The District of Columbia’s Consolidated Forensics Laboratory (CFL) received LEED Platinum Certification this week from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Department of General Services (DGS) announced today.

“The Department of General Services is honored to have received this prestigious certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and I would like to congratulate our entire design, construction and project team for achieving this distinction,” said Brian J. Hanlon, DGS Director. “This certification showcases the agency’s dedication to build high quality, sustainable buildings for our sister agencies, residents, and visitors of the District of Columbia.”

According to the USGBC, LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. The LEED program provides third-party verification of green buildings. Building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for the project.

The Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (CFL) is a cutting-edge, award winning science facility designed to provide the District of Columbia with critical public safety and health science infrastructure. Co-locating the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), the CFL provides advanced laboratory and work facilities designed for the safety of the analysts and the public. The CFL went into operation in October 2012.

Some of the design features of the Consolidated Forensic Lab which lead to the LEED certification includes:

Energy and Atmosphere 
• An orientation and a high performance, dynamic façade to reduce building energy loads. An automated louver system allows daylight and views to the administrative offices while significantly reducing solar heat gain and glare.

Water Efficiency:

• The CFL uses high efficiency flush and flow fixtures to achieve 42 percent water savings. Stormwater management is a major concern in the District. The Lab’s extensive green roof and the reuse of the remaining stormwater runoff, for cooling tower make-up, translates into saving over two million gallons of potable water per year.

Indoor Environmental Quality:

• More than 90 percent of the Lab’s work areas have access to daylight and views. A high level of indoor air quality was maintained during construction and occupancy through the use of low emitting materials and high performance ventilation and filtration measures. A demountable partition system allows the office space to be easily reconfigured as the District Agencies’ needs change.

Materials:

• Materials for the lab include 27 percent recycled content, 35 percent Regional and 76 percent certified wood. More than 90 percent of construction and demolition waste was diverted from landfills through recycling and salvage measures.

LEED is a point based system where building projects earn LEED points for satisfying specific green building criteria. Within each of the LEED credit categories, projects must satisfy particular prerequisites and earn points.

The categories include: Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). An additional category, Innovation in Design (ID), addresses sustainable building expertise as well as design measures not covered under the five environmental categories. The number of points the project earns determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives. LEED certification is available in four progressive levels: Certified; Silver; Gold and Platinum.

“The design initially was required to achieve LEED Gold, and we were within 2 points of achieving Platinum and we decided to go for it,” said June Locker, DGS Deputy Director for Capital Construction.

“To support the District’s commitment to sustainability, the Lab also features reduced parking, carpool and low emitting vehicle designated parking, bicycle parking and locker rooms, proximity to three Metro stations and multiple bus lines, and an allocation of the Green Power purchased by the District every year,” Director Hanlon said.

“We are particularly pleased that a lab, one of the most energy-intensive building types, was able to achieve the highest level of LEED Certification available,” said Bill Hellmuth, president and director of design HOK, the Architecture/Engineering firm for the CFL.

“It is a testament to the commitment of the District as well as the design and construction team to execute a high performance, high design project that not only exceeds the requirements of the DC Green Building Act, but blows them away,” Hellmuth said.

“Not only do we conduct excellent science inside the CFL but the building itself embodies the cutting edge of science and technology, helping to make the District a more environmentally sound and livable city,” said Dr. Max Houck, Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences.

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The Noyes Park project is progressing well. During a recent site visit, the DGS Communications Team captured photos of the new development. The Noyes Park project is a collaborative effort between the DC Department of General Services (DGS) and DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). DGS’ mission is to elevate the quality of life for District residents. We are designing and constructing new parks through-out the city such as Noyes Park.

The ground was broken at Noyes Park, which was previously just grass, after engaging the residents through community meetings and other outreach methods for their input about the park’s design. Such engagement is meant to ensure the park is a welcomed community resource, 

“The new and improved Noyes Park will strengthen the sense of community that Noyes residents have enjoyed for years,” stated DGS Director Brian J. Hanlon. “DGS is happy to partner with DPR to enhance an exsting resource for District residents for community events and healthy activities.”

The new Noyes Park will include playground equipment for toddlers and older children, a community garden, benches, grills, a pavilion, exercise equipment and other great amenities which families can enjoy for gathering, community events, and many other fun neighborhood activities.

In addition, DGS and DPR are partnering to implement Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s City-Wide Playground Improvement Project - Play DC. Play DC will construct play spaces that promote exercise and fitness while providing a healthier, green environment to District communities. 

To read more information about the Noyes Park project click here.

The Department of General Services happily joined District residents to celebrate Bike To Work Day. Bike To Work Day is a great event that focuses on conservation, exercise, and biking. 

