The Orlando office of VOA Associates has completed the 5,500-sq.-ft. Public Works, Administration and Engineering Facility for the city of Oviedo, Fla., public works department, a project which has been submitted for LEED Gold certification. VOA was commissioned by the city to complete full architectural and interior design services for new offices as well as provide master planning for a new public works complex and offer interior renovation of the existing administration building.

"The city's goal was to provide a unique work place where all staff and employees can enjoy their workday in a healthy, well-lit, comfortable, and exciting environment," says John W. Page, AIA, LEED AP, VOA project manager.

To achieve LEED Gold, the team incorporated a number of environmentally sustainable elements, such as highly reflective roofing materials, a changing room, showers and bicycle storage for 5 percent of the occupants, an open-grid pavement, high-efficiency air-conditioning systems and under floor delivery for the conditioned air, as well as occupancy sensors that turn lights off in unoccupied spaces. It is estimated that there will be a reduction in electrical energy costs of 30 percent by utilizing daylight controls, additional insulation in the walls and roof, high-performance glazing and shading on south facing windows, and accessible floor systems for the delivery of electrical power, high-technology wiring, and conditioned air.

According to Page, one of the project's hallmarks is the rainwater harvesting process, which collects rainwater from the roof through a system of sculptural, stainless-steel, stair-stepping trays that create a cascading waterfall appearance, then pipes it to the on-site retention pond for use as landscape irrigation. When combined with the building's high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, it is estimated that there will be an approximate 50 percent savings in water consumption per year.