New Office: Green Building

  • Green Concepts

  • Flooring

    Recycled carpet
    The office uses carpet tiles manufactured by Interfaceflor made of 43-46% recycled material. Carpet tiles are a more environmentally preferable alternative to traditional carpeting because damaged or stained tiles may be replaced individually thus removing only a small portion rather than the entire floor. Tac tiles were utilized instead of glues so that liquid components were eliminated thus allowing for virtually no VOC (volatile organic compounds), and a 90% reduction of the environmental footprint. In addition the carpeting earns certification as a climate-neutral product, and Interfaceflor was one on Time magazine’s Heroes of the Environment.
    www.interfaceflor.com

    Bamboo Floors
    The flooring in the treatment rooms is PlybooStrand bamboo flooring. Bamboo strips are shredded, bundled, and pressed into dense blocks which are twice as hard as red oak. Most importantly no urea-formaldehyde is used in the manufacturing of PlybooStrand. The short regeneration time combined with its durability and hardness make bamboo an ideal flooring material over conventional hardwood flooring. In just 6 months bamboo can grow to its fullest mass, and continuous harvesting every 3 years actually promotes growth and health to the plants root system. In contrast it can take hardwood species 30-100 years to reach maturity prior to harvesting, and once harvested the root system is dead and needs to be replanted. Bostik Hardwood Products provided a urethane adhesive that is VOC compliant to adhere and seal the floors.
    www.plyboo.com
    www.islandtimes.net

    Resilient Rubber base molding
    Fabricated with some recycled scrap content, Johnsonite resilient rubber wall base is adhered with solvent free, safe set adhesives which are zero VOC.
    www.johnsonite.com

    Rubber Mats
    In the areas with sealed concrete floors, we use Andersen WaterHog rubber entry and anti fatigue mats to collect dirt and ease leg, foot, and lower back pain. They are a certified green product and are constructed from 100% PET post-consumer recycled fiber reclaimed from drink bottles and 15% post-consumer recycled tires.
    www.americanfloormats.com

    Sealed Concrete
    Concrete itself is typically manufactured from recycled materials and is the base floor in most commercial building applications. It is durable, strong, and resistant to moisture. By not introducing additional building materials such as carpet, wood, tile, or other flooring, there is no potential for introduction of harmful VOCs and no additional waste. Sealed concrete is a low VOC finish which contributes to improved indoor air quality.
    www.concretehomesmagazine.com

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    Lighting

    Solatubes
    Natural light is collected from the roof top dome and magnified as it travels down the solatube with spectralight infinity material. The dome contains raybender 3000 technology which allows for light to be captured even with low angles of the sun in the early morning or late evening. Less than 1% of the light is lost as it travels down the tube. At the base, the light diffuser evenly distributes light into the room. The tubes are equipped with adjustable dimmers and a back up compact fluorescent light, eliminating the need for other lighting. Natural light creates the spirit of the outdoors, allows for live plants which filter air quality, and is the best light for dentistry.
    www.solatube.com

    Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
    We have installed compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) wherever possible throughout the office. Although we strive to use natural lighting as much as possible it is necessary to have back up lighting in many areas. CFL uses 75% less energy, produces 75% less heat and he bulbs last 10 times longer than standard incandescent lighting.

    If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.
    www.energystar.gov

    LED Patient Light
    The patient lights in each operatory are the Pelton and Crane Helios 3000 LED lights. They use only 48 watts, which equates to 70% less electricity than standard halogen patient lights. In addition they produce very little radiant heat allowing for a cooler environment.
    www.pelton.net/helios3000

    LED lights generate light by the movement of electrons instead of generating heat to light a filament like incandescent bulbs. LED lights tend to be much smaller because there is no filament. With no need to produce heat to generate light, the amount of electricity used is dramatically decreased. LED bulbs typically last between 30,000 and 50,000 hours, whereas an incandescent light lasts 750-1000 hours. www.lightbulbs.org

    Natural Lighting from Windows
    With the exception of 2 interior rooms, closets and bathrooms, the other 14 rooms in our office have large east and south facing windows to accommodate natural sunlight. Natural light not only helps to warm and cool spaces both physically and mentally, but is also the best quality light for matching color which is beneficial in cosmetic dentistry.

