Green Building Team

1
Green Building Team

• Niki vonHedemannSabina BharwaniStephanie Squibb

2
The National Problem

• U.S. Buildings Use
• 42 of energy consumed
• 30 of the total raw materials
• 25 of all water consumed
• U.S. Buildings Produce
• 40 of the atmospheric admissions
• 25 of the solid waste

3
Problems at Rice

• Weiss Commons lighting
• Martel air conditioning
• Lovett lack of temperature control
• Baker air quality
• George R. Brown energy use
• None built to follow green guidelines

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There are no green buildings at Rice!
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Other Universities

• More than 110 universities have built or are
  planning to build structures certified with the
  USGBC
• Green Dorms at more than 25 schools
• Carnegie Mellon
• University of South Carolina
• Several green buildings in the Houston area,
  including UT's School of Nursing

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Why Build Green?

• Environmental Benefits of Green Buildings
• Conserve water
• Conserve energy/reduce pollution (Global Warming)
• Create more natural habitat
• Limit waste of natural resources
• Other Benefits
• Students like living at these dorms
• Improved indoor air quality
• Increased productivity/health
• Reputation and attracting students
• Economic benefits

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Goals Green Dorms

• Influence a specific project at the colleges
  Jones sink replacement
• Student opinion survey
• Dialogue with masters, presidents, staff, and
  administrators

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Expected Results

• Jones sink replacement project
• Reuse the old sinks
• Recycle the faucets
• Install low-flow faucets
• Student Survey
• Students show support for or indifference towards
  green dorms
• Dialogue
• Convince Masters and College Presidents on
  benefits of green dorms Masters in turn have
  influence on consultants regarding new dorm
  project

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Methodology - Sinks

• Spoke with Mark Ditman about projects at the
  dorms
• Decided to try and influence the sink replacement
  project at Jones
• Spoke with Ken Thompson about faucet options and
  the feasibility of recycling or reusing the old
  sinks

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Methodology Proposed Faucets

• Zurn Z8220, 0.5 gpm, 150
• Chicago Meter Mix faucet, automatic but with
  temperature control, 0.5 gpm

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Methodology - Surveys

• Created a 18-question student survey to hand out
  during lunches
• Questions concerning their general environmental
  attitudes
• Questions concerning their opinions about green
  dorm features
• Surveyed Will Rice, Sid, Lovett, Jones, and Wiess

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• Rice University Green Building Survey
• Gender M or F Year________
  Major____________ Hometown_____________
• Sustainability means Meeting the needs of the
  present without compromising the ability of
  future generations to meet their needs Long-term
  maintenance of ecosystem components and functions
  for future generations.i
• Green building is the practice of increasing the
  efficiency with which buildings and their sites
  use and harvest energy, water, and materials, and
  reducing building impacts on human health and the
  environment, through better setting, design,
  construction, operation, maintenance, and removal
  the complete building life cycle.ii
• Yes
  No
• 1. Do you understand the concept of
  sustainability?...1 2 3
  4 5
• 2. It is important to you to represent a
  university that is
• environmentally friendly?..1
  2 3 4 5
• 3. Do you value native planting on
  campus?...... 1 2 3
  4 5
• 4. Do you support environmental
  initiatives on campus?......1 2
  3 4 5
• 5. Are you involved with environmental
  issues on campus? 1 2 3
  4 5
• 6. Should the administration get more
  involved with environmental issues?...........
  .1 2 3
  4 5
• 7. Should Rice invest in sustainable
  buildingsiii?.................1 2
  3 4 5
• 8. Would you support Rice investing in
  alternative energy
• sources? To what degree?.....1
  2 3 4 5
• i Entrix, Environmental Consultants, Glossary.
  lthttp//www.entrix.com/resources/glossary.aspxgt

