Sustainability
Powell Design Group has a commitment to increasing the awareness of the benefits of sustainably-designed buildings.
Many aspects of sustainable design are not new, and are simply good design principles. Careful building placement and orientation, reuse of existing building stock and materials, and maximizing opportunities for daylighting, views and prevailing breezes have long been among the tenets of good architectural design. Attention has also been given in the past to energy conservation and efficiency, water conservation, recycling, reduced use of ozone depleting substances, and avoidance of the use of certain harmful substances such as asbestos, lead based paints, and PCB’s.
Today the U.S. Green Building Council has set the standard for sustainable design with its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, which certifies the performance standards for design, construction and operation of buildings. Many local municipalities have also adopted sustainability ordinances for new construction and remodeling, and the recent release of the International Green Construction Code and ASHRAE 189.1 Standard for the Design of High Performance Buildings signals the beginning of the incorporation of sustainable principles into building codes nationwide.
Powell Design Group has three staff members who are LEED Accredited Professionals, and who have experience with sustainably designed projects:
Albert F. Rodriguez, AIA is Principal and Regional Director for Powell Design Group’s Jacksonville office. He has become a local champion of sustainable design in educational facilities and USGBC’s LEED process. As an active member of the USGBC North Florida Chapter, he currently is serving his second term as the Green Schools Advocate of the chapter. Mr. Rodriguez is a LEED Accredited Professional with a Building Design and Construction Specialty.
Mr. Rodriguez is LEED Administrator for the All Hands Club project at NAS Jacksonville, a 26,000 SF facility which is pursuing LEED Silver Certification, and is currently in design. Mr. Rodriguez has also served as the building envelope commissioning team member for two LEED-NC projects:
University of Florida Research Facility at Lake Nona, FL
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center – Regional Training Institute Phase IV, Starke, FL
In addition, Mr. Rodriguez is sustainability consultant for the Health Sciences Classroom Building at St. Johns River Community College, which is pursuing certification under Green Globes, another nationally-recognized sustainable buildings certification system.
Joanna C. Rodriguez, AIA is Principal and Director of Education for Powell Design Group’s Jacksonville office. Ms. Rodriguez is co-chair of the USGBC North Florida Chapter’s Green Schools Advocacy Committee and serves as the Green Schools Duval County Team Leader.
As a LEED advocate in the business community, Ms. Rodriguez has organized and facilitated sustainable design panel discussions and presented lectures on LEED and sustainable design to local business groups. She is a LEED Accredited Professional with a Building Design and Construction Specialty.
Ms. Rodriguez served as building envelope commissioning team member for the University of Florida’s Student Health Care Center, a 3-story, 20,000 SF $5.7 million facility which attained LEED Gold Certification.
David R. Zann, NCARB is an Architect / Project Manager for Powell Design Group and has been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2003. Mr. Zann has provided LEED and SPiRiT* Sustainability credit rating analysis and documentation for multiple projects for Navy, Air Force and USACE projects.
*The earlier USACE Sustainable Project Rating Tool (SPiRiT) was derived from the U.S. Green Building Council LEED 2.0 Green Building Rating System. It has since been replaced by updated versions of LEED.
Mr. Zann’s sustainable design experience includes:
- The $29 million FY03 Barracks Complex at Fort Benning, GA - Gold SPiRiT Rating Certification.
- Armor OBC Battalion Headquarters facility, Ft Benning, GA – $3.3 million, 19,000 SF, on track for LEED Silver Certification.
- Fruitland Park Public Safety Complex – 26,000 SF, $4.5 million complex designed to receive LEED Silver Certification.
- Coalition for the Homeless Men’s Shelter – 2-story, 31,800 SF Center, designed to receive LEED Silver Certification.
- Fire/Crash Rescue Facility at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC – 43,000 SF, $6 million facility, completed in 2005 and received LEED Certified rating (completed while with another firm)
Not only does sustainable design make sense for the environment, it has the added value of saving on operating costs, favorably impacting building life cycle costs and increasing market value. Powell Design Group is prepared to advise our Clients about the benefits of sustainable design and to assist them with any projects for which sustainable design certification is desired.
