Architect/Engineer Services for Program of Requirements (POR) and Design Services for Production Facility Renewal, United States Botanic Garden

This project will include preparing the Program of Requirements (POR), Schematic Design, phased construction documents and associated cost estimates for various major and minor construction, consolidation, renovation, and relocation activities in accordance with the Master Plan for the USBG Production Facility. This includes the removal and replacement of an existing 82,000 SF Production greenhouse and a new and separate 6,000 SF Quarantine Greenhouse, removal and replacement of several storage facilities, and construction of an education center with a demonstration kitchen and an urban farm. USBG wishes to provide an educational and learning center targeted to school groups, educational and community organizations, and the general public. In addition, the POR and Schematic Design should additionally cover the other various site functions that will be consolidated, relocated, renovated, and/or constructed in accordance with the Master Plan. These areas include, but are not limited to, outdoor growing areas, storage buildings (chemical storage, material storage), mulch bins, and small greenhouses. Provide open growing area equivalent to existing growing areas totaling approximately 18,000 SF. Mulch bins include (3) 17’x10’, (5) 17’x18’, and (3) 30 yd. dumpsters for compost, 750 SF pesticide storage shed, 7000 SF total indoor storage, 6,000 SF quarantine green house, and 5,700 SF hoop houses. Background. The USBG is a living plant museum that informs over one million visitors per year about the importance, and often irreplaceable value, of plants to the well-being of humans and to earth’s fragile ecosystems. As an accredited museum, the USBG maintains and manages a taxonomically diverse collection of plants, including rare and historic plants and specimens of exceptional display quality. A portion of the collection is displayed to the public at the Conservatory; however, a majority of the collection is housed and cared for at the Production Facility. The main greenhouse currently consists of 34 structural bays and a potting hallway. The greenhouse is currently divided into 18 environmental zones with varying humidity and temperature conditions to accommodate the needs of different plants. The Botanic Garden aspires to be a leader in sustainable design and energy efficiency. As the Production Facility represents around 50% of USBG energy usage, improving sustainability at this facility constitutes the strongest remedial action that can be taken at the USBG to reduce energy usage and environmental footprint. Options to reduce net energy use include, but are not limited to, using solar energy, improving efficiency of greenhouse heating and cooling, and potentially installing geothermal wells. Rooftop rainwater collection, modernized misting systems and improved storm water management could reduce the amount of water used and discharged into sewer systems. Cooling the greenhouse is challenging and requires significant effort by workers to manipulate the vents and curtains during the late spring / early fall, and is often simply not possible during the heat of the summer. As currently configured, greenhouse ventilation also has significant negative impacts on potting hall working conditions, especially during summer months when temperatures can be unsafe for employees. Ventilation air pathways should be rearranged in the new greenhouse and potting spaces to provide proper environmental controls for employees in potting areas and to optimize air flow and other environmental controls for growing plants in the greenhouses. Based on discussions with production facility staff, up to 30 panes of glass need to be accessed for replacement annually, exposing staff to hazardous and unsafe conditions due to the absence of fall protection on the greenhouses. The solution posed in July 2012 by LJB Incorporated for adding fall protection required the USBG to install robust metal supports and replace the glass with high impact acrylic glass. This is not the AOC’s preferred solution, as it impacts the amount and quality of sunlight into the greenhouse. The USBG’s mission has grown over time and a new 6,000 SF (square foot) quarantine greenhouse is required that is environmentally isolated from existing buildings to protect the USBG collections from any potential incoming pests or disease. The U.S. Botanic Garden’s work with rare and exotic plants requires that they quarantine all incoming plants in a separate facility to ensure proper health and to ensure no pests are brought into the collections. After spending the appropriate amount of time in the quarantine greenhouse, plants that are determined to be pest- and disease-free would then be transferred to the main greenhouse. The quarantine greenhouse should be designed to exclude pests from entering and exiting the facility with negative pressure for entrances and a separate area for pest screening. The Production Facility greenhouse is served by a separate building (“Headhouse”) which houses central plant equipment, utility services, and administrative functions. While utilities and central plant equipment must be evaluated for capacity, energy efficiency, and possible replacement due to age, the Headhouse building itself will not be renovated, aside from any required updates to its utility systems that also service the greenhouse facilities. Objectives. It is the USBG’s goal to make the Production Facility Greenhouse (PFGH), and associated energy systems and site functions a model facility for sustainable practices. Further, the PFGH and Quarantine greenhouse (QGH) must include provisions for fall protection, maintenance access, and system redundancy following the methods of Prevention through Design. Last, the project must follow the recommendations of the Master Plan with regard to site functions, layout, and construction phasing. The A/E shall survey existing conditions on site, and through record documents. The A/E shall develop a design solution and provide construction documents, including drawings, specifications, and a cost estimate complete and ready for construction procurement in accordance with the AOC A/E Design Manual. The documents shall show demolition and new work requirements for all trades. Overall site area under development consideration is approximately 10 acres. The exact area of development will be determined during POR. As a Brown Field project, a thorough pre-renovation hazardous materials survey, conducted by an EPA AHERA accredited Inspector for asbestos, DC Licensed and EPA Lead Inspector or Risk Assessor for lead and experienced and knowledgeable environmental professionals for PCBs, mercury, and other possible hazardous materials, will be required to identify the location and presence of any hazardous materials.

1 Green Building, Approximately 82,000 SF Renovation.