Vidaris is assisting Stonehill & Taylor Architects by providing exterior wall, roofing and waterproofing consulting and monitoring for the new hotel project on Roosevelt Island, part of the master plan for the Cornell Tech campus, in addition to exterior wall energy code compliance consulting. The hotel will be 18 stories tall and approximately 148,000 sf and will feature floor to ceiling windows, a full-service restaurant, a rooftop bar and 3,000 sf of meeting and event space. It will connect to the future Executive Education Center building. It is expected to open in 2020.   Rendering Courtesy Snohetta

Located at 9501 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, the Health Education Campus is a medical university building commissioned by two clients: Cleveland Clinic (CC) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). The 450,000 sf building houses four different schools: CWRU School of Dental Medicine, CWRU Nursing School, CWRU Medical School and The Lerner School of Medicine. These schools each have their own unique spaces (i.e. lecture halls, classrooms, skills labs, admin and office workstations, meeting rooms, conference rooms and staff lounges) placed around the edge of the rectangular building. Designed to be open plan, communal and inclusive, the building provides large flexible study areas and a central, ground floor 27,000 sf, glass roof, four-story atrium and courtyard, which operates as an assembly point, circulation zone, and food service area. With regard to the exterior design, the exterior of the building is predominantly window wall, the four‐story atrium space is enclosed by a large open trussed skylight roof system, two mechanical penthouses are located on the roof, and the perimeter of the roof has a large metal panel clad overhang. As part of the team, Vidaris provided exterior wall, roofing, and waterproofing services. Vidaris also led the Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) initiative with the ultimate aim to achieve a LEED Silver status. The BECx process ensures quality assurance and quality control of the enclosure systems throughout the design, construction, and initial occupation phases. The following enclosure systems were included in the commissioning process: Ribbon Window Wall, Ribbon Window Truss, Storefront, Sag Rod Wall, Skylight, East/West Curtain Wall, Fire‐rated Curtain Wall, Penthouse Enclosure, Canopy, Soffit, Coping, Core Stoneglass Wall, Skylight Roofing, Main Roofing, and Penthouse Roofing. Through the establishment of Owner’s Project Requirements and the technical review of systems’ design, fabrication, installation, and testing, Vidaris contributed to the realization of the Health Education Campus. Our final BECx report summarizes the Commissioning Plan execution, recommends further action for open issues, and outlines remaining closeout documents.

The new University Forum hosts academic conferences, meetings, and symposia, featuring a state-of-the-art 430-seat auditorium as well as additional break-out and meeting rooms, faculty offices, and open gathering spaces. The auditorium is clad with a prefabricated concrete skin, whereas the offices have a glazed façade allowing in daylight. The transparent ground floor is both conceptually and physically open to the public. Following our shop inspections for the fabrication of the aluminum curtain wall, Vidaris became actively involved with monitoring the installation of the exterior wall at the job site, observing the embeds, the precast concrete panels and windows, the aluminum curtain wall, the glass fiber reinforced concrete, and the steel and glass canopy. Vidaris has performed energy modeling (a) to help the team meet the green guidelines of Columbia University, with 25% energy cost savings required, (b) the efficiency needed for LEED Gold and (c) NYC Energy Code compliance. Vidaris also led the effort to obtain the LEED Gold rating, providing initial direction for the sustainability effort, and during the entire course of the project, overview of the detailed work performed by its subconsultant, e4.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

The House at Cornell Tech is a 26-story tower with 350 residences for students, staff and faculty. It includes many amenities including a gym, lounge, roof deck and media rooms. The project is the world’s tallest and largest Passive House building, using up to 70% less energy than a conventional high-rise with its 9-by-36-foot metal panels with 8 to 13 inches of insulation. Working closely with the entire team, Vidaris helped to develop details to satisfy Passive House requirements while managing the constructability, construction sequencing and budget. Vidaris also assisted with translating and incorporating European requirements into project documents, including specifications and architectural drawings; these documents helped to ensure details, like air barriers and insulation, met requirements. Because Passive House has conceptual standards that are catered to 1-2 story buildings, Vidaris helped drive the discussion to develop compromises and decisions, which satisfied all parties, that allowed the adaptation to high rise construction where sequencing and constructability are important factors.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

