Group14 performed LEED, energy, Xcel Energy Design Assistance (EDA), and commissioning services for the new Fryer-Newman Center for Science, Art and Education at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The two-story, 62,154 SF center contains an atrium, labs, four galleries, classrooms, a herbarium, library, café, and a 300-seat auditorium.
The building, which earned LEED Gold in 2021, includes a rainwater harvesting system, onsite solar power, and the use of 20% recycled building materials. The design also incorporated active and biophilic design principles, including the use of materials and elements from nature.
The Fryer-Newman Center hired Group14 to perform fundamental and enhanced commissioning to ensure the building’s systems were installed, calibrated, and performed according to their project requirements.
The LEED Gold project was able to achieve 30% energy cost savings.
Using high efficiency plumbing fixtures, the center was able to reduce indoor water consumption by more than 35% annually. Additionally, the project reduced exterior water use by over 60%– driven in part by harvesting rainwater for on-site use (the first commercial property in Colorado to do so).