Hillsboro Civic Center LEED Gold Certification

Responding to enormous recent growth — from 32,000 residents in 1989 to 79,000 today — the city of Hillsboro embarked on a consolidation of city offices focused on continued future growth. Knowing sustainability is a vital part of the future, Hillsboro leaders chose Specht Development, LRS Architects and Interface Engineering to create a LEED-certified 168,000 SF building — more than twice the size of their previous quarters. Aiming for LEED Silver, they surpassed their goal with a certificate of Gold.

Overall savings are projected to be more than 38% water reduction and 42% energy savings. Interface realized these decreases in expenditures by incorporating savings from:

• Daylighting at the perimeter office areas and the entry to the auditorium combined with occupancy sensors
• Carbon dioxide demand control ventilation, reducing the amount of energy required to heat and cool outside air
• Low-pressure static MERV 13 LEED filters and UV-C dynamic filters Parallel fan-powered VAV boxes that use the warm plenum air to heat the cold supply air
• High performance glass, reducing the conduction of heat through the windows
• Infrared plumbing fixtures, reducing hot water use by approximately 70%
• An improved roof insulation value of R-30
• High-efficiency HVAC units with cooling efficiencies (EERs) above code required values
• Egress lighting swept off when the security alarm is armed Heat recovery ventilator for toilet room exhaust
• Premium efficiency motors on rooftop units.

One guiding factor for the design was new zoning that had taken effect dictating mixed-use and high-density development in metropolitan areas. The mixed-use goal, plus a desire to appeal to a wide range of patrons, led to incorporating a multi-use 250-seat auditorium with broadcasting capability, and a 24,000 SF plaza expandable to 49,000 SF by utilizing the Main Street right-of-way. This north-facing plaza is designed with an amphitheater providing seating for approximately 700 people.

LEED-Certification Goal Leads to Better-Than-Required Features

Among the many LEED credit elements that Interface designed into the Hillsboro Civic Center was the mechanical air handling equipment. As Interface was considering the various options for air filtration, they discovered that they could specify a MERV 13 (85% filter) with a dynamic filter, rather than the current MERV 7 filter without dynamic filtration. To the Civic Center’s delight, they found that, for no extra cost, the dynamic filter will operate as one typically used in hospitals, providing UV-C light that destroys all bacteria, as well as pollen and mold spores.