Burnet Park Zoo, Syracuse NY
Architect: The Hillier Group
William Bobenhausen, FAIA, directed technical assistance including detailed computer modeling for daylighting of the new buildings of the Burnet Park Zoo in Syracuse, New York for Steven Winter Associates (SWA). The Hillier Group of Washington DC, represented by William Reed, was the project architect.
A
goal of the daylighting analysis was to reduce energy consumption while also
assuring visual comfort. Using this analysis, the project team selected window
and skylight geometries, as well as glazing materials that allow rich
illumination by natural light year round and passive solar heating in winter,
while avoiding excessive solar heat gain and associated cooling loads in
summer.
Glare proved a special challenge with the building's design, and strategies had to be developed to minimize it. A second goal of the project was the sizing, selection and placement of skylights within the existing building to illuminate the Gift Shop, classrooms, passageway and lobby to the outside exhibits.
Light levels and visual appearance of the new Entrance Lobby were modeled using RADIANCE software. Images of the space were generated at various times of day and year, for both clear-sky and overcast conditions, and the light levels within the space were calculated as well. Heating, cooling and lighting costs were estimated for different fenestration options using Energy-10 software.
By modifying the glazing size and materials, adding overhanging shades, and including daylighting controls, the projected annual energy costs of the main space in the new building (the Entrance Lobby) could be reduced by as much as 26% below the original design. Even more significantly, the air conditioner size required to meet peak load was reduced by 34%, and peak electric demand by 37%.
The analysis also identified one glazing option, which performs well in the main lobby and costs less than the glass than was originally planned for the building. The use of this glass, in combination with the full array of energy-efficiency strategies recommended, results in a design that is both less expensive to build and less expensive to operate.
In the other areas of the building, overall lighting energy costs could be reduced by 40 - 70% through the use of conventional and cylindrical skylights.
This work was supported in part through the New York State Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) FlexTech Assistance program.