Partners Messer Construction Co. and Harmon Construction, Inc. are proud to announce that the Minton-Capehart Federal Building has been awarded LEED Gold established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
“The Minton-Capehart Federal Building is an iconic building and we’re tremendously proud to have been the stewards of this achievement,” said Steve Bestard, vice president and GM, Messer Construction Co.
Messer / Harmon partnered to renovate the 660,000-square-foot Minton-Capehart Federal Building, upgrading its Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC), emergency power controls, sprinklers, lighting, and fire and alarm systems – the first major overhaul since it was built in 1974. The Minton-Capehart Federal Building achieved LEED Gold certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
“Building operations are nearly 40% of the solution to the global climate change challenge,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation. As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, the Minton-Capehart Federal Building is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”
The project’s notable sustainable design and construction practices included:
• Reduced water usage by 45%
• Reduced lighting, power and distribution to 15% below the standard
• Maintained 65% of interior elements
• Diverted 85% of all waste diverted from landfill
• 23% recycled content overall
• Extracted and manufactured 60% of materials regionally
• Maintained 65% of interior elements
• Use of low-emitting materials for paints and coatings, carpet systems and composite woods
• Improvements to air quality and reduction in energy consumption
• Access to a LEED-certified consultant
The elimination of waste on this project extended beyond incorporating sustainable design strategies with the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), an advanced method for creating a virtual 3D representation of the physical and functional characteristics of the building. BIM enabled plans for the new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems to be layered over the existing, nearly 40-year-old systems so that the project team could identify and fix any potential problems before they reached the construction phase. This virtual, interactive blueprint allowed the project team to see how the building’s guts would be transformed in this complex renovation, driving informed decision-making and delivering better value for the client.
“Throughout the renovation process, the majority of the building remained fully occupied so it was vital that our construction efforts included as little rework or waste as possible,” said Ryan Steinert, senior project executive, Messer Construction Co. “A sustainable design and waste-free construction was our goal and we delivered.”