Sustainable Projects

Green Guides' Tip - Kicking off a design project with an intense, creative workshop allows the architect, engineer, contractor and owner to formulate their shared vision of the project. As charrette planners, we create an environment that invites the exchange of issues, ideas and concerns and promotes true collaboration in reviewing the LEED® rating checklist and targeting achievable credits.

 
TLC's design portfolio includes 15 LEED Certified projects and more than 100 LEED registered projects -- totaling more than 20.5 million square feet of sustainable space. Currently we are providing sustainable design, administration, energy modeling and/or commissioning services for a broad range of projects, including university buildings, courthouses, healthcare facilities, libraries, and the master planning of a 450-acre urban town center.
 
LEED-certified projects
Florida Atlantic University Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing – LEED Gold
Boca Raton, Florida

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This new 3-story building with 300-seat lecture hall, historical museum,  clinic, classrooms, faculty offices, and private meditation garden was awarded LEED Gold certification. TLC teamed with SchenkelShultz Architecture on the new three-story, 75,000 sf building. Sustainable features include building-wide controls that shut off the lights when a room is empty; floors made with bamboo, a fast-growing plant source; and paint, furniture and carpet that are low on chemicals that emit harmful fumes and high on recycled content. The energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-condition systems are equipped with CO2 sensors to help maintain indoor air quality. The building's reflective roof and glazed windows, which let in light but not heat, reduce air-conditioning needs. Even the outdoor lamps are aimed to minimize light pollution. TLC provided mechanical and electrical design services for this 75,000-SF building, which was constructed at a cost of $13 million.

TLC Engineering for Architecture – LEED Silver
Jacksonville, Florida

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TLC's new Jacksonville office is the first building in the state to be certified under LEED for Commercial Interiors and the first building in Jacksonville to achieve Silver certification. TLC provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, voice/data, audio/visual, security, LEED administration and commissioning services for this 13,000-sf interior renovation and tenant build-out. The project is located on the second floor of the DuPont Center, Building 1 – a building with a total area of approximately 80,000 sf and sits on approximately 10 acres of land on the south bank of the St John’s river, in a densely populated area. The project included demolishing all of the existing interior partitions and flooring, but existing ceilings remained in the majority of the space. HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems were upgraded, but existing equipment was reused wherever possible. The building envelope, including windows, remained intact.

Dunedin Community Center – LEED Silver
Dunedin, Florida

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Dunedin’s new Community Center is the largest building the city has ever constructed. It’s also the greenest, having been designed to USGBC LEED Silver specifications. Located in Highlander Park and overlooking the lake, the center houses indoor and outdoor theater stages, a banquet hall that can seat 300 people, a mirrored dance studio, a fully-equipped fitness center, a branch library, and a recording studio There are also classrooms, offices, and administrative spaces. Flexibility and sustainability were two of the project team’s key design goals. Before and during design, the building systems were evaluated and the construction materials were carefully chosen to make the center as environmentally friendly as possible. High-efficiency lighting, the use of variable fan drives on air-handling units and pumps, and high-efficiency chillers. The heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems are both energy efficient and low in toxicity. The building is also equipped with a monitoring system to detect dangerously high levels of carbon dioxide.


Stetson University's Lynn Business Center – LEED
DeLand, Florida

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TLC designed the mechanical, electrical, communications & technology systems for Lynn Business Center, the first LEED-certified building in Florida. The project included extensive renovation of the existing six-level building and construction of two adjacent administrative office buildings and an adjacent high-tech auditorium. Energy-efficient features include high-efficiency natural gas boilers, temperature and humidity monitoring, HCFC-free, halon-free HVAC and refrigeration equipment, CO2 monitoring, and 25% energy-use reduction compared with ASHRAE minimum standards. Over the life of the building, the energy savings is projected to be $15,000 -$20,000 per year, which equates to 1.2 million pounds of CO2 per year. Approximately 1.2% of Lynn Business Center's $9 million construction cost is attributed to LEED  design components, with a payback of 5-8 years.


University of Florida's Mary Ann Harn-Cofrin Pavilion – LEED
Gainesville, Florida

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TLC provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design services and commissioning for this 19,240-sf addition to the university's Harn Museum of Art. The building houses a kitchen, cafe, classroom, office and support space on the first floor and exhibit space on the second floor. A second-story connector links the exhibit space to the adjacent museum. The primary efficiency measures included an improved building envelope (both walls and glazing) over the minimum ASHRAE 90.1; reduced lighting and added lighting controls; a highly efficient boiler system, and variable air volume air handling units. Harn Pavilion is approximately 40% more efficient than the minimum requirements and is well above Florida’s energy code requirements. In water use reduction, two credit points were awarded as a result of reducing potable water usage by 39% below the standard established by the 1992 Energy Policy Act. Waterless urinals and sensor-operated, low-flow faucets and toilets provide an annual savings of 657,000 gallons of potable water. The project achieved basic LEED certification.


