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Johnston, RI According to Hobbs Brook Management LLC (HBM) and Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA), the renovated, multi-tenant office building at 1301 Atwood Ave. at Northwoods Office Park, and the workspace of its tenant Dassault Systèmes, has received LEED Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
The repositioning of 1301 Atwood Ave. transformed an outdated facility into a high performance and amenity-rich office building with 338,600 s/f of class A office space, and provides for the development of the surrounding 153 acres into the new Northwoods Office Park. MPA also provided interior architectural design services to Dassault Systèmes, which occupies 90,000 s/f at 1301 Atwood Ave. MPA’s workplace strategists and designers collaborated with the Dassault Systèmes team on an innovative layout and design for the facility.
“Sustainability is one of Dassault Systèmes core social values,” said Suzanne Leblanc, director, Americas real estate and facilities, Dassault Systèmes. “Our offices in Johnston embrace those values with both sustainable design and on-going green initiatives. We are proud to offer our employees, customers and community a workplace that supports environmental best-practices.”
As both owner and operator of its properties, HBM is committed to delivering high-quality, productive office environments for its tenants, and designs all of its projects to the highest standards for LEED certification. This high standard of excellence contributes to tenants’ sustainability requirements already being in place in the base building, greatly facilitating the tenants’ own LEED certification goals.
“Our previous collaborations with MPA have resulted in several award-winning and sustainable projects that allow us to provide high-quality, class A office space to our tenants,” said Kevin Casey, vice president and chief operating officer of HBM. “With 1301 Atwood Ave., MPA has taken an existing aged structure and completely re-positioned it, designing a vibrant building that fits beautifully into the landscape while maintaining our high standards for sustainability and efficiency. Receiving LEED Gold for this project – and promoting our tenant’s own goal for LEED Gold certification – validates our shared commitment to sustainability and provides another gleaming example for our sustainable building portfolio.”
MPA’s renovation of 1301 Atwood consisted of a complete replacement of the building’s original 1972 exterior and the addition of 30,000 s/f to the building’s footprint by infilling the existing louvers with concrete and moving the external walls. A unitized metal and glass curtain wall was designed for the building’s envelope, providing high thermal efficiency and allowing daylight to filter deep into the building’s interior that features large, unobstructed floor plates. Virtually all aspects of the building are now new, with the exception of the pre-stressed concrete beam structure. Sustainable features include: • 40% reduction in water from plumbing fixtures; • 31% reduction in total energy usage via LED lighting and control panels; • 30% reduction in ventilation exceeding code standards (beyond ASHRAE 62.1-2007); • 85% diversion of construction waste from landfills; • 83% FSC Certified Wood of all new wood materials; • Preservation of the 153-acre site’s natural beauty; • Landscaped campus setting with walking path, field of wildflowers, and picturesque pond; • Bike racks and showers for biking commuters; and •Car charging stations and carpool parking spaces.
As part of the repositioning of the three-story structure, MPA designed three independent entrances, allowing for single or multi-tenant occupancy. The two-story entrances feature abundant natural light and provide inviting, convenient access via elegant monumental stairs. The building features many desirable amenities, including a full-service corporate dining facility with a landscaped deck, a fitness center with showers and locker rooms, a shared 150-seat multi-use conference center, and state-of-the-art data connectivity. In addition to Dassault Systèmes, New York Life is also a tenant, occupying26,692 SF. Seventy percent of the building is currently leased. For more information, please visit
The 1301 Atwood Avenue/Northwoods project team also included general contractor Dimeo Construction; M/E/P engineers AHA Consulting Engineers; structural engineers Odeh Engineers, Inc.; civil and landscape engineers Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB); LEED consultants Richard Moore Environmental Consulting; lighting designers HLB Lighting Design; kitchen consultants Colburn & Guyette; and elevator consultants Lerch Bates. Cushman & Wakefield | Hayes & Sherry is the commercial broker representing the property.