The new Animal Care and Protective Services building in Jacksonville, FL is the city’s first LEED-certified project.  The 41,000 sq. ft. facility is situated on a reclaimed brownfield site and has received LEED Gold Certification.

The design-build project was a collaboration of Ebert Norman Brady Architects and Auld & White Constructors.  Both firms are located in Jacksonville.  The new facility, which replaced an aging and overcrowded shelter, offers increased capacity and quality of care, adoption areas, medical treatment areas and public education space.

“We wanted the building to be modern and eye-catching since it’s very visible from the intersection of I-95 and I-10,” said Tom Norman, project manager and designer with Ebert Norman Brady.

Approximately 12,500 sq. ft. of 24 gauge PAC-CLAD 7.2” Rib and Perforated 7.2” Rib panels helped to accomplish the design objectives.  The panels were finished in Cardinal Red, Weathered Zinc and Interstate Blue.

“There were stringent budget parameters that required very careful selection of all materials,” according to Norman.  “The majority of the building where the animals are housed utilized single block concrete to stand up to the daily maintenance of washing down the floor and walls.  But in the administrative and public areas, we rejected stucco which is commonly used in this part of the country.  We selected metal panels to give us the contemporary, state-of-the-art look we wanted for the high profile site.  We’re hopeful that having a great looking building will provide a reminder for people to visit the shelter and consider adopting an animal.”

The 7.2 panels offer heavy horizontal shadow lines that were appealing for the low-slung building.  “We also punched the panels through to the interior reception area,” Norman said.  “The colors and materials give a nice definition to the various function areas.”

The PAC-CLAD 7.2 panels also provide a rainscreen barrier.  “The use of the metal panels provides both practicality and image,” reports Norman.  “When the project manager for the City of Jacksonville first toured the completed job, he said ‘man, this looks fantastic’.”

Installation of the Petersen panels was done by Thorne Metal Systems, Orange Park, FL.

Long-recognized as an industry leader in metal standing seam roofing products, Petersen also offers exposed fastener panels, flush panels, composite wall panels and column covers.  All provide the well-known Petersen quality and are available in PAC-CLAD® Kynar 500® finish in 38 standard colors on steel and aluminum.  Most colors meet LEED®, ENERGY STAR® and cool roof certification requirements.

For more information on the complete line of Petersen metal products, call 800-PAC-CLAD or visit www.pac-clad.com.

The first PAC Solar Series project has been installed at the University of Iowa in June, 2010 by T & K Roofing, Ely, Iowa. Consisting of the Petersen Aluminum 24 GA Snap Clad Panel in 24 GA Black Galvalume, PAC installed 280 of the thin film photovoltaic laminates onto 94 Snap-Clad Panels at the factory to provide a total of 38 kW system for the Cambus Maintenance facility at the university in Iowa City, IA. Thin-film BIPV provides a unique synergy with PAC Standing Seam Roofing, combining superior panel performance with increased sustainability and energy generation. The project was funded under Iowa’s Public Transit Infrastructure Program and grants by the Federal Transit Administration. Project architect was Neumann Monson Architects, Iowa City, IA.

As renewable energy technology continues to develop and net-zero energy buildings become more feasible, it’s no longer impossible to envision a future where buildings of all kinds can power themselves and stand on their own. For example, we’re seeing more examples of buildings incorporating rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays to offset their own power use. It’s exciting technology and, as efficiency increases and costs come down, it certainly will become more commonplace. I like to even hope that integrated power generation eventually will become just part of what’s expected of a building.

PV technology still is in its relative infancy and has a long way to go before it truly becomes cost effective enough for wide-spread use. For projects installing such technology today, two factors are of great importance: government incentives and the longevity of the system. Government incentives and tax credits can help with the up-front expense, and longevity allows the system’s costs to be spread out over a period of many years. The longer the operational life, the greater the return on investment.

Because most current solar PV arrays have an operational life expectancy of more than 20 years, it’s important to think about the longevity of the roof system the PV panels or laminate sheets are installed on. When you factor this into the equation, standing seam metal roofs become not only an ideal solution–in many cases they may be the only truly viable solution.

