Build Green
San Joaquin’s newest buildings are taking the green path
by TAMMY HANSEN
photos by UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC and KAISER PERMANENTE
Ask Dan Shipp why Stockton’s University of the Pacific (UOP) went green when it built a new student union last year and he’s likely to turn your query back onto you.
“I would say, ‘Well, why not?’” says the Assistant Vice President for Student Life. Shipp oversaw development and construction of the school’s 55,000 square-foot University Center that opened last year.
That ‘why not’ attitude is catching on in large service industries like schools, hospitals, and governments. Many such groups see their commitment to sustainable developments as tangible symbols of a commitment to the community. Some also hope their green ways will trickle down to local for-profit businesses.
Kaiser Permanente’s Corwin Harper has as much gusto for green as Shipp.
“Kaiser is an organization about wellness and prevention. We believe it aligns with that philosophy,” says the Senior Vice President and Area Manager for the Central Valley. Kaiser’s green, 670,000 square-foot Modesto Medical Center opened in the fall of 2008.
Going green doesn’t cost much for such large-scale projects. The upfront green markup for a high performance office building averages 1 to 2 percent of the overall budget, says Ashley Katz of the U.S. Green Building Council. The average return on the investment for green measures is 20 percent over the building’s lifetime.
For Harper and Shipp, environmental measures were simply folded into overall budgeting and design decisions. The University, for example, saw solar roof panels as out of reach budget-wise, so instead focused on use of ambient light to reduce need for heaters and light bulbs during the day. Kaiser’s solar panels were also used as a design element—hiding unattractive equipment on the facility’s roof. Large projects like these can help lead the way for other green construction.
The new Kaiser facility, with its environmentally-friendly flooring and allergy-free live plants is considered one of the greenest buildings in North America, says Harper. Other planned Kaiser buildings and those undergoing remodels are looking to the Modesto hospital for examples of how to green their own plans.
The University Center, UOP’s first green building, has applied for a Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Teachers have taken the philosophy a step further by including green philosophies in their teaching where appropriate. Students have applauded the approach, Shipp says.
With green such a huge buzzword, it’s getting easier to incorporate environmentally-friendly aspects into building plans. Still, there can be some bumps when using these new methods. That’s where large projects like the student center and hospital can most benefit local construction projects.
Shipp says UOP would be happy to share its lessons with Central Valley builders. Finding green contractors isn’t as difficult as it might seem, he adds. It was easier to find green contractors in California than at the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he spearheaded a similar project. His hope is that projects like the University Center and Modesto’s Kaiser Medical Center represent an overall paradigm shift in how decisions are made. A student union building represents the same basic philosophy as recycling a soda can.
“It’s no different than the individual choices one makes,” he says. SJM
