It's been called the new centerpiece of the city of Alexandria, Va. It is the new multi-story Department of Defense (DoD) administrative office complex. The facility is the tallest structure in the region and tallest project ever erected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

What isn't as obvious is something that may be more impressive. This is the Army Corps's first project of this size working for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold building certification and the only one in the region that will save 30 percent of the energy of a traditional complex and save taxpayers millions.

In March 2009, the Army Corps' New York District began constructing the design-build complex located at the Mark Center in Alexandria, in partnership with Duke Realty Corporation and Clark Construction.

The complex will be home to multiple DoD agencies that are currently occupying leased space throughout the national capital region and will also include the Washington Headquarters Services, the BRAC executive agent for these DoD customers. The project implements the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission Recommendation #133 and when completed in September 2011 will become a part of Fort Belvoir.

The new 1.7 million square foot facility sits on a 16-acre campus and when construction is completed will be comprised of two multi-story towers- 15 stories and 17 stories, two parking garages, a visitor center, remote inspection facility and a public transportation center that will service the Mark Center and surrounding community.

The city of Alexandria and other team members stressed the importance of making this complex certified LEED Gold and the Army Corps made this their mission.

"Originally our goal was to make part of the complex certified LEED Silver and another part certified LEED Gold. We reviewed our original design plans and realized we were only shy one point from having the entire complex be certified LEED Gold, so we are shooting for LEED Gold for the whole complex," said Joanne Hensley, chief, project development, BRAC 133 Project, New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

To obtain LEED Gold certification, the Army Corps is designing and constructing the complex using cutting-edge strategies to earn LEED credits.

The following features are estimated to save 30 percent energy.

Indoor Lighting

The team is taking measures that will ensure all of the DoD personnel will have adequate lighting that is also saving energy.

The entire complex will have Light-emitting diode (LED) and fluorescent lighting that will cost a bit more to purchase upfront, but will reap tremendous savings down the road because this type of lighting requires less electricity to run, and LED and fluorescent light bulbs last up to eight years more than typical bulbs. The use of these lights will be conserved with the use of room occupancy sensors that will automatically turn lights on and off depending on if a room is being occupied.

Natural lighting is also going to be utilized to the fullest. The complex is being constructed with large shatter-proof windows that will allow outside light into the building. To help spread this light, work stations inside the complex will be built with low cubicle partitions to make sure there is adequate light spreading throughout the building.

Indoor Air Quality

Low cubicle partitions will also help to facilitate air circulation and improve air quality and the complex will have an energy efficient central air system that will keep the indoor air comfortable year-round for the personnel. To conserve this air, the complex's large windows will be highly insulated to prevent air from leaking outside the building.

Fresh outside air is also necessary to have healthy indoor air quality. A system will be put in place that will enable personnel to allow fresh outdoor air into the building, without wasting considerable energy.

The team is also constructing green roofs on top of the complex's Visitor's Center and Remote Inspection Facility. Green roofs are esthetically pleasing, but also hold in warm indoor air during the wintertime and keep building interiors cool during the warmer months.

Another way the team is keeping indoor air comfortable is by installing special roof tops on some of the structures that will reflect the sunlight away from the buildings, keeping indoor air cool during the warmer months.

Indoor air toxins are also a threat to air quality and the team is taking measures to minimize this issue. One of the ways they are doing this is by using paints, carpets and wooden furniture that emit lower levels of toxic fumes.

After the structures are painted, carpeted and have their furniture, the team is going to air out the structures before the DoD personnel occupy the space. In addition, the DoD has agreed to use low-toxic cleaning products inside the building after they move in.

Water Efficiency

The complex will use almost 50 percent less water than a traditional building of the same size- a savings of 4.5 million gallons of drinking water annually. To accomplish this, low flow faucets, urinals and shower heads will be used inside the complex. Outside the complex there will be no landscape irrigation. Only drought tolerant native plants will be planted. 

The team is also constructing a bioswale outside most of the main structures. Bioswales are ditches that catch rain water and slow the water runoff from the site and capture sediment and contaminates before they go into the storm drains. 

Recycling

When the project is completed in September 2011, it is estimated that 6 million pounds or 75 percent of construction waste will be recycled and not placed in disposal sites.

The team is also recycling some of the trees they had to remove in order to construct the complex. They are taking the wood from these trees to create wall paneling for some of the complex's interior. Recycling will continue once residents are in the building. Residents will be provided with a 500 square foot recycling area in their loading dock that will have recycling bins and will also be stationed on each floor of the towers.

Transportation

The DoD agencies occupying the complex will encourage their employees to take alternate ways to commute to work that will save energy and reduce pollution. They are doing this by providing special parking for van pools, carpools and fuel efficient hybrid vehicles in the complex's two parking garages and providing 300 bicycle racks and showers for bicyclists. The complex will also have its own mass transit center with access to the Metro Bus, Dash Bus and DoD Shuttle services.

Sean Wachutka, program manager, BRAC 133 Project, New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has worked for the Army Corps for 35 years and said he's worked on some of the largest dam projects and overseas missions, but this project is the most incredible mission he has ever worked on.

He added, "Green building standards are slowly being worked out. They are going to get better as we go along, and the Army Corps is helping to lead the way in moving them forward."