Boston, MA The streets and sidewalks are bustling again as “return-to-work” gains momentum, and access to fresh air and open space prove to be lasting priorities for corporate tenants and their employees. With this in mind, the developers of the 10 World Trade project in the Seaport District have planted a flag firmly in the ground to announce that they are the first project in the city to achieve SITES pre-certification.

According to the USGBC website, the Sustainable SITES Initiative is “a rating system that guides, evaluates and certifies a project’s sustainability in the planning, design, construction, and management of landscapes and other outdoor space.” The 600,000 s/f tower at 10 World Trade includes another 100,000 s/f of new outdoor landscape and streetscape (over two acres).

“From day 1 we have set out to deliver an absolute best-in-class development, not just in terms of a landmark tower but also the public realm at its feet,” said John Hynes IV of Boston Global Investors (BGI), the managing developer at 10 World Trade. “The result is a truly massive investment in the ground level around all sides of this iconic new address. We’ve worked hard to build something that sustains the environment and the people who occupy it – both in the traditional sense of resource management and in terms of educational and cultural programming. It’s a huge benefit to our future tenants and to the neighboring community. We want to welcome everyone and encourage them to really enjoy this new space.”

The project’s SITES achievement is one of five such accolades at 10 World Trade. According to Hynes, the project is set to achieve Gold level certification for SITES, LEED, and WELL, in addition to Platinum certifications for both WiredScore and SmartScore.

Elements of 10 World Trade’s SITES Gold pre-certification include the use of regionally sourced building materials and a curated planting design that references the Seaport’s original New England maritime ecology. The plant palette consists of low-maintenance and drought-resistant species which are native to the region, promote biodiversity, and attract pollinator species. The landscape is also designed to maximize accessibility, reduce the urban heat island effect, and achieve an irrigation water savings of more than 75%– all the while supporting mental restoration and physical activity.

Victor Vizgaitis, principal at Sasaki, notes, “The future of buildings is not only about the buildings themselves. It’s about the full integration of every aspect of the Place to create something that is truly unique, usable, sustainable, experiential, and beautiful. The landscape is as important as the structure, which is as important as the systems and all of the other components; and when they work well together, we deliver something remarkable: a place that people want to be and that promotes wellness, engagement, and a sense of belonging. The fact that 10 World Trade not only aspires to do all of these things but is holding itself accountable through all these certifications is somewhat unprecedented and should set a new standard for how to think about placemaking in the commercial realm.”

In addition to Sasaki for 10 World Trade’s building and landscape architectural scope, BGI has engaged VvS Architects & Consultants for sustainability consulting, Suffolk Construction and HJ Russell for construction management, and BrightView as the landscape contractor. Isenberg Projects oversees public programming and site activation, and JLL is the leasing broker on behalf of project ownership.

BGI and their partners secured the development rights to 10 World Trade after winning a highly competitive public RFP from Massport. The project broke ground with much fanfare in March 2022, and Hynes says they are on track to finish construction in late 2024 as planned. “Foundations are done and steel arrives this month so this project will be turning more heads as it takes shape quickly over the next few weeks. Our SITES announcement is a great milestone to achieve now because it’s a testament to our entire team’s ability to think backwards and always with the end user first in mind.”