High Performance
at the 643

The 643 will leverage many High Performance building strategies to improve operational efficiencies and lower our carbon footprint.

REFRIGERANTS

Let's talk thermal comfort!

We know this is incredibly important for your quality of life and we are excited about the solution we’re pursuing.

Our phased renovation presents a unique challenge to the MEP system. We need to be able to continue heating and cooling the existing spaces while we transition each floor to a new system. We also want to be sure everyone is comfortable during construction and long afterward.

The team has selected a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system, coupled with energy recovery ventilators (ERV) which will allow us to meet our carbon reduction goals while operating independently from the existing system. How does that work?

Unlike traditional air conditioning systems, VRF systems do not rely on ductwork to carry the air throughout the building. Instead, they have an outdoor condensing unit connected to multiple indoor evaporator units by refrigerant-filled copper tubing. The compressor heats or cools the refrigerant (we’ll use R-410A, which is more environmentally friendly), which is then sent into to condition the air.

The air flow is regulated by a variable speed drive, which means we can control the temperature in multiple zones. You can even heat and cool separate zones at the same time, or transfer energy from a hot room to a cool one.

Healthy Materials Spotlight

Mosa Floor and Wall Tiles

Our newly renovated 2nd floor pantry and restrooms will feature ceramic tiles that set the standard for healthy materials. Most ceramic tiles are inherently healthy as they don’t leach toxic chemicals that are on the Red List and they are readily recyclable. The tiles we’ve chosen, manufactured by Mosa, go many steps further. Not only do these tiles outperform the industry average in emissions (see Figure 1), they are Cradle to Cradle Gold certified in all categories.

Healthy Materials Spotlight

What is Cradle to Cradle?

We often talk about the costs encurred during a building’s life cycle. Cradle to cradle is a model of analyzing every aspect of the environmental and physical costs of the materials used (see Figure 2). This encourages responsible production of everything from building materials and interior finishes to personal care and cleaning products, paper and packaging and polymers. To date, more then 34,000 products have been certified and are now positively impacting people and our planet.

Healthy Materials Spotlight

The Cradle to Cradle Product Institute rates how well each product performs in five key categories. The Mosa tile we’ve chosen is rated gold in all five!

In looking at the five categories you’ll notice some aspects we don’t often consider: Water & Soil Stewardship and Social Fairness. Next month, we will do a deeper dive into these topics and how that material selection can make a significant difference.