High-Profile Monthly: Annual Green Issue 2012-2013

Annual 2013 1

www.high-profile.comGreen Development News

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BOSTON • LOS ANGELES • NEW YORK CITY • PHILADELPHIA • PRINCETON • WASHINGTON, DC

Inside this Issue Vision 3 Designs Green Campus for PCHC Easthampton Savings Bank, a Bank of Tomorrow North Branch HQ Earns Energy Star Pro Con Receives Three Awards UMass Amherst’s $1B Capital Improvement Program

Cambridge, MA - J. Calnan & Associates, R.G. Vanderweil Engi-neers and Elkus Manfredi Architect announced that their client, Shire HGT, has achieved LEED Gold Certification on the renova-

tion of its existing office building in Cambridge.The project team worked collaboratively to renovate 17,000sf of the first floor office space at 185 Alewife Brook Parkway. The scope of work in-cluded reconstruction of the existing offices and the addition of a new café. All of the work took place in a fully occupied building. ..Read the full story on page 6.

Shire 185 Achieves LEED Gold Delivered by Vanderweil, J. Calnan, and Elkus Manfredi

Reception Desk

The Truth is... by Peter J. Davey An Industry Building its Own Green Future by Grey LeeThe Solar Gold Rush by Richard E. Waitt, Jr., PETraditional Construction Delivery by Dave KimballEfforts to Save Energy ... by David W. Bearg

An annual supplement of

Plus Sustainabilitiy News, Insights and more...

Annual 2013

Annual 20132

www.high-profile.com Green Development News


December, 20102



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Annual 20134



by Anastasia BarnesThis popped into my head when I

first watched the news on television and read the stories of the aftermath posted all over the Web. High-Profile Monthly’s

Pembroke, Mass. office experienced some loss of power for a good part of an evening, but we were blessed not to experience the dam-age that millions across the North-east are still deal-ing with. Even by

the time this article is published, cleanup crews will still be active in the neighbor-hoods of N.Y., N.J., and Penn., where a great deal of the damage was done.

I started to do my own research on the hurricane’s impact on a larger scale. It was unprecedented, the number of news sources, including well-known publica-tions, blogs, and videos that I came across that seemed to be linking Hurricane San-dy to global warming...including one that I’m sure many of you have already read published in BusinessWeek titled, “It’s Global Warming, Stupid.” This is not a platform for questioning whether global warming is real or not–the individual can do his/her own homework–but one thing stood out when reading these different

articles: the words “the new normal.” In other words, the weather patterns that created Hurricane Sandy have become the norm, and according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently spoke to the U.N. General Assembly saying:

“We all know the difficulties in at-tributing any single storm to climate change. But we also know this: extreme weather due to climate change is the new normal.” If you think that’s scary, last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was quoted as saying, “Anyone who thinks that there is not a dramatic

change in weather patterns is denying re-ality...we have a new reality, and old in-frastructures and old systems.”

Scary but extremely true. If you have seen some of the ads for HiPro’s Green section, the slogan reads “for those responsible for the built environment.” That means us...the architects, builders, engineers, subcontractors, the owners and landlords and facility managers of both public and private institutions. So, then I thought, okay, I can’t be the only

one who is hip to the idea that we have to work with Mother Nature and begin approaching design/build in a new way. That’s when I came across an incredibly insightful blog posting called “Hurricane Sandy and the Case for Resilient” Design by Alex Wilson, president of The Resil-ient Design Institute (RDI).

Wilson says, “By building or retro-fitting to achieve resilient design, we can create homes that will never drop below 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit even if the house is totally cut off from power and heating fuel.” He states that resilient de-sign also informs where we build and how

we create infrastructure to deal with storm water. According to Wilson, resilient design also tells us to build with materials that can get wet and dry out again without growing mold. High lev-els of insulation, top-performing

windows, and passive solar technology are just a few features, Wilson explains, that can be used in resilient design.

Apparently Alex Wilson has been trying to spread the word on resilient de-sign for quite some time. The RDI has been around since 1985. It’s an 18-per-son firm out of Vermont that seems to have their pulse on truly building respon-sibly. You can learn more about them at http://www.resilientdesign.org.

Anastasia Barnes

The New Normal Calls for New Design Anastasia’s Favorite Green Resources:

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by Peter J. DaveyEnergy conservation window films of-

fer measurable green building benefits.Caveat emptor (Let the buyer beware)!

Increased demand and investment into en-ergy conservation practices and prod-ucts should give you pause. Are you really going green or have you been veridi lavit (green washed)?

For com-mercial buildings, certification means credibility and the assurance of an in-vestment in authen-

tic green products and practices. Architects, engineers, building owners, and facilities managers not only seek LEED certification for their own peace of mind and assurance of measurable benefit – their tenants, custom-ers, and consumers demand it.

A major component of any building envelope is its fenestration. A 10% to 40% reduction in lighting and HVAC costs can be achieved by improving energy efficiency through the design, placement, and efficien-cy of windows.

Windows are the greatest source of heat loss and gain in any building. Minimiz-ing heat loss in colder months and heat gain in warmer months is crucial to reducing the amount of energy required to heat and cool a building. A quality window film retrofit is recognized as a cost-effective solution for improving any building envelope’s energy efficiency.

Window film manufacturers are now able to certify their products’ energy per-formance ratings according to the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) certifi-cation process. The NFRC provides an inde-pendent, third-party verification of window film performance. Its rating system allows consumers to compare window film prod-ucts and to verify their energy performance. An NFRC label provides units of measure that are valuable when applying for LEED credits, including:

• Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) – a measure (between 0.0 and 1.0) of how well a product blocks heat from the sun. The lower the SHGC, the better a product is at blocking heat gain.

• Visible transmittance (VT) – a mea-sure (between 0.0 and 1.0) of how much light comes through a particular window film product. The higher the VT, the higher the potential for daylighting.

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a sustainable future through cost-effective and energy-saving green buildings and works to that end through its LEED green building program. For architects, engineers, and building own-ers looking to achieve LEED certification, many window films meet LEED Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisites and qualify for LEED credits.

Qualifying categories for credits in-clude “Indoor Environmental Quality,” “Daylight and Views” and “Optimize En-ergy Performance” among others.

Insulating, low-e window films have been specifically designed to conserve ener-gy. Featuring “wavelength-selective” metals

which block more of the solar spectrum than conventional metals, some window films can reduce air conditioning costs by block-ing up to 73% of the sun’s heat. They can also reduce heat loss by up to 30%. Utilizing a metal coating, their construction enables interior room heat to be reflected back into the room. Personal comfort is improved, and reduction in drafts and fluctuations in tem-perature can generate considerable savings on fuel expense.

With ever-increasing demand for en-ergy conservation, recognized and reputable window film manufacturers, such as 3M Company, are working to assist their autho-rized dealers to help facilitate local, custom-ized energy-efficiency rebate programs for large commercial projects.

If a building already has low-e win-dows installed, window film can enhance their performance.

