“Studio Red Architects ” is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES). Credit(s) earned on completion of this program will be reported to AIA/CES for

AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.

This program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of

construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

COH Permitting and Green Resource Center

The Return on Investment strategy utilized to renovate and reposition this five story 1920’s flat slab masonry warehouse as the COH Permitting and Green Resource Center will be presented by Bill Neuhaus, Principal in Charge and Mindy Wilkinson Mechlem, Project Architect & LEED coordinator.

The program called for the creation of a LEED Certified user friendly retail experience for those seeking permits from 30 different departments. The building utilizes raised floor air conditioning, uninsulated triple wythe masonry walls, thermally broken windows, energy efficient HVAC, and a vegetated roof. The heavily insulated roof is covered by three different types of solar panel and host four wind turbines.

What worked and what didn’t will be discussed. Topics include – “Design is not enough”, – “It takes commitment of all”, – “Don’t be afraid to try the unexpected”. – The presenters will grade the results and present findings from a year’s operation of the building.

course description

project information/descriptive data

The City determined the building which housed the majority of Building Code Enforcement activities was too small, not energy efficient, with minimal amenities for customers and employees. Other permitting activities were housed in multiple locations. Customers seeking permits often were required to drive from location to location. The City wanted to solve these functional issues and demonstrate its commitment to sustainable development.

• A 5 story 1920’s warehouse close to the CBD, the Amtrak Station (home for future heavy rail), and the Buffalo Bayou bike trails was identified. The Design team’s Analysis showed the 180,000 sf building could house most permitting activities, and that its adaptive reuse would anchor the East end of the redeveloping Washington Corridor.

View from Amtrak

site

Existing Building 5 Story Structure – 4 Levels + Basement 186,000 SF

The project is located in a Sustainable site within ¼ mile of 5 bus lines ,with in ½ of 10 community services and an existing residential district

25 preferred parking spaces are provided for low emitting and fuel efficient vehicles

North Canopy

Attendees will be exposed to unique strategies for sustainable renovations, “Read the bones”.

At the end of this program, participants will be able to:

Attendees will learn to look beyond the “Norm” exploring alternative solutions to everyday issues.

• Attendees will understand why the Return on Investment Strategy is valuable when presenting to client groups.

learning objective

the “green” bones

•GOAL – to reduce project scope by 80% of NEW CONSTRUCTION

•Cost of renovation - 67% of NEW CONSTRUCTION

$36,043,483.00NEW CONSTRUCTION

$24,211,181.00USE OF EXISTING

STRUCTURE

Using the bones to innovate

existing

Existing Building 5 Story Structure – 4 Levels + Basement 186,000 SF`

Main Façade – Existing Loading Docks

Lobby Level

North Canopy

the bones

• The old loading docks provided portals between the clip on lobby and the racetrack, a thirty station desk facilitating transactions

The exterior elevator tower wasrebuilt and clad in stainless steel and became the palate for Dick Wray’s iconicrepresentation of his Houston

Internal stairs not meeting code were eliminated in favor of external stairs that provided an identifiable image from the adjacent freeway

Re-use of the EXISTING STRUCTURE

the bones

North Canopy

The design team reused as much of the existing building as possible

the bones and the reuse

• One favorable factor for the reuse project was the ability to use existing shaded parking lot under the HOV lane one block from the site ,This lot provided sufficient parking for employees freeing on site parking for patrons eliminating the need to construct another parking garage in Houston.

An interior freight elevator was removed providing a light shaft and communicating stair to connect the previously departments

At the basement level monitors serveas inverse skylights

design

The space plan created for the building consolidates 30 different city functions with 800 employees, 95% of City permitting functions and the Green Building Resource Center (GBRC), into one location making it among the most integrated urban permitting operations in the country.

All floors have an open space plan which along with the 37,000 square feet of raised flooringsystem installed allows for full flexibility for the client to adjust and change the space accordingto their changing needs. The open plan also allows for daylight access as well as views to theexterior for all employees working at the building.

It takes commitment of all

design

Design as a whole allows the Architecture to Celebrate the Industrial Character of 1002 Washington while creating an innovative solution to bring the architecture to the 21st century

It takes commitment of all

design

Design is not enough ,design must be pragmatic and unafraid of exploring the possibilities of a building . There are a number of sustainable features incorporated into the building, with a clear design intent to work as a whole rather than a “feature”, consequently creating a living ecosystem.

is not enough

the “art” bonesUsing the bones to inspire

Utilizing the current architectural features can reveal a new purpose and function to the building ,while identifying opportunities for permanent or future installations.

the “green” bonesUsing the bones to innovate

A simple design solution can have an overall change in the mood of the architecture , solar tubes where embedded in the perforations created by the “old” exhaust fans that where no longer needed ,bringing new light to needed areas without resorting to artificial lights.

design

Re inventing the “waiting line” .