University of Florida McGuire Center for Lepidoptera Research – LEED
Gainesville, Florida

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This 32,600-sf addition to Powell Hall includes lab, office and support space, a 2-story exhibition collection, and a butterfly conservatory. Serving the different types of spaces are variable-air-volume air handlers with variable frequency drives. The library and museum spaces are served by a system that keeps keep humidity low and prevents sudden swings in humidity levels, both of which are critical for preventing formation of mold and mildew. The open-air conservatory is not air conditioned. In the laboratories, fume hoods exhaust potentially hazardous chemicals. The hoods maintain a constant volume of exhaust when they are on and are equipped with a manual control switch.  If the hood is turned off after normal business hours, the DDC system will reset the ventilation quantity back down to its minimum position. The operator is able to change the system parameters and monitor system components from a central computer workstation.  The southwest chilled water plant was expanded to serve the additional load.  TLC provided mechanical and electrical systems design, structural CA, and commissioning services.


University of North Florida Social Sciences Building – LEED
Jacksonville, Florida

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The new Social Sciences building is the first building at the University of North Florida to be LEED certified (LEED-NC 2.2). TLC provided mechanical, plumbing, LEED consulting and CxA commissioning services for this three-story, 70,000-sf building, which has theater-style and traditional classrooms, teaching labs, offices and an auditorium, all with state-of-the-art technology. The project budget was $10 million. It was determined that premium hard and soft costs for the green building items required for LEED certification were just below 1% with a payback of 2.3 years. The building is approximately 34% more efficient than the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 90.1. It also uses 31% less water than a standard building and uses no potable water for irrigation, resulting in an annual savings of 800,000 gallons of potable water.


Broward County/BCC South Regional Library - LEED Silver
Pembroke Pines, Florida

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TLC commissioned the HVAC, lighting dimming control and domestic water systems on this $13.8 million, 75,000-sf library, designed by Marvin Scharf & Associates of Ft. Lauderdale, which achieved USGBC LEED Silver certification. Our commissioning services included review of DD and CD submittals, production of Design and Construction phase commissioning plans, shop drawing reviews, and reviewing pre-functional and functional testing results. The library features a multi-purpose room, a computer library, and several collections including the largest collection of children’s books in the county.


Parrish Medical Center's Port St. John Health Center and Nature Preserve- LEED Silver
Port St. John, Florida


Through environmentally sensitive planning and design, Parrish Medical Center's Port St. John Health Center offers a healing environment in every sense of the word. Four acres have been set aside permanently as a nature preserve complete with nature trails that will be available for use by everyone. The project is the first phase in a long-range program that combines concern for the environment with a much-needed array of advanced healthcare services delivered with skill and compassion. The building has achieved USGBC LEED Silver certification. It is the first health care building in Florida to be certified in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating program. TLC provided sustainable mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection design and energy modeling services for the building.


City of Tallahassee Solid Waste Facility- LEED Silver
Tallahassee, Florida


The City of Tallahassee's Solid Waste Facility is the first building in Tallahassee to receive LEED certification. TLC teamed with Rolando J. Gutierrez Architects of Tallahassee on the 9,000-sf building and provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection, LEED design, consulting, administration and energy modeling services. The project consisted of the addition of a second story to the structure, which was not originally designed to support it, and the total renovation of the first floor. The renovated building houses administrative offices, conference and meeting rooms, training rooms, lockers, showers, building support areas including an area for rescue assistance, an elevator, and a staircase. The original roof structure consisted of structural concrete tees pitched to the north for water flow which had to be "lifted" six inches to obtain a level surface for the new 2nd floor. The new elevator and a single staircase were added to the building for vertical circulation and accessibility. Some of the sustainable design features were water-use reduction, optimal energy performance, fluorocarbon and halon elimination, systems controls for measurement and verification, storage/collection of recyclables, de-construction, resource reuse, use of regional materials with recycled content, minimum indoor air quality standards, elimination of tobacco smoke, low emitting materials, systems control, and enhanced use of daylighting.


