Chapman Const./Design earns USGBC's highest rating, Platinum LEED certification, for its green office renovation

Interior, Chapman Construction/Design's office

Newton, MA Chapman Construction/Design has achieved Platinum LEED certification for its green office renovation. Chapman's project is only the third Platinum LEED certified commercial interior in Massachusetts, and the 42 in the country.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized measurement system for rating green buildings administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. Platinum is the USGBC's highest rating.

Chapman earned 44 credits — every credit they sought and two more than necessary to achieve Platinum.

Chapman employees designed, built, and managed the project; others provided LEED consulting services and documented the credit submission. More than half of its staff has earned LEED Accreditation, passing an exam that covers LEED principles and sustainable construction practices.

The renovation served as a learning lab for employees; Chapman rotated site supervisors onto the job to prepare them for the rigors of running LEED projects. In June 2008 staff voluntarily participated in a "barn raising" during which they installed 208 photovoltaic panels on the office roof.

In response to hidden conditions revealed during construction, Chapman refined the structural design for its 47 kW photovoltaic array, which generates nearly all the power needed by the office, earning one Sustainable Site credit and one Innovation in Design credit. Chapman earned additional innovation credits for its fuel efficient vehicle program, which loans hybrids to project managers for company business, and its educational outreach, which perhaps more than any credit embodies its corporate commitment to sustainability.

"It was our goal for our project to be an opportunity for our staff to learn sustainable building principles first hand and the final product to be a learning lab for building professionals and the public. We set out to create a space that exemplifies sustainability, and we're elated that Chapman's office was awarded Platinum LEED certification," said Chapman president, John Hall, LEED AP. "Again and again we've heard our clients and contacts say that Chapman doesn't just talk the talk but also walks the walk."

Chapman provides daily tours of its facility and the Sustainable Product Resource Center to share with building professionals and clients what was learned during and since the renovation.

Founded in 1984, Chapman is a construction management firm specializing in sustainable interiors, building performance, and renewable energy projects in the Greater Boston area. Chapman's self-designed Platinum LEED certified office is a showcase of green strategies, including a 47 kW photovoltaic array that generates nearly all of the company's electrical power.