The lobby serves as the reception area with the permit counter overlooking the lobby. While waiting to see a permit specialist, customers have a variety of architectural and civic art elements to interact with.

It takes commitment of all

green designMaterials

Low-emitting materials like wood ,sealant, adhesives and agrifiber products were installed to meet the current green standard

Indoor pollutant source control include MERV 14 air filters and low emitting carpets.

The commitment to keep the spiritual aspect of the industrial character is seen by the material choices that were not only green, but approved by the whole team and community.

green design

95% of existing building structure has been reused

21.44% of the total building material content has been manufactured using recycled and green materials

18.72% of the total building material has been extracted within in 500 miles of the site

82.56% of the total wood-based material has been harvested from FSC certified forest

Materials

The ceilingabove the permit counter is covered with barcodes made of reclaimed wood timbers, lighting fixtures, and rawsteel. Each barcode could be scanned and read as different words related to the permitting process such assign and seal

green design

Another design component is the raised floor system that allows for under floor air distribution.

Hvac

Individual controls allow the cubicle worker to adjust the temperature based on their personal comfort level, saving energy in the process.

green design

Landscape and irrigation systems are design to reduced municipal water consumption by 50%

Base line annual water usage was reduced by 30 %

Rain water and condensate from the air handling units are collected at the downspouts, flow down to rain harvesting troughs, and is then released when needed from an irrigation pipe so that the water flows under the vegetated trays allowing the plants to soak it up from below.

Water Efficiency

Return on InvestmentNot for LEED points but for investment.

LEED points were the by product not the goal. Strictly following this principal the building achieved LEED GOLD rating while City ordnance only requires Certified. This policy has provided the city and the team a whole new way to talk about the efficacy of sustainability.

Office fixtures use a step ballast which allows them to operate at 100% or 50%, allowing sections to operate at half the energy usage as desired (time of day, department preference based on tasks being performed, section of office not being occupied regularly, etc.).

Two heat recovery units utilize the exhaust air to pre-cool or pre-heat the outside air this reduces the energy required to satisfy the floor air handling units, thereby saving energy.

Daylight harvesting sensors were used in the 2nd floor of the GBRC and the glass “clip on” in the main waiting area, allowing the lights to dim or turn off when there is enough daylight present to light the space

Buildings design was, governed by a strict guiding principal: any “green” technology or materials used, that exceeded the norm, were required to have an estimated return on investment of less than ten years based on 3 major areas :

Return on Investment

Thermally broken windows

Energy modeling of the exterior masonry triple wythe walls defied logic illustrating new thermally broken windows were more beneficial than wall insulation

“Model does not reflect human comfort”

To the delight design team this allowed the exterior walls to be exposed and breathe as originally designed

Any new bricks or pavers used on the project (at entry areas and on clip on/ vegetated roof) were reused from existing client projects.

Return on Investment

The chiller is a “frictionless chiller” providing outstanding performance and energy savings.

Condensate from the pretreat units is piped to supplement the make-up water for the cooling tower and provides water for the plants on the green roof.

Magnetic Bearing chiller

Return on Investment

Raised Floor System

This allowed the team to locate all major wiring and cabling under the floor, drilling down to install lights, tailored to daylighting conditions, as well as cameras and fire detection equipment eliminating the clutter of exposed conduit and maintaining future flexibility

Result of sticking to ROI is LEED GOLD

LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION 28% Energy Use Reduction

30% Water Use Reduction

75% Construction Waste Diverted

95% Building Reuse

COH Permitting and Green Resource Center

This entirely collaborative process has been a major factor in the overwhelming success of the project. The building met and exceeded all expectations. Permitting functions for different departments are now co-located allowing for shared common functions such as cashiering, printing, reception, customer service representatives, etc. It is a truly civic building filled with largely local art of all types from Dick Wray’s iconic metal wrap on an exterior elevator tower to murals, recycled metal assemblage, etched photographs, and more. More importantly, though, it is an efficiently designed workspace and a comfortable facility for the customers. The building exposes its bones to the delight of contractors and children.