by Marc Perras and Michael Palleschi
On the face of it, the two projects couldn’t be more different: one brand new office building integrating state-of-the-art sustainable design and technology from stem to stern, cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction, PV power, chilled beam HVAC, generous day-lighting and outdoor exposure in the middle of a historic block in downtown Brockton; the other, a 65-year-old elementary school on a corner block in Dorchester in need of replacing original steel and single-pane windows, and updating vintage mechanical systems that improve comfort and efficiency.
Look closer and you’ll see three commonalities: Both seek to create comfortable, inspiring places that contribute to the health and well-being of inhabitants and their neighborhoods; both showcase how 21st century methods and systems can jack up energy performance and operational efficiencies; and both need to endure well into the future.
Energy modeling revealed insights regarding envelope design, daylighting, and chilled beams for the Department of Unemployment Assistance office building in Brockton.
Jones Architecture and BVH teamed up for the projects: The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) and The Henderson Inclusion School. Though budgets and scopes varied widely, we collaborated closely to reach their goals with a shared understanding of fixed state budgets and delivery systems, stakeholder and community desires, and city and state energy mandates. This informed tightly integrated design and engineering solutions yielding buildings set for the long haul.
The DUA project involved relocating the office to a site between two buildings at a focal point for anyone driving into town. The 3-story structure houses modern, flexible workspaces for the DUA’s 150 staff on the top two floors. An outpost for Massasoit Community College focused on workforce training is housed on the ground level.
The building uses a CLT and glulam beam and column structural system – a strong, safe, beautiful and low-carbon alternative (or complement) to concrete and steel. Energy modeling by BVH revealed opportunities to cut energy use by over 40% compared to a typical building, beating the new Mass LEED+ guidelines by 15%. Painstaking coordination between Jones, BVH and Bond ensured the utilities did not intrude on the open concept, which features floor-to-ceiling windows, wood walls and exposed timber-framed ceilings.
Built in 1957 as a neighborhood elementary school in Dorchester, The Henderson Inclusion School now integrates students with disabilities into general classrooms. Teachers and support staff collaborate to help all children learn and succeed at high levels; after-school programs provide support to younger children. The school’s aged infrastructure was increasingly problematic with uncomfortably cold or warm classrooms, depending on the time of year.
Jones and BVH replaced its windows with a new double pane system that includes adjustable lights and external sunshades to reduce heat gain. After meeting with stakeholders, it became clear that upgrading the heating and implementing cooling systems would also have a big impact on improving comfort for teachers and students, and make the building available for year-round use. The team recommended cooling the building with roof mounted condensers. The new window and automated mechanical systems with integrated building controls achieve the City of Boston’s new energy goals, meeting the standard for energy efficiency initiatives and exceeding them whenever possible.
Marc Perras
This is how we meet what might seem like an impossible goal: all net-zero buildings by 2050. One building at a time, both glamorous and every day. Retrofits may seem mundane; they are anything but. They are imperative and potentially transformative. As for the exciting new buildings: We have the technology, we just have to use it. Whatever the project, the more we can collaborate and draw on each other’s best expertise and ideas, the better buildings we create, and the better off we all will be.
Michael Palleschi
Marc Perras, AIA is an associate principal at Jones Architecture, and Michael Palleschi is an associate principal and senior project manager at BVH, a Salas O’Brien Company.
