cbe livable buildings awards 2011 · conventional system, and efficiencies gained through the hvac...

CBE Livable Buildings Awards 2011 Submittal for The Kresge Foundation Troy, Michigan

CBE Livable Buildings Awards 2011 Submittal for The Kresge Foundation1

Table of Contents Project Narrative -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Project Images --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Energy Performance Data --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Project Team -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Additional Information LEED Scorecard ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Project Narrative Kresge Foundation project balances reuse of historic structures with modern construction to create a healthy, inviting workplace The Kresge Foundation is an 87-year-old national foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations by creating access and opportunity in underserved communities, improving the health of low-income people, supporting artistic expression, increasing college achievement, assisting in the revitalization of Detroit, and advancing methods for addressing global climate change. The foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts in seven areas – arts and culture, community development, Detroit, health, human services, education and the environment. When Kresge outgrew the office space at its Troy, Mich., headquarters, its leadership moved forward in a way that reflected the foundation’s dedication to environmental conservation and stewardship of existing resources. Although Troy has developed over the years into a typical suburban landscape, the three-acre site included a landmark 1852 farmhouse and barn, along with several agricultural outbuildings. The project team’s challenge was to add space and reduce environmental impact while meeting the following goals: • Preserve and use the farmhouse, barn and outbuildings. • Create an outstanding workplace that supports employees’ health and productivity. • Achieve efficiencies in water and energy use. • Minimize waste production. • Develop a sustainable strategy for the complex. The project team chose a design that blends historic preservation, landscape restoration, and sustainable building practices. Thoughtful integration of the site and structure produced a home for the foundation that reflects its values and serves as a model for its neighbors and the national green-building community.


The new construction makes extensive use of glass and aluminum, connecting the renovated farmhouse and barn without visually overpowering them. The project added 19,500 square feet, bringing the facility’s total size to 27,848 square feet. A 1984 addition to the farmhouse was removed to make way for the modern building. Rock and paving materials from the demolition and construction were placed in large wire baskets and used in place of retaining walls. These structures – called gabion walls – reduced construction waste as well as the need for concrete. In all, reuse and recycling measures kept 85 percent of all demolition and construction waste out of the landfill. Two constructed wetlands on the south side of the campus are part of a comprehensive strategy that allows the foundation to manage almost all of its stormwater on site, reducing demand on the municipal water system. This integrated design includes pervious pavers in the parking lot and bioswales that line the perimeter of the site to collect runoff. A cistern collects rainwater, which is distributed to the wetlands and to four green roofs. More than 70 percent of the site is landscaped with plants native to southeast Michigan, creating an oasis of prairie vegetation and wildlife in a built environment otherwise dominated by concrete and steel. The modern building’s exterior sunshades and interior light shelves work together to bounce indirect natural light deeply and evenly into its interior, reducing electrical lighting costs by 24 percent. Almost all workspaces have an outside view, and the abundance of natural light – combined with the visual connection to nature – creates an inviting, restorative atmosphere. Kresge regularly hosts educational tours of the building, and visitors’ most-asked question is, “What do I have to do to work here?” A geothermal heating and cooling system provides heat for the building by extracting it from the earth, eliminating the need for a natural gas boiler and saving an estimated 1.9 million cubic feet of natural gas annually. The building HVAC system uses 47 percent less energy than a conventional system, and efficiencies gained through the HVAC and lighting systems reduce the total building electricity cost by 36 percent compared to a conventional system. Low-flow lavatories, dual-flush water closets and waterless urinals have helped reduce potable water usage by more than 20 percent. A two-floor interior waterwall serves as a natural humidification system, yet costs around $100,000 less than a conventional system. The waterwall enhances staff comfort, provides


calming white noise in the building’s largest open workspace and reduces dust and static electricity in the air, saving money on HVAC filter changes. To reduce occupants’ exposure to volatile organic compounds, all adhesives, sealants, paints and carpets – along with all cleaning products used in daily operations – are either low-VOC or emit no VOCs at all. Wheatboard, a rapidly renewable product, makes up the cores of furniture, doors and millwork, and 84 percent of the wood products in the building were certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. In 2008, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded the project a Platinum designation in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System, making Kresge the first nonprofit in Michigan to achieve LEED Platinum certification for new construction. The site is also being used by the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the Landscape Architect Foundation and the University of Michigan in projects designed to better evaluate and understand the benefits of sustainable landscapes.


Project Images


Energy Performance Data

Project Team Ron Gagnon Kresge Project Manager

Conservation Design Forum Landscape Architect

Valerio Dewalt Train Associates Architect

Progressive AE Civil Engineer

Farr Associates Consulting Architect for Sustainability

Interiors Group Searl Blossfeld Farmhouse Interior Designer

JM Olson Corporation Construction Manager

Lighting Design Alliance Lighting Designer

Arup Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection Engineer

Shiner + Associates Acoustic and Vibration Engineer

Robert Darvas Associates Structural Engineer

Vinci-Hamp Architects Preservation Consultants

2008 2009 2010 Floor Area (ft²) 27,848 27,848 27,848

Number of People 49 58 65 Total Annual Energy (Kwh) 610,181.5 626,040.0 626,240.0


Additional Information LEED scorecard

cbe livable buildings awards 2011 · conventional system, and efficiencies gained through the hvac...

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