Southface Energy Institute

Southface Energy Institute

Atlanta, GA

Southface Energy Institute's mission is to promote sustainable homes, workplaces and communities through education, research, advocacy and technical assistance.

Lord Aeck Sargent won a competition to design the Green Demonstration Office adjacent to Southface's Energy & Environmental Resource Center. The new building will demonstrate environmental design and construction practices, as well as high-performance materials and technologies for commercial projects. The design includes classroom, office and conference areas and integrates the natural and built environment through a whole-systems approach.

The project is Platinum-level certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating System. Environmentally responsible strategies include:

  • Vegetated roof to filter stormwater and reduce the urban heat island effect
  • Aggressive daylight harvesting design to meet a majority of the building's lighting requirements
  • Decoupled ventilation system with desiccant dehumidification and displacement ventilation
  • Rainwater harvesting, ultra low-flow plumbing fixtures and native and adapted landscaping to reduce potable water use
  • Optimized building envelope, high efficiency systems and on-site power generation to meet minimum 65 percent energy optimization beyond the energy code
  • Emphasis on utilizing regional, high-recycled content, low emitting, salvaged and regional materials
  • Natural stormwater management
 

Practice Areas

Community