1. Survival, Evolution
and Beauty in a
Net-zero World:
Exploring a Living
Systems Paradigm
in Design
Redefining High
Performance
Commercial and
Institutional Projects in
New England
Bill Maclay, Principal,
AIA, LEED-AP

2. Beauty, Survival, Net-Zero
Photo by John Fowler / CC-BY-2.0
Photo modified by Disenyo from photo by Paul
Kempeneers / CC-BY-SA-2.5
Photo by Martin St-Amant / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Photo by Bill Maclay
Photo
derived
from
photo
by
Hans
Ollermann
/
CC-­‐BY-­‐2.0
Public
Domain
Photo
by
Pascal
Reusch
/
CC-­‐BY-­‐SA-­‐3.0

3. economy, energy, environment, equity & population
Global Challenges & Our Buildings & Community s Impacts
photo
by
Olsen
Dave,
U.S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
/
Public
Domain
Photo by Ahron de Leeuw / CC-BY-2.0
Public Domain
Photo by Perpetual Tourist / CC-BY-2.0
Photo by John Hill / CC-BY-SA-3.0

4. What is Design, Aesthetics & Beauty
1. What is good design?
2. How do we do it?
3. Where does it come from?
Public
Domain
Image
by
Al
Ravenna
/
Public
Domain
Photo
by
Joi
Ito
/
CC
BY
2.0
Image
by
Nicola
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
3.0
Photo
by
Adam
Smok
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
2.0

5. What is Design?
Creating New Worlds / Envisioning & Evolving the Future
“We shape our buildings, and afterwards
our buildings shape us.”
- Winston Churchill
Photo
by
Steve
Swayne
/
CC
BY
2.0
Image
by
Al
Jazeera
English
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
2.0
Image
by
Ville
MieTnen
/
CC
BY
2.0
PainUng
by
Pieter
Bruegel
/
Public
Domain
Photo
by
Steve
Swayne
/
CC
BY
2.0
Image
by
Michel_r
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
2.5
Photo
by
Hans
A.
Rosbach
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
3.0

6. What is Beauty?
Beauty in Living and Evolving
Photo
by
cyclonebill
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
2.0
Image
by
Luc
Viatour
/
www.Lucnix.be
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
3.0

7. Energy Generates Our World & Future
Population
ENERGY
Climate
Change
Ecosystem
Destruction
Lifestyle
Social
Inequity
photo
by
Agrant141
/
CC
BY-­‐SA
3.0

8. Sun
/
Villages
&
Towns
Coal
/
Urbaniza6on
Oil
/
Suburbaniza6on
Evolution of Energy & Lifestyle
1800 1900 2000
Renewable Coal Oil Renewable & Other

9. Evolution of Beauty & Aesthetics
1800 1900 2000
Renewable Coal Oil Renewable & Other

10. The Energy Transition

11. The Non Net-Zero Tradition

12. Exploring a New Paradigm of Design
• Living Systems Based
• Renewably Powered
• Community Life Style
“The world we have created today as a result
of our thinking thus far has problems that
cannot be solved by thinking the way we
thought when we created them.”
-Albert Einstein
Regenera6ve
Restora6ve
Evolving
Green
Sustainable
Ecological
Portrait
by
Doris
Ulmann
/
Public
Domain

13. Living Systems Based
Organizational Ecology / Living Building

14. Seventh Generation
OWNER
Seventh Generation
DESIGN TEAM
Architects – Maclay Architect
Mechanical , Electrical & Fire Protection – Salem Engineering
Structural – Engineering Ventures
Preconstruction Services – Erickson Consulting
Energy Consultant – Energy Balance
Lighting Design – Naomi Miller Lighting Design
CONSTRUCTION TEAM
General Contractor – Engelberth Construction

15. Seventh Generation
BUILDING TYPE: Healthy, collaborative, model workplace
SCOPE: Tenant Fit-Up
PROCESS: Community Design
PROJECT SIZE: Phase 1 – 20,000 SF, Phase 2 – 10,000 SF
PROJECT COST: Phase 1 – $2,555,028
COST/SQFT: $136/SF
LIGHTING INTENSITY: 0.92 Watts/SF
LEED RATING: LEED-CI Gold

16. Workplace
by
Design:
Mapping
the
High-­‐Performance
Workspace
by
Franklin
Becker
and
Fritz
Steele
Organizational Ecology

