Lexington architects incorporate "eco-friendly" principles and materials in their buildings

According to the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a green project "significantly reduces or eliminates the negative impact of buildings on the environment and on building occupants."

USGBC also provides some of the most widely used green building guidelines in the industry through its LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) certification program. The LEED program, which applies to commercial, educational, government, and some multi-unit residential buildings, has been available for new construction since 1998. Since then, LEED has added certification for other project types, including existing buildings and commercial interiors. Building owners applying for certification receive points in five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Depending upon the categories and number of points accrued, they can earn certification at one of four levels: certified, silver, gold, or platinum. To do so, however, they must maintain detailed records and complete a sometimes-onerous amount of paperwork.

Like all such requirements, maintaining this documentation can add time and cost to the bottom line, so many owners choose to follow LEED guidelines without seeking official recognition. Nonetheless, to date there are over 800 LEED-certified buildings nationwide and many others are in the works. To date there are four LEED-certified buildings in Kentucky: Toyota's North American Production Support Center in Georgetown, a PNC bank branch in Tyler Center, Louisville, the Lincoln Hall Renovation in Berea, and Jewish Hospital Medical Center South in Hillview.

One of buildings aimed at becoming LEED certified was designed by the Lexington firm RossTarrant Architects, for the Cooper Campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC). RossTarrant, a firm that specializes in the design of schools and education-related projects across the state, has always used green principles in its designs. However, it wasn't until the firm was awarded the BCTC contract that its employees had an opportunity to work on a LEED project.

When completed, the multi-purpose Cooper Campus building will house classrooms and meeting rooms, the student center, dining facilities, and a library, as well as labs for students studying the natural sciences. One of these "labs" will be overhead, an example of green practice in action on the building's vegetative roof. Consisting of drought-resistant plants in special containers, the vegetative roof, like the sod roofs of yesteryear, will reduce storm-water runoff and heat gain, improve air quality, and at the same time, let BCTC students experience firsthand the benefits of an eco-friendly building.

Concurrent with helping BCTC in its growth process, RossTarrant was experiencing some growing pains of its own. "We'd outgrown the space we had, but we really wanted to stay downtown," said Martha Tarrant, president of the firm. "So we scoured the area looking for a building of the right size, with restaurants and other services nearby." Fortunately, the firm found just the spot at the corner of Old Lafayette and East Main, which until recently housed the National College of Business. The building dates back to the 1950s, when IBM used it as a downtown showroom for its typewriters.

Given a chance to apply green principles to its own construction project, RossTarrant decided to seek certification for the renovation under the LEED commercial-interiors category. "The bones of the building lent themselves to the way we wanted to work," explained Dan Colvin, senior interior designer and a principal in the firm, and with that, the project was off and running. The results are spectacular. With the exception of a stairwell addition at the back, the footprint of the building remains the same: a total of 13,000 sq. ft. on two floors, 11,000 sq. ft. of which is now in use, with the remainder reserved for expansion. However, by designing the space with green-building principles in mind, and then implementing that design with environmentally friendly materials and processes, the owners have given the structure a new lease on life.

Laith Ross, principal and chief civil engineer, explained that the many windows in the building had been replaced in recent years, so almost all of them could be reused. The result: 90 percent of regularly occupied workstations now have direct views to the exterior. Low-energy-consumption overhead fixtures supplement natural light, and as an added bonus, they shut off automatically when not required. In areas away from windows, flexible tubing directs sunlight from the roof, while panels of patterned glass salvaged from elsewhere in the building admit additional light. When possible, electrical devices are Energy Star-rated, and hot water comes from the most efficient energy source of all: the sun. Two solar panels, which also double as an awning for one of the doors, provide more than enough energy to keep 80 gallons of water hot and ready for use.

Tarrant explained some of the other building features. "The way we work, we like an open-office environment," she said, "so there are only two enclosed offices in the entire building." To facilitate this open feeling and still provide privacy, most interior walls are several feet short of the ceiling and are sculpted for design interest. Air flows freely from space to space, and a carbon dioxide sensor in the HVAC system adds fresh air when CO2 levels get too high. Perhaps it was psychological, but the difference was noticeable-a clean, fresh smell not only devoid of smoke and other obvious pollutants, but also minus the background chemical odor often noticeable in freshly occupied spaces. Dan Colvin said part of that fresh smell was due to the materials used. RossTarrant reused as many furnishings as possible, but anything purchased was required to contain low or no VOCs. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are chemicals found in numerous items, including paints, caulks, furniture, and building materials, and they can emit fumes affecting air quality for years. Low- or no-VOC materials make everyone breathe easier. "In fact," said Ross, "the building underwent a stringent test for air quality before it was occupied, and we blew that test out of the water."

Another term often applied to green efforts is "sustainability." A big word with big ambitions, sustainability applies not just to the building project itself, but also to the environmental impact that the structure will have throughout its life. Using renewable products-for example, wood from forests where the number of trees planted supports the number harvested-as well as recycled materials helps avoid taking more from the planet than we give back.

RossTarrant used all of these approaches and more, recycling much of the construction waste and choosing recycled and/or recyclable materials whenever possible. They donated the surplus furnishings from their old offices to Habitat for Humanity. Even the gas pumps get a rest at this firm, since seven of the company's 53 employees walk or bike to work, and those who car pool have parking spots designated just for them.