North Carolina Jail Locks Up Silver

A new public safety facility in Transylvania County, North Carolina recently earned Silver certification according to the guidelines of LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC), according to a recent news release.

The $17 million facility, designed by Moseley Architects of Richmond, Virginia, is the first public safety building in the state of North Carolina to achieve a Silver certification. Moseley Architects also provided a number of other design services for the facility, including security design and interiors, construction administration, transition consulting and staff training. The site of the Transylvania County facility is master-planned to accommodate other county functions and facilities, including a future replacement courthouse and justice center, according to the article.

The new 63,000 square foot building, located approximately 120 miles west of Charlotte, includes a 120-bed jail, a sheriff’s office with space for detectives and the patrol divisions, jail administration, a training facility, and staff amenities. A 911 dispatch and an emergency operations center are located adjacent to the lobby, which houses administrative space and a visitor waiting area. The jail portion of the facility features intake, booking, and magistrate’s areas, and also incorporates  a kitchen with warehouse space, a laundry room, and a variety of other ancillary support spaces. With the exception of the facility’s housing areas, the building follows a single-story configuration.

Green features of the facility include incorporation of locally sourced materials, recycled-content building materials, and FSC-certified wood products. More than 70 percent of construction waste was diverted from the landfill during the building’s construction, according to the article.

Low-flow plumbing fixtures incorporated throughout the building’s administrative, public and secure detention areas contribute to a 42 percent reduction in water use compared to a conventionally designed public safety building, while individual lighting controls enhance occupant comfort and reduce energy consumption. Outside, the building’s roof incorporates a reflective membrane that mitigate’s the building’s contributions to the heat island effect, while high-efficiency HVAC systems further reduce the building’s energy footprint.

The project team implemented an indoor air quality management plan and directed the architects to include low-emitting interior finish materials to improve indoor air quality, the article notes. In addition, the development was sited in a way that preserves more than 50 percent of the site as forest and vegetated open space.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com