International design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman announced that the 280,000 sf new headquarters of GE Energy Financial Services in Stamford, CT has attained LEED Gold status for Commercial Interiors. This is only the second project in Connecticut to attain LEED Gold-CI, and one of only 111 projects in the U.S.
The certification is in the spirit of GE's ecomagination program to address environmental challenges and in keeping with GE Energy Financial Services' renewable energy investing, which features a portfolio of more than $4B in renewable energy projects worldwide. Perkins Eastman's Stamford office teamed with Sustainable Design Collaborative (SDC) as LEED consultant to develop a strategy that included 100% use of green power from wind, 30% reduction in water usage, 20% use of recycled materials in the project's interior finishes, 20% use of materials manufactured within a 500-mile radius, "cradle-to-cradle" furniture, use of low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emitting materials, and incorporation of alternative transportation, including provision for bicyclists. More than 75% of waste was diverted from landfills during construction. Innovative green design features include a series of branding walls that explore the company's history and educate visitors and staff.
"The decision to go green dovetailed beautifully with GE Energy Financial Services' strategy to create an open and collaborative work environment, which affords natural light to all employees," says Design Principal Elisabeth Post-Marner AIA, LEED AP. "Also, choosing not to build new and housing its offices in an existing building that was renovated, while maintaining much of the existing core and shell, added to the environmentally responsive design."
Developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED for Commercial Interiors is a benchmark for the tenant improvement market that gives the power to make sustainable choices to tenants and designers.
According to Scott Dorn, Manager of GE's Corporate Properties and Services Operation, "What makes the 800 Long Ridge Road project intriguing is that it challenges the myth that execution of a LEED Certified project negatively impacts the completion of an aggressive schedule. 800 Long Ridge Road was built with recycled materials and energy efficiency in mind. The building owner, Building and Technology of Norwalk, CT, completed the total renovation from initial design through construction in just nine months."
Building and Land Technology President and CEO, Carl R. Kuehner, III, said of his company, "We fully appreciate the critical importance of sustainability. Our 360,000 sf office tower in Norwalk at 901 Main Avenue has recently been designated an ENERGY STAR rated building, with a score of 94. In addition, BLT is working on an 80-acre, transit-oriented waterfront infill development in Stamford, Harbor Point, and is a pioneer in Smart Growth, urbanism and green building. It has been selected as part of the USGBC's LEED-Neighborhood Development pilot program."
Photos: Paul Rivera/ArchPhoto