PROJECT Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Brock Environmental Center
LOCATION Virginia Beach, Virginia US
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 11/14/2014
ARCHITECT SmithGroup
ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT
OWNER/CLIENT Chesapeake Bay Foundation
CONTRACTOR / CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Hourigan Construction
PHOTOGRAPHER Prakash Patel
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 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 design sought to create a landmark that transcends notions of “doing less harm” towards a reality where architecture can create a positive, regenerative impact on both the environment and society. The Brock Center celebrates the client’s mission and unique setting, creating a design of its place, while simultaneously showcasing technologies that contribute to net-zero energy, water, and waste. The curved building form responds to the nearby shoreline, maximizes daylight, and embraces passive solar principles. 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 fish scales, cypress cladding accentuates the site’s natural vegetation and horizontality, and bright metals mimic the glistening waters of the Bay. The Center’s form and orientation maximize opportunities for daylighting and natural ventilation. The daylit interior resulted in 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. The Center is truly net-zero water, the first in the US to receive a commercial permit for drinking rainwater treated to federal standards.
MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project/Jury PDF
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1 View from the dock looking to the northwest. © Prakash Patel
IMAGE 2 View of the center from the southwest. The Center's low profile and curving forms integrate with its sensitive site. © Prakash Patel
IMAGE 3 View of open office showing daylighting, natural ventilation, and view of the marshes and shore beyond. © Prakash Patel
IMAGE 4 View from the north showing entry ramp, outdoor education pavilion, and large conference room. © Prakash Patel
IMAGE 5 View of lobby looking east. © Prakash Patel
IMAGE 6 Interior of the conference room, whose form was inspired by biophilic principles. © Prakash Patel
IMAGE 7 The exterior palette of zinc shingles, sinker-cypress, and galvanized steel reflect the color and forms of the site. © Prakash Patel
IMAGE 8 Exterior of the conference room, whose form was inspired by biophilic principles. © Prakash Patel
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Brock Environmental Center
Category
Local > AIA Potomac Valley > Commercial Architecture (AIA Potomac Valley)
Winner Status
- Merit Award
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