California Center for Sustainable Energy

Richmond “Plunge” model for bringing sustainability to historic facilities

When remodeling or retrofitting a historic structure to today’s architectural standards and building codes, there are three cardinal rules: be true to the building’s character, do a green restoration and stay on budget. While it’s not easy to achieve all three, with careful planning, it’s possible to reach a balanced redesign that will optimally support human comfort while protecting ecological systems and providing whole-building efficiency, according to Todd Jersey, a Berkeley, Calif., architect who specializes in eco-restoration and green design.

With more than 20 years experience designing sustainable projects throughout Northern California, Jersey is regarded as a pioneer in green architecture for the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel, the nation’s first LEED Gold certified hotel in 2006.

Jersey’s projects include all types of commercial, municipal, educational and residential buildings, but one of his latest restorations was a bit out of the ordinary – the 80-year-old Richmond Municipal Natatorium, or swim facility, that closed in fall 2001 due to structural failure of its exterior walls. The Richmond “Plunge” reopened in August, and during a recent workshop at CCSE, Jersey described the project and spoke about his ideals for going beyond net-zero building to “net positive, eco design.”

Diving Into Restoration

The Richmond Plunge was built at a time when elaborate, and often ornate, community pools were commonplace, but most of them have long since closed, been torn down and largely forgotten. Among the most famous being San Francisco’s Sutro Baths that burned down in 1966, Seattle’s Crystal Pool (now the site of a luxury high-rise) and many others nationwide. The 160-foot-by-60-foot Richmond Plunge survived the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, however by 2001 it had deteriorated to being unsafe, and city officials closed the doors.

Richmond city voters rejected a bond measure to fund the Plunge’s restoration, and a citizens’ group had all but given up on raising private funds for the $10 million estimated for the project, when Jersey proposed an alternative design plan that shaved about one-quarter off the cost. His plan meant giving up on new amenities such as an exercise room and opting out other decorative extras, but it retained the original function and look of the building while reinstating several architectural features. The $7.5 million project was paid for by redevelopment funds and donations.

“Significant alterations throughout its history had compromised the beauty and character of the original building,” Jersey said. “A beautiful roof clerestory with 60 operable windows was removed from the building in the late 1950s; and we restored it as a critical component of both design and function, providing essential natural illumination and ventilation inside the natatorium.”

Other restoration included removing a 1970s fiberglass coating surrounding the pool and replacing it with tile work that echoes the original, recrafting wall murals and mosaic tile art and repurposing a large, mushroom-shaped decorative fountain that had to be taken out of the pool for health reasons to become an outdoor water feature. Native landscaping surrounds the building.

Swimming into Savings

The restoration was not just about making old things new; it also turned the Plunge into a pool of the future with energy-efficiency, renewable energy and eco-friendly materials and systems.

Energy conservation methods reduce the electrical and gas load over a conventional municipal pool by about one-half. High-efficiency LED high-bay lights were installed as well as variable speed motors for water handling and energy-efficient water heaters and radiant air heaters – all controlled by an advanced energy management system. Solar rooftop installations include a 32- kilowatt photovoltaic system and 3,600 square feet of solar hot water panels. Solar generates about half the energy needs. The combination of conservation and production lead to about 60-70% reduction in energy costs, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

An innovative and popular green and healthy feature is the ultraviolet disinfectant system that eliminates chloramines from the pool water. A saline chlorination system produces pool-cleaning without the bad “chlorine smell” and stinging eyes. The new Plunge pool water feels and smells like fresh, untreated perfectly clear water – and the system costs less than conventional chemical treatment.

Net Positive Eco Design

Jersey and his associates are on a mission to go beyond green building standards to achieve projects that are net positive energy producers with ecologically sustainable design that can be repeated without damaging the local environment. A passionate advocate of eco-education, Jersey calls upon all architects and building designers to join in these efforts.

“We cannot afford to do unsustainable practices better and call them green,” Jersey said. “We need to all have a goal of each project being a net positive, eco-restorative project.”

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