Green Building

For the first time in over 15 years and since the development of the College's green building standards, Pomona has built a new residence hall. This means the first green-designed residence hall on campus! The new residence hall consists of two buildings with suite-style housing for 150 students, along with staff and faculty apartments, office spaces, common lounges and kitchens, space for On The Loose and Outdoor Adventure, and a variety of outdoor living spaces.

Building Features

Sustainability has been a driving force in the design and programming of this project, which features the following:

Education

• Flat screen panels in the building display real-time monitoring of energy use, water use, gas use, and the production of the solar units. This utility information is also displayed online.
• Rooftop demonstration classroom provides space for studying solar technology.
• While most planters in the rooftop garden are left for students to plant and grow their own materials, the College does plan to plant some citrus trees and grapevines.

Energy

• Thick concrete walls with high efficiency glazing reduce solar heat gain and reduce heating and cooling. The wall R-Value is improved by use of insulated precast panels.
• The operable windows in every suite include sensors to cut off air conditioning and heating if the window is open. Windows also have exterior shading (overhang and terra cotta screen).
• Every bedroom has a 3-speed ceiling fan on HVAC systems and adjustable heat and air-conditioning.
• Switch to control outlets in bedrooms to reduce phantom loads.
• Shutoff of air conditioning during mild months.
• All hallways and public spaces are equipped with motion detection and daylight sensors to activate and turn off lights.
• Daylight is used for 90% of spaces and all lights are highly efficient fluorescent and LED fixtures.
• To prevent light pollution, site lighting includes full cut off fixtures that direct light where it is needed- directly down and out, not up and sideways. Full cut-off fixtures direct light rays below the horizon of the fixture, preventing any light from being wasted upwards.
• Electricity is provided 73% from grid, 11% from on-site solar, and 16% natural gas.
• Students are disallowed from having mini-fridges in their bedrooms. Instead, a larger Energy Star energy-efficient refrigerator was installed in the common area of each suite.
• PV Array- 81.725 System kW, 130,341 annual kWh output, 10 degree tilt at southern orientation, total annual costs savings $13,034, can produce 14% of building load.
• Solar Thermal System- 18 116-gallon storage tanks, annual DHW Offset 2,855 therms, 35 degree tilt at southern orientation, total annual cost savings $2,855, can produce 80% of building load.
• Heat island effect (non-roof): 170 below grade parking spots, paving materials with a Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of greater than 29, pervious concrete at the fire lane off 6th St (by capturing storm water and allowing it to seep into the ground, porous concrete is instrumental in recharging groundwater and reducing storm water runoff).
• Heat island effect (roof): roofing material has a SRI value greater than 29.
• Enhanced building system commissioning ensures proper calibration.
• Laundry drying racks in the laundry rooms

Water

• Storm water quantity management: project implements a storm water management plan that results in a 100% decrease (rate and quantity) in runoff from calculated pre-project conditions. This includes the Rainstore detention basin south of 6th Street in the Wash, sized at 31'x31'x4' deep with a capacity of 3,652 feet3, designed to infiltrate and store large amounts of storm water underground. All the water collected on site is taken to the detention basin in the wash to recharge to aquifer. By capturing storm water and allowing it to seep into the ground, porous concrete is instrumental in recharging groundwater and reducing storm water runoff. 100% of the precipitation that is not evaporated from the project site is routed through the FloGard LoPro Shallow Catch Basin Filter Insert and then routed to the Rainstore3.
• Water efficient landscape includes irrigation and landscape materials, resulting in a 52% reduction of potable water use. Use of drought tolerant and native plants further reduces water.
• Also a 36.6% water use reduction through the use of low-flow lavatories (1.5gpm), low-flow showers (1.5gpm), low-flow kitchen sinks (2.2gpm), and dual-flush toilets (1.1 and 1.6gpf).

Transportation

• Facilities include secured bicycle storage areas – Sontag hall garage, Building B by OEC and bike corral area off plaza.
• Low emitting and fuel-efficient vehicle preferred parking is near entrance in the parking garage.
  Construction created the minimum number of newest parking spots allowed by local code.

Waste

• A trash and recycling room can be found on each floor.
• More than 95% of construction waste was diverted.

Land Use

• Rooftop garden incorporates edible landscaping and other edible landscaping was planted throughout the site.
• The building maximizes open space with 72,658 feet2 dedicated to open space, 31,000 feet2 of the building footprint has been provided adjacent to the building.
• Eight large oak trees (60”-144” box) were boxed, held and incorporated into the new landscape plan. They can be seen in the area behind Clark 1 and the hammock garden.

