According to Hobbs Brook Management LLC, two new buildings located at 175-185 Wyman St. have been certified LEED Gold by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). All 39 construction phase credits were accepted, resulting in a perfect review score. The project also received all five Innovation in Design credits available.
Owned and operated by Hobbs Brook Management, the 335,000 s/f two-building complex was designed by award-winning architecture and interior design firm Margulies Perruzzi Architects, and built by Columbia Construction Co. From project inception in 2008, when economic stressors caused many developers to put sustainable building features on hold, the goal of the 175-185 Wyman St. project team continued to be the achievement of LEED Gold certification, and very close attention was paid to the guidelines throughout the design and construction process.
"We are pleased to achieve LEED Gold certification for our two new class A office buildings," said Donald Oldmixon, first vice president of real estate, construction and leasing for Hobbs Brook Management. "As the owner and property manager, our goal is to build quality, sustainable office space for long-term tenants. We made each design and construction decision with an eye towards sustainability, and consider this achievement validation by the USGBC that our efforts were a success."
Hobbs Brook's devotion to sustainability is evident through project aspects that include an integrated green cleaning program, mature landscaping, high-reflection roofing, preferred parking for hybrid-vehicles, and shower facilities for bicycle commuters. The stormwater quality treatment system was incorporated into drainage and uses 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 will be used to irrigate the landscaping. Special consideration was also taken with the HVAC units and the energy efficient cooking and cooling equipment in the new dining facility. The project featured a 40% water-use reduction and a 22% optimized energy performance during the design, engineering, and construction phases, with the intention of reducing energy costs to future tenants.
Of the original 65,000 ton building that was demolished in order to construct 175-185 Wyman St., 90% of the steel, concrete and glass from the existing building was recycled and re-used onsite. Through these recycling activities 21,000 trips by truck were eliminated from traveling on area highways thus reducing noise and air pollution and safety hazards from affecting the local community.
An important aspect of the project, the design aesthetic played a role in achieving LEED Gold certification. Taking advantage of southern and western facing elevations, Margulies Perruzzi Architects incorporated practical solar protection into the design. The solar shading on the exterior window system cuts down on heat gain in the buildings and reflects light into the office space in the winter. Whenever possible, all exterior treatments and materials, such as the terracotta rain screen panels and recycled hardware, were chosen specifically for their sustainable properties.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the USGBC's certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The program promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in key areas: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environment.
The project team consisted of:
*Owner: Hobbs Brook Management, LLC
*Leasing agent: Wyman Street Advisors
*Architect: Margulies Perruzzi Architects
*Construction manager: Columbia Construction Co.
*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.
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.