Ada County Celebrates LEED-Gold Certification on Civic Plaza/Copper Hills Constructors Selected for Mountain View Corridor

Civic Plaza is the sixth LEED-certified commercial project for owner Ada County, the most of any agency in Idaho.

Ada County, Idaho was recently awarded its first LEED-Gold certification for the recent redevelopment project moved the Assessor’s Office and Indigent Services Dept. into the Civic Plaza complex directly east of the Courthouse. This is the county’s sixth LEED certification for a commercial building project, and its first at the Gold level.

Interior view of Ada County Assessor’s Office in Boise, which recently earned LEED certification.

“Our commitment to sustainable construction results in significant taxpayer savings by building and operating functional, highly productive and energy efficient facilities,” says Ada County Board of Commissioners chairman Fred Tilman. “We adopted this commitment before the trend caught on in Idaho – our Courthouse facility was the first LEED-certified project in Idaho. We continue to prove it truly is cost-effective to build high-performance, environmentally responsible facilities.”

The LEED Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

It is a nationally recognized third-party review system used to identify building projects that are more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and healthier for occupants and visitors. In 2003 Ada County enacted a resolution requiring new construction projects over 10,000 sq ft be built to LEED standards.

•The LEED-specific features for the Assessor’s Office and Indigent Services Department office remodel projects include:

•Construction waste management – Ada County recycled over 60% of the construction waste from the remodeling project.

•Building design that minimizes energy consumption through the use of natural lighting and efficient ENERGYSTAR technology.

•Using energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems.

•Using non-toxic, odorless and/or renewable building materials.

•Incorporating a stormwater management system that purifies water before it reaches the Boise River.

•Incorporating a central recycling center.

•Promoting and proximity to alternative transportation resources.

“Achieving a Gold-level LEED certification is only possible with a deliberate partnership between Ada County, the consultant and the contractor,” says Ada County operations director Dave Logan. “We are honored to have received this level of certification, and owe much of our accomplishment to a community that values the environment and supports responsible building practices.”

Steve Benner of Boise-based CSHQA said this project was an engineering design challenge since the two offices are sandwiched between a parking garage below and several levels of apartments above the office spaces.

“With a conventional design approach, mechanical equipment can be placed on the roof, but because of a parking garage and apartments located above the project we were very limited in our system selections and really had to get creative,” says Benner. “This integrated design process is a bit out of the norm, but everything fell into place and resulted in a highly efficient, productive facility,” he said.

Historic Structure Demolished in Preparation of Courthouse Project

The historic Shubrick building in Salt Lake was recently demolished by Okland Construction and subcontractor TID Demolition to make way for a new $200-million federal courthouse project. (Photo courtesy of Okland Construction)

Salt Lake-based Okland Construction Co., under contract with the General Services Administration, recently demolished over 75,000 sq ft of commercial and residential buildings in downtown Salt Lake City. Okland and subcontractor TID Demolition of North Salt Lake cleared the site along 400 South and West Temple as part of the first bid package for a new $200-million U.S. District Courthouse. The Shubrick building, a three-story hotel built in 1912 that most recently housed the bar Port O’ Call, apartments and some offices, were among the structures torn down.

The demolition work is included in the future federal courthouse project’s LEED accreditation. 75% of the materials torn down were taken to recycling centers for reuse. Over seven tons of salvaged features, including stamped leather wall coverings and stone cornices, will also be used in new projects throughout the city. The project took approximately 10 weeks to complete.

UDOT Selects Contractor for Mountain View Corridor

The Utah Dept. of Transportation has selected the Copper Hills Constructors Team (Granite Construction of Salt Lake City, Kiewit Construction of Salt Lake City, W.W. Clyde & Co. of Springville, Utah) to assist them in the design, estimating and construction of the Mountain View Corridor in southwest Salt Lake County.

Construction will start in late spring or early summer of 2010 on a 10-mile segment between 9000 South (at approximately 5000 West) and Redwood Road (approximately 16000 South). The current bidding environment and construction costs may allow the project to extend further north.

