According to Margulies & Associates an architectural and interior design firm, the South Shore headquarters it designed for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as two awards: the Best Practice Award of Excellence by IFMA Boston and a Sustainable Design Commendation in the 2008 CoreNet Global Sustainable Leadership Awards for Design and Development.
BCBSMA/Hingham has won four awards to date, including the previously announced 2008 Project of the Year by the Associated Subcontractors of Mass., and the International Illumination Design Awards program of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, New England Section. The BCBSMA member services facility is the more recent of two LEED certified buildings for BCBSMA within the last two years.
"With each successive project, the level of green design practices and techniques implemented has increased, making this new facility our most sustainable building," said Larry Healey, director of real estate and design and planning at BCBSMA.
Completed in June 2007, the four-story, 329,000 s/f office building includes a conference/training center, major data center and child care facility.  A five-level, 1,184-car parking structure is linked directly to the main lobby. The facility was designed to allow for future expansion with no additional infrastructure required.
"With this new, green facility, BCBSMA recognized an opportunity to develop sustainable design, while providing the best quality work environment for its associates," said Daniel Perruzzi, Jr., AIA, principal of Margulies & Associates.
The project team for BCBSMA/Hingham consisted of Turner Const., CM; Souza True & Partners, structural engineers; SEi Cos., mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection engineers; Brown Richardson & Rowe, landscape architects; BSC Group, civil engineers; Lisa Zidel Lighting Design; and A.W. Perry, developer.