FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Wisdom Village Crossing, a 105-unit mid-rise residential project of Turnstone Development Corporation in Chicago has been certified as a Florida Green High-Rise Residential Building by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), after it successfully met the sustainability standards established in the FGBC Florida Green High-Rise Residential Building certification program.
FGBC is the leading certifier of green projects in the state. The designation represents achievements in a number of categories, such as energy efficiency, water conservation, site preservation, indoor air quality, materials, and durability, including disaster mitigation.
FGBC-certified projects complete a technically rigorous building assessment and construction process to promote design and construction practices that reduce the negative environmental impacts of the building, improve occupant health and well-being, and reduce operating costs for the owner.
“As an FGBC-certified building, Wisdom Village Crossing serves as a model of sustainability for Broward County businesses and residents,” said C. J. Davila, FGBC executive director
Located in the Flagler Heights district of downtown Fort Lauderdale near Holiday Park, Wisdom Village is within walking distance to cultural events, culinary experiences, as well as easy access to interstate highways.
Towards sustainability efforts, the project conducted equipment testing and balancing to verify field installed equipment, such as the HVAC, lighting, renewable energy, and hot water systems, met the owner’s performance requirements and were operating correctly.
Other energy conservation measures included the installation of Energy Star appliances (dishwashers, clothes washers), automatic timers or motion sensors on lighting controls, and the use of light-colored finishes on interior walls to reflect natural lighting.
Water conservation efforts included the installation of drought tolerant plants for at least 80 percent of the landscaping, a properly installed irrigation system that incorporated separate zones for turf and landscape beds, and correct placement of the spray heads to avoid overlapping spray and runoff.
In each of the units, low-flow kitchen and bathroom faucets, shower heads and dual-flush toilets also play a big role in minimizing the projects water use. High-efficiency clothes washers with a water factor of 4 or less round out the water conservation tactics.
The building is near public transportation and provides securing locations for bicyclers for at least 5% of total occupants. The site disturbance was minimized to less than or equal to the building footprint. The heat island effect of the building was reduced by using highly-reflective exterior wall materials and locating the parking under the building.
Low impact development (LID) strategies were used to collect and treat stormwater entirely on the site. Indoor air quality was enhanced through the use of: highly-efficient MERV filters; low VOC paints, stains and adhesives; certified green label carpet; and green cleaning products and maintenance practices. Occupant comfort and enjoyment was enhanced by providing daylighting and outdoor views to 75 percent of the indoor spaces and using acoustical wall systems with sound reduction attributes.
The project recycled more than 75 percent of its construction and demolition waste.
About the Florida Green Building Coalition
The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) is a nonprofit 501(C)3 Florida corporation founded in 2000 dedicated to improving the built environment. Its mission is "to lead and promote sustainability with environmental, economic, and social benefits through regional education and certification programs." FGBC certification programs are the only standards developed with climate specific criteria to address issues caused by Florida’s hot-humid environment and natural disasters. Currently, FGBC is the leading certifier of green projects in Florida. FGBC’s membership is comprised of individuals and businesses from all areas of the building industry, including research, design, materials, products, construction, inspection, marketing, finance and public advocates. For more information about the FGBC “Florida Green” certification programs visit www.floridagreenbuilding.org.