Ian Winans
Staff Reporter
Clark College is a little “greener” after opening its new satellite campus at Columbia Tech Center. The building, which opened this fall, provides students with an environment-friendly learning facility.
Clark project manager Jim Watkins tried to remain within budget but also accommodated the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. LEED set a list of construction requirements for the building to be considered green.
Tood Construction Co., the contract company hired for the campus, put CTC on pace for gold certification within the LEED program, with the original goal being silver. Only the platinum rating is higher than gold.
LEED silver certification was required in the construction of CTC because the campus is built on a “brown field”. A “brown field” is the designation given when all vegetation is stripped from a construction site. During the construction process Todd Construction Co. diverted 97 percent of construction waste away from landfills and used local material to cut transportation costs. Over 33 percent of materials used for construction were recycled products. Internally, low-volatile organic compounds were used such as carpet glues, lubricants, and low toxin-rate paint – creating a healthier breathing environment. Wood products used to construct CTC were free of urea-formaldehyde and obtained from regionally harvested manufacturers.
The CTC Campus was built with the expectation of saving Clark College $20,000 per year on energy. The design includes a multi-story trombe wall (black mass solar wall) that pre-heats the building’s intake air with passive solar energy. The front of the building has large fin-like structures protruding from the windows. These brushed-aluminum panels are angled to obstruct sunlight. This process reduces heat absorption into the building and draws more natural lighting. Renewable energy is a staple at CTC.
Capital project grants heavily funded the $28 million CTC project. State grants for green projects funded the wind turbines on CTC’s roof, along with many other environment conscience projects.
The micro-wind turbines are used as a learning as well as alternate energy resource. Students will be monitoring this source to gain understanding of alternative power.
Light fixtures in the classroom are designed to gauge the amount of light entering the room and respond with appropriately needed artificial light, Watkins explained. Classroom lighting turns itself off when no motion is detected in the room.
Externally, parking lot light poles were positioned to minimize light pollution. They remain at 50 percent brightness to conserve energy. If motion is sensed after hours, the lights will emit full brightness as a security measure. Through use of low-flow fixtures, CTC will use 45 percent less water than Clark’s main campus. Bathrooms are equipped with touch-less sinks, toilets, soap dispensers and electronic hand-dryers to reduce waste and the spread of illness.
CTC was built with long-life materials that will last at least fifty years without replacement. The structure should also withstand seismic tremors of reasonable magnitude. CTC’s infrastructure is ready for expansion when that becomes necessary.These measures will cut cost of maintenance and repair, ultimately saving Clark money, Watkins said.
