Its KEEN To Be GREEN: New 14A Court receives certification

The Washtenaw County 14A District Court has received LEED® NC 2.2 Silver Certification. Established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), LEED is the nation's top program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. County officials worked closely with the project team that designed and constructed the new addition to incorporate a number of features that positively impact the project and the community it serves, a spokesperson said. The project team consistsed of architecture and engineering firm TowerPinkster; design consultants HOK; construction management company Clark Construction; landscape architecture and civil engineering firm Beckett and Raeder, Inc.; and structural engineering firm Robert Darvas Associates. Following the USGBC's Green Building Rating System, the project earned points across five categories: water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. Some of the project's sustainable features include: * A high-performance building envelope; * A white, solar reflective roof; * Controlled daylighting in each court room and regularly occupied spaces; * Low-emitting materials for a healthy interior environment; * De-centralized heating plants; * The use of local materials and equipment; * 94 percent of the total wood based building materials were harvested from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests; * 77 percent of on-site generated construction waste was diverted from landfills * 24 percent of the total building materials content, by value, was manufactured using recycled materials; * Low flow fixtures contribute to water savings of 58 percent. The new 14A District Court opened last July and features a single point of entry to the courthouse, sheriff's administration and the jail, which greatly increases security. The courthouse is comprised of three courtrooms, judge's chambers, jury assembly and court clerk. There also are secure holding areas for each courtroom with a direct connection to the jail. By using less energy and water, the building saves money in operating costs and has a positive impact on the environment, the spokesperson said. In fact, it is predicted that the innovative design will result in a 27 percent energy savings. This translates to 447 tons of greenhouse gas emissions prevented from entering the atmosphere each year. Published: Mon, Mar 28, 2011

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