Howard S. Wright awarded LEED certifications on three Oregon projects
PORTLAND, Ore., November 12, 2012 /3BL Media/ - Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company, is proud to announce that three of the company’s projects recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The certified projects are Vestas U.S. Headquarters, NWEA Commercial Interiors, and Rivergate Corporate Center III & IV, all located in Portland, Oregon. The projects received platinum, gold, and silver certification, respectively.
“We’ve been fortunate to be recognized as a Green Building and Sustainability leader in the Northwest,” stated Bruce Joncas, Senior Project Engineer for Howard S. Wright, “and we look forward to sharing our expertise and lessons learned through future design and construction projects across the industry.”
Each project presented unique elements for sustainability and green building, which helped earn the LEED rating:
Vestas U.S. Headquarters – LEED® Platinum certification
This 145,000 square foot tenant improvement project, completed in March 2012, included a challenging implementation of design and the engineering of sophisticated building systems. In partnership with core and shell contractor, Skanska USA, Howard S. Wright worked closely to coordinate the overlap in engineered MEP systems, including implementation of rainwater used in non-potable systems, energy efficient lighting, and HVAC systems.
Some highlights of the project include:
- Storm water management with a vegetated roof
- Optimized energy performance using natural daylighting control
- Use of reclaimed wood and other recycled material for stone tile flooring and acoustical components
- Locally manufactured and harvested wood material
The project’s LEED score earned all 85 points that were assigned.
NWEA TI – LEED® Gold certification
The renovation of this existing five story office building in downtown Portland included new energy efficient mechanical, electrical, and lighting systems. Mechanical and electrical scopes of work were designed and built by Howard S. Wright in conjunction with key subcontractors, Cochran Electric and American Heating.
Some highlights of the project include:
- New casework throughout utilized FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified materials
- All demolition materials were tracked carefully, and recycled content was reported as part of the LEED reporting process
- Indoor air quality measures were put in place, monitored, and documented through the construction process
Rivergate Corporate Center IV – LEED® Silver certification
The Rivergate Corporate Center Phase III project (which includes building IV) is a 413,700 square foot distribution center for Subaru.
Some highlights of the building include:
- Constructed with materials containing 30 percent recycled content
- Thirty percent of the materials used were manufactured and extracted within 500 miles of the project site
- White thermoplastic roofing membrane reflects the sun’s solar energy and helps to lower the building cooling costs
- Project recycled 91% of construction waste, keeping it from going into landfills
LEED is an internationally-recognized green building certification system established by the U.S. Green Building Council, which promotes sustainable building and practices. Balfour Beatty Construction, which includes Howard S. Wright, reported more than $2 billion in 2011 revenue from sustainable construction projects and ranks 4th on Engineering News-Record’s Top 100 Green Contractors list.The company has more than 400 LEED Accredited Professionals and LEED Green Associates.
About Balfour Beatty Construction
A leader in the U.S. commercial construction industry, Balfour Beatty Construction provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services through more than 2,400 professionals nationwide. The company has been cited as a Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering-News Record for the past three years, and as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine for three years in a row. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc, a global leader in professional services, construction services, support services, and infrastructure investment, with more than $18 billion in annual revenues. To learn more about the company and its subsidiary—Howard S. Wright—visit balfourbeattyus.com.
About Howard S. Wright
With more than 127 years in business, Howard S. Wright provides preconstruction, general contracting, and construction management services for clients in the public and private sector. The company serves 18 market sectors including corporate office, education, healthcare, mission critical, and hospitality. It operates out of its offices in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Phoenix. Howard S. Wright is a leader in sustainable building with over $1.6 billion in completed LEED projects. Serving clients on the west coast, the company was acquired by Balfour Beatty Construction in June 2011.
