Lower Colorado Region Turns Green into Gold!

Written by: Douglas Hendrix, Public Affairs Specialist, Lower Colorado Region

Standing, l-r, are Alex Jankovic, Jeni Panars, Windom Kimsey, Mike Purtill, Daniel Huard, Ryan Ice, Regional Director Terry Fulp, Rick Van Diepen, and Deputy Regional Engineer Terri Saumier. LCR photo provided by Alex Stephens.At a public ceremony hosted at the Lower Colorado Regional Office, on Thursday, December 10, 2015, Reclamation demonstrated that it can virtually turn green into gold. How did they do it you may ask? Simple answer, in September 2015, the Lower Colorado Region was notified by the U.S. Green Building Council that it would be recognized with Gold Certification for integrating green, environmentally sustainable designs and energy-efficient technological features into the major renovation of two of its historic buildings on its Boulder City campus, Date Street buildings 100 and 200.

“The renovation of Date Street buildings 100 and 200 was a very special project for Reclamation,” Lower Colorado Regional Director Terry Fulp said. “We were not only able to integrate new environmentally sustainable features into these two historic buildings and bring them into the 21st century technologically, but also we were able to maintain much of the rich history of these buildings’ original designs and architecture, reflecting the appearance of the buildings in the early 1940s.”

To commemorate the momentous achievements accomplished in renovating both historic buildings, staff from Reclamation’s External Affairs and Engineering Services offices hosted a LEED Gold Plaque Unveiling Ceremony in two of the large training conference rooms that had been renovated integrating the latest in new green energy-efficient architecture. Following the afternoon ceremony, attendees were treated to guided tours of both buildings to view the structural improvements that had been integrated into the buildings’ original designs.

New green features integrated into both buildings’ architecture include energy-efficient, low voltage fluorescent lighting with motion sensors that phase down when desk areas, offices or conference rooms are not in use, energy-efficient solar-glazed windows, zone-controlled high-efficiency HVAC systems, low-flow toilets and water fixtures, external drip irrigation systems and desert-friendly xeriscaping integrating low-water-use desert plants. In the renovation process materials with low VOC (volatile organic compounds) were also integrated into the process for improved air quality.

Attendees recognized at the event with framed certificates, presented by Regional Director Terry Fulp for their contributions to the green effort, included representatives from the construction, engineering, architectural and landscaping firms Reclamation worked with to modernize the buildings. These firms included Whiting-Turner (Primary Renovation Contractor), Tate Snyder Kimsey (Building Architecture), JBA Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Low Voltage Designers), Quercus (Low Water-Use Landscape Design), JAG (Structural Engineering Enhancements) and Prometrics (Building Commissioning Agents). Also invited to participate in the commemorative event along with Regional Office employees were key community or project team members from the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce and the Historic Preservation committee that was organized to provide oversight for the effort.

“During the renovation of both historic buildings, careful attention was also paid to ensure historical features of the buildings were preserved,” added Fulp. “Much of both buildings’ original infrastructure was repaired or reinstalled, the windows were disassembled and rebuilt to include the new solar-glazed panes, and other design elements were either preserved or restored in the overall modernization process. In both buildings special attention was paid to recycled content and recyclable materials.”

The LEED rating system, under which both buildings were recognized, offers four distinct certification levels for new construction and major interior and exterior renovation of existing structures including Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The certification level awarded to a new or modified building corresponds to the number of credits accrued for integrating the five green design categories into the buildings’ operational and environmentally sustainable infrastructure, including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. LEED standards cover new commercial construction and major renovation projects, interiors projects and existing building operations.

Pictured is the recently renovated Date Street Building #200, which historically served as the Six Companies, Inc., garage and automobile repair shop during the days of construction of Hoover Dam, more than 80 years ago. Building #200 now provides office space for employees of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region and houses the printing, public affairs, records, and security services offices. LCR photo provided by Alex Stephens.

Pictured is Date Street Building #100 that was recently renovated by Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region integrating green, environmentally-sustainable designs and energy-efficient technological features into the construction process. Building #100, which features multiple large conference rooms that integrate the latest in video teleconference and display technology, now serves as the Lower Colorado Region’s primary employee training center complex. LCR photo provided by Alex Stephens.

Published on December 11, 2015