Sustainable Campus Masterplanning

Sustainable Campus Master Planning Everything is Connected

“Sustainability is a critical component of planning for any institution’s future. Coordinated with a campus plan, a sustainable plan charts the course for a long term vision—minimizing environmental impacts and setting an example to the campus and neighboring community.”

Brodie Bain, AIA, AICP, LEED® AP

21st Century Challenges With global energy issues, rising energy costs and diminishing funds affecting the means to care for aging infrastructures, campuses today are in a position to develop creative solutions.

Institutes of higher learning that demonstrate the ability to move forward sustainably and attract new generations of climate-conscious students will reap the benefits of increased efficiency and a reputation for innovation.

The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) takes a leadership stance for positive change that puts additional pressure on campuses to prepare now for the future. Similar to the Architecture 2030 Challenge, the ACUPCC recognizes the need to reduce the global emission of Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan | Portland Oregon

greenhouse gases by 80 percent by mid-century at the latest. As buildings are the major source of greenhouse gases, slowing their output will require immediate action and a concerted effort.

Mithun helps institutions, corporations and communities to prepare for a carbonconstrained future. We set the bar for low environmental impact, high economic potential and adding significant value to property, the community and natural systems. Our knowledge of sustainable design and master planning, as well as their human and financial components, allows us to define uniquely suitable solutions complete with metrics, goals, budgets and implementation strategies.

Dedicated to this vision since 1949, Mithun has designed more than 70 buildings that are LEED certified or on target for certification. Almost 100% of our staff is LEED accredited—the highest level in the nation.

Environmental Leadership Mithun’s long-standing focus on sustainable architecture includes award-winning examples completed as early as the 1970s. Today, our extensive portfolio of progressive design continues to impact how architects create, owners build and governments lead, including projects such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) award-winning Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan – a 35-block urban ecosystem that mimics the carbon footprint of a pristine forest even as its density increases fivefold.

With resource-efficient design ever present in our minds, we create projects that meet a “triple bottom line,” meaning that they must achieve economic goals, meet or exceed environmental targets and contribute to the social wellbeing of all who interact with them.

As members and advisors in organizations such as the Chicago Climate Exchange, US Council of Mayors, Cascade Land Conservancy,

Seattle Climate Partnership and LEED® ND pilot program, we are part of the drive to develop new models that help to bring the human and natural worlds into balance.

Mithun’s active leadership in sustainability relates directly to higher education facilities. As a founding board member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), we were integral to the development of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a program for gauging relative progress toward sustainability for colleges and universities.

In pursuit of excellence, we are near our goal of a 100% LEED® accredited professional staff.

These individuals are recognized experts in the green building and LEED® certification process aimed at promoting design that mitigates global climate change and increasing energy costs.

Mithun’s commitment to sustainability begins with our day-to-day operations. We use our own office as a laboratory for sustainable design practices and have been carbon neutral since 2003.

Mithun’s work demonstrates our passion for creating innovative learning and research environments, sustainable campus strategies and a high sense of quality and social responsibility. During these transformational times, we are committed to helping colleges and universities serve as leaders and role models in their communities.

Rich Franko, AIA LEED® AP

Campuses that address the climate challenge by eliminating global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society.

The Signatories of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

A Complete Vision Truly great projects enrich the human experience and endure. This means planning for the long term. Mithun designs buildings and campuses that integrate with habitat strategies and support larger natural systems while encouraging people to thrive.

We create environments that are flexible, engaging and capable of adapting to changing needs, addressing environmental issues beyond energy and greenhouse gases. Five key perspectives determine sustainability for a campus:

Portland State University Stephen Epler Hall | Portland, Oregon

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Energy and GHG emissions

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Water cycle

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Ecological system health

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Human well being

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Economic viability

Energy efficiency can “futureproof” a university and make it more resilient. Mithun provides a Climate Action Plan that establishes an energy reduction requirement and identifies specific ways to reduce operational energy use while maintaining quality, health, comfort and minimizing investment costs.

But carbon and energy are only parts of the larger picture. For example, water must be taken into consideration as an increasingly precious resource. Also, people, the community and the institution must complement each other effectively in order to thrive and prosper.

We investigate all aspects of a campus and match processes and solutions to the institution’s resources, vision and mission.

In every case, a lasting plan promotes quality, health, comfort and economic potential.

