New England utility National Grid announced that its new corporate center in Waltham, Mass. has earned Platinum-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The building is one of only two single-tenant buildings in the world to earn LEED Platinum designation for both core and shell construction and for its commercial interior. It is the first certified LEED Platinum core and shell building in Massachusetts, and one of just a handful in the state to earn Platinum-level LEED commercial interior certification.
Platinum certification recognizes the highest level of green building achievement under the USGBC’s benchmark Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an independent green building rating system.
LEED core and shell covers base building elements such as structure, envelope and the HVAC system. LEED commercial interior is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint.
Reservoir Woods’ energy and water-saving features include:
- Lighting that uses 40% less electricity than a typical commercial building in Mass. with occupancy sensors, task oriented lighting and daylight sensors at workstations that save more than 800,000 kilowatt hours annually–enough to power 133 homes for one year
- Water conservation measures including dual-flush toilets, automatic sensor faucets and a rainwater recycling system that together are expected to reduce consumption by about 2.4 million gallons per year
- Approximately 20,000 sq. ft. of roof-top solar panels that generate enough electricity to power about 30 homes each year and offset 400,000 lbs. of CO2 annually
- Exterior shading devices on southern-facing exposures and a highly reflective white roof that help keep the building cool
- Sustainable materials: 28% of the materials and furnishings are recycled; 68.5% of the wood is sourced from sustainably managed forests; café floors made of rapidly renewable bamboo; carpet tiles consisting of 42% pre-consumer recycled materials; workstation fabrics made of 100% recycled content; locally manufactured recycled aluminum ceiling tiles; low-VOC adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings throughout the building
- More than 93% of construction waste was recycled
To further reduce the carbon footprint of both the building and its employees, National Grid has adopted green practices such as car pooling and a shuttle bus service linked to public transportation.
The new building was designed and built in partnership with energy
efficiency experts from National Grid; Reservoir Woods developer Davis
Marcus Partners; construction manager John Moriarty & Associates;
mechanical engineers and core and shell LEED consultants AHA Consulting
Engineers, Inc.; base building architect ADD, Inc.; tenant project
manager Jones Lang LaSalle; interior architect and interior LEED
consultants Sasaki Associates and the property owner, Reservoir Woods
East, a partnership between affiliates of Davis Marcus Partners and
Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI®).
More than 1,500 employees now work at the facility, which is the hub of National Grid’s New England corporate and administrative operations.
National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island.
In Related News…
Last week California officials adopted the country’s first mandatory statewide green building code. Read New York Times coverage at the link below.
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