Environmental Correctional Facility Design - Features

When the need for a new federal correctional facility arose, the Federal Bureau of Prisons decided to focus on improving building performance and minimizing environmental impact. As a result, Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) #3 in Butner, N.C., became the first federal prison project to incorporate green building design principles sufficient to earn LEED certification.

Through participation in the LEED program, the design-build team of Hensel Phelps Construction Co. and Moseley Architects took an integrated approach to the facility’s design and construction. All aspects of the project were taken into consideration, including energy consumption, water use, location on the site, materials used, and indoor environmental quality.

While green building has exploded in other sectors, the question remains: Is correctional facility design ready for LEED? As Butner FCI #3 clearly illustrates, the answer is yes. The 530,295-square-foot facility consists of 16 separate buildings, each of which was designed to meet LEED standards.

The Department of Justice reports that the U.S. prison population has quadrupled since 1980. According to Public Safety, Public Spending: Forecasting America’s Prison Population 2007-2011, the nation’s incarceration rate will increase by 13 percent in five years. As a result of the growing inmate population, the cost of prison operations is projected to increase by $15 billion. Going green could potentially reduce these costs.

Incorporating green and energy-efficient strategies into Butner FCI’s design resulted in a predicted energy cost savings of 30 percent compared to a similarly sized facility built simply to code. The design team was able to reduce the facility’s energy consumption by decreasing lighting and cooling loads. Elements that are not typical of traditional facilities, such as high-efficiency lighting and additional insulation, contributed greatly to the building’s energy-efficient profile.

Additionally, water-conserving strategies are predicted to reduce the facility’s water use by at least 33 percent compared to a standard facility complying with the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Low-flow urinals and ultra low-flow lavatories, showers and sinks comprise the plumbing fixtures throughout the facility. Landscaping consists wholly of low-growing grasses and does not require irrigation.

More than 70 percent of the waste generated during construction was recycled, a practice Bill Downs, project manager for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, says he would like to see repeated on other projects. Because the project site was located in the vicinity of wetlands and waterways, the design team was very careful to situate the facility on the site in a manner that would decrease its impact on the surrounding environment. The site design includes preserving open space and using strategies to control runoff. At this project site, the bureau also added five compressed natural gas vehicles to its fleet.

Budgetary limitations are often cited as one reason for not pursuing LEED certification; however, Butner FCI #3 proves that green design does not have to cost more. At a total cost of $98 million, the project was able to achieve LEED certification with a green premium of 0.25 percent — the percentage of the budget that went to the certification process and the green features incorporated into the project’s design and construction. For well under 1 percent of the total project cost, Butner FCI is expected to realize significant savings.

An essential part of ensuring that correctional facilities live up to their green potential is pursuing an integrated approach to the project’s design. The project team’s ability to collaborate contributed a great deal to Butner’s success.

“Pursuing LEED certification forced a lot more cooperation and coordination from team members,” Downs says.

With an emphasis on the team and an eye toward the goal, it is not only possible, but a good idea to green correctional facility design. As operations costs increase with inmate populations, facility owners will continue to look for ways to save. Butner FCI #3 suggests one cost-effective answer is to green correctional facility design.