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 Sustainability in Practice at the Nation’s Capitol
For
the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) sustainability - ensuring we are
improving the future by the actions we take today - is something
incorporated into our everyday thinking. At
the AOC, sustainable practices include, among others,improved energy
and water efficiency, use of earth-friendly materials, promoting and
practicing renewability, reuse, and recycling. From its very beginning
in1793, choices made in the design, construction, and maintenance of
the U.S.Capitol and the surrounding facilities fit within many of the
modern standards defining sustainable practices. This work extends well beyond the Capitol. For example, the United States Botanic Garden(a
jurisdiction of the AOC) is part of the Sustainable Sites
Initiative,an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of
Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center,and the United States Botanic Garden, to develop the first national guidelines and performance benchmarks for landscapes and gardens. [link] The
AOC is workingin many different areas - from the small, such as
installing thousands ofcompact florescent lighting across the Capitol
campus - to the big, such as theimplementation of energy savings
performance contracts – public/privatepartnerships – where a selected
vendor invests money in energy savings projectsand is repaid based on
the verified energy savings.
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Energy and Water Conservation The
AOC is taking many steps to reduce energy and water use across the
Capitol complex; installing thousands of compact fluorescent bulbs,
low-flow water fixtures, and daylight-harvesting systems that take
advantage of sunlight levels, reducing the need for electric lights. One
large scale example of this work is in the House Office Buildings where
the AOC is leading the use of energy savings performance contracts that
will provide nearly $34 million in infrastructure improvements to the
facilities. This includes the installation of energy efficient
lighting, upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning
systems, installation of water saving devices, and replacement of steam
traps. The
project could reduce energy consumption in the buildings by as much as
23 percent, cut water consumption by as much as 32 percent, and trim
annual energy costs by as much as $3.3 million. Environmentally, this
would be the equivalent of removing 1,700 cars from the road or
planting 2,600 acres of trees. + More
The
AOC buys and uses green label products whenever possible such as high
recycle content hand towels and other paper products, and bio-based
cleaning materials. Made from soybeans, corn, wheat, forestry and
other natural materials, these products offer numerous environmentally
friendly ways to clean, construct, and provide energy. A
part of lifecycle replacements, the AOC has also been upgrading its
fleet of vehicles with the purchase or lease of alternative fuel
vehicles. The AOC also installed an E-85 fueling station for use by
Legislative branch agencies. + More
Sustainable by Design and Greenscaping The
way in which we design, construct, manage, and maintain our facilities
can have a major impact on environmental issues such as energy
consumption, resource management, pollution, and environmental impact.
Sustainable design and construction is a holistic approach to facility
management that considers impacts on human health and well-being as
well as the natural environment at every stage of the building life
cycle. The
AOC has embraced the principles of sustainable design in the ongoing
planning, building, operations, and maintenance of the facilities and
grounds entrusted to our care. These practices include improving energy
savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, improved
indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and
sensitivity to their impacts. In
the maintenance of the Capitol grounds and U.S. Botanic Garden, the AOC
follows the practices of "greenscaping" that help reduce environmental
risks while still preserving the beauty and health of outdoor spaces.
This includes activities such as “grasscycling” (leaving grass
clippings in place when mowing), using the least toxic method for weed
and pest control (such as hand pulling), organic fertilizer, and
carefully selected plantings that promote sustainable best practices. + More
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By the Numbers Twenty Years - the House of Representatives and the Senate created voluntary recycling programs in 1989. 255,000 trees -
The House and Senate have a recycled a combined total of approximately
15,056 tons of paper saving the equivalent of approximately 17 trees per
ton. 13,578 tons
– during a five year period 2004-2008, the AOC recycled more than
13,578 tons of paper, bottles, cans, and construction materials such as
masonry and scrap metal 50% - The amount construction waste recycled during construction of the Capitol Visitor Center Six - the number of skylights in the Capitol Visitor Center that allow natural light to fill many public areas, decreasing the need for electric lighting during daytime hours. The Capitol Visitor Center was
built below an existing parking lot to ensure historic site lines
remained unchanged and to avoid the creation of additional hardscapes
which increase rain runoff.
Education A
significant element in achieving sustainable goals is the participation
of everyone who uses the buildings and grounds, such as staff,
visitors, and Members of Congress. The AOC launched its “Power to Save”
campaign to heighten awareness of staff across the Capitol campus to
the importance of simple actions such as turning off computers and
lights when not in use. + More
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