Making the Case for High Performance Building

Overview

• Location: Brunswick, VT
• Building type(s): Commercial office, Interpretive Center
• New construction
• 8,320 ft2 (773 m2)
• Project scope: 2-story building
• Rural setting
• Completed 2006
• Rating: Energy Star --Level: 75 points
  Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-EB, v.2.0 --Level: Silver (42 points)

This building is the headquarters and main visitor facility for the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. The Nulhegan Basin is located in northeastern Vermont, near the borders with New Hampshire and Quebec, Canada.

The facility provides educational space for visitors as well as office and conference space for staff and volunteers. The project was developed as a prototype for future facilities with similar staffing requirements and public visitation.

In addition to the main building, the project includes parking, underground utilities, and onsite water supply and wastewater disposal. The site also contains a residence and a maintenance building.

Environmental Aspects

The project is located on a previously disturbed brownfield site. It includes a bicycle racks for visitors and employees. The project team landscaped with native plants, providing habitat for wildlife and eliminating the need for irrigation. Inside, the project features low-flow toilets and faucets. Combined, these strategies reduce the project's use of potable water by approximately 37%.

Energy-efficiency strategies include daylighting, heat-recovery ventilation, an efficient wood stove, Energy Star appliances, and occupancy and photo sensors to control the electric lights. The project team selected materials for their recycled content, regional manufacturing, and low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The indoor environment is enhanced by large operable windows, which provide daylighting, views, and, in pleasant weather, fresh air and passive cooling.

Owner & Occupancy

• Owned and occupied by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal government
• Typically occupied by 5 people, 40 hours per person per week; and 5 visitors per week, 1 hour per visitor per week

Building Programs

Keywords

Integrated team, Design charrette, Training, Green framework, Green specifications, Contracting, Operations and maintenance, Brownfield redevelopment, Open space preservation, Wildlife habitat, Indigenous vegetation, Stormwater management, Efficient fixtures and appliances, Drought-tolerant landscaping, Insulation levels, Glazing, Airtightness, Passive solar, Lighting control and daylight harvesting, Efficient lighting, Durability, Benign materials, Salvaged materials, Recycled materials, Local materials, C&D waste management, Connection to outdoors, Daylighting, Natural ventilation, Low-emitting materials

Photo credit: Photo by Kim Roseberry, courtesy of Oak Point Associates