Fifteen years ago, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) pushed the boundaries of sustainability by building the world’s first LEED Platinum building, the Phillip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, Md. Now, they are continuing to push the boundaries of sustainability with the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach, Va., seeking to achieve LEED Platinum certification, but also to be the first Living Building Challenge (LBC) project in the state of Virginia.
The CBF’s goal remains the same 15 years after the Merrill Center: to design the greenest building in the world. “It’s a brand new endeavor,” says Greg Mella, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, vice president, co-director of sustainability with architecture and engineering firm SmithGroupJJR‘s Washington, D.C., office, who also worked with the CBF on the Merrill Center. “CBF is setting out to continue to create these benchmarks and to be early adopters of the highest levels of sustainability.”
Designing a Living Building
Established by the International Living Future Institute, the Living Building Challenge is made up of seven petals-site, water, energy, health, materials, equity and beauty-divided into 20 imperatives. According to Mella, of the 20 required imperatives-net zero energy, net zero water, and the red list of materials-really shaped the overall form and materiality of the building.
Mella notes that one of the lessons learned since the Merrill Center is that U.S. climates tend to be much hotter than those found in Europe, meaning it is possible to over-glaze a building, have too much glass and get too much daylight, which results in unwanted heat gain. “I think we’ve been very fortunate to stay connected to the Merrill Center over the past 15 years to see how it’s been operating and performing, and what’s worked and what hasn’t worked,” he says. “It’s really been a great opportunity for this new building to have the same client and to have the benefit of all of that feedback and research.”
When approaching the building’s design, the architects looked at limiting the amount of glass, while creating and taking things to the next level. Along with using less glass, that meant a greater focus on the building envelope, and using more advanced mechanical systems. It also meant having a south-facing orientation, external sunshading and natural ventilation.
To achieve net zero energy, the designers opted for a one-story building that will allow for rooftop-mounted photovoltaics, which will provide 60 percent of the center’s energy needs. Two small wind turbines will provide the remaining 40 percent. “Trying to design a building with a very low energy use is a huge design effort, and really does shape everything that you do in design,” adds Mella.
The long and narrow building is also the most beneficial for the horizontal site, which offers wonderful views to Lynnhaven Bay. The building design allows architects to maximize the use of natural ventilation and daylighting, guaranteeing that no one is more than 10 feet from a window that can be opened when the temperatures are right.
Connecting with Nature
When approaching the building on foot from the off-site parking, the first thing visitors will see is the conference room. “We wanted the conference room to be a signature piece that punctuates the length of the building,” Mella explains. “We wanted it to be expressive of the CBF’s mission, and this unique site, and its goal of connecting people with nature and the Chesapeake Bay. The fundamental idea is that if you instill within people an appreciation for nature, they will work to protect it.”
The conference room’s form is expressive of the CBF’s mission, and draws clues from natural elements, such as oyster shells, fish scales, the shape of a wave, and the colors of the bay at sunset. “The conference room is a bit more expressive, revealing the connection to what the foundation’s mission is, while the other portions of the building are about getting the maximum amount of performance and really tuning the design so that it functions as passively as possible, relying on free energy and water resources,” Mella notes.
The conference room will feature a zinc shingle metal roof, while the remainder of the building will have a Galvalume metal roof. The shingle roof is the first thing seen when approaching, and will give a texture and natural quality to the building. A metal roof was an ideal solution for this project, due to its ability to collect rainwater and withstand hurricane force winds. Also important were metal’s corrosion resistance, durability, recycled content and overall consistent look with the silver look of the bay.
The building will also have a galvanized steel structural frame. Leaving the metal in its natural state and using it on the inside of the building, Mella notes, creates a more open feel inside the building, without compromising its structural integrity. The designers will also leave all of the metal decking exposed. Using acoustical metal decking allows the project to take advantage of its acoustical benefits while creating an open interior without a lot of noise.
Resilient Design
The Brock Center is situated within a flood plain, and is prone to hurricanes. In anticipation of storm surges and rising seas, the building will be set back 200 feet from the shore and will sit on pylons 13.8 feet above sea level. “I think this environment led us to not only look at creating a net zero energy building, but a building that is resilient and can adapt to the changing world that we are living in,” Mella says. “For this building, it means raising it up on piers, looking at windows that are impact-resistant from hurricanes, designing even the steel structural system to make sure it is capable of resisting 120-mph hurricane force winds.”
“It’s an interesting set of criteria to overlap a project beyond the goals of the LBC, and in some ways I think a net zero building, a building that captures all of its water use, is inherently more resilient in that it can withstand a power outage, or a drought, or disruptions in municipal energy or water supply,” Mella continues. “But at the same time, it’s a new set of considerations as well, looking at how the building could stay operational when the world around you changes drastically, either temporarily or even permanently.”
Focus on Education
The 9,000-square-foot environmental education facility will focus on promoting preservation, sustainability and education. It will also include offices for CBF and its partner groups, along with an 80-seat conference room, meeting rooms and exhibit display areas. Site development for the project is focused on preserving the local ecology, and includes a boat pier with floating dock, a 250-foot kayak pier, in addition to an open-air education pavilion.
The project broke ground in August, and will be completed next year. The Brock Environmental Center is named in honor of Joan and Macon Brock, in recognition of their generous
$3.5 million donation toward the ambitious project. Additionally, the CBF is raising $10 million for land acquisition and construction of the state-of-the-art living building; along with $5 million for programs to improve water quality, including advocacy, environmental education, restoration and outreach; and $5 million to endow the center and its programs.
Brock Environmental Center, Virginia Beach, Va.
Owner: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Architect/MEP engineers: SmithGroupJJR, Washington, D.C.
General contractor: Hourigan Construction, Virginia Beach
Civil engineer/landscape architect:
WPL Site Design, Virginia Beach
Structural engineer: A+F Engineers, Washington, D.C.
LEE D and Living Building Challenge management: Janet Harrison Architect, Annapolis, Md.
Owner’s representative: Skanska, New York City
**Renderings courtesy of SmithGroupJJR