3 BUILDING ENVELOPE
3.1 ENERGY CONSERVATION
3.1.1 GOVERNING REGULATIONS
All new VA facilities must comply with Executive Order 13123, "Greening the
Government through Efficient Energy Management", and meet the requirements of
Department of Energy (DOE) regulations, 10 CFR Part 435, "Energy Conservation
Voluntary Performance Standards for Commercial and Multi-Family High Rise
Residential Buildings; Mandatory for New Federal Buildings".
3.1.2 ARCHITECTURAL REQUIREMENTS
The exterior closure of a building, its "thermal envelope" plays a major role
in a structure's energy performance. It must be designed to minimize heat
gain and loss from conduction, solar radiation, and air leakage. See HVAC
Design Manual, Paragraph 1.9.2, for recommended "U" values for walls,
glazing, roofs, and floors.
3.2 EXTERIOR ENTRANCES AND PLATFORMS
3.2.1 AMBULANCE ENTRANCES
3.2.1.1 PLATFORMS
Provide ambulance entrances for back-in unloading with a platform 150 mm (6
inches) above the access drive. The platform shall have a minimum length of
3.9 m (13 ft.) and a minimum depth of 3 m (10 ft.). Platforms are not
required for drive-through unloading, but require a ramp at the entrance
door. Use drive-through ambulance entrance only as a second consideration and
where the outside winter design temperatures are above 0 degrees C (32
degrees F), as given in the 99 percent column of Table 1, ASHRAE Handbook -
Fundamentals.
3.2.1.2 CANOPIES
Provide a noncombustible canopy at back-in and drive-through unloading areas.
Clearance from grade to the underside of any canopy obstruction shall be 3 m
(10 ft.) minimum. Since some ambulances may require even more clearance, the
A/E must coordinate with the medical center and local sources of emergency
transportation before firmly establishing the canopy height.
3.2.1.3 OTHER PROVISIONS
3.2.1.3.1 Make additional provisions, if deemed necessary, to provide
protection from weather for patients arriving by ambulance.
3.2.1.3.2 Ambulance entrances shall include provisions for wheelchair and
litter access for emergency patients arriving in vehicles other than an
ambulance. For Doors, see Paragraph 3.4.2.4 below.
3.2.1.4 ENCLOSED AMBULANCE ENTRANCES
Enclose ambulance entrances where the outside winter design temperature is
below -12 degrees C (10 degrees F), as given in the 99 percent column of
Table 1, ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals. Equip the enclosed entrances with
automatic overhead type doors operable from both outside and inside of the
enclosure.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN MANUAL
3-1
BUILDING ENVELOPE
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