DiMella Shaffer designed the new, LEED Gold certified, Health Professions Building on the campus of North Shore Community College. The building was the first Zero Net Energy Building (ZNEB) designed for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, meaning that - over the course of one year - the building will produce as much energy on site as it consumes. This level of sustainability required a collaborative effort that included input from Nitsch Engineering, RDK Engineers, and Solar Design Associates.
The Health Professions Building is a 60,000 s/f integrated facility consolidating for the first time all of the college's health-related professional programs and providing the college with updated teaching laboratories and general-purpose classrooms. Student enrollment and support services have been accommodated in a new two-story "glass pavilion" that is accessible to all members of the college's growing academic community.
The building's sustainability is reflected through the use of architectural and engineering methods such as a 'demonstration' green roof, building orientation, maximized natural daylight, fenestration regulated by sun shades and light shelves, bio-swales, rain gardens, chilled beams, geothermal energy technologies, energy efficient lighting, and photo-voltaic panels harvesting solar energy. The building's green design and energy efficiency components will be integrated into course curriculum to engage students in the principles of sustainability. This building will serve as a classroom—a "real-time" laboratory—for students, faculty, and the community.
DiMella Shaffer: architect
Nitsch Engineering: civil engineering
Lim Consultants: structural engineer
RDK Engineers: MEP engineer
Copley Wolff Design Group: landscape architect
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.: geotechnical engineer
Solar Design Associates: solar design
Collarborative Lighting LLC: lighting designer