Baker Pre-K Early Childhood Center - LEED
Punta Gorda , Florida


The Baker Center Early Childhood Center in Punta Gorda has become the first public school building in Florida to achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification. The early childhood center and home of Charlotte County's Head Start and Early Head Start Program was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004 and was housed in modular classrooms ever since. "It's exciting to know we have a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that is not only safe for our children but environmentally friendly," said Baker Center Manager Debi Bell. TLC Ft. Myers teamed with Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects and provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, communications, and technology design services and LEED administration for the building, while TLC Deerfield Beach provided commissioning services. Baker Center is TLC's 11th LEED Certified building.


Neil Armstrong Elementary School - LEED
Port Charlotte, Florida


Charlotte County's new Neil Armstrong replacement elementary school in Port Charlotte has become the first elementary school in Florida to achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification. The certification comes on the heels of Charlotte County's Baker Center Early Childhood Center becoming the first LEED certified public school. Neil Armstrong and Baker were two of the six Charlotte County schools destroyed by Hurricane Charley in August 2004. TLC teamed with Reynolds, Smith and Hills architect and provided sustainable mechanical, electrical, structural, plumbing and fire protection design, LEED consulting, energy modeling and commissioning services. Owens-Ames-Kimball served as construction manager. Neil Armstrong is TLC's 12th LEED certified building; in fact, of the 34 LEED certified buildings in Florida, TLC has provided engineering or commissioning services for 35%.


Peace River Elementary School - LEED Silver
Charlotte Harbor, Florida


Peace River Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor has achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Silver Certification. TLC teamed with Reynolds, Smith and Hills of Ft. Myers for the project. Some of the sustainable features are high-performance chillers and air handlers, low-flow faucets and toilets, motion-activated lights and indirect lighting. In addition, the ceiling and floor tiles, the carpeting, the filters on the air conditioning, ventilation and heating equipment, and the building's structural steel framing are all recycled or renewable materials.The building is TLC's 13th LEED certified building and the third TLC-engineered Charlotte County school to be LEED certified since March. Hat’s off to the Ft. Myers office, which provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection design services, and the Deerfield Beach office, which commissioned the building.


Lehigh Valley Medical Office Building - LEED Silver
Allentown, Pennsylvania


Hot on the heels of Peace River Elementary School achieving USGBC LEED Silver comes news that Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Medical Office Building in Allentown, PA, has achieved USGBC LEED for Core and Shell Pilot Silver certification! The project achieved 33 points – one shy of Gold! TLC served as LEED consultant and commissioning agent on the 4-story medical building. Hearty congratulations to Nashville’s Kim Shinn and Victoria Robertson for all of their hard work. This is TLC’s 14th LEED certified building, second LEED healthcare building, and first LEED certified building outside of Florida.


University of North Florida Parking Services Building- LEED Silver
Jacksonville, Florida


UNF's LEED Silver Certification is truly remarkable given that the project is only 3,000 sf, that UNF didn’t decided to seek LEED certification until about half-way through the design, and that the University had no budget increase for certification. The building is Jacksonville’s 3rd design project to achieve certification and TLC’s 15th LEED certified building. TLC provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and LEED consulting services for the building, which was constructed at a cost of $1.2 million.


LEED-registered projects
20th Avenue Mixed Use
Nashville, Tennessee

In addition to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design services, TLC is providing LEED design, energy modeling and commissioning for this multifamily residential and retail building. The LEED registered building is expected to be completed in 2009 at an estimated construction cost of $20 million.


321 North Fashion Mall
Plantation, Florida

Renovation and addition of this seven-story mall and office building includes the shutdown of utilities; master planning of MEP/FP systems; the selective demolition of buildings and systems for the future construction of new buildings and renovation of existing buildings; and the selective demolition of interior spaces. The project is registered for LEED for Neighborhood Development.


1200 Laurel
Nashville, Tennessee

TLC is providing sustainable mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design services for this 26-story mixed-use residential building, which features lower-level retail and two levels of below grade parking. Estimated construction cost for the LEED-registered building is $70 million.


Alexan Coral Ridge
Oakland Park, Florida

TLC provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and LEED consulting services for this multilevel, mixed-use restaurant, retail, multifamily residential facility with 543-car structured parking. This 321,000-SF facility is slated for completion in 2008 with an estimated construction cost of $32 million. The project is registered for LEED NC 2.2 certification.


Biscayne Landing
North Miami , Florida

Nestled between Aventura, Bal Harbour and the beach, the master-planned community of Biscayne Landing offers a variety of residential options, recreational activities and a Town Center with shops, restaurants, offices and a hotel. What’s more, the 2,000-acre former brownfield site has been restored and transformed into an energy-efficient, eco-sensitive community. TLC Engineering for Architecture is providing sustainable design, U.S. Green Building Council LEED® administration, and energy modeling services for an estimated 5 million square feet of mixed-use residential, office and retail buildings, a 260-room hotel, and a common parking garage in the Town Center. Construction on the phased project is well under way with completion expected in 2010.