A low-e window can block up to 90%

of UV radiation. The same window with an appropriate window film installed will block more than 99% of the UV radiation that con-tributes to heat loss and gain. Window films also improve the safety of low-e windows. Designed to hold glass in place in the event of blasts, high-impact blows, or violent weather, safety films significantly improve security and reduce the risk of injury and damage to property.

The energy conservation benefits of a quality window film installation are recog-nized by the NFRC and USGBC and qualify for LEED credits. Est veritas (the truth is) – if there is one green product that should not give you pause, it is quality energy-saving window film. An installation now will de-liver immediate results.

Peter J. Davey is president of Ameri-can Window Film, Inc., a 3M Authorized Prestige Window Film Dealer, located in Foxboro and Boston.

Peter Davey

The Truth is…by Grey Lee

The green building industry is strong here in Massachu-setts and with ev-ery passing month, buildings come on line that are more environmentally re-sponsible than what was best practice in the past. Many of these high-per-forming buildings

have earned LEED certification for their leadership in energy and environmental design. The US Green Building Council (which manages the certification process) is represented here by the Massachusetts Chapter. We have a strong tradition in this state of building science, engineering, and architectural research and excellence, both academic and commercial. The USGBC is a community of green building practitioners who have embraced a process of continu-ous, democratic, and science-validated im-

An Industry Building its Own Green Future

Grey Lee Continued on page 14

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Annual 20136



Quincy, MA - J. Calnan & Associ-ates, R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, and Elkus Manfredi Architects an-

nounced that their client, Shire HGT, has achieved LEED Gold certification on the renovation of its existing office building in Cambridge.

The project team worked collabora-tively to renovate 17,000sf of the first floor office space at 185 Alewife Brook Park-way. The scope of work included recon-struction of the existing offices and the ad-dition of a new café. All of the work took place in a fully occupied building.

The project had a fast-track design-construction schedule. Therefore, in order to keep with the pace of the project, the LEED administration team opted to submit to the USGBC/GBCI at one time during construction, in lieu of separate design and construction submissions. This allowed the design team to issue a tight construction package and collaborate on the LEED sub-mission with the construction team to issue one thorough submission to LEED during construction.

The team used BIM to model the unique building architecture. Through the BIM analysis, the design was able to maxi-mize a daylight optimization scheme for Shire’s occupants while simultaneously controlling the glare of a low-horizon sun. As part of the daylight harvesting program, automated window screens were installed that filter the amount of sunlight entering

the space, which assists in minimizing so-lar heat gain and thus assisting to maintain temperature and glare for tenant comfort and minimize energy use for cooling. Addi-tional green elements include an ASHRAE compliant design in terms of the ventila-tion, completely new air-handling systems with full economizer capability; carbon dioxide monitoring in rooms of high oc-cupancy; carbon dioxide monitoring at the air handling units; high efficiency/low-flow plumbing fixtures; low mercury light-ing; the use of all certified wood products from wood blocking to the finished wood panels; no/low VOC paints; metal studs containing recycled aluminum; sheetrock made from previously recycled gypsum product; and the use of all new products (from flooring products to ceiling tiles) that contained recycled content. The team also recycled over 90% of construction debris.

While the team was charged with the goal of LEED Silver certifica-tion, after the initial sub-mission to the USGBC/GBCI for review and the positive LEED reviewer comments, it was imme-diately evident that the team should transition to a higher goal and target LEED Gold certification. With a quick challenge to

the initial credit assessment by the entire design team, including Shire personnel, the USGBC/GBCI reviewed the appeal and the project was awarded Gold certification.

The project team achieved LEED Gold certification while meeting the proj-ect’s aggressive 20-week schedule. This major challenge was accomplished through a thorough planning and design process as well as by scheduled review sessions at key decision points in the project to ensure that the project goals and critical mile-stones were fulfilled. The team’s efficient procurement of materials and equipment was critical to receiving materials in time to meet the schedule milestones.

David Forney, director of capital

projects for Shire, said: “In all of HGT, there are only two projects certified LEED Gold by the US Green Building Counsel (USGBC). Based on the completion date, the 185 ABP project was the first. We are extremely satisfied with the results and the efforts of our construction manager, J. Cal-nan & Associates; architect, Elkus Manfre-di Architects and our design partners R.G. Vanderweil. All have made an exceptional contribution to the advancement of Shire’s sustainability goals.”

Shire recognizes the environmental impact of commercial office buildings – from design and construction to operation and maintenance. These buildings require large amounts of energy while potentially creating a significant amount of waste.

Occupants and building managers face a host of challenges as they try to maintain a healthy, efficient, and produc-tive work environment. Shire has risen to this challenge and is promoting energy and resource efficiency, waste reduction and pollution prevention practices, indoor air quality standards, and other environmental initiatives.

Through hard work, creative think-ing, and sheer determination, the team completed a LEED Gold space that Shire’s employees can call home.

Shire 185 Achieves LEED GoldDelivered by Vanderweil, J. Calnan, and Elkus Manfredi

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Annual 2013 7



Boston - The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) this week re-ceived one of the Clean Energy States Alliance’s (CESA) seven 2012 State Leadership in Clean Energy awards for MassCEC’s Commonwealth Solar Hot Water Pilot Program.

The program offered rebates on a first-come, first-served basis to residential and commercial property owners who in-stall solar panels to power water and space heating in their homes or businesses.

MassCEC Project Manager Christie Howe accepted the award recently at CE-

SA’s fall meeting in Albany, New York.The pilot program also took a nation-

leading approach towards incentivizing the installation of performance monitor-ing equipment for solar hot water systems which generate thermal energy from sun-light to heat water through roof-mounted solar collectors. Heating water accounts for roughly 20% of all home energy consump-tion, and installing a solar water heater can save between 50% and 75% of those costs, reducing the need for traditional fossil fuel sources of energy.

MassCEC Awarded for Solar Program

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Concord, NH - North Branch Con-struction’s Silver Level USGBC LEED Certified corporate headquarters in Concord has earned the US Environmental Protec-tion Agency’s prestigious Energy Star for (commercial) Building and Plants for the third year in a row. The Energy Star is the national symbol for protecting the environ-ment through superior energy efficiency.

The North Branch facility is one of only 12 commercial office buildings in New Hampshire to have earned the EPA’s Energy Star. North Branch improved its energy per-formance by installing cost-effective, en-ergy efficient systems and managing energy strategically across the entire organization.

Energy efficiency was a leading fac-tor in the design of the building’s HVAC and electrical systems, including sophisticated lighting control systems, which not only im-prove the company’s energy bill, but also the occupants overall well-being. Numerous in-

door air quality and occupant comfort mea-sures were introduced, including increased ventilation, improved thermal control, abun-dance of daylight, and views to the outdoors from most occupied spaces. North Branch also established an education program used to promote sustainability and energy effi-ciency ideas among the North Branch em-ployees, clients, and business partners.

North Branch HQ Earns Energy Star

The front entry to North Branch Construc-tion displays the Energy Star Logo.

Boston -The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) announced a new $1 million program to further the development of clean energy technology in Massachusetts.

