SmithGroup finishes 100th LEED-certified project

SmithGroupJJR, a long-time leader of sustainable design, has reached the 100 LEED project milestone.

SmithGroupJJR recently achieved its 100th LEED certified project: the LEED-NC Platinum Oakland University Human Health Building, constructed in Rochester, Michigan. With the milestone, the 161-year-old architecture and engineering firm becomes one of just a handful of firms that has reached such heights in sustainable design.

Many of SmithGroupJJR’s diverse clients – which include some of the nation’s leading colleges and universities, research institutions, corporations and healthcare providers – are realizing that sustainable design not only provides energy savings but also leads to increased employee productivity and happier, healthier workers.

“Clients are proactively asking for sustainable design solutions,” says Greg Mella, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, co-director of sustainable design at SmithGroupJJR. “What’s even more exciting is that they’re increasingly looking beyond LEED, aiming to create buildings that have the ability to produce all their energy on site. We believe that these buildings will become more and more common, and not just in the Sunbelt states, but across the U.S.” Mella added.

A Track Record of Firsts in Sustainable Design

SmithGroupJJR has long been committed to delivering sustainable solutions not only for its clients, but for the overall health of our planet. The firm’s green background is impressive: In 2001, its design of the headquarters for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, Maryland was the first to receive the top LEED rating of Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council. Now, nearly 15 years later, SmithGroupJJR has designed another pacesetting project for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation: the Net-Zero Energy/Net Zero Water Brock Environmental Center, scheduled to complete construction this fall in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

While all SmithGroupJJR’s market sectors have embraced designing sustainability, one of the biggest growth industries for sustainable design is where you’d least expect it -- energy-consuming research laboratories. The SmithGroupJJR-designed Energy Systems Integration Facility for the U.S Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado, was among the SmithGroupJJR projects earning LEED Platinum in 2014. It follows the firm’s design of NREL’S Science & Technology Facility, which in 2007 became the first federal government building to attain LEED Platinum status.

Another sustainability first for SmithGroupJJR was its design of the Christman Building, Lansing, Michigan, which became the world’s first project to garner quadruple LEED Platinum awards: one for its core-and-shell design, another for Commercial Interiors and two for Existing Building certification.

The Future of Sustainability

What’s next for sustainable design? Following the 2030 Challenge and its mandate that the building industry achieve net zero energy for every building designed by the year 2030, the industry is moving beyond designing buildings that do less harm and consume less resources to designing buildings that are truly generating all the energy they consume, or Net-Zero Energy. There is also a growing Material Transparency movement, which asks manufacturers to openly communicate the material ingredients of a product, so smart decisions can be made to avoid those ingredients known to be hazardous. Finally, early Conceptual Performance Modeling has revolutionized sustainable design with the evaluation of expected energy performance of a project early in the design process.

New federal data released recently shows sharp increases in the prices of key construction materials like diesel, copper and brass mill shapes likely foreshadow future increases in construction costs, the Associated General Contractors of America said. The new November producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide the strongest indication yet that construction prices are heading up, the association noted.

| Aug 11, 2010

SPRI expands membership to include green roof and photovoltaic component suppliers

SPRI, the association representing sheet membrane and component suppliers to the commercial roofing industry, recently approved a bylaw revision expanding its membership to include companies that represent emerging technologies, such as photovoltaic and vegetative roof components.

| Aug 11, 2010

LEED 2009 cites FloorScore Certification as indicator of indoor air quality

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has cited FloorScore® certified flooring products as eligible for credits under the new LEED 2009 Version 3 guidelines. Reflecting the inclusion of FloorScore, the new LEED IEQ Credit 4.3 for Low-Emitting Materials has been expanded from “Carpet Systems” to “Flooring Systems” to include hard surface flooring.

| Aug 11, 2010

CHPS debuts high-performance building products database

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) made a new tool available to product manufacturers to help customers identify building products that contribute to sustainable, healthy, built environments. The tool is an online, searchable database where manufacturers can list products that have met certain environmental or health standards ranging from recycled content to materials that contribute to improved indoor air quality.

| Aug 11, 2010

29 Great Solutions for the AEC Industry

AEC firms are hotbeds of invention and innovation to meet client needs in today's highly competitive environment. The editors of Building Design+Construction are pleased to present 29 "Great Solutions" to some of the most complex problems and issues facing Building Teams today. Our solutions cover eight key areas: Design, BIM + IT, Collaboration, Healthcare, Products, Technology, Business Management, and Green Building.

| Aug 11, 2010

New ballpark for Fort Wayne Tin Caps gets protection from the weather

| Aug 11, 2010

Walmart establishes sustainable product index to evaluate 'greeness' of products

Walmart today announced plans to develop a worldwide sustainable product index during a meeting with 1,500 of its suppliers, associates and sustainability leaders at its home office. The index will establish a single source of data for evaluating the sustainability of products.

| Aug 11, 2010

U.S. Conference of Mayors, U.S. Green Building Council urge Congress to support Green Schools Legislation

| Aug 11, 2010

Sika Sarnafil launches sustainable roofing resource website SustainabilityThatPays.com

Sika Sarnafil, the worldwide market leader in thermoplastic roofing and waterproofing membranes, today launched a new web site dedicated to supporting sustainability principals and environmentally responsible building. The streamlined site, SustainabilityThatPays.com &http://www.SustainabilityThatPays.com> provides the building owner with critical information on selecting roofing and waterproofing systems...

| Aug 11, 2010

9 rooftop photovoltaic installation tips

The popularity of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels has exploded during the past decade as Building Teams look to maximize building energy efficiency, implement renewable energy measures, and achieve green building certification for their projects. However, installing rooftop PV systems—rack-mounted, roof-bearing, or fully integrated systems—requires careful consideration to avoid damaging the roof system.

Currently Reading

SmithGroup finishes 100th LEED-certified project

A Track Record of Firsts in Sustainable Design

The Future of Sustainability

Tags

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

| Aug 11, 2010

Most Popular Content

Magazine Subscription

Get our Newsletters

Follow BD+C: