Forsyth County YMCA

Southface conducted a charrette focused on sustainable design with the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta and it building design team to help set environmental goals and to discuss the most effective strategies with which to achieve those goals. Southface also served as the YMCA’s LEED Administrator, facilitating the LEED certification process. As part of this process, Southface worked to create an energy model for the YMCA to demonstrate the energy savings it could expect.

Environmental Strategies Implemented

Site:

• Reflective concrete hardscapes reduce the heat island effect.

• A reflective roof also reduces the heat island effect and saves energy.

• Bicycle storage encourages the use of alternative transportation.

Water Efficiency:

• The collection of graywater from pool back-flush, sinks and showers supplies 100% of the YMCA’s water used for site irrigation and toilet flushing.

• Waterless urinals, low-flow fixtures and graywater use for toilet flushing have resulted in indoor water savings of 44%.

Energy Efficiency:

• The building’s energy model shows energy savings of 23%.

• The YMCA has undergone extensive building commissioning.

Materials:

• 68% of construction waste was recycled.

• 48% of building materials were regionally manufactured.

• 16% of building materials contained recycled content.

Indoor Environmental Quality:

• CO₂ monitoring within the building ensures proper ventilation.

• A construction indoor-air-quality management plan reduced air contaminants during construction.

• Low-emitting finish materials kept indoor air contaminants to a minimum.

Results

The LEED Silver-certified Forsyth County Family YMCA is a state-of-the art athletic facility built in the center of Vickery, a live-work-play EarthCraft Community about an hour north of Atlanta, Georgia. As the first Metro Atlanta YMCA facility to receive LEED certification, it proudly demonstrates the organization’s commitment to providing environmentally friendly buildings, and reinforces the YMCA mission of enhancing the health and well-being of the communities it serves.