At Clark & Enersen, sustainability is more than just a box to check during a project; it’s a guiding principle that has been in place for decades, long before implementing green initiatives became a modern trend. More than 30 years ago, we helped develop a progressive long-term master plan for the Black Thunder strip mine in Gillette, Wyoming. The plan went far beyond United States Environmental Protection Agency requirements at the time by addressing contours, vegetation, and water bodies.

In many ways, we take this same approach with a vast majority of the projects the firm completes, actively seeking out ways to not only meet but exceed stated requirements whenever possible. Our design for the Union Plaza Park and Trails project in Lincoln, Neb., for example, incorporated numerous sustainable elements. This includes water-conserving nozzles, LED lights in the fountains, and photovoltaic cells to power the Trails Center.

Union Plaza and the connected Assurity campus also feature water-conscious plant material, permeable pavers, bioretention cells that capture and clean stormwater runoff, and a cistern system that reuses an abandoned storm sewer on the Assurity property. Our team’s innovative approach to handling stormwater resulted in Antelope Creek becoming one of only 90 creeks in the United States to ever be delisted from the Impaired Waters list for E. Coli by the Environmental Protection Agency. These efforts not only improved sustainability, but also created new opportunities for community members to walk, bike, play, and experience everything Union Plaza and the surrounding area has to offer.

Designing Sustainable Buildings

A key differentiator for our firm is that we offer a multidisciplinary staff of architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil engineers whom can incorporate sustainable features into virtually every component of a project. We can also provide energy modeling and commissioning services that further help with building and systems efficiency. Energy modeling, in particular, allows us to optimize our designs for operating efficiency, reduced utility costs, and minimized equipment sizing through the utilization of energy calculation software and building performance resources.

Clark & Enersen currently has 24 LEED Accredited Professionals in our firm, including architects, landscape architects, mechanical and electrical engineers, and construction administrators. Collectively, they have designed more than 25 projects that either achieved, are registered to achieve, or were designed to meet LEED certification requirements. This amounts to approximately 2 million square feet of designed LEED space, with 1.4 million designed in the last five years alone.

Our most recent example of using our holistic approach to design a highly-sustainable project is the Prairie Village Public Works facility in Prairie Village, Kan. The project was designed to achieve LEED Platinum Certification and will be submitted for construction credits upon completion of the commissioning process. Sustainability features include native landscaping species to reduce outdoor water use; low-flow or waterless restroom fixtures and ENERGY STAR-rated appliances; and the specification of low-emitting materials, including paints, adhesives, and flooring, as well as product with Environmental Product Declarations.

As much as 50% of the facility’s annual energy usage will be provided from roof-installed photovoltaic solar panels. An HVAC system with variable refrigerant flow units was selected to further improve efficiency and reduce energy costs. All of these components combined illustrate how our entire team for that project, across each primary discipline, was able to contribute to the project and help the City of Prairie Village achieve its goals for the facility.

Looking Beyond LEED

While LEED certification and other certification programs are certainly a worthy goal and a great indicator of a building or environment’s efficiency, our firm is committed to sustainable design regardless of whether or not certification is required for a project. We view our design approach as a process that delivers energy efficiency through durable materials and finishes, economical life cycle cost-performance systems, and sensible, best-practice design solutions. Our team has extensive expertise in implementing methods to conserve energy and resources, reduce waste, and find innovative solutions to complex challenges. This includes installing high-efficiency HVAC equipment, multi-stage energy recovery systems, LED lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and other elements, as well as incorporating windows and daylighting to minimize artificial lighting requirements.

With material selection, it is crucial to prioritize durability to minimize product replacement; choose materials that require little maintenance; minimize the use of manufactured products that require significant energy to produce; and avoid materials that produce pollutants. We also have experience incorporating building products and finishes made from recycled materials that help reduce solid waste issues, cut energy consumption in manufacturing, and save on the use of natural resources. Our firm stays up to date on the latest design trends and can apply them to projects where they make the most sense. Examples include green roof systems; high-efficiency glazing and passive shading elements; and building lighting control systems to maximize energy efficiency. These elements all complement one another, resulting in efficient, sustainable, and highly-functional spaces.

For more information about our approach to sustainable design, please visit our dedicated Sustainable Design service page, which also features links to descriptions to numerous sustainable projects of all types.