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SKETCH_PAD © Press Release |
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Catalyst Building Earns 1st LEED-Gold in Yavapai County  PRESCOTT,
AZ— Gold has played an important part in Prescott’s colorful history.
Thanks to a local team of sustainability-minded designers and
construction pros, there’s gold in the Prescott hills again. The James Learning Center, the 4,250-square-foot building that serves as campus hub for the nonprofit The Highlands Center for Natural History, was awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) on Feb. 8. The LEED Green Building Rating System is the USGBC flagship program that has set the national standard for what makes a building green. The certification makes the James Learning Center the first in the city to achieve the prestigious LEED rating at any level, and the first in Yavapai County to achieve Gold. The building is only the second LEED-certified structure in the county, and one of just 11 LEED Gold projects statewide. Only two other Arizona buildings have earned a higher rating. The Arizona State University BioDesign Research Center, in Tempe, and Northern Arizona University’s Applied Research and Development Facility, in Flagstaff, were awarded LEED Platinum certifications. The certification comes just over a year after the center's grand opening. Architects with Prescott-based Catalyst Architecture designed the facility to be a high performer. The building is off the grid, relying on natural daylight and ventilation strategies for its heating and cooling needs. Combined with a well designed and properly oriented building envelope, this allows nearly 70 percent of the its heating and cooling needs to be supplied passively. To achieve the Gold level rating, the designers employed sustainable building strategies and systems ranging from emerging ideas to surprisingly traditional. These included: • Solar power from a 7 kw. photovoltaic array on the south-facing roof slope; • Operable clerestory windows to provide natural daylight and ventilation; • Stained concrete floors and a south-facing interior stone wall for thermal heat storage; • High-performance glazing and insulation systems; • Innovative wastewater technologies; • Water-saving plumbing fixtures; • Energy-efficient mechanical equipment, appliances and lighting fixtures; • Non-toxic paints, sealants and adhesives; and • A detailed and thermally sealed building envelope. “It really just comes down to making informed design decisions," said architect and Catalyst Architecture Partner Matthew B. Ackerman. “Understanding things like how the sun moves across the sky and how simple materials store and release energy is basic to designing an energy-efficient structure. Ancient builders intuitively understood many of these principles and they built their structures accordingly, even in the harshest climates of Arizona.” Little things can mean a lot in the LEED rating game. The system awards points through measuring building performance in six categories: • Sustainable Sites; • Water Efficiency; • Energy and Atmosphere; • Materials and Resources,; • Indoor Environmental Quality; and • Innovation in Design. There are four levels of certification. LEED Certified projects must earn 26 to 32 points, Silver 33 to 38, Gold 39 to 51, and Platinum, 52 points or more. The designers worked with area subcontractors such as photovoltaic experts and a landscape architect to develop elements that would add points to the project. Drought-tolerant and native plants, active rainwater harvesting, low-impact site disturbance and an innovative storm water management plan helped the project earn additional credits. The Highlands Center's operational and maintenance policies such as a recycling plan and green cleaning program also contributed to the final score. The rating process takes time and includes energy-saving system trials, verification of all claims and a mountain of paperwork. "While the LEED documentation process itself can be time-consuming, it’s valuable recognition of the designers’, builders’ and client’s commitment to environment and long-term performance,” says architect Jeffrey L. Zucker, Ackerman’s partner. “Many of the concepts the LEED green building system addresses just make good sense.” Ackerman and Zucker are the only LEED accredited architectural firm principals in Yavapai County. Although the duo have been involved in energy and resource-efficient design since the early 1970's, the Highlands Center project was the firm’s first LEED certified commission. About the USGBC’s LEED Green Building Rating System The US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system became available to the public in March 2000 after almost 10 years in development. Since then, the program has earned credibility through a rigorous, third-party independent review process that ensures each LEED certified building meets the highest level of green building testing and performance. Currently, there are seven LEED green building rating programs: • LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC), • LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB), • LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI), • LEED for Core & Shell (LEED-CS), • LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), • LEED for Schools (LEED-S), and • LEED for Homes (LEED-H), added in 2007. Interest in LEED programs has far exceeded expectations. The LEED for Homes program, in pilot form until Nov. 2007, is a good example. The USGBC expected 125 to 150 units nationwide to register during the pilot phase. When the program ended, more than 11,000 units were registered and on track for certification. In Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, only about six dozen units were expected to participate. By November, more than 1,900 were registered and on track for certification. Nationwide, more than 100 cities and counties, 25 states and more than a dozen federal agencies have committed to some level of LEED certification for their new construction projects. In Arizona, the cities of Tuscon and Phoenix have passed LEED resolutions for new city buildings. Setting an example for the state, the City of Scottsdale passed a resolution requiring all new municipal buildings achieve a minimum level of LEED Gold. In 2006, Gov. Janet Napolitano issued an executive order requiring all new state buildings be built to a minimum level of LEED Silver. About Catalyst Architecture Catalyst Architecture, located in Downtown Prescott specializes in masterplanning, public, educational, commercial, and custom-residential work. Firm principals Matthew B. Ackerman, LEED AIA, and Jeffrey L. Zucker, LEED AIA emphasize earth-conscious design and are accredited by the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Together, they are one of the Southwest’s most experienced sustainable design teams. |
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