The new $64 million Oakland University Human Health Building has become the first LEED Platinum certified building on a university campus in Michigan.
Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the 160,260-square-foot, five-story, terra cotta-clad building, built on the former site of a parking lot and an untended natural wetland, today features some of the industry’s most innovative, energy-efficient building systems and advanced sustainable design features.
The project’s primary funding of $40 million came from the State of Michigan legislature’s Capital Outlay Program. Then, to achieve the highest LEED rating – Platinum -- while staying on budget, Oakland University, assisted by SmithGroupJJR, successfully pursued a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, allowing the project to proceed with a full geothermal and renewable energy system.
“The collaboration between Oakland University, SmithGroupJJR and The Christman Company truly benefitted our ability to design and build the most energy-efficient and sustainable building on any college campus in Michigan,” said Terry Stollsteimer, associate vice president, facilities management, Oakland University.
The facility’s energy systems are designed to save an estimated 35% in energy costs annually compared to the LEED prescribed “baseline” building.
A geothermal field, consisting of 340 wells built 320 feet underneath the university’s main parking lot, uses the earth as an energy source for heat pumps that efficiently provide heating and cooling for the building.
A total of 117 vacuum tube solar thermal panels provide “free” heat for the building in the wintertime, the desiccant dehumidification system in the summertime, and domestic water heating all year round. Four, 25,000-gallon underground tanks store any excess solar generated hot water until it’s needed.
A rooftop photovoltaic system, comprised of more than 200 solar panels covering 3,600 square feet, provides 45 kilowatts or 3% of the building’s power.
“Environmentally friendly buildings have shown to have positive effects on the quality of their occupants’ health, so it was easy for the university to decide that the new Human Health Building should be highly sustainable,” said Chris Purdy, AIA, LEED AP, SmithGroupJJR principal-in-charge for the project. SmithGroupJJR provided architectural design and development; mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural and civil engineering; lab planning; interior design; landscape design and LEED certification and documentation.
The building’s environmental friendliness doesn’t end with the innovative, energy-efficient building systems. Outside, a grand porch created by the overhang of the upper floors protects faculty offices from the solar heat gain of a southern exposure. Exterior offices are outfitted with vertical sunshades and fritted glass to reduce glare and cut down on outside heat. Rainwater from the roof is collected and stored in a below-grade cistern, and used for site irrigation.
Inside the building, an elongated floor plan with floor-to-ceiling windows allows for abundant access to natural light and views of outdoor spaces. The interior’s use of recycled, regional and low-VOC materials includes sealed cork floors and bamboo cabinets, and walls are made with insulated cinderblock to reduce energy costs. Daylight and occupant sensors are used throughout the building to reduce energy use by occupants.
Directly south of the building is a towering, 100-year-old Oak tree that was integrated into the site design, rather than cleared. The site’s natural wetland was rehabilitated with native vegetation and invasive species were removed, thereby creating an outdoor lounge and gathering place for students.
About the Human Health Building, Oakland University
The Human Health Building (HHB) was conceived after increased student enrollment caused the university’s School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences to outgrow their separate facilities. The university envisioned a new building on the northwest corner of its 1,441-acre campus to allow the two schools a collaborative setting and an unprecedented opportunity for interaction among students, facility and community partners. Completed in August 2012, the HHB is the first structure constructed as part of the university’s proposed Health Quadrant Campus Master Plan, developed by SmithGroupJJR.
The HHB pairs advanced classrooms and hands-on instructional spaces with amenities that replicate those found in hospitals and community health centers – including a public clinic, simulation labs, and clinical and physical therapy labs. An emphasis was placed on student spaces; two-story, natural light-filled, “living room” areas on the fourth floor give students a place to gather before or after class. To learn more about the HHB from the design and construction team, go to: http://www.oakland.edu/?id=26078&sid=228
About SmithGroupJJR
SmithGroupJJR (www.smithgroupjjr.com) is a national leader in sustainable design, with 361 LEED Accredited Professionals on staff. The Oakland University HHB marks SmithGroupJJR’s 90th LEED certified project and its 11th LEED Platinum certification. The firm’s nationally recognized Learning Practice has completed the planning and design of educational facilities on over 350 campuses worldwide.
About LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
Related Stories
| Jan 20, 2011
Worship center design offers warm and welcoming atmosphere
The Worship Place Studio of local firm Ziegler Cooper Architects designed a new 46,000-sf church complex for the Pare de Sufrir parish in Houston.
| Jan 20, 2011
Construction begins on second St. Louis community center
O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex in St. Louis, designed by local architecture/engineering firm KAI Design & Build, will feature an indoor aquatic park with interactive water play features, a lazy river, water slides, laps lanes, and an outdoor spray and multiuse pool.
| Jan 20, 2011
Community college to prepare next-gen Homeland Security personnel
The College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill., began work on the Homeland Security Education Center, which will prepare future emergency personnel to tackle terrorist attacks and disasters. The $25 million, 61,100-sf building’s centerpiece will be an immersive interior street lab for urban response simulations.
| Jan 19, 2011
Industrial history museum gets new home in steel plant
The National Museum of Industrial History recently renovated the exterior of a 1913 steel plant in Bethlehem, Pa., to house its new 40,000-sf exhibition space. The museum chose VOA Associates, which is headquartered in Chicago, to complete the design for the exhibit’s interior. The exhibit, which has views of five historic blast furnaces, will feature artifacts from the Smithsonian Institution to illustrate early industrial America.
| Jan 19, 2011
Baltimore mixed-use development combines working, living, and shopping
The Shoppes at McHenry Row, a $117 million mixed-use complex developed by 28 Walker Associates for downtown Baltimore, will include 65,000 sf of office space, 250 apartments, and two parking garages. The 48,000 sf of main street retail space currently is 65% occupied, with space for small shops and a restaurant remaining.
| Jan 19, 2011
Biomedical research center in Texas to foster scientific collaboration
The new Health and Biomedical Sciences Center at the University of Houston will facilitate interaction between scientists in a 167,000-sf, six-story research facility. The center will bring together researchers from many of the school’s departments to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects. The facility also will feature an ambulatory surgery center for the College of Optometry, the first of its kind for an optometry school. Boston-based firms Shepley Bulfinch and Bailey Architects designed the project.
| Jan 19, 2011
San Diego casino renovations upgrade gaming and entertainment
The Sycuan Casino in San Diego will get an update with a $27 million, 245,000-sf renovation. Hnedak Bobo Group, Memphis, Tenn., and Cleo Design, Las Vegas, drew design inspiration from the historic culture of the Sycuan tribe and the desert landscape, creating a more open space with better circulation. Renovation highlights include a new “waterless” water entry feature and new sports bar and grill, plus updates to gaming, poker, off-track-betting, retail, and bingo areas. The local office of San Francisco-based Swinerton Builders will provide construction services.
| Jan 19, 2011
Extended stay hotel aims to provide comfort of home
Housing development company Campus Apartments broke ground on a new extended stay hotel that will serve the medical and academic facilities in Philadelphia’s University City, including the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The 11,000-sf hotel will operate under Hilton’s Homewood Suites brand, with 136 suites with full kitchens and dining and work areas. A part of the city’s EnergyWorks loan program, the project aims for LEED with a green roof, low-flow fixtures, and onsite stormwater management. Local firms Alesker & Dundon Architects and GC L.F. Driscoll Co. complete the Building Team.
| Jan 19, 2011
New Fort Hood hospital will replace aging medical center
The Army Corps of Engineers selected London-based Balfour Beatty and St. Louis-based McCarthy to provide design-build services for the Fort Hood Replacement Hospital in Texas, a $503 million, 944,000-sf complex partially funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The firm plans to use BIM for the project, which will include outpatient clinics, an ambulance garage, a central utility plant, and three parking structures. Texas firms HKS Architects and Wingler & Sharp will participate as design partners. The project seeks LEED Gold.
| Jan 19, 2011
Museum design integrates Greek history and architecture
Construction is under way in Chicago on the National Hellenic Museum, the nation’s first museum devoted to Greek history and culture. RTKL designed the 40,000-sf limestone and glass building to include such historic references as the covered walkway of classical architecture and the natural wood accents of Byzantine monasteries. The museum will include a research library and oral history center, plus a 3,600-sf rooftop terrace featuring three gardens. The project seeks LEED Silver.
