Buildings-Facilities

science center The Goal: Design, create, update, and maintain buildings and facilities with the aim of reducing their impact on the environment. Ultimately, this initiative will lead to the creation of buildings and facilities that are healthy, energy and resource efficient, and consistent with their surroundings.

The Problem: Buildings and facilities are huge consumers of energy and resources. Existing buildings tend to be energy inefficient and difficult to maintain. In many cases, new buildings and facilities are designed and constructed to address present needs with little thought given to their long term impact on the environment, human health, and user productivity.

Opportunities for St. Lawrence University: St. Lawrence has demonstrated its commitment to the principles of green design with the planning and construction of the Johnson Hall of Science and the Wachtmeister Field Station. The University has a responsibility to continue to reduce its impact on the environment. Creating efficient, healthy, and thoughtfully planned buildings and facilities is one way to accomplish this task.

New construction:

Planning and design of new buildings and facilities should adhere to the "Eight Sustainability Attributes" created for the Johnson Hall of Science .

New construction should meet or exceed the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Silver standard .

Existing buildings and facilities:

In 2003 an energy audit was conducted on all existing buildings and facilities by LKPB. The audit identified areas where efficiency can be significantly improved. Upgrades based on these audits should be a priority within the capital planning process.

Renovating existing buildings and facilities in order to improve overall health and productivity should be a capital planning priority.

Buildings-Facilities - Appendix

Model Programs:

Allegheny: LEED certified North Village townhouse complex at Allegheny .

Connecticut College: This is a link to a document explaining Connecticut College's commitment to green building . Connecticut College has developed a "green building policy". The policy states how the college will work towards green buildings and who will implement this policy.

Denison University: Built in 1893, Barney Hall is one of the oldest buildings on Denison's campus and is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. As such, the Barney green renovation project attempted to simultaneously balance historical and environmental goals, which ultimately complement each other.

SLU Success Stories:

The Johnson Hall of Science and Wachtmeister Field Station exemplify St. Lawrence's commitment to sustainability. A sampling of sustainability features for the Johnson Hall of Science includes:
- Air-conditioning chillers will be high efficiency evaporative cooling design - will save $25,000 per year operating energy and offer a pay back period of four to five years.
- Lab casework wood finish will be a flat line finish process - no VOC.
- Dry wall joint compound will have no silicates.
- Carpet has 40% recycled component and is 100% recyclable - will never end up in a land fill.
- Stone masonry is of manufactured stone - better properties, less labor.
- Dimmable fluorescent lighting with occupancy monitors
- Room air exchanges monitored according to occupancy and time of day and the week. Adjusted to minimum during times when no one is in the room.
- Gravity drainage of water and waste instead of ejector pumps that are expensive in maintenance and operation.
- Electric elevator instead of hydraulic piston type - no future hazardous waste factor with hydraulic fluids.
- Intelligent fume hoods with variable flow controls - not on full blast when not in use - will reduce heating /cooling loads.
- from http://www.stlawu.edu/science/sustainability.html
A sampling of sustainabiligy features for the Wachtmeister Field Station includes such innovations as:

- Passive solar design
- In-floor heating
- Super-insulated windows
- Super-insulated walls