Commissioning plays a much larger role in the LEED process than most people realize. The life of a building is completely dependent on the quality of it construction, specifically its envelope and HVAC systems.
A community center is a great way to get the community involved in group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. In downtown Charleston, DWG just completed the commissioning for the Arthur W. Christopher Community Center. The center is located on Fishburne Street near the Riverdogs Stadium and across from the Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium. The facility features a full court gym, multipurpose rooms, pool, fitness center, library, and outdoor basketball courts. Kids’ summer camps, zumba classes, and basketball leagues are just a few of the many events that take place at the community center.
The City of Charleston’s newest building, the Arthur W. Christopher
Community Center, recently achieved LEED Gold Certification. DWG provided Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning as well as Measurement and Verification and Thermal Comfort Verification LEED credits. Fundamental commissioning is a LEED Prerequisite. Enhanced Commissioning is a term utilized by LEED and represents an additional effort to ensure that sustainable practices are achieved by more rigorous review and observation by the commissioning authority. Achievement of Enhanced Commissioning rewards the project with 1 Credit Point for Energy and Atmosphere Credit 3 (EA3). DWG verified the performance of the commissioned systems with routine site visits, equipment start-up procedures, pre-function and function tests. Measurement and Verification required that the building operation be tracked for 18 months and proven to meet the LEED goals by a minimum of 20% greater energy savings over ASHRAE 90.1. AWCCC achieved far greater. Thermal Comfort Verification was achieved by follow up occupant surveys to determine the human responses to the HVAC and Lighting systems.
This facility is poised to serve the Charleston Community as a flagship of successful, sustainable construction.