| General Information |
| Location |
 |
Falmouth, MA |
| Owner |
|
Woods Hole Research Center Corporation |
| Architect |
|
William McDonough + Partners |
| Engineer |
|
2rw Consulting Engineers |
| Completed |
|
June 2003 |
| Building Use |
|
Commercial office, Laboratory, Other |
| Size |
|
19,200 SF |
| Stories |
|
Three |
| Cost |
|
$6,200,000 (land excluded) |
| Occupancy |
|
40 people, 40 hours per person per week; and 5 visitors per week, 1 hour per visit |
| Relevant codes |
|
Massachusetts State Building Code |
|
Mixed Mode System |
| Mixed Mode Strategy |
|
This is a concurrent system, with operable
windows and hydronic valance convectors in the occupied spaces. They can
operate simultaneously, with no integrated sensors or controls. |
| Natural Ventilation Details |
|
In the existing, remodeled part of the
building, the windows are double-glazed and use high-performance glass.
In the new addition, the windows are clear, triple-glazed, argon-filled
insulating units. All windows are operable throughout the occupied spaces.
There are no window sensors or controls, all windows are manually operated. |
| HVAC System Details |
|
A desire to be 100% electric to take full
advantage of the photovoltaic system drove many of the HVAC decisions.
A ground source heat pump is used for both heating and cooling the building.
The ground-source heat-pump system is powered by the solar panels when
possible. Large common areas are heated and cooled by a pair of water-to-air
heat exchangers. Individual offices are heated and cooled by two water-to-water
heat exchangers servicing ceiling-mounted valence convectors resembling
over-sized hot water baseboards.
Hydronic valance convectors provide silent radiant heating and cooling
and individual zone control, with much greater efficiency and less noise
than conventional fan coil units. The hydronic system was also seen as
more energy efficient by using pumps rather than fans, and provided an
easier ability for individual zones in the mixed private and open plan
spaces. They also ruled out radiant panels or convectors because a condensing
terminal unit would work better with operable windows. Air distribution
is just what’s needed for ventilation.
The PV system is often able to produce enough energy even during the middle
of hot days to return excess power to the grid. Energy recovery ventilators
using enthalpy wheels to recapture exhaust heat and moisture and to precondition
incoming fresh air. |
| Configuration & Control |
|
There are no window sensors, actuators,
or shut-off controls. The engineers felt that more complex controls led
to more chances for something to go wrong, and it was an intentional decision
to keep things simple. It is a relatively small organization, and people
have developed an intuitive sense of when to open or close the windows;
it’s become part of the corporate culture. It was also felt that
if one person leaves their window open all the time, one valence convector
might be overworking, but it wouldn’t affect the whole building.
And given that it has more limited capacity than a fan coil unit, there
would be comparatively less waste. |
| Building Design Process |
| Design Tools |
|
The project team used the U.S. Green Building
Council's LEED Rating System for setting goals for the project, and achieved
their objective of a LEED Platinum rating. |
| Energy Analysis |
|
Energy 10 was used to model the thermal
and energy performance of the building, and the building is running fairly
close to predictions. An energy-systems consultant was brought on early
in the design process and used through construction. |
| Commissioning |
|
Commissioning was done by an independent
agent, and was critical to getting the building working as designed. |
| Code Conflicts |
|
Various site and code issues required changes
to the design during the design development process. |
| Other Design Issues |
|
Working within a constrained site, the
design involved the preservation of a 19th-century summer home, adaptively
reusing the original house and adding contemporary office, laboratory and
common spaces.
Some of the biggest design challenges resulted from recurring delays and
the need to raise funds throughout the design process. Some of these were
due to building during a time when the construction market was very unstable.
Limited accuracy of cost estimating and a resulting escalating of costs
far beyond expectations meant that the project’s early fundraising
efforts were inadequate. Value-engineering reduced 15% form the construction
budget while still preserving the mechanical system’s design intent
and achieving many of the sustainability and energy-performance goals.