Materials

• A comprehensive green cleaning program in line with the College's green cleaning standards
• Recycled content is around 20%.
• Regional materials are around 30%.
• Doors, door trim, millwork, ceiling finish, shoring, plywood in walls, base trim, wood sills, roof garden trellis, roof garden planters, and pergola all have FCS Certification.
• Construction used low VOC products including silicone building sealants, acrylic latex caulking compound, tile mortar, linoleum tile adhesive, tack tile connectors, cove base adhesives, and paints. The complete list is still in the process of compilation.
• Innovative materials used in the buildings include recycled glass bottles in kitchen counters, other counters made out of recycled milk jugs and industrial-strength compressed cardboard materials, recycled content in carpets, tack boards, and more.

In 2013, the Draper Center for Community Partnerships moved to its new location at 735 Dartmouth following a major remodeling of the house. Guided by principles of sustainability, the remodeling project is seeking LEED certification.

Building features

The redesign of the house at 735 Dartmouth included the following sustainable features:

• Installation of all new windows with double-pane glazing
• Full insulation of all walls and the attic
• Reuse of interior paneling from the old house, as well as desks and re-upholstered chairs from the old Draper Center, significantly reducing the amount of waste produced by the remodeling
• Diversion of 94% of construction waste from the landfill, significantly exceeding the LEED requirement of 75%
• Water efficient indoor plumbing fixtures, such as 0.5 GPM hand washing facets and dual-flush toilets

Harwood Court Residence Hall was renovated in three phases (Summer 2008, 2009, 2010) to include a variety of upgrades and features, many of which reduced the facility's environmental impact.

Project Features

Energy

• Complete retrofit of the buildings' light fixtures to more efficient fluorescent T8, CFL, and other high-efficiency bulbs
• Occupancy sensors throughout the facilities to control use of lighting
• Installation of ceiling fans in every residence room
• Installation of ultra-efficient, dual-pane windows
• New real-time electricity and gas meters

Water

• High-efficiency plumbing fixtures (toilets, showers, faucets)
• Building-level water metering

The Lincoln-Edmunds Buildings are the second and third buildings at Pomona to receive certification by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED system. While at the time, Pomona's green building standards required buildings to be built to Silver-equivalent standards, these buildings went farther to achieve Gold certification. To achieve this, architects and builders had to satisfy a wide range of criteria, from water-efficient landscaping choices and plumbing fixtures to a photovoltaic array installed on the roof to locally- and regionally-sourced building materials. The buildings opened for classes in Fall 2006 and were dedicated in March 2007.

The buildings together contain approximately 82,000 square-feet of building area and use approximately 1.2 million kWh per year, or 14 kWh per square foot.

Building Features

Sustainable Sites

• The development and implementation of an erosion and sedimentation control plan for the construction process
• Access to public transportation within walking distance
• Bicycle storage and showers/changing rooms to encourage bicycle commuting for employees working in the building
• Zero new parking space developed
• The use of light-colored concrete in the hardscape to reduce the heat-island effect

Water Efficiency

• Water-efficient landscaping that reduces irrigation water use by 50%, including both the choices of native trees, shrubs, and groundcover and the installation of high-efficiency irrigation technology with programmable controllers and a rain gauge
• The reduction of water use through high-efficiency plumbing fixtures (e.g. toilets, sinks, urinals). These fixtures reduce water use by 20%.

Energy & Atmosphere

• All of the buildings' energy systems were verified to have been installed, calibrated, and performing as intended, to ensure efficiency
• The buildings perform 38.9% better than Title-24 energy efficiency requirements, not including the energy generated by the buildings' solar photovoltaic array
• The elimination of CFC-based refrigerants in air conditioning and ventilation systems
• The installation of 88.2 kW of solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of the buildings

Material Resources

• The diversion of over 75% of on-site construction waste to recycling or other non-landfill, reuse destinations
• 20% of the value of manufactured materials produced within 500 miles of the site, and 50% of that extracted locally. Concrete, drywall, carpet, and paint were among the locally/regionally-sourced construction materials.

Indoor Environmental Quality

• IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) performance during and after construction
• Low-emitting materials, adhesives, sealants, paint, carpet
• Operable windows to give occupants thermal control and to provide fresh air

The reconstructed Estella Laboratory and Andrew Science Hall achieved LEED Platinum Certification due to its exceptional construction as a high performance green building. Estella features a whole-building approach to sustainability in areas such as landscaping, lighting, materials, and alternative energy.

