VANTAGE Lab’s Gold LEED certification is 14th Certified Project at Vanderbilt
The Vanderbilt Technologies for Advanced Genomics (VANTAGE) laboratory, located in the basement of Medical Center North, recently achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the14th certified project and the first laboratory renovation to achieve LEED certification at Vanderbilt.
Designed by Donald Blair Architects from New York City, and completed in May 2012, VANTAGE is a genomics core laboratory occupying over 15,800 square feet, 12,000 of which were renovated under the LEED Commercial Interiors protocol. It is home to the Flow Cytometry Core, Genome Sciences Resource, DNA Resources Core and BioVU, Vanderbilt’s massive DNA database. Laboratory spaces are complex and difficult to renovate to LEED’s green standards, so achieving the Gold level of certification is a significant accomplishment for VUMC’s Space and Facilities Planning department.
Highlights from the renovation include a 20% reduction in lighting energy usage with more than 75% of lighting controls connected to occupancy sensors, a 38% reduction in water usage achieved through plumbing fixture upgrades, and 100% of eligible, newly purchased equipment is ENERGY STAR rated. During the renovation of the laboratory, 73% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill and recycled, 11% of the total building materials now contain recycled content, and 32% of the total building materials used were manufactured regionally. Also, most workstations now have individual controls for thermal and lighting comfort allowing lab staff to adjust to their preferred settings in their own workspace.
More than 15 tons of casework and equipment were removed from the space and stored to be reused in the future. Air quality was maintained during construction through the use of low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings while ductwork was kept dust and moisture free. “Sustainability is achievable in highly functional and complex projects; however, thought and effort must be incorporated into the initial process, as with any worthwhile achievement” said Bobby Otten, Architect/Project Manager with Space & Facilities Planning.
“A special thanks to The Office of Research, the Lab Core groups and users, greenSTUDIO sustainability consulting, Phoenix Design Group consulting engineers, and Turner Universal Construction Company in their support of this achievement”.
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