Tuesday, June 18, 2013

June 2013

project of the month
Scott College of Business - Indiana State University
Scott College of Business - Phase 2 Addition
The Scott College of Business was recently awarded LEED Silver Certification. This was no easy feat considering that the building's mechanical system only contributed 1 point towards the goal.  The project was completed last fall.  It involved the adaptive reuse of a 1930's Federal courthouse into a state-of-the-art university classroom building. To learn more about the project visit the Indiana State University link below:
Indiana State University's Scott College of Business Portfolio Fall 2012 Magazine

Breakdown of the points obtained for the project was as follows::

  • Sustainable Sites design - 19 - The location of the project works great for alternative transportation, and development density and connectivity. 19 of the projects 51 points were achieved in Sustainable Sites.
  • Water Efficiency - 6 - Water efficient landscaping was provided with no irrigation used, and water use in the building was 30% better than the baseline, utilizing dual flush fixtures, and aerated, metered faucets.
  • Energy & Atmosphere - 4 - The project meets the project baseline for optimizing energy performance (ASHRAE 90.1 - 2007) but does not exceed it.  Points were obtained for enhanced commissioning and enhanced refrigerant management.
  • Materials and Resources - 7 - Reuse of the existing building contributed points. The project diverted over 75% of its waste from disposal. The use of materials with recycled content and within 500 miles of the project site (regional materials) also contributed points.  
  •  Indoor Environmental Quality - 9 - The project utilized low-emitting materials throughout. the project also utilized systems with a high level of controllability for user comfort.
  • Innovation & Design Process - 2 - A point was obtained for having a LEED AP on the project.  A point was also awarded for the utilizing the building as a teaching tool for sustainable building practices.
  • Regional Priority - 4 - The project was awarded the maximum amount of regional credits which included development density, bicycle use, heat island roof, and building reuse.
The total points achieved for the project was 51.  The project has also received several awards since it has opened. To read more about it refer to the link below:

news
June Sustainable Stan Award Winner
Daniel Sturm, Construction Systems Support, is this month's Sustainable Stan Award winner for his role assisting the recycling efforts at Schmidt Associates. Every week, or whenever needed, the recycled bins are emptied, weighed, and trucked to the local recycling hub by Dan, Steve Sturm, and Craig Flandermeyer.  This is an effort that goes relatively unnoticed in the office but should definitely be appreciated (see below for more info). The months of April and May saw a spike in the amount of cardboard recycled due to the office renovation. Recycling is a key activity to making Schmidt Associates a sustainable office environment. Thanks Dan for your efforts with this sometimes dirty job.

Schmidt Recycling at a glance
The Sturm truck loaded and ready to make a drop
Recycling at Schmidt Associates is a personal mission for some of the Schmidt workforce.  In 2007, Schmidt Associates focused its efforts on it recycling program. Wastebaskets at people's desks were changed into paper recycling receptacles. Centralized trash cans were provided for non-recyclable trash. This made recycling much more convenient for everyone and the the results showed vast improvements.  

Recycling for the Schmidt Associates is not collected by a service though.  The products are collected, weighed, and transported to a local plant in an employee's truck.  See chart below for a breakdown of the recycling since it started being tracked in 2009.  The numbers for cardboard have spiked over the last few months due to the office renovation.  There were roughly 275 pounds collected in April and May.

Bike-to-Work Day
May 17, 2013 was the annual Bike-to-work Day.  We'd like to recognize those workers from Schmidt Associates who took the challenge and pedaled in on that day:
Steve Sturm
Nick Molter
Eric Broemel
Craig Flandermeyer

Hopefully others will take advantage of the great weather and bike to work as well.  Rumor has it, Indianapolis could be adding a bike share program in 2014.

opinion

First, I'd like to apologize for skipping last month to bring you the Journal. The office has been going though renovations to move the front door from Vermont St. to Massachusetts Avenue and I really wanted to include an article on the work.  However, the timing didn't quite work as I'd hoped. Look forward to learning more about our renovation in next month's Journal.  

See you then,
Sustainable Stan