28 MAY 2013
DC’s New Consolidated Forensic Laboratory Receives LEED Platinum Certification
The District of Columbia’s Consolidated Forensic Laboratory designed by HOK has received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“I would like to congratulate our entire design, construction and project team for achieving this distinction,” says Brian J. Hanlon, DGS Director. “This certification showcases the agency’s dedication to build high quality, sustainable buildings for our sister agencies, residents, and visitors of the District of Columbia.”
The Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (CFL) is a cutting-edge, award winning science facility designed to provide the District of Columbia with critical public safety and health science infrastructure. Co-locating the Department of Forensic Sciences and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the CFL provides advanced laboratory and work facilities designed for the safety of the analysts and the public.
“We are particularly pleased that a lab, one of the most energy-intensive building types, was able to achieve the highest level of LEED certification available,” says Bill Hellmuth, HOK’s president and director of design. “It is a testament to the commitment of the District as well as the design and construction team to execute a high performance, high design project that not only exceeds the requirements of the DC Green Building Act, but blows them away.”
“Not only do we conduct excellent science inside the CFL but the building itself embodies the cutting edge of science and technology, helping to make the District a more environmentally sound and livable city,” says Dr. Max Houck, Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences.
The sustainable features of the Consolidated Forensic Lab include:
Energy: An orientation and a high performance, dynamic façade that reduces building energy loads. An automated louver system allows daylight and views to offices while significantly reducing solar heat gain and glare.
Water: The CFL uses high efficiency flush and flow fixtures to achieve 42 percent water savings. Stormwater management is a major concern in the District. The Lab’s extensive green roof and the reuse of the remaining stormwater runoff, for cooling tower make-up, translates into saving over two million gallons of potable water per year.
Indoor Environmental Quality: More than 90 percent of the Lab’s work areas have access to daylight and views. A high level of indoor air quality was maintained during construction and occupancy through the use of low-emitting materials and high performance ventilation and filtration measures. A demountable partition system allows the office space to be easily reconfigured as the District agencies’ needs change.
Materials: Materials for the lab include 27 percent recycled content, 35 percent regional and 76 percent certified wood. More than 90 percent of construction and demolition waste was diverted from landfills through recycling and salvage measures.
“To support the District’s commitment to sustainability, the Lab also features reduced parking, carpool and low emitting vehicle designated parking, bicycle parking and locker rooms, proximity to three Metro stations and multiple bus lines, and an allocation of the Green Power purchased by the District every year,” says Hanlon.
Source: Department of General Services