EPA Region 8 Headquarters
The US Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) mission is
to protect human health and the environment and it works to develop
and enforce environmental laws enacted by Congress. As part of
the Opus/ZGF design/build team, Syska Hennessy Group was selected
to provide sustainable design consulting and MEP engineering design
services for EPA’s new 280,000 sf Region 8 headquarters building
located in Denver, CO.
At project inception, iterative energy and daylight simulation
studies using eQUEST and Radiance were carried out to explore alternative
integrated design strategies that might be implemented to optimize
the building’s energy performance and daylighting. Using
these simulation tools, Syska helped the architectural team evaluate
building envelope performance criteria and design as well as understand
the energy impacts of various mechanical air distribution strategies
(conventional overhead versus under floor).
Throughout the design process Syska engineers worked closely with
the architect, developer/builder and the EPA to achieve building
and systems design that was high performance and sustainable. Some
of the features included:
- Air side economizers for free cooling;
- Air-side energy recovery wheel system;
- District steam to hot water converters for heating;
- Energy recovered from steam condensate for domestic hot water;
- Low flow plumbing fixtures and water free urinals;
- Storm water collection and reuse system;
- Lighting efficiency improvements through more efficient fixtures,
occupancy sensors, daylighting controls;
- Under floor air distribution.
In January 2007, the EPA, through the General Services Administration,
signed a 10 year lease and moved into the facility. The agency required
that the new building meet all Energy Star® requirements and
achieve a minimum LEED®-NC Silver Certification. However, due
to successful high performance design integration, the facility has
received a LEED®-NC Gold Certification.
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