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Repurposing an Existing Building, Recycling 98+% of Materials in the Process
During the deconstruction phase of the renovation process, Haworth recycled more than 98 percent of the old building. |
Earlier this year, Haworth - a Holland, Michigan-based manufacturer of office furniture, architectural interiors and adaptable workspaces - celebrated the grand opening of its innovative global headquarters, which comprises 300,000 square feet, with a 1,000-foot new facade and 35,000-square-foot glass atrium. The building also features a 45,000-square-foot roof covered with growing vegetation for the modern glass atrium, one of the largest modular green roofs in North America.
What is especially noteworthy about the building, however, is how much of the company's existing building was repurposed and how much it achieved by recycling materials from the old building. The existing structure amounts to 250,000 square feet; 50,000 square feet is new space. During the deconstruction phase of the renovation process, Haworth recycled more than 98 percent of the old building.
Why is that significant? According to the EPA, building-related construction and demolition waste accounts for close to 136 million tons annually, with an average of 20 to 30 percent being recovered.
Five years ago, Haworth was thinking about its future and what to do with its more than 20-year old existing building, whose mechanical and electrical systems were nearing the end of their useful lives.
As Ken Branson, manager, facilities design and management, explained, company chairman Dick Haworth's vision was to create a building that exemplified the best of what the company had to offer, one that would represent the "new" Haworth. As an interiors provider, Haworth wanted to create a great experience for clients visiting its showroom; carry out the company's sustainability strategy in energy use, manufacturing, transportation and green building (with LEED gold as the goal); and use the building differently than it had been used in the past, enhancing human and financial performance.
According to Branson, it was more cost effective to repurpose and build on the same site, than to build a totally new facility. The construction contract amounted to a total of $120 per square foot for 300,000 square feet, for new and reconstructed space. "It's the same address, but definitely not the same building," he said.
A key to the process was working with a design firm (Perkins+Will) and contractor (Turner Construction and subcontractor Homrich Inc.) that had considerable experience in green building principles and techniques as well as LEED requirements. Perkins+Will spent the first five months of its assignment gathering information, with design, drawings and documentation done through 2005 and 2006. In mid-2006, the first phase of deconstruction took place, with phase one occupancy occurring in the first quarter of 2008.
Recycling included reuse of concrete floors and steel beams and recovery of all but two percent of the 3,566 yards of waste.
Additionally, in partnership with Aggregate Management, LLC, use of concrete waste dust from the Haworth Kentwood manufacturing site and all window glass from the old building was used to make new concrete construction blocks. The materials from these two waste streams created more than 8,000 blocks for the new headquarters from 9.23 tons of glass and 3.25 tons of concrete waste dust.
Another recycling element included removal of 58,240 pounds of carpet tiles. These tiles were either donated or reused in other Haworth facilities. The largest quantity was sent to a carpet tile recycling company, OPT3, to be cleaned, sanitized and stain shield treated for resale. Tiles that were not reusable were recycled as an alternative fuel source or made into plastics used for molding or more carpet backing. Even items as minor as door locksets were removed for use in other Haworth facilities while furnishings were donated to schools and charitable organizations.
Branson noted that it will take a full year of occupancy before the company can begin to assess what it has learned from the process and how the new facility helps achieve productivity goals. Employee surveys were taken prior to the reconstruction and will be taken again after the first year.
Branson's advice for others contemplating a sustainable corporate facility? "Take an integrated approach to a solution," he said. Bring in experienced architects and contractors early in the process to help balance all goals and objectives. "It's a different way of working," he said.
For those who may not be aware of the many ways existing materials can be recycled and reused, he recommended starting with a visit to the detailed U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Web site (listed below).
During the deconstruction phase of the renovation process, Haworth recycled more than 98 percent of the old building.
For more information
Haworth: www.haworth.com
U.S. Green Building Council: www.usgbc.org
Energy, Materials and Commodity Costs Drive Construction Pricing Upward
For 80 years, Turner Construction Company (see previous story) has been tracking a different kind of green: the fluctuations in construction costs. Its second quarter '08 Building Cost Index showed a 1.57 percent increase over the first quarter of 2008 and a 6.61 percent increase over the second quarter of 2007.
