A Diet, Exercise, and Nutrition Program for Buildings

Mario Loiacono, Jr., PE, LEED® AP, BR+A Consulting Engineers
James Blount, AIA, LEED AP, Ellenzweig

How do we seek a mutually enhancing mode of human, building, and building system(s) integration to approach a net carbon zero building?

This presentation will introduce the audience to an organizational approach that will stimulate the interactive participation of the team more efficiently and effectively.The approach is called: A Diet, Exercise, and Nutrition Program for Buildings.

Diet

Diet is the necessary first step. The goal is to reduce the potential caloric/carbon intake of each building element. For instance, the owner's program and program requirements can be key drivers that directly relate to the potential energy use and organization. Reduce the large energy users such a ventilation air. Taking a bird's eye view of the potential integration of site, climate, orientation, and program elements will provide key information that will also lead to a reduced energy consuming building. It is critical that we start with a "lean" building that has a low carbon footprint that will result in a mutually enhancing mode of integration. "No more super sizing."

Exercise

The exercise program will compliment the decisions made during the diet program. A plan will be developed that will identify cost-effective system solutions tailored to the specific building and location to reduce the energy costs effectively and efficiently. It is during this phase that we will explore all of the available systems technologies that could be applied for each major program element. A single overall system approach is no longer a solution. "One size does not fit all."

Nutrition

Consume combinations of clean and renewable energy sources. It becomes more cost effective to consider these alternates since we have a lean and energy-efficient building.

We have studied, on one particular laboratory project, the impact of various green technologies. Our findings are most interesting, especially when viewing the results after placing the laboratory air on a diet.

Biographies:

Mario Loiacono is a principal with Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers, LLC, a mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire prevention firm that specializes in the design of highly-specialized and technically complex research and institutional projects across the United States. Approaching 40 years of experience, 26 of which have been as a principal and co-owner, Mr. Loiacono's focus has been on advanced technology facilities and research laboratories. He shares the passion and experience that other individuals and organizations have in the development of energy reduction strategies for complex, high energy use faculties. "My goal is to further contribute to the ideals of the whole system (collaborative) integration process in order to consistently produce laboratory buildings that are below current energy use benchmarks and within budget."

As a frequent contributor to Labs21 and other technical forums, Mr. Loiacono strongly encourages the sharing of ideas for the common good.

Jim Blount, AIA and LEED AP, is a laboratory planning architect and associate principal with Ellenzweig, an architectural design firm located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, providing programming, planning, and design services to more than 70 research institutions throughout the country.

Mr. Blount has focused his career on the design of buildings for science. His experience in sustainable laboratory design has been circulated in both national publications and conferences. "As a laboratory design professional, I'm inspired by the idea that we have the opportunity to promote the principles of high performance architecture and contribute to the advancement of learning and discovery by way of innovative sustainable design solutions." Mr. Blount welcomes the constant challenge to redefine scientific program, and is intrigued by the complexity of program, space, and systems. He enjoys the teamwork and collaborations integral to creating a highly sustainable and visionary expression of science as the built environment.