Campus training center is a marvel of efficiency

Campus training center is a marvel of efficiency

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  15BUILDING PROFIT SUMMER2016 photography by Sarah Morphew Building is world-class model for environmentally friendly features Campus training center is a marvel of efficiency (Above) Christensen Construction & Design Company, Inc., with the design expertise of frk architects + engineers, transformed an old stained-glass factory into a state-of-the-art educational building at Iowa Lakes Community College. hen officials cut a ceremonial ribbon to open the new Sustainable Energy Resources and Technologies (S.E.R.T.) building on the Iowa Lakes Community College campus, what color was the ribbon? Green, of course. That’s because the Estherville, Iowa, school not only houses environmental education programs — the building itself is a world-class model of sustainable, “green” design and construction. It’s hard to believe that the project started as an abandoned stained-glass factory that the Iowa Lakes Board of Trustees purchased in a sheriff’s auction in 2010. With a visionary design and energy-efficient components from Butler Manufacturing,™ the 21-year-old building was transformed into a state-of-the-art learning environment. W Converting from old to new The task of converting the obsolete building to a marvel of energy efficiency fell to Christensen Construction & Design Company, Inc., a Butler Builder.® Coincidentally, the local company built the original structure adjacent to the college property in 1984. Over the past 22 years, Christensen Construction worked with Iowa Lakes Community College on more than 17 building projects. Those experiences gave the builder a leg up with the S.E.R.T. project.
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  16 BUILDING PROFITSUMMER 2016 Because Iowa Lakes Community College has a long history of environmental awareness, it’s not surprising that energy efficiency and sustainability were high priorities for the college’s new Sustainable Energy Resources and Technologies (S.E.R.T.) building. Located in the picturesque Iowa Great Lakes Region in the far northwestern part of the state, Iowa Lakes Community College started its first environmental studies program in the late 1970s. Offerings have grown since then to include such programs as water quality and sustainable aquatic resources, as well as wind energy and turbine technology. Even its construction technology program teaches students energy-saving initiatives. With 3,200 students, the college is one of 650 nationwide that joined the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. And its wind-energy education program is one of only seven nationwide to receive the American Wind Energy Association Seal of Approval. PUTTING SUSTAINABILITY FIRST BRINGING ATHLETIC FAMILIES UNDER ONE ROOF “We had a long-standing relationship with Christensen Construction. Our experience working with them on other Butler buildings gave us confidence that the building we purchased would be structurally sound,” said Delaine Hiney, facilities management executive director, Iowa Lakes Community College. Using the original 30,000-square-foot building shell as a starting point, Christensen Construction collaborated with architectural firm frk architects + engineers of West Des Moines, Iowa, to create functional educational spaces while minimizing impact on the existing structure. Along the way, the team relied on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system to select sustainable, durable materials for construction. Butler® systems helped make that possible. “We still had the original Butler building plans from 1984. That helped us figure out ways to utilize pre-existing components yet make the renovated building fit green construction goals,” said Steven Christensen, president of Christensen Construction. The original Widespan™ structural system from Butler provided the flexibility to add classroom space and new, larger windows, which wouldn’t have been possible with masonry construction. “No roof repairs were needed for the renovation, thanks to the longevity of Butler’s standing-seam roof design.” STEVEN CHRISTENSEN, CHRISTENSEN CONSTRUCTION The SunLite Strip® daylighting system from Butler provides high-quality lighting for the 70-ton nacelle, which contains components that generate energy from spinning wind turbine blades. CAMPUS TRAINING CENTER A MARVEL OF EFFICIENCY
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  17BUILDING PROFIT SUMMER2016 Christensen Construction fabricated multiple steel structures within the existing shell to accommodate the new S.E.R.T. building’s needs. The construction team used multiple sustainable practices throughout the project, conserving where possible and recycling unneeded components to minimize the environmental impact. “We ended up tearing down some walls, but we recycled the wood, copper and steel. We even recycled the concrete to make aggregate driveways,” Christensen said. Supporting school spirit Existing metal wall panels remained in place, but were covered by the 26-gauge Butlerib® II wall system. Like any campus, Iowa Lakes Community College rallies around a signature color, but the school’s color is a deep blue that is not a standard Butler® building system color choice. However, Butler Manufacturing was able to customize the wall panels with a high-performance Butler-Cote™ fluoropolymer finish, matching the college’s color while still meeting construction deadlines. The durable and economical Butlerib II wall system also contributed insulation and maintenance benefits. Fortunately, the building’s original Butler 24-gauge MR-24® roof system was still secure and weathertight after 21 years. “No roof repairs were needed for the renovation, thanks to the longevity of Butler’s standing-seam roof design,” Christensen said. The builder also found the original StylWall® flat wall system to be in good shape, with its signature smooth, uniform appearance. The 24-gauge wall panels simply needed a face-lift with a coat of shell gray paint. Energy savings and quality light Through the design phase, project architect Doug Chervek, ALA, collaborated with Butler Manufacturing and Christensen Construction to help solve the project’s unique challenges. One of those challenges was incorporating natural light to bring both energy savings and lighting quality. The SunLite Strip® daylighting system from Butler was a perfect solution. Six SunLite Strip system units, each 2 feet by 10 feet, spread sunlight through a prismatic acrylic domed system. This technology adds up to three times the amount Christensen Construction Design Company Inc., a Butler Builder,® built the original Iowa Lakes Community College structure in 1984, prior to the S.E.R.T. project addition. Owner Steve Christensen is pictured here, outside the addition.
