Introductory Comments for Police Forensic Center
Introduced by William Brown (Academy of Natural Sciences)
For most of us, the idea of processing criminal evidence is limited to what we see on television--images of dark, forbidding buildings where grim public servants sort the remnants of violent acts. Seen from this perspective, a crime lab would seem an unlikely place to practice sustainability. Yet in 2006, one such crime lab, our next awardee, was named one of the Top Ten Green Projects in America by the Committee on the Environment of the American Institute of Architects. And while this story may lack the thrills of a television crime drama, the facility itself represents an exciting chapter in the history of Philadelphia’s sustainability movement.
The development of a forensics lab built according to green principles would fill several needs. For the police department it would mean a state-of-the-art facility that would reduce the high energy costs associated with the complex equipment and exacting standards of modern forensic sciences. For the city, it was an opportunity to develop an anchor project that would spur revitalization in long neglected region of North Philadelphia. Not only would the sophisticated police lab add a new level of vigor and security to the community, it would be a model for future projects undertaken by the city’s Capital Program Office.
Designers took a comprehensive approach to the environmental needs of both the building and the community. Removing the pavement and opening up historic stream beds addressed the severe runoff problems that were causing 48 sewer outfalls a year into the neighboring Delaware River. High-efficiency fluorescent lighting was used throughout the building. All glues and adhesives were selected to be low in volatile organic compounds. Non PVC piping was used and No CFCs or HCFCs are used in any of the equipment in the building. Rapidly renewable or recycled products were used whenever possible.
Despite the high energy requirements of this facility, the center achieves many improvements over an ordinary code-compliant building. These include a 72% reduction in total annual source energy, a 69% reduction in 25-year CO2 emissions and a 67% reduction in total annual utility bill. Overall, the project was accomplished for a budget 33% less than comparable buildings of this type during the same time period, and costs of all sustainable strategies was paid back in just 2.2 years.
The successful completion of the project has highlighted all if its restorative qualities: reintroducing a cultural asset, reinvigorating a troubled neighborhood and replenishing natural assets and hydrology. Based on these accomplishments, it is our great pleasure to present this evening’s first Philadelphia Sustainability Award to the Philadelphia Police Forensic Science Center.