Green Roundtable: Project Spotlight
Site location and name: Project Hope, 550 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA
In the inaugural edition of The Green Roundtable’s Green Project Spotlight, we are proud to highlight our work consulting for Project Hope, a non-profit that works to improve the lives of homeless and poor families in the Boston area (www.prohope.org).
Our work with Project Hope began as a GRT Green Assistance Project (GAP). Through GAP, green building resources are made available to deserving non-profits in the area. GAP brings the benefits of green building, including improved environmental and human health, and long-term operational advantages, to underserved communities and the non-profit sector.
GRT staff provided technical assistance from conception to completion of Project Hope's new headquarters. We had the chance to sit down with a key member of the GRT staff, Green Building Consultant Suzanne Robinson, LEED AP, to learn more about some of the interesting green features of the project. Suzanne was involved during the construction phase and assisted in completing LEED documentation for submission.
GRT: To begin with, what is the function of the building and where is it located?
Suzanne: This project is part of the city’s development for urban infill, building on a vacant lot in the core of the city. The building is composed of four floors that house the center for adult education, workforce development, and housing services. On the first floor is a community computer lab, with the second floor dedicated to education programs. The third floor provides housing and career development programs, and the fourth floor contains administrative offices. In total, the building provides just under 14,000 square feet of services to help further the mission of Project Hope. Project Hope works to end family homelessness by providing low-income women with children access to education, jobs, housing, and emergency services. This new building helps further these programs and other initiatives that focus on strengthening the family and building economic empowerment and independence.
GRT: What was the most rewarding part of the Project Hope green building construction process?
Suzanne: Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this project was simply the client itself. The design team knew that our work would ultimately have a positive impact on a deserving organization, and the community it serves. Resources were limited. We weren’t going to purchase green power or install a green roof. We had to develop a project scope that honored strict budget parameters while designing a building that met commonly held human health and environmental goals and kept long term operational and energy costs under control. Project Hope recognized the significance an environmentally-responsible building contributes to its mission “to build community that promotes dignity, self-reliance, and interdependence; to create new structures which support families; and to be unyielding in challenging systems that threaten basic human rights.” The greatest take-away is that if an organization with limited capital funding can achieve this higher standard of building for its occupants, then why can’t other clients in both the public and private sectors do the same? In the end the project was awarded a Silver level of certification under LEED- NC v2.1.
GRT: Can you point to a green building feature or strategy in the project that is particularly exemplary?
Suzanne: As you can see from our LEED scorecard, we put a lot of effort into maximizing indoor environmental quality. The project is located in Dudley Square in Roxbury, a community that has long suffered from low air quality and high rates of asthma. We wanted to create a building where community members and their children don’t have to worry about their health. We targeted and achieved all but three credits in LEED’s IEQ section, creating a healthy place for visitors and a vibrant and productive workplace for Project Hope staff.
GRT: We often talk about how important mindset is to the success of green building. That can mean a lot of things: thinking outside the box, breaking down silos, challenging common assumptions. Can you point to a green material or strategy on the project that grew out of that type of thinking?
Suzanne: Well, it’s a small but meaningful example. The building has a modest parking lot to the rear. We had to ensure that is was properly lighted for safety and security. In design discussions we looked at the site, did a quick analysis, and realized that adjacent municipal sidewalk lamps would provide adequate illumination of the parking lot. In doing so, we eliminated material waste, reduced electrical load and carbon footprint. As I said, it was a modest improvement, but a very good example of one of the positive affects the green building design process.
You can learn more about Project Hope and the community it serves at www.prohope.org
Project Hope Stats:
LEED rating achieved: LEED-NC v2.1, Silver
34 Points achieved (out of possible max 69) in each LEED category
Sustainable Sites: 8
Water Efficieny: 3
Energy and Atmosphere: 3
Materials and Resources: 6
Indoor Environmental Quality: 12
Innovation and Design Process: 2
Project Hope Green Features: The building’s design maximizes the use of natural daylight, provides overhangs to reduce cooling load and incorporates local materials with high-recycled content. Low-energy elevators and roofing were selected to reduce the heat island effect and to contribute to the environmental goals of the project. During construction, waste was diverted from landfills, and practices were incorporated to keep the site clean and healthy. Reduction of water use was achieved by installing efficient shower heads and faucets and low-flow toilets as well as choosing native plants that do not require irrigation.
Project Hope continues to improve the surrounding community through their projects and programs. This building furthers the mission by recognizing that social and environmental issues are intertwined.
Design and Construction team members:
Client - Sister Margaret Leonard - Project Hope
Project Managers - Maura Pensak/ Sister Margaret Leonard - Project Hope
Owner’s Representative - Thea Offermann - SAR+
Environmental Adviser - Kevin Settlemyre, Suzanne Robinson - Green Roundtable
Architect - Dan Ricciarelli - Finegold Alexander and Associates
Structural Engineer - Alan Ankers - Boston Building Consultants
HVAC Engineer - Brian Smith - Allied Consulting Engineering Services
Civil Engineer - Jim White - H.W. Moore Associates, Inc.
Landscape Architect - Marc Mazzarelli - Marc Mazzarelli Associates
Interior Designer - Betsy Ricciarelli - Lucas Stefura Interiors
Construction Manager - George Dyroff - Chapman Construction/Design, Inc.
Commissioning Agent - Mark Warren - SEi Companies