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  18 BUILDING PROFITSUMMER 2016 of light compared with translucent panels. It can reduce lighting costs by up to 70 percent when combined with lighting control systems. “This whole building is about showing students how to incorporate different sustainable energy strategies into a structure. We tried to add as many strategies as we could within the budget,” Chervek said. “The SunLite Strip system was a great choice and integrated perfectly with the existing roof system.” Iowa Lakes Community College incorporates many features to enhance both mechanical and energy efficiency, including the SunLite Strip® daylighting system and a photovoltaic (solar) system to reduce electrical costs. A slew of sustainable features Overall, Butler’s versatile Widespan™ structural system allowed Iowa Lakes Community College to incorporate many other features to enhance both mechanical and energy efficiency. The building’s “green” technologies include: • Efficient, geothermal heating and cooling • Polished concrete, radiant-heated floors • Photovoltaic (solar) system to reduce electrical costs “Our experience working with other Butler buildings gave us confidence that the building we purchased would be structurally sound.” DELAINE HINEY, IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS TRAINING CENTER A MARVEL OF EFFICIENCY
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  3BUILDING PROFIT SUMMER2016 • Sunshades to filter out 60 percent of the direct sunlight • Thermal pane glass windows for added insulation • Occupancy sensors to control lighting use • Lobby ceiling fans for continuous air circulation With so many sustainable features, the completed 42,000-square-foot S.E.R.T. building is an active learning lab for Iowa Lakes Community College students. For example, students can observe the geothermal heat pump in operation behind glass with LED lighting. Even the college cafeteria uses compostable dinnerware made from recycled materials, reducing the load on area landfills. It all supports the college’s BUILDING PROFIT® SUMMER 2016 Vol. 37, No. 2 Editorial Director: Christen Hanna [email protected] Building Profit,® Butler Builder,® Butler,® Butlerib,® MR-24,® StylWall® and SunLite Strip® are registered trademarks, and Butler Manufacturing,™ Butler-Cote,™ Landmark,™ eShadowall,™ ThermaLiner™ and Widespan™ are trademarks of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. The “f” logo is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. The “IN” logo is a registered trademark of LinkedIn Corporation. Twitter is a registered trademark of Twitter Inc. The YouTube logo is a registered trademark of Google Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Printed in U.S.A. © 2016 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. P.O. Box 419917, Kansas City, MO 64141-6917. May be reprinted by permission only. IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE Butler Builder® : Christensen Construction Design Company, Inc. Architect: frk architects + engineers Size: 42,000 square feet Butler® Systems: Widespan™ structural system, MR-24® roof system, Butlerib® II and StylWall® flat wall systems, SunLite Strip® daylighting system The focal point in the center atrium of the Iowa Lakes Community College S.E.R.T. building is a 70-ton nacelle. A nacelle contains components to generate energy from spinning wind turbine blades. It would normally sit atop a wind turbine, 200 to 300 feet in the air. But the nacelle inside the S.E.R.T. building is only 6 feet off the ground, so students can safely learn how to work on the equipment, no matter the outside weather. To provide high-quality lighting for this unique feature, Iowa Lakes Community College chose the versatile SunLite Strip® daylighting system from Butler. The SunLite Strip system bathes the nacelle in natural light, so students can easily view its complex parts. WHAT’S A NACELLE, ANYWAY? “This whole building is about showing different sustainable energy strategies and how to integrate them into a structure.” DOUG CHERVEK, ALA FRK ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS driving force — teaching students about sustainable energy technologies. “Our students now have a top-rated facility to safely engage in training and education needed to enter the workforce,” Hiney said. “The facility really shines, and our industry partners are impressed by the scope and quality of the training that Iowa Lakes Community College can provide.” 