Submitted by Martin/Martin Inc. and Bennett Wagner Grody Architects

This urban redevelopment project was completed under the GSA's First Impressions program, created to promote and reinforce the values of public buildings, and its Design Excellence and Construction Program. The courthouse was one of the first 50 projects designated for the pilot project for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings' program.

Most of the new wood installed meets the Forest Stewardship Council guidelines for sustainable harvested wood products. Half of all materials used on the project had some level of recycled content. Alternative transportation options, reduced site disturbance, light pollution reduction, "green" site and building exterior management, reuse of existing materials, optimized energy performance, water-efficient fixtures, increased daylighting and improved air quality helped the project fulfill LEED criteria for a sustainable site/building.

Originally designed by Fisher & Davis with James Sudler Associates, the courthouse is a classic example of the Formalist tradition, prominent after World War II. As such, much care was taken to preserve the building's Formalist hallmarks.

Structural engineering services included the design of structural upgrades throughout the building, progressive collapse evaluation of the existing structure and new site-perimeter, vehicle-arrest barriers. Challenges included cover-plating existing framing to bring the structure up to current codes for increased floor loading, seismic upgrades for life-safety structural components and the design of a new glass entry vestibule resistant to criminal attack.

Civil services included site and street utility work to implement lane closures (requiring moving and extensive coordination of existing utilities) for security purposes and aesthetically pleasing vehicle barriers to enhance site-perimeter security.

Submitted by Hutton Ford Architects

Located within a land conservancy in rural Douglas County, this house is surrounded by an expanse of dedicated open space, adjoining a stretch of West Plum Creek. Because a significant portion of the property is a wildlife-corridor easement, the house is oriented to provide views of the abundant wildlife, including elk, coyotes, golden eagles and the occasional mountain lion.

The West Plum Creek Valley contains many historic ranching and farming structures whose simplicity and organizational strength inspired the design. Roof forms include sheds of varying pitch, a center-gabled skylight and cupola. The extended plan of the house results in two courtyards - the east courtyard conceals vehicle parking while the west courtyard shelters family activities and opens to views of the creek and the Rampart Range.

Energy conservation and environmental sustainability were of paramount importance in the design of the house. Building-shell features include structural insulated panels at all exterior walls (R-25) and roofs (R-38); triple-pane windows with krypton/argon filling and low-e coated film (R-7.5); insulated concrete foundation and slab-on-grade.

Renewable energy features include 3.3 kW ground-mounted photovoltaic panels; 1.6 kW wind turbine on a 35-ft mast; and solar domestic hot water panels on a cupola roof. Energy conservation features include a geo-exchange system with six vertical borings 205 ft deep; radiant in-floor heating and cooling; natural ventilation assisted by a whole-house fan; and wood burning, EPA Phase 2.

The house also features a number of sustainable materials, including Colorado-fabricated corrugated "rusty" tin roofing; cement-board siding and trim with baked-on wood-grain finish; Colorado-harvested beetle-kill pine flooring and interior doors; and Ponderosa pine-peeled log structural columns.

Submitted by J.E. Dunn Construction Co.

Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland is changing the definition of health care. This five-story, world-class tertiary hospital combines state-of-the-art technology with family-centered patient care, serving northeastern Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska.

The center's healing environment embraces all 92 acres and 570,000 sq ft of finished building. The surrounding landscape features multiple public and private courtyards where patients, family members and hospital staff are surrounded by native plants, rivers and calming water features.

The campus also incorporates nearly two miles of walking and biking trails to connect it with the surrounding community. The two five-story patient towers are joined by an open atrium with walls covered in native sandstone, a four-story curtain wall and a skylight. Patient rooms provide dramatic mountain views. The exterior of the building also has native sandstone, brick and metal panels that represent the architecture of northern Colorado.

LEED-silver certification will be sought for the project. Key points achieved under these standards include supplying building materials that contain at least 20 percent recycled content, locally and regionally harvested and manufactured materials, establishing a construction-waste recycling program, using sustainable site development and energy-efficient features throughout the building. Upon certification, the facility will be the second LEED-silver-certified hospital in Colorado and across the United States.

Submitted by M. A. Mortenson Co. and SmithGroup Inc.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's new Science and Technology Facility in Golden is a 71,000-gross-sq-ft facility housing solar, basic science and hydrogen research. It was designed with energy-efficient features expected to reduce consumption by 41 percent compared to similar new federal buildings. The building was designed according to LEED-gold standards.

Advanced computer simulations integrated the programmatic needs of the building while assisting designers as they strove to meet the advanced energy goals. The implementation of daylighting strategies, along with integrated automatic lighting control systems and an advanced mechanical system will reduce energy needs for both lighting and cooling.

The NREL S&TF is a showcase for land use and architectural integration into the existing environment. By designing a multi-story facility, the building's footprint was reduced by approximately 45,000 sq ft, conserving valuable land for future expansion. Water conservation technologies, use of sustainable materials/resources and indoor environmental quality features have been implemented.

Laboratory components that have vibration sensitivity such as the characterization labs are placed on grade to minimize site- and building-generated vibrations. The vertical zoning of the building allows for daylight and views into all occupied areas of the building. The lab modules on the first level opposite the office component are light sensitive, and daylight will be incorporated only into the circulation corridor.

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Submitted by Mark Young Construction Inc.

The renovation of the north entrance to the Lory Student Center is a collaborative project between the city and university that provides Transfort riders with indoor space to wait for buses, a Transfort office, information desk, convenience store and space for RamRide, which offers students rides home from nightclubs. The renovation adds 14,458 sq ft of new space and renovation of 7,749 sq ft of existing space.

The Federal Transportation Authority renovation incorporates specific improvements designed to qualify the hub LEED-gold or silver certification, including recycling more than 90 percent of the construction waste generated on the project.

Work included site excavation and demolition, renovation and addition to the existing facility, utilities, grading, landscaping and irrigation. Construction highlights included preservation and reuse of the natural stone from the face of the original building, natural daylighting, artistically stained concrete floors, the salvage and refurbishment of roll-down grilles, glass display cases, restroom fixtures, plus relocation of existing refrigeration units to a new convenience store.

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