“…Green Globes let us hone in on the items that were most relevant.”
Brian Kugler, UNC Charlotte’s senior project manager in facilities management, says that Green Globes is a good choice for universities because it offers a lower cost yet rigorous option for certification. “We have a responsibility to the taxpayers,” explains Kugler. “We wanted to implement sustainable features that were best suited to the project, and Green Globes let us hone in on the items that were most relevant.”
Completed in August 2013, Belk Hall sits on the university’s urban research campus. The 175,000-square-foot facility contains 426 beds in the form of apartments and suites and includes community kitchens, lounges, and study rooms. Kevin Stover, Green Building Initiative’s Chief Engineer, cited Belk Hall’s attention to detail in the design and material selection process, including earning the maximum credit in the life cycle assessment performance path for core and shell materials. “The team clearly demonstrated their commitment to environmental excellence in materials and resources, as well as stellar performance in energy and water efficiency.”
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
- Recycled materials and products such as resilient tile flooring, rubber tile, and sheet carpeting that improved durability for longer life
- Development of a Building Life Service Plan to optimize long-term maintenance and improve sustainability over time
- Low-flow fixtures and aerators in faucets and showers, achieving a 49.4% water reduction
- Energy efficiency measures including large windows for daylighting, high-performance glass, continuous insulation for thermal performance, occupancy sensors and a 95% efficiency condensing boiler
Efficient & Collaborative Process
Architecture firm Clark Nexsen designed Belk Hall and architect Sara Abrams was highly involved in the Green Globes certification. “It was very easy,” Abrams says. “There were no complicated templates, just a [questionnaire] and construction documents and specifications. I divided parts of the [questionnaire] among the appropriate parties, and that part of the process was useful because it encouraged us to talk across disciplines.”
Jason Jones, architecture department head at Clark Nexsen, wanted to maintain performance standards with a way to verify them, and he found that Green Globes distinguished itself through helpful feedback and personal follow-up. “Green Globes offers a smooth question-and-answer review process and clear direction, and I really liked the fact that the assessor came to the site to confirm that items were actually implemented in the building.”
After working directly with the assessor, Abrams was impressed at how available he was. “It was evident that he wanted to help,” she recalls. “During the site visit, our Green Globes Assessor saw things in the field that weren’t in our survey. He offered us suggestions and made sure we didn’t miss anything.”
Kugler also appreciates the way that Green Globes partners with projects to achieve certification. “I would definitely recommend this process to other universities. It offers a straightforward way for a building to meet performance requirements for certification without being cumbersome and costly.”
