LEED Platinum Lower Colorado Regional Office Green Building ~ MDH Evolution

LEED Platinum U.S. Bureau of Reclamation LCROGB

Location: Boulder City, Nevada

Owner: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Architect: Tate, Snyder, Kimsey Architects

Contractor: Whiting Turner

Sustainability Consultant: Daniel Huard, Humann Building Solutions

Size: 49,818 sq. ft.

The two story Office Building designed by Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects for the Bureau of Reclamation serving the Lower Colorado region draws on stylistic precedents from the historic buildings of the Date Street Campus in Boulder City, Nevada. The design is responsive to environmental influences, respectful of the historic neighborhoods around it, and provides a comfortable, healthy work environment for multiple departments from the Bureau of Reclamation which were able to be consolidated within the new regional facility.

This LEED Platinum certified project features a number of sustainable systems. Condensate recovery from the central plant’s cooling tower is used to flush toilets and provide all of the site’s irrigation water needs thus repurposing approximately 68 million gallons of water annually. 90% of domestic hot water is provided by a solar thermal water heating system that employs a very efficient on demand back up system. At the time of the design submittal for certification 40% of the building energy demand was provided via an on-site photovoltaic system. By the time the building was hanging its LEED Platinum Plaque the final phase of the on-site photovoltaic system was installed intended to exceed the building’s total energy demands. The facilities exceptional energy efficiency was achieved via a combination of daylighting strategies, efficient systems and equipment. Skylights and daylighting controls contribute over 80% of daytime lighting in regularly occupied spaces with 90% of these spaces having views to the exterior.

Humann Building Solutions, LLC Principal Daniel A. Huard served as the Program Manager and Sustainability Team Lead on the project as a contracted subject matter expert to the Federal Government. Huard also consulted on other elements on the campus including a Central Plant, a Renewable Energy Field, as well as Building 100 and Building 200 on the site which were both historical restorations to structures to turn them into functional LEED GOLD Certified projects.