Formerly: Brooks Family farm Built: 2006 Designed by: Valerio Dewalt Train Associates Type: Office Building Location: 3215 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, United States
I t is hard to talk about the Kresge Foundation's campus and not talk about conservation. As a philanthropic organization, it uses its money and influence to change the world. But the organization goes far out of its way to have a minimal impact on the world immediately surrounding it.
To start, the Kresge foundation's headquarters is located on what was once a family farm in Troy, an exurb of Detroit. As the surrounding area filled with strip malls, planned communities, and cul-de-sacs, Kresge resisted the temptation to sell out and has maintained the farmland as it once was, preserving one of the last patches of open prairie left in the Midwest.
When it decided to expand its campus with a new 19,500-square-foot building, it challenged the architecture team at Valerio Dewalt Train Associates to do so with minimal environmental impact. The result is a laundry list of responsible and sustainable measures that other developers can look to as examples of what they can do right in their new projects.
Their methods include:
Orienting the building on an east-west axis in order to make use of light and heat from the sun.
52% of the northern and southern facades is glass.
Overhangs reflect early-morning light into the building to heat it, while shading the building from mid-day heat.
Sun shelves reflect natural light into the building to reduce the need for electric illumination.
The building is made of 27% recycled material.
76% of the building products come from within 500 miles of the farm, reducing the environmental impact of shipping heavy construction material.
There are 40 geothermal wells sunk 400 feet into the earth below the parking lot. They are paired with heat pumps to help provide heating and cooling for the building.
The building is partially embedded in the ground to use the earth as a natural insulator.
The parking lot is made of light-colored paving blocks to reduce the amount of heat absorbed.
The use of pavers in the parking lot allows rainwater to filter into the soil instead of running off into storm sewers.
Retaining walls are made from crushed used concrete held together in cages, keeping it out of landfills and encouraging vegetation growth.
Furniture, doors, trim, and moulding are partially made from wheat board, which can be naturally replenished quickly.
72% of the building site is covered with native plants.
Where possible, the roof is planted with hearty native plants.
A cistern collects rainwater for irrigation.
Much of the water from the building is filtered by plants before being returned to the soil.
This building was designed by Joe Valerio.
2006 - This building receives the Distinguished Building Honor Award from the AIA Chicago.
2006 - This building receives the Interior Architecture Honor Award from the AIA Chicago.
