ET127 – LEED NC Platinum: Alexandria Renew Environmental Center

Additional fee, registration required.

Within a small urban footprint, the Alexandria Renew Environmental Center needed to expand infrastructure to comply with stringent Chesapeake Bay regulations.

The result? A reduction of annual energy consumption by 46%, equivalent to the energy consumption of 35 homes; reduction of annual CO2 emissions by 55 tons; and reduction of annual potable water consumption by 97%—equivalent to two Olympic-sized swimming pools.

This tour will reveal how the partnership of AlexRenew and the Environmental Center resulted in the LEED NC Platinum home of one of the most advanced wastewater reclamation facilities in the United States.

Learning Objectives

1. Consider AlexRenew's mission to protect public health and the environment both at the building level and municipal water level.
2. Examine sustainable building features of the Environmental Center LEED Platinum certification, including a well-insulated building envelope, use of natural daylight, vertical sunshades, photovoltaics, and reclaimed water use.
3. Study the integration of a wastewater treatment system accomplished by using the building, landscape berm, and community athletic field.
4. Reflect on the architect's role in creating a resource to educate the public about sustainable design and clean water with educational displays, resources, and tours.

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