CRC to be a LEED-certified ‘green’ building

by ZACH VEILLEUX

The Collaborative Research Center, which will incorporate numerous environmentally friendly features in both its design and construction, will — if all goes as planned — be certified as a high-performance “green” building by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
If the building is constructed according to current designs, which are now in the process of being finalized, the LEED program is expected to recognize the CRC as having met the highest standards in environmental responsibility. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.
“Though sustainability has been a major consideration since the beginning of this project, we originally thought that it might be impractical to actually obtain LEED certification, mostly due to the unique challenges inherent in any laboratory building,” says George Candler, vice president for planning and construction. “We were pleasantly surprised to find that the features we had built into the design were enough for us to qualify.”
LEED-certified buildings must meet certain criteria in each of five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Buildings earn credits in each category based on meeting specific criteria, and projects are awarded certification if they obtain a minimum number of credits. Projects can also be designated with Silver, Gold or Platinum certificates depending on the number of credits they accrue.
Since the program was begun in 2000, 781 projects worldwide have been LEED certified, including eight buildings in New York City, although to date there are no LEED-certified laboratory buildings in NYC.
“LEED certification will serve as recognition that with this building we’ve done an effective job at minimizing our impact on the environment both during construction and over the many decades that the CRC will serve the university,” says Paul Nurse, the university’s president. “It’s concrete proof that we’ve reached the goal we set out with to make this a sustainable project.”
Among the environmental features that will be incorporated in the CRC are: heat recovery systems to reclaim energy from laboratory exhaust air; variable-speed water pumps and fans in the HVAC system; high-efficiency, low-heat lighting systems that use low-mercury bulbs; occupancy sensors for lights; high-efficiency transformers; high-performance windows; floor plans that locate heat-generating equipment away from occupied areas; a partial green roof; low-flow restroom fixtures and waterless urinals; and sustainable finishing materials, including bamboo woodwork in laboratories and eco-friendly paints and solvents.
The architects on the project, from Mitchell/Giurgola, have completed most of the documents required to obtain bids from construction firms. Already, the project’s construction manager, Turner Construction, has solicited bids for some work, including demolition and site preparation contracts, work on a new electrical vault and work on highly specialized components — including the glass curtain wall and the concrete superstructure — for which the best contractors are often booked far in advance. The bids are due by mid-summer and work is expected to begin in July.

Where once there was tennis Construction is completed on the ‘pavilion’ that will house IT during the CRC project Upstairs at the pavilion. Cubicles on the second floor house staff in IT’s desktop support group.With the start of construction drawing near, Smith Hall is continually being emptied. Over the last several weeks, as enabling work has refitted new spaces in empty areas of the Bronk, Weiss and RRB buildings, labs have gradually been relocated. “It’s a process that will be under way continuously between now and the end of June,” says George Candler, vice president of planning and construction. The biggest move, however, was last week, when 64 staff members from Information Technology and Tele­communications took up residence in the temporary structure that occupies what used to be the university’s tennis court. (A new tennis court has been constructed on the Esplanade north of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall.) “It may not look like much from the outside, but it’s actually a very comfortable, sophisticated structure,” Mr. Candler says. “It’s one of the nicest temporary buildings available.” The 10,000 square foot pavilion was manufactured by Sprung Instant Structures, a Utah-based company that has supplied similar semipermanent structures to Tulane University and the University of Cincinnati as well as corporate, military and industrial clients. The structure is made from lightweight aluminum frames that support a flexible, insulated “architectural membrane” of PVC, recycled polyester and an exterior protective film. The components were manufactured in a factory and sent to Rockefeller University to be assembled by contractors: Once the floor was prepared and the frame erected, the membrane, 10 inches thick, was simply stretched over it. Interior finishes include offices, conference space and storage areas constructed of metal studs and Sheetrock; cubicles on two levels to house individual workspaces; translucent panels on the roof to let in natural light; and acoustic baffles, suspended from the ceiling, to help deaden noise. The building is heated and air conditioned and has windows on four sides. An adjacent concrete structure houses the mechanical systems as well as restrooms and a small kitchenette. “This move is a great opportunity for all of Telecommunications and the majority of IT to work together in one space,” says Jerry Latter, associate vice president of IT and the university’s chief information officer. “The IT staff had been scattered across three floors in Smith Hall, and Telecom was also in their own space in that building. There is a great deal of interaction within and between IT teams and Telecom teams on various technology projects. Being together is a clear benefit.”