Under the program, MassCEC will offer between $100,000 and $300,000 for projects designed to address energy challenges facing the commonwealth – such as renewable energy optimization, fuel efficient vehicles or energy storage – and will require 50% in matching funds. MassCEC will award the funds to help companies finance demonstration proj-ects, which test and showcase new tech-nologies in preparation to commercialize technologies for the marketplace.

“Massachusetts companies are creating some of the most leading-edge clean energy technologies. Our support will help them create local jobs across the state and expand the adoption of clean energy,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan.

“Helping our emerging companies bring new technologies to market is at the core of our mission to grow the Mas-sachusetts clean energy economy,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton-McDevitt. “Our investments in workforce develop-ment, incentives, and commercialization are producing results, including double-digit clean energy job growth in Massa-chusetts over the past year.”

Under the Patrick-Murray admin-istration’s leadership, the Massachusetts’ clean energy economy grew by 11.2% from July 2011 to July 2012, according to the 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy In-dustry Report, which shows the growing sector employs 71,523 people at 4,995 clean energy firms across the common-wealth.

The development of clean energy technologies requires a successful dem-onstration and validation of the technol-ogy in order to make it investable and ready for mass production.

$1 M for Innovative Clean Energy

Norwood, MA - The 85-year old Norwood Theater re-opened in August after a year of extensive restoration. The 700-seat performance theater got a historic revival along with modern green design elements. A major element of the renova-tion is the theater’s geothermal heating and cooling system, that provides efficient and cost-effective heating and cooling year-round. The system consists of four 1,500 deep-standing col-umn wells which circulate con-stant temperature groundwater through the building’s mechani-cal systems, extracting heat in the winter and cooling capacity in the summer.

Working as a subcontractor to Tribe-ca Builders, SAK Environmental worked closely with the system designer to secure environmental permits for discharge of bleed water that occurs during peak ther-mal demand periods.

The wells were installed adjacent to the building in narrow alleys between the existing building and the property line. On-site discharge of the bleed water was not possible due to the space limitations and high groundwater. Discharge to a nearby surface water body via the munici-pal storm drain was identified as the most viable option.

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Manchester, NH – Pro Con Inc of Manchester was honored with six awards at the “Excellence in Construction 2012” celebration hosted by The Associated Builders and Contractors of New Hamp-shire and Vermont (ABC NH/VT).

The award-winning projects includ-ed: New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Out-let, Nashua; The Residences at Portwalk, Portsmouth; and The TownePlace Suites by Marriott, North Kingstown, R.I. All three projects were honored with Design Build and Sustainable Awards.

The competitive juried awards pro-gram sponsored by ABC NH/VT recog-

nizes the best projects in the region and the important role that architects and contrac-tors have in delivering successful projects.

“Pro Con Inc is honored to be rec-ognized for these three unique projects,” stated Jim Loft, AIA, senior vice president, Pro Con Inc. “It was a collaborative effort to bring these design-build projects to frui-tion, and we would like to thank the own-

ers for putting their trust in Pro Con Inc and the project team members for their individual contribu-tions and support.”

The 20,000sf New Hampshire Li-quor & Wine Outlet was recognized with a Design-Build Ex-cellence Award and

a Design-Build Sustainability Award.The interior design features exposed

timber post and beam framing with clere-story windows that flood the store with nat-ural light and create a welcoming environ-ment for both customers and employees. The expanded retail floor space allows for a greater selection of products and a more engaging customer shopping experience.

The exterior design uses N.H. gran-ite as a stone base and Hardie plank in mountain sage for the exterior siding. The exterior design has become the prototype for future liquor and wine outlets across the state. Pro Con was the architect and construction manager for the store, that features solar panels, energy-efficient LED lighting, and geothermal heating and cool-ing systems. The project achieved LEED Gold certification.

The Residences at Portwalk was rec-ognized with a Design-Build Excellence Award and a Design-Build Sustainabil-ity Award. Pro Con was the architect and construction manager for the mixed-use development that achieved Leed Gold. The five-story, 96,000sf property is comprised of 36 luxury residential apartments above first floor retail. Sustainable design prac-tices were incorporated into each phase of

construction and operations of the build-ing, which resulted in The Residences at Portwalk attaining a 31% improvement in energy performance when compared to a similar building.

The TownePlace Suites by Marriott was honored with a Design-Build Excel-lence Award and a Design-Build Sustain-ability Award. Pro Con was the architect and construction manager for the 104-key, 55,453sf hotel, that was developed by Wa-terford Development of Needham, Mass. and New Boston Fund Inc. of Boston. The hotel’s sustainable features include a geo-thermal well system for heating and cooling the common space of the building, natural lighting, enhanced air quality, low volatile organic compounds, non-CFR refrigerants, energy-efficient appliances and light fix-tures, low–e windows with insulated glaz-ing, and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

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Annual 2013 9



Providence, RI - Providence Com-munity Health Centers is changing the face of South Providence. This summer it opened a new 42,000sf health center on a 3.5 acre site. The existing buildings had been empty for years, the site was a brown-field, and the neighborhood was desperate for change. Providence Community Health Centers and Vision 3 Architects are creat-ing that change by designing a sustainable campus dedicated to improving the health of the community.

The health center is the first phase of the campus development and is made up of a two-story addition to two existing historic buildings. The buildings were once part of the Federated Lithographers Com-pany, a printing company that opened in

1905. On the opposite side of the site are the buildings that made up the Beaman & Smith Company, a heavy-machine manu-facturer that opened in 1898. The Beaman & Smith building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is undergoing a restoration and renovation that will pro-vide 55,000sf of medical and dental office space. Also planned for the site is a new 5,000sf retail pharmacy building that will support the two medical buildings and the neighboring community.

The new Prairie Avenue Health Cen-ter has been designed to US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design Silver standards. Many of

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Continued on page 11

Photographer Aaron Usher Aerial view of the Prairie Avenue Health Center

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Annual 201310



North Reading, MA - As the price of photovoltaic solar electric sys-tems has fallen considerably over the last few years, solar energy is more ac-cessible. With more and more rebate programs being offered by state and federal agencies, many companies are seeing this as an incentive to minimize building operational costs while being more sustainable.

“What has also made solar power more appealing is that you can enter into a metering agreement with your local utility company, where if your solar system generates more power than you use, the excess power goes back to the electricity grid,” states Chris McCarthy, director of Columbia Construction’s Energy Division. “From the additional power your system generates you can actually gain cred-its (money) back from the grid. For us (Co-lumbia) it was a no brainer.”

In 2011, Columbia Construction em-barked on a solar array project at its head-quarters facility in North Reading. The firm installed a PV solar electric system not only to cut costs, but also to help the environ-ment through sustainable means.

“We are also using our solar array as an educational tool,” states McCarthy. “It has become a great story-telling and les-sons-learned device for our employees, as well as for clients interested in renewable energy.”

Columbia Construction, which pro-vides general contracting and construction management services to a variety of client types throughout the northeast, actually built the system. Upon review of a number of options, the project entailed the installa-tion of 377 solar modules mounted on the rooftop of its 84,000sf office building. The

system is expected to generate a minimum of 105,000 kWh in electricity, save 70 tons of CO2 gas emissions, and provide 35% of Columbia’s office space electrical energy needs – annually!

