East End Transformation
East Campus is the primary public entrance to the Danforth Campus. It terminates Lindell Boulevard, one of the city’s grand streets and northern boundary of Forest Park, and sits adjacent to the regional thoroughfares of Forsyth Boulevard, Skinker Boulevard, and Forest Park Parkway. The strategic vision principles list three priorities: employ a landscape‐based approach, cultivate community, and plan sustainably at a district scale. Six unique actions resulted from evaluating and observations. These unique actions are to blend the landscape of hilltop with the character of Forest Park; create consistent ground plane; create active social edges; use a small‐scaled, glassy building for public uses; limit perceived distances; and frame Brookings Hall.
All four of the newly constructed buildings in the East End Transformation pursued LEED Certification and were awarded the highest certification of LEED Platinum. These new designations bring the total number of LEED Platinum projects at Washington University to eight.
East End Transformation master site sustainability strategies included native landscaping, which requires 52.02% less irrigation, saving 921,108 gallons of water per year. Throughout the course of construction, over 78% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill through methods such as recycling. Each building is provided with systems for recycling and composting. All parking was placed under cover to reduce the heat island effect. The “quadrangle” in the center of the site is left open, which promotes biodiversity and provides space for human activity.
The major green roof above the East End Parking Garage is Tisch Park, a dynamic, car-free, new entrance to the university. Tisch Park makes up 466,800 square feet, approximately 45.11% of the LEED campus boundary.
Design Features:
- Rain gardens with bio-retention, reducing outdoor potable water usage by 52.02% compared to the baseline
- Native plantings, reducing the need for irrigation
- A diverse tree canopy
- As of 2015, tree cover made up 16% of the area. The East Campus Plan aims to increase this value to 28% by 2020 and 34% by 2033.
Key Building Design Strategies:
Key design strategies include providing an abundance of light and transparency, in contrast to the Gothic brick structures that comprise most of the historic campus in order to create a more welcoming atmosphere.
The Weil Hall skylights provide natural daylight in the building, benefitting human health and well-being and reducing energy consumption by reducing the need for electrical lighting. The second-floor atrium features a living green wall and a shade canopy that filters sunlight through the studios and offices surrounding the central space.
Sumers Welcome Center and Schnuck Pavilion were designed to be transparent on all four sides. The roof was treated as a fifth façade due to its visibility from adjacent taller buildings. Their location provides dramatic views of Brookings Hall to the east. The buildings also provide direct connections between the lower-level garden courtyard, garage, and Weil Hall.
Active ground floor uses in Jubel Hall help to establish a welcoming arrival experience to the university and reinforce key pedestrian connections.
The glazed, reflective stainless-steel façade of the newly expanded Kemper Art Museum activates the southern edge of Tisch Park and contributes to the transformative transparency of the East End master plan.
Energy Performance:
The buildings in the East End Transformation were designed to be 30% more efficient than ASHRAE-90.1-2010 baseline building energy standards.
Key sustainability features include heat recovery chillers that harvest waste heat of much of the buildings’ heating needs, and sustainable furniture that is compliant with the Healthier Hospitals Initiative.
Air Quality:
Building flush-out followed by air quality testing was implemented on all four buildings to ensure the well-being of construction workers and building occupants.
Green Cleaning:
A Green Cleaning Program was implemented by the university that addresses best practices for cleaning the interior of buildings, including obtaining sustainable cleaning equipment and establishing procedures for using chemical concentrated and dilution systems.
The East End Transformation is composed of five new buildings:
Project Size: 80,657 sq. ft.
Project Type: Core Learning Space: College/University
Weil Hall serves as an interdisciplinary center for the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The 80,647 square foot building includes faculty offices, studio and critique space, seminar space, and maker spaces with computer numerical control and laser cutting equipment.
Energy Performance:
The majority of spaces on Level 1 are served by radiant cooling/heating, with Outside Air (OA) from the dedicated outside air unit (DOA). Some heating and cooling is provided by the DOA via ventilation air, however the majority of the sensible loads are covered by the radiant cooling and heating system. The studio spaces on Levels 2 and 3 are served by radiant heating, with OA from the DOA. Air from the DOA is supplied to the studio spaces to meet the exhaust requirements and cooling loads, and heating is covered by perimeter radiant heating systems and reheat coils located on supply ductwork.
Fan Coil Units (FCU) with outside air from the DOA is provided to spaces that do not have radiant cooling or heating, such as the Pooled Classroom, Level 1 Conference room, and the Experimental Studio. Level 2 and Level 3 enclosed spaces have an overhead Variable Air Volume (VAV) system. This allows them to react independently of the exhaust driven studio spaces.
