BART Warehouse Earns LEED Silver Certification

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
BART’s new 135,000-square-foot central warehouse includes energy-efficient HVAC and lighting, which will cut energy consumption by more than 30%, and a more efficient building layout to facilitate the receipt, storage and location of critical railcar components. (Photo of Hayward Central Warehouse courtesy of Clark Construction Group)

BART’s new 135,000-square-foot central warehouse includes energy-efficient HVAC and lighting, which will cut energy consumption by more than 30%, and a more efficient building layout to facilitate the receipt, storage and location of critical railcar components. (Photo of Hayward Central Warehouse courtesy of Clark Construction Group)

Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) new parts warehouse in the Hayward (California) Maintenance Complex has been awarded LEED Silver Certification for sustainability.

BART, and its Sustainability Group, earned the certification in collaboration with AECOM, Clark Construction Group, and The Allen Group/TRC Companies. According to the transit agency, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system is “based on points awarded for meeting various benchmarks of green building.”

The 135,000-square-foot warehouse includes energy-efficient HVAC and lighting, which will cut energy consumption by more than 30%; landscape design and an irrigation system that will reduce outdoor water consumption by more than 80%; and a more efficient building layout to facilitate the receipt, storage and location of critical railcar components.

(BART Graphic)

The new warehouse also offers workers an outdoor seating area as well as secure bike storage and electric vehicle charging stations, “which both encourage low-carbon transportation to the site,” according to BART. Lockers and shower facilities are included, too.

Among the other site and building system features:
• A “high solar-reflectance roof” to minimize the “heat island effect.”
• Bioswales to capture stormwater, reduce runoff and improve water quality.
• Water-efficient fixtures to reduce indoor water consumption by more than 25%.
• Optimal ventilation and thermal systems to increase indoor air quality, occupant comfort and productivity.
• Permanent entryways, isolated exhaust systems and MERV 13 filters to minimize occupant exposure to hazardous chemicals and pollutants.

BART reported that of the total building materials by cost, more than 30% include recycled content and more than 20% were purchased regionally. In addition, more than 80% of the limited wood materials by cost is FSC certified, and 99% of construction waste was diverted from landfills.

The new warehouse “is exceedingly simple, utilitarian and it works,” said Roland Fowlks, who oversees the BART’s Logistics and Stores operation. “We have much better utilization of the space. From a workflow standpoint, it’s a huge improvement.”

Fowlks said the warehouse will become BART’s central distribution and receiving point by late summer. It is part of the agency’s Hayward Maintenance Complex project to ensure that maintenance and repair capacity is sufficient to support the new railcar fleet for both the current system and system expansions.

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