"First we shape our buildings, and then they shape us.” - Sir Winston Churchill

Recently, staff members at CIB have given a lot of attention to the words Sir Winston Churchill spoke on rebuilding the Houses of Parliament following the bombings of WWII. Certainly, the Center is not reconstructing a symbol of our nation from amidst the rubble and ruins of war. But, the words do resonate with us as we strive to renovate a facility to serve as the public face of our mission and objectives.

The CIB believes that by serving as an example of environmentally-friendly design, we can influence and encourage others to also construct sustainable buildings that have less impact on our ecology.

Green architecture is not a style, trend or a vernacular. It is a climatically, geographically and culturally appropriate way of architecture and building. It combines the best of both old and new technologies, which has at its core, the principle of respect and caring for the earth.

There are a number of issues to consider when constructing a green building. These include environmental responsiveness, resource efficiency, energy consumption, community and cultural sensitivity, healthy and non-polluting materials, etc. These considerations manifest in many different ways and often reinforce each other.

While safeguarding the future of generations to come, green design results in reduced operating costs for both buildings and landscapes and with better health and productivity of workers. Studies have also shown that “green” buildings increase property values as well as occupancy rates.

Unfortunately, CIB did not fully consider green design when the new headquarters project was initiated. However, one important consideration was achieved simply by the selection of the building site. By renovating the former USCG barracks at Indian River Inlet, the CIB was able to restore an existing building and its infrastructure and use the original building “foot print” without disturbing additional land.

Recently, the CIB has renewed its focus on “green” design and has attempted to incorporate additional environmentally-friendly features into the building. One critically important element is energy efficiency.

We have heard the warnings that global warming is amongst one of the most urgent environmental problems that challenges us. Our near complete dependence on fossil fuels to power our buildings, industries and transport systems together with various polluting activities are currently perpetuating a rise in the planet’s temperatures. As part of an overall strategy to curb our reliance on fossil fuels and linked to the conservation of energy, there is a need to find ways of using energy much more efficiently.

An Energy Star audit was conducted at the new facility to achieve superior energy efficiency. This audit ensured that the duct work is contained within the building’s envelope where possible and that the building is sealed and secured to prevent energy loss to the external environment.

Use of renewable energy sources is also a critical consideration in green design. CIB is considering a number of options, including the use of photovoltaic cells to produce energy as well as installation of a wind turbine to generate electricity. While investments to achieve this end may initially be higher, the longer-term effect is one of considerable savings both to the environment and financially, with reduced running costs.

Solar panels installed on most of the south facing roof of the building generate electricity for the building and feed any excess back into the "grid."

Many more sustainable alternative materials were installed including bamboo flooring and countertops manufactured from recycled materials. A recycling station was built into the casework in the kitchen. Outside, water is collected from roof runoff and directed into rain barrels, then, using solar powered pumps, used to irrigate the Native Plant Demonstration Garden. Furniture on the deck was manufactured from recycled plastic milk jugs.

If you would like additional information about our efforts to “green up” our new facility or are interested in green design for your own project, please feel free to call our office at (302) 645-7325.

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