2506_26 07 01_DD_Sustainability Narrative.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- RFP 785 2700000030 3
- Issued by
- Elliott County, Kentucky
About this file
This is a Sustainability Narrative document for the Kentucky State University (KSU) Health Science Center project, prepared by Omni Architects and dated July 1, 2026. The project involves the design and construction of a new Health Science Center at KSU's campus located at 212 North Upper Street in Lexington, Kentucky. While the document does not specify formal procurement timelines, bidder meetings, or award dates, it establishes the sustainability framework and design standards that will guide the project's development through subsequent design phases and construction. The narrative indicates the project will incorporate high sustainability standards across architectural, site, structural, energy, water, and decarbonization considerations, though no specific sustainable certification program (such as LEED) will be pursued.
The sustainability measures outlined reflect KSU's commitment to balancing project costs with long-term operational efficiency and community stewardship. Key design features include geothermal heating and cooling systems, heat pump water heaters eliminating natural gas use, high-reflectant roofing to reduce heat island effects, WaterSense plumbing fixtures, reduced embodied carbon in concrete through supplementary cementitious materials, high-recycled-content steel with Environmental Product Declarations, energy modeling throughout design phases, and comprehensive metering for performance monitoring. The site design prioritizes walkability to campus resources, accessible open space, native plantings without permanent irrigation, and bird-friendly fenestration. Construction requirements address worker and occupant well-being through no-smoking policies, material storage protection, and jobsite cleanliness standards. No pricing information, funding sources, or contract award amounts are provided in this document.
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212 North Upper Street Lexington, KY 40507 p 859.252.6664 www.omniarchitects.com
KSU – HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
Subject: Sustainability Narrative Date: 07/01/26
Project Sustainable Vision
KSU’s sustainability needs for the project involve the desire to prioritize resources from both a project cost standpoint as well as a future facilities and operations standpoint. It is also very important to the University to be good stewards to the community in which they belong. The design of the project will reflect these priorities by focusing on practical, maintainable systems with long-term impact.
Although it is not anticipated for the Health Science Center to be applied for any specific sustainable certification program, the project will be designed to high sustainability standards. The following approaches and measures will be utilized to design the project in a sustainable manner.
Proposed Sustainable Measures
• Architectural Considerations and Occupant Experience o The building design is taking advantage of sun orientation and solar gain through the careful application of glazing on the southern facade of the building while maximizing glazing on the northern facade of the building.
o Biophilic design principles are being utilized to encourage occupant engagement with nature.
o Accessibility and inclusion are being considered at every scale of design to support diverse needs and encourage a sense of belonging.
o Many spaces within the building have adaptable environments to allow flexibility in use to accommodate a wide range of needs and levels of interaction.
o Thermal and lighting controls will be incorporated into the building’s design through zoned heating, cooling, and lighting controls with local occupancy overrides.
o The program and plan have been developed to optimize views and daylighting in both shared spaces and learning environments. The team has already run this initial analysis during design iteration and will assess and share final daylight and views performance during subsequent design phases.
o Healthy materials will be specified in alignment with LEED v5 standards for climate health, human health, ecosystem health, social health and equity, circular economy, and low-emitting materials.
o A high-reflectant roof is being considered to assist in reducing any heat island effects.
o The team is investigating the reduction of light pollution to adjacent neighborhoods through uplighting restrictions and glare control.
o During construction, building envelope commissioning will take place to ensure ASHRAE 90.1 (Energy
Standard for Sites and Buildings) compliance for minimum energy efficiency.
o Infrastructure to support waste reduction efforts is being included within the building’s design by locating indoor and outdoor recycling bins.
o Care is being taken to locate any intake louvers away from areas that would result in excess vehicular fumes and unpleasant odors being brought into the building.
o Well-being of construction workers and campus occupants are being considered through specified construction requirements such as no smoking on site, material storage protection, and keeping a clean jobsite.
• Site Design and Experience o The selected site is located within an easily walkable proximity from the heart of campus.
212 North Upper Street Lexington, KY 40507 p 859.252.6664 www.omniarchitects.com o The site will capitalize on existing campus resources for transit options, bicycle pathways, existing parking considerations, and green vehicle infrastructure. Although additional parking is being provided with the project’s site for faculty, it relies on existing campus parking for students.
o The site is previously developed, and the stormwater design will respond to address any changes in impervious areas.
o The site design will optimize accessible open space and thoughtfully considered vegetation.
o Building and site surfaces will be selected for reflectivity to reduce heat island effect.
o Plants selected for native habitat and no irrigation where possible.
o Bird-friendly design addressed through window placement and reflectivity of surface.
• Structural Considerations o The design will call for reduced embodied carbon in concrete through utilizing type IL cement as a baseline, incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (fly ash, slag, or other pozzolans) where feasible, and using performance-based mix designs to optimize cement content.
o Tools such as the EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) can be used to benchmark structural materials, compare supplier options, and set internal project targets without certification requirements.
o The design will be efficient by optimizing the framing layout and grid spacing to reduce overall steel tonnage and early coordination will take place to minimize any redundant structural elements.
o Steel sourcing will be responsible by high recycled content being specified and EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) being required.
o Structural systems will be resilient through the design for reduced damage and repairability following extreme events. In addition, the team is evaluating the use of replaceable fuse-based bracing systems such as DuraFuse.
o The design will heavily consider constructability and lifecycle through the coordination of detailing to reduce waste during fabrication and erection as well as favoring bolted connections where feasible to support future disassembly and recycling.
• Energy Performance o Energy modeling will be used throughout the project to inform design decisions and show expected potential energy performance post occupancy.
o A geothermal system will be used for heating and cooling as well as heating domestic hot water.
o The design team is currently evaluating the use of heat recovery and outdoor air use reduction through targeted air cleaning.
o During construction, systems commissioning will take place to ensure performance has been realized.
o The project will include various levels of metering to allow for fine-tuned monitoring.
• Water Performance o The building will incorporate efficient water heating through the base geothermal system.
o Heat pump water heaters with storage will heat water efficiently year-round without the use of natural gas.
o Plumbing fixtures are to be specified per coordination with KSU facilities, with efficiency and WaterSense fixtures in mind.
o Outdoor water use will be reduced due to the site having no permanent irrigation system in place.
• Decarbonization o The design team is considering electrification planning. The current design requires no on-site gas use. Water and space heating accomplished through heat pumps.
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