Worcester, MA The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is constructing a new District 3 Administration Building to replace its current outdated facility. This four-story, 78,000 s/f steel-framed building will include modern offices and training areas, a materials testing laboratory, three-bay garage for vehicle maintenance with an onsite fueling station, and staff, visitor and fleet parking in lower and upper parking lots. The space will also include a backup highway operations center for the South Boston Traffic Management Center, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The new facility is being constructed on a hill with three sides of the building either partially or fully covered by rock and soil. The fourth side will be comprised of triple-pane glass, facing the sun and angled to maximize the amount of sunlight coming into the building. The building envelope and its site positioning will assist in energy efficiency and ensure the structure retains heat or cold air throughout the seasons, with the soil acting as a natural insulator. The sun streaming into the glass side of the building will be responsible for providing 40% of its heat and 80% of its lighting. As one of the largest Net Zero Energy building east of the Mississippi River, the MassDOT District 3 Administration Building will generate all of the energy consumed onsite through the use of photovoltaic panels on the building and other energy-efficient systems, such as LED lighting, low-flow plumbing and high-efficient heating and cooling.

The Wayne J. Griffin Electric team, led by project manager Anthony Swiacke and foreman Nathan Bissonnette, is installing new power and lighting services within the facility, as well as lighting control and generator systems. The team is also responsible for installing the facility’s Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and photovoltaic system. Telecommunications work, overseen by telecom division manager Keith Sanborn and telecom foreman Mark Soden, includes systems for structured cable, access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection and window shade control.

Serving as the owner’s project manager is Colliers, working with construction management firm CTA Construction, Helene Karl Architects, Inc., John J. Murphy Jr. Electrical Construction & Engineering.