Innovation, Science and Technology Building

Being the first building of a new campus, the Innovation, Science and Technology Building must initially function as a "campus within a building". Its core program of classrooms, laboratories, administrative offices and "commons" spaces has been augmented in anticipation that the building will serve as a miniature campus. The design incorporates an outdoor garden terrace, shaded by a continuous pergola, which serves as surrogate campus grounds and provides an outdoor learning, gathering and seating area. A shaded arcade, located on the ground level surrounding the building, provides sheltered passage and contemplative seating areas; alluding to great campuses like Stanford and the University of Virginia. Within the building, an amphitheater that can be divided in two provides space for lectures, ceremonies and can also serve as a forum for informal gatherings and meeting when not in use.

The exterior of the building is dominated by two dramatic elements, the pergola and the operable roof. The pergola is a light steel trellis that surrounds the entire building from the ground to the roof above the corridor. It provides a perceptual ceiling to the exterior arcade and terrace, while reducing the solar load on the building by over 30%. The operable roof consists of a series of hydraulically activated brise-soleil that provide shading to the commons skylight. The louvers are individually controlled and can be programmed to follow the course of the sun throughout the day. In the next stage of development, the brise-soliel will be outfitted with solar panels creating a 20,000 sq. ft. solar array.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - INTENT

Campus Master Plan - The design of the Florida Polytechnic University master plan reflects the important role that the landscape, vegetation and water play in central Florida. The campus recognizes and conserves the natural landscape, open space and vegetation areas to the greatest possible extent. Vehicular traffic was confined to the perimeter of the campus to facilitate a "pedestrian-friendly" campus environment.

The central lake, located on a northwest-southeast axis through the site, not only affords dramatic views from within the campus and into the campus from offsite locations, it also serves as the campus’ primary storm water retention, as well as storage vessel for site irrigation. This ecologically sensitive response to the environment is a valuable polytechnic educational tool and is anticipated to act as a natural laboratory for educational research.

To the greatest possible extent, the campus plan sought to conserve the rich existing topography and vegetation. A tree lined elliptical vehicular ring road segregates vehicular traffic from the core of the campus and allows conservation of the existing vegetative buffer between it and Interstate 4 and Polk Parkway. Parking facilities are located along the ring road, and only emergency vehicles are permitted within the central campus core. Inside the ring road, pedestrian walkways and paths, lined by smaller trees, are oriented parallel to, and perpendicular to, the central campus axis to form a circulation grid. Administrative, academic, residential, and other support facilities are planned within the grid around the central lake and complete the campus core so that all classrooms, offices and dorm rooms are within a 10 minute walk of each other.

Innovation, Science and Technology (IST) Building - The sustainable design intent of the IST building is focused on the use and control of natural light. The exterior of the building is dominated by two dramatic elements, the pergola and the operable roof. The pergola, a light steel trellis that surrounds the entire building from the ground to the roof above the corridor, provides a 30% reduction of the solar load on the building. The pergola shades an outdoor terrace for outdoor learning and gathering on the upper level; and an arcade on the ground level.

The operable roof consists of a series of hydraulically activated brise-soleil that provide shading to the "Commons" skylight. The "Commons" is a large multi-use hall promotes interdisciplinary interaction between students and faculty that utilizes displaced cooling. The louvers are individually controlled to regulate the quality and quantity of natural light. In the next stage of development, the brise-soliel will be outfitted with solar panels creating a 20,000 sq. ft. solar array that can be programmed to follow the course of the sun throughout the day.

The building’s program of classrooms and laboratories are organized around two curved, double loaded corridors. The peripheral spaces have abundant natural light and the two story corridors are lit by clerestory glazing. Faculty offices on the second floor overlook the corridor and have views out to the campus through the corridors clerestory windows and have additional light from clerestory windows above.

All exterior surfaces of the building are white to reduce solar heat gain and aid in the amount of light reflected into the building’s interior.