Building Features

Water & Landscaping

Estella’s landscaping design removed impermeable asphalt and now features rainwater harvesting and water-efficient landscaping. Landscaping improvements include infiltration trenches and a 75-foot long bioswale. This promotes natural filtration and improves the quality of the stormwater entering the aquifer below. The reconstructed Estella landscaping retains 66% more stormwater than previously. Estella’s landscaping also features a wide variety of plants with low to medium water requirements, as well as drought-tolerant native plants. All plants use high-efficiency drip irrigation. Estella’s landscaping uses 60% less water than traditional landscaping, while the low-flow plumbing features indoors result in a 40% water use reduction. Total water savings equates to filling 160 hot tubs each year.

Lighting & Energy

Estella features skylights on the north side and horizontal louver shades on the south side of the building. All exterior windows feature solar control glass with low-emissivity coating. The skylights and louvers are designed to provide constant illumination while minimizing unwanted solar heat gain. The windows transmit more than 70% of visible light into the building, increasing occupant health and productivity. The windows transmit 50% less unwanted solar heat gain and insulate 50% better than standard glass. This and other energy-saving measures such as LED light fixtures, radiant ceiling panels, solar reflecting clay roof tiles, and ceiling fans reduce the energy of the reconstructed Estella building by 35%, compared to the previous building. The greenhouse gas emissions avoided is equivalent to taking 23 homes off the grid.

Materials & Resources

88% of Estella’s demolition and general construction waste was recycled or reused, exceeding the LEED credit standard of 75% diversion from the landfill. This prevented 7,500 tons of waste from ending up in the landfill, equivalent to filling 13 Olympic swimming pools. In addition, 21% of the materials used to construct the current building contain reused or recycled content, and 10% were sourced regionally. The use of low-emitting materials and finishes greatly improves the indoor air quality for occupants.

Solar Electricity (or, Solar Power, Alternative Energy, Renewable Energy)

Estella produces nearly 6% of its own electricity needs through on-site renewable energy generation. This comes from 105 solar photovoltaic panels, rated at 34 kW, mounted on the roof of the Argue Colloquium. This PV system is a visible sign of Pomona College’s commitment to sustainable building and its path to carbon neutrality. The renewable energy produced by the PV panels offsets the same amount of greenhouse gas as 27 acres of forested land.

LEED® Dynamic Plaque™

Estella is the first building at a higher education institution in America to feature the LEED Dynamic Plaque™. The dynamic plaque on the wall in the main hallway measures, monitors, and scores Estella’s real-time building performance. Every 10 minutes, the plaque recalibrates the LEED score based on the current energy and water use for the building. The waste points are calculated through regular waste audits. Occupant surveys evaluate commuting methods and comfort levels to determine transportation and human experience scores. The Dynamic Plaque enables Estella’s recertification on a continuing basis, while measuring operational outcomes and connecting occupant behavior to the building’s environmental design.

Norton-Clark III Residence Hall was renovated in Summer 2009 to include a variety of upgrades and features, many of which reduced the facility's environmental impact.

Project Features

Energy

• Complete retrofit of the buildings' light fixtures to more efficient fluorescent T8, CFL, and other high-efficiency bulbs
• Occupancy sensors throughout the facilities to control use of lighting
• Reduced air conditioning in public and activity spaces
• More efficient and individualized control over residence room heating

Water

• High-efficiency plumbing fixtures
• Dual-flush toilets, a first on campus
• Drought-resistant, native landscaping throughout the grounds
• Subterranean drainage systems filtering water back into the natural aquifer
• High-efficiency irrigation equipment

Waste

• High diversion rate for construction waste

Transportation

• New and additional bike racks
• A completely new Green Bikes Shop with updated features and storage and greater visibility

Pomona College's Richard C. Seaver Biology Building has been awarded a silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED system, placing the building in the top one percent of all academic laboratory building the country in terms of energy-conscious design. To achieve this, architects and builders had to satisfy a wide range of criteria, from choosing a sustainable building site to maximizing water efficiency to recycling building materials. Features include a charging station for electric vehicles, solar panels, water-efficient California-friendly plants, and much more. The result is a building that exceeds California energy-related design codes (Title 24) by 25 percent, yielding an estimated $75,000 per year in energy savings compared to a building that meets current Title 24 energy requirements. The building opened for classes in Spring 2005.

