Federal building lauded with AIA sustainable design award

by Brianna Crandall — May 11, 2016 — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the U.S. General Services Administration Region 10’s (GSA) Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in Portland, Oregon, as the recipient of this year’s Top Ten Plus award, in addition to the recently announced COTE Top Ten Awards [See FMLink article].

In its fourth year, the COTE Top Ten Plus award recognizes one past AIA COTE Top Ten Project Award recipient that has quantifiable metrics demonstrating the true impact the sustainable design has achieved. The project, designed by SERA Architects and Cutler Anderson Architects, was selected in 2014 as a recipient of the AIA/COTE Top Ten Project Award program.

Building renovation

The Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in the heart of Portland is an 18-story, 525,000-square-foot facility that is home to more than 16 federal agencies and 1,200 federal employees.

Completed in 1974, the federal building received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2010 to undergo a major renovation and replace outdated equipment and systems. Under the Energy Independence and Security Act, the renovated building would have to meet or exceed stringent energy and water savings requirements. Working with Howard S. Wright Construction, a Balfour Beatty company, the design team was able to deliver the project 10 months early, reportedly saving taxpayers more than $900,000 in the process.

“We were tasked with converting an aging energy hog into one of GSA’s highest-performing buildings,” said Don Eggleston, AIA, principal at SERA Architects.

From an initial building analysis, it was determined that for seismic safety, the precast concrete exterior would need to be removed. Energy studies led to a number of solutions, including a blast-resistant glass curtain wall, exterior shading and reflective elements, and a highly efficient hydronic heating and cooling system inside.

“These creative design solutions not only reduced utility costs, but also freed up more than 30,000 square feet of rentable space that enabled a much greater ROI for the GSA’s investment in this property,” Eggleston added.

Building performance

Building performance metrics determined by post-occupancy evaluations:

  • Renovated building uses 55% less energy than the original structure.
  • Harvested rainwater and water-conserving plumbing fixtures resulted in a 65% reduction in water use.
  • By maintaining a central location downtown, an estimated 85% percent of occupants are not reliant on single-occupancy vehicles for transportation.
  • The radiant heating and cooling system resulted in a projected lifecycle cost reduction of $2 million compared to traditional Variable Air Volume Air Systems.
  • The building boasts an occupant satisfaction rating of 75%.

“We’re proud that this GSA cornerstone building is one of the most efficient office buildings in the country,” said Kimberly Gray, GSA Director of Facilities Management Division. “Our tenants regularly give us feedback about how they enjoy all of the building features, especially the increased exposure to daylight throughout.”

COTE Jury comments include: “This project transforms a generic concrete office building into a high-performance, environmentally responsive, comfortable place to work. This sets a great precedent for re-use and upgrade, and demonstrates the potential for creative, green re-use projects.”

More information on the design elements as well as images are available from the AIA Web site. Highlights from project team members are also available in a YouTube video.