The St. Vrain Community Hub’s environmentally sustainable measures are numerous

Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County has officially been awarded LEED Platinum
status for the St. Vrain Community Hub, making it the first LEED Platinum
building in Longmont. The St. Vrain Community Hub, south wing, was designated
LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council in October. LEED platinum is a
designation given to buildings that achieve the highest rating for creating green
buildings that are resource efficient, environmentally sustainable, innovative,
and have excellent interior environment quality.

The design of The Hub started with a ‘one stop shop’ concept
that was created by Frank Alexander, Robin Bohannon and Jeff Zayach the
directors of Housing and Human Services, Community Services and Public Health.
This was then developed by the Operations Maintenance Group, made up of
managers from these departments who worked closely with designers at OZ
Architecture to centralize services for clients. The resulting space is filled
with natural light, includes noise suppression features, and provides easier access
to services.

The integration of services is a new concept, explained
James Butler, Project Manager for construction. Clients, many who may have
limited access to transportation, can walk into one location and access
services provided by Public Health, Housing and Human Services, Workforce
Boulder County, Area Agency on Aging, and Mental Health Partners, without
needing to travel to multiple locations.

The St. Vrain Community Hub’s environmentally sustainable
measures are numerous:

• A mechanical system with an energy recovery
  wheel that transfers heat or cooling exiting the building to air entering the
  building, allowing for 100 percent fresh air to cycle through the building,
  compared with 30 percent of air recycled by older systems.
• Taller ceilings and a central atrium increase natural
  lighting in the building
• A trench, or rain-garden, between the parking
  lot and building collects the majority of water from the building to a central
  location where it can be absorbed into groundwater, minimizing flow of water
  entering the sewer system
• A concrete parking lot instead of asphalt that reduces
  the heat-island effect asphalt can generate
• Air conditioning is 100 percent from evaporative
  coolers, taking advantage of Colorado’s dry climate. Low-energy LED lights
  combined with the incredible natural light reduces energy costs
• Electric vehicle charging stations, carpool
  parking, and bike parking with a bike repair center to help commuters
• Drought-resistant plants as landscaping to help
  decrease water needs

For more information, contact Lisa Krebs, at lkrebs@bouldercounty.org or
303-441-1358.