This competition winning entry responded to the State of Pennsylvania’s Green Building Initiative, a program initiated by the Commonwealth to promote sustainable design and green design principals in the construction of new state facilities. Its location in the heart of Norristown adjacent to an existing inter modal transit station would have been a boost to the historic city. Two existing historic buildings were preserved in the design and incorporated into the building function (unfortunately when the project was awarded to another firm, one of these buildings was needlessly destroyed). A generous public lobby fronting on the courthouse square created a grand civic gesture.
Green design features included: energy efficient non-polluting mechanical system; use of local materials with recycled content; high performance operable windows with sunshades and light shelves; indoor air quality monitoring with continual fresh air supply; waste stream monitoring and recycling; high efficiency lights with sensor control; storm water retention and recycling; use of plant materials in vegetative roof, living wall, and street trees.
The building facades are designed to be sympathetic to their context and to project a positive civic image for DEP.
Converse Winkler Architecture was the Design Architect with Seiler + Drury Architecture Associated Architect for Construction Documents/CA.
