How was Our Green Design Accomplished?

The new EPA Facility is an outgrowth of the EPA Project Team's commitment to balance functionality, environmental performance, and cost. Early in the design phase of the new facility, the EPA Project Team developed a basic decision approach which was applied in each step of the decision making process. This approach asked fundamental questions concerning functionality, cost, and environmental consequences of all aspects of the building's life cycle. This process formed the core of the partnership and interaction between the EPA Project Team, the design architectural and engineering firm - Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, (HOK) Inc, GSA, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and a collection of EPA engineers and scientists assembled to provide insight and technical support in issues relating to the environment. The resulting dialog gave environmental performance equal footing with the other more traditional components of the design process. It also often forced re-thinking of previously accepted practice, and the inevitable trade-offs were weighted toward environmental responsibility. The result was that when the final design went out for bids, the facility was as environmentally friendly as possible.

During the course of design, a number of significant cost reductions were made. However, EPA never abandoned its commitment to environmental stewardship. The final facility design is as "green" as it is economical. To learn more about our process, and the results, see the case study "Leading by Example" (Adobe Acrobat) by EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.