Framework for Design Excellence
Integration
The new THEARC West building was designed to serve the needs of a traditionally underserved community. As a non-profit, heavily reliant on fund-raising, and with a strong mission and sense of purpose, THEARC established criteria early on that any new development had to be durable, environmentally responsible, efficient, and provide long-lasting value for the people who would use it. Equally important were the goals of a respectable, civic building and efficient maintenance & operation that would allow for financial resources, to the greatest extent possible, to directly support programming.
Equitable Communities
To compliment existing partners and programs at THEARC, BBAR identified nine separate organizations to occupy spaces in the new building that were purpose built around the unique program requirements of each group. Each of these partner organizations was a stakeholder in early design discussions as the building concept took shape all the way through design development to completion of construction. Partner organizations had representation, along with the client and community center management organization over the full course of the project. Periodic design presentations were made to the surrounding community through regular community forums that informed people about program offerings and encourage feedback on how to improve the center as a community resource.
Ecosystems
The design and construction team focused on creating an environment where occupants, especially children, can thrive and a whole site design approach was integral. The location of the campus is a unique, heavily wooded site within the DC city limits that borders on the flood plain for Oxen Run. The greenway of the THEARC campus continues downstream through a string of parks and natural areas. The new building was located central to the residential area, other community services, and alternative transportation while protecting the natural attributes of adjacent wooded flood plain. The location is not only a green attribute but also allows ease of access to youth and community members without vehicles. Preferred parking for green vehicles is provided.
Water
The location along the floodplain of Oxen Run meant that all decisions for site development started with understanding how they might impact the quality of this local watershed. Although the vast majority of the THEARC campus was to remain open space, careful attention was paid to the design of stormwater management for both the building and proposed site improvements. A combination of vegetative roof area, bio-retention planters on the building, pervious paving and bioretention gardens in the parking area allow filtration of rainwater and on-site storage with only minimal, controlled discharge into the city’s stormwater system. These measures also eliminated the need for underground storage structures while providing native planting garden amenities at grade. Inside the building, extensive use of low-flow, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures resulted in a 34% reduced load compared to baseline requirements.
Economy
The and all partner organizations represented on the THEARC campus are non-profit organizations which rely heavily on donations and fundraising for on-going operations. Each partner organization is therefore intensely focused of ensuring that maximum resources can be applied to their primary mission to serve people in the community who depend on their programs. Of equal importance were the often competing requirements for durable, low-maintenance facilities and lowest initial capital costs. Designs for electrical and mechanical systems had to be carefully studied for the best balance among cost, performance, and maintenance. Each partner organization was responsible for a portion of the capital costs for the project, which was calculated as a percentage of the area they would occupy. This buy-in ensured that each partner organization was invested in the design and decision-making process.
Energy
Selection and design of MEP systems took into account the unique requirements of each partner organization along with the operational requirements of the non-profit client BBAR. All mechanical system controls are linked to a Building Management System which allows both on-site and remote oversight and operation. The THEARC campus and it partner organizations maintain set hours of operations, but provisions are possible for after-hours and special occasion needs, through communication with the building engineer. Roof top units are equipped with energy recovery and ventilation to all interior assembly function areas are controlled through occupancy sensors. LED lighting is used in almost every area of the building. A portion of the roof area is outfitted with PV panels which are connected to the base building electrical supply and are designed to produce approximately 63,000 kWh annually. Overall projected energy savings for the building and site is over 31%.
Well-being
Each of the partner organizations in the new building emphasize in their mission the health and well-being of the people who participate in their programs. The partners who specifically serve children (pediatric clinic, boys school, and preschool) were especially concerned with designing spaces that were not only engaging and uplifting, but also healthy and enriching. Careful consideration was paid to the selection of materials in both concealed construction and final finishes to ensure the lowest possible level of air-borne contaminants. Green cleaning policies were adopted by BBAR, which is responsible for general maintenance and house-keeping. The pediatric clinic provides routine and emergency health care needs for the boys school and preschool. Additional amenities include: designed to encourage stairway use, ample outdoor program areas, community garden, bicycle storage and rental, showers and changing rooms for staff, access to shared programs for physical activity.
Resources
The compact, multi-story building design minimizes its footprint and allows a concentration of program areas in order to maximize open space and exterior program areas on the campus. Working carefully with the Contractor the project was able to achieve an over 90% reduction of construction waste from landfills. Material specifications and careful coordination with the contractor ensured that over 10% of all materials contained recycled content and over 10% of all materials were extracted, harvested, or manufactured within a 500mile radius of the project site.
Change
One of the underlying design challenges on this project was developing floorplates with core elements that were efficiently located in relation to another and served the partner organizations on each floor. The building structure and layout were designed to allow for changes in partners, use, and configuration depending on changing needs over time. With years of operations experience already at THEARC the client was aware of how the partner make-up and their needs were guaranteed to change and they required of the design team that this being taken into account. The ability of the building design to accommodate and adapt was even put to the test multiple times during the design phase as two organizations who had initially committed to leases backed out and new partners were found. In another case two of the partners revised their previously approved program requirements and required reconfigurations of their areas shortly before construction.