It reminds me a bit of the early days of those TV/VCR combo units. I remember reading several reports that warned consumers about the technology because oftentimes the VCR part of the appliance would break down years before the TV part would, so you’d be left with a half-functioning device. In much the same way, it doesn’t make much sense to install a long-lasting solar power-generation system on a roof that’s going to need to be replaced halfway through the life of the array.

A cornerstone of the sustainability movement is a shift to a more long-term view of things. How will decisions we make today play out five, 10 and 20 years from now? With its durability and low maintenance requirements, metal roofing fits very well into this kind of philosophy. As we come to expect more from our buildings and make them more long-lasting and independent, metal has a big role to play.

By Jim Schneider, LEED AP, editor, metalmag

jschneider@hanleywood.com

So what is green when it comes to our buildings? After six years of involvement in the green-building industry, I’ve learned that green doesn’t have to include easily identifiable materials and technologies, such as bamboo flooring and vegetated roofs. It doesn’t require a costly third-party certification either. Being green really can be quite simple. Whether you’re building new or retrofitting an existing building, keep the following tenets in mind:

There’s no “I” in team. It’s important to bring a team together early and often. Regular meetings should begin before the project starts and continue throughout. These meetings should include the owner, property manager, architect, engineers, general contractor, subs and any other stakeholders. By working together, team members will identify efficiencies and cost savings, such as ways to recover and reuse heat and water, which can impact first costs and operating costs down the line.

Do it right the first time. I think it’s incredibly important to maintain constant supervision of a construction project. It’s essential to ensure team members are not cutting corners or deviating from the agreed-upon plan without getting approval from the entire team. I’ve heard of too many projects where a cheaper or untried material was substituted only to be torn out and replaced soon after. More cost, more materials and more waste are not green.

Think durability. Every manufacturer has a green product these days. To minimize confusion, there are many third-party product certifications available that label products for low emissions, recycled content and other attributes. However, durability often takes a backseat to these hyped green characteristics. If a metal roof system will last 40 years or more and another roof type will last 15 years, you’re minimizing cost, materials and waste by choosing metal.

Measure and tweak systems. Once a building is operating, it’s not OK to walk away and never think about it again. The performance of our buildings drastically changes once people occupy them and turn on task lighting, fiddle with the thermostat, run the microwave, etc. A team should be in place within the building to monitor its energy use and identify systems that are using more energy than necessary. For example, a California office building equipped its underground parking-garage fans with sensors that monitor carbon-monoxide levels. The fans only turn on when CO levels reach a certain point. The payback for the sensors was almost immediate because of the energy saved once the fans weren’t running 24-7. An efficient building that is performing according to its green design criteria looks great in every project-team member’s portfolio.

Like any construction project, there are many more systems and strategies that should be researched and discussed within a project team when going green. The team must think about designing and constructing intelligently for the geographic location, orienting the building on the site to take advantage of passive-solar strategies, minimizing water use, constructing a tight envelope to reduce heating and cooling loads, etc. However, none of these things has to be too complicated or costly. Start simply, stay engaged and any building can reap the rewards of going green.

By Christina Koch, LEED AP,
vice chair of the Metal Construction Association’s Sustainability Council,
consultant and writer. christinaakoch@comcast.net

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Petersen Aluminum has introduced the PAC Solar Series, which integrates cutting-edge photovoltaic technology with the durability of a standing seam roof system.

Thin-film solar laminate is fused to the surface of the metal panel substrate to create a green solution for energy generation.

Unlike polycrystalline photocells that are heavy and fragile, no roof penetration or structural support is required with the flexible and durable PAC Solar Series.  The Solar Series includes a complete, standardized system with schematics and specifications for all electrical components.

Provided through the EnergyPeak™ Program, PAC Solar Series is available on these Petersen profiles:  Snap-Clad, Redi-Roof, Tite-Loc, Tite-Loc HS and Tite-Loc Plus.  Solar Series roofs provide payback in 10 years or less and offer a 20-year warranty.