The heart of the facility’s sustainability is its HVAC system featuring active chilled beams, dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS), and high-efficiency boilers and chillers. According to energy modeling, the combination of technology results in more than a 62-percent energy savings versus conventional building HVAC methods. Daily energy tracking reveals the building ranks in the upper 22-percentile of Energy Star Program facilities nationwide. Energy modeling has demonstrated the building also surpasses requirements of the ASHRAE Standard 90.1 (2004) Energy Standard for Buildings, except Low-Rise Residential Buildings by 44 percent.
The result is energy savings and environmental stewardship that attracts green-minded tenants and buyers. Furthermore, occupants feel a noticeable air comfort difference mainly due to tightly controlled temperature tolerances and relative humidity (RH) levels that chilled beams and DOAS offer. Other sustainable features adding to the well-being of occupants are day lighting, LED lighting, water conserving plumbing fixtures, and an accessible vegetated rooftop gathering area irrigated by recaptured rainwater. “Many of our tenants say they’ve never felt this type of air comfort or atmosphere in an office building,” said Scott Mazo, principal, University Partnership Associates (UPA), Philadelphia, which developed the property as Philadelphia’s first multiple-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum buildings and one of few nationwide.