Final project design and right-of-way acquisition is underway. Initial construction will build two lanes in each direction with signalized intersections where future interchanges will be located. Future construction will build out the remainder of the corridor, including a transit solution and enhancement of the initial construction by adding interchanges and more lanes to achieve a fully functional freeway.

The Rio Tinto Distribution Center was awarded LEED-Gold certification.

The Utah State Legislature allocated $500 million in the 2009 Legislative Session as part of a bonding package for start of construction in Salt Lake County. The Transportation Commission had previously designated $230 million for Salt Lake County and $130 million for Utah County. In Utah County, the construction area is on 2100 North from Redwood Road to I-15 and UDOT plans to begin work in Utah County in late fall 2009.

The Mountain View Corridor is a planned freeway, transit and trail system in western Salt Lake and northwestern Utah counties, servicing 13 municipalities in the project area. To meet projected transportation demands in the year 2030, the full build-out includes a freeway that connects with Interstate 80 at 5800 West in Salt Lake City in the north and Interstate 15 at 2100 North in Lehi in the south. The transit component of the project is a high-capacity service line on 5600 West in Salt Lake County that connects with both the planned Airport Extension at the International Center and Mid-Jordan Line in South Jordan.

Ames Construction of Salt Lake City recently completed a $20.7-million bridge replacement on US-6 at milepost 200 outside Spanish Fork, Utah.

The project consisted of the replacement of two highway bridges utilizing precast concrete abutments and precast concrete deck panels, plus one mile of roadway widening. Because fabrication of these major elements were done in a controlled environment, constructability was improved, quality increased, costs were lowered and the schedule shortened.

Hanson Eagle Precast provided precast concrete beam girders, while Harper Precast supplied precast abutment blocks, deck panels, and barrier. The project was completed in August.

Rio Tinto’s South Jordan, Utah office achieved another milestone in sustainable development by being awarded LEED-Gold certification by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) for the Rio Tinto Distribution Center in South Jordan, Utah. Rio Tinto’s distribution center was sited and constructed to reduce environmental impacts, reduce the company’s carbon footprint and create working efficiencies. The distribution center is the fifth building in the Salt Lake Valley to achieve LEED certification under Rio Tinto by subsidiaries Kennecott Utah Copper and Kennecott Land.

“Being awarded LEED-Gold certification is an accomplishment that we are very proud of,” said Clayton Walker, vice president, projects and value generation, Kennecott Utah Copper. “The distribution center makes a strong statement about our commitment to sustainable development and the responsible approach that we, along with our contractors, took to make this a first-class project.”

The state-of-the-art Rio Tinto Distribution Center consolidates and replaces 19 previously used storage facilities under one five-acre roof. The consolidation and location of the distribution center creates efficiencies while reducing the need for travel by being closer to delivery sites within Rio Tinto’s Utah operations. The distribution center will save approximately 20 miles and four delivery runs per day, contributing to improved safety and a reduction in the company’s carbon footprint.

The distribution center includes 225,000 sq ft of warehouse space, 15,600 sq ft of office and meeting space, and encompasses 9 million cu ft of volume.

It also features a state-of-the-art computer controlled storage and retrieval system that reduced the originally programmed square footage by nearly 30%.

The roof minimizes the effects of solar heat gain because it is made from a highly reflective white roofing material called Thermoplastic Olefin that creates a cool roof.

The facility is made up of nearly 34 percent recycled material, and nearly 92.6 percent of all construction waste was diverted to appropriate recycling facilities.

Salt Lake-based Big-D Construction served as the general contractor for the building. Hoj Engineering of Salt Lake City developed and installed the warehouse system, and GSBS Architects of Salt Lake City served as the architect.

College of Nursing at University Of Utah Getting a Makeover

The University of Utah College of Nursing Annette Poulson Cumming Building is undergoing an extensive $15-million renovation by Jacobsen Construction of Salt Lake City. Built in 1967, this project will completely renovate the five-story (plus one floor of below grade parking), 88,070-sq-ft building. Technical deficiencies in the infrastructure are being addressed and environments that support the educational and research functions of the college are being created.