The building's annual 280 mega-kilowatt-hours (mWh) of energy savings is the equivalent of the annual energy use of 13 average homes. This savings mean 114.1 tons of CO2 emissions are saved per year, or the equivalent of 22 cars taken off the road for the whole year. Where do these savings come from? Here are some of the contributors:

• The building's 2.5 kW photovoltaic solar array provides 5 mWh of electricity each year (translating directly into the same amount of energy savings). This is the equivalent of keeping on 25 100-watt light bulbs all day for a year, making 25,000 pots of coffee in an electric coffee maker, or running a microwave for 208 days straight. Based on the college's normal energy portfolio, this solar array saves 1.5 tons of CO2 emissions per year, or the equivalent of 155 gallons of gas, 3,480 miles not driven, or 950 pounds of waste diverted from the landfill.
• Seaver's "cool roof" materials generate an energy savings of 8,623 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year by reflecting more sunlight (and thus heat) back into the atmosphere, meaning the building requires less energy to stay cool. This energy is the equivalent of doing 1,819 loads of laundry in the washing machine and dryer or running a vacuum all day for the entire year. It also results in 2.6 tons of CO2 savings per year, the equivalent of 269 gallons of gasoline and 1,580 pounds of waste diverted from a landfill.
• The Seaver building's low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, and other water-saving techniques save 35,200 gallons of water each year, or the equivalent of taking two 10-minute showers every day for the entire year, doing 782 loads of laundry, flushing a normal toilet over 7,000 times, or doing 2,347 loads of dishes in a dishwasher.
• Innovative runoff-retention technology keeps 24,356 gallons of water from running down storm drains each year. This keeps pollution out of natural waterways, allowing soils and plants to clean the water the way the earth intended.

Building Features

Sustainable Sites

• EV (Electric Vehicle) station
• Bike racks and nearby showers
• Carpool spaces
• Alternate transportation of bus lines and trains
• Stormwater management and flow reduction during construction and of finished site
• Cool roof and paving surfaces to reduce heat island effect
• Reduced light pollution with cut off fixtures and no up-lighting

Water Efficiency

• Efficient irrigation system
• Water efficient California friendly plants
• Waterless urinals and double flush toilets

Energy & Atmosphere

• Efficient lighting system including daylighting and occupancy controls, efficient fixtures, excellent daylighting design
• Efficient mechanical system including thermal energy storage
• Elimination of CFC's and Halon refrigerants
• Photovoltaic system
• Building commissioning to ensure that systems function as designed

Materials and Resources

• Design for recycling
• 75% recycled and salvaged construction materials from demolition
• 10% recycled material in new materials
• 20% of locally or regionally manufactured materials
• 10% locally harvested, extracted, or recovered materials
• Certified wood
• Elimination of unnecessary materials (e.g. exposed concrete floors) and rapidly renewable materials

Indoor Environmental Quality

• IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) performance during and after construction
• Low-emitting materials, adhesives, sealants, paint, carpet
• Entryway grills to keep pollutants out of building
• Operable windows to give occupants control and to provide fresh air

The new South Campus Athletic Facility includes a lacrosse-size athletic field atop two levels of parking, to provide over 600 parking spaces and allowing the removal of various surface parking throughout campus. Along with making the campus more pedestrian-friendly, the structure includes a variety of green building features.

Project Features

Energy

• Ultra-efficient lighting fixtures
• A high-density wireless network with occupancy sensors and scheduling to control garage lighting, ensuring that lights are on only when needed and increasing garage safety (the first ever application of such technology on the West Coast!)
• Solar PV arrays above the field to power the structure and provide shade for athletic spectators

Water

• High-efficiency plumbing fixtures
• Drought-resistant, native landscaping throughout the grounds
• Use of bioswales to naturally treat stormwater and other site water and return it to the natural aquifer
• High-efficiency irrigation equipment

Waste

• High diversion rate for construction waste

Materials

• Recycled and/or local construction materials

Transportation

• Plenty of bike storage
• Priority parking for carpools
• Six charging stations for electric vehicles

Project Features

The redesign of the quad features the following sustainability features:

• Reduction of turf by 5,000 square feet
• Drought-tolerant landscape choices
• Highly efficient closed-loop fountain to reduce water use
• Bioswales to collect and filter stormwater and drain it into the natural aquifer
• Outdoor teaching and social spaces