Lewis Center eyes silver certification

Article Created: 05/28/2008 06:47:23 PM PDT

By Josh Dulaney, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

FONTANA - The new Lewis Library and Technology Center is going for "the silver" in an effort to become certifiably "green."

The U.S. Green Building Council, which recognizes buildings constructed or retrofitted to environmentally friendly specifications, offers base certifications - or gold, silver or platinum honors - depending on how much their designs impact the environment.

"It's definitely one of the most green-friendly projects I've been a part of," said Ed Carfagno, project manager for RNL, a Los Angeles-based firm that designed the library.

The council uses the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design System, or LEED, program that scores a building based on water savings, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, site choice and materials used.

Cities and businesses choose which LEED rating they want to attain, then design toward that benchmark.

At the Lewis Library, that means low-flow toilets.

And, recycled carpet and linoleum, a translucent fiberglass roof to maximize use of daylight and an underground system that catches, stores and filters stormwater, then slowly releases it into the sewer. All are green features that earn LEED points.

Jeff Dunbar, a consultant for Irvine-based Constructive Technologies Group, which assists builders in designing environmentally friendly elements, said RNL excelled particularly in energy-efficient features, such as a blended terra cotta roof that maintains

the buildings coolness, and in recycling waste created during construction.

"They did a bang-up job in those areas," Dunbar said.

Dunbar also noted that the building features alternative sealers and paints that don't release gaseous fumes. About 20 percent of materials used were purchased within 500 miles.

Officials don't have a timeline for when the building will be LEED certified. Dunbar said that among the handful of certification programs, "We are tracking silver, but there are no guarantees with LEED until the plaque shows up," he said.