The Connectictut Green Building Council

Welcome to the CT Green Building Council

2010 CTGBC Design Awards Program 2009 Award Winners l 2008 Award Winners The CT Chapter of the US Green Building Council recently announced the winners of its Annual Design Award competition for excellence in high performance, intelligently designed and constructed, energy efficient green buildings. The awards were presented to local architects, designers, contractors and building owners whose outstanding achievements in sustainable building practices were recognized. The award jury included Steven Winter, President, Steven Winter Associates; Rick Warhall, Vice President, LEED Sustainability Coordinator, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company; Mark Loeffler, Director, Atelier Ten; Bob Wall , Director, Energy Market Initiatives, CT Clean Energy Fund; and chaired by Bruce Bockstael, Chief Architect at CT Department of Public Works.
Green Advocate Award - Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Cheshire, CT CT Green Building Council recognized Alexion Pharmaceuticals as a company actively transforming the built environment while sharing their knowledge of green building and sustainable practices. They are advocates for the discovery that green is good for business while raising the bar for social equity in future developments. The company was recently awarded two LEED Gold Commercial Interior certifications for their One Source and South Tower projects. Undertaking efficiency measures to reduce electrical consumption by approximately i350,000 kWh last year, they also installed a 295KW photovoltaic solar system. An extensive recycling program was initiated with outstanding results. The company has an active outreach program helping provide energy efficiency upgrades to building envelopes and mechanical upgrades to those in need in their community. Alexion is constantly looking at sustainable and energy efficiency projects to improve their environmental impact.
The Kantor Residence - This Most Intriguing Residence seeking LEED Platinum certification is a remarkable example of a team approach to green building resulting in a home that incorporates cutting edge green homebuilding technologies. Lead by Mike and Chris Trolle of BPC Green Builders, the project has a list of sustainable features that is virtually endless including a master bath composting toilet, FSC certified wood siding and reclaimed wood cabinetry and flooring, recycled glass countertops, hand-made tiles made in New Hampshire from local clays, triple paned low-E glass windows, compact fluorescent and LED lighting fixtures, walls are natural plaster made from clays, sand and reclaimed marble, rainwater collected in cisterns and landscaped with 35,000 indigenous plants. The charming Adirondack style home meets the most stringent energy and water efficiency requirements The mechanical system combines energy sourced from solar-heated hot water, a pellet-fired boiler, and a propane-fired back-up boiler, to heat a 1,000 gallon hot water sink, which supplies all of the energy required to heat the house, the domestic hot water, and the outdoor swimming pool. Above all the owners plan to share their home as an educational example of green building.
The Keithan Residence Killingworth CT - Most Intriguing Residential winner is a classic New England home, in a farm setting, with today’s modern systems and conveniences, all wrapped up into a home requiring Zero Energy. The residence is a 3,600 square foot single family home with a detached garage and barn which is under review to meet USGBC’s LEED for Homes highest rating of Platinum. The home displays a maximum number of energy efficient measures to attain the zero energy status. The charming home was sited facing south to maximize the solar gain in the heating season. Trees have been retained on the south and west side of the house to provide shading in the summer months. The southern exposure has wide overhangs and sun screens to minimize the heat gain in the summer as well. The walls have sprayed in foam insulation for maximum R-value. Utilizing a geothermal well and heat pump as well as an energy recovery ventilator provides maximum efficiency in heating and cooling the home. All appliances are Energy Star rated and only energy efficient lighting was used. Rooftop mounted solar hot water collectors provide for the hot water needs of the home. The formerly forested property has been restored and will function as a small working farm with chickens, vegetable gardens and farm stand, fruit trees and Christmas trees, all fully organic. The owner, engineer and architect also wanted this house to be a learning tool for the trades, community and students.
Royal Bank of Scotland – Most Intriguing Commercial – This 500,000 square foot office complex in Stamford is the new US headquarters for RBS Americas and contains the world’s largest trading floor. According to Chris Riley, Vice President and Director of Public Affairs at RBS, the bank spared no expense when it came to greening the building, seeking LEED’s top certification. “It will be the largest such building in Connecticut, if not all of New England”. Roger Ferris + Partners incorporated numerous sustainable features into the building. Sited in close proximity to the Metro North Railroad station with a narrow and elongated plan configuration that take advantage of natural day-lighting, the complex boasts an urban courtyard/rooftop garden with grey-water collection for irrigation of native adaptive plant species. Operable louvers on the trading floor adjust automatically to the natural conditions while an interior daylight dimming system links to all office space lighting.
