Lobo Village is pursuing green building certification under the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Each characteristic of the building, including water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials/resource use, indoor air quality and site attributes will undergo a high level of scrutiny as part of this process. The end result will be a sustainable and efficient building that not only has a reduced carbon footprint, but also promotes health among its occupants and is sensitive to the local ecosystem.
Green Design
Green buildings embody a design intent on balancing environmental responsiveness, resource efficiency, and cultural and community sensitivity. Green building design includes everybody in the development process, from the design team, the construction team, to the maintenance staff and occupants.
Why Design Green
Buildings in the US consume more than 30% of our total energy, 5 billion gallons of potable water per day to flush toilets and commercial construction projects can generate 2.5 pounds of waste per square foot of floor space.
About LEED
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fit out, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.
LEED Certification
LEED is a voluntary certification program that can be applied to any building type and any building lifecycle phase. It promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in key areas:
Sustainable Sites: Choosing a building's site and managing that site during construction are important considerations for a project’s sustainability. The Sustainable Sites category discourages development on previously undeveloped land; minimizes a building's impact on ecosystems and waterways; encourages regionally appropriate landscaping; rewards smart transportation choices; controls stormwater runoff; and reduces erosion, light pollution, heat island effect and construction-related pollution.
Water Efficiency: Buildings are major users of our potable water supply. The goal of the Water Efficiency credit category is to encourage smarter use of water, inside and out. Water reduction is typically achieved through more efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings inside and water-wise landscaping outside.
Energy & Atmosphere: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use 39% of the energy and 74% of the electricity produced each year in the United States. The Energy & Atmosphere category encourages a wide variety of energy strategies: commissioning; energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, systems and lighting; the use of renewable and clean sources of energy, generated on-site or off-site; and other innovative strategies.
Materials & Resources: During both the construction and operations phases, buildings generate a lot of waste and use a lot of materials and resources. This credit category encourages the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials. It promotes the reduction of waste as well as reuse and recycling, and it takes into account the reduction of waste at a product’s source.
Indoor Environmental Quality: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend about 90% of their day indoors, where the air quality can be significantly worse than outside. The Indoor Environmental Quality credit category promotes strategies that can improve indoor air as well as providing access to natural daylight and views and improving acoustics.
Locations & Linkages: The LEED for Homes rating system recognizes that much of a home's impact on the environment comes from where it is located and how it fits into its community. The Locations & Linkages credits encourage homes being built away from environmentally sensitive places and instead being built in infill, previously developed and other preferable sites. It rewards homes that are built near already-existing infrastructure, community resources and transit, and it encourages access to open space for walking, physical activity and time spent outdoors.
U.S. Green Building Council
www.usgbc.org
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)
www.usgbc.org/leed
University of New Mexico’s Office of Sustainability
http://sustainability.unm.edu
Sustainable Site
Storm water Run-off: In urban and suburban settings, runoff from storm events collects chemicals and other pollutants and transports them to rivers and eventually the ocean. In order to reduce the amount of pollutant leaving the site, efforts were made to mimic a natural landscape and its ability to absorb and filter rainfall.
(Photo courtesy of USGS New Mexico Science Center)
Alternative Transportation: Alternative transportation is any form of transportation which moves way from the one person in one vehicle model. Mass transit, biking, carpooling, vanpooling, and walking are all common methods of getting around which don’t rely upon a single occupancy vehicle. Residents of Lobo Village will have access to multiple alternative transportation methods through the transportation management programs offered by the University of New Mexico Parking and Transportation Services (PATS ). Featuring a full line-up of integrated alternative transportation programs (free bus passes, campus shuttle to transit, car-sharing, preferred parking for low-emitting vehicles, bike storage), PATS continues to incentivize the use of more sustainable transportation and reduce carbon emissions associated with travel to, from and around the University. Addtionally, preferred parking spots have been provided for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles and carpool/vanpool.
Lobo Village Parking Map (Photo courtesy of American Campus Communities)
Light Pollution Reduction: Excessive interior and exterior lighting can limit views of the night sky as well as affect nocturnal ecosystems. Through a careful selection of site lighting fixtures and layout, necessary light levels are maintained, while the impact on the environment and nighttime visibility is limited.
Water Efficiency
Water Efficient Landscaping: The landscaping of Lobo Village features plants that are native to the region. These species require less of water for irrigation and are not disruptive to the local ecosystem.
Low-flow Water Fixtures: Low-flow water fixtures have been installed throughout the village, which together reduce the water use by 40% from a conventional design.
Energy & Atmosphere
Energy Star Appliances: Energy Star appliances have been provided for residents of this building – Energy Star qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use less energy and water than standard models.
Reduction in Energy Use: In order to reduce energy use, efficient mechanical systems have been incorporated in the project.
Zero Use of CFCs: Air Conditioning equipment in place in Lobo Village does not use CFC, which is a major ozone depleting refrigerant.
Materials & Resources
Recycling: In order to facilitate resident recycling, designated areas have been provided for the collection of recyclable materials.
Construction Waste Recycling: During construction, 75% of the waste produced from construction activities was recycled.
Indoor Air Quality
Low-emitting Materials: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a class of chemicals found commonly in construction materials such as paints, adhesives, and carpets. Some of these chemicals are known to cause eye, nose and throat irritation, damage to the liver, kidney and central system, and a number of them are suspected human carcinogens. During the construction of Lobo Village, a conscious effort was made to use low-VOC paints and sealants.
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Lobo Village
Lobo Village Sustainability