18. HEART
NEIGHBORHOODS
COMMON MEETING/
PROJECT SPACE
PRIVATE
MEETING
SPACE
street street
Hearts, Streets & Neighborhoods

21. Mezzanine Plan – Phase 2

22. Green Roof Concept – Phase 2

23. Green Roof

24. Looking into the Heart

25. A Green Heart

26. Part of the Heart – Cafe, Kitchen, Meeting

27. Green Roof Gathering Area

28. Neighborhoods (Phase 1)

29. Nooks for Informal Meeting and Quiet Work

30. NRG Systems
OWNER
Wind NRG Partners, LLC
DESIGN TEAM
Architects – Maclay Architects
Mechanical , Electrical & Fire Protection – Salem Engineering / LN Consulting
Structural & Civil – Engineering Ventures
Preconstruction Services – Erickson Consulting
Energy Consultant – Energy Balance
Landscape - TJ Boyle and Associates
Lighting Design – Naomi Miller Lighting Design
Fire Protection - Chase Engineering, PC
CONSTRUCTION TEAM
General Contractor – Breadloaf Construction / HP Cummings Construction

31. NRG Systems
BUILDING TYPE: Model Renewable-Powered Workplace
SCOPE: Two new buildings and masterplan
PROJECT SIZE: Phase 46,500 SF, 31,000 SF
PROJECT COST: $5,000,000, $6,500,00
COST/SQFT: $107/SF, $212/SF
ENERGY INTENSITY: 23 kBtu/SF-yr, 19 kBtu/SF-yr
PERCENT RENEWABLE: 89%, 95%
AIR INFILTRATION: 0.18 cfm50/SF, 0.092 cfm50/SF
NATURAL: 0.08 ACH, winter, 0.05 ACH, winter
LEED RATING: LEED-NB Gold both buildings

33. Integrated Environmental Design & Systems

34. Energy conservation
Daylighting
Renewable energy usage
Pond for cooling
Storm water management
Building 2
Integrated Environmental Design & Systems

35. Pond – Cooling, Storm Water Retention, Recreation

36. Entrance, Cafe Terrace &
Board Room Balcony

37. View towards fireplace & hearth from café
Warehouse Connection
Building 1 – Central Heart

38. Street & Office

39. Recreation

40. Energy Conservation

42. Phase 2 Building Improvements
Enhanced energy conservation
Simplified mechanical systems
Hybrid steel/wood structure

43. View into the café Library and Floor Art on 2nd Floor
Building 2 – Central Heart

44. Earth, Air, and Water Theme
Building 2 – Art Floor

45. The Putney School Field House
OWNER
The Putney School
DESIGN TEAM
Architects – Maclay Architect
Mechanical & Fire Protection - Kohler & Lewis
Electrical - William Bissell
Structural – Engineering Ventures
Energy Consultant – Energy Balance
Civil – Heindel & Noyes
Landscape Architect – Cynthia Knauf
Lighting Design – Naomi Miller Lighting Design
CONSTRUCTION TEAM
General Contractor – DEW Corporation

46. OWNER’S
PROJECT
GOALS
Net-­‐Zero
LEED
Pla6num
Community
Collabora6on
Healthy
Building

47. The Putney School Field House
BUILDING
TYPE:
Net-­‐zero
wellness
center
SCOPE:
New
Building
PROCESS:
Community
Design
PROJECT
SIZE:
Phase
16,800
sq.
[.
PROJECT
COST:
$5,106,000
COST/SQFT:
$303/sq.
[.
ENERGY
INTENSITY
(without
renewables):
9.6
kBtu/SF-­‐yr
ENERGY
INTENSITY
(with
renewables):
0
kBtu/SF-­‐yr
PERCENT
RENEWABLE:
100%
AIR
INFILTRATION:
0.065
cfm50/sq.
[.,
1.19
m³/m²-­‐hr
LEED
RATING:
LEED-­‐NC
3.0
Pla6num

48. Energy Choices

49. Field
House
Energy
Analysis

50. Site Analysis / Context

54. Yoga Room

55. Social Space

56. Campus Connections

57. The George D. Aiken Center
OWNER Team
Owner - University of Vermont
Envelope Commissioning – Efficiency Innovations LLC (Alan Bullis)
Building Durability Consultant – Gale Associates
Construction Cost Consultant – Vermeulens, DEW Construction
LEED Consultant – Linda Samter
DESIGN TEAM
Architects – Maclay Architect
Energy Consultant – Energy Balance
Cost Consultant – DEW Construction
Mechanical & Plumbing– Kohler & Lewis
Electrical – Pearson & Associates
Structural & Civil – Engineering Ventures
Fire Protection - Matt Chase
CONSTRUCTION TEAM
General Contractor – PC Construction
Window & Metal Panel - St. Albans Glass
Masonry – North Stars Masonry
Membrane Roofing – Davco Inc.
Wall Coatings & Membranes – Nicom Coatings, Corp.

