August 2013

project of the month
New Headquarters for Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Hoosier Energy HQ exterior rendering

As an outgrowth of a 2011 Strategic planning effort led by Schmidt Associates, Hoosier Energy made the decision that a new Headquarters facility was required to enhance their overall operations.  The existing site was constrained in size, had inadequate access and parking, limited flexibility, and was challenged to provide appropriate technology and security.

The new facility will be located in Bloomington near the Tapp Road and State Road 37 intersection.  It is the desire of Hoosier Energy that this building will enhance their overall operations and improve recruiting efforts by creating interactive and collaborative work areas with a high level of technology and flexibility.

Within a $27.5M total project cost, the new facility will be an 83,000 SF building that is three stories with a basement under one wing.  A future addition has been master planned that will add approximately 30,000 SF.

This building will house the administrative functions for the Hoosier Energy REC, which includes 6 major departments: Senior Staff, Management Services, Business Development, Finance and Accounting, Power Supply, and Power Delivery.  The building has been sized to accommodate the current staff of approximately 115 as well as 50 future staff.

Hoosier Energy HQ Lobby rendering

Sustainability will also be a major focus of the new facility. Hoosier Energy has a desire to pursue LEED Gold certification as a means to indicate their commitment to the environment and to clearly communicate and validate the sustainable design initiatives within the project.  Some of the primary goals include:

• Maintaining a compact building footprint to preserve as many trees as possible
• Maximize views to the woods while providing natural light to work spaces
• Use of Car charging stations
• A 40% reduction in water usage with low flow fixtures, including dual flushing toilets
• Create a highly energy efficient facility with a Geothermal VRV system, LED light fixtures, daylight harvesting, and receptacle switching to cut down on phantom loads.  Project energy efficiency is approximately 45% better than the LEED baseline.

As part of the early design meetings with the Owner, several mechanical system options were evaluated.  Based on the desire to show how efficient an electrically operated mechanical system can be, three variations on a VRV system were explored: Air cooled, Water cooled, and Geothermal.  Early life cycle costing showed that an air cooled system would be the least expensive over a 25 year life cycle by almost $400,000 over a geothermal system.  Even with this in mind, the Owner decided to pursue geothermal due to its overall energy efficiency benefits.  Once bids were received, it illustrated that, in fact, a geothermal VRV system will be less costly over a 25 year life cycle by almost $300,000.

This project was a great example of what early energy modeling and analysis can do in terms of right-sizing equipment and being intentional with the design of the building envelop relative to energy performance.  Through early energy models, it was determined that 14 geothermal wells could be eliminated if an improved glazing was used on the west facing windows.  This resulted in an overall savings to the project of approximately $20,000.

In addition, sun studies made it possible to determine the optimal overhang distance for the soffit.

As you can see, technology has made it possible for the design team to do early analysis and help to make informed decisions on system decisions to get the greatest return on investment relative to energy efficiency.

The Owner is projected to occupy the new facility by December 1, 2014.

events

Schmidt Associates Energy Fair 2013
Plans have begun for the 3rd annual Energy Fair at Schmidt Associates.  Each year this event has gotten bigger and better.  This year should be no different.  Stay tuned for more info.  The event has been preliminarily slated for  late October.

opinion
The entry above about Hoosier Energy demonstrates how building performance has really changed the way designers look at buildings.  Being able to identify the differences changes in glass characteristics can have in the number of geothermal wells needed is amazing.  Early performance modeling programs like Sefaira and Ecotect are helping designers quickly understand  implications of tweaking design options in dollar values that the Owner will spend when operating the facility.  This kind of analysis helps justify some of the premiums that high-performance design sometimes requires. It also helps designers realize other means to achieve the performance they are targeting.  Whatever it does to the design its obvious that it is improving the process of design and achieving better results.  The Hoosier Energy Headquarters project will be a great project to see constructed and an even greater project to see in operation. Smarter design is what we are about.