    Solar Shades
    Solar shades preserve the outdoor view while reducing UV ray penetration. Sunlight or lack thereof naturally heats and cools rooms, causing temperature hot and cool spots, which in turn forces the HVAC units to work harder. Conventional blinds prevent these undesirable effects, but also close down spacious views, while solar shades have the benefit of the insulating effects without the disadvantage of blocking out nature. Ultimately a comfortable atmosphere is maintained in an energy efficient manner.

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    Wood Work

    Kirei
    Our front desk was fabricated by eco supply center and includes cork, sorghum, and paperstone. The facing for the desk as well as the façade housing our logo is Kirei board, which is manufactured from reclaimed sorghum straw with no urea or formaldehyde adhesive added and is strong, durable and lightweight. The straw left from harvesting used to be put into landfills or burned, but now the rapidly renewable resource of sorghum can be reclaimed freeing landfills and reducing air pollution and deforestation. It is a zero VOC product due to the non-toxic water based adhesive, again improving the air quality of the indoor atmosphere.
    www.kireiusa.com

    Paper Stone
    The front desk counter top is made of paperstone. Currently paperstone is the only architectural solid surface certified by the Smartwood program of the Rainforest Alliance to FSC standards for using 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Paperstone can either be manufactured from 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard or from 100% post–consumer recycled office paper, as well as water-based phenolic resin with cashew nut shell binder and pigment. Heat and pressure transform this mixture into a thoroughly impregnated network of cellulose fibers that give PaperStone its hardness, density, and strength. Because it is also emits zero VOC, it also improves indoor air quality.
    www.paperstoneproducts.com

    MBF Board
    Cabinets in the office are made from medium density fiberboard purchased from ECO Supply Center. MDF is man-made from wood fibers, rather than particles, compressed together with adhesive. It is very strong, provides longevity, and is resistant to warpage caused by moisture. The adhesives are water based and contain no urea or formaldehyde. MDF is made from 100% recovered wood fiber, so habitat preservation is aided, deforestation slowed, and landfill waste reduced.
    www.ergoindemand.com

    Dental Cabinets
    We are the second dental office in the nation to purchase the green cabinetry line offered from Pelton and Crane, The four components of the cabinets, particle board, adhesives, laminate, and countertops meet greenguard certification which ensures that the product or its components levels of harmful emissions are below certain levels. The particle board is certified to have been produced with 100% recycled wood fiber with no added urea formaldehyde, and the countertops and adhesives are both low VOC components.

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    Plumbing

    Dual flush toilets
    Patients will notice that in the bathrooms we have installed American Standard ProFlow dual flush toilets. Dual flush toilets make use of a two button system; one for solid waste using 1.6 gallons of water instead of the traditional 2.9 gallons and one for liquid waste using .8 gallons of water instead of the traditional 1.6 gallons. Dual flush toilets can reduce water consumption by up to 67% by making use of a larger trap, no flapper, and a full bowl wash method which is cleaner and more efficient. Based on our patient load, we will save on average 189 gallons of water per day. Proflo toilets meet strict guidelines established by the EPA watersense program and LEED.
    www.selectaflush.com
    www.dualflushtoilets.net

    No Sinks in Rooms
    The office has 9 treatment rooms and one surgical suite. In typical offices each room has a small sink; however, we have chosen to eliminate sinks in the 9 treatment rooms. Instead of 16 sinks, we use 7 placed back to back in three strategic centralized locations. Reducing the number of sinks and placing them together allows us to reduce the amount of plumbing material cost by 56% including the need for one hot water heater and not two.

