Despite sitting squarely in hurricane territory, the island of Kauai has very few buildings made almost entirely from concrete. But in 2003, when architect Dean Sakamoto was asked to complete Vladimir Ossipoff's original master plan for the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) by designing the Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center, concrete was the best option. “The building had to be lean [financially], but had to be a 100-year building, and also needed to withstand hurricanes,” says Sakamoto, describing just a few of the structure's requirements. The final design is a two-level structure cut into a hill above the garden—the building's second level is all that is visible from the street.
It was during the construction process, however, that Sakamoto's team learned at least one of the reasons concrete is used so sparingly in the environment: The island has only one ready-mix plant, and only 10 cement trucks that carry 10 cubic yards apiece, meaning that the 320-cubic-yard pour that had to be completed for the building's second-story floor plate required a carefully choreographed train of trucks going back and forth from the site to the plant, hoping that the traffic gods were with them.
Despite the unconventional pour, the concrete helped meet another requirement for the design: earning LEED Gold certification. Committed as a LEED building from the start, the research center is the first green building on the island and was a learning process for the client, the craftspeople, and the architect himself. “I introduced them to LEED,” says Sakamoto. “I hadn't done a LEED building before, but I was a member of the U.S. Green Building Council.”
To maximize the building's sustainable potential, a photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof contributes to the building's energy load. “PV panels are fused to the roof,” says Sakamoto. “The perimeter of the panels has a fringe that is the same material [as the roofing membrane], so the panels were heat-welded to the roof. This avoids points of penetration, and the panels don't act as sails in high winds.”
Principal
Dean Sakamoto Architects
The PV panels are part of a larger active roof system that allows light penetration into the building through skylights and collects rainwater. The rainwater collects and moves quickly across the TPO roofing membrane and collects in a 25,000 gallon cistern. “The garden has a real issue,” says Sakamoto. “The existing irrigation system doesn't have enough power to push water up the hill. Now, the spigot can be opened, and gravity takes the water to the garden below.” On the building interior, the architect kept materials to a minimum, including staining the concrete floor with Lithochrome Chemstain from Scofield Systems instead of installing carpet or hardwood. Wherever possible, glass separates the enclosed spaces so that views are maintained and light can enter. The spaces are open, allowing the NTBG to install shelves to hold the 56,000 plant species that constitute the institution's herbarium. A rare-book room on the lower level holds one of the nation's largest collections of antique botany books, the bequest of which sped up the building's timeline. An HVAC system maintains humidity levels throughout, combatting the moist tropical air. “The building is basically hermetically sealed,” Sakamoto jokes.
Sakamoto credits careful planning for keeping the project on track. And on track it was—the idiosyncrasies of using concrete on an island aside, the building was completed two months ahead of schedule and $500,000 under the $11 million total budget.
Project: Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center
Location: Kalaheo, Hawaii
Client: National Tropical Botanical Garden—Charles R. Wichman Jr. (chief executive officer and director)
Architect: Dean Sakamoto Architects, New Haven, Conn.—Dean Sakamoto (principal); Kenneth Kajiwara (associate); Jim Reilly (job captain); Amado Aquinaldo, Ann Cassidy, Christopher Dial, David Ainsworth, Elizabeth Bishop, Jeff LeMay, Jing Huang, Jing Lin, Jordan Barr, Karl Mascarenhas, Lindsay Suter, Margo Angelopoulos, Mo Lee, Nathan Herrero, Nicholas Stoutt, Reuben Herzl, Steve Ybarra, Wael El Dasher, William Douglas Matthew (project team)
Leed Commissioner: Air Balance Hawaii
Geotechnical Consultant: Masa Fujioka & Associates
M/E/P Consultant: Steve Winter Associates
Mechanical Consultant: Southport Engineering Associates
Electrical Consultant: PC Aero-Electric
LEED Consultant: Viridian Energy & Environmental
Civil Engineering Consultant: Wagner Engineering
Structural Engineering Consultant: Schlach Bergermann und Partner
Structural Engineering Consultant: William Blakeney Inc.