Sustainable Stan

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:

Schmidt Newsblog - ISU Scott College of Business

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

April 2013

project of the month
Studebaker East Residence Hall - Ball State University

View of west entrance

Occupied by students in January 2013, the Studebaker East Residence Hall has already made an impact on the Ball State University Campus.  It has become the first building on campus to achieve LEED Gold certification. A major contributor to achieving this level of certification was the use of valance mechanical units (see article below for explanation on how the valance system works) that tie into the campus geothermal loop, maximizing the efficiency of the system. The mechanical system earned 14 of the project's 66 points. Other key sustainability points were awarded for site items and materials.

View of main entry feature wall

Typical resident room

The project is considered a renovation, although the only existing piece of the original building that remains are the concrete structure.  The building is an 8-story dormitory for 430 students, equipped with 2-story lounge spaces, a large multi-purpose room to be used for meetings and presentations, an exercise room, music rooms, and other support spaces. 

The project was also recently awarded runner-up in the Indiana IIDA IDEA awards for Sustainable Design Interiors.

  This facility will be the home to the International and Language Living-Learning Communities (students studying foreign languages, international students, or American students interested in international topics)

The facility has become a great gateway to the campus from the east, and sets a new benchmark for Ball State's commitment to sustainability.

news
UnderSTANding LEED:
Valance Mechanical Systems:
Valance heating and cooling units are similar to radiator units, only these units also cool spaces.  The units utilize hydronic coils mounted in an enclosure.  They are typically located close to ceilings near an outside wall.  The units do not require the use of fans to provide heating or cooling to the space. Water runs through the coils provided from system pumps located in a mechanical room in the building  The hot or cold water coils induce air to flow through the valance unit and temper the air. 

Valance systems offer the following benefits:
1.  Quiet - There is no fan noise with the system. They are virtually silent.
2.  Efficient - No fans are used to re-circulate the air. The coils operate at a very efficient point, since the air velocity is low across the coil.
3.  No draft - With no fans or blowers, the valance system provides consistent operation with gentle air circulation.
4.  Easy maintenance - With no moving parts or filters, the only maintenance required is occasional surface cleaning.
5.  Easy installation - The units do not require motor connections, just hook into heating and cooling piping and it is complete.

image courtesy of Sigma Corp.

opinion
It is amazing how technology has advanced the design and construction industries.  Not only are we now tracking building performance to a higher degree and improving with every project, but project designs are being completed in the blink of an eye compared to how long they took a mere 10 years ago.  Schmidt Associates is currently designing a charter school project that will be partially occupied this coming August. (That is roughly a four month design and construction period.)  To succeed with a project like that means that the team must have a good understanding of the materials and systems that will be utilized, and integrate them with other disciplines work quickly.  The team will also have to work with the contractors to streamline the construction process to keep everyone on schedule.  Any hangups or indecision could jeopardize the occupancy in August. The biggest tool that has allowed the design profession to adjust to schedules like these is the advancement of BIM (Building Information Modelling). Programs, like Revit, do not merely draw the designs for projects anymore, they model the building in three dimensions, allowing coordination to occur at a higher level earlier in the design process.  I could go on and on about the benefits of BIM, but the main point I want to stress is that it has revolutionized the design process, and allows all disciplines to work smarter and faster. Who knows what design will be like in the next 5 years, but it is surely going to be very intelligent.

March 2013

project of the month
Michael A. Evans Center for Health Services - Marian University

 Construction of the new 140,000 square foot Center for Health Sciences is nearing completion. With completion expected this May, contractors are now adding finishing touches to the facility.  The project will house the first College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indiana (and the first Catholic school in the country)as well as a School of Nursing.

The project is seeking LEED Gold certification.  Key contributing factors to achieve this level are as follows:
  - Site - 21 of the 60 points being sought for the project are from the site category. The project is located in close proximity to major Indianapolis thoroughfares and the Marian University campus. An additional 3 points were achieved due to Regional priority credits in site development as well.
  - VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) mechanical system places the building at the 26% more efficient than ASHRAE 90.1 - 2007 threshold.
  - Use of sustainable building materials
  - Exemplary performance in several design aspects.

