Water EfficiencyThe Wolk Center has invested in high-performance water fixtures that will save one-third of the annual water usage for the facility. Monroe Community College has also designed an exceptional pond system to manage the quantity and quality of its storm water for the Wolk Center and all of its Brighton Campus construction. This system increases on-site filtration of storm water, improving water quality, and also reduces the quantity of water leaving the site, lessening the impacts to municipal systems.

Energy Efficiency The classroom and office building are projected to save 18.4% annually by incorporating improved levels of building envelope insulation, high-performance window glazing, exterior solar sunshades, high-efficiency lighting, daylighting harvesting controls in the lounge area and occupancy sensors to reduce HVAC use. The center has also installed a white roof system, known as a “Cool Roof”, to lessen the detrimental environmental impacts of “Urban Heat Island Effect” caused by dark roof surfaces.

Wolk Center Recycling Program This program allows occupants to sort paper, cardboard, glass and metal from waste materials, keeping recyclable products out of the waste stream. Approximately 10.7% of the total material cost for the project was comprised of recycled content, whereas 11.9% of the products used in the project were manufactured and harvested within 500 miles of the site.

Indoor Environmental Quality Volatile organic compounds are emitted as gases from certain products and are particularly noticeable in new construction. They can be odorous and irritating, but some of these airborne chemicals may also produce short and long-term adverse health affects. In the design of the Wolk Center, low VOC paints, adhesives and carpet products were specified with the intent to prevent indoor air quality problems from arising. Permanent entryway systems were also installed at each entrance of the facility. These slotted systems allow for drainage and cleaning underneath, helping to capture dirt and particulates at the entrance to the building where it is directly connected to the outdoors.

Sustainable Site The location of the Monroe County Crime Lab will have a minimal parking lot size that will provide preferred parking for carpooling. Also, a pervious concrete pavement parking lot will allow for storm water management. Light pollution reduction will be aided by very low light trespass from the site as well.

Materials & Resources An area within the building will be devoted to the storage of recyclables as part of the building’s recycling program. By the LEED calculation method, 30% of the building materials in aggregate will be of recycled material. More than 10% of the materials will be manufactured locally, and 2.5% of the products used will come from materials that are rapidly renewable.

Water Efficiency Rainwater collected from the roof will be used to supplement the water demand for flushing toilets, saving thousands of gallons of potable water annually. Potable water usage will be reduced by 40% below the standard established by the 1992 Energy Policy Act.

Energy and Atmosphere Optimized energy performance will be accomplished using a high-efficiency HVAC system, daylighting, and high-efficiency lighting systems. The building’s outdoor ventilation systems will continually monitor the quality of the indoor environment via the building’s management system and carbon dioxide sensors. The input of air will vary to maintain “fresh” conditions within the building.

Indoor Environmental Quality All paints, coatings, sealants and adhesives will meet low-VOC (volatile organic compound) standards. Carpets will meet the Carpet & Rug Institute standard and all composite woods will be free of added urea formaldehyde. Chemical storage areas are designed to include separate ventilation and major entryways will contain permanent grating systems to remove soil from foot traffic.