SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES AT EPA
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The Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory, located
in Gulf Breeze, Florida, is a primary research
facility of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) National Health and Environmental
Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) within
the Office of Research and Development. In the
Computational and Geospatial Sciences (CGS) building,
EPA conducts research on the impact of human
activities on marine, estuarine, and wetland ecosystems
and develops strategies to degrade toxic chemicals in
the environment through biogeochemical population
and community modeling.
Out of Destruction, Opportunity
When Hurricane Ivan tore through Florida's Gulf Coast in September
2004, it served as a powerful reminder to EPA's Gulf Ecology Division
Laboratory facilities: intelligent facility design in the 21st century
requires the highest standards for safety and durability, as well as
sustainability. Located on Sabine Island, a 16-acre patch of land
off the coast of the Florida Panhandle, the laboratory campus was
especially vulnerable to the hurricane's devastating winds and rain.
In the wake of the storm, six of the 40 buildings at the campus were
destroyed and had to be temporarily replaced with modular structures.
Vital Statistics
Facility Type: Computational Research Center
Construction: Owned/New Construction
Location: Gulf Breeze, Florida
Size: 7,707 gross square feet
Occupancy: 30
Opened: January 2008
LEED® Status: Silver 2.2 Certification for
New Construction
What began as a plan for a permanent replacement for these buildings
culminated in 2008 with the completion of the CGS building. Designed
to meet the Florida Building Code, which requires stringent hurricane
mitigation techniques, and having earned the U.S. Green Building
Council's (USGBC's) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED®) Silver 2.2 certification for New Construction (NC), this building
meets the demands of its environment in a sustainable manner.
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Designed to Weather the Gulf Coast
Sustainable technologies incorporated in the CGS building's
design simultaneously minimize its environmental impacts
and help shield the building from potentially damaging
aspects of the coastal environment. For example, the design
of the roof involved careful consideration of multiple en-
vironmental factors. The building designers chose a light-
colored aluminum as the primary roofing material because
traditional shingles tend to come loose in tropical storms and
hurricanes. As an added benefit, the light-colored aluminum
helps keep cooling costs down by reflecting sunlight rather
than absorbing it.
Local building codes require that windows either be equipped
with storm shutters or made of high-impact glass. Considering
the time, maintenance, and potential risk involved with putting
up and taking down storm shutters for each threatening storm,
EPA opted for high-impact windows and skylights. These fea-
tures provide safety and durability, as well as ample daylighting
to reduce energy needs for lighting.
In addition to extreme seasonal weather, the CGS building is
also exposed to frequent rain, high humidity, and corrosive
ocean spray. For this reason, EPA selected a sturdy wood pulp,
sand, and cement composite made of recycled material for the
building's siding. In keeping with the goal of energy efficiency,
and consistent with the motif of the surrounding buildings,
the siding is a reflective, UV-resistant, white color.
Long before the development of
modern air conditioners, expansive
porches were designed to provide
buildings with shade from the heat of
the American South. The architects at
Bullock Tice and Associates integrated
this traditional feature of southern
plantation-style architecture by de-
signing a large porch to line the front
of the CGS building. This old-fash-
ioned, yet effective, sustainable design
feature keeps building temperatures
down, while providing an aesthetic
continuity with the other buildings on
the laboratory campus.
High-impact glass windows provide
safety and durability.
The light-colored roof reflects heat while front windows provide
ample daylighting.
Energy Savings in the Sunshine State
Because research conducted at the CGS building requires ener-
gy-intensive computer systems, the building's design maximizes
energy efficiency by focusing on other areas of energy use,
including lighting, heating, and cooling. The design capitalizes
on Florida's ample sunshine and warm climate. In addition to
extensive daylighting, the CGS building is also equipped with
occupancy sensors to ensure that lighting is only used when
necessary. The main HVAC system features a high-efficiency,
air-cooled water chiller. The system has a 50 percent unloading
capability, which allows the facility to reduce energy use and
costs during Florida's milder months. Through these strategies,
the building is designed to achieve a 17.6 percent savings in
energy costs as compared to a conventionally designed building
(as defined by ASHRAE 90.1-2004). As of March 2009, the CGS
building's annualized energy intensity is approximately 66,000
British thermal units per gross square foot (Btu/GSF), which
is 72 percent lower than the cumulative annualized energy
intensity of the non LEED-certified buildings comprising the
Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory.
As with the rest of the Gulf Breeze campus, 100 percent of the
electricity the CGS building uses is offset as part of an Agen-
cywide blanket contract for a combined total of 69 million
kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
This amount is enough electricity to cover all of the Gulf
Breeze laboratories' needs, as well as those of many other EPA
facilities across the country, through March 2010. The RECs
EPA purchases support renewable energy generation from
wind and biomass resources.
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Saving Water Is a Breeze
In a state with recurring drought concerns, conserving potable
water is especially vital to the Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory.
In addition to the environmental benefits, using as little water as
possible also translates to cost savings. For these reasons, the CGS
building was designed with a host of water conservation features.
To further increase cost savings and conserve water, the building's
urinals and toilets use 100 percent recycled water gathered from a
rainwater cistern on the roof. The CGS building achieved an im-
pressive 44.5 percent potable water use reduction from the base-
line design through these water-saving technologies. Additionally,
EPA installed landscaping that does not require a permanent
irrigation system around the building to further minimize the use
of potable water.
Some of the ecological and biogeochemical research conducted
at the Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory requires observing the
aquatic environment surrounding Sabine Island. To protect the
water quality beyond its shores and to reduce the risk of flooding
during storms, a 3,600-square-foot grassed swale was constructed
to convey stormwater from impervious surfaces to those that can
detain or absorb runoff. The cistern on the roof of the facility also
helps manage stormwater runoff.
