Hammell, Green and Abrahamson (HGA), the national design firm that celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, has moved forward on its strategy to elevate its sustainable design and energy planning proficiencies by acquiring Sustainable Engineering Group (SEG), an engineering firm based in Madison, Wis., effective July 1.
SEG, which was founded in 2004, has established itself as a regional leader in energy systems modeling, commissioning and retro-commissioning, LEED certification, and advanced research. It specializes in geothermal systems, renewable energy systems, and carbon reduction/net-zero campus planning.
By adding SEG to its stable, HGA is reinforcing its expertise in energy and infrastructure planning and design for national clients in healthcare, academic, corporate, and public sectors.
“SEG’s approach and deep knowledge will allow us to better serve the energy needs of our growing client base,” says Rick Hombsch, PE, LEED AP, vice president and HGA’s Energy & Infrastructure market leader. “Their team brings technical insights into emerging energy technologies and renewable resources that build on our existing strengths.”
Among SEG’s noteworthy projects are the 8,000-sf Outgamie County Regional Airport in Appleton, Wis., for which SEG provided energy modeling and life-cycle cost analysts for this ZNE building; and UW Hospitals and Clinics, which retained SEG to provide retro-commissioning services for its 3.6-million-sf campus in Madison.
SEG is changing its name to HGA, and merging its operations. Its employees are staying on with the firm, as are SEG's founders, Manus McDevitt, PE, LEED AP; and Svein Morner, PE, PhD, LEED AP, who will be principals at HGA. With the addition of SEG, HGA has offices in 10 cities across the U.S.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Apr 8, 2024
First federal blueprint to decarbonize U.S. buildings sector released
The Biden Administration recently released “Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector,” a comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from buildings by 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050.
Green | Apr 8, 2024
LEED v5 released for public comment
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened the first public comment period for the first draft of LEED v5. The new version of the LEED green building rating system will drive deep decarbonization, quality of life improvements, and ecological conservation and restoration, USGBC says.
Codes and Standards | Apr 8, 2024
Boston’s plans to hold back rising seawater stall amid real estate slowdown
Boston has placed significant aspects of its plan to protect the city from rising sea levels on the actions of private developers. Amid a post-Covid commercial development slump, though, efforts to build protective infrastructure have stalled.
Sustainability | Apr 8, 2024
3 sustainable design decisions to make early
In her experience as an architect, Megan Valentine AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, WELL AP, Fitwel, Director of Sustainability, KTGY has found three impactful sustainable design decisions: site selection, massing and orientation, and proper window-to-wall ratios.
Sustainability | Mar 29, 2024
Demystifying carbon offsets vs direct reductions
Chris Forney, Principal, Brightworks Sustainability, and Rob Atkinson, Senior Project Manager, IA Interior Architects, share the misconceptions about carbon offsets and identify opportunities for realizing a carbon-neutral building portfolio.
Sustainability | Mar 21, 2024
World’s first TRUE-certified building project completed in California
GENESIS Marina, an expansive laboratory and office campus in Brisbane, Calif., is the world’s first Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE)-certified construction endeavor. The certification recognizes projects that achieve outstanding levels of resource efficiency through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling practices.
Sustainability | Mar 13, 2024
Trends to watch shaping the future of ESG
Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability Services Leaders Anthony Brower, Juliette Morgan, and Kirsten Ritchie discuss trends shaping the future of environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
Sustainability | Feb 26, 2024
GBBN's Inflation Reduction Act Calculator goes live
GBBN has publicly released its IRA Calculator, a tool that helps you understand funding opportunities in the IRA for sustainable design.
High-rise Construction | Feb 23, 2024
Designing a new frontier in Seattle’s urban core
Graphite Design Group shares the design for Frontier, a 540,000-sf tower in a five-block master plan for Seattle-based tech leader Amazon.