Additional sustainable design intent solutions include displacement air cooling/heating in the second-floor assembly area and custom diffusers that blend into the design to achieve the desired aesthetics, along with efficiency, as displacement systems supply air directly to the occupied zone, allowing for reduction of outside air and associated humidity. The first floor mechanical system features traditional overhead cooling provided by chilled water air handling units. Both systems utilized a modified DOA solution by pre-treating the outside air which reduce the amount of potential reheating with fossil fuel by allowing the discharge air to be raised without sacrificing removal of humidity. Wet and dry labs are 100% ventilated. Demand-controlled ventilation is incorporated into classrooms, reducing outside air requirements.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN – COMMUNITY CONNECTIVITY

Florida Polytechnic University is a new university built at the intersection of Interstate 4 and Polk Parkway. Public transit is currently limited to bus service. The campus is, however, located along the high speed rail line that is contemplated between Tampa and Orlando which will run in the median of I4. The site is directly adjacent to one of two selected sites for the Lakeland stop. If this is realized, a multi-modal transit facility is planned to link the train with light rail and local bus service that will tie into the university. Within the campus plan, an elliptical ring road segregates vehicular traffic from the core of the campus. Parking facilities are located along the ring road, and only emergency vehicles are permitted within the central campus core. The parking facilities are shaded with trees and limited to approximately 1 space per 4 occupants to encourage public transportation.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN – WATER

Based on the new Master Plan, the new regionalized stormwater treatment system consists of six (6) large central basins and a west basin that will manage 100% of the precipitation on the site prior to discharge offsite. The Central Pond cells are equally divided to each provide for a fairly equivalent basin area and include (from high/south to low/north) CP100, CP200, CP300, CP400, CP500, CP600A and CP600B. The West Pond (WP700) is designed to collect and provide for the lower western portion of the site. The treatment systems vary within each pond cell, with the intent to provide the University with research, study and teaching opportunities based on the different treatment methods. 

Water quality

The Master Drainage Plan incorporates four (4) types of water quality treatment for the contributing portion of the USFP campus. Traditional wet detention, terracing treatment, the Conservation Method and wetland detention are all being utilized.

Traditional wet detention provides for one inch (1") of runoff to be treated over the contributing basin area, provided that the treatment depth is not greater than eighteen inches (18"). Additionally, the required treatment volume cannot be fully discharged in less than 5 days (120 hours) and no more than half the required treatment volume being discharged within 60 hours. The required treatment volume must be conveyed through a littoral shelf that constitutes 35% of the minimum required pond area.

Terraced treatment is similar to traditional wet detention except the required treatment volume is split equally between two terraced pond cells. The entire contributing area is conveyed into the uppermost pond cell where the first one-half inch (1/2") of treatment occurs via traditional methods prior to discharge into the lower pond cell. Within the lower pond cell, the second one-half inch (1/2") of treatment occurs again via traditional methods. This method allows for longer storage times and two treatment opportunities through two separate littoral shelf areas (one in each pond cell).

The Conservation Method allows for one-half inch (1/2") of runoff to be treated, provided that the treatment depth is no greater than ten inches (10") and the minimum pond size and wet pool volume requirements can be met. Additionally, the required treatment volume must be discharged within twenty-four (24) hours. The required treatment volume must be conveyed through a littoral shelf that constitutes 35% of the minimum required pond area.

The wetland detention method is similar to traditional wet detention except that the entire pond area is intended to act as a vegetated littoral shelf area, similar to that of an existing wetland. The design provides for one inch (1") of runoff to be treated over the contributing basin area, provided that the treatment depth is not greater than eighteen inches (18"). Additionally, the required treatment volume cannot be fully discharged in less than 5 days (120 hours) and no more than half the required treatment volume being discharged within 60 hours.

Hydrologic and hydraulic quantity analysis

The enclosed Conceptual Master Drainage Calculations establish peak discharge rates and Design High Water (DHW) elevations for the 25year/24hour and the 100 year/24 hour storm events, and verifies that the proposed pond top-of-banks are not being exceeded during either storm event.

A wet pipe sprinkler system assures proper water densities. Water is conserved by low-flow faucets and ultra low-flow urinals. The water distribution system accommodates future tie-ins to a campus-wide grey water system. All of the roof drains and vertical leaders drain to adjacent bio-swales and wetlands, eliminating the need for stormwater treatment.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN – MATERIALS

The material palette of the building is very simple: concrete, aluminum, glass, plaster and accents in natural wood. All exterior surfaces of the building are aluminum to resist corrosion and painted white to reduce solar heat gain and aid in the amount of light reflected into the building’s interior. The primary interior surfaces are the cast in place polished concrete floors and plaster walls, which are all painted white to increase the reflection of the natural light and create a light open atmosphere. Maple wood flooring in the "Commons" helps reduce the scale of the space and create a warmer environment, while wood slats at the perimeter walls conceal the displaced air grilles and attenuate the room’s acoustics.