Background of Bike To Work Day:

The League of American Bicyclists began Bike to Work Day as part of Bike Month in 1956. Over the years, Bike to Work Day has grown into a widespread event with countless bicyclists taking to the streets nationwide in an effort to get commuters to try bicycling to work as a healthy and safe alternative to driving alone. In the Metropolitan Washington region, Bike to Work Day has grown from a small group of a few hundred in 2001 to over 12,000 participants in 2012.

For more information on Bike To Work Day click here.

EVENT ALERT: Please join DC Department of General Services (@DCDGS) Project Team for the Mann Elementary School Community Meeting on Thursday, May 23rd at 7:30 pm for an update on the school modernization project. Please share with your fellow friends and residents!

To view the event flyer click here.

Today, Mayor Vincent C. Gray,DC Department of General Services, and DC Department of Parks and Recreation officially broke ground today on all playground projects “East of the River.” These playground projects are a part of the bigger Playground Improvement Project - Play DC. Play DC is the largest playground renovation project in the District of Columbia’s history.  

As part of the Play DC project, Mayor Gray tasked DPR with identifying the playgrounds across the city most in need of renovations. Initially this project was to be a multi-year endeavor as the District worked to improve all of the playgrounds in DPR’s inventory. However, Mayor Gray prioritized this initiative and worked with his budget team to identify additional end-of-year capital funds to both add additional playgrounds to the project and accelerate the pace of renovations. As a result, a total of 32 playgrounds are either currently under renovation or will begin renovation this year. DPR currently operates 78 playgrounds. In recent months, several of them have been renovated, including playgrounds in Shaw, Columbia Heights, Bloomingdale, Shepherd Park and Chevy Chase.

“Improving every resident’s quality of life is one of the main goals of my One City Action Plan, and every child in the District should have a safe and inviting place to play,” said Mayor Gray. “Renovating these playgrounds is an investment in the well-being of our children that will pay dividends for years to come.”

The Playground Improvement Project - Play DC is a collaboration between DC Department of General Services and DC Department of Parks and Recreation to renovate play spaces within the District.

“DPR is pleased that the District is supporting the renovations of playgrounds across the city,” DPR Director Aguirre said. “Play is a fundamental aspect of growth and development for children and youth, and a positive exercise experience leads to avoidance of weight gain, higher self-esteem and reduction of risk factors for disease.”

Before finalizing the designs and plans for each communities’ playground project, DGS and DPR engaged with residents to gather their input for the future of their play space.

“Engaging residents and communities to gather input helps us build playgrounds that reflect each DC community,” said DGS Director Hanlon. “The renovation of these play spaces will elevate the District’s quality of life and increase the accessibility of space for exercise, play, and community events.

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Follow DGS on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/DCDGS and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DCDGS.

In case you missed some of the great BrightFarms Launch Event information and facts, here are a few:

TURNING UNDERUTILIZED LAND INTO SUSTAINABLE, PRODUCTIVE LAND

• BrightFarms greenhouse farms produce more sustainable food than traditional agriculture and will turn 100,000 square feet into a high yield agribusiness.
• 7x less water and 10x less land used than traditional farms.
• Clean-up of non-government related illegal dumping at no direct cost to the District.

REVENUE GENERATING PROJECT

• BrightFarms secures long-term commitment purchase agreement from local retailers at fixed prices, securing a 10-year revenue stream and financing the greenhouse.
• $3-5 million in estimated taxable annual revenue for BrightFarms, keeping monies in DC.
• Revenue generation for the City, through a 10 year property lease.
• Local dollars stay local with anticipated CBE involvement in construction and ongoing local logistic hires.

INTER-CITY FOOD PRODUCTION

• Up to 1 million pounds of fresh lettuces, tomatoes and herbs produced annually.
• Feeds 5,000 DC residents their total fresh vegetables consumption needs.

LOCAL JOBS AND TRAINING

• Up to 25 full-time jobs are created at the farm, including one (1) head grower who will manage all growing and financial operations at the farm.

EDUCATION

• BrightFarms explores partnerships with local community based organizations to increase fresh food access in underserved areas and bring educational programs.
• As part of each greenhouse farm, BrightFarms intends to build a greenhouse project classroom to educate students on scientific aspects of food production. Classroom management is dependent upon securing funding/resources for educational programming.
• DGS will coordinate with DPR and DCPS in excuting educational programming at the facility and in coordination with greenhouse farming experts.

Whether you take Mom to a local park to enjoy a sunny, Mother’s Day picnic, or a simple bike ride or walk through your neighborhood, She knows it means “I love you.” And it’s the most special moments in the world. Happy Mother’s Day from Department of General Services. #elevateDC