According to Karl F. Almstead, the Turner vice president responsible for the Turner Building Cost Index, overall, the domestic non-residential building markets continue to be active, with healthcare, education, science, technology and public sector market segments remaining strong. Commercial and retail have declined slightly and large-scale residential projects have slowed significantly.
"Driven by global demand and supply, construction materials and commodity costs continue to rise, with some experiencing double digit price escalation since the first quarter of 2008," he said. "Steel, copper, aluminum, asphalt, roofing and PVC are all experiencing price spikes. Increased energy costs are also adding pricing pressure on both manufacturing and transportation."
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Achieving Volume LEED Pre-Certification For New Construction Store Prototype
Office Depot has achieved volume pre-certification under the pilot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Portfolio Program for its store prototype design -- the retailer's master set of drawings -- from the USGBC. Office Depot is believed to be the first company to have achieved this pre-certification for new construction.
Part of the USGBC initiative involves piloting a volume certification path to enable companies to integrate LEED attributes into a prototype design and apply it across multiple buildings.
Doug Gatlin, vice president of USGBC's market development, said, "The Portfolio Program pilot is breaking new ground for LEED and adding to our ability to scale green building's immediate and measurable results at a much faster level. It's a tremendous step forward in our fight to slow climate change and reduce energy dependence."Office Depot's LEED pre-certified prototype features a number of environmental attributes, including:
- Solar tracking skylights to maximize natural light
- Solar panels
- Energy efficient T5 lighting
- Reflective white roof
- Non-asphalt, concrete parking lot
- Polished concrete floor
- Recycled content carpet
- High efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning units
- Light sensors in office package
- Enhanced energy management system
- Recycling program for collection of corrugated cardboard, paper, plastics, ink/toner cartridges and technology
The first Office Depot store to be built to this prototype is located in Austin, Texas and opened this past summer.
NASA and Google: An Out-of-This World Long-Term Lease
NASA and Google Inc. will develop a new high-technology campus at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. The 40-year agreement calls for Google to lease 42.2 acres of unimproved land in the NASA Research Park to construct up to 1.2 million square feet of offices and research and development (R&D) facilities in a campus-style setting. An overview of the area is available in Google Maps(TM) and the Google Earth(TM) program at http://maps.google.com/googleameslease.
For Google, the agreement is a key part of the company's strategy for continued growth in Silicon Valley, according to David Radcliffe, Google's vice president of real estate and workplace services, as well as representing a mutually beneficial partnership between the public and private sectors.
Under the terms of the lease, Google will pay NASA an initial base rent of $3.66 million per year. This rate is based on appraisals establishing fair market value of the land. NASA will use the proceeds to cover the full cost of the lease and the balance for maintenance, capital revitalization and improvements of the real property assets at Ames.
The 40-year lease provides for periodic escalations and adjustments of rent. Google may extend the lease for three 10-year terms. After that, NASA and Google may agree to extend the lease two additional 10-year terms. If all extensions are exercised, the lease term will be a total of 90 years. NASA will retain control over the project during its construction phase, including approving the design, issuing building permits, conducting inspections and monitoring construction.
Construction will proceed in three phases. The first phase is planned to begin by the end of September 2013, the second phase by 2018 and the third by 2022. While the majority of the development will consist of office and R&D space, Google also plans to construct company housing and amenities such as dining, sports, fitness, child care, conference and parking facilities for its employees, as well as recreation and parking facilities and infrastructure improvements for NASA's use.
This is not the first time NASA and Google have worked together. Since signing a memorandum of understanding in 2005, NASA and Google have begun collaboration on several joint projects. The Planetary Content project develops software that makes it easier for the science community to publish planetary data via the Internet. This project has already provided high-resolution lunar imagery and maps to the Google Moon(TM) program and resulted in the "NASA" layer in Google Earth.
Similarly, the Global Connection project enhances the "National Geographic" layer in Google Earth by embedding geo-referenced stories and images from around the world. The Disaster Response project develops prototype software tools to help improve first response to large-scale natural disasters.
For more information
NASA programs: www.nasa.gov
NASA Research Park: www.researchpark.arc.nasa.gov
By Ron Derven, contributing editor of Development magazine |
