The design was realized through the close collaboration of the design team with SUNY-ESF administrators, faculty and students. The site and performance goals for a “gateway building” were defined by SUNY-ESF’s visionary plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2015. Without such a clear client mandate, the design is unlikely to have unfolded. The State University Construction Fund was also instrumental in supporting the design, the first state-sponsored LEED Platinum project.
Design iterations benefited from repeated energy modeling and cost estimating. The design team’s original Energy Use Intensity target was between 25 and 40 kBtu/sf-yr, based on other design efforts for a variety of high performance academic and office buildings. The final energy model is within this range. As modeled, energy use proved exceptionally sensitive to assumptions about hours of operation, assembly uses, and commercial kitchen equipment, among other factors.
Sustainable measures were tracked from initial concept design to ensure LEED Platinum level certification. The design team and SUNY-ESF representatives were particularly committed to demonstrating innovation in the progress toward campus carbon neutrality, the combined-heat-and-power plant as a teaching tool, and the intensive green roof used for restoration landscape studies. The design team, SUNY-ESF, SUCF, and contractor worked closely to coordinate LEED-related elements during the construction phase. Early focus proved key to the ultimate LEED submittal applying for 88 points.
Because of a personnel change, the current combined heat-and-power plant operator is new to SUNY-ESF and did not participate in the design or construction process until after the soft opening. The design reflects input by his predecessor. Complicating matters, construction completion of the combined heat-and-power plant dragged on well past other parts of the building. Close communication will continue to be necessary for smooth start-up operations.
Evaluation of actual performance is being attempted by the design team and SUNY-ESF. However, full occupancy of the Gateway Center did not occur until June 2013. So far, the building is being heated with only partial systems running and inactive metering. Commissioning is on-going and is expected to be completed this winter. Meanwhile, now funded photovoltaics are expected to be installed soon.
The lessons learned are that personnel continuity is invaluable but not always possible, and that construction completion and start-up demand focus so as not to extend the project schedule. Clear documentation of Basis of Design and operating sequences must be clear, independent of personnel.