The recently remodeled Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired (VRCBVI) Administration and Activities Building has been honored with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold authentication by the Green Building Certificate Institute (GBCI). This is the first LEED certified venture for the Department of Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) agency.
The VRCBVI endeavors to fortify the vision impaired, deafƒ{blind, and blind individuals of the commonwealth. VRCBVI¡¦s Administration and Activities Building, situated at the Richmond, Virginia, premises and built in 1970, accommodates the center¡¦s business/administrative offices and also the training facilities where skills are inculcated in the blind to live without sight; partially blind persons are taught how to make optimum use of their remaining sight.
The Center wanted to renovate the building and outdated technology systems, and augment the center to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).Mosley Architects worked with DBVI, VRCBVI, John Dickinson & Partners, KEI Architects, and Dennis Kowal Architects on the project.
The renovation used minimum hazardous materials. The old, leaky roof was redone with metal coated with a reflective solar paint, which would reduce heat permeating into the building. The underused front yard was converted into a spacious atrium with an insulated skylight. Three electric vehicle-charging points were included to encourage use of low-emission vehicles.
Measures that would minimize power consumption by 15% included
- Implementing efficient mechanical and lighting arrangements and an improved building envelope
- Replacing all heating, ventilation and air-conditioning and controls with power-recovery options
- Replacing single-pane windows with double-pane, thermally insulated ones to reduce solar penetration
- Installing LED fixtures throughout
In addition, low-flow plumbing fittings would save 30% water. The general contractor, Kenbridge Construction, recycled about 87% of the demolition debris and used local recycled materials and wood retrieved from sustainably managed forests.
Source: http://www.moseleyarchitects.com