Transylvania Commissioners Sink Teeth into Green Jail Plan

BREVARD, N.C. — Transylvania County moved a step closer to a new 120-bed jail after commissioners awarded the construction contract for a $20 million environmentally sustainable public safety center.

The approximately 67,000-square-foot project will include a 59,000-square-foot law enforcement and emergency services building, which will incorporate the jail, sheriff’s department, 911-dispatch center and emergency operations offices. A 6,000-square-foot maintenance facility will be located adjacent to the main building.

The new energy- and water-efficient public safety center is designed to meet LEED standards, the first project of its kind in the southeast region, officials say.

The design-build project team includes M.B. Kahn Construction of Columbia, S.C., and the Charlotte office of Moseley Architects.

Although solar power will not be a feature of the new facility — photovoltaic arrays were deemed prohibitively expensive — alternative-power generation in the form of a wind-energy installation and conversion unit will contribute to a portion of the center’s total energy requirements.

A highly reflective roofing membrane and Galvalume-coated sheet-steel roofing system are designed to reduce the facility’s HVAC load and energy consumption. The reflective roofing system also reduces the heat-island effect.

A lighting control system with individual and zonal access points is also designed to reduce energy consumption, while enhancing occupant comfort.

The facility’s energy-efficient HVAC system, which is CFC and HCFC refrigerant-free, and low-VOC building materials, adhesives, paints, surfaces and furniture are designed to enhance air quality.

Native and drought-tolerant plant species will be incorporated in surrounding landscaping to eliminate irrigation, while dual-flush toilets and low-flow plumbing fixtures will reduce the facility’s overall water consumption. A storm-water management system will filter runoff to remove pollutants.

Approximately 50 percent of the site’s total area will be preserved as open space, while high-recycled-content materials and FSC-certified lumber will be used where possible. Waste generated during construction, which is tentatively scheduled for completion in 2009, will be diverted from landfill.