After witnessing the success of Co-lumbia’s solar project, Teradyne, a leading developer and supplier of automatic test equipment and a nextdoor neighbor to Co-lumbia, had a desire to join the solar energy movement. In an effort to further its sustain-ability mission, Teradyne hired Columbia to install a 640 kW photovoltaic solar array system on the rooftop of three of its build-ings to serve the entire headquarters cam-pus. The system has a projected saving of 710,000 kWh, which is equivalent to the electrical consumption of 90 Massachusetts homes.

Under the Commercial Energy Initia-tive Rebate Program of Reading Municipal Light Department, which is the local utility company in the area, Columbia Construc-tion was offered approximately $45,000 in rebates for its solar project, as well as for chiller performance improvements. Over-all, Columbia will see about 150,000 kWh in energy savings a year as a result of these energy enhancements.

Columbia Saves on Energy Costs

377 solar modules were mounted on the building

by Richard E. Waitt, Jr., PEThe United States is experiencing

soaring growth in the number of ground-based solar energy projects. Different mechanisms are driving interest, including economic return on investments. The US government has often encouraged the de-velopment of solar power through local and federal incentives and rebates. Across the United States, large and small-scale solar power development is booming, yet many projects still face the threat of permitting and construction obstacles.

Solar developers throughout the US and some foreign countries are getting in on the wave of renewable energy: commer-cial-scale ground-based solar. Although California produces over a fourth of the country’s solar energy, the states of New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona, Pennsylva-nia, and Hawaii are also leading the way.1

In 2009, many states promised to de-vote a percentage of their power sources to renewables by the end of the decade. The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act required utilities to use 18% alternative en-ergy by 2020, with 0.5% coming from solar power alone.2 A solar boom in New Jersey has lessened unemployment and brought about nearly 16,000 new solar projects since 2001.3 The New York governor re-cently announced a plan to set aside $34.6 million for the development of solar power. Municipalities in Massachusetts appear in-terested in ground mounted solar PV and are entertaining the option of Power Pur-chase Agreements (PPA) to limit risk while avoiding capital investments.

The solar industry as a whole is

evolving to favor the growth of land-based systems over building-mounted installations. To ad-dress the problem of unequal electricity rates among solar-powered home-owners and others, policy-makers are turning to larger projects. Development of large-scale re-newable energy projects, including solar PV, assists municipalities by reducing their annual energy expenses and serving as a hedge against volatility in the energy sec-tor. Land-based systems positively impact communities by creating more jobs, in-come, and greater flow of electricity to the grid. Rebate structures for smaller systems are replaced by incentives for larger proj-ects that take advantage of the economy of scale.

Definitions of the scale of solar in-stallations vary between region and state. In their Solar Incentive Program, the city of Los Angeles defines “small” systems as projects that produce between 30kW and 150kW, and “large-scale” projects as pro-ducers of between 151kW and 999kW.4 According to the solar permitting standards of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, large-scale ground-mounted solar refers to any system of 250 kW or more.5 Renew-able Energy Certificate prices are based on the size of the installed system - small

The Solar Gold Rush

Continued on page 12

Richard Waitt, Jr.

Amherst, MA - With the campus in the midst of a $1 billion capital improve-ment program, the University of Massa-chusetts Amherst has adopted a new physi-cal master plan that looks 50 years into the future. The plan matches academic vision with facilities to strengthen a sense of com-munity and enhance the campus’ beauty. Chancellor Robert C. Holub said, “UMass Amherst has changed and grown over the past century and a half, from 50 students at its founding to more than 27,000 today. To be successful and realize our current goals, we must continue to meet future challenges with a strong physical framework and a flourishing culture of planning. Our new master plan accomplishes those strategic goals.”

“This plan establishes a shared vi-sion for future development,” said director of campus planning Dennis Swinford. “The administration held more than 90 events in the past year with key stakeholders, includ-ing students, faculty, staff, our host commu-nities, and regional representatives, and that was complemented by web-based surveys and applications to encourage participa-tion.”

Swinford said the process “created an exciting future for the campus,” culminat-

ing in a vision that features new open spaces; streets rede-signed to emphasize multiple modes of transportation and pedestrian safety; parking decks built on the edge of cam-pus; new bikeways; new circulation sys-tems including path-ways with striking views of the Pioneer Valley; improve-ments to utilities; and a strategy to re-use historic buildings including renovation of South College.

To meet the university’s current aca-demic and research mission, the plan locates more than 1 million gross sf of facilities. In an effort to position the university for an unknown future, the plan also illustrates ap-proximately 7 million additional gsf, creat-ing a compact, environmentally sensitive and efficient campus.

The plan adopts an approach that mixes traditional land uses around a core of facilities adjacent to the campus lawns

and pond. This new pattern will encourage a creative environment that will support col-laboration, co-curricular learning, and re-search, Swinford said, and it will help create a vibrant environment all day and through-out the year. The more “compact/urban environment” in the campus core will also support the campus’ sustainability agenda by promoting shared resources, walking, and the careful use of land.

The heart of the plan, Swinford said, is to create a sense of place by designing a unique, cohesive physical character for the

campus. “Through thoughtful siting of new buildings for classrooms, housing, adminis-tration, and research, the master plan illus-trates how we can build a world-class, cam-pus open-space,” he said. “The system will consist of new pedestrian paths, view corri-dors, courts, quads, and complete streets that will create spaces to be remembered and cherished by visitors, by students who spend four years here, or faculty and staff who in-vest a professional lifetime at UMass.”

UMass Amherst has a long tradition of campus planning that dates back to 1866 and the first plan for the campus by Freder-ick Law Olmsted. The most recent master plan was adopted in 1993 and updated in 2007. The campus embarked on a 10-year, $1 billion capital improvement program in 2004, setting the stage for re-visioning the campus’s future.

Eras and circumstances change in greatly unexpected ways, and Swinford said it’s imperative to return to this campus master plan regularly, to assess and revise it as needed. That’s why the participation and debates of the past year were so important. “To be successful today and in the future, we must have a flourishing culture of plan-ning, and this process was vital in creating that foundation.”

UMass Amherst Announces $1 Billion Capital Improvement Program

Existing open space Proposed open space

Annual 2013 11



Waterville, ME - ARC/ Architectural Resources Cambridge, Mass. has com-pleted the design of a new $11 million, 13,000sf biomass plant at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

“The new plant will reduce Colby’s dependence on oil by 90% and makes it the first college in the state of Maine to operate a large-scale biomass plant,” said Philip Laird, AIA, LEED AP, president of ARC.

Laconia, N.H.-based Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering P.C. (RFS) invited ARC to work with Colby College to re-duce its reliance on oil to heat the campus through creation of the Colby College Bio-mass Cogeneration Plant. The new plant burns forest waste and debris – treetops and bark that cannot be used by other pulp operations – instead of oil. The cost sav-ings switching from oil to biomass is ex-pected to pay for the building in six to 10

years. The fuel will come from sustainable forest operations within a 50-mile radius of the campus. The twin 400-horsepower, biomass-fueled boilers produce steam used for heat, hot water, cooking, and co-gener-ation of heat and electricity. Colby College received a $750,000 grant from Efficiency Maine to assist with the project.