The proposed Weil Hall building is currently achieving a cost savings of 31.3% and an energy savings of 31.0% over the ASHRAE baseline building. The majority of savings have been found in heating and cooling – similar to prior results. Given the climate of St. Louis, which is very humid during the summers, the baseline system must cool and supply a large amount of air to the exhaust driven spaces within the building. The baseline system has been modeled with heat recovery at an efficiency of 50% (per ASHRAE 90.1), while the proposed system has been modeled with a heat recovery efficiency of 70% per the mechanical design.
Significant savings have come through the proposed model using district heating hot water and chilled water loops.
Renewable Energy:
A photovoltaic array consisting of 276 solar panels is installed on the roof of Weil Hall. This system provides an annual energy production of 118.3 MWh, offsetting approximately 5.19% of the total energy costs for this building.
Indoor Water Use Reduction:
Low flow plumbing fixtures were installed in the building, which reduced potable water consumption by 40.05% compared to the baseline, a savings of 49,141 gallons per year.
Materials and Resources:
- Over 27% of materials, by cost, were made of recycled materials
- Over 35% of materials, by cost, were manufactured and extracted within 500 miles of the project site
- Over 98% of new wood purchased was FSC certified
Biophilic Design:
The second-floor atrium of Weil Hall features a living green wall and a shade canopy that filters sunlight through the studios and offices surrounding the central atrium.
Daylighting:
The Weil Hall skylights provide natural daylight in the building, benefitting human health and well-being and reducing energy consumption by reducing the need for electrical lighting. A simulation shows that 78% of the regularly occupied floor area receives ideal daylight illumination.
Project Size: 25,267 sq. ft.
Project Type: Office: Administrative/Professional
The southern pavilion is the location of the Welcome Center which includes admissions and student financial services office space, an information desk for alumni and visitors, and a presentation room with framed views of Brookings Hall.
Energy Performance:
Radiant cooling/heating, with outside air from air handling unit covers open offices on Level 0. Radiant cooling/heating, with Variable Air Volume (VAV) reheat system applies mainly to Level 1, which includes a radiant slab and reheat coils serving the VAV units. As there is no radiant cooling/heating on Level 2, the conditioned spaces are on an all-air VAV reheat system only. Office and meeting spaces on Level 0 are also reliant on this system, as a lower sensible load reduces the need for radiant coverage.
The proposed Welcome Center building is currently achieving cost savings of 44.4% over the ASHRAE baseline building, and 43.2% energy use savings. The majority of savings have been found in fan costs, with increased fan savings due to the proposed radiant system providing much of the sensible heating (in lieu of a fan-heavy air side system). Demand costs are also much lower in the proposed model, which further increases savings.
The Welcome Center achieved an energy cost savings of 44.4% and energy use reduction of 43.2% over the ASHRAE-90.1-2010 baseline building energy standards. Most savings were found in cooling and fan costs.
Envelope Design:
Low-iron glazing, which aims to achieve maximum visual transparency, combined with fritting and metal backing plates behind the glass, reduces the overall building transparency from 100% to 50%, and helps control energy use and heat gain throughout the buildings.
Renewable Energy:
A photovoltaic array consisting of 166 solar panels is installed on the roof of Sumers Welcome Center. This system provides an annual energy production of 68.12 MWh, offsetting approximately 23.02% of the total energy costs for this building.
Indoor Water Use Reduction:
Low flow plumbing fixtures were installed in the building, which reduced potable water consumption by 37.11% compared to the baseline, a savings of 71,015 gallons per year.
Materials and Resources:
- Over 21% of materials, by cost, were made or recycled materials
- Over 23% of materials, by cost, were manufactured and extracted within 500 miles of the project site
Over 88% of new wood purchased was FSC certified
Project Size: 17,559 sq. ft.
Project Type: Core Learning Space: College/University
The Schnuck Pavilion is a mixed‐use facility that provides a dining space on the first floor, and classroom and office space on the second floor. During the school year, the Café receives approximately 400 visitors per day, in addition to other building occupants.
Energy Performance:
All air supply for the Schnuck Pavilion comes from a dedicated outside air unit, which operates with outside air and return air when the kitchen exhaust fans are not on. However, when they are on, the dedicated outside air unit becomes 100% outside air and in essence the entire building serves as make-up air for the kitchens. The majority of the spaces are served by the radiant cooling and heating system. Rooms with exceedingly high cooling loads have fan coil units to cover the additional cooling load. The south, double-height portion of the Café is served by this system type.
