Gwinnett LEED Certified Library Ribbon Cutting

Gwinnett County Public Library System’s

LEED Certified Hamilton Mill Branch

Join us on May 8, 2010 at 1 pm for our Grand Opening Celebration.

The library is open to customers beginning on April 24, 2010.

3690 Braselton Highway
Dacula, GA 30019

(View Map)

The Gwinnett County Public Library is eagerly anticipating the opening of the Hamilton Mill branch located off of Interstate 85 in Dacula, GA. Gwinnett’s first green library was designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification from the United States Green Building Council. The following is a brief description of some of the library’s unique features and sustainable attributes that are sure to enrich, amaze, and inspire Gwinnett residents for many years to come.

Sustainable Sites

• The building is close to park and recreation centers.
• The building provides parking provisions for fuel efficient and hybrid vehicles, and bike racks for patron and employee use.
• EPA “Energy Star” roof with reflective color coating reduces heat island effect.

Water Efficiency

• Drought tolerant plants and water efficient drip irrigation system will help reduce water usage.
• Native or adapted plants have been restored to open areas.
• Low flow automatic faucets and toilets.

Energy & Atmosphere

• Extra foam insulation on the exterior wall enhances energy efficiency.
• Window glass features double glazing, low emission, and selective low emission coating to improve insulation and heat gain and loss through the building fenestration.
• Energy use is reduced up to 30% with energy efficient lighting, heating, and cooling equipment.
• Artificial lighting is automatically controlled based on the amount of daylight entering the space, improving energy efficiency and turning off luminaries when not needed.
• Air conditioning equipment does not use conventional CFC and HCFC refrigerants, which are not environmentally friendly.

Materials & Resources

• 89% of construction waste associated with this project was recycled and diverted from local area landfills.
• Building materials contain both pre- and post- consumer recycled content and are manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the project site.
• Carpet contains recycled material.

Indoor Environment Quality

• Sunshades and solar control devices on the south facade help control the amount of light and heat which enters the building throughout the year.
• Vertical fins on the east and west windows reduce direct afternoon sunlight.
• Paints and adhesives contain no or low volatile organic compounds (VOC), thereby reducing indoor pollutant sources.
• Carbon dioxide and humidity sensors monitor indoor air quality.

“Art in Architecture”

One of the more unique features of the project is the “Art in Architecture” component designed by local artist Maria Artemis, who as described by the architect, “collaborated with the team to create a provocative series of screened glass ‘paintings’ for windows throughout the library. The motif condenses themes of water, earth, sun, and the use of language in our culture.”

All photographs by Michael E. Casey

Green In Gwinnett Area –  Green And Sustainable

BrandsMart USA Grand Opening of LEED Retail Store this Friday Aug 21st – Buford, Georgia

, an environmentally friendly store is having their Grand Opening in Gwinnett County this Friday, August 21^st. I had the pleasure of touring the facility with Larry Levine who is the Vice President of Corporate Operations for BrandsMart. This store is the first Commercial LEED building in North Georgia. Beginning with the construction of the store and continuing through it’s daily operations the main focus has been to reduce negative impact on the environment and promote conservation.

During the construction phase, recycled materials were used as much as possible. The

floor tile, the sheet rock, even the concrete was poured using a minimal amount of raw materials. The store’s roof consists of white neoprene which reflects heat to reduce the amount of time the air conditioning runs. Each AC unit has it’s own compressor that dramatically reduces power needs and the condensation water from the units is recycled. On hot days this can result is as much as 150 gallons of water.

Lighting in the store is optimized by the implementation of large skylights, enabling the fluorescent lighting to be reduced. These skylights open, close and direct light for optimal efficiency. Sensors installed within store lighting automatically turn off the power as the sunlight increases. LED lighting is also used throughout the store. These produce far less heat (almost none), produce superior lighting, and use less electricity to operate. They also use these neat tubes to direct light into the store from the roof called “Sola Tubes”. You could use these same tubes in your home.

Outside the store the parking lot is white instead of black reducing the heat usually generated and allowing better control of the area’s climate. Additionally, less lighting is required at night because of the reflective surface. The plants surrounding the store are drought resistant and labeled so that customers can easily identify them. Once the plants have been established (estimated six months) irrigation will no longer be necessary. Rainwater will be channeled from the slight slope of the parking lot into a retention pond behind the store for future utilization. There is also a preserved wetland behind the store.

You will find trash containers along with recycle containers for employees and customer’s to recycle their sodas, etc!

In the near future, BrandsMart plans to have an educational program directed to children at the fourth grade level with the goal of educating them on sustainability. Great forward thinking!

The construction of this store and it’s operations are a credit to BrandsMart’s and Gwinnett County’s “green” point of view.

What is LEED?

LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Green In Gwinnett Area is a Gwinnett nonprofit located in Suwanee Georgia.

The new BrandsMart Store in Buford, GA is located at:

2918 Buford Dr

Buford, GA 30519-6538

(770) 932-1088

Our Green In Gwinnett Area (GIGA) organization’s mission is to help make Gwinnett County a healthier, more environmentally friendly and socially responsible place to live by becoming a valuable resource for the residents and businesses in our community. This GIGA site is a place to share our passion with others by collecting educational information, and providing a repository for eco-friendly resources and products. Together we can make Gwinnett Greener

–James Chronicle

LEED In Gwinnett. Hamilton Mill Library and Brandsmart USA are both aiming for LEED Cert. Who else?

Fellow Gwinnett County Residents and Business Persons,

Please respond to this blog with information on new or upcoming LEED structures for Gwinnett County.  Suwanee, Duluth, Lawrenceville, Dacula, Buford, Hamilton Mill, Lilburn, Snellville, Norcross and any other cities in Gwinnett please inform us…

We would love to keep abreast of these developments and keep our community informed.

Brandsmart. First Commercial LEED Building in North Georgia

The new Brandsmart store that is being constructed at I85 and Buford dr in Gwinnett County is more than meets the eye.  This store has been designed and is being constructed to LEED standards, making it the first commercial building in north Georgia to adhere to these standards.

What is LEED?

LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

What is Brandsmart doing in these areas?

• They are using none of the municipality’s water supply.  They are doing this by using a unique system of underground cisterns, reclaiming, and recycling their water.
• Landscaping that requires very little water and can survive long droughts.
• Waterless toilets
• Skylights equipped with computer-controlled mirrors directing daylight into the store’s interior for more use than contemporary skylights.

Keep up the good work Brandsmart!

www.printgreenga.com

Print Green USA, Inc is a proud member of Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA, and the Chairman’s Club at the Gwinnett Chamber.