High Performance Building meets Sustainable Buildings Practice
Byron G. Rogers Federal Courthouse Renovation
Public Buildings Service Rocky Mountain Region
Renovating the Byron Rogers U.S. Courthouse (BRCH) building allowed GSA to save natural resources while making the surrounding environment healthier to tenants and the community at large. The key to the success of this project was that the project team used an integrated sustainable design approach throughout the design and construction process. They shared a vision of remodeling this building to earn a LEED-EB Gold Rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) while recognizing the social advantage of recycling a historically significant building expected to qualify for the National Register of Historic Places. It is our responsibility as a Federal agency to invest ourselves in actions such as this project as to positively impact society and allowing the vision to manifest itself into reality.
The Byron Rogers U.S. Courthouse (BRCH) renovation project included careful integration of sustainable design features. This project was one of the first 50 projects designated as a pilot project for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for Existing Buildings program. The Courthouse renovation project earned an official LEED-EB Pilot Gold Rating from the USGBC in 2006. This project is the first GSA-owned LEED Gold rated building and the first GSA LEED-EB rated building.
The BRCH consists of courtroom and office space on five levels and two levels of underground parking. Constructed in 1965 and designed by James Sudler Associates and Fisher and Davis, the Courthouse is considered to be a “Formalist masterpiece” by local historians. Over the past 40 years, very little has been done to upgrade the building’s systems, functions or appearance. In 2002, GSA initiated a four-year design and construction process to modernize this tired, but sturdy structure. Working with Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects, a comprehensive interior renovation was planned and executed. Results of the effort include a new public entry and lobby; complete mechanical, electrical, security and technology upgrades; full asbestos abatement; ADA compliance; renovation of offices and public spaces; courtroom upgrades; rejuvenated exterior façade and site. The courthouse is believed to have historic significance, and it is projected that once it meets the 50-year ago requirement, it will qualify for the National Register of Historic Places.
This Courthouse exemplifies what might be considered the most important sustainable strategy a project could incorporate — building reuse. It also is a national example of how agencies can meet goals outlined in Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, specifically, the goal that, “new construction and major renovation of agency buildings comply with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings set forth in the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (2006), and (ii) 15 percent of the existing Federal capital asset building inventory of the agency as of the end of fiscal year 2015 incorporates the sustainable practices in the Guiding Principles.”
The building shell and structure were reused, in addition to key interior materials in the building’s lobbies and courtrooms. Program verification began in January 2002, and the building was occupied by February 2006. The project included demolition, asbestos abatement, and lead paint removal followed by renovation.
Contact:
Jessica Higgins
Sustainable Design Specialist
Public Buildings Service/Rocky Mountain Region, Property Development
jessica.higgins@gsa.gov
