Community College of Philadelphia: the Pavilion

Overview ? Expected LEED Level Goal: Gold ? LEED type: New Construction v. 2.2 ? Building type: Educational ? 44,800 ft.2 ? Urban Setting ? To be completed in June 2011 ? Total construction cost: $6,238,870.00 ? Sustainable Site Elements: Open space, Light pollution strategies, Connection to public transit, Preferred parking for alternative fuel vehicles, Bike parking ? Water Conservation Elements: Storm water collection, Green roof, Pervious pavement, Indoor water use reductions ? Energy Efficiency Elements: Temperature control zones, Kitchen hoods, 75% Access to daylight, Heat pumps, ? Materials: Low-emitting materials, Construction process, Recycled content, Demolition material recycled The construction of the Pavilion at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) is part of a major construction plan for the school. In their Northeast Regional Center, CCP has utilized many sustainable techniques such as geothermal wells and storm water management. The Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Management now intends to bring similar green design features to the Main Campus on Spring Garden Street. The Pavilion, a smaller building added right next to the West Building will include the Welcome Center, Food services, Culinary Arts Program and Hospitality Technologies and Dietetics Programs. The programs will gain much needed extra space and updated equipment, and the entire college will gain an established area to eat and meet. Environmental Aspects The construction includes many environmentally friendly goals, including storm water collection in basins under the parking lot; temperature control zones inside so there is no need to heat or cool unoccupied rooms, demolition material that is recycled and recycled materials in construction; and exterior light pollution strategies. The most creative sustainable solutions are in the kitchen for the Culinary Arts Program. There will first be a rooftop garden to help with insulation and storm water management. This garden will also be used as a teaching tool so that culinary arts students can grown their own herbs and vegetables. More significantly, the kitchen hoods are made to keep food from getting cold from drafts moving through the room; they also create their own heat that can be dispersed throughout the entire building. Owner & Occupancy ? Community College of Philadelphia ? Welcome Center, Food services, Culinary Arts Program, Hospitality Technologies and Dietetics Keywords New Construction, Low Emitting Materials, Storm Water Management, Bicycle, Public Transportation, Melink Kitchen Hoods, Roof Garden, Energy Controls, Urban. Projected LEED Rating: Gold Site: 10 Water Efficiency: 2 Energy and Atmosphere: 7 Materials and Resources: 5 Indoor Environmental Quality: 12 Innovation and Design Process: 3 Total: 39 Gold Rating Sustainable Site The site is sustainable in many ways for its urban settings. It is close to much public transit and parking space is limited. There will be preferred parking for alternative fuel vehicles to encourage sustainable driving. Bike racks with changing rooms will also be included. The plan intends to preserve green space, which makes the campus more pleasant to walk through and helps with the urban heat island effect and storm water management. Finally, the plan seeks to reduce light pollution through various exterior light pollution reduction strategies, such as keeping fewer exterior lights on during unnecessary times. Green Strategies ? Transportation o Close to public transit o Encourage sustainable driving o Bike parking and changing rooms ? Preserve open space ? Reduce Light Pollution Water Efficiency CCP will utilize many tactics to increase water efficiency. First, the pavement will be pervious, especially in the parking lot, where three large underwater basins will collect rain water to reuse. This will cut down drastically on rainwater runoff during most storms. Secondly, CCP will install electronic controls to reduce water waste of faucets and toilets when appropriate. This tactic will not apply to water fountains. Finally, the plan outlines the goal of covering almost 100% of the Pavilion roof with a garden. This garden will be used as an educational tool for the culinary arts students, who will have the chance to grow their own herbs and vegetables. More important for sustainability, however, this large area will decrease the amount of rainwater runoff after a storm. The green roof also helps with energy efficiency as it provides additional insulation, as well as reducing the heat island effect since there is no black tar absorbing sunlight and heating up the roof and its surroundings. Green Strategies ? Storm water collection o Pervious pavement ? Electronic controls for water reduction ? Green roof Energy Efficiency and Indoor Environmental Quality Each of the energy efficiency and conservation tactics directly improve indoor environmental quality, where this project earns most of its LEED points. In terms of lighting, the lighting fixtures will be dimmable, variable and highly efficient CFL bulbs. The variability of the lighting is important with the amount of natural light in the building. CCP will ensure that 75% of indoor areas have access to daylight. The windows will be designed to maximize sunlight’s beneficial penetration to increase thermal production. The benefits of sunlight in educational areas include increased vitamin D, energy and neurological function and a better lit area to work. In terms of temperature, CCP plans to implement zoning for temperature controls, so if one area is not occupied, it does not have to be unnecessarily heated or air conditioned. Heat pumps supplemented by chilled water plants are the energy efficient method planned for this project’s temperature control system. Their degree of intensity will depend on the activity in the kitchen, which we’ll get to in a moment. Additionally, the temperature controls will be based on carbon dioxide sensors to determine to what extent the room’s temperature needs to change. All of these techniques ensure comfortable indoor temperature for occupants. Finally, the most innovative sustainable feature of this building, the area that caused the most concern for the planning staff, is the kitchen hood exhaust system. Kitchen hoods are required by law to prevent fires, but are the most expensive piece of any commercial kitchen. Additionally, they often bring in drafty air that cools down freshly prepared food. To address this problem, and after exploring many options, they found a technology developed by Melink. This kitchen hood brings in fresh air, not A/C from the kitchen, to create an air curtain just under the area of the hood. This fresh air then bounces back up into the hood with the exhaust, without disturbing any air outside of the hood area. The heat transfer created within the system is then used elsewhere to heat the building through isolated heat pumps. Green Strategies ? Lighting o Energy Efficient light fixtures o 75% daylight in building ? Heating and Cooling o Temperature control zones o Use heat pumps o Carbon dioxide sensors ? Kitchen hood exhaust system Materials As typical in LEED projects, much of the material from demolished areas was recycled. They took the materials to a small company in Northeast Philly that separated the materials by hand to sell or to send to landfill if contaminated. They recycled 80-90% of the material. Much of the material used in new construction came from recycled content as well. Additionally, they used low-emitting material used in the construction whenever possible, such as low-odor items and low VOC paint. Finally, the construction process is very cognoscente of the air quality in the immediate area. The contractors use high efficiency filters to ensure less dust escapes into the air. They will also reproach the building for a couple weeks once completed so that smell can dissipate. A USGBC commission has validated the building for good indoor air quality. Green Strategies ? Recycle materials used ? Low-emitting materials ? Filter dust in the air Lessons learned 1. Sustainability tactics can be used on at least parts of major construction projects. 2. A rooftop garden can have many functions, including those practical, education and aesthetic. 3. Major construction projects can help add to the culture of a school and meet LEED certifications. 4. Creative solutions can be found to solve seemingly impossible problems such as for kitchen hood exhaust systems.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130

44800ft.