Goin' Green

Some of Moseley Architects' exciting projects that are pursuing LEED certification include:

• Chesterfield County Customer Community Development Center, Richmond, Virginia



• Rockingham County Judicial Center, Wentworth, North Carolina



• Moseley Architects' New Headquarters, Richmond, Virginia

USGBC Committing 1 Million to Green Building Research

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it will commit $1 million to green building research.

These funds will be targeted at increasing research in areas such as energy and water security; global climate change prevention; indoor environmental quality; and passive survivability in the face of natural and man-made disasters.

USGBC's commitment comes on the heels of its recently published Green Building Research Funding: An Assessment of Current Activity in the United States.

This study found that research related to high-performance green building practices and technologies is woefully under funded by all sectors.

Using this work as its basis, the USGBC Research Committee will publish a national green building research agenda this fall that identifies key research areas for advancing building performance and market transformation.

"Building operation consumes 40 percent of energy and 71 percent of the electricity in the U.S., and accounts for 39 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, which is directly influencing global climate change," said USGBC's Vice President of Research and Education Peter Templeton.
"Given this impact, it's critical that the building sector makes exponential performance improvements and research, development and deployment activities a top priority."

USGBC, 2007.

Transylvania County Enforcing Green Justice

The buzz surrounding high performance design has landed in Transylvania County, North Carolina, where the design and construction of the county’s new Public Safety building are taking on a shade of green. Demonstrating prudence in the use of taxpayer dollars, the county is incorporating high performance design principles into the new facility. Taking their commitment to high performance design one step further, they are also seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the facility.

Run by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED program requires that a building be designed and built to perform better than its standard counterparts in several areas, including the treatment of the building site, water use, energy efficiency, the use of materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

At approximately 63,000 square feet in size, the new energy- and water-efficient public safety building will provide the space required to accommodate the county’s police, detention, and emergency functions. The facility will house sheriff’s offices, E-911 dispatch, an Emergency Operations Center, and a 120-bed jail.

The LEED features of the facility will include:

• bike racks and showers to encourage the use of alternative transportation;
• preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as for carpools or vanpools;
• preservation of an area of open space equal to the building footprint;
• stormwater quality control to remove pollutants from runoff;
• native and drought-tolerant plant species to eliminate the need for irrigation;
• white membrane and galvalume sheet steel roofing to reduce the building’s contribution to the heat island effect and improve energy efficiency;
• low-flow urinals and lavatories, and dual-flush toilets to decrease water use;
• recycled materials and FSC certified wood to conserve resources;
• low-emitting materials to improve indoor air quality; and
• green housekeeping to reduce employees’ exposure to chemicals.

For more information on the Transylvania County Public Safety Building, please contact Robert Smith at rsmith@moseleyarchitects.com.

Green Tips

Going green when you shop is a win-win situation. You save money and help the environment at the same time.

Go Big or Go Home - A family of four can save up to $2,000 a year by choosing large sizes in lieu of single serving sizes. Buying items in bulk also helps to reduce packaging waste. Practical examples include:

• Buying cereal in a large box instead of individual boxes.
• Foregoing the juice boxes and instead picking up juice concentrate.
• Grabbing a large jug of bottled water instead of several six-packs.
• Purchasing flour and sugar in large packages.
• Avoiding small boxes of raisins and buying the 24 ounce containers.

Get to Know Your Local Recycling Rules - Be sure you have a good understanding of the kinds of containers your local recycling program accepts. That way you can be sure to purchase items that come in those same types of containers. For example, most recycling programs accept #1 and #2 plastics, which are common materials used to package consumer items.

Invest in Long-Term Savings - Items that you can reuse are cheaper in the long run than those you throw away and buy over and over again. Reusable items also help to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills.

• Use rechargeable batteries for toys, flashlights, and radios.
• Use a real camera instead of a disposable one.
• Switch to cloth napkins, towels, or sponges instead of paper or one-use types.
• Use washable dishes and silverware as opposed to disposable alternatives.
• Relying on an electric or a hand razor is a good alternative to disposable razors.
• Buying high quality tires, which cost less per mile traveled and help to reduce the problem of disposing of old tires.
• Use a washable mug for your coffee instead of a Styrofoam or plastic cup.
• Bring your own bags to your grocery store (cloth or old paper/plastic ones).