Systems Unlimited, Inc

Plans called for the construction of a new 33,000 square foot service center for Systems Unlimited Incorporated, an organization serving the needs of the developmentally disabled in a 29 county, 45 city area. The building was planned with staff and consumer input, and entailed job training and family services support on ground level, counseling and supported living functions on level two.

• Systems Unlimited, Inc.
• 2533 S. Scott Blvd.
• Iowa City, IA 52240

• Area: 33,000 ft²
• Cost of Construction: $5,270,000

Sustainable Elements

Elements

Some of the key strategies/elements in this project are: super insulation, heat recovery, enhanced indoor air quality, daylighting, and water conservation. An innovative combination of geothermal source, dedicated outdoor air, and radiant heating and cooling provides superior energy conservation.

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Site

• Provide bicycle storage, showers and changing rooms to encourage the use of alternative transportation.
• Reduce site disturbance; maintain open space.
• Manage storm water rate, quantity and treatment.
• Reduce heat island effect: minimize building footprint, reduce area of paved surface, increased ground cover, high albedo concrete, high emissivity roofing.
• Reduce environmental light pollution: design and location of windows, shielded and full cut off exterior luminaries.

Water Efficiency

• Use no potable water for landscaping.
• Reduce water use by 30%: low gallon per flush water closets and urinals, electronic flush & faucet sensors, low flow shower heads.

Energy and Atmosphere

• Optimize energy performance, innovative hybrid HVAC combining geothermal loop field, heat pumps, radiant panels for heating and cooling, variable speed motors and heat recovery units.
• Increase thermal resistance (R value) at building envelope, eliminate thermal breaks, increase wall and roof insulation.

Material and Resources

• Reduce ozone depletion, no materials or substances with CFCs, HCFCs or Halons.
• Recycled content, specify materials so that sum of recycled equals at least 10% of total values of all building materials.
• Local/regional materials use minimum of 20% of building materials and products manufactured within 500 mile radius.

Indoor Environmental Quality

• Meets ASHRAE ventilation requirements 62-1999.
• Zero exposure to tobacco smoke.
• Carbon monoxide monitoring.
• Air change effectiveness greater than 0.9 per ASHRAE 129-1997.
• Construction indoor air quality management plan.
• Low emitting materials, low VOC content in paints, carpet, composite woods.
• Control indoor chemicals and pollutant source: walk off mats, separate and ventilate areas where chemical use occurs.
• Indoor environmental quality: thermal comfort complies with ASRAE 55-1992.
• Daylighting: daylight factor of 2% in 75% of all space occupied for critical visual tasks.