Developed by The Gutierrez Company, the recently opened 5 Wall St. office building officially became Burlington's first certified "Green" office building built from the ground up, as it was certified LEED-Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The office tower is only the fifth LEED-Gold Core & Shell (CS) structure in Mass., and the fourth new office building on the Rte. 128 corridor to earn such a distinction.
Gutierrez obtained the certification from the USGBC through a rigorous design, construction and testing review under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System.
"The LEED Gold certification confirms the company's approach to sustainable building and allows employees and visitors at 5 Wall St. to take pride and comfort knowing that they are working in a healthier building while also reducing their impact on the environment," said Scott Weiss, managing director of commercial development for The Gutierrez Co.
The LEED program provides an independent third-party verification that 5 Wall St. was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across building metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. During construction, the project team used recycled and sustainable materials and diverted waste from landfills. In its operation, 5 Wall St. will use 40% less water annually compared to a typical office building, equivalent to an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The building also boasts high quality indoor air, maximized daylight views and high-efficiency lighting, heating and cooling systems.
"The LEED Gold certification puts 5 Wall St. in the top tier of energy efficient, sustainable office buildings," said Jason Denoncourt, The Gutierrez Co. project manager. "And with over 100,000 s/f still available, there isn't another office building on Rte. 128 that can match 5 Wall Street's LEED Gold quality and price."
Howard Janzen, CEO of One Communications, the building's lead tenant, said, "Locating at 5 Wall St. demonstrates our leadership as an environmentally responsible company, allowing us to reduce our environmental footprint while simultaneously lowering our real estate costs."
"5 Wall St.'s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair of the USGBC. "The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and 5 Wall St. serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."