Sustainable Construction Materials
With resource efficiency in mind, the building's designers made a
concerted effort to use recycled-content and locally manufactured
materials for the new building. As a result, 51 percent of materi-
als were manufactured within a 500-mile radius of Sabine Island,
and 21 percent of materials feature recycled content, including
the cabinets installed in the break room. All wood-based materi-
als for the project were certified
as having been harvested from
responsibly managed sustainable
forests by the Forest Stewardship
r Council. Additionally, 73 percent
of construction period waste was
• M I recycled, diverting 702 cubic yards
, of material from landfills. All of
these measures ensured that the
construction process employed
sustainable practices to the extent
feasible.
The break room cabinets were built
from recycled-content materials.
me caomets installed in me or
* -
• I
A storage tank collects rainwater from the cistern,
Gulf Breeze and Beyond
With a host of design features and strategies to minimize environ-
mental impacts and protect the building from weather extremes,
EPA's new CGS building demonstrates how sustainable design
practices promote harmony between a building and its sur-
rounding environment, even on an island in hurricane country.
This facility also illustrates how high-tech green building design
can be successfully implemented without sacrificing historical
architectural style and integrity. With the completion of the CGS
building in Gulf Breeze, the Agency has yet another testament to
its commitment to high-performance and sustainable buildings.
The building's siding is a wood pulp, sand, and cement composite
made of recycled material.
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Final LEED® Scorecard for the
Computational and Geospatial Sciences Building, Gulf Breeze, Florida
Certification Achieved: LEED-NC 2.2 Silver
The LEED Scorecard provides an itemized account of the specific green building criteria met through the design and construction of the CGS
building. Based on these criteria, the facility earned 33 of 69 possible points and achieved a LEED for New Construction Version 2.2 Silver
certification.
33
Yes Prerequisite 1 Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
^| Credit 1 Site Selection 1
| Credit 2 Development Density & Community Connectivity 1
| Credit 3 Brownfield Redevelopment 1
| Credit 4.1 Alternative Transportation: Public Transportation Access 1
1 Credit 4.2 Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms 1
1 Credit 4.3 Alternative Transportation: Low-Emitting & Fuel Efficient Vehicles 1
1 Credit 4.4 Alternative Transportation: Parking Capacity 1
1 Credit 5.1 Site Development: Protect or Restore Habitat 1
1 Credit 5.2 Site Development: Maximize Open Space 1
| Credit 6.1 Stormwater Management: Quantity Control 1
| Credit 6.2 Stormwater Management: Quality Control 1
I Credit 7.1 Heat Island Effect: Non-Roof 1
^| Credit 7.2 Heat Island Effect: Roof 1
^^1 Credit 8 Light Pollution Reduction 1
Water Efficiency
Credit 1.1 -1.2 Water Efficient Landscaping
| Credit 2
2 Credit 3.1-3.2
Innovative Wastewater Technologies
Water Use Reduction
Possible Points: 5
2
1
2
Possible Points: 17
iergy& Atmosphere
Yes Prerequisite 1 Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems
Yes Prerequisite 2 Minimum Energy Performance
Yes Prerequisite 3 Fundamental Refrigerant Management
3 Credit 1 Optimize Energy Performance 10
| Credit 2 On-Site Renewable Energy 3
| Credit 3 Enhanced Commissioning 1
| Credit 4 Enhanced Refrigerant Management 1
^^^ Credits Measurements Verification 1
^^^ Credit 6 Green Power 1
CREDIT SUMMARY
33 40
Yes Prerequisite 1 Storage & Collection of Recyclables
Credit 1.1-1.2 Building Reuse
Credit 1.3 Building Reuse, Non-Structural
^^J Credit 2.1 -2.2 Construction Waste Management
Credit 3.1 -3.2 Resource Reuse
2 Credit 4.1 -4.2 Recycled Content
2 Credit 5.1-5.2 Regional Materials
| Credit 6 Rapidly Renewable Materials
1 Credit 7 Certified Wood
Yes
Yes
1
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
Possible Points: 15
Indoor Environmental Quality
Prerequisite 1 Minimum IAQ Performance
Prerequisite 2 Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Credit 1 Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring 1
Credit 2 Increased Ventilation 1
Credit 3.1 Construction IAQ Management Plan: During Construction 1
Credit 3.2 Construction IAQ Management Plan: Before Occupancy 1
Credit 4.1 Low-Emitting Materials: Adhesives & Sealants 1
Credit 4.2 Low-Emitting Materials: Paints & Coatings 1
Credit 4.3 Low-Emitting Materials: Carpet Systems 1
Credit 4.4 Low-Emitting Materials: Composite Wood &Agrifiber 1
Credit 5 Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control 1
Credit 6.1 Controllability of Systems: Lighting 1
Credit 6.2 Controllability of Systems: Thermal Comfort 1
Credit 7.1 Thermal Comfort: Design 1
Credit 7.2 Thermal Comfort: Verification 1
Credit 8.1 Daylighting & Views: Daylight 75% of Spaces 1
Credit 8.2 Daylighting & Views: Views for 90% of Spaces 1
Innovation & Design Process
Credit 1.1 Innovation in Design
Credit 1.2 Innovation in Design
Credit 1.3 Innovation in Design
Credit 1.4 Innovation in Design
Credit 2 LEED Accredited Professional
Possible Points:
For more information on the USGBC's LEED® Green Building
Program, visit .
For more information on the Computational and
Geospatial Sciences Building project, visit
or .
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (3204R)
Washington, DC 20460 • November 2009 • EPA-200-F-09-002
Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with vegetable oil based inks on 100% postconsumer, process chlorine free recycled paper.
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