The proposed building is currently achieving cost savings of 36.5% over the ASHRAE baseline building, and 30.9% energy savings. The majority of savings have been found in cooling and fan costs. Given the climate of St. Louis, which is very humid during the summers, the baseline system must cool and supply a larger amount of air as the system is a constant volume system. The amount of air cannot be ramped up or down pending conditions within the occupiable spaces, which has resulted in the heating, cooling and fan savings. The proposed system requires less air due to much of the heating and cooling being covered by the radiant systems.
Schnuck Pavilion achieved an energy cost savings of 36.5% and 30.9% energy use reduction over the ASHRAE-90.1-2010 baseline building energy standards. Most savings were found in cooling and fan costs.
Envelope Design:
Low-iron glazing, which aims to achieve maximum visual transparency, combined with fritting and metal backing plates behind the glass, reduces the overall building transparency from 100% to 50%, and helps control energy use and heat gain throughout the buildings.
Renewable Energy:
A photovoltaic array consisting of 138 solar panels is installed on the roof of Schnuck Pavilion. This system provides an annual energy production of 56.3 MWh, offsetting approximately 17.1% of the total energy costs for this building.
Indoor Water Use Reduction:
Low flow plumbing fixtures were installed in the building, which reduced potable water consumption by 32.34% compared to the baseline, a savings of 75,399 gallons per year.
Materials and Resources:
- Over 20% of materials, by cost, were made or recycled materials
- Over 23% of materials, by cost, were manufactured and extracted within 500 miles of the project site
- Over 89% of new wood purchased was FSC certified
Project Size: 86,831 sq. ft.
Project Type: Core Learning Space: College/University, Labs and Maker Space
Henry A. and Elvira H. Jubel Hall advanced the next phase in the implementation of School of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ long‐range vision for the expansion of its faculty and physical resources. The development of Jubel Hall, adjacent to existing engineering facilities, Whitaker, Brauer and Green Halls, was performed along with three additional buildings intended to consolidate SEAS in the East Campus precinct.
Jubel Hall provides high quality laboratory space for the Mechanical Engineering & Material Sciences department to support current faculty research to realize its full potential for world‐class cross‐disciplinary scholarship, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Energy Performance:
The laboratory spaces’ HVAC strategy is driven by the requirement for 100% exhaust and multiple fume hoods being located within the space. They are served by two dedicated outdoor air fan-wall supply air handling units in the penthouse. As it is unlikely that the peak fume exhaust requirement will be needed for significant periods of time, the laboratories will also have horizontal, ceiling concealed ducted fan coils in the space to provide space cooling and heating. Air exhausted via general lab exhaust stacks located on the roof will pass through the heat exchangers in the air handling unit’s runaround coil loop heat recovery system, which will provide preconditioning for the incoming outdoor air. Separate exhaust systems are provided for biosafety cabinets and perchloric acid hoods.
Offices are conditioned by Active Chilled Beams (ACB). Fresh air is supplied to each ACB to meet minimum outdoor air (OA) requirements, dehumidification loads, and ACB activation rate. Meeting spaces and classrooms are conditioned by 4-pipe fan coil units. Fresh air is supplied to each zone to meet minimum OA requirements. Graduate offices are conditioned by VAV boxes with reheat. Fresh air is supplied to each zone to meet minimum OA requirements.
Jubel Hall is currently achieving cost savings of 26.1% and energy savings of 29.6% over the ASHRAE baseline building. The proposed case shows heating and cooling energy savings over the baseline case. Improved building envelope and lighting power densities help to reduce the heating and cooling loads, respectively. The reduction in heating and cooling loads are translated into increased energy cost savings due to improved plant efficiencies. The proposed case efficiencies provided by Washington University are an improvement to the efficiencies of the packaged direct exchange (DX) cooling systems and electric resistance heating in the baseline case.
Indoor Water Use Reduction:
Low flow plumbing fixtures were installed in the building, which reduced potable water consumption by 40.55% compared to the baseline, a savings of 35,076 gallons per year.
Materials and resources:
- Over 22% of materials, by cost, were made or recycled materials
- Over 39% of materials, by cost, were manufactured and extracted within 500 miles of the project site
- Over 96% of new wood purchased was FSC certified
The East End Parking Garage is currently pursuing Parksmart Certification, a separate green building certification tailored for green parking structures.