Botanical Expedition! - Botanical Research Institute of Texas

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iridos volume 18 no 2 6 A Building to REflEct thE Mission An opportunity to explore that question came to BRIT as it began developing plans for a new headquarters adjacent to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. We want to use the natural properties of our earth and its plants as we construct the facility. Ideally, the building will express BRIT’s mission to conserve our natural heritage by deepening our knowledge of the plant world and achieving public understanding of the value plants bring to life. “We are committed to fulfilling our mission in this exciting process,” says Sy Sohmer, BRIT Executive Director and President. A discovery phase began in the spring of 2006 with what is called an ecocharrette. With “green” design experts facilitating, we participated in a day-long meeting with architects, engineers, BRIT administrative staff, board members serving on an Owners Group Committee, and other stakeholders. We explored the full range of design and energy components that could be part of a new building. It became clear that the process would be guided by and include Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (L.E.E.D.) certification. Additionally, at the core of consideration was the view that the building itself would teach BRIT’s mission through demonstration. Historically, BRIT’s programs are managed in four major areas: collections, research, publications and education. Each has extraordinarily diverse requirements of climate and light control. A new, fifth element—the visiting public, in large numbers—added a challenge as the work space for the programs was considered for the new building. Accommodating people working at BRIT and people visiting BRIT would require a building design that balanced the need to preserve scientific collections with the need to create a comfortable interior for visitors. gREEn nuts And Bolts From an environmental perspective, we looked at the following challenges and how to ameliorate potential problems: g Water use and conservation – abatement of pollutants in runoff from parking areas, capture of rainwater, use of drought tolerant plant species g Sunlight control – position the building to maximize illumination of interiors and provide screening to control solar heat gain, – position windows to maximize illumination of work areas and minimize the damaging effects of sunlight in the library and herbarium g Light pollution – select lighting fixtures that control the escape of light to surrounding urban area g Heat island control – design exterior to increase reflective properties of surfaces that decrease temperatures in the surrounding landscape g Energy conservation – use geothermal strategies to reduce energy consumption in heating and cooling, and use natural insulating properties of plants g Carbon pollution – select materials for exterior and interior that minimize the carbon produced by manufacturing, transportation to building site, and materials installation From a community impact perspective, we questioned how one creates a home for BRIT that complements the human architecture of the Botanic Garden and Cultural District while making tangible the conservation mission at the institute’s core. Several of the possible answers have been discussed in the months since the ecocharrette; we now share them with you. From the ground up, we feel the new The term “heat island” refers to urban air and surface temperatures that are higher than nearby rural areas. Many U.S. cities and suburbs have air temperatures up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding natural land cover. The heat island above shows a city’s heat island profile. It shows how urban temperatures are usually lower at the urban-rural border than in dense downtown areas. The graphic also shows how parks, open land, and bodies of water can create cooler areas. Heat islands form as cities replace natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other structures. These areas absorb more of the sun’s heat than natural surfaces, causing surface and air temperatures to rise. The loss of trees and shrubs also eliminates the natural cooling effects of shading and evapotranspiration, a process that draws heat from the air to convert water contained in vegetation to water vapor. COURTESy NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA
COURTESy CNRC facility should address the issue of water conservation through innovative parking for visitors to the garden and BRIT. To this end, we are exploring ways to reduce asphalt and other paving to a minimum by using permeable systems that allow rainwater to pass through a green-planted parking lot. These systems allow pollutants transferred from cars to the planted parking surface to be carried by rainwater and flow into specially prepared aggregates of soil and membranes; there, the pollutants are broken down. Finally, the cleansed rainwater enters the watershed for a slow underground journey to the Trinity River. We plan to further address water conservation, control of runoff, and heat island effect issues with a planted roof. A green roof slows rain runoff and allows any runoff to be captured. In one strategy considered, runoff from the roof and surrounding landscape could be captured in a retention pond. The pond would then provide water in low rain periods and serve as an educational demonstration of the importance of wetlands. Planted roofs also reduce the Vegetation Growing Medium Filter Layer Drainage Layer Roof Membrane Fiberboard Thermal Insulation Vapour Barrier Gypsum Board Steel Deck number of reflective surfaces, helping control heat island issues, as do the planted walls being considered for much of the building. Both roof and walls could utilize the natural insulating and cooling properties of plants. The sun’s path through the southern sky provides both opportunities and challenges for energy efficiencies. We calculated the sun’s impact on lighting and temperature gain, and have discussed the orientation of the building and shading options. For the new building, planned energy conservation begins below ground. Here, we envision one of several types of geothermal systems available for heating and cooling the building. One such system is composed of a set of subterranean pipes extending 250 feet underground where the earth provides a constant temperature of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Through the closed recycling pipe system we’ll be able to exploit the 50 degree temperature for cooling and—with a little energy boost—for heating, too. Such systems are estimated to reduce energy demand by 50 percent. Carbon production could be limited, as Green Roof System Reference Roof Diagrammatic of a green roof versus a traditional roof Diagrammatic of a geothermal system for cooling and heating well. When possible, we will select materials manufactured with little carbon output and made within a few hundred miles of Fort Worth. The proximity to the site reduces the carbon produced by transportation. Planning green to meet L.E.E.D. certification is challenging. BRIT is dedicated to meeting the challenge as plans for its headquarters continue to evolve. The collaboration of human architecture and nature’s gifts promises to show the many ways we can support a sustainable world. COURTESy DEPT. OF ENERGy 7 iridos volume 18 no 2
Page 1 and 2: a publication of the botanical rese
Page 3 and 4: table of contents 5 Green from the
Page 5: y Cleve lanCaster, direCtor of deve
Page 9 and 10: 13th Annual International Award of
Page 11 and 12: of defense against malaria. China i
Page 13 and 14: STAFF PHOTO NDD: Nature Deficit Dis
Page 15 and 16: TIANA FRANKLIN Here’s Judy! The e
Page 17 and 18: Iridos Wins top honors in 2006 Insp
Page 19 and 20: BRIT’s Brown Bag Botany Needs a B
Page 21 and 22: A Juicy Event (you won’t want to
Page 23 and 24: Botany 101 Beginning this fall, BRI
Page 25 and 26: NSF Awards Grant to BRIT REINALDO A
Page 27 and 28: PARTNER LEVEL Ms. Florence L. Adams

Botanical Expedition! - Botanical Research Institute of Texas

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