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Welcome to High Performing Buildings |
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This new quarterly magazine is published by ASHRAE and distributed to building owners, facility managers, architects, contractors and engineers. Our mission is to help decision makers in the building community learn about the benefits of innovative technologies and energy-efficient design and operation. We’ll be doing this with case studies of exemplary buildings, developed through the support of leading practitioners in the sustainability movement. |
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High Performing Buildings is available in digital form at no cost. Click on the animated icon to view the current issue. The articles are also posted in pdf form below. |
Seattle City Hall
When the new hall opened in 2005, the local press declared the building an energy hog. Reasons for the misunderstanding included insufficient data, unequal comparison and unfavorable timing. Since then, Seattle City Hall has become a source of community pride as a powerful example of environmental stewardship. The 200,000 ft 2 building features glazing, a thermal buffer, sunshades, daylighting controls, a green roof, and an underfloor air-distribution system. Read more
Sweetwater Creek Visitor CenterThe visitor center is a high performance building with low impact on the ecosystem. The building’s waste treatment system eliminates the use of municipal potable water for sewage and treats 100% of the waste on-site in an ecological manner. A 12 in. deep intensive vegetated green roof blends with the site’s natural topography while moderating the temperature differentials between the building interior and exterior air. Read more
Strategies That Maximize Benefits With a one- to three-year simple payback, daylighting strategies can potentially reduce our nation’s total energy consumption by 1%. Roof monitors, lightshelves, side lighting and skylights are just a few options in daylighting design. The author discusses the various elements of daylighting and how to maximize the benefits.
Read more
Cambridge City Hall Annex
In 1899, the press heralded this building as an example of innovation in ventilation, circulation and daylighting. More than a century later, the historic building has been renovated, merging historic preservation with sustainable design. Detailing, both inside and out, respects the original building design while daylighting and photovoltaic panels reduce energy consumption.
Read more
31 Tannery ProjectIn one year, Ferreira Construction’s headquarters generated more electricity from renewable energy than it consumed from the grid. Even during a summer heat wave, the building sent surplus energy back to the grid while employees enjoyed an indoor temperature between 72°F and 74°F. The net zero electric commercial building features nine miles of radiant heat, high performance rooftop units, condensing boiler plant, solar photovoltaic system and solar domestic hot water. Read more
Indian Springs Discovery CenterThe center allows visitors to view and experience the wetland ecosystem above the water, at the water, and below the water. The center showcases water resource management and natural ventilation. Between the free heating and cooling coils and energy recovery wheel, the building ventilation air is almost entirely preconditioned without having to use mechanical heating or cooling. Read more | | | |
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