Indoor Environmental Quality
Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
One of Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) priorities is to provide high-quality environments for customers and employees. To ensure the air quality within the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) remains at the highest quality, the project team installed air quality monitoring systems in densely occupied spaces throughout the building. These systems monitor the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air, and when suboptimal levels are detected, alarms will sound. Buildings also require a certain amount of ventilation, or outside air (OA), in order to ensure good indoor air quality. OA sensors were also installed in densely occupied spaces to ensure optimal indoor air quality.
Indoor Air Quality During Construction
The Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) was constructed using Best Management Practices (BMP) in building design and construction. To ensure the safety of construction crews and to protect on-site and installed materials from moisture damage, the project team developed an Indoor Air Quality Management Plan (IAQ Plan). The IAQ Plan was implemented during construction of the building and prior to occupancy.
Low-Emitting Materials
Green buildings with good indoor environmental quality protect the health and comfort of the building’s occupants. High-quality indoor environments also enhance productivity, decrease absenteeism, improve the building’s value and reduces liability for building designers and owners. One way the project team achieved an improved indoor environment in the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) was the utilization of Low-Emitting Materials. The use of Low-Emitting Materials was far spread throughout the JRTC, including the use of low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) adhesives and sealants, low VOC paints and coatings, Green Label certified carpets, and the use of composite wood and agrifiber products that contained no added-urea-formaldehyde.
Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control
The Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) is designed to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into the space by utilizing entryway systems, exhaust systems, air filtration and containment drains. The entryways of the JRTC utilize 10’ entryway systems in the direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates prior to entering the building. All spaces in the building are sufficiently exhausted and air filters on the Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) unit, which is a type of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system (HVAC), are Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13, which is a measure of the rate of effectiveness of air filters. MERV 13 filters have the ability to control contaminants ranging from bacteria to dust.
Controllability of Systems
The Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) is designed to improve lighting efficiency through its Building Automation System (BAS). Interior lighting is primarily luminaires, complete electric lighting units, which use LED technology. LED lights produce light at approximately 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. Additionally, more than 90% of the lighting in the building has individual controls to suit individual task needs and preferences. The use of occupancy sensors in most areas with local wall switches prevents lights from wasting energy in unoccupied spaces. Lighting also utilizes photocells to adjust brightness depending on the amount of sunlight detected to efficiently meet lighting needs.
Thermal Comfort
Green buildings with good indoor environmental quality protect the health and comfort of building occupants. High-quality indoor environments also enhance productivity, decrease absenteeism, improve the building’s value and reduce liability for building designers and owners. The Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) is designed to provide a comfortable environment for customers and employees. This is achieved by designing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to efficiently heat and cool the building, as well as regularly monitoring the effectiveness of the system through thermal comfort surveys administered to occupants, and correcting any issues causing discomfort.
Daylight and Views
The Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) was designed with a unique diagonal pattern curtain wall. The two-colored spandrel glass panels provide a dynamic motion throughout the curtain wall which is reflective of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) primary function as a public transportation agency. Key features of the curtain wall system include high thermal performance, seamless integration with high performance entrances and window systems, comprehensively designed to high performance air, water, structural and thermal standards. The windows also allow natural daylight to enter building, reducing need for lighting, and providing occupants with a direct line of sight to the outdoors.