Last November, Denver Water, the largest water utility in Colorado, opened its new six-story, 186,000-sf administration building, located southeast of downtown Denver.
As part of the public agency’s multiphase modernization that linked eight new or fully renovated facilities within a 35-acre operations campus, the building was designed to achieve LEED-NC Platinum and Net Zero Energy certification standards.
The administration building itself is long and thin, calling to mind a slot canyon formed by natural water flow over the years.
Its sustainable features include onsite solar, a radiant slab powered by the complex’s central utility plant to conserve heat and energy, a high-efficiency triple pane-glazed window system, and biophilic design. The building also taps into one of the adjacent potable water conduits from Denver Water’s own water supply as a variable temperature heat-sync.
GETTING THE ‘RIGHT’ WATER TO THE ‘RIGHT PLACE’
The utility's One Water program recycles water for use by the buildings on Denver Water's corporate campus.
To address water sustainability, Denver Water has developed “One Water,” a holistic distribution approach that manages the utility’s water resources for long-term resilience and reliability. Large water users, such as parks and cooling towers, often don’t require water that’s potable, which presents opportunities for putting alternative water supplies to work.
One of the most visible applications of One Water has been Denver Water’s recycled water system, which takes water used by homes and runs it through a wastewater plant to reintroduce the water safely into the built environment, at a nondrinking standard.
The facility’s two most innovative “One Water” strategies are the rainwater capture for irrigation and onsite wastewater treatment and recycling for reuse in the admin building and on the site. The design of these systems is a first in Colorado, with Denver Water working to expand state regulations and clear a path for other new developments to work on their own reuse solutions.
Jim Lochhead, Denver Water’s CEO and Manager, says that One Water is the culmination of nearly a decade of planning and years of construction. Stantec designed the new administration building, Mortenson Construction was the GC, and Trammell Crow the owner’s rep.
“Stantec’s commitment to sustainability aligns with Denver Water’s aspiration to make a long-lasting difference in the region,” says Josh Gould, Stantec’s Vice President-Buildings. “Together we pushed the boundaries of water use and reuse, creating safe and replicable water efficiency solutions that are scalable nationwide.”
Related Stories
| May 3, 2011
What green building types are most likely to get noticed?
The general public isn’t terribly aware of green buildings in their area, according to a TD Bank survey of 1,510 consumers within major metro markets in its Maine to Florida footprint. The bank conducted the poll to better understand consumers’ knowledge of green or sustainable buildings. According to the poll, these green buildings are most likely to get noticed.
| May 3, 2011
Green building materials in U.S. to exceed $71 billion in 2015
Demand for green building materials is projected to expand 13.0% annually to $71.1 billion in 2015, slightly outpacing the growth of building construction expenditures over that period, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm. While the rising use of green materials will support gains, the most important driver for demand will be the expected rebound in the construction market.
| Apr 26, 2011
Ed Mazria on how NYC can achieve carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030
The New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects invited Mr. Mazria to present a keynote lecture to launch its 2030 training program. In advance of that lecture, Jacob Slevin, co-founder of DesignerPages.com and a contributor to The Huffington Post, interviewed Mazria about creating a sustainable vision for the future and how New York City's architects and designers can rise to the occasion.
| Apr 22, 2011
GSA testing 16 emerging sustainable technologies, practices
The GSA is testing and evaluating 16 emerging sustainable building technologies and practices in select federal facilities under its Green Proving Ground program. Testing will determine the most effective technologies that may then be replicated on a wider-scale basis throughout the GSA inventory with the goal of transforming markets for these technologies.
| Apr 19, 2011
Is a building sustainable if it kills birds?
Migratory birds were flying into the windows and falling, dead or injured, to the foot of the LEED-Platinum FBI building in Chicago. The FBI building isn't the only LEED-certified structure to cause problems for migratory birds, however. Some of the more than 33,000 LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. use large amounts of glass to bring in natural light and save on energy—and all that glass can confuse birds.
| Apr 19, 2011
Philadelphia opens massive, LEED-Silver recycling center
The 60,000-square-foot single-stream material recovery facility (MRF) in Philadelphia will process around 20,000 tons of newspaper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, and plastic every month, and will simplify the collection of recyclable materials and increase recycling rates by 50%.
| Apr 19, 2011
AIA announces top 10 green Projects for 2011
The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment announced its Top 10 Green Projects for 2011. Among the winners: Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., and the Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, British Columbia.
| Apr 19, 2011
BMW dealers driving up sustainable construction in NYC
BMW North America will invest $60 million in two green dealerships in Manhattan. The new stores, which are being designed to cut energy use by 25%, reflect the auto company’s effort to reposition itself as environmentally conscious.
| Apr 19, 2011
15 mind-blowing skyscrapers
Our friends at Inhabitat have rounded up 15 incredible buildings—from underground cities to vertical farms to bio-fuel power plants and skyscrapers.
