09_05_29_Synthesis HPBW.pdf

Meeting Synthesis

Meeting Date Project Name

Thursday 14 May and Friday 15 May 2009 Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Stimulus Planning

Project Number

Meeting Number Purpose

09148

High Performance Building Workshop

Location Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Building Room G70 1220 SW 3rd Avenue Portland, OR 97205

WORKSHOP ABSTRACT

The Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal building, originally constructed in 1974 was the subject of a Modernization design completed in 2006. The project was not funded. In 2009, the United States Congress authorized the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which provides funding for the project. One provision of the Act supersedes the original Prospectus project description to create an almost singular emphasis on applying High Performance Green Building design principals to all new and existing federal building projects.

In considering how to meet this new emphasis, the project team conducted a High Performance Building Workshop, drawing together members of the Architect/Engineer design team, key GSA team members as well as the interested contractor community.

The purpose was to re-envision the project and understand opportunities within the context of the new project priorities.

The presentation team reviewed the history of the project, design principals used to create the 2006 design, and the proposed solution to meet the constraint of retaining the majority of tenant agencies within the building during construction.

The team then presented guiding design principles for the new project, including examples of leading American and worldwide efforts to apply passive and active design concepts and technologies that significantly reduce energy use in buildings while creating exemplary workplace environments. All workshop attendees then participated in a series of breakout sessions to brainstorm specific strategies in the following topic areas:

Building Occupants – Tenants Energy Systems Water and Site Systems

While not directly related to energy performance, a group brainstorming session was held to identify opportunities and challenges associated with potentially vacating the building during construction rather than continuing to occupy the structure.

Output from the workshop is captured in the following pages.

The takeaway from the Workshop is to identify next actions that can best identify time and cost-justifiable design efforts to transform the 2006 Design to meet the new paradigm for federal buildings as set for by new policy actions.

EGWW High Performance Workshop – Meeting Synthesis Page 2 of 4

GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE A HIGH PERFORMING FEDERAL BUILDING

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided funding for the project that draw its performance requirements and goals from 2007 Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 (EISA).

EISA requires specific energy efficiency targets and fossil fuel reductions and also requires the use of specific technical solutions including solar thermal, geothermal heat exchange, storm water management, and lighting controls.

EISA mandates use of a measurement system to identify comparative performance. GSA has adopted the Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system and EnergyStar to fulfill this mandate. The new requirement is to achieve a minimum certification level of LEED Gold and an EnergyStar rating of 97.

GSA policy mandates high performance workplace environments for occupants (Workplace Matters document). It is also recognized that Occupant behavior plays a significant part of achieving project energy goals.

Energy use reduction strategies focus on improved envelope design; load reductions (plug/lighting/process); daylighting;

active mechanical solutions; and renewable energy, in that order.

Climate responsive design is essential to optimizing envelope building performance to minimize energy demands.

Hydronic (water-based) heating and cooling approaches de-couple thermal comfort systems from ventilation (outside-air) supply.. Forced air systems (such as the one currently in EGWW) mix outside air with re-circulated air, limiting energy saving opportunities. Hydronic systems are inherently more energy efficient since water is a more favorable medium for energy transfer than air.

Open and closed loop ground water heat exchange systems are efficient because the ground remains about 60 degrees consistently which is much more constant than above ground temperatures.

Solar thermal systems (fluid-based) are more efficient in capturing solar energy than panel or film systems that convert directly to electricity. Opportunities to utilize solar thermal energy are limited in the building type.

Design goals and operations/maintenance goals must be consistent. Energy reduction goals must be realistic and achievable.

BREAKOUT SESSION DETAILS

EXPLORE DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKPLACE - WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE?

List of the Best Ideas (through voting, in order)

Tenant Dashboard – immediate energy use reporting to tenants Green Council – Tenant representatives mutually engage on continued energy use reduction goals and strategies.

Tenant Improvement Standards critical; standards that supersede individual Agency standards.

Sub-meter tenants, charges through leases.

Incentivize energy reduction – reward-based or punitive system?

OBSERVATIONS OF DAY ONE

Tenant participation and education is essential to achieve performance goals.

Ongoing monitoring is vital operations tool.

PROS AND CONS OF VACATING THE BUILDING DURING CONSTRUCTION

Pros of vacating the building during construction

Construction schedule and costs are reduced.

Vacating building will make it easier to reach EISA goals for HVAC.

Stimulates economy by putting agencies into swing space within private sector – puts people to work faster.

