Papago Gateway Brings Green to North Tempe

By David M. Brown

In a city with a growing number of public green buildings, Papago Gateway is unique. The six-story, curved structure will provide green lab space to private bio-tech companies in Tempe near scenic Papago Park.

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Overlooking the north shore of Tempe Town Lake, across from the city’s recently opened arts center, the 267,000-sq-ft Papago Gateway Center helps meet the Valley’s need for and the specific requirements of wet lab space.

Wet laboratories test chemicals, drugs and biological matter and typically require water, direct ventilation and specialized piped utilities.

The $52.5 million center on 5.1 acres at the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Washington Street in Tempe is planned to become the state’s first LEED core and shell building. The six-story building includes a basement and 933 parking spaces in a precast concrete adjoining structure.

Tempe-based Okland Construction began building in October 2006 and is expected to deliver the project, developed by San Diego-based Chesnut Properties, in January.

Designing flexible and functional wet lab space required an integration of the skills of all three key members of the construction team: Chesnut, Okland and the Phoenix office of architect SmithGroup.

The team’s big task was locating systems and subcontractors with the product availability and services within time and budget requirements.

“The most critical of these was the curtain-wall system, and only one supplier - Walters & Wolf of Phoenix - was able to meet our schedule within the complexity of the design,”says Luis Huertas, AIA, project architect for SmithGroup, which began its design process in summer 2005.

In addition, the interior space accommodates varying floor-to-floor heights, and the infrastructure, including services and mechanical systems, needed to meet the tight requirements of wet laboratories. With larger-than-normal plenums, the building has all the provisions to receive the required services for wet labs, including water risers, vacuum, distilled water and nitrogen, Huertas adds.

Additional pathways were created for specific tenant requirements in the future. The air-conditioning system was also designed based on wet lab requirements for single-pass air. Stringent exhaust systems are also in place.

“Other facilities in the Valley only retrofit spaces designed for office functions, and these do not meet the stringent requirements for a top research facility,” Huertas says.

The Papago Gateway Center is participating in LEED’s core and shell pilot program. Chesnut Properties obtained precertification for a LEED-CS silver designation, but the team is tracking gold, says Jordan W. Hoffart, Okland’s project engineer.

The core and shell rating system covers base building elements: structure, envelope and building-level systems, such as central HVAC. It encourages green design and construction practices in areas where the developer has control and provides opportunities for future tenants to further incorporate green strategies.

“[Developer] Lee Chesnut has been willing to go the extra mile to create a structure that is responsive to its environment without sacrificing function,” Huertas says.

He adds that Chesnut envisions Papago Gateway as a prototype for future projects.

Green design details are found throughout the building. The landscape was salvaged, and the irrigation is high-efficiency, with low water consumption. Tenants will be guided in how to design interior spaces in the most sustainable way, and they  will be able to meter their energy consumption and recycling efficiency.

The team’s energy model projects an 18% greater efficiency than code requires. A high-performance glazing system conduces to this. Daylighting is a key element.

“The building’s narrow footprint allows deeper penetration of daylight into the building,” Huertas says. “The tenants will benefit from this because the ambient light required during the day will be reduced, thereby reducing electricity consumption and the heating load.”

The north and south elevations are glazed and allow desert sun into the interior. On the south, the operable louver system, which Huertas says is the largest in the western United States, acts as a second skin, controlling the solar heat gain into the building and thereby reducing air-conditioning requirements and glare. The 2,000 anodized aluminum louvers will track the sun, opening and closing as it moves across the southern sky, Huertas adds.

“Motorists along Washington Street as well as the Loop 202 will be treated to a daily, ever-changing display of shadow, textures and patterns as they drive by,” Huertas says. 

The water-treatment system in the chilled water will be free of chemicals, and a carbon monoxide monitoring system will be in place.

Okland’s team diverted 75% of construction waste away from the landfills. “The construction waste diversion was a huge challenge for our team because we needed at least five dumpsters to sort the different material for recycling purposes,” Hoffart says.

“Another component that we manage during construction is the indoor air quality to allow for a safe and comfortable working environment.” As a result, low VOC-emitting materials for adhesives, sealants and carpets were specified.

Other LEED points were gained by using regionally manufactured and harvested materials and wood products originating in forests managed by the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council’s principles and criteria.

“It was also a challenge for our superintendents to make sure the subcontractors were following our recycling program,” Hoffart adds. “One of the biggest challenges for LEED is just getting everyone on board with the idea of going green.”

The tight site also brought challenges. Giant boulders, now incorporated in the landscaping, had to be blasted, which wasn’t easy at such a small site. There also were logistical issues in getting material and equipment in and out, and there is very little lay- down area.

Huertas says the building is oriented east to west for views north to Camelback Mountain and the Papago Buttes and south to Tempe Lake. The shorter east and west elevations also minimize solar exposure, although they do admit daylighting.

The east and west walls, which slant from center, are Indian Sandstone cladded, recalling the desertscape of the landmark Papago Buttes. This desert palette of stone and concrete extends to the public-space outdoor courtyards, with reflecting pools as oases. 

Key Players

Developer: Chestnut Properties
Architect: SmithGroup
Contractor: Okland Construction
LEED Consultant: TestMarcx Commissioning Solutions
Engineers: Caruso Turley Scott; Dibble Engineering; Quest Energy Group
Concrete: Suntec Concrete; Coreslab Structures
Mechanical: TDIndustries
Electrical: Delta Diversified Enterprises
Steel: Able Steel Fabrication
Other: Pete King Construction; Walters & Wolf; Sun Valley Masonry

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