Reinstein Woods Earth-Friendly Building
Built With Conservation in Mind
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Complying with a 2001 Executive Order to meet environmental efficiency standards, the new environmental education center at Reinstein Woods is designed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary program that represents the U.S. Green Building Council's effort to provide a national standard for what constitutes a "green building." LEED aims to create buildings that are energy efficient and use fewer natural resources in construction and operation than traditional buildings. LEED uses both established and innovative practices, standards and technologies to achieve these goals.
Green Building Construction at Reinstein Woods- A Pictorial Overview
From the Ground Up: Clearing of the site began in December of 2005, with the foundation being poured in March of 2006. The weather was rainy, but warm for Buffalo, so construction continued without any major complications.
Concrete radiant floors were installed in the classroom before framing of the building began. Concrete radiant floors use the thermal mass and conductance of concrete to spread heating and cooling throughout the floor and maintain a constant, even temperature. Rather than heating the air, which naturally rises in conditioned spaces during cold weather, radiant floors warm objects. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood was used in the framing of the building. Interior trim in the building will include maple wood from Pennsylvania, and black cherry wood harvested from the site during clearing for the building.
Daylight and Views: Ample windows will provide the building with natural light in 75% of its spaces. The windows minimize the need for artificial lights during the day, while connecting indoor spaces and the outdoors through the introduction of daylight and views into the regularly occupied areas of the building. ENERGY STAR designated, high-efficiency windows were installed throughout the building. The argon-filled glass helps prevent the transfer of heat, and a "Low-E" glass coating further reduces heat transfer and blocks ultraviolet rays from entering the building.
Roof Insulation: Environmentally friendly "green" polyiso roof insulation was installed. This insulation contains no ozone depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC's). The roof of the building has an R-value of 30. An R-value is a measure of how well a roof prevents heat transfer through the roof. A typical residential roof has a R-value of 19. A credit for reducing heat island effect with roofing was not pursued because the building is in the woods and will not produce a heat island. This credit, however, is included in many urban green buildings with either a highly reflective or vegetative roof.
Green building technologies such as motion-sensitive lighting sensors, individual climate controls in offices and highly efficient HVAC systems will help conserve energy in our new building. Interior finishes are being installed using adhesives, sealants and paints that have minimal amounts of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Other interior green components of the building will include: CO2 (carbon dioxide) sensors, rubber flooring with a minimum of 50% recycled content, carpet with a minimum of 20% recycled content, as well as recycled content in the wallboard, acoustical ceiling panels, and bathroom accessories. Low-flow faucets as well as waterless urinals will also be featured.
To view the building construction from the ground up, download the following slide show:
Building construction slide show (694 Kb pdf)
