Page 56 - College Planning & Management, July/August 2018

Case Histories REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS
AJShowcase of Sustainability
OHNSON COUNTY Commu- separate spaces. Although they’re in the nity College (JCCC) in Overland same building, the loading on them is Park, KS, serves about 20,000 different. So that resulted in three separate
students. In 2009, the school formed the Center for Sustainability to commit to an environmentally and socially responsible campus. This commitment meant changes were needed for every building project, including a new 3,000-square-foot Galileo’s Pavilion. Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating’s Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology, along with efficient practices, helped make Galileo’s Pavilion a true show- case of sustainability.
Not-for-profit corporation Studio 804, comprised of University of Kansas graduate students, was selected to work on Galileo’s Pavilion. These students design and construct technologically sophisticated, green buildings under the direction of Dan Rockhill.
Rockhill says, “We had three distinctly
air-conditioning and heating solutions. We pride ourselves on promoting sustainable everything, so HVAC is no exception.” VRF was the clear choice to meet these challenges.
Rockhill continues, “Mitsubishi [Elec- tric] is, first of all, the leader in its field. That’s the most important thing. Many of the others follow, but Mitsubishi [Electric] developed the variable refrigerant concept. They know what they’re doing.”
Installation went smoothly and the staff is pleased with how well the systems oper- ate. JCCC’s Sustainability Project Manager Michael Rea says, “Everything with the Mitsubishi [Electric] system has been going well. No compressor failures, no leaks, no fan problems, nothing. Our maintenance
is easy, too—just changing the filters and
Johnson County Community College created a showcase of sustainability on their campus with help from Mitsubishi Electric’s VRF technology.
making sure the condensers are clean.” Plus, another sign of success: LEED
Platinum certification was achieved for the changes that were made to Galileo’s Pavil- ion. The school was also honored to receive the 2013 CSI Kansas City Chapter Innovation in Sustainability Award for the building.
www.mitsubishielectric.com
HRailing Enhances Openness of Student Center
OPE COLLEGE in Holland, between spaces was important.
MI, is a private liberal-arts As the design process progressed, ar- college known for providing chitects realized they would need a sturdy
research-based education to a diverse body of students. In 2017, the college was in the midst of planning its first new student cen- ter in over 35 years. This new facility—The 42,000-square-foot Jim and Martie Bult- man Center—would be designed to have a large multipurpose room, a lounge, student study areas, and a coffee shop.
In designing the Bultman Student Center, architects placed an emphasis on “openness.” The college wanted a build-
ing that made students feel welcome, and promoted inclusion amongst all members of the campus community. With this in mind, the plan and design of the new space focused on a building layout that promoted lightness and a freedom of movement among the vari- ous floors and rooms. A visual connection
railing to accompany the open-concept lobby of the facility. After researching vari- ous options, they recommended, and Hope chose, Trex Commercial Products’ (TCP) Track Rail. The minimalist rail would
help create safe overlook areas so students could see into the lobby of the center from different floors, creating an overall feeling of connectedness and inclusiveness. The railing would be coupled with tempered glass and attached to the wall.
Over 341 linear feet of Track Rail were used in the new facility. The new rails fit in perfectly with the warm architectural ac- cents of the building. These warm accents and open areas help make the new facility stand out as a central part of the campus community that all students, faculty,
Trex Commercial Products’ Track Rail helped create over- looks that enhanced the open-concept plan of the new Jim and Martie Bultman Center’s lobby at Hope College.
and staff can be a part of. With a quick installation time, TCP’s Track Rails were in place and ready when the Bultman Student Center opened at the start of the 2017-2018 academic year. CPM
www.trex.com
56 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 2018
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