The new power plant provides ther-mal and partial electrical service to 30 campus buildings, totaling 1.25 million sf of space.

The new biomass power plant is ex-pected to reduce Colby College’s carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 14,000 tons per year.

Laird served as principal-in-charge, and ARC’s Christopher Angelakis was project architect during the design and con-struction of the new biomass plant.

ARC Completes Colby Design

the sustainable features of the project came from the site itself. The project is located in a dense, urban community, and was a pre-viously developed brownfield site. Patients and staff are encouraged to bike or take public transportation to the health center, that is served by three bus lines. Preferred parking spaces are assigned for low-emit-ting fuel vehicles. Providence Community Health Centers was awarded a Narragan-sett Bay Commission award for the design of the storm water system, which captures and treats 100% of the storm water on site.

The reuse of the existing building shell helped the health center to maintain an aesthetic connection to the neighborhood while rehabilitating a historic structure and limiting the amount of demolition waste brought to landfills. Many of the historic qualities of the existing buildings are cele-brated in the exterior and interior design of the project. Exterior and interior masonry walls were restored to their original condi-tion, the heavy timber structure and plank decking were cleaned and are exposed to many of the interior public spaces, and the buildings’ original window openings that had been blocked over for many years have been reopened to flood the interior spaces with natural daylight. A daylight harvesting

system takes full advantage of the natural light to minimize light fixture use.

The exterior design of the new addi-tion contrasts and complements the existing buildings. The addition features a horizon-tal curtain wall of clear and frosted glass framed with anodized aluminum framing and solar shades. The sand colored con-crete block and patina green metal panels provide an appropriate contrast in color to the existing buildings. The addition’s three-story vertical brick stair tower ties the addi-tion and the existing buildings together and helps anchor the health center to the site.

The materials used for the interior of the health center were selected because they would contribute to a healthy envi-ronment for patients and staff. All of the paints, sealants, wood products, and fur-niture meet high standards for improving the indoor air quality of the building. Steps were taken during construction to protect the mechanical system, and air quality tests were performed prior to occupancy to en-sure that the building is a healthy place to work and visit.

The new health center has 45 exam rooms and includes pediatric, internal medicine, ob/gyn, urgent care, behavioral health, and specialty clinics. Providence Community Health Centers is the largest community health provider in Rhode Is-

land Serving over 35,000 patients a year.

LEED initiatives include reduced heat Is-lands through the use of white TPO roofing; 40% water use reduction by use of low-flow fixtures; expected energy savings: 20% below ASHRAE standards; recycled 100% non-hazardous construc-tion debris; 80% FSC cer-tified wood-base products; 27% recycled content; low voc materials, products and furniture; 16% region-al materials and 100% of storm water captured and treated on site.Interior view of new health center

Providence Community Health Centers

Continued from page 9

Vision 3 and Providence Community Health Ctrs.

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Annual 201312



Providence, RI - Brewster Thornton Group Architects (BTGA) an-nounced that the Bristol Fire Department recently became the first municipal-ly-owned building in the state to be awarded LEED Silver.

The new facility con-sists of 16,500sf of careful-ly designed space housing three departments in one fa-cility: administrative head-quarters, division of EMs, and training division (with spaces that are multi-functional). Upgrades and renova-tions to the existing 5,600sf Hydraulion Engine and Hose Co. No. 1 station, as well as the new station, have received LEED Silver certification.

Key sustainable points include: day-light sensors to reduce lighting cost; low-maintenance interior finishes – polished concrete floors, ground-face concrete block walls, galvanized metal ceiling decks; no-water-needed landscaping; low mainte-nance exterior finishes; long-lasting roof-ing materials that reduce heat-island effect; on-site storm water retention; reuse of roof drainage for washing of fire trucks; high ef-ficiency glazing and specialized panels that distribute daylight deep into the interior; low-voc paints, carpets, millwork finishes; high recycled content in ceiling tiles, lino-leum, countertops, steel, concrete, mill-work, lockers, carpet, storefront, concrete backup block, asphalt, drywall; most mate-rials locally sourced and/or manufactured; high efficiency heating and cooling sys-tems monitored by programmable controls; insulation values that exceed code require-ments and energy efficiency improvements to the existing adjacent facility.

Even though the construction period was extended due to inclement weather conditions, the project was completed un-der budget.

BTGA’s mission is to produce works of lasting quality that improve the built and natural environments. The company strives to meet the clients’ goals through superior design solutions while committing to use its expertise and the operations of its busi-ness to make a positive difference in the communities in which they design.

BTGA has placed an emphasis on sustainability since its founding and has continued to develop an award-winning practice of renovation and adaptive reuse. Barbara Thornton was the second Leader-ship in Energy and Environment Design Accredited Professional, LEED AP, in the state of Rhode Island and understands how project requirements need to be designed and evaluated against the LEED Checklist.

Two additional staff members are also LEED accredited and are pursuing sustainability options in their careers. In 2011, Mary Dorsey Brewster, a founding partner of the company, was published in the Journal of Green Building describing effective techniques for sustainable adap-tive reuse/renovation.

Bristol Fire Department Awarded LEED Silver

Bristol Fire Department

The Solar Gold Rush

systems create 10 kW or less; large sys-tems, between 10 kW and 1 MW.6

Larger scale solar PV operations can qualify as energy generators and receive REC’s in RPS eligible states. They provide energy through a whole-sale power sales transaction, usually to a utility. Energy generators fall under Federal Energy Regulatory Commis-sion (FERC) rules for interconnection. The FERC regulates system safety and reliability. The Solar Energy Industries Association hopes to quicken and lower the costs of grid interconnection, which would create countless opportunities for many new solar projects to connect to the grid.

Despite the new popularity of so-lar PV projects, implementing a project at any scale presents a number of chal-lenges. Before a PPA may be finalized or construction may begin, regulatory permits must be secured and the design finalized. The importance of these steps is often underestimated or, in some cas-es, completely overlooked. Construc-tion planning must account for solar-specific considerations. Many regional planning commissions are receiving in-quiries from member communities and have started analyzing the benefits and optimization of an aggregated approach.

Solar developers are finding that land use considerations add a level of complexity unrelated to their experience with installations of building-mounted solar PV systems. In the crucial time span of construction, any added delay poses a serious concern. Delays may result from a lack of understanding of land use considerations that can cost the project proponent unanticipated time and money.

Permitting a commercial scale system requires the expertise of land use professionals. Land use restrictions require research and experience to de-termine potential impacts on the devel-opment and grid connection of a solar array. Such restrictions include ease-ments, deed restrictions, hidden subsur-face utilities, storm-water surface run-off, flood plains, land use restrictions, grid interconnection/access, title owner-ship, zoning restrictions, and other regu-latory controls.