The project will anchor the southeast corner of the Marian University campus and become their new flagship facility. It will truly become a landmark for the campus and for the city.  
news
March Sustainable Stan Award

Drew Gingrich, Architectural Graduate, has received the March Sustainable Stan Award. Drew recently passed the LEED-GA accreditation exam with flying colors.  Drew is currently working on the Hoosier Energy Headquarters project which will be seeking LEED Gold certification.  Drew also helps the office monitor its energy usage by reading and logging the 9 electric meters in use every week. His efforts have made Schmidt Associates smarter about the energy use of our office.

opinion
2030 Challenge Update
Schmidt Associates, Inc. is one of the 10 Indiana firms who have adopted the 2030 challenge. This adoption represents a commitment to producing high-performance projects designed to meet the 2030 Challenge and reduce their carbon emissions and use of energy. The goal is to have all projects be carbon-neutral (using no fossil fuel greenhouse gas emitting energy to operate) by the year 2030. To reach this goal the challenge has instituted thresholds that ratchet up every 5 years. Currently the threshold is for projects to be designed to be 60% more efficient than the regional or country average for that building type (based on Energy Star). 

As mentioned in previous blog entries, 2012 was a banner year for Schmidt Associates. As part of the 2030 Challenge all work in a design phase in 2012 needs to be reported to gauge how well the firm is doing in meeting the goals.  Schmidt Associates had 28 projects in a design phase in 2012.  Of those projects, 3 will be seeking LEED certification at some level.  Not all of these projects will meet the 2030 challenge goals (some projects represent window replacements, or mechanical systems only work) but the firm has made great strides to ensure that making energy performance is focal point of the design. 

It takes more than just the designer to make this commitment happen. Although the projects designed are performing very efficiently, it takes an extra effort to reach even the 60% threshold. Often this threshold requires obtaining power from a renewable energy power source or generating power on-site.  This can greatly affect cost and challenge Owners priorities. This piece of the design needs to be understood very early in the process and have buy-in from all parties. 

Lake Central High School

Without the use of renewable energy, the Lake Central High School project achieved roughly 50% reduced energy compared to the average facility of this type.  The design for this project utilizes: a high efficiency VRV mechanical system, a high-performance building envelope that exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 - 2007 by roughly 25%, and high efficiency lighting. Although the building scores a 95 out of 100 in Energy Star's Energy Performance Rating it still falls short of the 2030 Challenge goals for a 60% more efficient building. However this facility is over 800,000 square feet. Renewable energy to power a building of this size would be cost prohibitive and quite a substantial undertaking.   


In the upcoming months Schmidt Associates will examine what it would take to modify a project currently in design to be a net-zero (carbon neutral) facility.  We'll keep you posted.  Just remember to keep the big picture in mind.

   

2012 Year in Review

foreword
The Sustainable Stan Journal has been in a dormant stage the last few months. You could say we were being sustainable by reducing the amount of information being placed on the Internet.  The truth of the matter is that Stan was addressing more pressing matters.  As you will see from this post, there have been many great projects coming to fruition for Schmidt Associates over the past year. We are hoping this is an indicator that the economy is on the upswing.    

2012 projects 
2012 has been a banner year for Schmidt Associates.  Below are  some of the project highlights that occurred.

Illinois Fall Creek Center - Ivy Tech Community College

Completed this year, the project won 5 Indianapolis Monumental Affair Awards (Honor Awards for Architecture, Adaptive Reuse, and Construction, a Merit Award for Engineering, and an Achievement Award for Community Development). The project also won the Honor Award for the 2012 AIA Indiana's Design Awards. 
The building's design preserved the former St. Vincent Hospital building facade, along with key architectural features including the grand staircase. These features became the face of the new state-of-the-art, 211,650 square feet building that houses 29 classrooms, 8 science labs, computer labs, and 6 study rooms.  The project integrated a high-efficiency VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) mechanical system that is expected to be 15% more efficient than what is required by the Energy Code.  The project is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.

Scott College of Business - Indiana State University 

The Scott College of Business at Indiana State University opened this year. This project was the 3rd phase of work on a previous Federal Courthouse and US Post Office facility. The project involved major renovation to accommodate the educational program of the school, while maintaining/restoring the original character of the building and complimenting it with new materials.  Reusing the existing facility kept a historical piece of Terre  Haute intact and provided a highly sustainable building. The building is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.