    Instant hand sanitizer
    We found that in our old office, sinks were used for either spitting in or hand washing. Both of which allow the sinks to harbor bacteria, even though they are sanitized after every patient. The current CDC guidelines state that alcohol based Instant hand sanitizer is the first choice for routine hand decontamination; however, if hands are visibly soiled or if the person has been in contact with food or been to the restroom hands should be scrubbed with antimicrobial soap and water. We are utilizing hands free alcohol based instant hand sanitizers in 9 treatment rooms, and hands free soap dispensers in the restrooms, break room, surgical suite, and sterilization area. Cross contamination is eliminated because each unit works on a motion sensor so that nothing is ever touched. Both will help us lower our environmental impact by not only more effective infection control, but also by lowering the amount of non-biodegradable soaps we place back into the water system.
    www.cdc.gov

    Air drying system
    Instead of paper towels the bathrooms contain energy efficient hands free hand dryers manufactured by Excel. The dryers use 80% less energy than conventional hand dryers and have a 95% cost savings over paper towels. More importantly they will help combat germ contamination, and the environmental impact of paper towel use is eliminated. 1000 paper towels cost on average $23.00, whereas 1000 uses of the Xlerator costs $.50. Xlerator driers are GreenSpec listed and are the first hand dryers to earn LEED credits.

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    Waste Management

    Recycling
    We have incorporated a recycling program in our office which allows us to recycle a great majority of the packaging material that our supplies are shipped in. We further not only shred all paper in the office but recycle that along with magazines, plastic bottles, cardboard, and aluminum. Certain scrap metals are also sterilized and reclaimed by a metal recycling facility. We have made available bins for our patients to bring their hard to recycle products such as batteries, printer cartridges, cell phones, eye glasses, etc. as well as the normal easily recycled products.

    In an effort to lead by example, we are working with other offices around us to provide a large recycling container for our office complex, which will be picked up every week. We hope this encourages other offices to develop a recycling program that will allow less waste, trash to be picked up less frequently, and more recycling.

    Regulated Material Processor
    We purchased a thermal medical waste machine from medical innovations which allows us to process our regulated waste onsite instead of hiring a service to come pick up our waste, transport it to an offsite facility, and process it for disposal. By maintaining our own waste onsite, no infectious materials ever leave, thus improving infection control and liability. Waste cost in reduced by 90% per year and size is reduced by 75%, greatly decreasing environmental impact. It costs only 3 cents of electricity per cycle to run.
    www.medicalinnovationsinc.com

    Less Paper
    We have taken multiple steps to reduce the amount of paper and postage our office utilizes. We are making efforts to do as much by computer via the internet and e-mail as possible including communication with specialists, insurance companies, and patients. The office is completely digitized to include our charting, patient forms, and radiographs. The paper that we do use comes from recycled sources and is recycled when we are done with it.

    In addition we have eliminated paper patient napkins and have replaced them with cloth that is easily washed and sterilized. Paper towels have been eliminated in the operatories and replaced with hands free instant hand sanitizer and wipes. The bathrooms will utilize air hand driers instead of paper towels.

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    Building Materials

    Cellulose Insulation
    Made from a renewable natural resource which diverts waste from landfills, Cellulose insulation not only limits greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing, but also prevents waste paper from releasing environmentally harmful gases as it decomposes.  Applegate Insulation is made of 85% recycled newsprint and has been shown to lower utility bills by 32%.
    www.applegateinsulation.com

    If all the paper currently being put into landfills was converted to Cellulose insulation, it would save approximately 7,030,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.  That is the equivalent of taking all the cars off the road in New Mexico and Nevada each and every year. 1(Sources: National Auto Dealers Association; Paper Industry Assoc. Council 2006; EPA)
    www.cellulose.org

    Low VOC Paint
    Yolo Colorhouse paints have developed a zero VOC earth color collection which creates flow and is designed to add tranquility to our spaces. Earth tones are designed to reflect what is around us in the natural world and each color is designed to complement the next so that the office flows together giving a sense of depth and bringing life to a working environment. We utilized a combination of the AIR, LEAF, and STONE palates.
    www.yolocolorhouse.com

    HVAC
    We have installed multiple HVAC units in strategic locations for maximum efficiency. By trying to cut down on the number of units installed we would have actually used more electricity because the units would be overworked. Digital thermostats keep the temperature constant without the repeated starting and stopping of the units or manual switching between heat and AC. Auxiliary heaters are located near exit doors to combat large temperature swings when doors are opened and closed. The double door vestibule also prevents drafts in the waiting room which would cause the HVAC unit in that area to be overworked. Running the fan at all times helps to circulate and filter the air, as well as uses less electricity than starting and stopping the fan throughout the day because most of the power draw is when the unit starts.

