Weston Solutions Inc's completed 21,000 s/f regional headquarters has been awarded LEED-Gold certification. Pro Con Inc. of Manchester, New Hampshire was the architect and the construction manager for the project, which serves as a visible display of Weston Solutions' commitment to restoring environmentally-impaired property and demonstrates the company's commitment to sustainable redevelopment.
Weston Solutions Inc. acquired the property with the intention of transforming the blighted property into a sustainable green office building. Pro Con's design build team worked closely with the Weston Solutions to create a comprehensive approach that would satisfy Weston Solutions project requirements, while meeting their budget and schedule. Pro Con's team embraced Weston Solution's vision to have the building reflect a combination of "old and new", "reuse and renewal" and create a sustainable, high-quality, energy-efficient, LEED-Certified building.
Two former industrialized buildings on the site were demolished and 95% of the demolished material was either recycled or reused. Granite foundation blocks removed from the former building were re-used as part of the new building's exterior landscaping, salvaged timbers were re-used as millwork, and demolished concrete was crushed and re-used as structural fill.
The building was positioned on site to limit site disturbance and to draw natural light into the offices, meanwhile capturing thermal heat during colder seasons. Light columns and the layout of work areas enable natural light to cascade into the work areas. The building features energy efficient, low-e glass windows and doors, appliances and automated controls such as daylight harvesting sensors to modulate light levels. Light shelves shade windows from the summer sun. The interior finishes are low VOC and at least 40% of the materials used in construction were obtained within a 500 mile radius of the site. The landscaping features indigenous plantings that do not need irrigation and require minimal maintenance, along with deciduous shade trees.
The building's vegetated GreenGrid roof collects and uses storm water and in conjunction with the building's subsurface drainage system, results in virtually no storm water runoff. The vegetated roof keeps the building cooler in the summer months and prevents heat from radiating back into the atmosphere.
The building's heating and cooling relies on a system of geo-thermal wells which take advantage of the relatively constant, natural temperature inside the earth. The wells circulate ground water through ground source heat pumps. In the winter, the geothermal system uses water to heat air, and conversely during the summer, the system cools the work space and removes hot air back into the earth, not the atmosphere. Because the system does not use oil or gas, Weston Solutions expects the system to pay for itself in three years.
The Weston Solutions regional headquarters is evidence of the company's commitment to sustainable redevelopment. Pro Con Inc is grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Weston Solutions in converting a formerly blighted industrial site into an attractive LEED-Gold building, a showcase for sustainable development.
Pro Con Inc. is a full service architecture, engineering and construction management firm specializing in commercial, hospitality, institutional, industrial and multi-family residential projects. The company is recognized as an industry leader and is known for their single source design-build delivery system, "The Diamond Solutions.