LEED Certification: Wheaton College Meyer Science Center

Sustainable Building

This LEED gold-rated science building demonstrates the commitment Wheaton College has to sustainability and to the stewardship of God’s creation. Making a science building energy efficient is challenging, yet worthwhile because science is a large consumer of energy. Wheaton acknowledges its partners in this successful project: Payette Associates, FGM Architects, and Turner Construction. Many people will enjoy these spaces, be shaped by them, and learn about careful, sustainable planning and construction.

General and Site Concerns

Initial planning of the Science Center began with careful selection and design of the site. To promote community connectivity within the college campus, the building is located next to the Todd M. Beamer Student Center and within walking distance of residence halls. The campus itself is situated in a residential neighborhood, near public services and transportation. To further promote alternative transportation, the Science Center has several bike racks and designated parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. No new parking spaces were added to the site.

To reduce the building’s impact on the surrounding environment, measures were taken to minimize heat island effects and control storm water. All pavement and sidewalks are either made of a reflective material or shaded to reduce solar gain. The majority of the roof also is composed of high-reflectance materials. A wetland basin was installed, controlling the quantity and quality of stormwater on the site and creating a habitat for natural prairie grasses. Forty percent of the site is designated vegetated open space to keep the campus open and connected to the outdoors. As a final step in reducing the local impact, care was taken to control erosion and sedimentation during construction.

Reduced Energy Consumption

The Science Center uses 25% less energy than the typical standard in its class. This was achieved by implementing design techniques such as sun shades on the south facade, and using energy-efficient mechanical systems. In addition, 70% of the building's energy is provided by Green-e certified renewable energy providers. Water use also has been reduced by 41% over the baseline case by installing water-efficient fixtures.

Recycling Materials

In an effort to control waste, steps have been made both to reduce the use of new or non-renewable materials and to encourage sustainable recycling practices. During construction, at least 75% of the non-hazardous construction debris was recycled or salvaged. Sixteen percent of the new materials used contain recycled content, and 29% were produced locally, decreasing the cost and energy waste of transportation. Some of the recycled materials used include structural steel, bricks, and ceiling tiles. Finally, at least 50% of the wood used on the project is FSC certified, indicating that it has been harvested using sustainable forestry practices. Wheaton College also maintains a recycling program throughout its campus, with bins for paper, cardboard, plastic, and glass. The Science Center has several areas designated specifically for recycling collection.

Indoor Quality

To reduce the exposure to chemicals and improve the quality of the indoor environment, materials with low emission levels were selected, including paint, adhesives, carpets, and pads. The Science Center meets high ventilation standards and minimizes pollutant entry through the use of floor mats, filters, and separate chemical areas. Wheaton College also maintains a smoke-free campus, as legislated by the State of Illinois and City of Wheaton. A policy has been established to maintain this environmental quality through the use of green cleaning techniques, requiring certified equipment and cleaning solutions as well as custodial training and regular maintenance schedules.

Occupant Comfort

Lighting in each space is flexible and controlled by occupancy sensors to adjust the light levels for varied needs. Temperature and humidity controls can also be accessed by users for flexible needs. Input from faculty, students, and staff help to determine if the building is maintaining the designed expectations of indoor air quality, lighting levels, and controlled temperature fluctuations. Adjustments and corrections will be made as required.

The Science Center’s building envelope was designed with energy-efficiency in mind, to create the atmosphere and comfort necessary to a teaching and laboratory building. One important architectural feature is the generous transparency and natural light within the building, bringing daylight and views to a majority of the spaces.

Some factors taken into account include:

• Minimum IAQ performance
• Environmental tobacco smoke control
• Outdoor air delivery monitoring
• Increased ventilation
• Construction IAQ management plan during construction and before occupancy
• Low-emitting materials: adhesives/sealants, paints/coatings, carpet systems, and composite wood
• Indoor chemical and pollutant source control
• Controllability of lighting and thermal comfort systems
• Thermal comfort design and verification

Stormwater

Stormwater is the excess water that builds up on a site, usually from large storms, and can cause problems such as flooding. Buildings reduce the amount of ground available to naturally soak up this water; the goal, then, is to form a plan for dealing with this excess water within the site, so that it does not run off onto streets and other sites.

The Science Center approached this issue by installing two components: a wetland, and a dry basin. The runoff from most storms will be detained within the wetland portion, which is formed of highly permeable soils and serves as a natural habitat for wetland plants. Higher intensity storms will overflow into the dry basin, which also serves as the College’s softball field. With the addition of these two components, the volume of stormwater able to be held on the site was increased by 3.3 acre-feet, accounting for the 1.2 a.f. required for the Science Center as well as 2.1 a.f. banked for future campus projects.

While the quantity of stormwater retention is important, Wheaton also chose to address the quality of this water. Both the wetland basin and a 100-foot vegetated swale along the North side of the softball field were designed to filter the water that flows through them, reducing the total suspended solids by 80%. The entire site is tributary to the constructed wetland basin, meaning all water on the site flows into this area, so runoff from rainfall will be treated through this system.

Energy Stewardship

A variety of energy-conscious techniques were implemented during the design and construction of the Science Center, including:

• Selection of the site for its community connectivity and access to public transportation
• Bike storage, showers, and changing facilities provided to encourage sustainable modes of transportation
• Low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles given preferred parking spots
• Campus parking capacity not increased for the new building
• Roof and landscape designed to reduce the heat island effect
• Light pollution reduced by using approved lamps
• Procurement of regional materials (brick, glass, and granite) to reduce the energy needed for transportation
• Use of FSC certified wood, which indicates that the timber has been grown and harvested using sustainable methods
• Recycled and reused materials chosen when available
• Pollution actively prevented during construction

First, an attempt was made to maximize the green space on the lot, leaving 62% of the total site as vegetated land. In order to control the heat island effect, shade trees were planted to cover at least 52% of the sidewalks and other hardscapes on the site. Finally, the topography was designed so as to reduce the amount of water needed for irrigation.

The choice of plants on the site was determined by how much water and sun they would receive naturally, and their pedagogical value. The different conditions allow a variety of plant types native to this region, including woodland, low savanna, medium savanna, mesic prairie, gravel prairie, and emergent wetland.

Mechanical and ERU

The mechanical systems, which provide cooling and ventilation for the Science Center, are located on the penthouse level. With the recent improvements in mechanical systems it is now possible to make energy-conscious choices in this area. With this in mind, Wheaton College installed an Energy Recovery Unit (ERU) in the Science Center. This system transfers energy from exhaust air to supply air using an “Energy Recovery Wheel,” reducing the energy needed for cooling by 22% and for heating by 61%.

Some of the energy efficient features of the Science Center’s mechanical systems include:

• Total energy recovery for general exhaust system
• Sensible energy recovery for fume exhaust system
• Variable volume air handling units
• Variable volume fume hood exhaust system
• Variable volume pumps
• Air side economizer for free cooling
• Unoccupied reset controls for temperature and airflow
• High efficiency filtration
• Low flow plumbing fixtures
• High efficiency lighting fixtures and control system
• Commissioning of all energy consuming equipment