Green Goals of the Science Center Project

The following is a statement of goals, principles, and assumptions concerning the pro-environmental aspects of the Swarthmore Science Center Project. Please direct comments to the Green Team chair, Carr Everbach.

1. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED 2.0) document is a useful tool for examining various green aspects of the project, and we will therefore proceed with recommendations that maximize our LEED 2.0 "score," subject to the economic and programmatic constraints of the project. In its meeting on Tuesday, April 18, 2000, the Committee as a Whole agreed to authorize the Design team to begin documentation in compliance with LEED 2.0.
2. Recycling of as much material as possible, especially during demolition and construction, is to be a Green Team goal. We will monitor compliance of demolition/construction recycling by contractors, including on-site observation by Green Team Task Force members. Specifications should be written to recycle at least 50% (by weight) of demolition waste, including excavated soil and rock, as per LEED 2.0, Materials/Resources Item 3.
3. Green Team members will assist the Design Team in identifying sources of building materials (including wooden lab casework) located within 500 miles of Swarthmore. We will also research systems considered in the design so that we can present the environmental strengths/weaknesses of each to the Committee as a Whole.
4. We anticipate a landscaping design that will reduce peak stormwater runoff from the site below what it is currently, and furthermore that the quality of the stormwater (suspended solids, phosphorus, nitrogen) will not suffer. Every effort should be made to use excess stormwater on site, for instance in irrigation, chiller plant operations, for water features, for laser cooling, etc.
5. Use of potable drinking water in the building will be minimized wherever possible, consistent with the program.
6. Energy use in the Science Center will be minimized wherever possible, consistent with the program. Air changes, in particular, should occur only at the rate necessary for maintenance of air quality standards, and the use of heat exchangers or other devices included to minimize energy loss. Where possible, laboratories with fume hoods and other critical air handling areas should be clustered to minimize the volume of rapid air changes required in the building. Heat exchange systems should be employed wherever practicable. Energy monitoring systems should be included, both for pedagogical value and as an aid to maintaining best performance.
7. Innovative technologies, including green roofs (sod), photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, ground-source heat pumps, and solar hot-water heaters should be employed only if the technologies are cost-effective and low-maintenance. The pedagogical value of some technologies which are not cost-effective or low-maintenance may argue for their inclusion in a pilot or small-scale fashion, with possibility for expansion later as the technologies mature.
8. Internal furnishings of the building, including furniture, flooring, and even laboratory equipment, should be chosen with minimizing environmental harm in mind. Some items, such as stand-alone laboratory equipment that uses CFCs (e.g. temperature bath) may remain in the building but will be identified by the Green Team and flagged for replacement/upgrade as soon as practicable.
9. The Green Team will be responsive to community members' concerns about environmental issues of the project, such as truck noise, chiller plant design and operation, and safety.

Send message to the chair of the Science Project User's Group, Rachel Merz (rmerz1@swarthmore.edu)

last updated 4/17/01