The delays also resulted in a lack of continuity in project staffing, which
led to further complexities. |
| Building Performance |
| Actual Energy Data |
|
An energy-monitoring system records electricity
production and usage, thermal exchange at the ground-source heat pump and
solar thermal system, runtime and temperature differentials at the energy
recovery units. The data is collected from 75 sensors distributed throughout
the building and its systems, as well as outside. The data is used to analyze
real-time and trends in energy sources and locals, performance of HVAC
systems, and meteorological climate The resulting data educates both staff
and the public about energy costs and savings, and the integrated performance
of the systems.
The WHRC Ordway facility has performed close to its originally modeled
expectations. Total energy usage in 2004 was 96,389 kWhrs with 30,589 being
generated onsite by the photovoltaic system. The remaining 65,800 kWhrs
was pulled from the electric grid. Approximately 32% of the facility’s
total energy requirement was provided by the PV system. Although the new
building is nearly twice the size of their old combined offices and labs,
the building is using less total energy and spending less money on energy
while reducing emissions attributable to its operations to 36% of the previous
total (17% of the national office average for a building of same size).
(Source: Woods Hole website) |
| Example of Monitored Energy Data |
|
|
ANNUAL PURCHASED ENERGY USE
|
|
Fuel
|
Quantity
|
MMBtu
|
KBtu/ft2
|
|
Electricity
|
59,200 kWh
|
202
|
10.5
|
|
Natural Gas
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Fuel Oil
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
ANNUAL ON-SITE RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION
|
|
Photovoltaics
|
30,500 kWH
|
104
|
5.42
|
|
TOTAL ANNUAL BUILDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION
|
|
Total Purchased
|
|
202
|
10.5
|
|
Total On-site
|
|
104
|
5.44
|
|
Grand Total
|
|
306
|
16
|
|
Source: DOE high performance building database
|
|
| Additional Building Features |
| Sustainable Sites |
|
• Adapt and reuse the existing historic
structure rather than demolish and rebuild.
• Close proximity to a “rails to trails” bike path.
• Preferential parking for carpoolers.
• Received permission from town zoning board to reduce amount of required
overflow parking, and therefore reduce amount of paving in the front yard.
Instead, used graded, mown portions of the wildflower meadow for occasional
parking. |
| Water Efficiency |
|
• Permanent gravel parking areas
manage storm water on-site
• Bioswale directs runoff into a constructed wetland.
• A 1,200-gallon tank captures rainwater required to achieve the goal of
zero landscape irrigation.
• A wildflower meadow replaces most of the lawn. |
| Energy and Atmosphere |
|
• Integration of energy-conservation
strategies, passive-solar, and on-site renewable power generation makes
the building 83% more efficient than a minimally ASHRAE-compliant building.
• Grid-connected, net-metered photovoltaic array.
• Closed-loop, ground-source heat-pump system.
• Solar-thermal hot water system.
• A planned on-site wind turbine will yield a net surplus of energy for the
building.
• Careful detailing of the building envelope .
• Icynene spray foam insulates all exterior walls and roof assemblies to
provide a high R-value and effective air barrier. |
| Materials and Resources |
|
• A simple interior materials palette,
mostly of silica (glass, stone) or cellulose (wood) .
• Spray-foam insulation contains no ozone-depleting blowing agents or formaldehyde.
• FSC-certified wood used in ash millwork; fir windows; maple flooring; cedar
shingles, clapboard siding, and trim; and framing lumber and decking.
• Stone walls use fieldstone and glacial erratics drawn from the site.
• Furnishings with high recycled content in aluminum, fabrics, desk substrates,
veneer, and steel components. Examples include task chairs, desk systems,
and conference tables. |
| Indoor Environmental Quality |
|
• Daylight, fresh air, and access
to views throughout the building integrate the inside and outside spaces.
