Feb. 25, 2010

Other winning features of the King Pavilion

by Teddi Barron, News Service

The LEED® Platinum certification for the College of Design's King Pavilion was based on other green design and construction features that positively affect the project itself and the broader community. These features include:

Green roof

The living roof is sown with 20 varieties of hardy, colorful plants (including 14 varieties of sedum) in a gravel-sand medium, underpinned with three layers of substrate materials that control moisture flow and protect the roof membrane. The roof helps reduce the "heat island" effect in the summer, prevents up to 80 percent of rain and snowmelt from flowing into storm sewers as runoff, and requires little maintenance or repair.

Stormwater management

The site around the building was developed to demonstrate water-retention techniques. Percolation allows the water to seep back into the soils instead of being piped directly into the storm sewers. Rain gardens and detention cells under permeable paved areas help slow surface rainwater flow into local storm sewers.

Natural ventilation

A significant portion of the new building is ventilated naturally (in warm weather) with operable windows. Because the King Pavilion will not be used during the summer, it is not air conditioned, but has moving air and dehumidification. Motion and carbon dioxide sensors in the building switch blowers on to circulate air when they detect occupants in the studios.

Indoor air quality

The project team focused on selecting interior finishes that would not be harmful to the building's indoor air quality. These included low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint and adhesives, polished concrete floors and no added urea-formaldehyde in casework. The building also has an intensive air filtration system, and the team completed indoor air quality testing prior to the building being occupied.