A renovation project at the University of Utah’s College of Nursing will completely renovate the five-story, 88,070-sq-ft building.

Work includes asbestos abatement, seismic retrofit, the replacement of nearly all interior walls and finishes, the complete replacement of all infrastructure including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, telecommunications, audio/visual, security, lighting and new interior finishes. The project, designed by Salt Lake-based GSBS Architects, is aiming for LEED Silver certification, and exceeds the criteria of the State of Utah High Performance Building Rating System while meeting the University’s goals for sustainable design and energy efficiency. Construction will be completed at the end of July 2010.

The renovated College of Nursing building will be organized to facilitate two primary functions – student learning and faculty research. Student learning environments, including the Simulation Learning Center and classroom space will be located on the first and second floors. The third and fourth floors will be dedicated to faculty and staff office space. The fifth floor will be dedicated entirely to research faculty.

The project is aiming for LEED Silver certification that will be achieved in several key areas including energy efficiency, water use reduction, construction waste recycling and indoor environmental quality.

The energy performance and comfort of the building will be achieved by a complete removal of the existing dual duct HVAC system, the installation of a more efficient and controllable VAV reheat system, the installation of a new air handler that includes a direct cooling coil, the use of the campus system of high temperature and chilled water, the removal of all outdated lighting and significant improvements to the building envelope including insulation of the exterior wall and window replacement. Energy modeling has determined that this design approach will result in a 27% savings electrical usage and 5% savings in natural gas usage over the code dictated construction.

The seismic reinforcement of the existing College of Nursing building significantly impacts the overall design. Steel cross bracing located on the perimeter of the building will reinforce the existing structural system. In these areas the existing brick wall and existing windows have been removed and will be replaced with a high-performance glass curtain wall system. This creates a significant opportunity to allow daylight to enter the building and offers opportunities to organize the floor plan around this new source of natural light. In the areas unaffected by bracing, the existing exterior wall system will remain and will be re-insulated to improve the thermal performance of the wall. All existing windows will be replaced to further improve energy performance and improve daylighting.

Significant amounts of construction debris are being recycled. During the demolition and abatement phase of the work 94% of non-hazardous materials were recycled. This amounted to 240 tons of wood, steel and other metals. Current on site recycling activities require subcontractors to sort paper, plastic, cardboard, metal and concrete.

Layton Construction’s Boise office recently wrapped up a new $4.5 million University of Phoenix project in Meridian, Idaho. Designed by CSA Architects of Las Vegas, the 36,565 sq ft, 2-story building includes classrooms and administrative spaces. The exterior is a steel structure with a brick veneer, glazing and composite metal panel. Interior finishes consist of painted gypsum board walls along with carpet and stone tile flooring.

The project is noteworthy since it is the first project for University of Phoenix aiming for LEED certification.

“It has been great to work with an owner who continues to demand a high level of quality and strong commitment to sustainability,” says Jeremy Hobbs of Layton Construction. The project was completed in October.

Mulvaney MOB Grand Opening Held

The Mulvaney Medical Office Building grand opening was held September 23 in Boise. The three-story, 70,000 sq ft building, located on the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center Campus, is the first medical office building in Idaho to pursue LEED Gold certification.

Layton Construction’s Boise office recently completed the University of Phoenix in Meridian.

Designed by CSHQA of Boise and built by Engineered Structures, Inc. of Boise, the project integrates multiple sustainable strategies including high performance glazing, building envelope, and lighting systems, durable and low maintenance building materials, non-toxic finishes and carpet, a 2,500 sq ft vegetated healing garden on the second floor; roof skylights, and exterior shading devices on the west, east, and south elevations that provide 13% of modeled energy savings.

ESI and CSHQA were presented with the unique challenge of designing and constructing a sustainable, state-of-the-art, medical office building that incorporated the recently complete $161 million Central Tower project’s architectural vernacular and corporate branding influences. The building is named in honor of Sister Patricia Mulvaney and Sister Beth Mulvaney, and owned by Cameron Investments.

