PROJECT Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Brock Environmental Center
LOCATION Virginia Beach, Virginia, US
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 11/14/2014
ARCHITECT SmithGroupJJR
ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT
OWNER/CLIENT Chesapeake Bay Foundation
CONTRACTOR / CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Hourigan Construction
PHOTOGRAPHER Dave Chance
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Greg Mella – Project Designer/Project Manager/Principal-in-Charge, Dafeng Cai – Project Architect, Cheryl Brown – Interior Designer, Cindy Cogil – Lead Mechanical Engineer, Brian Coffield – Lead Mechanical Engineer, Patti Gunderson – Mechanical Engineer, Sara Lappano – Lead Electrical Engineer, Viral Amin – Fire Protection Engineer
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
A model for true sustainability, transcending LEED Platinum, the Center is the first in the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia region to earn Living Building certification, achieving net-zero energy, water, and waste. Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) newest environmental center houses their expanding Hampton Road’s ecological education, advocacy, restoration and community programs. It is located on and preserves the last undeveloped 122-acre parcel at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach. The design showcases technologies that contribute to its net-positive energy goal while simultaneously expressing the spirit of the unique site. Resiliency principles informed the design, siting the building 200 feet minimum from the shore while resting atop pylons 14 feet above sea level anticipating sea-level rise and hurricanes. The curved building form responds to the nearby shoreline, maximizes daylight, and embraces passive solar principles. The facility includes offices for CBF staff and their partners, an 80-seat conference room, meeting rooms, and exhibit display areas. Outdoor spaces allow for a reduction in built area while connecting occupants to the site. A prominent outdoor classroom hosts thousands of K-12 students each year. The Center is truly net-zero water, the first in the US to receive a commercial permit for drinking rainwater treated to federal standards. Daylight simulation tools used during design informed glazing configurations, allowing for a 97% reduction in lighting energy. The long floor plate is interrupted by a “dog trot”, an open-air pass-through that recalls regional, vernacular precedents. The building form intensifies breezes, promoting natural ventilation and reducing horizontal stratification. During the center’s first operating year, its two wind turbines and 45 kW photovoltaic array produced 83% more energy than the center consumed. Prominent, curving roofs recall forms of the site’s wind-swept live oaks, the wings of a gull, and the protective shell of an oyster, while also enabling rainwater collection. The material palette references the colors and textures of the setting; zinc shingles recall marine life, cypress cladding accentuates the site’s natural vegetation and horizontality, and bright metals mimic the glistening waters of the Bay.
MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1 ChesapeakeBayFoundationBrockCenter_high res ext.jpg, Prakash Patel
IMAGE 2 CBFBrockEnvironmentalCenter_01.jpg, Dave Chance Photography
IMAGE 3 ChesapeakeBayFoundationBrockCenter_high res int.jpg, Prakash Patel
IMAGE 4 CBFBrockEnvironmentalCenter_02.jpg, Prakash Patel
IMAGE 5 CBFBrockEnvironmentalCenter_03.jpg, Prakash Patel
IMAGE 6 CBFBrockEnvironmentalCenter_04.jpg, Prakash Patel
IMAGE 7 CBFBrockEnvironmentalCenter_05.jpg, Prakash Patel
IMAGE 8 CBFBrockEnvironmentalCenter_06.jpg, Prakash Patel
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Brock Environmental Center
Category
State > AIA Maryland > Commercial Architecture (AIA Maryland)
Winner Status
- Honor Award
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