Developers and Owners Focus on High Performance Buildings

Case Study: Wells Fargo Center

Sandra  Leibowitz,  AIA,  LEED  Fellow  

Richmond,  VA  –  January  30,  2013  

VCU  Energy  &  Sustainability  Conference  

Introduction to Sustainable Design Consulting, LLC

•  Offices  in  Richmond,  VA  and  Washington,  DC  •  Woman-­‐owned  small  business  •  Focus  on  greener  solutions  for  the  built  

environment  through  design,  construction,  operations    and  maintenance  

•  Consulted  on  nearly  400  commercial-­‐scale  green  building  and  LEED-­‐related  projects  

•  Mid-­‐Atlantic  region  and  beyond  •  Range  of  current  services  

•  Process  Management  •  Technical  Services  •  Facilities  Services  •  Program  Development  •  Value  Assessment  •  Trainings  

Presentation Outline

•  Project  Overview  •  Unique  Site  Opportunities  •  Development  Opportunities    •  LEED  Project  Highlights  •  LEED  Process  Lessons  

Learned  •  Questions?  

Case Study: Wells Fargo Center

Project Overview

•  Overall  Wells  Fargo  Center  is  a  mixed-­‐use  development  in  downtown  Norfolk,  Virginia  

•  Includes  22-­‐story  office  tower  comprising  258,000  square  feet  of  Class  A  speculative  office  space    

•  Includes  residential  and  retail  components  

Mixed-Use Development

Project Overview Mixed-Use Development

Project Overview LEED Certification

Office  Tower  earned:  •  LEED  for  Core  &  Shell  (LEED-­‐CS)  Gold-­‐level  

certification  in  March  2011  •  First  LEED  Gold  Certified,  high-­‐rise  office  

building  in  Hampton  Roads  

Office  Tower  earned:  •  Hampton  Roads  Association  

for  Commercial  Real  Estate  (HRACRE)  2010  Excellence  in  Development  Design  Award,  Best  Office  Building  category  

Overall  Project  earned:  •   Virginia  Business  2011  Best  

Mixed-­‐Use  Project  

Project Overview Awards and Recognitions

•  Contractor:  Clancy  &  Theys  •  Electrical:  KTA  Group  •  Civil:  The  Vision  Group  •  Landscape  Arch:  The  Vision  Group  •  Commissioning:  Facility  Dynamics  •  Mechanical:  KTA  Group  •  Structural:  Fernandez  &  Assoc.  •  Architect:  Davis  Carter  Scott  •  Energy:  EMO  Energy  Solutions  •  LEED  /  Sustainable  Design:  

Sustainable  Design  Consulting  

Project Overview Project Team

•  Developer:  

Unique Site Opportunities Downtown Amenities

•  Strategically  located  next  to  the  Monticello  light  rail  station  •  Within  walking  distance  of  nearly  3,900  downtown  

residents  and  30,000  downtown  employees,  plus  more  than  70  restaurants  and  the  Hampton  Roads  Theater  District.      

 “We  like  the  fact  that  the  building  is  LEED  certified,  the  layout  of  the  space,  the  metropolitan  location.  .  .  .  [The  building’s  proximity  to  Norfolk’s  new  light-­‐rail  system]  was  also  a  positive.”    -­‐-­‐  Carrie  Cane,  spokesperson  

for  newer  tenant  AECOM  

Unique Site Opportunities Proximity to Mass Transit

Located  within  ¼  mile  and  with  easy  pedestrian  access  to    

•  ‘The  Net,’  a  free  city  bus  system,    

•  The  Monticello  stop  of  the  Hampton  Roads  Transit  (HRT)  system    

•  A  minimum  of  10  basic  community  services  

•  Directly  accessible  by  ‘the  Tide’  light  rail  since  August  2011  

Unique Site Opportunities

Unique Site Opportunities Views!

Unique Site Opportunities Views!

Unique Site Opportunities Views!

Unique Site Opportunities Views!

•  Office  Tower  serves  as  urban  focal  point    

•  Illuminated  penthouse  serves  as  downtown  ‘beacon’    

•  Different  colors  signal:  •  Holidays  •  Sporting  events  

Unique Site Opportunities Signature Downtown Amenity

Project Overview

Economic Considerations Driving Development in Downtown Norfolk

•  Contributes  to  Norfolk’s  Downtown  Improvement  District  

•  Featured  in  “Pattern  Book”  section  of  Downtown  Norfolk  2020  Plan  

•  2010,  2011,  2012  -­‐  Holidays  In  The  City  was  named  as  one  of  the  'Top  20  Events  in  the  Southeast'  by  the  Southeast  Tourism  Society  

Economic Considerations Leasing Example in Downtown Norfolk

•  “The  building  is  reported  to  be  84%  occupied  offering  a  rental  rate  of  $29.50  per  RSF,  full  service.      

