A place of enduring value
Designed and constructed between 1994 and 2003, the campus for Clean Water Services was a pioneer in sustainable design and a prime example of SRG's approach to long-term strategic thinking. The design was based on building forms found in rural areas of Oregon near the site, including barns and other agricultural structures. Integrated into the landscape and using wood and other indigenous materials, the campus feels as fresh and relevant as it did when design began more than 20 years ago.
Size
37,900 sf
Year Complete
2003
Location
Hillsboro, OR
Sustainability
LEED Gold
Project Tags
Awards
Governor’s Sustainability Award, 2009
Grand Award, American Council of Engineering Companies, 2005
Merit Award, Environmental & Sustainable Design, Oregon Association of Landscape Architects, 2004
Honor Award, Storm Water Design Awards, 1996
Expressing the mission of Clean Water Services
The Clean Water Services campus, which includes a Water Quality Laboratory and administrative offices, is located on 6 acres adjacent to environmentally-sensitive Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve. Everything Clean Water Services does is intimately tied to clean water and environmental protection. The campus design allowed the District to restore a degraded site, construct buildings that publicly demonstrate their environmental stewardship, and located them adjacent to the Tualatin River, the primary body of water they serve. In a time when Northwest Architects were just beginning to adopt sustainable design strategies, the project used energy, water, building materials and land much more efficiently than a building simply built to code.
Water testing lab
The first new building on the campus, the 33,500 square foot environmental testing laboratory monitors water quality within the jurisdiction of Clean Water Services of Washington County. The facility includes analytical laboratories, lab support space, administrative areas, and a public meeting room.
Sustainable Design Strategies
Through the use of low-flow fixtures and the harvesting of rainwater to flush toilets, water usage is 66 percent less than a comparable code building. The use of occupancy sensors, high-efficiency lighting, and an underfloor heating and cooling systems save 45 percent on energy costs. More than 60 percent of building materials were manufactured within 500 miles, supporting the local economy and reducing transportation costs. Natural ventilation, interior light shelves and the building’s orientation on the site deliver fresh air and high-quality natural light throughout the building.
