A Question of Design

I attended the public meeting Tuesday night regarding a natural gas pipeline that will be installed, either on Pre-Emption Road or Route 14A, to serve the new Yates County Emergency Services Building in Benton. As I listened to the rather tense discussions regarding pipeline route, the costs and relative advantages of LP vs. natural gas, the impacts this might have on residents and businesses, I was struck by this fact; we have no idea what the relative price and availability of natural gas, LP, or electric will be in 5 years, much less 25 or 50 years. But we do know is this, if we purchase less energy, it will cost county taxpayers less.

The architect Bill McDonough once said when we design buildings, we must put the “filters in our minds instead at the ends of pipes”. Design is the signal of our intention. If we want certain outcomes, they must be designed into a building from the very start if we are to achieve them.

All new buildings constructed with taxpayer and public money should be intentionally designed to consume as little energy as possible for heat, light, and other essential services, and be intentionally designed to facilitate reasonable energy efficiency enhancements in the future. This should include both the Benton emergency services building and the community recreation center.

It could be as simple as orienting the building and constructing primary roofs that can allow the addition of solar panels and maximum solar reception. Superinsulation to reduce both heating and cooling needs. Energy efficient windows and doors. LED lighting. Geothermal systems with heat pumps. Public areas that limit heat loss. Hybrid systems that seamlessly use different types of energy.

We do not know what the future will bring with technology, political change, natural resources, interest rates, population growth, climate, labor costs, nor do we know what we will need these buildings to provide in 25 years. We do not know what our responsible stewardship of the Yates County common good will require. But what we do know is this; when we use less energy, it costs us less. This should be the primary filter in our minds. This should also be a point of community pride, transparency, creativity and unity - Let’s do this together, for each other, with each other!

Mary-Howell Martens Penn Yan

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