•  The  effective  rental  rate  is  over  $30.00  per  square  foot.    These  rental  rates  topple  over  Norfolk’s  average  rental  rate  of  $23.57  full  service.”    -­‐-­‐    Maureen  G.  Rooks,  office  sales  and  leasing  specialist  in  Thalhimer’s  

Virginia  Beach  office  comments  on  the  new  building  opening.    

Economic Considerations Commercial Green Development Example

•  Substantially  preleased  for  reduced  exposure  

•  LEED  Gold,  yet  with  conventional  cost  considerations,  including  for  green  building  attributes  

•  Minimal  first  cost  investment,  yielding  ongoing  returns:  –  Recognition  –  Performance  –  Leasing  

•  Site  Selection  •  Development  Density  •  Alternative  Transportation  

–  Public  Transit  –  Parking  Capacity  (over  25%  reduction)  

•  Stormwater  Quality  Control  •  Heat  Island  Effect  

–  Roof  (TPO)  –  Non-­‐Roof  (Below-­‐grade  parking)  

•  Tenant  Improvement  Guidelines  •  (Light  Pollution  Reduction  not  attempted  .  .  .)  

LEED Highlights Sustainable Sites

•  (Fundamental  Building  Commissioning)  

•  Measurement  &  Verification  –  Base  Building  –  Tenant  

•  Green  Power  (70%)  •  Water  Efficient  Landscaping  

(100%)  •  Water  Use  Reduction  in  the  

Building  (43%)  –  Includes  dual-­‐flush  toilets,  low  

flush  urinals,  and  low  flow  faucets  with  electronic  sensor  shut-­‐off  mechanisms  

LEED Highlights Energy and Water Efficiency

•  Construction  Waste  Management  (over  75%,  exceeding  expectations)  

•  Recycled  Content  Materials  (over  20%)  

•  Regional  Materials  (over  40%)  •  Certified  Wood  (Over  50%,  

almost  lost  due  to  chain  of  custody  certification  issue  in  lobby  panels)  

LEED Highlights Materials and Resources

•  Low-­‐Emitting  Materials  –  Adhesives  &  Sealants  –  Paints  &  Coatings  –  Carpet  

•  Indoor  Chemical  &  Pollutant  Source  Control  

•  Controllability  of  Systems  •  Thermal  Comfort  •  Daylight  &  Views  

–  76%  of  regularly  occupied  space  have  abundant  natural  light  

–  93%  of  regularly  occupied  spaces  have  views  to  the  outside  

•  Green  Cleaning  Plan  

LEED Highlights Indoor Environmental Quality

•  LEED  goals  shift  over  time    •  More  so  for  longer-­‐term  projects  •  Generally  in  response  to  market  uptake  and  changing  expectations  

•  Certified    Silver    Gold!  

•  Some  LEED  documentation  more  efficiently  done  by  the  LEED  Coordinator  for  the  team  members.  

•  SDC  started  to  shift  its  LEED  Process  Management  scope  of  work  accordingly.  

LEED Process Lessons Learned General

•  Project  LEED-­‐registered  before  2  Optimize  Energy  Performance  mandated.  

•  Achieved  Gold  level  with  M&V  and  Green  Power,  but  with  no  Optimize  Energy  Performance  points.  

•  Later  projects  will  have  to  work  harder  on  Energy.  

LEED Process Lessons Learned Design Phase

•  Having  the  construction  team  heavily  involved  in  the  LEED  process  helps  

•  Construction  management  services  

•  Pre-­‐construction  services  

•  Design-­‐build  services  

LEED Process Lessons Learned Construction Phase

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Sustainable  Design  Consulting,  LLC  

www.sustaindesign.net  

Sandra  Leibowitz,  AIA,  LEED  Fellow  

Managing  Principal  

The  Buggy  Factory  1421  Lombardy  Alley,  1st  Floor  Richmond,  VA  23219  Phone:  804-­‐644-­‐3880  x1101  Fax:  804-­‐644-­‐3881    Cell:  202-­‐277-­‐5687  sandra@sustaindesign.net