GREEN BUILDING
The New James Learning Center


Construction of the James Learning Center, a green building, is well underway.  We are excited to share some specific information about the buildings "green" features and the national LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification system we have chosen to meet.

Green Building

What is green building?  Essentially, green building emulates nature's wisdom in the design of buildings and other human needs - the use of natural energies, resource efficiency, recycling, stacking functions, cooperative systems, and other wonderful models that nature provides.  Green building focuses on resource efficiency, materials selection, and the integration of systems to minimize environmental impact, improve health and productivity, and save money.  This is accomplished through a design process that seeks integrated design solutions for energy, materials, indoor environmental quality and site development.  Green building addresses the ways in which energy, materials, the indoor environment, and the building site can work as an integrated whole; maximizing low-cost, environmentally-sound and healthful design solutions.  The site work to date at the new HCNH site on Walker Road has included site sensitive landscaping and trails systems, as well as the construction of an amphitheater and restroom facilities - all powered by solar energy!  The James Learning Center will continue this emphasis on green design utilizing the LEED Green Building Rating System.

LEED Green Building Rating System

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has developed the LEED Green Building Rating System, which has become a nationally recognized standard to guide the design process and measure the performance of green buildings.  The rating system addresses six areas in the design, construction and operation of green buildings.  There are six categories and a total of 69 points possible in the LEED Green Building Rating System.

CATEGORY POSSIBLE POINTS

Sustainable Sites	14 points
Water Efficiency	5 points
Energy & Atmosphere	17 points
Indoor Environmental Quality	13 points
Innovation & Design Process	5 points
TOTAL:	69 points

The U.S. Green Building Council offers four building rating certifications:  Certified (26-32 points), Silver (33-38 points), Gold (39-51 points), and Platinum (52-69 points).  Not every point will be applicable to every project.  A team decision-making process throughout the design phase is necessary to select the most appropriate green building materials, systems and technologies.

In addition to the points available in each category, the LEED green building rating system requires the implementation of seven prerequisites to qualify to receive a green building rating.  These include:  Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning, Minimum Energy Performance, CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment, Storage & Collection of Recyclables, Minimum IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) Performance, and Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control.

Green Building Economics

In the past, green buildings have been perceived as expensive, but to the contrary, investments in green buildings pay for themselves many times over.  A recent study in the State of California provides a cost-benefit analysis of green building that identifies the existence of financial benefits associated with improved health, productivity and lowered operations and maintenance costs in green buildings.

"Green" or "sustainable" buildings are more economical because they use key resources like energy, water, materials, and land much more efficiently than buildings that are simply built to code.  They also create healthier work, learning, and living environments with more natural light and cleaner air, which contribute to improved employee and student health, comfort, and productivity.  Sustainable buildings are cost-effective, saving money by reducing operations and maintenance costs and lowering utility bills.  The report concluded that financial benefits of green design are between $50 and $70 per square foot in a LEED certified building, more than 10 times the additional cost associated with building green. (Source:  GreenBiz.com)

Summary

The Highlands Center is committed to leadership in environmental education in the central Arizona highlands.  The James Learning Center will utilize the LEED rating system as a guideline and measurement tool to create an educational facility that demonstrates green building techniques.  This is a unique project, one of the first LEED projects in central Arizona.  The building will serve as teacher and model of appropriate green building strategies for our community and region.  HCNH programs will continue throughout the design and construction of the new facility.  Stop by the current office location in the Gateway Mall or call 776-9550 for more information on the design and construction of the new James Learning Center.


For more Information on Green Building...

US Green Building Council
www.usgbc.org

LEED Green Building Rating System
www.usgbc.org/LEED

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
www.buildinggreen.com

BuildingGreen.com
www.buildinggreen.com
Publisher of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec Directory
(Environmental Building News is available in the Yavapai Library System)

Rocky Mountain Institute
www.rmi.org
Publisher of A Primer on Sustainable Building