“Mithun’s core values are founded in collaboration. Our process includes proactive communication, design workshops and feedback loops to stay on track with goals. The most enjoyable aspect of university projects for us is working with the client and campus community as members of the team.”

Ron van der Veen, AIA LEED® AP

Integrated Process A thriving institution of higher learning requires the successful integration of faculty, staff, students, administrators and the public. Physical planning likewise requires a cross-disciplinary team to create a balanced synthesis of open space, buildings and circulation.

For Mithun, integrated thinking starts in our office where master planners, architects, landscape architects, interior designers and space planners sit within arm’s reach of each other. Consultants similarly are included, as each type of expertise is vital to the project.

The sustainable master planning process begins with an assessment of the campus’ current conditions, including energy and water consumption, and green house gas production. These issues are measurable, indicators of environmental impact and critical to consider. We also investigate the more difficult to measure human and natural characteristics that make up the “triple bottom line” of sustainability: people, planet and prosperity.

Once existing conditions are understood, strategies can be discussed with a better

understanding of the project’s potential. A cost benefit analysis helps to put goals into perspective.

Comparing the feasibility of different goals and strategies is often an iterative process that is useful in reaching the final solution. The implementation plan then includes specific tasks and a schedule designed to achieve overall objectives.

Making this process accessible to our clients, we: »»

Establish a collaborative approach

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Engage staff, students and stakeholders

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Synthesize key metrics and indicators

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Use life cycle cost analysis to maximize value

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Develop assessment criteria to set priorities

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Encapsulate data in simple graphic formats

Achieving Performance STARS The Sustainable Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) was developed by AASHE specifically for colleges and universities to promote their sustainability. With extensive sustainable master planning experience, we support institutions in fulfilling their STARS requirements and provide deliverables that make it easy to track progress and update submittals every three years accordingly.

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Lemieux Library at Seattle University Campus | Seattle, Washington

LEEDŽ Mithun’s integrated efforts also pave the way for projects of all kinds to achieve LEED certification.

Together with the client and checklist, we target the appropriate level for each point. A streamlined process, defined by identifying action items, assigning responsible groups and scheduling regular meetings, ensures the desired results.

Graphic Analysis These types of graphics represent Mithun’s integrated approach and process, making complex concepts accessible to the entire team.

Energy-Related Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies

existing buildings

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

l sua U s ss a e n i Bus

(metric tons CO2e per year)

Ecosystem Function

0 tons

electrical - � hvac electrical - � plug loads electrical - � lighting thermal - �heating & hot water

building pv potential education / bms / dashboards new buildings

electrical - � hvac electrical - � plug loads electrical - � lighting thermal - �heating & hot water

combined heat & power

gas chp engines gas chp microturbines gas chp fuel cells organic waste conversion modular biomass chp

Time

off-site energy

Energy-Related Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies

wind farm small run-of-river hydro landfill gas to energy wood waste to energy dairy manure anaerobic digestion

Seattle University Campus and Sustainable Master Plans

Pacific Lutheran University Campus and Sustainable Master Plans

Seattle, Washington

size 135 acres

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size 48 acres

Located on a 135-acre site in suburban Tacoma, the intent of the university master plan update was to maintain the overall vision of the previous plan and establish project needs and priorities that preserve and improve the welcoming nature of the PLU campus. Mithun worked with University stakeholders to address a number of issues that included residence hall and athletics improvements, a more studentfocused student center, evaluation of the physical condition of aging buildings, consolidation of administrative and academic space, and landscape improvements campus-wide. Threaded throughout the process was a focus on resource-efficient design, environmental stewardship, as well as campus-wide evaluations of specific consumption.

client Pacific Lutheran University

To fulfill its mission as a leading educational institution, Seattle University desired a campus master plan that was coupled with a Sustainable Master Plan in order to contribute to the world’s knowledge for creating campuses that are both vibrant and sustainable. They were an early supporter of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment with the goal of achieving climate neutrality. The comprehensive sustainable plan helps the university achieve this goal and establishes design and implementation strategies that address energy, carbon, water, ecological systems and human wellbeing.

