New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability

SDC was retained by NJHEPS to develop Guidelines to assist in the selection of construction materials for a wide range of university projects. The Guidelines are organized along the lines of the Uniform Construction Index and CSI's 3-part section format.

The Guidelines will also cross-reference the credits contained in the LEED Green Building Rating System. Each Division highlights the key environmental design factors that pertain to that category of construction and also gives specific guidance as to the pros and cons of utilizing a wide range of materials for specific applications.

The New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS) is a consortium of 37 New Jersey higher education institutions that is now housed Ramapo College.

The mission of NJHEPS is to transform the higher education community to consistently practice sustainability and to more effectively contribute to the world's emerging understanding of sustainability, through teaching, research, outreach, operations, and community life.

Nassau Community College Life Sciences Building,
Garden City, NY

Nassau Community College's new $40 million Life Sciences building is the College's first "green" building. SDC is guiding the team to LEED Certification (Gold targeted). Among the many LEED-compliant features will be the use of natural lighting, "green" landscaping, features to provide good IAQ, exterior recycled copper panels, and the incorporation of smart boards and wireless technology. The 74,000 square-foot building will be located adjacent to the cluster buildings on the north end of campus. Construction, which began in the spring of 2010, is expected to take approximately two years. Housing the Nursing and Chemistry departments, the building will benefit more than 1,300 students annually.

The "U"-shaped Life Sciences building will feature laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, conference spaces, computer labs and group study spaces. The interior of the U will contain an open-air courtyard. The new Life Sciences building will set the standard for all future new construction and renovation on campus. Completion - late 2011.

Cannon Design of New York City is the Architect.

East Side High School, Newark

East Side High School will be centrally located within the vital Ironbound section of Newark. It will be a new 1,200 student, $60 million high school that will serve not only as a pace-setting educational facility, but also as a focus for evening and weekend community activities. The design of the school will adapt the existing structure of a low-rise industrial building. Reuse of a significant portion of existing structure is a vital ingredient for "green" design and is so recognized under the LEED green building rating system.

Through Executive Order 24, New Jersey has established a minimum environmental design standard equivalent to a LEED Certified Rating. The environmental planning process included a charrette held at the existing school where the LEED green building rating system was used for goal setting by not only the design team but also the school's faculty.

A major portion of the project will also include adaptive reuse of two long-dormant, but architecturally significant buildings.

Architect: Ehrenkrantz Ekstut & Kuhn.

Heimbold Visual Arts Center, Sarah Lawrence College

2005 AIA Award Winner: Design and Sustainability

The 60,000 sf Monika A. and Charles A. Heimbold Visual Arts Center at Sarah Lawrence College brings together the visual arts in one dynamic interdisciplinary environment at this progressive, liberal-arts institution.

The LEED design process began during September of 2001, with a charrette led by SDC’s Bill Bobenhausen, FAIA. Site planning considered a campus characterized by undulating topography, dramatic rock outcroppings, and dense foliage. To reduce the impact to the site and blur the distinction between exterior and interior, the new building is integrated into the topography of the existing hilltop.

Given the constraints of the site, more than one-third of the total building area is embedded in the ground, well suited for photography labs and other studios that do not need daylight. A stepped, grass-covered roof reduces the building’s impact on the natural environment and controls stormwater runoff. Native plants and low-flow fixtures reduce potable water use.

In selecting the building’s primary materials—fieldstone, cedar, channel glass, and zinc—the design team found inspiration in the campus’s rich landscape and historic architecture. Quarrying the stone nearby continued the College’s history of utilizing local fieldstone in the construction of its buildings.

Materials were also selected to reduce contaminants that impact indoor air quality and to lessen the environmental impacts of material manufacture and procurement. More than 60% of the wood materials used on the project were certified as sustainably harvested by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Low-VOC adhesives, sealants, paints, and carpeting were installed, and composite wood or agrifiber products containing added urea formaldehyde were prohibited. Indoor environmental quality is improved through the use of daylighting and operable windows

This project was chosen as a Top Ten Green Project for 2005 by the AlA Committee on the Environment (COTE).

The Heimbold Center is the first LEED-certified visual arts center in America.

Architect: Polshek and Partners

Ramapo Sustainability Center, Mahwah, New Jersey

This soon to be occupied 5,000 square foot building will serve as both an environmental education center, classroom building and home for NJHEPS. Design features include the use of sun-controlled daylight and natural ventilation. Environmentally-preferable materials have been carefully selected for durability, recycled content, local manufacture, and positive impact upon indoor air quality.

Energy use for ventilation air will be reduced through the use of a heat recovery ventilator. The building will be sited in a carefully landscaped setting of local and sustainable plantings and will include an extensive "green" roof.

Architect: Stephen Tilly Architects.

Center for Sustainable Energy – Bronx Community College - CUNY
Sustainable Design Collaborative LLC – Prime in association with Paul Buck Architects

This 7,000 square foot building on Hall of Fame Drive will serve as environmental education center, classroom building, community gathering space, and offices. Key design strategies include: extensive use of green materials, xeriscaping, very efficient and “right-sized” HVAC; use of storm water; LED, T5 and CFL lighting; daylighting and sun control; and careful design to assure IAQ. LEED Silver (minimum) is targeted.