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UNIVERSITY OF OREGON IN PORTLAND GREEN FACTS
The University of Oregon in Portland is moving into a renovated White Stag Block, which merges parts of three masonry and cast iron buildings between NW First Avenue and Naito Parkway at NW Couch Street in Portland, Ore.
The UO chose to renovate an existing structure instead of building a new facility, thereby not only helping the environment, but also embracing and preserving Portland’s architectural history. Taking a historic structure and turning it into a LEED-certified building is no easy task. The university took this challenge head on. The White Stag Block will become one of the few buildings in the nation that are both on the National Register of Historic Places and LEED certified.
Building features:
Rainwater harvesting: The stormwater from the building will be collected, treated on site and used for flushing the building’s toilets and urinals. Along with the use of low-flow fixtures, the system will reduce potable water (city-supplied water) use in the building by 86 percent.
Water-saving fixtures: The building includes state-of-the-art low-flow showers, sinks and urinals as well as "dual-flush" toilets.
Energy use: The building exceeds the latest American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) energy-efficiency standard by 30 percent, mostly due to installation of new, high-performance windows, weather-proofing historic windows, the addition of insulation on the roof, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems as well as occupancy sensors that allow the lights and the heating and cooling system to shut off when rooms are not in use.
Renewable energy: Photovoltaic cells to collect solar energy will be installed on the building’s roof. Green power (from renewable sources) will also be purchased for the building from a local utility.
Construction waste recycling: Ninety-five percent of the waste created in the renovation was recycled or reused.
Recycled content materials: More than 20 percent of the building materials, by cost, contain a significant amount of recycled content:
• Recycled wood from the old gym floor of Gerlinger Hall at the University of Oregon campus in Eugene was used on the fourth and fifth floors;
• Recycled wood from the original ground floor of the Skidmore Building was used in the elevator lobbies, central corridors and the second and third floors of the complex;
• The floors of the architecture program’s studio spaces are made from recycled tires;
• All carpet is made from recycled content;
• Wall and floor tile in the restrooms is recycled;
• All wood trim is milled from floor beams and joists removed from the project.
Non-toxic finishes: All paints, glues, carpeting, sealants and finishes are low-VOC (volatile organic compounds). Composite wood used on the building's interior has no added urea-formaldehyde.
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