Cultural Shift: Philadelphia’s major institutions embrace green building practices

The Morris Arboretum Horticulture Center opened in 2010 as the hub for horticulture, public programming and facility staff. The 20,849-square-foot building in Chestnut Hill is LEED Platinum certified and received the 2012 American Architecture Award for top new projects in the country.

Designed to the highest green building standards, the Horticulture Center provides the space to manage the 167-acre property, while maintaining the Arboretum’s commitment to environmental stewardship and educating visitors about the importance of natural resource protection. The Center boasts geothermal wells, a green roof, solar energy, water cisterns and more. Forty percent of the building materials were regionally sourced, recycled or salvaged, and the architecture takes full advantage of natural light.

As part of the University of Pennsylvania, the Horticulture Center is adding to an already robust portfolio of LEED buildings, which include the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, Franklin Field Pavilion Sports Complex, the Music Building and, most recently, the Law School building on Sansom Street.

Founded in 1982 as a partnership of the University of Pennsylvania, the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s (CHF) mission is to foster an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society. But the $17 million green makeover at its Chestnut Street museum and conference center suggests that sustainability is also high on the CHF agenda.

The CHF building renovations, unveiled in October 2008, include the recycling of all demolition materials (a significant undertaking, largely because the building’s layers date back to at least 1912), energy monitoring, motion sensitive lighting and a “recycled restroom” on the second floor, featuring double-flush toilets, plastic bottle walls and soda can floors.

The organization includes sustainability in day-to-day work life, too, using exclusively recycled office paper and bathroom materials, and earth-friendly cleaning products. In 2002, energy control systems instituted at CHF reduced electricity usage by 65 percent. The largest green program at CHF is the Conference Center, which hosts 6,000 guests annually, but doesn’t use one-use paper products and plastic bottles. Instead, china, silverware and pitchers of water with glassware are used.

Nine years after launching their Go Green! campaign at Lincoln Financial Field, the Philadelphia Eagles are reaching another sustainability milestone: local clean energy. Through a partnership with New Jersey energy company NRG, 14 micro wind turbines and 11,000 solar panels will provide 100 percent of the energy needed for game days. Solar panels will be installed along 11th Street, the stadium’s south-facing façade and in the parking lot. The wind turbines will sit on the top of the stadium’s north and south sides. Aimed for completion in December 2012, the changes will make Lincoln Financial Field one of the greenest major sports facilities in the world.

These stadium renovations make sense for a team that’s been using environmentally friendly practices for nearly a decade. The Philadelphia Eagles headquarters and team facilities at the Novacare Complex are already outfitted with solar panels and green building elements.

Composting and recycling are also key at Lincoln Financial Field, where there is a 97 percent diversion of game day waste—meaning only three percent of those hot dog wrappers, soda cups and leftover French fries go to a landfill. Even the cooking grease gets new life at a biodiesel conversion facility.

“This is a chance to do the right thing,” says Rob Zeiger, senior vice president of communications. “It’s also a chance to show our fans how easy it is to make their lives greener than they were before.”

Franklin Institute