The building is the first to rise on Columbia’s new 17-acre Manhattanville campus. The 9-story, 450,000 square-foot structure is designed to maximize creative collaboration among scientists. It includes connecting stairways and common spaces that link individual researchers and lab groups into a coherent community. The ground floor of the Greene Science Center includes the Center for Education and Outreach, a public education center dedicated to brain science, offering a variety of programs on the brain, mental health, and neuroscience for K-12 students, teachers, and the general public. A street-level screening facility serves as a first stop for area residents with concerns about brain and mental health. The Science Center includes 175,988 square feet of building envelope, consisting primarily of transparent floor-to-ceiling glass. The facade program incorporates six wall types, including high-performance structural facades, double-skin walls, metal and glass canopies, and vestibules.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

The 244 Greene Street project included the complete renovation of an existing eight story masonry building, approximately 100 years old, which was part of the NYU campus. The renovated facility will be used for faculty and administrative offices, meeting rooms and reception areas. There were limited changes to the building envelope- the brick walls remain intact, the windows and roof were partially replaced. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems were all updated. All interior finishes were replaced at Levels 1-8, with some finishes remaining at the cellar level. The design team included Marble Fairbanks Architect and Thomas Polise Consulting Engineer. Vidaris provided energy modeling, NYSERDA new construction and LEED services. The project achieved Gold certification within the LEED-NC v3 rating system. Modeling was done in accordance with the District Energy System option, allowing the project to take credit for campus plant cogeneration instead of being limited to energy efficiency measures within the building renovation. Vidaris modeled their campus plant which allowed an earning 17 EAc1 points. In addition to pursuing LEED certification, the building was designed in accordance with the NYU Design Standards and Guidelines, September 2009 edition. Sustainable features of the project include the following:

• Energy efficiency measures including improved wall and roof insulation, new windows, CO2 sensors, air-side economizer on AHU, and VSD on chilled water pumps in addition to the campus plant cogeneration. Overall, the project is expected to be 40.87% more efficient than a building designed to meet the minimum requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-2007.
• Efficient lighting design with, occupancy sensors and lighting power densities significantly lower than ASHRAE 90.1-2004. Design will also minimize light pollution.
• High SRI value roof membrane minimizing heat island effect
• Water use reductions for plumbing fixtures of 27%, compared to fixtures that meet the minimum federal requirements established in the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
• Over 96% of the existing structural elements (walls, floors and roof) have been preserved
• Recycling of 75.6% of the construction and demolition waste generated during the project
• Use of 10.0% by cost of materials containing recycled content including concrete, steel, insulation, acoustical ceiling tiles and gypsum wallboard
• Use of 10.1% by cost of regionally-manufactured materials (extracted and produced within 500 miles of the site)
• Outside air ventilation more than 30% above ASHRAE 62.1-2007 minimums.
• Implementation of an Indoor Air Quality Management Plan throughout construction and building flush-out
• Use of low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and flooring materials
• Composite wood which is free of urea-formaldehyde resin

  Photo Credit: archphoto

A $100 million student housing expansion, the University of Miami plans for a development that will house over 1,100 beds on an 8.6-acre site on Lake Osceola. The project would consist of 23 interconnected buildings with green roofs and two elevated courtyards. The bottom two floors would be dedicated to amenities, including a learning center, the Launch Pad for start up companies, a 200-seat auditorium, multi-purpose rooms, a curated “warehouse” for programming such as rotating exhibits, retail, micro theater and food service, a print shop, a bike shop and a recreation room. Above the amenities, there would be five levels of dorms. Social rooms and study lounges would be included in the upper floors.

