1st LEED Certified Jail
Roanoke's Western Virginia Regional
Jail is the world's first green jail!
San Quentin, what good do you think you do?
Do you think I'll be different when you're through?
You bent my heart and mind and you may my soul,
And your stone walls turn my blood a little cold....
~Johnny Cash
Let's say you're 13 1/2 and end up jailin' ..well there are worse places to end up than the Western Virginia Regional Jail. ((although a close second mpt bad, would be California's soalr powered jail))
A new jail is being built in West Virginia and the Jail Authority became evident early in the planning process that it likely could incorporate enough "green" elements to qualify for LEED certification as a sustainable building (a lot of the LEED-points they can get come from water regulations that Roanoke had already put in place) . Current plans call for collecting all the rainwater from the 225,000-square-foot roof and reusing as greywater, most likely, in the jail laundry.
The jail authority is considering, for instance, a vacuum-assisted low-flow toilet system of the type that has been used in airplanes and ships for decades. But the technology has not been widely used in this type of construction, and the authority wants to make sure it won't be more trouble than it's worth to maintain. Should that system be chosen, however, "we can operate with one-third to one-half the water consumption that we'd normally have," John Chambliss, Roanoke County assistant administrator and a representative on the jail authority said. Other LEED-inspired innovations include a white roof that reflects sunlight and helps reduce air conditioning costs; carbon monoxide monitors that will help control the flow of fresh air into the building; sensors to turn off lights in administrative areas when they are unoccupied; and controls on toilets and sinks to regulate water use.
"The Autohorities" saythat approaching the building from a green perspective meant having to look at some construction elements as having long-term payoffs for an initial investment that may be somewhat higher than conventional building techniques. "Over the life of a jail" -- which in this case is estimated to be 50 to 100 years -- "90 percent of the costs are operating costs," John Chaney (Project Manager) said. "When you cut those down, you really help out over the lifetime of the project."
[thanks, Roanoke.com]
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