The rising tide of environmental awareness has swept the building landscape recently. "Green" trends have shown up in real estate development, in retail, in property management, in the media, and, well, everywhere. Andersen, Tate & Carr, P.C. is joining in acknowledging the value and staying power of this trend as it opens its new office on the top floor of the four story 114,000sf office building, One Sugarloaf Centre, Gwinnett's first core and shell LEED Gold Certified office building.
Two years ago Brand Properties realized that real estate development was changing and that corporations, investors, and tenants were looking for environmentally responsible and sustainable developments. Our firm was no different. Brand Properties, led by Brand Morgan recognized that there was a gap in environmentally responsible Class A office space in Gwinnet County. He seized upon the opportunity and One Sugarloaf Centre was launched. Soon after, our firm agreed to be the first tenant in One Sugarloaf Centre, and we watch with pride as the building was planned and built.
Brand Properties commissioned architects at Wakefield Beasley & Associates to design One Sugarloaf Centre with LEED compliance and sustainability in mind. Wakefield Beasley & Associates in turn teamed up with AHA Consulting for their knowledge of the LEED process and LEED compliant MEP design. Pharr Engineering was also incorporated into the team for the civil work, and was instrumental in achieving the critical site points for the project.
Once the team was in place and the directive to achieve LEED Gold Certification was issued Wakefield Beasley & Associates and AHA Consulting began to design One Sugarloaf Centre to incorporate "green" initiatives along with all amenities found in class A office space. These initiatives included:
Water Conservation Plan - This plan was designed to decrease stormwater runoff by capturing 100% of the rainwater from the roof and collecting it in an underground cistern. By decreasing this runoff the building effectively reduced the load on local municipalities water treatment facilities and the strain of pollutants on nearby ecosystems. The rainwater collected by the system is contained in a 10,000 gallon below ground cistern and the water stored is utilized for on site irrigation and is projected to collect over 500,000 gallons annually from rainfall alone. Along with rainwater collection the engineers also designed an additional water conservation system that collects condensation from the HVAC units and directs it to the cistern. This additional measure will collect over 91,000 gallons annually, which will also be used for onsite irrigation.
In addition to water collection the team of landscape architects at Bradford & Associates selected native plants for use on the site to reduce water consumption as well as labor and maintenance costs associated with nonnative species. Bradford & Associates also designed a drip irrigation system to reduce water and fertilizer usage.
Inside One Sugarloaf Centre the engineers at AHA Consulting aided in reducing water usage by introducing low flow fixtures including sinks and lavatories that will reduce water usage by over 40% ; saving approximately 275,000 gallons of water per year.
Currently with the measures in place, One Sugarloaf Centre will save nearly 1.5 million gallons of water annually, or 4,000 gallons a day, above a building being built to the industry standard practices.
Energy Saving Initiatives - One Sugarloaf Centre was also designed to reduce energy consumption and maximize the use of energy derived from renewable sources, such as wind.
Energy saving initiatives such as the installation of highly efficient HVAC Systems with programmable thermostats provide comfort and reduce the operational energy expenses of the building. An individual tenant metering system monitors each tenant's energy usage was also incorporated. The individual metering allows each tenant to conserver energy and benefit financially from managing their consumption. Traditionally, office utility expenses are allocated on a square footage basis and there is not an incentive for the tenant to manage their consumption judiciously.
Other energy saving initiatives incorporated into One Sugarloaf Centre include the use of energy efficient lighting and an integrated lighting control system that monitors light levels to maximize the use of natural daylight and reduce energy consumption.
The design also implemented a solar reflective roof to reduce the heat load on the building, minimizing the energy usage associated with the HVAC systems and lessening the environmental impacts from built development on the mircoclimate. Energy efficient glass has also been utilized in One Sugarloaf Centre to reduce the solar gain, reducing the energy needed to cool the building.
Green power has also been incorporated into One Sugarloaf Centre and will offset some of the building's carbon footprint. 70% of the base building's core and shell electricity is generated by wind power.
Overall One Sugarloaf Centre should save nearly $40,000 in annual energy savings or over 25% of the building's annual energy costs.
Air Quality Management Plan - One Sugarloaf Centre was designed to ensure that the building has the highest level of air quality. An indoor air quality management plan was created to monitor the quality of the air and ventilation inside. By utilizing low-VOC adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpets and wood products the design reduces tenants' exposure to harmful chemicals.
Ventilation monitoring and a high level of air filtration ensures that proper air flow occurs within the building to reduce airborne contaminants and the likelihood of "sick building syndrome," while creating a healthier environment for the occupants.
Finally, a green housekeeping program ensures that all cleaning and paper products meet the most stringent standards for green products and practices.
Material & Resource Management - One Sugarloaf Centre was conceived as an environmentally friendly office development and care was put into its design and the materials that were utilized as well as recycled during the construction process.
Garrard Construction Group monitored all construction waste during the development of the building and carefully separated and recycled if possible. Their diligence and commitment to the LEED process ensured that over 80% of all the construction waste generated was diverted from landfill and recycled. Garrard also made it possible for over 35% of the materials used in the construction of One Sugarloaf Centre came from recycled materials, reducing the impact of extraction and processing of virgin materials, as well as diverting solid waste from landfills.
Over 44% of the materials used in the construction were obtained within a 500 mile radius of the project. This was done to support the regional economy and lessen the environmental impact caused by transporting the materials over long distances.
During its tenant build out phase, Andersen, Tate & Carr carried forward these initiatives and use recycled, local, and sustainable materials in the fixtures added to their space. Of course, re-using our existing office furniture may not "count", but as we moved into the new space we realized that it was designed for greater efficiency and our standard operating procedures will be changing — further reducing our need for new products and the amount of waste produced.
In addition to recycling during construction, Brand Properties also created a dedicated recycling collection area and a comprehensive recycling program so that all occupants can help divert waste from landfills and be more environmentally friendly. Andersen, Tate & Carr is carrying that dedication forward within its office space through the implementation of recycling programs and the use of a company that recycles our shredded documents.
The country, and commercial real estate development along with it, is experiencing a "green" revolution. This sea change is occurring in all corners of this country, including off I-85 on Satellite Blvd in Gwinnett County Georgia. One Sugarloaf Centre represents the fruits of this "green" movement and the foresight of the Brand Properties team. Andersen, Tate & Carr is proud to be at the forefront of this change in Gwinnett County, Georgia along with Brand Properties.