Commercial Storage Barn - Il Poggio LTD – Most Intriguing Commercial - The Barn was a delightful effort to make a statement about a storage barn, it had no pretense to attempt to obtain LEED since there was no heat involved, but the interior storage of the material handling equipment, and maintenance work space was lighted by translucent walls and ceilings allowing natural daylighting during the day and some solar PV mounted on the roof to generate whatever electrical power was needed for equipment and lighting at night. The idea was to display outdoor products on the outside of the building for customers viewing, illuminated at night by the interior lighting through the panels at night. A beautifully crafted and unique idea on how to store and maintain the materials that the company sells.
Connecticut Science Center – Most Intriguing Institutional - A wonderful LEED Gold certified building that stresses the importance of sustainable design, with an emphasis on energy savings throughout the building. Designed by renowned architects Pelli Clarke Pelli, the building, perched high above the Hartford skyline, captures the wonder of science as well as the city and state’s commitment to education and cultural enlightenment.
Kroon Hall – Yale University – Most Intriguing Institutional - Probably one of the most important buildings constructed in the past year, in the United States; this is truly a great design and demonstration of what can be done to provide a sustainable building. Kroon Hall Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies earned a LEED Platinum certification by the USGBC earning 59 points, or seven more than required for platinum standing. Kroon Hall was designed to use 81% less water and 58% less energy than a comparable building, and to generate 25% of its electricity on site from renewable sources. The building, sited on a previously developed location, displays a white façade and a partial green roof to combat urban heat island effect. Its outstanding water efficiency technologies recycles storm water through a native aquatic plant filtering system. Waste water from sinks and showers is added to the storm water and for use in toilets and irrigation. Through onsite renewable energy production and optimized lighting but primarily for its passive strategies such as utilizing an east-west building orientation for maximum solar access, highly efficient insulation, and a natural fresh air ventilation system the project earned all 13 LEED energy points. Solar energy is generated by a photovoltaic roof installation and provides 25% of the all electric building needs. The materials used for Kroon Hall were primarily sourced within a 500 mile radius and contain recycled content. This building exemplifies Yale University’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gases and protect natural ecosystems.
Stoeckel Hall – Yale University – Most Intriguing Institutional - A wonderful total renovation and extensive exterior terra cotta restoration of a classic building on the Yale campus, demonstrates the ability to provide a sustainable environment within an existing structure and earned the building a LEED Gold certification. The availability of public transportation as well as water conservation initiatives in addition to high efficiency lighting, control ventilations and hot water pump loops, re-using 90% of the walls and floors and recycling 80 % of the waste materials contributed to earning the building’s LEED certification. Originally built in 1897, the building currently houses the School of Music. The restoration included a 4 story classroom, computer lab and practice room addition.
Rogers International Magnet School – Most Intriguing Institutional - A splendid teaching environment, the ability to achieve a sustainable building within the confines of the State of Connecticut education guidelines is demonstrated to all CT communities that it can be achieved. Former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy was quoted as saying of the project, “The decision to build green is an extension of the Environmental theme for the curriculum of the school”. The two story wing of classrooms was designed to maximize daylight , while the media center, cafeteria, gymnasium and theater are house in a second wing covered by a planted green roof. An outstanding feature of the school is a unique rain garden built in the former Clairol headquarters building foundation which in addition to bio-swales provides onsite storm-water filtrations. The captured rainwater will provide irrigation for the extensively planted green roof. Efficient fluorescent lighting augments daylighting with the use of dimmers. Some of the building’s energy needs will be met by the photovoltaic solar panels and wind turbine.
Armour Academic Center, Westminster School – Honorable Mention - A classic example of architecture that is thoughtful and carefully designed to fit into the campus yet provide the benefits of a sustainable environment. The 95,000 square foot LEED Gold building includes a humanities wing and a math and science wing surrounding a center glass atrium. The center achieved its LEED rating through the use of a large scale geothermal heat exchange system as well as a high capacity ventilation system providing fresh air to all classrooms for an improved learning environment. Highly efficient mechanical systems, water efficient plumbing fixtures and low emitting paints, finishes and carpet as well as recycled content building materials all contributed to the LEED Gold designation.
Chase Tallwood Technical Center, Kingswood Oxford School– Honorable Mention - Founded in 1909, the Kingswood Oxford School is located in West Hartford. Key to the sustainability of their technical building was its siting. Rather than using a more typical available open space the decision was made to utilize the existing space between several buildings and not disturb virgin land. The new math and science building, Chase Tallwood Technical Center, was beautifully crafted to bridge a series of campus buildings into a functioning unit that serves the entire school. The use of abundant natural light in the building’s design and the reconfiguration of an existing energy system from an adjacent structure as a baseline heat source and then converting that source to both heating and cooling with a heat exchanger, work to reduce the usage of electrical power.