KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its new 96,000 s/f offices at Two Financial Center. The six floors of energy efficient, environmentally friendly and customized space serve as KPMG's new headquarters. Jones Lang LaSalle served as construction manager for the project.
"From the very first day we started planning our move to Two Financial Center, our goal was to ensure this space would be as environmentally friendly as we could make it for our employees, clients and neighbors," said KPMG Boston office managing partner Pat Canning. "Achieving LEED gold status within the first six months reflects how determined we were in reaching that goal."
KPMG is the anchor tenant in the new 220,000 s/f mid-rise office tower. Two Financial is the first new building constructed in the city's Financial District since 2003. Jones Lang LaSalle served as construction manager for the project.
To achieve LEED gold status, numerous sustainable design features had to be implemented, according to Canning. Water efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances were selected to reduce water use by 40% more than is called for under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Highly-efficient light fixtures, lighting controls, and Energy Star rated equipment were used to dramatically reduce energy consumption and save operating expenses. Lighting power density achieved was 25% more than the LEED standard.
More than 90% of the waste typically generated during construction was diverted from landfills through recycling and reuse. All new materials have an aggregate recycled content of more than 25%, and more than 50% come from within 500 miles of the job site.
Jones Lang LaSalle's construction team was led by project executive Steven Wassersug and senior construction manager Dana Griffin. The superintendents were Kevin Mealey and John Kirk, with Chris Hardiman as the head estimator. Perkins+Will is the project architect and AHA Consulting Engineers the engineer.
"In terms of its offices being environmentally friendly, KPMG has set the bar high," said Jones Lang LaSalle project executive Steven Wassersug.
"It was a pleasure working with the entire KPMG team on this project, and being given the opportunity to construct a state of the art facility that truly embraces sustainable design and construction."