Place Making, Habitat Preservation & Sustainable Design on the Lynnhaven River

With Accreditation & Acclaim, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Establishes a High Profile Presence in Tidewater

Posted 18 April 2016 by Carol Brighton

While headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has supported education and advocacy activities near the mouth of its namesake for over 30 years. When development plans for a contentiously disputed 100+ acre track of coveted coastal property along the Lynnhaven River went belly up during the the real estate bubble, the organization got involved with the City of Virginia Beach and other groups to preserve the property. Developed on a 10 acre parcel of the larger Pleasure House Point property is the non-profit's second pioneering state of the art structure. The Brock Environmental Center not only welcomes visitors to the unique site, it also inspires a nature oriented or biophilic lifestyle.

Along with a stimulating backdrop for environmental education and stewardship, the center literally epitomizes and demonstrates low impact technology and efficient use of natural resources. Director of the Hampton Roads office, Christy Everett reports that "because of innovative sustainable design, Engineering News-Record named the Brock Center as the recipient of the 2015 Best of the Best Green Project."

With an active geothermal system and designed to take advantage of passive lighting, heating and cooling, the Brock Center demand for electricity is considerably less than that found in conventional construction. The project materials are free of toxic compounds and many were reclaimed from other sites. Wood trim and flooring recovered from athletic courts and bleachers of local school gymnasiums slated for demolition are featured throughout the complex interior. A rainwater harvesting system collects and treats water to refreshingly flavorful and state mandated potable standards while no plumbing waste is discharged into the sewage system. A wetland based grey water system filters effluent on site and toilet compost is repurposed as a soil amendment now available at garden centers. To power the lights and electrical demand, rooftop solar and bay breezes captured by 2 on site wind turbines generate far more energy than is consumed by staff and visitors. To get an idea of energy production and consumption at the facility at any given time, view the building energy dashboard here.

Built to achieve what those in the know consider to be the pinnacle of green building standards, architects, engineers and more labored to develop an environmentally healthy structure fully equipped for self-reliance. The building was awarded LEED Platinum status and Everett notes that "CBF is also seeking Living Building Challenge certification from the International Living Future Institute. To earn LBC credentials, the Brock Center must meet strict criteria during twelve continuous months." As operational monitoring was initiated in April 2015, an official announcement on the building's performance should be forthcoming. Jim Pierobon reports in Energy Fix that the building has undergone the prerequisite audit and that accreditation is expected to be awarded in May at the ILFI meeting in Seattle. If so, the building will officially then join an elite group of only 8 other "Living" certified structures.

In addition to going above and beyond in the office design, CBF is involved in enhancing the ecology of the entire parcel. Invasive plants are being removed and efforts are ongoing to nurture native vegetation and wildlife on land that was originally created from the sandy dredge spoils clogging adjacent waterways. Wetland and oyster restoration efforts are also underway along the property shoreline. A birder's paradise, frequented by a multitude of resident and migratory species, the Audubon hosts regularly scheduled walks around the preserve.

Place making and creating public space while also supporting essential habitat and ecosystem services, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has firmly anchored a commanding presence in the community. The group shares its offices with a local nonprofit, Lynnhaven River Now. They are also taking on local leadership and along with clean water, they are tackling an issue particularly relevant to the region: climate resilience. In January, CBF named Harry Lester of Virginia Beach as Chairman of the Board. "There are many challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay," Mr. Lester said. "Chief among them is implementation of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, restoring clean water to the 17 million people living in the Bay's watershed. In addition there is the large task of mitigating the effects of climate change on the Bay and its living resources." In February CBF partnered with other non-profits for a professional workshop held in Norfolk on the implementation of natural infrastructure strategies to mitigate flood hazards.

Related Posts: The Climate Cure: Balancing Earth's Carbon Equilibrium by Transforming a Liability into a Commodity | Nature at Work: Building Ecological Infrastructure  | Power Shift: The Clean Energy Revolution | Virginia Participates in Pioneering Planning Partnerships - Resilient & Biophilic Cities | Meadows Emerge as Growing Landscape Trend: Pollinators in Peril to Benefit | Adapting the Built Environment for Sea Level Rise | Extreme Green Design Edging Into the Mainstream

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