Phase 1 includes Block A South, a 30-story, 341,755-sf building with a 260-bed hotel on the first 12 stories and condominiums and apartments on the upper 18 stories. Block A South also includes retail shell space and garage parking. Block C West includes two retail buildings, two residential mid-rise buildings, a residential townhouse, a residential mid-rise with retail, and garage parking. Phase II is Block C East, a residential tower and residential townhouse building. Phase III includes Block A North, a residential tower with retail, a residential mid-rise with retail, a lake-side restaurant and garage parking. Block B West includes a residential midrise with retail and garage parking. Phase IV is Block B East, a residential tower with retail, residential mid-rise with retail, residential townhouse, and lake-side retail and restaurant. Located partially underground, the common 5,320-space garage serves as a “podium” beneath the residential, office, and retail buildings. In keeping with the wishes of the developer and the City of North Miami, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing designs incorporate energy-efficient and water-efficient systems and equipment that are flexible enough to serve the various types of spaces. TLC is providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design services as well as LEED administration and energy modeling for the buildings, which have an estimated construction cost of $730 million.

The buildings are registered with the USGBC for certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating program. Block A South Retail, Block CB Mid-Rise, and Office Building are registered for LEED Core and Shell, while the Hotel and Condo Tower and the Mid-Rise Condos are registered for LEED-New Construction. The developer also plans to register the Town Center for LEED Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects.


City Hall Annex (aka Haverty's Building)
Jacksonville, Florida

TLC is providing LEED administration and commissioning services for the renovation of a 60,000-sf, six-story retail building to house City of Jacksonville offices. The $10 million renovation is expected to be completed in 2009.


City of Franklin Police Headquarters
Franklin, Tennessee

TLC provided sustainable design consulting services for this 80,000 SF project, which is registered for Silver LEED certification.


Chancey Office Building
Tampa, Florida

TLC is providing LEED commissioning services for the new four-story, 22,000-sf office building. The LEED registered building is being constructed at a cost of $4 million and is expected to open in 2008.


Darden Corporate Headquarters
Orlando, Florida

Design for this low-rise corporate headquarters features a broadcast area, testing and demonstration kitchens, fitness center, clinic, cafeteria/dining/kitchen, conference center and three-story, 800-car open air parking deck. The building is LEED registered and the owner is seeking LEED Gold. /TLC provided MEP LEED design and energy modeling services for this $80 million, 425,000-sf building, which is slated to open in 2009.


Deltona Library Addition
Deltona, Florida

TLC provided structural, mechanical, electrical, and commissioning services for this addition, which will serve library functions as well as county social services and environmental learning center. The $3.2 million, 25,000-SF addition is registered for LEED NC2.2.


Delozier Building
Tallahassee, Florida

The project includes renovation of space distributed between a 2,300-sf one-story masonry structure and a 2,500-sf two-story masonry structure. The combined buildings will be split into three tenant spaces: a 2,300-sf office, a 1,250-sf office and a 1,250-sf residential condo. TLC is provided sustainable mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design, energy modeling and commissioning services.


Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Headquarters Office Building
Daytona Beach, Florida

Design services include voice/data, audio/visual and security system design for new HQ office building including office space, conference rooms, executive conference room, and auditorium (optional). Construction cost for the 100,000 sf building is an estimated $14 million.


Florida State University Life Sciences Building
Tallahassee, Florida

TLC provided mechanical, electrical, structural and LEED energy modeling services for this new Life Sciences Teaching and Research Center, which has a BSL Level 3 lab, research labs, classrooms, offices and support space. The 30.1 million, 152,200 sf-building is LEED registered.


Florida State University Sustainable Energy Science and Energy Corporation Zero Emissions Building
Tallahassee, Florida

This off-the-grid, hydrogen-solar powered office building and two-bedroom flat on Florida State University Campus will feature hydrogen-powered appliances, all-recyclable construction materials, high efficiency water and electrical systems. Construction materials will be all recyclable. The building is registered for LEED-NC 2.2 and is seeking Platinum. TLC is providing MEP, LEED design, administration, energy modeling and commissioning services for this $200,000, 800-sf building.


Harpeth Valley Elementary School
Nashville, Tennessee

TLC provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, LEED consulting, energy modeling and fundamental commissioning for this LEED registered addition/renovation project including the sustainable design charrette, green design technical assistance and water efficiency analysis.


