Biz611 Project Update
In recent posts we have shared some detail about our new project in Hendersonville, NC. Now that deconstruction and reclamation are complete, we are ready to focus on the new building that is to take shape on the now empty lot at 611 Church Street in downtown Hendersonville.
The new building will be a business incubator for start-up green and software development companies. Appropriate to its purpose, it will be an environmentally friendly building; maximizing natural light, generating solar energy, and capturing water for the building’s use by way of the inverted roof.
For anyone passing by on the street, a couple of features will immediately announce the building’s green orientation. One is the plug-in station for electric or hybrid vehicles. Another is the “living wall” featuring a vertical garden on the the Church Street side of the building.
The 9,000 square-foot, two-story building will have 16 individual offices spaces, ranging from a one-person office to a suite that will accommodate six to eight people. Generous shared space including a conference room, kitchen, porches, and a rooftop terrace will encourage networking and collaborative processes.
In this drawing you can see the inverted roof line that will enable the bulding to capture water. Some of that water will trickle through perforated pipes that form the frame for the “living wall” Irrigating the plants that grow there.
Architect Ken Gaylord says, “I think not so much the building, but what it represents, will be a game changer for Hendersonville and contribute significantly to a thriving green economy.”
The intent is for the building to be used often by the public and community groups. Educational displays will be in common areas giving all who work in and visit the building information about environmentally friendly materials, products and processes.
Wall-mounted computer screens will display the building’s real-time “vital signs” – the energy use of the solar panels and the HVAC system, and the amount of water used. This visual data feedback will help tenants know how their behavior impacts the energy and water use in the building and will encourage behaviors that increase efficiency.
GreenBy3 has been involved this project from its inception, providing advisory services and developing ideas to make the construction and operation of the building a model of green design. During the next year, we’ll be making several more trips to Hendersonville to be involved in various phases of the project.
Tagged: Biz 611, Green Building
