International Green Building Challenge 1998 — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Research Facility

The new one-million gross-square-foot EPA research facility at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. includes 635,000 ft² of office and laboratory space for 2,200 employees. Focusing on ecosystem protection, energy and water conservation, pollution prevention, and indoor air quality, the facility provides a repeatable, innovative approach to building "green" and is a model for environmental stewardship. The main facility consists of four five-story laboratory buildings, connected by a 30-foot-wide atrium to three-story office buildings. The main building also includes a central six-story office tower that contains a cafeteria, conference center, several classrooms, and a library. A high-bay engineering research wing is also connected to the southern end of the complex. For GBC '98 the US team is evaluating one of the office buildings. The project is currently under construction.

The key environmental issues targeted for consideration during the design included:

• Ecosystem Protection
• Energy and Water Conservation
• Pollution Prevention
• Indoor Environmental Quality

Electricity consumption for office lighting is 70 percent lower than conventional design without adversely affecting lighting quality. Going beyond "off-the-shelf" solutions, the design team also developed additional energy conservation solutions, the most significant being the design of the building atria. Each of the three 30-foot-wide, three-story atria has several functions, including connecting laboratories and office buildings, allowing natural light penetration, and reducing demands on the heating and air-conditioning system by minimizing the external surface area of the building, which lowers overall heat loss and gain.

To further reduce energy demands as well as enhance the aesthetics of the human working environment, the design team made extensive use of natural lighting throughout the building. This includes expansive windows and strict protection of open zones along the perimeter of the building which allow penetration of light to interior offices. Glass in interior doors and sidelights was also specified to promote light access.

Compared to average energy use in office buildings, the new facility will use between 52 and 64 percent less energy. This reduction will save approximately $1.5 million a year as compared to similar facilities of this size and function.

Water efficient fixtures are used throughout the facility, including flow restricting nozzles, automated shutoff, and hot and cold water delivery systems with automatic temperature controls. To achieve water conservation outside the facility the design specifies landscaping with only native species plants that do not require extensive watering. The total cost of the natural system was less than conventional approaches and the environmental outcome is better since less construction material is needed, filtration is improved, and the water is not lost to the aquifer.