Robins & Morton Champions LEED Silver for U.S. Army Dental Clinic at Fort Benning

The Love Dental Clinic, located at U.S. Army Base Fort Benning in Georgia, recently received LEED Silver certification. Construction Manager Robins & Morton registered and managed the certification process on this $15-million design-build renovation for the Huntsville Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Army Medical Command. The two-story, newly renovated 39,734-square-foot Love Dental Clinic is an aesthetically appealing, energy-efficient, modern structure that houses one of the U.S. Army's largest and most technologically advanced dental facilities.

Robins & Morton registered the project and acted as its sustainability consultant and LEED administrator—a role typically performed by the design team or a third-party consultant. The project achieved 55 points for Silver certification, though only 50 points were necessary to be certified.

Some of the LEED credits attained at Fort Benning's Love Dental Clinic Renovation include :

Site

• Design maximized open, green space onsite to five times the credit requirement, which awarded the team a bonus, exemplary performance point
• Installed high-albedo roofing to avoid heat island effect

Water

• Installed vegetation native to the area to eliminate water usage for irrigation
• Reduced water usage within building by 34 percent through installation of low-flow fixtures

Energy

• Designed efficient building systems to minimize energy needs by 18 percent
• Performed enhanced commissioning services to ensure energy goals were met
• Installed a measurement and verification system to provide ongoing accountability for the building's energy consumption

Materials

• Utilized project materials totaling 31 percent recycled content; this awarded the team a bonus, exemplary performance point
• Sourced 31 percent of project materials from within the region; this awarded the team a bonus, exemplary performance point
• Maintained 97 percent of the existing building's walls, floors and roof to minimize waste and the need for new, raw materials

Indoor Environmental Quality

• Implemented a detailed Indoor Air Quality Management Plan to protect air quality within the building
• Installed materials with low level of toxins and VOCs to protect the health of construction workers and future occupants

Innovation & Education

• Generated an education program for visitors to learn about green building
• Achieved Design for Active Occupants pilot credit, which helps improve the health of building users by encouraging physical activity