Tulsa’s Central Library to get ‘green’ changes

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer on Jun 10, 2013, at 1:52 AMUpdated on 6/10/13 at 2:58 AM

A rendering shows the proposed renovation of Central Library's exterior at 5th Street and Denver Avenue. Courtesy

The almost $48 million project was necessitated by the building's aging mechanical and electrical systems, said Tulsa City-County Library CEO Gary Shaffer.

"We were having to fabricate parts for our mechanical systems" because replacements aren't made anymore, Shaffer said, and the current facility wasn't built for sustainability. "When this building was built, energy was abundant."

That's all changed with the way buildings are constructed now, and energy efficiency is the norm.

"Newer systems are just more efficient," said Terrell Hoagland, director of sustainable projects at Flintco, the contractor for the project.

The new HVAC system will use high-efficiency boilers and chillers and chilled beam system, which is a relatively new technology in Oklahoma, Hoagland said.

"It's super quiet. It provides a larger amount of air at a slower speed," he said.

There will be new LED lighting, water-efficient fixtures in the bathrooms, preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, new windows that let in more natural light and daylight sensors that turn lights off when daylight is in the building. Rainwater will also be collected and stored and then used for irrigation on the property.

"The strategy behind the renovation, it's not just being more energy efficient, that's just one part of it. There's water consumption, types of materials used" including locally produced products, recycled materials and using carpets and paints that aren't as harmful to the air quality.

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Tulsa's Central Library to get 'green' changes