The Evergreen State College Seminar II, Olympia, WA
Wood Harbinger provided the mechanical pre-design, design, and construction administration for this new 160,000 SF academic facility. Seminar II contains teaching spaces, studios, labs, conference rooms, office space, and a small satellite cafe. Seminar II has been certified at the LEED Gold level. A green building approach was used to develop project goals and performance targets. The facility also received a 2005 COTE Green Project Award from the National AIA Committee on the Environment.
All public spaces, offices, and classrooms are naturally ventilated. Ventilation make up air is introduced through trickle vents and operable windows. Exhaust air migrates up through naturally lit shafts to relief louvers at the roof. Automatically controlled exhaust fans provide mechanical assist as needed for adequate draft through the building. Heating is by hot water baseboard radiation with individual temperature control for optimum occupant comfort.
Day lighting strategies include external shading devices and louvered vertical fins, built in “light shelving” to reflect light into rooms, low-e coated window glazing, and small operable windows with mini-blinds. The shading devices coupled with high performance windows optimize the balance between natural light and solar heat gain.
Mechanical heating, ventilating, and air conditioning are provided only in high density spaces, such as lecture halls. CO2 sensors are used in these spaces to maintain air quality in response to the number of occupants. Mechanical ventilation is provided in the fourth floor class labs for proper air quality. Building heating is by extension of the campus steam distribution system. Chilled water cooling for the few mechanically cooled spaces is by extension of the campus chilled water system.
Indoor water saving features including waterless urinals and motion-sensor faucet fixtures. Green roofs cover nearly 40% of the roof surfaces.