Hobbs Brook Management LLC's recently completed class A office complex at 175-185 Wyman St. has won the 2010 Award of Excellence for Best Practice - Sustainability from CoreNet Global New England.
The annual Best Practice - Sustainability Award recognizes a project, process or program that advances an organization's policy and/or practice in sustainability. The project, process or program must demonstrate the breadth and type of impact on a firm's employees and/or clients, as well as the environment.
"We're honored to be recognized by CoreNet New England for best practices in sustainability," said Donald Oldmixon, first vice president of real estate, construction, and leasing. "We pride ourselves on the standard of environmental stewardship that we push through to all of our properties. This project enabled us to start a holistic green program from the ground up and to implement these standards at each step along the way. We're thrilled to be recognized for our efforts and are grateful for the support of our project partners throughout the process."
Owned and operated by Hobbs Brook Management, designed by Margulies Perruzzi Architects and built by Columbia Construction Company, these class A office buildings earned LEED Gold certification and Innovation in Design credits in all five categories set forth by the USGBC. The 175-185 Wyman St. complex is 335,000 s/f of new construction built with the highest level of design, construction, materials, and finishes. The property features two L-shaped buildings with a courtyard between that creates a campus-like setting.
The project includes underground and surface parking and a 5,424 square foot, food-court style corporate dining facility in the 175 Wyman Street building with an outdoor patio, as well as a café and satellite location for the shoulder periods in the 185 Wyman Street building next door.
"Hobbs Brook Management's commitment to sustainability is unparalleled in the commercial real estate community, and we knew from our first meeting with them that environmental stewardship was a core corporate value," said Marc Margulies, AIA, LEED AP, principal of Margulies Perruzzi Architects. "The 175-185 Wyman Street project is almost universally recognized as the high-water mark in sustainability, architectural design and technology, efficiency of floor plates, and quality property management."
Sustainable aspects of the 175-185 Wyman Street complex include an integrated green cleaning program, mature landscaping, high-reflection roofing, preferred parking for hybrid vehicles and car poolers, and shower facilities for bicycle commuters. The project recycled over 95% of the former building on the site as structural fill, incorporating an equivalent of $7 million worth of recycled materials. An additional 2,000 tons of steel were sent off-site with the equivalent purchased for use at the new site. The state-of-the-art stormwater treatment system utilizes a pond that doubles as a landscape feature to clean water before it heads to the Cambridge Reservoir, while additional stormwater runoff collected on site is used for irrigation of the site's native and drought-resistant plantings. The project featured 40% water-use reduction and 22% optimized energy performance during the design, engineering, and construction phases, with the intention of reducing energy costs to future tenants. Additionally, the exterior materials of the building provide practical solar protection through the use of solar shading that minimizes heat gain while also drawing natural light deep into the office space.
The 175-185 Wyman Street project team consisted of:
· Owner: Hobbs Brook Management, LLC
· Leasing Agent: Wyman Street Advisors
· Architect: Margulies Perruzzi Architects
· Construction Manager: Columbia Construction Corp.
· M/E/P: AHA Consulting Engineers
· Landscape architecture, site planning, environmental permitting, and civil engineering: John G. Crowe Associates, Inc.
· Geotechnical Engineer: Haley & Aldrich
· Transportation Engineer: VHB
· Structural Engineer: Goldstein-Milano
· Cafeteria Architect: Colburn & Guyette
· LEED Consultant: Richard Moore Environmental Consulting
· Lighting Design: Lisa Zidel Lighting Design
· Elevator Consultant: Lerch Bates & Associates
· Specifications Writer: Kalin & Associates, Inc.

About Hobbs Brook Management LLC
As both owner and operator, Hobbs Brook Management LLC is committed to providing its tenants and their employees with a reliable and fully functional business environment. For leasing information, please visit www.hobbsbrook.com.

Note attached photo (L-R): Marc Margulies, AIA, LEED AP, principal, Margulies Perruzzi Architects; Sarah Abrams, former president of Fidelity Real Estate Company, president of the New England Chapter of CoreNet; Thomas Dusel, CPA, CPM, president and chief operating officer, Hobbs Brook Management. Photo by R. Brogen;
Image of 175 Wyman Street courtesy of Warren Patterson Photography