FP PICS & PUBS
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UMass Green Building Committee Publishes 2011 Guidelines [Note: this information is also available in a PDF press release.] The UMass Green Building Committee, a cross-disciplinary group comprised of faculty, staff, and students and chaired by Jim Cahill, director of UMass Amherst Facilities Planning, has announced the publication of the Green Building Guidelines for 2011. The Green Building Guidelines outline and prioritize the strategies for sustainability that are most important to the UMass Amherst campus. The Guidelines use the US Green Building Council's LEED rating system as a framework and address sustainable site development, water efficiency, materials and resource use, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency. Design teams for all new UMass Amherst buildings are using these guidelines to design a greener campus. In 2007, University of Massachusetts President Jack Wilson signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The same year, University of Massachusetts Amherst Chancellor Thomas Cole established the Environmental Performance Advisory Committee (EPAC) to assess ways to reduce the environmental impacts of the campus. In 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed Executive Order 484 which included the provision that all state buildings be certified under the LEED rating system. At the same time, UMass Amherst made the commitment to achieve LEED-Silver or better for all new construction and major renovations. In 2010, EPAC created the Green Building Committee to focus efforts on sustainable design and building on campus. During the summer of 2010, the Green Building Committee met biweekly to produce a document which is based on, but not limited to, the LEED for New Construction rating system. The committee reviewed the LEED credits and prerequisites and established priority and feasibility levels for each based on the environmental realities and mission of the University. The Green Building Guidelines provide a framework for approaching new construction and major renovation at UMass Amherst by focusing the conversation on the aspects of green building most important to the campus. They are intended to be the beginning of a dynamic conversation between designers, UMass stakeholders, and users of new buildings. LEED points are not the end goal of these guidelines; rather, they will be a by-product of the design of high performance buildings. The Green Building Guidelines are available here. More information can be obtained by contacting UMass Amherst green building researcher Lawson Wulsin at 413-577-1787 or lwulsin@art.umass.edu. | ||||||
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Lederle GRC Construction Project Overview, 2011-2012 An overview of several projects taking place at Lederle GRC this year and next was presented by Facilities Planning project managers Joe Balzano and Peter Gray-Mullen on October 27, 2010. This is a PDF version of their PowerPoint presentation. | ||||||
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Du Bois Peregrines If you've ever been walking past the Du Bois Library and noticed the majestic, graceful creatures riding the wind above, or happen to be standing in proximity when a feathered rocket shoots by en route to turning an unsuspecting pigeon or chipmunk into an evening meal, take a look at these pictures of the UMass peregrine falcon "Class of 2010." They were taken in late May by our own Richard Natthorst who is active in the birds' care, monitoring and habitat.
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As part of the Northeast Utilities Project in the North Pleasant Street / Eastman Lane / Governors Drive area of campus, the University is planning to replace the current (temporary) intersection configuration with a roundabout. Extensive traffic studies indicate that a roundabout design would not only result in greater safety to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, but would also be more efficient than a conventional "turning-lane" intersection in terms of traffic flow and reduced wait times. By slowing vehicle speeds and reducing idling and stop-start cycles, the roundabout design has the added environmental benefit of reducing vehicle emissions and noise. Joseph Wanat, consulting traffic engineer with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., gave an in-depth presentation to interested parties on Wednesday, April 28. This is the PDF version of his PowerPoint presentation. | ||||||
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Seminar Series: Designing for Sustainability in the Built Environment New campus facilities must be designed to high energy efficiency and sustainability (i.e. LEED) standards, according to state regulations governing the construction of new public buildings. Designing university classrooms, laboratories, and administrative offices for energy efficiency is a complicated practice that requires ongoing research and innovation. The benefits can be dramatic. By incorporating the principles of sustainability in the built environment, facilities planners and design consultants are slashing resource consumption, reducing the University's carbon footprint, and improving environmental quality. New campus construction projects represent a largely untapped source of opportunities for education, research, and public outreach. The seminar series kicks off a campus-wide dialogue about these exciting and far-reaching projects. Each panel discussion features facilities planning/design professionals and a University of Massachusetts Amherst academic researcher. Following are seminar presentations in PDF format: February 25 March 11 March 25 April 15 April 29 Samir Srouji of Wilson Architects, Chris Schaffner of The Green Engineers, and Ray Mann of the UMass Department of Architecture and Design - Exterior Facade Design for Maximum Daylighting and Solar Power Generation For more information, contact Ludmilla Pavlova, UMass Campus Planning, at lpavlova@facil.umass.edu or (413) 577-1720. | ||||||
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Southwest Concourse Replacement Presentation to the Executive Oversight Committee A presentation in PDF format made by Stephen Stimson Associates and SEA Consultants, Inc. in August, 2009 depicting the transformation of the Southwest Concourse including conceptual framework, site plan and material selection, site logistic, storm water management, planting concepts and lighting. | ||||||
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Building Information Modeling Symposium Presentations Available The University of Massachusetts Amherst is undergoing a large capital construction program. While much of the work has already been put in place, more capital improvements are planned over the next few years. Similar construction programs are being planned at other campuses within the University system and at other State colleges in Massachusetts. To better respond to the demands of such construction programs and the need for greater control, coordination and project integration, a symposium was held on June 27 to tap industry experts for a lively discussion on the benefits and challenges of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) delivery method. The Symposium was designed around a Panel of Experts from selected owner's groups, architectural/engineering, construction management and related consulting firms who have utilized BIM for design, construction coordination and facilities management purposes. The event was attended by facility management professionals from University of Massachusetts system, staff of the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management, representatives of the University of Massachusetts Building Authority, facilities managers from the Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Smith college campuses, and members of the design and construction community that serves the UMass system. PowerPoint presentations and audio files from the symposium are available here. For more information, contact Ludmilla Pavlova, UMass Amherst Facilities & Campus Planning, at (413) 577-1720 or lpavlova@facil.umass.edu. | ||||||
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Green Building Design Presentation to the Environmental Performance Advisory Committee (EPAC) | ||||||
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Pleasant Street Improvement Plan Presentation to the Faculty Senate | ||||||
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CLIP Presentation to the Faculty Senate | ||||||
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FC&P Construction Cost Symposium White Paper |
© 2006-2012 UMass Amherst Facilities Planning | 413.545.1383 |