Bren Hall - Goleta, California
Posted by: 
hotshoe
N 34° 24.780 W 119° 50.510
11S E 238800 N 3811612
Attractive building houses the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management on the campus of UCSB
Waymark Code: WM5YMB
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/02/2009
Views: 5
From the school's website:
"Energy Efficiency
To ensure efficient use of energy, the building was designed to harvest natural light, heating, and cooling. Facing the ocean, the office wing has no air conditioning and instead relies on flow-through ventilation with operable windows and transoms. Daylight harvesting is coupled with a lighting plan that incorporates energy-efficient fixtures and bulbs along with controls for motion and ambient light.
The operable windows in the office wing have a mechanical interlock (a small sensor in the frame) so that, upon opening, the heaters in the offices are automatically turned off. The ventilation system for the laboratories is the most efficient available. The building is connected to the new multi-building chilled water loop to provide cost-effective cooling for the laboratory wing. The Bren chiller is also able to take on a portion of the total campus load when needed. (Follow the link to see a presentation by the manufacturer of the chiller system, featuring Bren Hall.) The estimated savings by participating in this shared system is 85% of the run time on our chiller. Our cooling system consists of three towers with different size fans that stage upon demand. An 85% efficient boiler is used in the building.
To reduce "heat-island" effect, an energy star "white cap" roofing material was chosen. The white material reflects light, thus cooling the building. The roof-integrated photovoltaic system, made up of 240 42-kilowatt panels, allows Bren Hall to generate, cleanly and on site, 7-10% of the power it uses.
Site and Construction Management
The original site for Bren Hall was a parking lot, and great effort was made to scale in the actual footprint of the construction site to preserve existing landscape and habitats. The original trees were protected and maintained throughout the project. All asphalt and concrete curbing was ground up and re-used as base. The small plants were also ground up and re-used used as mulch on the campus. Contract specifications required the builder to separate and reuse waste and minimize debris taken from the site. Desilting facilities were used at each drainage outlet, and hay bales and fencing were used to assist with soil erosion and sediment control. After each rainstorm, all silt and debris were removed and hay bales replaced. All the native soil from the site has been retained and e-used as part of the landscape plan.
One hundred percent of the demolition waste and 92% of the construction waste were recycled during the course of the project. Materials were specified to shipped from with a 350-mile radius to keep fuel costs and emissions to a minimum.In the structural components, a fly-ash mix was used in the concrete (20% in the first two floors and 17% in the upper floors). The structural steel contains 80% percent recycled content (mainly from cars), the rebar 80-100% recycled content, and the pan deck 30% recycled content. The fireproofing material is made of gypsum, polystyrene, common cellulose, and recycled newsprint. It contains no asbestos or mineral fibers and is also HCFC, HFC, and CFC free.
Recycled Materials
The carpets, lab casework, rubber flooring, fabrics, wallboard, tiles, ceiling tiles and grids, furniture, and insulation are all made with high recycled content. Cleaned and re- dyed carpet tiles were used, saving 14 tons of carpet from landfill. Wood paneling and cork flooring in the building comes from certified sustainable harvests. Restroom stall partitions are made of 90% recycled plastics; countertops are made of recycled tumbled glass. Linoleum-- a biodegradable natural product made from linseed oil, limestone, cork flour, rosin, wood flour, and natural pigments -- is used as one of the main flooring materials. All together, Bren Hall is composed of 40% recycled materials.
Water Conservation
The toilets on the first floor use reclaimed water, and the urinals are waterless. It is estimated that each waterless urinal saves approximately 45,000 gallons of water per year. All toilets have automatic flush valves, all sinks have automatic water sensors, and low-flow fixtures have been used throughout the building. The landscaping shades and shelters the building, creates outdoor spaces for discussion, uses drought-tolerant native plants, and uses reclaimed water for irrigation. The grids around base of trees are made from 100% recycled metals. The fire road around the structure is made of permeable turf-block with a grass overlay, and the bike parking area is made from permeable interlocking pavers.
Non-Toxic Chemicals
Products in the building were required to meet a stringent low volatile organic compounds (VOC) criteria. Installation of products was sequenced to reduce the possibility of VOC sinks. All mechanical systems were run for a period of one week at full capacity, then all the filters were changed prior to faculty and staff moving in, thus greatly improving indoor air quality. All paints, adhesives, and finishes in the building exceed the 2005 South Coast Air Quality Standards. All material in the building is free of asbestos, formaldehyde, and CFCs."
Certification Level: Platinum
Website: [Web Link]
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