Firm Takes LEED On Conservation

YBOR CITY - Chancey Design Partnership had plans set for its 20,000-square-foot structure at the prominent corner of Seventh Avenue and 13th Street.

But the plans weren't set in stone.

"We thought about our position as a firm where we try to do the right thing," said Gregory Jones, managing partner of the 19-year-old architecture, planning and interior design business.

So Chancey decided to rethink its four-story building with an eye on seeking Leadership in Energy Environmental Design, or LEED, certification.

When it opens in five to six months, it could be among the first LEED-certified buildings in Hillsborough County, preceding the Tampa Bay History Center, which is set to open in the Channel District in December, and possibly Hillsborough Community College's SouthShore Center, planned to open in June.

The nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council will have an independent consultant determine whether to award the LEED certificate to Chancey.

The firm, which has clients from Idaho to the Bahamas, occupies about 13,500 square feet in two buildings about a block from the construction site. The main building, a brick structure at 1860 Republica de Cuba, is for sale.

Walton Chancey handles the firm's architectural aspects; his wife, Sandra, the interior design.

The new low-energy building, which will house all 52 employees, already is doing "a green thing," said Lilian Menendez Sherrard, a Chancey architect.

"We could have relocated anywhere," she said. "But staying in Ybor City means we are using the resources already in place, such as parking lots and garages. So we're not putting down asphalt for 80-plus parking spaces."

Jones said LEED certification "is not a big hurdle. It's mostly using common sense linked with a good design." Chancey isn't announcing the building cost, but Jones said the LEED-related work accounts for about 4 percent of the price.

The Tampa City Council doesn't offer incentives for the private sector to construct buildings that are more energy- and water-efficient. Jones, however, sees such policies coming soon.

He said his company found a manufacturer for historical-looking windows and doors of recycled aluminum to fit with the district that once was home to a thriving cigar industry.

"The biggest challenge is to document everything we do," Sherrard said. "The suppliers, the material - it all has to be detailed."

Chancey will install dimmed lighting around its building, add bicycle racks and showers, and designate an interior parking spot for carpoolers.

"We're the developer, owner and end-user," Jones said, "so we will receive benefits on all sides."

Sherrard said restrooms and closets are being built in the center of the structure so all offices will have windows for natural light and ventilation.

Last week, workers were installing the roof deck, where a reflective material will block sunlight to keep cooling costs down.

About 25 projects in various stages of construction are seeking LEED certification in the Tampa Bay area, said Joshua Bomstein, business development manager for Creative Contractors in Clearwater. Statewide, 25 buildings are certified.

Bomstein, vice president of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, said not many buildings can switch to "going green" after the planning stage.

"Chancey was able to tweak things here and there, but for others, taking a lot of things into new consideration isn't so easy," he said.

As green buildings become more popular, he hopes builders decide to go for LEED certification from the onset.

"It's a real no-brainer because the benefits are so plentiful," Bomstein said.