Norwalk Community College: Going for the Gold
management; 75% construction waste targeted to be diverted from landfills; Daylight in 75% of occupied spaces; Views in 90%of occupied spaces; Easy access to public transportation
Project Background and Services:
Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) provided sustainable consulting services for the new Center for Science, Health and Wellness on the campus of Norwalk Community College. The Center houses the expanding nursing and physical therapy programs as well as lab space for the science department. The physical therapy program is located on the first floor, the nursing program on the second floor, and new chemistry, physics, and biology labs and offices are on the third floor.
Energy Conservation and Sustainability Features:
Designed by Mitchell-Giurgola Architects, the project included many environmentally-friendly features to reduce the impact of the new construction. These measures provided increased indoor environmental quality both during the construction of the building, and presently for building occupants. The Center is expected to deliver energy savings of 23-percent compared to a baseline building performance rating per ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004. Water savings were also targeted during design by incorporating waterless urinals, low-flow water closets, and ultra low-flow lavatories.
These efficient fixtures will save a calculated 737,000 gallons of water per year, which is a 43-percent reduction over the baseline measurement. The elimination of permanently installed irrigation will reduce water usage even further. Green language was included in the specifications for the Center for Science, Health and Wellness in an effort to integrate higher overall percentages of recycled content and regional materials. Low-emitting material was also selected for flooring, paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants. The Center for Science, Health had initially targeted a LEED-NC Silver rating but the project team was pleased to surpass these initial goals and ultimately achieve a LEED-NC Gold rating.