12th AVENUE

client Seattle University

Tacoma, Washington

Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan Portland, Oregon

client Portland Development Commission (PDC) size 35 city blocks (47 acres/19 hectares) awards 2004, Commendation, Honor Awards Program, AIA, Seattle Chapter; 2005, Place Planning, EDRA/Places Awards; 2005, Top 10 Green, Committee on the Environment (COTE); 2006, Institute Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design, AIA

This visionary plan takes an under-used inner-city neighborhood and transforms it into a vibrant, attractive and highly desirable place to live and work where the entire 35-block ecosystem mimics the behavior of a pristine forest, even as the area’s population and built space increase fivefold. Development built by both public and private dollars will return positive cash flow that is invested back into advancing the neighborhood’s sustainable goals each year. The plan introduces the concept of “predevelopment metrics,” a new methodology for benchmarking and measuring habitat, water, and energy use, and for planning an urban environment that emulates natural systems and reduces the development’s net environmental impact over time.

Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio

The framework plan for Ohio State University is a strategic initiative to create a single vision for guiding future growth. This project coordinates existing district plans and related physical planning efforts, integrating the aspirations of various stakeholder groups. As a component of the framework plan, Mithun is preparing a sustainability plan that targets opportunities to improve campus carbon emissions, energy use, waste, recycling, and food production and distribution.

University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia

For the University of Virginia, Mithun has identified opportunities for LEED certification, and is awaiting approval to assist the university in developing sustainable strategies in coordination with the 2007 Grounds Plan.

Leaders/ Innovators

Brodie Bain

Ron van der Veen

Richard Franko

Brodie Bain has over 20 years experience in architecture and planning for institutional clients with an emphasis on campus planning, programming and pre-designs for clients ranging from government agencies to hospitals. Brodie has focused almost exclusively on higher education for the past 15 years. As master planner, programmer or architect, understanding the client’s mission and user experience is always at the forefront.

Recently, Brodie has been developing a process at Mithun for sustainable campus master planning. This is particularly relevant to many of her clients who are recent signatories of the President’s Climate Commitment. The process takes a comprehensive approach beyond carbon footprint studies. Much of her work has included consensus building with stakeholders and public process.

Ron’s design acuity, “big picture” thinking, and sense of personal commitment are tuned to fostering dynamic learning communities that cultivate the global citizens of the future. As senior designer for higher education facilities on over 15 campuses around the country, Ron is known for his 100% hit rate of meeting the budgets on all higher education projects. He has led the charge for introducing sustainable solutions in education facilities. He was project team lead for Portland State University’s Stephen Epler Hall, a new model of green building that marries student values with high quality and resource-efficient design. It received the first LEED® Silver certification for an academic project in Portland, Oregon.

Rich has more than 25 years of experience in a wide range of projects that combine sustainability, community and innovation. He is currently working on planning projects for the Tulalip Tribes reservation in Tulalip, WA and eco-resorts in the U.S. Architectural projects include Modular Green Farmworker Housing, the Nordic Heritage Museum, Suquamish Museum, and Tulalip Administration Building.

Two of his projects projects have achieved AIA COTE Top Ten Green Awards: Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan in Portland, OR and IslandWood Environmental Learning Center on Bainbridge Island, WA. Rich lectures in the U.S. and abroad on sustainability, urban design and the role of green buildings as teaching tools. He is on the board of directors for One Planet Living, North America, a notfor-profit supporting development of North America’s greenest urban villages

AIA, AICP, LEED® AP / Principal

AIA, LEED® AP / Principal

AIA, LEED® AP/ Principal

Resources

Institutional Clients

Association for the Advancement of

Public Colleges and Universities

Sustainability in Higher Education http://www.aashe.org/

Sustainability beyond carbon & energy

Health Cognitive Function

Social

Safety

Central Washington University Eastern Washington University Metropolitan State College of Denver Ohio State University Portland State University University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of Colorado at Denver University of Montana University of Virginia University of Washington, Bothell University of Washington, Seattle University of Washington, Tacoma Washington State University Western Washington University

Private Colleges and Universities Concordia University Dartmouth College Duke University Lewis and Clark College Mars Hill Graduate School Northwest University Pacific Lutheran University Pacific University Saint Martin’s University Seattle Pacific University Seattle University University of Pennsylvania University of Puget Sound

Community and Technical Colleges

SEATTLE

Pier 56 1201 Alaskan Way, #200 Seattle, WA 98101

SAN FRANCISCO

660 Market Street, #300 San Francisco, CA 94104

mithun.com

Bates Technical College Clover Park Technical College Community College of Denver Edmonds Community College Green River Community College Lewis and Clark College Northwest Indian College South Seattle Community College Western Wyoming Community College Whatcom County Community College