RTKL, an architecture and engineering firm, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The new spaces reside within a 1970′s office building that isn’t LEED certified. The spaces demonstrate how high-quality, sustainable spaces can be created within older buildings.
RTKL explained that their firm’s designers, engineers, planners needed more open, collaborative spaces. This resulted in a space with smaller work stations but larger shared spaces. “The firm’s cultural goals also aligned with its sustainability goals,” said one of the RTKL architects who worked on the project.
The firm engaged employees in the design process from the beginning. For two weeks a design firm “examined us like lab animals or zoo specimens.” The in-depth look at how the office actually operates, how people use and move through the space, led to a new division of internal space: work zone, meet zone, eat zone, retreat zone, etc. An internal survey of RTKL employees also found that indoor air quality was a big concern so RTKL invested heavily in improving the air. RTKL noted that the space passed the indoor air quality test the first time, which they said was almost unheard of. “There really is a sense of a healthy environment.”
Within RTKL’s space, the exposed infrastructure (IT, electricity, air) highlights the role architectural engineers play, says RTKL. “Usually, all of this infrastructure is hidden. We wanted to show all the work that goes into this.” There are multipurpose conference areas and a private terrace, which includes a lattice that will turn into a green wall.
Throughout the redesign and building process, some 95 percent of construction waste was recycled. RTKL used the development of their own office space to determine how much more expensive a green construction process would be. They used “green movers, purchasing.” RTKL said there was a tenant allowance for parts of the upgrade but they spent some USD 5-7 per sq. foot on the renovation.
The USGBC also renovated their space with the help of Envision Design, a sustainable architecture firm. The space now has a LEED 94 rating (out of 100). Executives within the organization needed flexibility and room to grow. There are now 230 employees, but the space, if reconfigured, can handle 300.
Additionally, USGBC hired a “biophilia consultant” to introduce natural concepts within the space. Much of the wood used was salvaged from the bottom of the Tennessee River by Timeless Timber.
Representatives on the tour said the space was also a “learning lab” for new technologies, some of which haven’t been tried elsewhere. The facility’s central stairs were built using a new carbon fibre technology so there was little need for reinforcement.
The organization also now tracks its energy and water usage through a dashboard provided by Convia, a Herman-Miller company. USGBC hopes for the “Prius effect” — “If people see the amount of energy they are using, maybe they will change their behavior.” (The Prius, Toyota’s hybrid vehicle, includes a built-in dashboard that shows a range of performance metrics related to the car’s energy usage).
To improve the interior light, USGBC used a lighter carpet “that bounces light back in.” To reduce the expense of heating and cooling employees located right under windows, USGBC moved employees’s desks in about 6-7 feet and added an “eco-corridor” between the desks and the windows. The eco-corridor runs parellel to the windows. Air is pushed through the eco-corridor to help moderate indoor temperatures and reduce heating and cooling costs. Window shades also move up and down throughout the day based on the movement of the sun. USGBC says they didn’t plan for glare from white spaces across the street and are now factoring this into their automated shade systems.
Both the RTKL and USGBC spaces had amazingly clean air, but plants didn’t seem to be contributing much to the internal air quality (or at least there was little discussion about the plants). While USGBC also used a biophilia consultant, who added in natural images and designs into various parts of the workspace, there were few plants within their space.
The USGBC space cost USD 9 million and covers 70,000 sq feet. USGBC hopes to use the space as a case study and is tracking the amount of CO2 reduced and water and energy saved.
Read more about USGBC headquarters in an article from Metropolis magazine. Also, learn more about the “green lease” USGBC renegotiated.
Image credit: USGBC headquarters, Metropolis Magazine. Eric Laignel/courtesy Envision.
