Boston Proerties and Natixis Global Asset Management break ground on 888 Boylston St.

Boston Properties and Natixis Global Asset Management celebrated the groundbreaking of 888 Boylston St., one of the city's most sustainable buildings, on October 8. Bryan Koop, senior vice president and regional manager, and Michael Cantalupa, senior vice president of Development, both of Boston Properties; John Hailer, president and CEO of Natixis Global Asset Management, Asia and the Americas; and Brian Golden, acting director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, will participate in the ceremony marking the groundbreaking of the first Back Bay office tower constructed in over a decade. The 17-story, 425,000 s/f 888 Boylston St. is designed to be the city's most sustainable office building, using 45% less energy and 37% less potable water than an average office building. Customers at 888 Boylston can leave the lights off 60% of the time, as the building features daylight penetration to 95% of the floor area. Designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, additional sustainable features include a chilled beam HVAC system, on-site rooftop wind power generation that will power all exterior building and plaza lighting, and a rain harvesting and reuse system.