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Construction began in January
on the new Animal Health Care Facility at Point Defiance Zoo
& Aquarium in Tacoma, WA. When completed, the 11,000-square-foot
facility will combine new construction with two existing structures
that will be reused for portions of the program. Although
proper animal care was foremost in the minds of team members
at Boxwood, Seattle, WA, as they designed this animal hospital,
they also knew that such a facility presented the perfect
opportunity for green design.
“Animals are brought to the health care facility when
they first arrive at the zoo and need to be quarantined, or
when they are sick,” explains Karen Davis Smith, project
manager, Boxwood. “So we had to be especially mindful
of the animals’ needs. Of course, there are veterinarians
and others who work in the building, so we also had to accommodate
their practical needs even as we made the building comfortable
for the animals. We realized that what was good for the animals
would likely be good for the people working in the building,
too.”
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Six Submissions to
the annual "What Makes It Green?" exhibit.
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With this in mind, Boxwood strived to maximize natural light and
ventilation. In fact, these two design elements drove the form of
the building. According to Smith, the building’s roof will
have a butterfly form, and clerestory windows at the roof line will
be operable. Some walls in the animal holding area are ventilated
to allow light and air to pass into the facility’s enclosed
areas. The surgical room is necessarily closed off from natural
ventilation. However, daylight enters through observation windows
that allow passersby to see inside the operating room and other
treatment rooms.
This ability to observe the facility’s inner workings was one
of the client’s primary goals in order to educate visitors—including
tours of schoolchildren, the zoo’s patrons and donors and professional
veterinary colleagues—and to promote the zoo’s commitment
to sustainability. Actually, much of what is green in the animal
health care facility is visible.
The facility’s green roof will reduce HVAC loads and long-term
energy costs, as well as surface water run off. In addition, the
green roof will filter pollutants from storm water and improve the
air quality and microclimate of the site. Solar panels are a redundant
system and will initially mean more in up-front costs; however,
the panels ultimately will reduce long-term energy costs for heating
water and provide radiant floor heat. A rainwater harvesting system
offers the potential for reduced water consumption for landscaping.
Recycled materials abound. First, rather than demolish two existing
structures on the site, Boxwood’s design integrates an adaptive
reuse of these buildings with new construction to form the new Animal
Health Care Facility. Recyclable cement board panels have been specified
for some exterior walls. The design also specifies the use of recycled
glass cullet for backfill, pipe bedding and roof ballast; recycled
aggregate in concrete; and ozone safe insulation. Pervious paving
materials that consist of 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic
will be utilized rather than a paved driveway. Wood siding for the
building will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to
ensure that it is harvested in ways that conserve biological diversity.
Framing members with structural dimensions too large to come from
well-managed forests will be replaced with Glu-lams and Paralams.
Specified materials for the facility come from predominantly local
products and materials. The countertops will be a composite material
made from sunflower seeds called Dakota Burl, for which no VOCs
are emitted during the manufacturing process. Finally, 50 percent
fly ash will be used in the concrete substructure to reduce CO2
emissions.
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