Alvin H. Butz, Inc. recently completed a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certified building at The Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus. This is the first LEED Gold certified building on any of Penn State’s Commonwealth campuses.
At more than 60,000 square feet, the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building is currently the largest building on campus. It houses nine classrooms, nine computer labs and fifty faculty offices to go along with an assortment of new, cutting-edge technologies.
The Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building is one in a long list of projects managed by Alvin H. Butz Inc. that have received LEED certification. Butz worked with the architects, RMJM Hillier, to achieve LEED Gold for this project.
Penn State University was awarded a Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) Project Leadership Award for their role in making this project a great success. This annual award recognizes owners’ excellence in project delivery and promotes leadership, professionalism, and management excellence of owners involved in the design and construction process. Penn State University and Alvin H. Butz, Inc. also received the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) National Project of the Year Award in the Higher EducationProject Under $20 million category for the construction of the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. The selection of winners involves an extensive review process which analyzes how successfully a projectwas managed by the construction manager and the owner.
“The awards from the COAA and CMAA recognized the steady leadership and detailed scheduling that led to this building's completion three months ahead of schedule and under budget,” said Rodney Erickson, President of Penn State University.
Administered by USGBC, LEED is a voluntary green building certification program that defines, measures and certifies buildings that are environmentally responsible, economically efficient and healthy. LEED is the internationally recognized benchmark for certifying high-performance green buildings with a minimal environmental footprint. Gold certification is the second-highest level of LEED certification a project can achieve.
Green features of the Gaige Technology and Business Building include:
· Two 3,500 gallon rainwater harvesting tanks
· Daylight harvesting system
· Dual flushing toilets
· High-efficiency glass
· Materials composed of recycled content that were locally harvested and manufactured
Alvin H. Butz, Inc. has fully embraced USGBC’s LEED program by holding a corporate membership for nine years, attending Green Building National Conferences and Delaware Valley Green Building Council events, and supporting staff to attain LEED accredited professional status. Butz currently has 16LEED Accredited Professionals and 4 Certified Green Advantage professionals on staff.
In addition to the LEED features, signage was created by the PSU Technical Writing class highlighting the green features of the building. This project coupled a learning experience on campus and engaged the students in the construction process.
“It is an absolute pleasure to hear that the Gaige Building has been awarded LEED Gold certification,” says Greg Butz, President and CEO of Alvin H. Butz, Inc. “It speaks to the knowledge and expertise of the entire project team that we were able to achieve such an accomplishment and obtain the certification in a very short period of time after substantial completion.”
The building was completed in September 2011.
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ABOUT ALVIN H. BUTZ, INC. AND THE BUTZ FAMILY OF COMPANIES: The Butz Family of Companies, consisting of Alexander Building Construction Co., Alvin H. Butz, Inc. and Shoemaker Construction Co., provides exceptional, comprehensive construction management and design/build services, led by a strong commitment to complete customer satisfaction with special attention to safety, quality and value. The firm possesses significant experience in the construction of healthcare facilities, colleges/universities, corporate office buildings, manufacturing facilities, sports and entertainment venues, government buildings, K-12 schools and retail buildings serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey and northern Delaware.
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