Griffin Plaza
Nashville, Tennessee

This $35 million project includes eight stories of residential condominiums, five stories of residential parking, and 27,000 sf of street-level retail shell space. TLC provided sustainable mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design and energy modeling services.


Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest North Campus Expansion
Allentown, Pennsylvania

TLC is providing mechanical and electrical design, sustainable and sustainable design consulting, and limited commissioning for this new 7-story, 140-bed inpatient tower and 70,000-SF renovation to the surgery and dietary departments. The new tower required a vertical expansion of the central utility building to accommodate three new 800-bhp steam boilers, a new 400-ton sub-chiller and a new 2.5 MW emergency generator system equipped with scalable paralleling switchgear. TLC designed a scalable 15-KV site electrical network to serve the new patient tower, backfeed existing hospital loads and prepare the campus for future expansion. The expansion includes two new parking garages, a connector bridge and an elevator addition. The project is LEED registered and is participating in the Green Guide for Health Care Construction pilot program, which TLC was instrumental in developing.


Liberty at Monarch Lakes
Miramar, Florida

TLC is providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and LEED consulting services for this new 4-story, Class A office building with 1,043-car surface parking. The $8 million, 110,000-SF building, slated for completion in 2007, is registered for LEED silver certification.


Lynn Financial Center Building A
Boca Raton , Florida

The owner is pursuing LEED basic certification NC-2.2 for this new 4-story, Class A office building. TLC is providing MEP design and LEED consulting services for the 64,000 sf building. The project is expected to be completed in 2007 at a construction cost of $5.5 million.


Lynn Financial Center Building B
Boca Raton , Florida

The owner is pursuing LEED basic certification NC-2.2 for this new 4-story, Class A office building. TLC is providing MEP design and LEED consulting services for the 64,000 sf building. The project is expected to be completed in 2007 at a construction cost of $5.5 million.


McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center
Eugene, Oregon

In keeping with Eugene's intense effort to incorporate green into its built environment, this new 148-bed hospital, currently in design, has been registered for LEED Silver certification. Located on a 42-acre campus on the city's north side, the state-of-the-art acute care hospital will have a Level III trauma center, emergency room, cardiac catheterization suites, women's and children's center, a diagnostic center and a rehabilitation center, all served by a new central plant. TLC is providing mechanical and electrical design services and LEED consulting for the 423,000-SF facility, which is expected to be completed in 2009 at an estimated construction cost of $100 million.


Miami-Dade Children's Courthouse
Miami Beach, Florida

Scheduled for completion in 2009, the new 11-story courthouse will have 24-28 courtrooms, judges' chambers, administrative spaces, secure sally port, adult and juvenile holding cells. The design, which reflects the family court concept, includes spaces for service agencies along with traditional family and juvenile courts. Construction is estimated to cost $70 million. TLC's services include power, lighting, audiovisual, voice-data, video and security system design. The courthouse is registered for basic LEED-NC2.1 certification.


MTV Tenant Improvements
Miami Beach, Florida

Office improvements on 5th and 6th floors include redesigned lighting systems, daylighting and motion controls for open areas, and individual controls for all offices. The owner is seeking Gold LEED certification for this building, which is one of the first projects to be registered for LEED for commercial interiors (LEED-CI).


Naples Botanical Garden
Naples, Florida

Part of an amenities improvement package, this $6.9 million project includes a 6,735-SF conditioned visitors center, 4,000 SF of outdoor area, 9,960 SF of conditioned space at the cafe and 4000 SF of outdoor cafe seating. TLC is providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design services, as well as energy modeling for Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Credit 1 and the photometrics for the Sustainable Sites (SS) credit 8.1.


Orange County Medical Examiner's Office, District Nine
Orlando, Florida

TLC is providing HVAC, elecrical, communications and technology, LEED consulting and energy modeling services for the new $10 million, one-story medical examiner's office to serve Orange and Osceola counties. The building includes office space, administration space and a morgue.


OUC Administrative Headquarters Building
Orlando, Florida

This 10-story, 127,000-sf building has office space on floors 1 and 7-10 and parking on levels 2-6. The building replaces the 40-year-old eight-story, 87,000-SF OUC office building. The new building is adjacent to the existing OUC chiller plant. The existing OUC administrative office building will be demolished when the new building is completed; in the future the site will serve as Phase II of the project. TLC teamed with Baker Barrios Architects for the core and shell and HuntonBrady Architects for the tenant fitup. We worked closely with the sustainable design consultant to incorporate energy-saving features including under-floor air distribution on selected floors; a cistern system that will collect rainwater to be used for irrigation; and daylight harvesting. TLC is providing