With the new Milgard Work Opportunity Center, Goodwill has created a facility that is an example of the agency’s values. Goodwill’s goal is to maximize environmental and economic benefits through sound resource and waste handling. By building green, Goodwill demonstrates a continued commitment to learning and innovation, as well as a belief in ethical stewardship of our planet and resources.
“The return for us is incredible,” said Tacoma Goodwill CEO Terry A. Hayes about green goals for the Milgard Center. “The savings from energy efficiencies will soon pay for the slightly greater expense, but the satisfaction of doing the right thing long-term is what guided our decision.”
The Milgard Center is a Gold-qualified facility under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program from the U.S. Green Building Council. Green features of the Milgard center include:
Site Sustainability
- By selecting a previously developed site located near public and mass transit, Goodwill prevented damage to undeveloped land and encourages the use of public transportation.
- Light pollution and trespass into nearby neighborhoods have been minimized.
Water Efficiency
- Dual flush toilets and low flow urinals in restrooms reduce water consumption.
- Careful design of irrigation and water systems reduce the annual building water consumption by 40 percent and irrigation consumption by half.
Energy and Atmosphere
- To minimize ozone depletion, no CFC, HCFC refrigerants and/or blends were used in the building.
- Goodwill achieved an over 20 percent energy cost savings by reducing energy consumption through the use of energy-efficient lighting, high-energy performance windows, high-performance building exterior walls with improved insulation, and high-efficiency mechanical system.
- Measurement and verification systems were installed in the building to confirm and track optimized energy consumption.
Materials and Resources
- Based on the total value of materials in this project, the Milgard Center contains a total of 25 percent recycled content. Materials with recycled content include steel, concrete, carpet, resilient flooring, gypsum wall board and tile.
- Goodwill used materials such as brick, concrete and steel, all manufactured within a 500-mile radius to reduce transportation and fuel energy.
- Over 95 percent of the demolition and construction waste was diverted from a landfill.
Indoor Environmental Quality
- Low emitting sealants, adhesives, paints, coatings, carpets and wood composite products were used in the facility.
- To improve the effiency and welfare of the occupants, the building is designed so that 94 percent of the interior occupied areas have direct views to the outdoors.
Innovation and Design Process
- Informational signage to educate staff, participants and visitors about sustainability of the facility have been featured throughout the building.
- Environmentally friendly housekeeping cleaning solutions and methods are utilized throughout the facility.