Studebaker East Residence Hall - Ball State University

The Studebaker East Residence Hall at Ball State University opened this year. This project involved stripping the existing building down to only its structural frame and rebuilding a new facility around it. The 8-story building includes a chilled beam mechanical system that is connected to the campus geothermal loop, making it one of the most energy-efficient buildings on campus.  The project is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences - Marian University

This new facility is currently under construction and expected to be completed in 2013. The project will be the flagship facility for the campus and the first Catholic School of Osteopathic Medicine in the country. The project is expected to achieve LEED Gold.     
Marian University video on the project

Corporate College and Culinary Labs - Ivy Tech Community College

The old Stouffer's Hotel to the north of downtown Indianapolis was renovated to become the new Ivy Tech Corporate College and Conference Center.  The facility is 196,000 square feet and had several design challenges-including 8'-8" floor-to-floor heights - and maintaining 4 floors of occupied residential units in the the center of the building.  The project includes the state's largest culinary arts program. A new restaurant on the top floor allows the students to exhibit their skills.  The mechanical system for the facility was replaced, and the exterior envelope was improved to exceed ASHRAE 90.1 2007 standards, providing Ivy Tech with a new sustainable facility in an old body.

Lake Central Schools

Lake Central High School

Protsman Elementary School

The Lake Central School Corporation awarded Schmidt Associates several projects related to their $160 million bond issue. The largest pieces of work involve additions and renovations to Lake Central High School and construction of a new Protsman Elementary School and then demolition of the existing elementary school.  The design and documentation of the projects was on a very aggressive schedule. Both projects have been designed to achieve Energy Star certification, utilizing VRF (variable refrigerant flow) mechanical systems that improve their energy efficiency. The high school construction began in the summer of 2012 and the first pieces of the additions are scheduled to open around the end of the year in 2013.

We are excited to see the construction of these projects take shape and look forward to the other projects that should make 2013 just as remarkable as 2012.

news

New LEED APs
The following Schmidt Associates employees became LEED accredited professionals in 2012:

Kionna Walker -
Architectural Graduate

 

Seth Mathis - BIM Designer

Office improvements

Schmidt Associates' office is once again participating in Energy Star's Battle of the Buildings. This is a national competition to see what facilities can reduce the most amount of energy spent. In the fall of 2011, several improvements were made to reduce energy consumption at Schmidt Associates, including replacing a rooftop mechanical unit and associated controls, and replacing fluorescent lights in Interiors to LED to mention a couple.  These improvements have made a noticeable difference in the energy spent at Schmidt Associates. In 2012, several thermostats were replaced with the new Nest thermostats, that allow offsite controllability and provide monitoring/behavioral adjustments to temperature setting. We have continued to track our energy usage on a weekly and monthly basis to track the progress being made. Schmidt Associates has reduced about 12% of its energy usage in the last two years.

2nd Annual Schmidt Associates Energy Fair
In November of 2011, Schmidt Associates held its 2nd Energy Fair. This year's fair was even larger than the inaugural fair, with invitations being extended to Schmidt Associates clients. The fair included a presentation titled The Importance of Energy and the Bottom Line, by Eric Broemel, Mechanical Engineer at Schmidt Associates (and member of Schmidt's Sustainability Committee) and Dan Schmidt, the current Director for Energy and the Environment for the State of Indiana. The event also included booths by many local and national vendors of sustainable building products. Thanks for the efforts of all involved, especially the vendors (see list below) in making this event a success.
2012 Energy Fair vendors:
Energizing Indiana, Enviromax, ESL/Spectrum, Hubbel, IPL, ITS, NuSun Solar, Redwood Systems/Anixter, Specified Lighting, VCS/OCS

opinion  
2012 was indeed a great year for Schmidt Associates.  The projects that were completed and the projects that just started construction all had unique challenges. When you look at the entire body of work, along with the highlighted projects above, it is remarkable how much work has been produced and the quality of the work.  

We look forward to continued success in 2013. A major change for the office this year will be the relocation of the front door of Schmidt Associates to Massachusetts Avenue.  Seating moves have already begun to get ready for construction to begin (we consider having construction in our office as customer empathy training).  The project will incorporate many of the same sustainable building practices used in Schmidt's projects, including a VRV mechanical system. 

We will continue to keep you updated on our renovation progress along with other high-performance projects throughout the year. We hope you have a great 2013 as well.