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• 9. At UNC Chapel Hill, students voted
  to pay 4 more in tuition each semester in order
  to fund alternative energy technologies (solar
  panels).Do you think Rice students would be
  willing to pay 15 or more per semester to raise
  similar funds?....................................
  .................1 2 3
  4 5
• 10. Are you willing to have your
  thermostat fixed between 68
• and 76 degrees Fahrenheit?
  ....1 2 3 4
  5
• 11. Would you like academic and
  residential rooms that utilize more
• natural lighting?iv.
  ......1 2 3
  4 5
• 12. If you are male, then would you
  support the use of waterless urinals?v
  1 2 3
  4 5
• 13. Would you support a green roof
  systemvi that collects rain water
• for non-potable usage (toilets,
  etc.)?......1 2 3
  4 5
• 14. Would you support having water
  conserving fixtures for sinks
• and toilets?................................
  ..1 2 3
  4 5
• 15. Would you support a dual-flush toilet
  systemi that conserves
• water?...1 2
  3 4 5
• 16. Would you support the use of automatic
  sinks within the colleges?......1 2
  3 4 5
• 17. Would you support the use of more
  timed lighting or lighting sensorswhich would
  automatically turn off lights when they are not
  needed?...1 2 3 4
  5
• 18. What type of flooring for your dorm
  room would you prefer? (1 like the most, 3
  like the least)
• a. hardwood ___
• b. carpeting ___
• c. tile ___
• d. other ___ _____________

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Methodology - Dialogue

• Had meetings with 6 masters Weiss, Lovett, Will
  Rice, Brown, Hanszen, and Martel
• Content included education about green dorms, our
  concerns, and how masters can influence building
  new dorms
• Presented at the Masters and Presidents meeting
  with Mark Ditman and Robin Forman also present
• Content included specific design aspects of green
  dorms that we hope to see and benefits of green
  buildings

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Results Jones Sinks

• Final product chosen has slightly lower flow rate
  (1.8 gpm) than the original but was not one we
  suggested
• Concern about low-flow aerators
• Price
• Difficulty obtaining parts

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Results Jones Sinks

• Ken Thompson has committed to collect the old
  sinks and deliver them to Habitat for Humanitys
  ReUse store
• We will be removing the faucets from the sinks
  and recycling the metal on campus this summer

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Results Student Survey

• Surveyed 200 students
• Overall, students were very positive about green
  dorms and environmental initiatives
• Some aspects of dorms had much more support than
  others
• Question 5 Are you involved with environmental
  issues on campus?
• Percent of respondents who answered 1 2 (yes)
  10.6
• Percent of respondents who answered 4 5 (no)
  72.9

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Should Rice invest in sustainable buildings?

• Percent of respondents who answered 1 2 (yes)
  72.4
• Percent of respondents who answered 4 5 (no)
  8.5

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Are you willing to have your thermostat fixed
between 68 and 76 degrees Fahrenheit?

• Percent of respondents who answered 1 2 (yes)
  64.5
• Percent of respondents who answered 4 5 (no)
  24.5

20
Would you like academic and residential rooms
that utilize more natural lighting?

• Percent of respondents who answered 1 2 (yes)
  86
• Percent of respondents who answered 4 5 (no) 8

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If you are male, then would you support the use
of waterless urinals?

• Percent of respondents who answered 1 2 (yes)
  52
• Percent of respondents who answered 4 5 (no)
  32.6

22
Would you support a dual-flush toilet system that
conserves water?

• Percent of respondents who answered 1 2 (yes)
  79
• Percent of respondents who answered 4 5
  (no)11.3

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Results - Dialogue

• Masters were very receptive and supportive to the
  idea of green dorms even though they had not
  considered it before
• Unfortunately, Masters felt like they had little
  influence on this matter
• Masters and Presidents endorsed our green
  building efforts

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Assessment

• The sink project was less successful than hoped
  although some progress was made
• The student survey was an appropriate reflection
  of student opinion
• Speaking with Masters may not be the best method
  for changing new dorms

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Lessons Learned and Future Recommendations

• Early input for influencing projects is best
• Finding the right methods of influencing building
  new dorms was challenging
• A green building initiative group is being formed
  to continue contact with the consulting firm and
  more administrators and will be a resource for
  next year

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Questions?