Title and ownership issues must be vetted prior to design to ensure that there is clear title to the land and that the parcel is not subject to prohibi-tively restrictive easements or other encumbrances that may interfere with construction or long-term operation. Potential land use restrictions should be evaluated to insure compliance with regulating limitations and to avoid con-

flicts with ownership or deed restric-tions.

Every state has different land use restrictions and policies. In addition, stakeholders may attempt to restrict the placement or use of solar panels. Their concerns are mainly for visual reasons – color, size, and visibility. The public review process is often more productive when advanced outreach and education about the project is initiated at an early stage. Developers and consultants must properly explain the visual and environ-mental impacts to stakeholders in order to avoid costly redesigns, time delays, and potential appeals.

Environmental regulations require protection of natural resources such as wetlands and endangered species habi-tats, which may preclude any develop-ment on the site. Flood zones, drainage design, and access to the site, including roadways and utility infrastructure, re-quire design calculations to ensure that the removal of vegetation and the intro-duction of impervious surfaces will not create a burden from storm water runoff to abutting or downstream properties. Securing regulatory permits may be as challenging as other residential or com-mercial land developments.

Many ground-based projects nev-er reach the construction phase because of inadequate due diligence, design, or the permitting process. Maintenance, insurance, and risk must be factored into the project proforma, prior to sub-mission, to ensure a PPA that will work for both parties.

Delays due to poor planning and restrictions potentially slow the growth of the ground-mounted solar power, an industry that is otherwise flourish-ing within communities throughout the United States.

1 Navarro, Mireya, “The Top 10 Solar States, 2011.”

2 The EPA, Energy Portfolio Stan-dards and the Promotion of Combined Heat and Power, 2009.

3 Governor Christie Builds on Record of Growing Renewable Energy Sources with Action to Strengthen Solar Market, 2012.

4 Patel, Deep, “Los Angeles Cali-fornia’s Incentive Programs for Large and Small Solar Systems, 2012.”

5 Department of Energy Resourc-es, Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Model As-of-Right Zoning Bylaw: Allowing Use of Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Installations, 2012.

6 PNM Solar Energy Customer Program.

Richard E. Waitt, Jr., PE, is a principal at Meridian Associates in Beverly, Mass.


St. Paul, MN - Opened in October 2012, Hamline’s new Anderson University Center in St. Paul looks both inward and outward, its curving terracotta and glass form creating a prominent and welcom-ing face where the urban campus meets the city of St. Paul. With casual dining facili-ties, roof terraces, flexible event space, and student organization offices, the center is a landmark and a living room for the campus community.

From the sculptural form of a solar array on the center’s south façade and the planted roof above the campus entry to the less apparent use of efficient mechanical systems and energy modeling tools, the Anderson University Center also speaks to Hamline University’s commitment to envi-ronmentally responsive design and opera-tions.

Integrated green technologies in-clude solar panels, daylight harvesting, green roof, energy modeling, high-perfor-

mance building envelope, efficient me-chanical systems, and sustainable water management.

Shepley Bulfinch of Boston served as the architect for this $36 million project.

Sustainability at the CenterShepley Bulfinch Architect for Hamline’s Anderson Ctr.

Photo by Alex Fradkin Hamline’s Anderson University Center, with solar panel array on the façade on

the right.

Annual 2013 13



by David W. BeargOne key point of integrated design is

the acknowledgement that the various as-pects of a building and its HVAC system interact. This is especially true with efforts to reduce energy consumption in a build-ing, as these changes in building opera-

tion can adversely impact the amount of ventilation pro-vided.

As an ex-ample, I can point to a lighting retrofit project in a build-ing served by a variable air volume (VAV) system. Since improved lighting

technologies produce less waste heat, their implementation reduces the cooling load on the building. This in turn means that less cooling air will be provided to main-tain thermal comfort. With no change in the percent of outdoor air in the supply air, the amount of ventilation will be reduced as well.

From a financial standpoint, this situ-ation can be penny wise and dollar fool-ish. This is because on a square foot basis, people costs far exceed those of energy. I find that people costs in commercial build-ings are around $300/sf, while energy costs are around $3/sf.

This situation can illustrate how an energy-saving effort can end up costing more money than it saves due to losses in productivity.

Let’s say a lighting retrofit saves 5% of a building’s energy use, or 15 cents/sf in this building with a VAV system, while the reduction in ventilation reduces the value of the worker productivity by just 1%. At around $300/sf for people costs, this 1% loss in productivity has a value of $3/sf. Pennies saved, dollars lost! So just focusing on energy, while ignoring health-fulness, can end up moving away from optimizing building performance, when productivity is included in the equation. Imagine if the productivity loss were 2%, how much worse this would be.

Conversely, if a 1% increase in the productivity of the workforce could be achieved by increased ventilation, this added benefit could justify a doubling of energy costs and it still would be revenue neutral.

In one published retroactive study comparing multiple office spaces, it was found that increased ventilation resulted in a significant reduction in short-term absen-tee rates. In this study, for every $1 invest-ed in conditioning more OA, $6 in reduced absentee rates were achieved.

Another relevant fact about the people in a building is that they emit carbon dioxide (CO2) at a concentration of about 40,000 parts per million (ppm). Therefore, monitoring CO2 levels through the day can provide a dynamic assessment of the rela-tionship between these people, their num-

bers, their activity levels, their duration of occupancy, and the ability of the ventila-tion component of the HVAC system to di-lute and remove their bioeffluents.

Achieving a noticeable reduction in absenteeism by rapidly diluting and re-moving these air contaminants requires providing ventilation rates in excess of those listed in ASHRAE Standard 62.1. The ventilation rates listed in this standard are merely intended to achieve “accept-able” IAQ where at least 80% of those ex-posed are not dissatisfied.

Or looked at another way, up to 20% can be dissatisfied. Like the building code that defines the worst building you can le-gally build, ASHRAE 62.1 defines the low-est level of ventilation you can get away with. In both cases, quality increases when these standards are exceeded. This fact also points out a limitation with the LEED ap-proach to IEQ, which is merely based on achieving the ASHRAE Standard 62.1 listed minimums, which is not enough ven-tilation to actually provide a healthy indoor environment.

The operational challenge becomes one where you not only need to provide more ventilation than listed by ASHRAE 62.1, but you need to accurately know how much ventilation is actually provided to a building’s occupants. The key questions become: What are the most important things to know about building operations? And what is the best way to get that infor-mation?

The most accurate way to determine how much ventilation is actually being provided is to use one of the shared-sensor monitoring systems that measure CO2 con-centrations.

In this approach, air samples are transported via tubing from multiple loca-tions in the building to a central location and one accurate sensor. In Figure 1, there is data from one example where room-to-

room variations in the amount of ventila-tion provided is shown. The underventi-lation events are occurring in Conference Rooms where the VAV systems are failing

to open promptly as the controls wait for a rise in local temperature to provide the signal for more ven-tilation. In this example, the high-est CO2 reading of 1,182 ppm, oc-curring when the outdoor air value was 426 ppm, implies that the ven-tilation rate provided could be no greater than 14 cfm/person, well below the ASHRAE listed mini-mum of 20 cfm/person. The CO2 data presented in this figure was collected by one of the shared sen-sors, so that all measurements for this parameter were measured with the same laboratory-grade device. Using this monitoring approach makes it easy to measure absolute humidity as well so that moisture management performance, as well as ventilation performance, can be assessed too. Remember, you can’t manage what you don’t measure. And similarly, the better some-thing is measured, the better it can be managed.

