ASHRAE Moves Toward Sustainable Headquarters Apr 14, 2006

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The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is studying whether to renovate its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. as a sustainable building.

ASHRAE recently selected Richard + Wittschiebe, an Atlanta-based architectural firm, to develop a schematic design for the project. ASHRAE also has created a Web page so members and others can follow the progress of the project.

"This is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of using ASHRAE's standards and to 'walk the talk' by creating a showcase for sustainable renovation," William Harrison, renovation committee chair, said. "We envision creating a 'living lab' where ASHRAE technical committees can conduct research projects to determine the effectiveness of procedures designed to conserve energy, to prolong the efficient operation of mechanical systems, and to improve indoor air quality."

The Web page, www.ashrae.org/building, contains photos of the building throughout the years, technical information about the building and a comments area.

"We want both our renovated headquarters building and the process we use to develop our plans to serve as models for the successful renovation of existing buildings," Harrison said.

The schematic design is scheduled to be completed by June 2006 with discussion by ASHRAE's Board of Directors taking place at the 2006 Annual Meeting, June 24-28, Quebec City.

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