Dow Building Solutions is proud to announce that the Dow Business Services Center Building was selected as a Merit Award recipient in the 2012 BUILDINGS ABBY (America’s Best Buildings of the Year) Awards Program.
The three-building, 205,000-sf campus was designed to consume 20% less energy than required by current building codes. This completed facility located in Midland, Mich., was constructed using insulation and air sealing solutions from Dow to help successfully integrate sustainability with aesthetics. It is on target to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification.
A variety of high-performing building products from Dow Building Solutions were used to maximize air, moisture and energy management within the building envelope of the facility:
• THERMAX Wall System, featuring continuous insulation, flashing, and an air barrier, was installed on the exterior walls to streamline construction and allow Dow to downsize HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) equipment and thus reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions;
• The building’s energy-efficient “cool roof” reflects solar heat and protects the underlying insulation and roof structure. STYROFOAM™ Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Foam Insulation was installed under the white roof, the slab, and around the foundation to provide long-term R-value and enhance overall building energy efficiency.
• Roof and wall junctures, the roof perimeter, and other air infiltration points were sealed with FROTH-PAK Foam Insulation and GREAT STUFF PRO Insulating Foam Sealant, to provide a moisture-resistant seal and help reduce air leakage.
As for the design of the facility, the interior incorporates as much daylight as possible. Horizontal sun shades block sunlight when needed and self-tinting windows eliminate glare. Roughly 99% of workspaces are in an open office design, allowing daylight to penetrate. Interiors also feature low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints, finishes, adhesives, and wood products, with all carpets meeting the CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute) Green Label Plus standard. Individual temperature controls signify Dow’s attention to personal comfort, as do CO2 sensors that run the ventilation system as needed.
Outside, the parking area includes 26 spaces that meet accessibility standards, 67 spots reserved for fuel-efficient vehicles, and six Level II charging stations, along with infrastructure for 20 more electric cars. Sand obtained from digging out the retention pond was reused to raise building foundations and large areas of naturally landscaped green space and a live pond provide natural habitat for wildlife. +
Related Stories
| Jan 25, 2011
Bloomberg launches NYC Urban Tech Innovation Center
To promote the development and commercialization of green building technologies in New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has launched the NYC Urban Technology Innovation Center. This initiative will connect academic institutions conducting underlying research, companies creating the associated products, and building owners who will use those technologies.
| Jan 25, 2011
Top 10 rules of green project finance
Since the bottom fell out of the economy, finding investors and financial institutions willing to fund building projects—sustainable or otherwise—has been close to impossible. Real estate finance prognosticators, however, indicate that 2011 will be a year to buy back into the real estate market.
| Jan 25, 2011
Chicago invented the skyscraper; can it pioneer sustainable-energy strategies as well?
Chicago’s skyline has always been a source of pride. And while few new buildings are currently going up, building owners have developed a plan to capitalize on the latest advances: Smart-grid technologies that will convert the city’s iconic skyline into what backers call a “virtual green generator” by retrofitting high-rise buildings and the existing electrical grid to a new hyper-connected intelligent-communications backbone.
| Jan 25, 2011
AIA reports: Hotels, retail to lead U.S. construction recovery
U.S. nonresidential construction activity will decline this year but recover in 2012, led by hotel and retail sectors, according to a twice-yearly forecast by the American Institute of Architects. Overall nonresidential construction spending is expected to fall by 2% this year before rising by 5% in 2012, adjusted for inflation. The projected decline marks a deteriorating outlook compared to the prior survey in July 2010, when a 2011 recovery was expected.
| Jan 25, 2011
Jester Jones Schifer Architects, Ltd. Joins GPD Group
GPD Group is excited to announce that Jester Jones Schifer Architects, a Marion-based architectural firm, has joined our firm, now enabling GPD Group to provide architectural services to the Central-Ohio market.
| Jan 21, 2011
Combination credit union and USO center earns LEED Silver
After the Army announced plans to expand Fort Bliss, in Texas, by up to 30,000 troops, FirstLight Federal Credit Union contracted NewGround (as CM) to build a new 16,000-sf facility, allocating 6,000 sf for a USO center with an Internet café, gaming stations, and theater.
| Jan 21, 2011
Manufacturing plant transformed into LEED Platinum Clif Bar headquarters
Clif Bar & Co.’s new 115,000-sf headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., is one of the first buildings in the state to meet the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The structure has the largest smart solar array in North America, which will provide nearly all of its electrical energy needs.
| Jan 21, 2011
Primate research facility at Duke improves life for lemurs
Dozens of lemurs have new homes in two new facilities at the Duke Lemur Center in Raleigh, N.C. The Releasable Building connects to a 69-acre fenced forest for free-ranging lemurs, while the Semi-Releasable Building is for lemurs with limited-range privileges.
| Jan 21, 2011
Harlem facility combines social services with retail, office space
Harlem is one of the first neighborhoods in New York City to combine retail with assisted living. The six-story, 50,000-sf building provides assisted living for residents with disabilities and a nonprofit group offering services to minority groups, plus retail and office space.