by Shane Henson — June 7, 2013—The recently built Consolidated Forensics Laboratory (CFL) located in Washington, DC, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Department of General Services (DGS) announced earlier this week.
HOK, a global design, architecture and engineering firm, led the design of the 351,000-square-foot facility. The new lab building is said to represent a coming of age for forensic science as it evolves from basic police work into an independent science requiring intense scrutiny and rigor. In this facility, the city can coordinate crime, public safety and health investigations to help law enforcement officials solve crimes quickly and efficiently.
HOK incorporated many sustainable design features to help the facility snag the coveted LEED Platinum award.
- Energy and Atmosphere: An orientation and a high-performance, dynamic façade to reduce building energy loads. An automated louver system allows daylight and views to the administrative offices while significantly reducing solar heat gain and glare.
- Water Efficiency: The CFL uses high-efficiency flush and flow fixtures to achieve 42% water savings. Stormwater management is a major concern in the district. The lab’s extensive green roof and the reuse of the remaining stormwater runoff, for cooling tower make-up, translates into saving over two million gallons of potable water per year.
- Indoor Environmental Quality: More than 90% of the lab’s work areas have access to daylight and views. A high level of indoor air quality was maintained during construction and occupancy through the use of low-emitting materials and high-performance ventilation and filtration measures. A demountable partition system allows the office space to be easily reconfigured as the district agencies’ needs change.
- Materials: Materials for the lab include 27% recycled content, 35% regional and 76% certified wood. More than 90% of construction and demolition waste was diverted from landfills through recycling and salvage measures.
To support Washington, DC’s commitment to sustainability, the lab also features reduced parking, carpool and low-emitting vehicle designated parking, bicycle parking and locker rooms.
“We are particularly pleased that a lab, one of the most energy-intensive building types, was able to achieve the highest level of LEED certification available,” said Bill Hellmuth, president and director of design at HOK.
