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What do a Buddhist monk, a volunteer developer with a penchant for meditation and a tree-hugging contractor from Seattle have in common? They are building the first-ever green structure in Safety Harbor, and it just happens to be a Buddhist Meditation Center.

Most residents here freely admit there’s nothing ordinary about Safety Harbor. It is a charming community — an enclave — that seems to somehow defy the faster pace of life elsewhere in Pinellas County.

But for two days in mid-November, the mood at the corner of 6th Avenue South and 2nd Street South was anything but laid back. A three-man framing crew erected all of the exterior walls of the 34- ft. x 28-ft. meditation hall in a fraction of the time they would have spent laying concrete block. And with another day’s effort, the building was dried in. In five more weeks — before the end of December — the construction manager said the project would be completed.

Meditation Hall Rises YoungJin No, above, is construction manager for the project at the ParbawatiyaBuddhist Center on Second Street South in Safety Harbor. She is using a local firm’s prefabricated wall assembly for a state-ofthe-art green building. Bottom, Kelsang Sanden, a Buddhist monk and resident of the center, meditates in a courtyard in front of the new building.

The new meditation hall, part of the Parbawatiya Buddhist Center that first opened here 11 years ago, provides instructions on meditation based on Buddhist teachings. And while the concept of meditation goes back centuries, today’s practitioners will enjoy meditation classes in this community’s first state-of-the-art green building. The walls, manufactured by Platinum Advanced Technologies Inc. (PAT) combine structural strength and insulation in a single building product.

The patent-pending product is made of light-gauge steel, reinforced polyurethane and fiberglass sheeting, according to YoungJin No, construction manager for Parbawatiya Buddhist Center. No, a licensed Florida general contractor who also heads Green Field Development, said the innovative walls are stronger and significantly more energy-efficient compared to batt insulation commonly used in traditional wall assemblies. Also, she said, the new walls are more waterproof, airtight, mold-proof and offer a better barrier protection against termites than traditional products.

“We wanted to find a way to build in long-term energy savings into the new building and PAT wall panels met that criteria,” said No. “The installation is faster and easier with these new walls compared to conventional walls. And, we made a conscious decision to use green, environmentally sensitive products.”

The new high-tech walls deliver a stronger,safer building than traditional concrete block, and save on heating and cooling costs for the life of the building, according to Dennis Hill, project builder. Hill, originally from Seattle, and a licensed Florida general contractor now living in Pinellas County, said he sought the most energy-efficient, green building product and chose Platinum Technology after his research. In terms of energy efficiency, the four inch-thick walls provide an R-Value* of 24.5, according to Mr. Hill, an experienced builder of more than 300 energy efficient homes over the past quarter century.

“The walls for this new meditation hall are about four times better than concrete block in terms of insulating ability,” said Hill. “It was an easy decision when you consider they are also stronger than block, they cost less, and they are consistent with my philosophy of using green products.

”The Platinum Technology walls come to the jobsite ready to assemble in four foot wide panels and a variety of popular ceiling heights, according to a PAT spokesperson. The company noted that its technology could save 100 trees for every 2,000 sq. ft. home, uses recycled materials and means less carbon dioxide in the environment. Also, the new building product means less construction waste, so landfill demands are lower. In addition, the area’s susceptibility to hurricane-force winds means walls need to be stronger, and the strength of the new Platinum Technology walls can be seen in video of a wind-debris test by an independent laboratory on the company’s website: www.platinumadvanced.com.

The technology impressed Danny Sandlin, building official for the City of likes Platinum Technology and endorses the trend toward the use of better building products.

“I expect to see more and more builders using this technology because it’s Sandlin. “After all, we are in hurricane alley.”

Construction Manager YoungJin No and Kelsang Sanden,a Buddhist monk and resident of Safety Harbor’sParbawatiya Buddhist Center, check measurements.

Contractors and developers like Hill and No agree that the benefits of sustainable design and energy conservation can be better accomplished now through building with products like Platinum Technology walls, ceiling and roofs.

“Sure, for some the initial appeal might be to their pocket book,” admits Hill. “But, ultimately the appeal is to the greater senses. It’s the smart thing to do in today’s environment.”

No, who anticipates using Platinum Technology for other upcoming projects throughout the state, said it fits Buddhist philosophy. “We train ourselves through meditation by contemplating the benefits of virtuous minds and the faults of non-virtuous minds. And with mindfulness and effort throughout the day we try to abandon our non-virtuous actions that lead to suffering and practice virtuous actions that lead to happiness.” She added, “When you apply that philosophy to inanimate objects like buildings, green building is a virtuous method of construction.”

Meanwhile, Kelsang Sanden, a Buddhist monk and resident at the Parbawatiya Buddhist Center, posed for a photograph alongside the new Meditation Hall’s innovative walls. 

“The old building and new building are not different in outside appearance,” Sanden said. “In fact, the new Meditation Hall looks like any other residential building. But it’s the inside that makes all the difference.”

Platinum Advanced Technologies, formed in 2004, with headquarters in St. Petersburg and with manufacturing facilities in Slocomb, near Dothan, AL, serves both residential and light commercial markets. The company’s product line includes Platinum Ultimate™ and Platinum Performance™ wall products. Also, its Ultimate product serves as structural and insulation components for roofs and ceilings.

PHOTOS FOR TROPICAL BREEZE COURTESY DON THOMPSON

Don Thompson is a representative of Platinum Advanced Technologies, Inc., St. Petersburg.