Yosemite Community College New District Office

This vision statement for the Yosemite Community College District is never more accurate than when used to embody the inspiration behind the creation and construction of the District’s Central Services Building. The building’s vision began in 2014 with a series of design charrettes at Darden Architects under Project Architect Bob Petithomme and culminated with the opening of its doors to the public in the fall of 2016. Winning recognition for its Zero Net Energy Design and awarded LEED Platinum, the building demonstrates that sustainability and energy efficiency can live in harmony with a warm, inviting design that enhances the work-day world of the people who use the building daily.

The building is ensconced within a landscape that reflects the diverse geography of the district. Concrete paths cross the landscaped areas creating vignettes that showcase the District’s diverse native flora; Central California Valley native grasses and plantings alternate with tall native pines and oaks, interspersed with stone cobble and granite rock. The lushness of the native species of plants and trees and use of drip irrigation systems belie the design sensitivity to the scarcity of water in the state. The main entry to the building follows a path punctuated by granite boulders that reflect the rocky terrain unique to the Yosemite area. Water from the site is collected and contained using underground water reservoirs under the parking area.

The new, one-story district office building consists of administration and office space along with assembly areas for the District’s Board of Trustees. The building incorporates design strategies to save energy such as daylighting, natural ventilation, thermal mass elements, and water-efficient plumbing fixtures, as well as utilizing reclaimed materials such as wood brought from other areas in the District for interior and exterior finishes. Exterior materials such as granite are reiterated inside the building to blur the distinction between interior and exterior spaces. The building design specifies systems that minimize the building’s energy consumption profile while providing a space that is both comfortable and inspiring. The building gestalt is one of quiet peace and harmony, emphasized by the lack of equipment noise from the more efficient systems.

The design team retained a net-zero energy consultant at project inception to analyze the site characteristics such as natural breeze patterns, light availability, and site orientation. Thermodynamic and daylight analysis, along with energy modeling of various insulation strategies were performed prior to schematic design to inform the design process. Enhanced commissioning began at design to support the hand-off of the building to the District facilities team maintaining it in the future.

Renewable energy via massive solar arrays mounted on parking shade structures adjacent to the building supply both the new building, an existing building and site. The output of the solar arrays is tied to the building’s main electrical gear in the chiller yard. These solar arrays resulted in significant energy savings for the District. According to the application submitted for the ZNE School Recognition awards, the 311.9 kW PV system mounted on three steel canopies in the parking lot adjacent to the new building generates enough energy to more than offset the building’s energy needs with a net energy use intensity (EUI) of minus12.62. The excess energy is channeled to another on-site existing building to offset its energy needs and the two systems in tandem create a net zero energy environment on the campus.

The building envelope focused on the use of high R-value insulation and high-performance glazing to achieve energy savings. Thermal massing of the building slab in conjunction with the continuous exterior insulation keeps the building noticeably cooler, creating a synergetic dynamic within by the building envelope. Strategic placement of glazing and daylighting with light wells and vertical windows, along with exterior shading devices, maximized energy efficiency while giving an open, airy feel to the interiors. Exterior trellising made from recycled plastic composite provided shade and comfortable outdoor seating while reducing solar heat gain into the building. The use of cool roofing materials completed the building envelope by minimizing solar absorption, adding to the efficacy of the mechanical systems.

Mechanical system features included utilizing active chilled beams along with a secondary system of VAV package units and condensing boiler with a dedicated ventilation system for heat recovery. An energy management system (EMS) regulates lighting and conditioning systems with local control, using mild-season lockout system and submetering. The EMS system segregates the mechanical and lighting systems for separate monitoring.

The building incorporates all LED lighting and next generation lighting controls which netted approximately .6 watts/sf for lighting, an amazing level of energy use for lighting at the time the building was built.

Conversations with the design team and Senior Director, Judy Lanchester, gave insight into how the District viewed the new building and its use of sustainable elements within the building. Ms. Lanchester came on board as the Senior Director as the building was nearing completion, so did not have an active role in the design and majority of the construction. She came into that position in time to oversee its completion and bring the building to turn-key operation for daily use.

What were the items that impressed you the most about the design of the building?

The design of the building is extremely efficient; the circulation patterns were carefully considered, and similar functions were clustered together to create a very efficient flow between workspaces. Operable windows to let in outside air and a lot of side windows let in natural light and create an airy feeling in the building.

The HVAC system designed for the building works extremely well and keeps the building much cooler than anticipated. The design team spent time on the commissioning of the building and incorporated technology that the staff can easily access daily.

The use of the reclaimed materials for the building’s interior spaces make these spaces beautiful. The reclaimed lumber in the Board’s assembly rooms was brought in from other District buildings that were no longer used, and the lumber was repurposed into the wall finishes. Also, the break room is surfaced with recycled cork, which is very durable and can withstand the high traffic in this area.

The shade structures incorporated into the site are also made of a recycled plastic composite rather than wood. The material selected is a testimony to itself rather than an imitation of another material.

The exterior trellised patios were designed to be very comfortable even with a western exposure and are wonderful areas for staff to take their breaks.

Where there any elements that were a surprise to the District after the completion of the building?

Even though the chilled beam system is very efficient, it is not as quiet as originally anticipated. Noise from the system can be heard by staff in some offices.

The restroom fans are perceived to be not performing as efficiently as desired by staff.

In retrospect, the District would have liked to have had a better understanding about the landscaping design decisions for the project. The District desired minimal or non-existent landscaping maintenance which would have provided cost savings, however, the plantings chosen, while native and supplied with irrigation systems that reflect responsible water use, were an unexpected plant palette to the district and required more watering and maintenance than anticipated.

How was your district’s interface with the DSA and other agencies through the process of design and construction?

The District and architectural team worked with Dan Levernier and the DSA Sacramento Regional Office to obtain approvals and had a wonderful experience; the District cannot say enough about the great service received.

What would your district give as recommendations to other districts seeking to build a zero net energy building for their district?

Having a good, committed team for the design and construction of the building is key to having a smooth process in getting the building approved, built, and operating without any delays. Our District felt fortunate to have obtained the services of such a great team in the selections made for the design and construction services used for this building.

Our district went through about eighteen different scenarios to arrive at the chosen design, and the time spent reviewing several options before choosing a final design to maximize sustainability in our building was considered time well spent.

Recycle and re-use materials already at hand; the designers were able to repurpose a lot of leftover and unused items found throughout the district in our new building, saving money and redirecting materials from the landfills.

Is your district planning other energy efficient and green projects as you move forward from completing this project?

Our District has put together Energy Plans to improve the overall sustainability and energy resources for our campuses. The District is working towards evaluating the Modesto Junior College Campus using the STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) evaluation.

Mechanical retrofit projects are planned to upgrade the efficiency of the District’s HVAC systems throughout the different campuses.

Additional smaller projects include projects on several campuses to add drinking fountains with bottle fillers, combining access compliance and environmental responsibility with cost savings.

Senior Director of Facilities Planning, Maintenance and Transportation: Judy Lanchester

The Design Team
Architect: Darden Architects
Mechanical Engineer: Lawrence Engineering Group
Electrical Engineer: Power and Communications Engineering
Construction Management: Kitchell
Net-zero Consultant (Energy Performance Optimization Studies): Berhneim + Dean, Inc.
Landscape Architect: Robert Boro Landscape Architect
Civil Engineer: Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers
Structural Engineer: Buehler Engineering Inc.

Contractor: ACME Construction
DSA: Sacramento Regional Office
Building Final Cost: $15,293,000.00
Building Square Footage: 28,233 sq. ft.