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    Office Concepts

    Computer System
    We are focusing on using our computer system, Dentrix practice software, and the web to its fullest. Computer technology has allowed for the dental team to diagnose, treat, and educate patients with the upmost efficiency and precision. Everything from patient forms and records to radiographs, photos, and communication with other referring doctors, patients, and insurance companies is possible. By utilizing computer technology we reduce or eliminate the redundancy, waiting, and waste of traditional paperwork, radiographs, and telephone/mail communication.

    Digital Radiography/ Nomad
    Digital radiography eliminates the need for conventional lead lined dental films, volatile chemicals, and a film processor. Patients can be exposed from 50-90% less radiation based on shorter exposure time and less radiation dose to provide an image of diagnostic quality. In addition films are able to be enhanced in many ways including, magnification, inversion, contrast, and color for more accurate diagnosis.
    jada.ada.org

    We have also eliminated the need for conventional hard wired radiographic units in 6 of our 10 treatment rooms, once again reducing the environmental impact of additional building materials. Instead we use the Nomad battery operated portable x-ray head manufactured by Aribex. The Nomad has not only been used at the Mission of Mercy projects here in Virginia, but also in humanitarian projects around the world. Since the unit works on a low voltage rechargeable battery and can be take around 300 radiographs without needing to be recharged, we have eliminated the ghost electricity wasted by keeping 6 conventional x-ray heads turned on for an 8 hour workday. The Nomad can reduce maximum exposure and exposure time 60% by using digital sensors in conjunction with the Nomad over conventional film use, again reducing radiation exposure to the patient and staff as well as the environment.
    www.aribex.com

    Plants
    In addition to filtration incorporated into our HVAC units, that office contains many plants. Natural Plants purify and renew our stale indoor air by filtering out toxins, pollutants and the carbon dioxide we exhale - replacing them with life sustaining oxygen. Philodendrons, Spider plants, and Pothos are found to be efficient in the removal of formaldehyde. Gerbera Daisies and Chrysanthemums are found to be effective in the removal of benzene, a known carcinogen. Ivy, aloe, and ficus trees are other plants that are found to be beneficial in air quality filtration.

    Cleaning Service
    The office is cleaned twice a week by Kleane Kare which has implemented a cleaning protocol they call greenkleane. They use only products from suppliers who meet the green seal GS-37 standards. Kleane Kare has made it a mission with the greenkleane program to reduce waste and environmental impact while improving health in the work place.

    Furniture We purchased some furniture from an office that was closing, as well as brought what furniture we could reuse from our old office. Reclaiming furniture and products is a concept that keeps items out of the landfill and eliminates the impact from new manufacturing and transport. We purchased Legare bamboo furniture manufactured with no nails or screws and low VOC adhesives. Legare furniture is constructed of the finest Moso Bamboo plywood sourced only from Forrest Stewardship Council Certified mills. The FSC Certification means that only legally harvested bamboo is used in production Packaging, shipping cost, and environmental impact are reduced because the furniture is shipped flat and simply slips and locks together.
    www.legarefurniture.com

    Energy Star Appliances
    We have installed energy star appliances purchased at the Sears scratch and dent store here in Richmond. Energy star appliances save 10-50% less energy and water than their counterparts. We will lower our environmental impact by saving on energy and water consumption.

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    Site Development

    Filterra System
    The Filterra System by Americast is a low impact solution to treat urban runoff for effective storm water management. It combines media, natural bacteria, and natural plants to filter storm water runoff prior to entry into the water system. Runoff passes through the media and over the root system of the plant where bacteria, 91% of metals, 70-80% of nutrients, and 95% of suspended solids are removed. Maintenance requires that the solid trash is removed from the top of the media periodically, but keeps it from entering our water system.
    www.filterra.com

  • Building Construction Links

  • US Green Building Council: www.usgbc.org
    EcoSupply: www.ecosupplycenter.com
    James River Green Building Council: www.jrgbc.org
    Atlantis Aquariums: www.atlantisva.com

    Evans Construction: www.evansconstruction-inc.com