Acoustical Consultant: Cavanaugh Tocci Associates
Lighting Consultant: Atelier Ten
Lighting Consultant: Eron Ashley
Cost Estimator Consultant: Rider Hunt Levett & Bailey
General Contractor: Unlimited Construction Services
Size: 20,000 square feet
Cost: $10.5 million
PRODUCT SPECS
Structure
Titan HV formwork
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Concrete Glover-Honsador
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Eucon 37 water-reducing admixture The Euclid Chemical Co.
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Building insulation CertainTeed Corp.
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Vapor barrier DuPont
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Astro-Foil radiant barrier Innovative Specialties
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Cold-formed metal framing Dietrich Metal Framing
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Power actuated fasteners Simpson Strong-Tie Co.
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ProFin Joint Compound All Purpose Compound CertainTeed Corp.
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Drywall Joint Tape BPB Marco/CertainTeed Corp.
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World Mix siding TerraMai
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Roofing
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Roofing insulation and adhesive ACFoam-II Atlas Roofing Corp.
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PowerGate Plus photovoltaic system inverter Satcon Technology Corp.
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Edoco Aqua Resin Cure
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Vulkem 45 SSL sealant Tremco
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Lithochrome Chemstain Classic concrete floor stain Scofield Systems
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Pitt-Tech paints Pittsburgh Paints
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SealGrip primers/sealers Pittsburgh Paints
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Sun-Proof exterior wood stain Pittsburgh Paints
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Finishes
Cabinet liner sheets
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Horizontal Forming Grade HGP (HF-4) plastic laminate Nevamar Decorative Surfaces
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Ceramic tile Debris Series Fireclay Tile
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Keracolor S grout MAPEI Corp.
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Louvers and vents, Model 653XP JL Industries
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Flooring
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In a Snap carpet Shaw Contract Group
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Doors and Windows
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FireGuard Plus flush wood doors Eggers Industries
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F-Style Door, Euro Top & Bottom Patches PRL Glass Systems
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SentryGlas Plus exterior glazing DuPont
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ProRoc interior ceiling gypsum board CertainTeed Corp.
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ProRoc moisture-resistant gypsum board CertainTeed Corp.
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Sheetrock Acoustical Sealant
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Two-hour-rated gypsum board shaft-wall assemblies Dietrich Metal Framing
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Cork bulletin board Claridge Products and Equipment
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Fire Protection
Fire Protection Academy fire extinguisher cabinet
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Life Safety fire alarm system control panel GE Security
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Fire alarm system intelligent initiating device GE Security
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Clean agent extinguishing system Fenwal Protection Systems
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SmartOne intelligent detectors Fenwal Protection Systems
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Vertical Transport
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Plumbing and Fixtures
Recessed paper towel dispenser and waste receptacle
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Surface-mounted multiroll toilet tissue dispenser Bobrick
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Surface-mounted soap dispenser Bobrick
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Surface-mounted napkin disposal Bobrick
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Heavy-duty clothes hook with concealed mounting Bobrick
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Mirror with stainless steel channel frame Bobrick
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Stainless steel grab bars with snap flange Bobrick
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Swing-up grab bar Bobrick
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Walk-in freezer National Cooler/Hill Phoenix
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DropIn Sink Durcon Laboratory Tops
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Systems
Diesel generator set
Cummins Power Generation
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Close coupled pump Aurora Pump
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PVC rigid electrical conduit PW Eagle
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HVAC
Air-cooled scroll chiller
York by Johnson Controls
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Chilled water system Liebert Corp.
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Indoor central station air-handling units with variable speed drive Trane
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Blower coil air handler Trane
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Uni-flange valve Griswold Controls
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Isolator R Griswold Controls
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Expansion tank Elba-Ustek Group
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Air-elimination equipment Amtrol
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Foamglas insulation Pittsburgh Corning Corp.
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Lighting and Shading
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Calculite compact fluorescent surface cylinder Lightolier
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Sightlines lighting Rebelle Architectural Lighting
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Site Lightforms Kim Lighting
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Mini Forecast series Forum
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Energos lighting systems Lightolier
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Recessed wall washer H.E. Williams Inc.
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Nova T lighting controls Lutron
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Horizontal louver blinds Levolor
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Insolroll Sheerweave roller shades Window Trends
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