David W. Bearg, P.E is the author of Indoor Air Quality and HVAC Systems.

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Royersford, PA - Since its inception in 2009, GreenCircle Certified, LLC, a leading third-party verifier of environmen-tal claims, has been focused on bringing transparency to green building through ac-curate recycled content reporting. The lat-est LEED Interpretation Ruling (LIR) for Recycled Content deems national averages as unacceptable for LEED documentation, and validates GreenCircle’s long-standing drive for specificity.

The market issue is that some manu-facturers use North American/national av-erages in lieu of plant-specific data; in “av-eraged” results, some products or plants may be misrepresented and could reflect inflated recycled content information; and builders/architects specifying a product to maximize recycled content are being mis-led, and may not meet LEED requirements.

Resolution: USGBC released LIR on October 1, 2012, which sets the standard for recycled content claims and documen-tation for LEED projects looking to achieve points for MRc4 Recycled Content.

GreenCircle applauds the USGBC’s latest ruling, which addresses the issue of potential green-washing by some manu-facturers. As stated in the formal LIR, “An average recycled content claim, especially one that incorporates multiple product lines or places of manufacture, does not meet the credit intent and is not acceptable for LEED documentation.” This ruling de-mands product and plant specific recycled content evaluation and documentation. “Recycled content claims must be spe-cific to the installed product (and therefore place of manufacture); regional or national claims do not meet credit requirements.”

GreenCircle Ahead of the Curve

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Copyright 2005, AIRxpert Systems, Inc.

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http://www.gotint.com

Annual 201314



provement of building science technology and design approaches.

LEED is just one way the green build-ing profession has been able to evolve rap-idly to meet the needs of our society for improved buildings and a more beneficial built environment. Thousands of USGBC member organizations and almost 200,000 professionals have collectively built a brand that has been the catalyst for fundamentally changing the way we think about design-ing, constructing, and operating buildings in the United States and across the globe. The LEED rating system reflects the collective expertise and design intelligence of envi-ronmental advocates and building industry professionals who have helped to create it.

Thanks to their wisdom, LEED has set clear, measurable performance goals that challenge the marketplace to build better buildings. The environmental im-provements across the board and boom of innovation in the industry are a return on investment that has benefited this coun-try and beyond. And LEED has evolved, strengthened and improved over the years. LEED’s performance standards have been raised and have become more difficult time and time again to challenge the industry to reach a little higher as the market has ad-vanced. Many entities have recognized the benefits of LEED buildings, including the state of Massachusetts, the cities of Boston and Cambridge, and Acton, Arlington, and Medford.

What we have built at USGBC demonstrates that a strong economy and a healthy environment can go hand-in-hand. The progress we have made is brought to us by environmental advocates and the build-ing industry to include large and small com-panies, architecture, and engineering firms, as well as developers, builders, home own-ers, contractors, manufacturers, students, teachers, and others who have committed themselves to this effort. All of these enti-ties are working together to create a rating system that guides design, construction and operations of buildings in a smart and effi-cient way so future buildings can save more

energy, conserve water, reduce waste, and improve the indoor environment. That is no small feat.

We are encouraged when members and nonmembers alike develop new tools, cutting edge environmental innovations, and next-generation products and services that support everything we’re trying to do. With these new products and tools come advancement in design and conservation as well as economic development. The LEED green building program has spurred explo-sive growth in energy-efficient buildings, which has supported almost 8 million jobs across all 50 states and contributes $554 bil-lion to the US economy annually. We are proud of that economic progress.

The best part of LEED is that it is not – and never will be – a tool for man-datory regulation because it is a voluntary, market-based green building program with deep roots in the private sector. The benefit of this nonregulatory approach is that LEED is constantly and continuously being im-proved. It isn’t a perfect system, and thank-fully because of developments in innovation and technology, it has to be updated and will never be stagnant or complete.

Today, more than 9 billion sf of build-ing space is participating in LEED because the results are clear. LEED-certified build-ings with lower operating costs and better indoor environmental quality are more at-tractive to a growing group of corporate, public, and individual buyers. High-per-forming buildings are increasingly entering into tenants’ decisions about leasing space and into buyers’ decisions about purchasing properties and homes.

USGBC has come a long way, and we are proud the measures that were once thought of as impossible or hard to reach are now industry standard. We will never stop raising the bar.

Grey Lee is the executive director if the Massachusetts Chapter of the nonprofit United States Green Building Council (US-GBC). The chapter strives to promote sus-tainable and environmentally responsible planning, design, construction, and opera-tion of all of Massachusetts’ buildings, land-scapes, cities and communities.

Boston - The Massachusetts Chap-ter of the United States Green Building

Council (US-GBC) announced the appointment of Grey Lee as its new executive director in order to better serve the thriving com-munity of green building profes-sionals across the state.

His prima-ry responsibilities will be to cultivate a stronger and larger network of USGBC constituents, to advocate for green build-ings and sustainability-oriented legisla-tion and regulations, and to improve the organization’s capacity through fundrais-

ing, volunteer management, and bring-ing on staff. He will work with the board of directors to implement the chapter’s strategic plan and achieve its forward thinking vision for green buildings for all within this generation.

Lee has worked in the green real estate field for over 10 years as a broker, consultant, trainer, and project manager. He also has served as the executive di-rector of a community educational farm near Boston and as a real estate broker, focused on green projects and sustain-ability oriented clients.

He is the co-founder of the Ap-propriate Infrastructure Development Group, incubating small businesses in the global south to provide renewable energy, sanitation, and drinking water to small communities sustainably.

USGBC Appoints Grey Lee


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High-Profile Monthly

by Janet MorraThe shift toward green office design

is moving at a fast clip around the country. Companies are not only looking for more energy-efficient and sustainable features,

but also workplace efficiency and well-ness. Recently, Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA) helped a longtime client reach beyond the gold standard in green design – to a LEED Platinum for Commercial Interi-

ors certification. Forrester Research, Inc. achieved that designation with MPA’s de-sign of its new six-story, 190,000 square foot corporate headquarters at Cambridge Discovery Park in Cambridge, Mass. LEED Platinum cer-tification is the high-est possible rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Forrester project is one of the few corporate com-mercial interiors projects in Cambridge to earn the distinction.

Factors that contributed to the LEED Platinum rating included the selec-tion of a LEED Gold base building. The design will result in a 35% reduction in water use, and a 35% reduction in light-ing power due to the use of LED lighting and daylight responsive controls. Energy Star-rated equipment and appliances are also being used in Forrester’s headquar-ters. During the building process, 97% FSC certified wood products were used and almost 80% of construction waste was diverted from landfills.