The UCHC Health Center Laboratory project consists of the gut renovation of an existing facility, with the addition of an auditorium space.  The project includes laboratories, classrooms, offices, animal facilities, and a cafeteria. Sustainable site features of the University of Connecticut Health Center include the control and treatment of storm water, restoration of adjacent, degraded wetlands and convenient public transportation and bicycle access.  The landscape design was optimized to only use reclaimed water for irrigation and the interior fixtures were estimated to use 40% less water than the established baseline. Annual energy costs for the building were estimated to be at least 15% lower than the baseline for existing buildings set by ASHRAE 90.1 2004.  This was achieved through an efficient, well designed envelope, a low lighting power density design, occupancy sensors, high efficiency chillers with variable frequency drives 0.577 kW/ton and CO2 sensors to modulate the outside air. The indoor environmental quality for the occupants was enhanced through both the specification of low emitting materials and individual controls for workstations to the indoor air quality management program in place during construction. Awards: 2011 – R & D Magazine Laboratory of the Year (Renovation)

The University of Connecticut Social Sciences Classroom Buildings provide a new home to five academic departments and forty new classrooms at the heart of the Storrs, CT campus.  The project consists of two separate but related structures, Laurel Hall and Oak Hall.  Laurel Hall contains lecture halls and other medium sized learning spaces and Oak Hall accommodates additional classroom spaces and faculty office and administrative spaces.

Site design features include 100% native plantings (with a vegetated roof on Laurel Hall) and a comprehensive storm water design including large bioswales.  Internal water use is reduced by over 30% through the use of low flow faucets, toilets and urinals.  And on non-vegetated roof areas, high solar reflectance roof membrane was utilized to lessen the buildings heat island impact.

The project incorporates energy efficiency measures for a projected cost savings of 32% versus ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 Appendix G.  Some of the energy efficiency measures include:

• Low U-value design for walls and roofs with high performance curtain wall and skylight glazing
• Efficient lighting power density design and occupancy sensors in classrooms, offices and conference rooms.  Daylight dimming was utilized in classroom spaces.
• Utilization of central campus plant for electricity, steam and chilled water
• Full building BMS system and enhanced level of systems commissioning

The indoor environmental quality for the occupants was also a focus of the design team.  An Indoor Air Quality Plan was implemented throughout construction, low-emitting materials were utilized throughout the building, and enhanced level of particulate filtration and outdoor air delivery were included in the mechanical system design.

 

 

Awards:      
CT Green Building Council: Alexion Award of Excellence, 2012
CT Green Building Council, Honor Award, Institutional Category, 2013

Located in a tight urban site in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Trevor Day School will have 12 stories with an enclosed playing area and green roofing at roof level. Stacked within the lower floors, are an auditorium, gymnasium and cafeteria, the latter lit at the rear by a sloping skylight. The tower above contains offices and classrooms. Vidaris is performing energy modeling, LEED/green consulting and commissioning.

The building uses the first geothermal system in Manhattan that places the closed loop pining in the foundation piles.  Extensive use of photovoltaics is being evaluated, with 50 kW of panels on the roof and 88 kW on south façade spandrels, having an expected output of about 200,000 kWh annually.

Other energy efficiency features include high exterior window shading, energy recovery ventilation, high efficiency lighting, and daylight controls and occupancy sensors, and underfloor air distribution in auditorium.

Trevor Day School's notable green features include no use of irrigation water, 40% potable water reduction for plumbing fixtures, enhanced refrigerant management, FSC wood, 10% recycled content.  Emphasis has been placed on IAQ with 18 or the 20 available credits in this category targeted. This includes increased ventilation, CIAQ plan and flush-out, use of low-emitting materials, MERV 14 filters, thermal controllability through operable windows and thermostats,  daylight for 90% of classrooms, 75% of other spaces, views for 90% of regularly occupied areas, enhanced acoustical performance and mold prevention through an ongoing IAQ plan.

Vidaris' consulting is cofunded by NYSERDA.