July 2010

project of the month
Studebaker East Residence Hall
Ball State University

The Studebaker East Residence Hall just completed the Design Development phase. An early demolition package has just begun construction. The demolition work will remove all of the existing building's exterior walls, interior walls, and building's systems leaving only the concrete structure and floor slabs to begin new construction.


Not only will the building make an aesthetic impact on campus, it will also be one of the University's most energy-efficient projects. Ball State University is currently undergoing a renovation project to become the largest geothermal university campus in the USA. The Studebaker East project is dovetailing with this geothermal system with a high-efficiency radiant valance mechanical system along with a high-performance exterior envelope that is designed to exceed ASHRAE standards by 30%. High performance glazing is also contributing to the high R-value being achieved in the exterior envelope. 


This project will become a new landmark on the campus and set the standard for energy-efficiency.


news
July 2010 - Sustainable Stan Award Winner

Congratulations to Seth Mathis, Schmidt Associates' BIM Technician. Seth participated in last month's LEED Boot Camp and was the first successful camper to pass the LEED Green Associates exam. Although the leaders of the Boot Camp believe they deserve all the credit for this success, the award was presented to Seth. The LEED Boot Camp involved 6 sessions of rigorous sustainability training. If all 23 of the participants from the Boot Camp succeed in passing the exam, Schmidt Associates will double their quantity of LEED APs.  Again, we would like to congratulate Seth on leading this effort.


2030 Update
The Sustainability Committee presented an update of the progress to meet the 2030 Challenge at the July Advance. Below is  a summary of the presentation for those of you who could not attend:


External Goals

• Update BIM Execution Plan - Done
• Create office standards for building envelope and orientation analysis - In progress
• Create Case Studies - Done (will roll out with new marketing materials later this year)
• Update marketing materials - In progress
• Submit implementation plan to AIA - Done
• Develop life cycle cost analysis - In development

Educational Goals

• Conduct 2nd LEED Bootcamp - Done
• Develop strategy for converting current LEED AP's - Done
• Double the number of LEED AP's in the office - In progress
• Include sustainability meeting in orientation process - Done
• Hold classes in Schmidt Academy covering 2030 challenge concepts - In progress
• Regularly update staff on 2030 Challenge initiatives during office advances - Done
• Become a USGBC education provider - Not started

Internal Goals

• Increase regularity of Sustainable Stan Awards - Done
• Develop a sustainability policy - In progress
• Make sustainability intranet site more relevant - In progress
• Update the firm's strategic plan to incorporate 2030 Challenge initiatives - Done
• Continue to reduce and monitor electrical usage - Done
• Follow up on LEED EB status - In progress

The Sustainability Committee has been actively focused on meeting these goals and gaining momentum on integrating sustainable design practices into our office.

events
We are in planning mode for the following events to occur in the coming months. We will keep you posted as more details are worked out:

• Random Acts of Greenness - Riley area cleanup/ice cream social - August
• Carpool to Work Day/Park for a day/Office picnic - September
• Thermal Comfort/Fresh Air Day - tbd
• Re-tie-rement Swap Party - this fall or not at all

opinion

The LEED Boot Camp was well attended and seemed to strike the interest of most of the campers. This along with the new analysis tools that are being used on projects (like Ball state) indicates to me that the office is headed in the right direction. It is great to witness the conscious effort being made to improve the quality of our building designs performance. Schmidt Associates is definitely on the leading edge for high-performance buildings in the region.

Yours Truly,

Sustainable Stan