Forrester Research is an indepen-dent research firm that provides forward-thinking advice to global leaders in busi-

ness and technology. That same line of thinking was applied to the new office space, which is not only sustainable, but embraces an alternative workplace design aimed at fostering collaboration and com-munication. With no private offices, the new headquarters features an open work-space with workstations clustered around white-board clad team rooms, creating neighborhoods with community spaces. In addition to the team rooms distributed around the space, there are quiet rooms for concentrated work and larger glass-fronted team rooms clustered at the center of each floor. Kitchen areas, lounges, and a café create a welcoming environment for both employees and visiting clients. And in another nod to nature, the building overlooks a newly restored “Urban Wild,” a naturalistic designed landscape that can be used for recreational purposes.

For more than a decade, MPA and For-rester have been partners on mul-tiple projects, in-cluding the recent design of For-

rester’s New York City and San Francisco offices. “Having worked together for ten years, MPA understands our collabora-tive culture and flexible work style, as well as the importance of sustainability to our company,” says Jean Baranowski, vice president of corporate services at Forrester Research. “We are proud of our new headquarters and this well-deserved LEED Platinum certification.”

MPA and Forrester are leading by example for companies looking to move from the cubicle – to a more innovative and green-conscious way of working.

Janet Morra, AIA, LEED AP ID+C, is a principal at Margulies Perruzzi Ar-chitects.

Photo by Bruce Rogovin

Janet Morra

Forrester ResearchAchieves LEED Platinum

During the building process, 97% FSC certified wood products were used and almost 80% of construction waste was diverted from landfills.

http://www.high-profile.com

Annual 2013 15



Springfield, MA - At the center of downtown Easthampton sits the stately Easthampton Savings Bank. A brick Greek Revival façade faces the 19th century brick buildings across the street. The downtown is a harmonious whole of simple mercan-tile and mill buildings.

Dietz & Company Architects was ap-proached by Easthampton Savings Bank to design their new Loan and Banking Center. The challenge was to meet the bank’s re-quest for a new building that would reflect their vision of a bank of tomorrow and at the same time be rooted in the architecture of the Easthampton area – local architec-tural vernacular in a thoroughly contempo-rary building. From the high-performance glass curtain wall that lets in generous amounts of natural light while controlling solar gain through the use of glass coatings and sunscreens, to the photovoltaic panels that cover the roof, this is a building of the

21st century. In fact, the building is 48% more efficient than a typical building.

In the main lobby, a computer monitor mounted on the wall displays the amount of solar energy that is being gener-ated. The first floor contains a branch bank that reflects Easthampton Savings Bank’s vision of the future of retail banking. The teller line is an inviting design that allows customers to complete their transactions sitting at a desk or standing. The floors above house the bank’s various depart-ments and conference rooms that look out to Mt. Tom. The building’s masonry exte-rior is highlighted by a stair tower at the entry which will be illuminated at night, providing a beacon along Route 10 and a refreshing alternative to the commercial strip architecture that has become all too common outside of New England cities and towns.

Easthampton Savings BankA Bank of Tomorrow

Easthampton Savings Bank

Bedford, NH - Bed-ford Falls, Benchmark Se-nior Living’s newest As-sisted Living community, constructed by C.E. Floyd Company and designed by Bechtel Frank Erickson Ar-chitects, is expected to re-ceive the Platinum certifica-tion through the USGBC’s LEED for Homes rating system this fall. Platinum is the highest level in the LEED for Homes Certifica-tion ranking, and Bedford Falls is one of the first as-sisted living facilities in the US to reach this level.

“Benchmark Senior Living is very proud of Bedford Falls and our ability to provide our excellence in care and envi-ronment to the seniors in that market,” said John Dragat, senior vice president of development at Benchmark Senior Living. “We are equally pleased with our anticipat-ed LEED Platinum certification. As an or-ganization, we made the decision to build the community with these standards to pro-vide a high quality, healthy environment to our residents in addition to realizing long-term energy efficiencies and reduced op-erating costs in the years to come…LEED Platinum is the right thing to do for our residents and for the environment. It is our intention that all future Benchmark com-munities will be built to LEED standards.”

The building is in position to be an exceptionally high performance facil-ity, with significantly reduced energy and water consumption as a result of reaching the summit of the LEED for Homes rating system.

Lauren Baumann, vice president at New Ecology, Inc., a community-based sustainable development company, worked alongside the project team and played a crucial role in obtaining Platinum certifica-tion for Bedford Falls.

“The unique feature of the LEED for Homes rating system, as compared to other USGBC rating systems, is that certification is dependent on third-party inspections…at frequent intervals,” said Baumann. “[The inspections] confirm that the build-

ing is meeting rigorous standards related to energy and water use, indoor air qual-ity, durability, materials use, and natural resource impact. The Bedford Falls facility achieved stellar results…”

Exceptional highlighted achieve-ments comprise an insulation installation that met Grade I, which is the highest ob-tainable standard, as well as exceptionally low air infiltration, as a result of a sophis-ticated exterior envelope air sealing ap-proach (1.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pas-cal). Additionally, 77% of all construction waste was recycled.

The quality and high level of perfor-mance of the building, the quality repu-tation of Benchmark Senior Living, and extensive marketing efforts led to an ex-ceptional lease-up for a new community; currently at 65%.

C.E. Floyd Company, Inc. special-izes in construction management for senior housing, private education, corporate, and hospitality markets with offices in Massa-chusetts and Connecticut, serving South-ern New England. Benchmark Senior Liv-ing has 46 communities throughout New England that offer assisted living, memory care, independent living, and short term/respite care. LEED for Homes is a con-sensus developed, third-party-verified, voluntary rating system which promotes the design and construction of high-perfor-mance green homes. New Ecology, Inc. is a community-based sustainable develop-ment company that promotes development solutions that deliver positive economic, environmental, and social returns.

Floyd Takes the LEED in Green Design

Bedford Falls

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Annual 201316



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Inside this Issue Vision 3 Designs Green Campus for PCHC Easthampton Savings Bank, a Bank of Tomorrow North Branch HQ Earns Energy Star Pro Con Receives Three Awards UMass Amherst’s $1B Capital Improvement Program

Cambridge, MA - J. Calnan & Associates, R.G. Vanderweil Engi-neers and Elkus Manfredi Architect announced that their client, Shire HGT, has achieved LEED Gold Certification on the renova-

tion of its existing office building in Cambridge.The project team worked collaboratively to renovate 17,000sf of the first floor office space at 185 Alewife Brook Parkway. The scope of work in-cluded reconstruction of the existing offices and the addition of a new café. All of the work took place in a fully occupied building. ..Read the full story on page 6.

Shire 185 Achieves LEED Gold Delivered by Vanderweil, J. Calnan, and Elkus Manfredi

Reception Desk

The Truth is... by Peter J. Davey An Industry Building its Own Green Future by Grey LeeThe Solar Gold Rush by Richard E. Waitt, Jr., PETraditional Construction Delivery by Dave KimballEfforts to Save Energy ... by David W. Bearg

An annual supplement of

Plus Sustainabilitiy News, Insights and more...

Annual 2013

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High-Profile Monthly: Annual Green Issue 2012-2013

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