Spring 2007, Volume 10 Newsletter:
46 Blackstone Becomes Harvard's First LEED Platinum Building April 2007
Embracing principles of sustainability from the project's inception, the renovation of the 46 Blackstone Street complex is the most ambitious green building project Harvard has ever undertaken. Dedication to sustainability throughout the process was formally recognized when Blackstone was awarded a Platinum Rating by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. This is the highest level possible in the LEED system and is Harvard’s first LEED Platinum building!
The client, University Operations Services (UOS), set sustainability goals early in the process by including sustainability language in the Request for Proposals to the designers. A primary objective was to learn from the project and to provide an example of how high-performance building renovations can be done in a cost-effective way. This ensured that sustainability was a primary focus at every stage of the design and construction process.
In June 1888 the Cambridge Electric Light Company built the Blackstone power station to provide sufficient electricity for the growing city. The power station has provided steam to heat the Harvard campus since 1930. Harvard UOS purchased the Blackstone plant and its several outbuildings in April 2003. The 40,000 square foot renovation of the former Standard Diary Company Building was completed in May 2006. The building houses several formerly decentralized UOS departments: Engineering & Utilities, Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Transportation Services, the Operations Center, the Green Campus Initiative, and the UOS administrative, financial, and technology groups. A few highlights of the building include:
Site
• former impervious parking lot converted into pervious green space with permeable paving and a bioretention pond system – expected to reduce stormwater runoff by over 37%
• no permanent irrigation system through the use of native/adapted planting
• exterior lighting designed to reduce light pollution and trespassWater
• occupant water use is reduced by 43% compared to Energy Policy Act of 1992-compliant plumbing fixtures using dual-flush toilets, waterless urinals, and low-flow fixturesEnergy
• ground source heat pumps for cooling
• designed to be 42% more efficient than a code-compliant building
• valance units for heating and cooling, decoupled from the ventilation system
• enthalpy wheel for latent and sensible heat recovery
• demand control ventilation
• machineroom-less elevator, 60% more efficient than a conventional hydraulic elevatorMaterials
• diverted 99.42% of construction and demolition waste from landfills – including salvaging materials for use in Guatemala and Jamaica
• environmentally preferable materials include products with recycled content and manufactured locally rapidly renewable materials such as bamboo and marmoleum flooring
• over 60% of the new wood is certified by the Forest Stewardship CouncilIndoor Environmental Quality
• extensive daylight and views
• low-emitting paints, adhesives, sealants, carpets, and composite wood
• green cleaning program
Thanks to the hard work of many people in UOS and the project teams, Blackstone earned 56 LEED points in five environmental categories. This project is not only a great historic (and now LEED Platinum) building, but it shows how an effective planning process and leadership commitment can achieve phenomenal results. It will serve as an example of Harvard’s commitment to environmentally responsible construction for years to come.