Eliminates securing contracting workforce from occupied space.

Cons of vacating the building during construction.

All agencies will have to move twice.

ARRA does not include funding for agency personal property (such as furnishings) or return moves.

Tight time frame (16 months) to move tenants to offsite lease space.

EXPLORE DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENERGY SYSTEMS

Context (presented by Stantec)

Energy systems include plug loads, lighting, heating, cooling, pumps, fans, domestic hot water.

Energy systems support human health and comfort through temperature control and fresh air supplies.

EGWW High Performance Workshop – Meeting Synthesis Page 3 of 4

List of the Best Ideas (by vote, in order) All facades treated differently, appropriately, and dynamically (Envelope).

Controllability of lighting (Lighting).

Shafts could be used for stack effect ventilation (Ventilation).

Use parking garage in basement as heating and cooling sink (Heating & Cooling).

Fresh air through façade (Ventilation).

DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES FOR WATER AND SITE (TERRY SCHRUNK PLAZA)

List of the Best Ideas

Rainwater use for thermal storage and toilet flushing.

Plaza planting areas as stormwater management (filtration/detention) feature – bio-swale.

Cascading water feature in park as heat rejection device.

Air sealed chimney from parking garage(thermal sink) to roof as whole-building heat exchange.

Micro-hydro turbines within roof drains to generate energy.

LEED

Consider expanding LEED site definition to include the plaza and parking garage – this increases available credit opportunities, specifically regarding site and water credits.

LEED platinum is within reach as a result of meeting new EISA requirements.

There are multiple paths to achieve LEED platinum.

FINAL WORKSHOP COMMENTS

Comment from Don Eggleston (SERA): The workshop provides a platform for what needs to be done in the coming months.

Comment from Brian Griffith (Stantec): Building should be functional for the users, and also happens to be very, very green.

Comment from Jim Cutler (CAA): There has been a confluence in culture, government, location, money that represents a major opportunity at this time.

Comment from Story Swett (GSA): This project represents an opportunity to put forward thinking and sustainable knowledge to work with synergy and serve as a case study for national goals.

Comment from Kelly Sarver-Lenderink (GSA): There is an opportunity to market the building based on the sustainability mission and connect with tenants who have a cultural fit and interest.

Comment from Richard Broderick (GSA): The team must go forward with enthusiastic ideas within perimeters including budget and schedule.

NEXT STEPS

GSA to meet with management and RAMs. June 1st GSA team to meet with agencies and re-introduce them to the project and its goals. Paul Witherspoon will lead agency communication.

Richard Broderick will engage OCA about the project and use them as a resource.

SERA will repackage workshop information, plan how to move forward, and how to re-scope.

GSA will re-scope what SERA will be doing.

RFP for Construction Manager /constructor (CMc) projected to be issued in June/July. Will arrange early exchange meetings with contractors.

There will be another general tour of the building prior to the proposal for CMcs.

All information will be on BizOps website.

This building must be a high performance building that is also an evocative design and emotionally engaging.

EGWW High Performance Workshop – Meeting Synthesis Page 4 of 4

RECOMMENDED A/E SERVICES TO CONTINUE PROJECT PLANNING AND SCOPING FOR RE-DESIGN EFFORT List and analysis of potential energy savings from Energy Conservation Measures regardless of tenant phasing option to make the project the most cost effective energy use building in the federal inventory regardless of current energy goals.

Re-evaluate the seismic upgrade requirements for EGWW based upon the most current seismic code ASCE 41-06-

“Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings.”

Review all codes for changes from previous codes that could impact decisions as we move forward.

Review all standards for changes from previous standards that could impact decisions as we move forward.

Talk to the City of Portland about the impacts of including Terry Shrunk Plaza within the project scope, and to Portland

Department of Transportation (PDOT) about project restart and traffic implications.

Develop a master design schedule, based on GSA master schedule, to reflect greater detail including design refinements.

Update 2006 design cost estimate to schedule benchmark identified by project team. Work together to generate order of magnitude estimates for a vacated building, including both hard costs and soft costs .

Assist GSA in developing a housing plan.

Evaluate Gus Solomon and 911 for permanent and/or temporary placement of agencies.

Categorize agency space types per GCCRG based on 2006 programming data.

Program (or update existing program data) as required for temporary and permanent agency space within

EGWW and offsite in federally owned or lease space.

Diagrammatic test fits and configuration plans as required for temporary and permanent agency space within

EGWW and offsite in federally owned or lease space.