58. George D. Aiken Center
BUILDING TYPE: Model, living building
SCOPE: Renovation & Addition
PROJECT SIZE: Phase 42,000 sf, 2% new construction
PROJECT COST (estimate): $7,750,000
COST/SQFT: $184/SF
ENERGY INTENSITY (existing): 89 kBtu/SF-yr
ENERGY INTENSITY (modeled): 23 kBtu/SF-yr

59. “We see a retrofitted and expanded Aiken
Center that provides needed space but has a
smaller ecological footprint, uses
natural lighting, and has pure air and
ecological elements, including water and
plants, in its corridors. The Aiken Center
should be the first institutional building at
UVM that beautifully celebrates
life within. We envision a year-round
greenhouse and native landscaping, with state-
of-the-art energy and water conservation and air
circulation. The Aiken Center will be a place
like no other and represent a harbinger
for our future.”
The Greening of Aiken

60. Collaborative, Integrated Process

64. Existing Conditions

65. Daylighting Strategy

66. WALL
SECTION
AT
FLOOR
SLAB
-­‐
RENOVATED
WALL
SECTION
AT
FLOOR
SLAB
-­‐
EXISTING
Wall / Floor Connection - Design Solutions

67. Interior air & moisture barrier connection
Exterior air & moisture barrier
installation
Air & moisture barrier sealing of
penetrations
Window Mockup
Construction Process

68. Notes: disaggregation of existing electric use very approximate
existing building has no air conditioning
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
1,000,000
Existing Proposed
kWh
Aiken -- Annual Energy Use
Actual Existing and Modeled Proposed
Elec other
lighting
heating
cooling

71. EcoMachine

72. Green Conference Room

73. Open Offices

77. The Bosarge Family Education Center
OWNER
The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
DESIGN TEAM
Architects – Maclay Architect & Scott Simons
Architects
Mechanical & Electrical – Allied Engineering Inc.
Structural – Becker Structural Engineers Inc.
Civil – Knickerbocker Group
Energy Consultant – Energy Balance
Sustainability Consultant – Fore Solutions
Lighting Designer – J&M Lighting Designs
Landscape Architect – AECOM Inc.
CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Construction Manager – HP Cummings
Building Systems Fabricator – Bensonwood

78. The Bosarge Family Educational Center
BUILDING TYPE: Net-Zero Educational Center
SCOPE: New Building
PROJECT SIZE: 8,200 SF
PROJECT COST: $3,200,000
COST/SQFT: $390/SF
ENERGY INTENSITY: 19 kBtu/SF-yr (modeled)
15 kBtu/SF-yr (actual – 1 year of data)
PERCENT RENEWABLE: 129%
INSTALLED PV: 45 kW
LEED RATING: LEED-Platinum

80. Solar Considerations

81. Water Considerations

83. Design Charrettes

85. Building Section

86. Building Section

87. Net-Zero Metrics
• R-40 Walls,
• R-60 Roof,
• R-5 Windows
• 10-20 kBtus
• Max 0.1 cfm50/SF infiltration
• EUI Goal – 19 kBtu/SF-yr
• EUI Actual – 15 kBtu/SF-yr

88. Panelized Construction System

89. • Heavily insulated envelope
• Minimal air infiltration
• Maximize winter solar gain & daylight
• Minimize water consumption
• Maximize water reuse
• Simple air source heat pumps
• Minimal mechanical distribution
Integrated Design Strategies

90. North Façade from Gardens

91. Classroom Wing with PVs on Roof

92. Office Wing

93. Main Entry

94. Entrance Gallery

95. Classroom Wing

96. Office Wing

97. Water Scupper Detail

98. A Net-Zero New England
Thank You & Questions
Bill Maclay, Design principal Maclay Architects
bill@maclayarchitects.com