On Location – Workshop Highlights Integrated Design for Sustainable Facilities
Photos by Matthew Crawford
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — School design professionals discussed the importance of collaborating with various planning disciplines and examining specific variables to achieve the best possible outcomes at environmentally friendly schools during one of the C.A.S.H. conference’s several educational sessions.
The workshop, “Integrated Design for High Performance Schools: Lowering Energy cost & Raising Student Achievement,” put an emphasis on including infrastructure planners — such as electrical, mechanical and plumbing — early in the design process.
Moderator David Kaneda, of IDeAs Inc., says integrated design should consider several factors, including room geometry, windows and HVAC techniques, to create the most sustainable design possible. He says when those factors are integrated and work together, they are less likely to be eliminated to save project expenses.
“You just can’t pull a piece off to save money,” he says.
Erik King, a mechanical and plumbing systems engineer with design firm LPA Inc., says it is important to use a holistic approach to be as cost-effective as possible.
During the mechanical design process, he focuses on five considerations to achieve the most environmentally friendly outcome: conserve resources, harvest natural resources, optimize active systems, recover waste, design for the people and design for the planet. King says the categories can contribute to points for certification programs, such as LEED and CHPS, but the primary goal is to create an efficient and comfortable facility.
“It’s a clear and methodical way to look at (paths) for success, not points,” King says.
He outlined several factors that can lead to success with each category.
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Attendees at the C.A.S.H. conference chatted in |
“There is an extensive list of HVAC approaches that can be taken at any given school,” King says.
Budget resources can be conserved through simple steps, including use of appropriate systems and efficient distribution, and collaboration among all of the major design stakeholders.
Harvest Natural Resources: Energy use can be minimized by using economizer cycles, natural ventilation, night ventilation, passive solar heating, ground-source heating rejection, daylighting and exterior corridors.
Optimize Active Systems: Condensing boilers, chilled water systems, radiant heating and cooling, and displacement ventilation can help planners and facility operators get the most out of their systems.
Recover Waste: Facility operators can capitalize on energy that usually goes to waste by installing ventilation heat recover, heat recovery chillers and co-generation systems. However, King says many recovery systems are not cost-effective or feasible for school facilities.
“Frankly, most of these techniques are expensive and difficult to apply,” King says.
However, he says it is still important to think about recovering wasted energy and finding a way to apply it.
“There are a lot of opportunities to start to think about these techniques, and when they make sense we apply them,” he says.
Design for the People: An environmentally friendly design is not successful if a facility is not comfortable for its occupants, King says. Indoor air quality, controllability and safety are components that should be considered to ensure a building is comfortable and user-friendly.
Design for the Planet: Greener materials for a variety of products — including refrigerant choices, adhesives, sealants, insulation and duct lining — can reduce a buildings environmental impact, along with renewable energy sources, King says.