“The amount of daylight in the space really stands out,” says Sarah Burnette, the college’s project manager in Design & Construction. “It helps lower our energy use and creates a positive environment.”
“Green Globes actually helped us with the process rather than leaving us to figure it out on our own. And a seamless assessment process encourages more people to embrace sustainability.”
Abundant daylight and other sustainable features helped the project achieve a Two Green Globes® rating. O’Brien Atkins designed the new three-story, 63,614-square-foot classroom, laboratory and faculty office building. Steven Harris, principal and project manager at the architectural firm, was the team’s sustainability consultant. “We were able to give every faculty office a window and offer beautiful views in many classrooms,” Harris says. “From my perspective, providing daylight and views for occupants are the most important things you can do to enhance a space.”
Wake Tech chose Green Globes after conducting a side-by-side comparison of green building certification systems.
“Our cost-benefit analysis showed we could save 22% by going with Green Globes,” explains John L. Majernik, director of Energy, Sustainability & Transportation. “We also liked the weighted criteria with available partial credit rather than an all-or-nothing scenario.”
In its final assessment, RT-2 Building acquired a wide range of credits:
- The college’s integrated design process perfectly aligned with Green Globes criteria.
- Energy modeling demonstrated a 38% reduction based on ASHRAE 90.0-2010, thanks in part to cutting-edge technology in the building’s systems’ controls.
- In addition to optimized daylighting, the project incorporates high-efficiency lighting design throughout the property.
- Green guidelines include recycling of 75% or more of construction waste.
- Low-VOC materials protect occupant health.
Dedicated Advisor
Although neither Wake Technical Community College nor O’Brien Atkins had prior experience with Green Globes, its one-on-one customer support resonated with the entire team.
“We had a dedicated person to walk us through the process,” says Majernik. “Green Globes helped to pull the team together, keep everyone on track step-by-step, and end up with a successful project.”
Harris says the Green Globes Assessor (GGA) gave him an easy-to-understand list of needed documentation, which he organized into a monthly tracking spreadsheet.
“Steven was instrumental in this process,” Burnette claims. “We are using his Green Globes’ spreadsheet for projects across multiple college campuses in the county.”
Responsiveness played a key role in success too. “Our Green Globes Assessor usually replied within one day,” says Harris. “He offered clear definitions on any question we had. As a result, the onsite assessment was seamless.”
Burnette was also pleased with the quick turnaround for certification. “I was completely surprised by how fast we received certification,” she says. “We opened in mid-August of 2021 and our final assessment report arrived in early November.”
Majernik recalls many stakeholders weighed in on sustainable decisions during ongoing meetings. “We are always redefining and retooling our processes,” he says. “Pursuing Green Globes certification created a more collaborative process and helped us gain clarity on our next project. In essence, the RT-2 building has become a launch pad for our next Green Globes campus.”
“Green Globes actually helped us with the process rather than leaving us to figure it out on our own,” Burnette asserts. “And a seamless assessment process encourages more people to embrace sustainability.”
