HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-18-2006-7cORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 18, 2006
Action Agenda
Item No. 7- G
SUBJECT: Solid Waste Operations Center Design
DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
4/12/06 Dixon Weinstein Memo
Excerpt - TJCOG High Performance
Guidelines
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Director
919-968-2885
Alternate Building Design Schemes
PURPOSE: To receive additional information about the proposed Solid Waste Operations
Center and to consider providing conceptual approval of the building design.
BACKGROUND: At the March 15, 2006 work session on solid waste matters, the architectural
firm of Dixon Weinstein provided the Board of Commissioners with a presentation on the
proposed design of the new Solid Waste Operations Center to be located on the south side of
Eubanks Road, immediately adjacent and to the west of the County's mixed solid waste (MSW)
landfill. The Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB) had received a brief presentation from the
architects at their March 2 meeting and had given a favorable review to the planning efforts to
date,
The Board of Commissioners provided feedback regarding the proposed design, and asked the
architects to prepare some additional information for subsequent presentation, Commissioners
asked for an assessment of the energy exchange loss of the current design configuration
compared to a more compact design with less exterior wall space. The architects have
prepared the accompanying memo responding to the Board's March 15 comments and
questions, and are ready to respond to this and any other BOCC observations. The next step
after BOCC conceptual approval is to proceed to a meeting with community representatives, in
collaboration with the Solid Waste Advisory Board, to review with them the BOCC's proposed
design for the facility. The project timeline at this point contemplates soliciting and awarding
constnaction bids in late summer or early fall 2006, with move-in to the new facility targeted for
mid-2007.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funding for the design and construction of the new facility will be
addressed through debt financing to be repaid from revenues earmarked to the Solid
Waste/Landfill Operations Enterprise Fund.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the additional
information, provide conceptual approval of the facility design, and instruct staff and architects to
present the Board's design at a community meeting and to report back to the Board on feedback
received from the community,.
Dixon
\Neinslein
A,cli lie cl,. `G A11111
Dale 04/12/06
To Orange County board of Commissioners
From. Ken Friedein, AIA
Dixon Weinstein Archilecls
Project Solid Waste Operations Center
AI the Board's March 1.5 working session on solid waste matters, Dixon Weinstein Archilecls
presented the proposed Schematic Design of the Solid Waste Operations Censer on Eubanks
Road Several questions arose concerning the configuration of the building, particularly with respect
Io whether the relatively extensive perimeter shown was an efficient approach to building design
The following discussion and diagrams are in response to Those concerns
Perimeter area certainly is one factor to consider in building design A building's perimeter is where
inside space meets outside space, and Therefore where conditioned air has relative higher
opportunity to exchange wish unconditioned air Considering that issue alone, one approach Io
building design would be to minimize perimeter by configuring a relatively deep, (hick footprint,
which locales considerable occupied space on the inferior of the building, away from exterior
walls
Perimeter is not all negative, however Particularly in recent years, as building envelopes have
become more efficient and Thermal exchange rases have been reduced, great benefits in humon
comfort have been realized by increasing, and even maximizing, building perimeter. Specifically
daylighling, ventilation, individual Thermal control and exterior views all are increased by providing
sufficient perimeter to locale a high percentage of occupied spaces adjacent to exterior walls
These benefits, which are associated with well documented decreases in fighting costs and
increases in personal productivity, are all elements of the sustainable building strategy Thal was the
philosophy and approach Taken in the proposed design of the SWOC
Orange County's August, 2004, Request for Qualifications seeking archilecls for the design of the
Solid Waste Management Administrative Building tiled the County's commitment Io sustainable
design and asked architects to be familiar with high performance building principles The Request
said, in part:
"Orange County has a strong commitment Io be good stewards of the environment One such
example is embodied in our desire to construct sustainable facilities that minimally impact or even
improve the environment, both during and after construction The Triangle J Council of Governments
led a collaborative effort among many local archilecls and government representatives to develop
and publish the High Performance Guidelines Triangle Region Public Facilities in 2001 These
guidelines are provided as a roadmap for the design and construction of efficient, cost effective,
durable and environmentally sound buildings and landscapes "
a
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The Triangle J Guidelines specifically include daylighling and direct views from inside Io outside
spaces as sustainable building strategies Guideline 6 10 (see attached copy) stoles the following
intent:
