The residents of Greensburg, Kan., have been rebuilding their town after a massive tornado destroyed 95 percent of the community in May 2007. Inspired by their town’s name, the citizens set out to build a more sustainable, eco-conscious community from the rubble to benefit future generations of Greensburg residents.
The residents of Greensburg,
Kan., have been rebuilding their
town after a massive tornado destroyed 95 percent of the community in May 2007.
Inspired by their town’s name, the citizens set out to build a more
sustainable, eco-conscious community from the rubble to benefit future
generations of Greensburg
residents.
To help achieve this goal, the City of Greensburg
hired architectural firm BNIM Architects, of Kansas City,
Mo., and construction manager Orr Construction
Management, of Raytown, Mo.
Due to its civic function, the 4,700 square-foot Greensburg City Hall,
located in the heart of town, was one of the most important buildings to
replace. BNIM Architects incorporated various sustainable components into the
design of the new city
hall, which have placed the building on target for LEED Platinum, the highest
level of LEED certification.
CertainTeed’s Gypsum and Ceilings products helped achieve
this certification through their sustainable product offerings. Among these
components were a variety of high-performance gypsum board products donated by
CertainTeed to provide extra moisture, mold and fire resistance for interior
walls in areas throughout the buildings. Gypsum products specified included
ProRoc Type X Gypsum Board, ProRoc Moisture and Mold Resistant Gypsum Board
with M2Tech, ProRoc Interior Ceiling Board, and GlasRoc Tile Backer Type X. The
design team also used CertainTeed Ecophon fiberglass ceiling panels and grid.
“CertainTeed is one of the industry leaders in terms of
providing great products that contribute to healthier buildings,” said James
Pfeiffer, of BNIM Architects. “CertainTeed wall and ceiling products
incorporate large amounts of recycled material, ultimately reducing the impacts
placed upon the earth and contributing to the mandate of the project to achieve
a LEED Platinum certification.”
Construction of Greensburg
City Hall began last year
and by this summer, the crews were ready for the interior. A crew from Orr
Construction Management installed ProRoc Gypsum Board throughout the building
and ProRoc Moisture and Mold Resistant Gypsum Board in areas with potential for
moisture exposure. In the restrooms of the building, they installed GlasRoc
Tile Backer Type X as a moisture-, mold- and fire-resistant backing for the
tile walls.
“The tile backer sheets have uniform thickness and require a
lot less prep time for the surface, making them easier to install and helping
us to move a lot faster,” said John Ryman, project superintendent for Orr
Construction Management.
Following the wall installation, Hemmert Acoustics, of
Garden City, Kan.,
installed 1,100 square feet of Ecophon ceiling panels in suspension grid
systems throughout the building. The project team turned the new building over
to the City of Greensburg
government in October. City leaders were pleased with the finished product and
appreciative of the donations from CertainTeed.
“Greensburg is now a living
laboratory for eco-friendly and sustainable building,” said Bob Dixson, mayor
of Greensburg.
“It is great to partner with companies that have an interest in green building,
and we appreciate the donations they have sent us toward rebuilding our town.
Our sustainable rebuilding efforts are coming along wonderfully, and our new city hall is an
excellent example of this.”
In addition to sustainable building products, Greensburg City Hall features a uniquely sloped
standing-seam metal roof with a photovoltaic coating to reduce the heat island
effect, harness solar energy and collect and harvest rainwater for reuse on
site. The building also has reflective interior surfaces to maximize
daylighting and an appropriate palette of exterior and interior finishes. These
finishes include reclaimed brick cladding on floors and walls and reclaimed
wood from a source within Greensburg’s Southwest Kansas region. With the sum of its components,
the building is expected to meet its LEED Platinum certification.