• Skylights direct light to interior spaces.
• Full-height windows in the new wing open to the surrounding forest.
• Double- and triple-glazed low-e glazing.
• Individual comfort control of operable windows, fresh-air ventilation systems,
and user-controlled temperature and lighting.
• Separate ventilation systems in laboratory spaces.
• Low-VOC materials, paints, and adhesives.
• Open cell structure of the building’s Icynene insulation eliminates
subsequent offgassing of uncured materials. |
| Project Team |
| Architect |
|
Mark Rylander, Project Manager
William McDonough + Partners
700 East Jefferson Street
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
434 979 1111
http://www.mcdonoughpartners.com
|
| Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineer |
|
Robert Somers
2rw Consulting Engineers, PC
100 10th St. NE Suite 202
Charlottesville, VA
434.296.2116
http://www.2rw.com |
| Code Consultant |
|
John Ferguson
Ferguson Engineering
Clarkson, MD |
| Civil Engineer |
|
Mike McGrath
Holmes and McGrath, Inc.
362 Gifford Street
Falmouth, MA 02540
508-548-3564
http://www.holmesandmcgrath.com |
| Structural Engineer |
|
Nat Oppenheimer
Robert Silman Associates
88 University Place
New York, NY 10003
212.620.7970
http://www.rsapc.com |
| Landscape Architect |
|
Warren Byrd
Nelson-Byrd Landscape Architects
408 Park Street
Charlottesville, VA
http://www.nelson-byrd.com |
| Cost Estimating |
|
Richard Vermeulen
Vermeulens Construction Consulting
9835 Leslie St.
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4B 3Y4 CANADA
(905) 787-1880
http://www.vermeulens.com |
| Contractor |
|
John Million
TR White Company, Inc.
368 Congress Street
Boston, MA
617-350-0107 |
| Computer Energy Modeling |
|
Marc Rosenbaum, P.E.
Energysmiths
P.O. Box 194
Meridan, NH 03770
603-469-3355
marc@energysmiths.com
Andy Shapiro
Energy Balance, Inc.
45 Perkinds Rd.
Montpelier, VT 05602
802-229-5676
andy@energybalance.us
|
| Efficient Lighting Design |
|
David Nelson
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
4699 Nautilus Court South #102
Boulder, CO
303.530.7229
http://www.clantonassociates.com |
| Renewable Energy Systems |
|
John Kneffner
Northern Power Systems
182 Mad River Park
Waitsfield, VT 05673
(802) 496-2955
http://www.northernpower.com |
| Additional Information |
| Awards |
|
• AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects
in 2004.
• NESEA Green Building Awards in 2004; Category/title: First place in the "Places
of Work: Small Buildings" category.
• Environmental Design & Construction Magazine Excellence in Design Awards
in 2004; Category/title: Institutional, Government, Nonprofit, Educational,
or Healthcare Category, Honorable Mention. |
| Sources |
|
• AIA's COTE 2004 Top Ten Green Projects;
Environmental Design + Construction: 2004/09.
• The Earth Day 10; Interiors & Sources: 2004/07.
• Living a Sustainable Mission; Environmental Design + Construction: 2003/11.
• 'Strategy of hope' on Cape: Architectural, environmental marvel; The Providence
Journal: 2003/10.
• Real World Power: Sustainable Energy for Woods Hole Research Center's New
Facility; Northern Power Systems: 2003/10.
• Sustainable Center for Woods Hole; Architecture Week : 2003/09.
• PV System to Power Woods Hole Research Center; Renewable Energy News: 2002/07.
• Woods Hole Research Center, http://www.whrc.org
• U.S. Department of Energy High Performance Buildings Database, http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/highperformance/case_studies/index.cfm. |
| Contact |
|
Primary Contact
Mark Rylander
William McDonough + Partners
Architect (Associate partner / project manager)
Charlottesville, VA
434-979-1111 |