"Achieve a quality of Iighl Thal is beneficial fo building activities and occupants to provide a
connection between indoor spaces and the outdoor environment Through the introduction of sunlight
and views into the occupied areas of the building "
As a resuh, the Triangle.] Guidelines suggest approaches Thal "maximize direct line of sight and
orient buildings to maximize daylighling options "Among the specific steps, the Guidelines urge
designers to "consider shallow or narrow building fool prints" and to "employ courtyards, atriums,
clerestory windows, skylights and light shelves to achieve daylight penetration "Providing 90% of
occupied spaces with direct views is a staled goal of the Guidelines
These considerations, among others, led Io the approach that produced a design for the SWOC
design Thal consisted of Iwo volumes, each with offices along a double loaded corridor, rather Than
a single volume Iha1 buried Iwo rows of offices on the interior The design is similar in many
respects to schools and other public buildings thol array occupied spaces along central corridors,
each space having both interior and exterior walls
In response Io the Board's questions, and for purposes of This follow-up discussion, Dixon Weinstein
diagrammed a single volume Alternate Scheme to compare with the proposed Schematic Design
The diagrams and comparisons appear on the following page, and are summarized below:
Schematic Design
Healed area: 8,100 sf
Healed perimeter. 676 linear ft
Occupied area: 74%
Circulation/service: 26%
Spaces w/direct views: 96% X26 of 271
2 Ahernale Scheme
Healed area: 7,800 sf
Healed perimeter: 430 linear ft
Occupied: 73%
Circulation/service: 27%
Spaces w/ direct views 56% (15 of 271
Additionally, Dixon Weinstein's building performance consuhanls on the SWOC project,
Environmental Quality Control of Chapel Hill, compared energy Toads of the Schematic Design and
the Alternate The consuhanls assigned an additional lighting requirement to the interior portion of
the Ahernale to compensate for its reduced daylighling EOC's analysis showed that the additional
lighting reduced the Ahernale's healing requirement in the winter buI increased its summer cooling
requirement to the point That cooling was identical to the Schematic Design
More elaborate and extensive life-cycle cost comparisons of the Iwo approaches are possible with
additional design work, if the Commissioners choose to seek (hose services Based on our
experience, however, we are satisfied that the proposed Schematic Design represents a sound
sustainable building approach that balances the costs of building perimeter with the benefits it
affords
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G><zidelines
Lulaar Fnrirauunf:
G.10 Daytigluing anJ Vicw•s (5-11 Points)
l ntcnt of rrauircmcnts:
Acltieae a ymtliry of light chat is beneficial tta building activities and occu•
pants and provide a connection between indcxar spaces and the uutdour
errviromncn[ dtrough dtc introduction at sunlight and cicws inro the oc-
cupied areas oC the builJing
jjiquirrmcnn:
(G Points-) ^ 6 G 1 Achieve a minimum Daylight Factor of 2°/ (excluding all direct
sunlight pcnetndon), without creating cooling problems due to excessive
glaring, in 7S'% of all space occupied for critical visual tasks, not includ-
ing copy rooms, storage areas, mechanical, Inundr}t and other low occu-
pane}'supporz areas- Hxcepdons include those spaces where casks u•auld
be hindered by the use of daylight ur where accomplishing the specific
tasks within a space would 6c enhanced by the direct penetration of
sunlight,
(S Points) ^ G-102 Aclticvc a Jicecr line of sight to vision glazing from 9G'/o of all
re},nalarly occupied spaces, not including copy rooms, stortge arms, me-
chanical, laundry, and ocher low occupant}' support areas.
l'crhnnlnf~ica and strotrnicr.
Lnplentau design stntcgits to provide access to da}•light and cicws to
the outdoors in a glare-Free way through proper sizing and orientation
of windows, confi};vntion and massing of facility, exterior sun shading,
interior light shch•es, and/or window treaunents. Dfa:cimizc direct line of
sight and orient buildings to maximize daylighting options. Consider
sh:dluw or narrow building footprints. Gmplvy court}ards, atriums, clcrc-
storywindows, sk}'lights,and light shelves to achieve daylight pcnctndon
(from other than diract effect or direct ra}'s @om tlac sun) deep into
regularly ocnrpicd areas of the building. l;se appropratc reflective mato-
rials anJ surfetcs, provide appropriate anahicn[ light levels aubmtcntcd
widt tuk lights Avoid glare. Arnngc lixtuns to support use patterns.
Usc diffusers that rcducc glare and illuminate eeiHng~ :uxl umlls similar to
Ja}'lighting. Use lamps drat provide appropriate color rendition. Usc
electronic ballast to rcducc flicker and noise.
(~ivctnl?lcs:
^ Provide drnudngs with s narrative highlighting critical visual task areas
and t}'pical room sections highlighting shading devices Cor diced sun con-
trol. (G10_t)
^ Include area calculations defining the Jaydigh[ zone and daylight predio-
Lion calculations demonstrating a minimum Daylight Pactor of 2% in
these arcae (G.10-1)
OR
Vcreinn 2.0 High Performance Guidchnca: Triangle Region Public Faciliticx
0
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"G 75
Orange County Solid Waste Operations Center
Dixon Weinstein Architects
13 April 2OOb
l./
_. a occupied
restroom/utility
storage (unheated(
circulation
Healed area:
Heated perimeter.
% Occupied:
% Circulation/service:
Spaces w/direct views:
8,100 sf
676 linear ft
74%
26%
~~
Alternate Scheme
Heated area:
Heated perimeter:
9e Occupied:
% Circulation/service:
Spaces w/direct views:
7,800 sf
430 linear ft
73%
27%
Sb% (1S of 27)
Schematic Plan