Morgan Asphalt Completes Infrastructure Project

Morgan Asphalt of Salt Lake City was nearing completion in mid-October of a $5.7 million contract to construct and install major portions of the infrastructure in the new Westport Industrial Center at 5600 West and I-80 in Salt Lake City. The project consists of over two miles of road construction with the associated underground utilities of water, sewer, and storm drain.

“This is a great project for our company that showcases our ability to provide full-service infrastructure,” says Thom Morgan, president of Morgan Asphalt.

Westport Industrial Center was once the site of a proposed regional mall for Western Salt Lake County and Tooele County. The site is owned by California based Forest City, who will lease or sale parcels for development.

Staker Parson Finishing US-89 Roadwork

Staker Parson Cos. of Ogden, Utah is nearing completion of a 5.8 mile stretch of asphalt pavement rehabilitation on US-89, 200 North to Sunset Drive in Kaysville, Utah. The $8 million project consists of removal and replacement of asphalt, bridge repair, and re-striping lanes, along with installing concrete paving in the outside southbound lane from South Weber Drive to U.S. 193.

“Despite the traffic and time restriction challenges, everything is still on schedule,” says Brad Hansen of Staker Parson Cos. The project is slated for completion in November.

Hogan Building New Elementary School in Kaysville

Hogan & Associates of Centerville, Utah is building a new $12.5 million elementary school in Kaysville, Utah, for Davis County School District. Designed by VCBO Architecture of Salt Lake City, the project is a single level, 68,000-sq-ft facility highlighted with a galaxy and space theme throughout.

The project consists of 32 classrooms, a gymnasium, cafeteria, faculty rooms and a media center. There will be globes hanging in the school that are similar to the globes on display at the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake.

The exterior is a steel structure with a random assortment of honed and split face CMU block, along with fiber cement board siding. VCBO is designing a three-form laminated glass image of the Sombrero galaxy on the front of the gymnasium. The interior consists of architecturally stained and ground concrete flooring and honed face CMU. The classrooms will have carpet flooring and tackboard on the walls.

“The biggest structural challenge is in the media center where the glass slopes at 15 degrees and the roof cantilevers beyond the glass 10 feet,” says Andrea Orr of VCBO. The project will include 24 skylights, 12 solar tubes and Low E glass to ensure maximum energy efficiency. This project is scheduled for completion in August 2010.

Native American Studies Center Being Constructed at U of M

A & E Architects of Billings, Mont. designed the University of Montana Native American Studies Center in Missoula. The 30,000 sq ft building consists of three levels of 10,000 sq ft each. The project is being built by Jackson Contracting Group of Missoula. The new facility will have plenty of classrooms, along with faculty rooms, offices and a counseling center. The exterior will have brick, stone and fiberglass finishes. The interior will have stained concrete flooring, carpet and recovered larch.

Rendering of $5.9-million Native American Studies Center being constructed at the University of Montana in Missoula.

Glenn and Glenn Architects of Phoenix is also working on this project. Daniel Glenn has an in-depth knowledge of Native American culture and traditions and is incorporating this into the center’s design. Energy efficiency is a major aspect of this project, which includes things like translucent fiberglass panels, high quality insulation and energy modeling glass on the project. The center is expected to use more than 50% less mechanical and electrical energy. The $5.9 million project, all funded with private donations, is slated for completion in January 2010.

R&O Construction of Ogden began construction on a second expansion project at the SGL Carbon Fiber plant in Evanston, Wyoming at 1375 Union Road. The expansion includes both interior and exterior construction that will result in a new carbon fiber manufacturing line and the installation of new equipment. The work is all part of SGL Carbon Fiber’s plan to double the plant’s current operation capacity, which will add nearly 40 employees to the Evanston workforce this year.

Carbon fiber is a material used to make golf clubs, cell phone cases, wind turbine blades, auto parts and many other applications. The Evanston plant actually takes raw material, a special acrylic fiber, and removes from it every non-carbon element. SGL Carbon Fiber is headquartered in Germany.

R&O Construction is working with Case Lowe and Hart Inc. of Ogden, the architects and engineers on the project.