City of Tempe Transit Center Cools Commuters with greenscreen®

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 22, 2009 -
LOS ANGELES…The City of Tempe Transit Center – a mixed-use facility for retail, city offices and leased office space – connects commuters and shades them from the Arizona sunshine with the use of greenscreen® green walls. Located in Tempe, AZ, the Transit Center is one of the first facilities of its kind in the nation to be submitted for LEED® Platinum certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.

City of Tempe officials decided to build the Transit Center in response to the region’s increased business needs while simultaneously integrating it with the city’s new multimodal transportation opportunities. They worked with the project team to create a sustainable structure that is designed as a 100-year facility. Developed as an urban response to sustainability, the facility benefits from the strategic use of shade, glazing, vegetation and wastewater and the installation of greenscreen® green walls.

greenscreen®, a Los Angeles-based company, manufactures a unique three-dimensional, welded wire trellising system that functions as a non-intrusive natural building element, creating a captive growing space for plants to flourish and intertwine. The company was founded on the environmental principals to “design with nature” and to integrate plant material in the built environment.

“The Tempe Transit Center specified greenscreen® as a tool to combat heat in open areas,” explains greenscreen® project manager Reuben Freed. “We worked with the installer to develop a unique and comprehensive shading strategy that features vertical greenscreen® shades and glass canopies.”

The $25 million transportation facility consists of roughly 40,000 square feet and serves as a link for transportation and pedestrian activities from downtown Tempe. A narrow three-story office and retail building anchors the west side of the transit plaza, which unites light rail with buses, bicycles, the City of Tempe government plaza and the campus of Arizona State University. The building was designed to be 52 percent more energy-efficient than buildings of its kind and features natural lighting and views in all regularly occupied office spaces.

The team hopes the new design will attract retail tenants such as a café, newsstand, green-materials store or gift shop, in addition to leased office space. Prior to occupancy, all tenants are required to sign a green lease, and any build-outs of the leased space must incorporate sustainable building products and recycling. In line with its dedication to sustainability, the building features in-wall “Green Touch-screen” teaching panels and will host educational presentations and green-building programs in the community room.

The green walls created by the use of greencreen® and plants, including Queen’s Wreath and Cat’s Claw vines, provide a welcome environment in this extreme Arizona climate. In addition to creating a natural aesthetic, the green walls contribute to overall project sustainability. The greenscreen® installation integrates with a rainwater downspout, transferring the water into a bed of soil. The plants also help to cool and shade the surrounding areas through evapotranspiration – the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from land surfaces to the atmosphere.

In addition, the plants help to deflect radiant energy from the adjacent surfaces, including roadway temperatures that can reach upwards of 140 degrees. Radiant temperatures do not permeate green walls, which respond well to the Arizona climate. greenscreen® green walls allow shade to be cast on either side of the platform, shading patrons from early morning to late afternoon when the sun is still very intense.

“greenscreen® offers a variety of benefits that suit the Tempe climate as well as the Transit Center’s eco-friendly focus,” Freed says. “The plants provide a cooling effect by shading the area and through the process of evapotranspiration. Plus, the green walls are putting something back into the environment that was already there before.”

Along with pursuing LEED Platinum certification, the team has already received accolades for the City of Tempe Transit Center. They were honored with the Collaboration Award at the 2009 Celebrate Architecture Awards Gala, sponsored by the Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The facility was also recognized at the September show, earning the Sustainable Renovation Project (SRP) Sustainability Award.

Members of the project team include architect of record OTAK, Inc. (Tempe, AZ) and installer A.J. Roberts Industrial (Chandler, AZ).

Photo:
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