flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

HGA acquires Wisconsin engineering firm

Sustainable Design and Construction

HGA acquires Wisconsin engineering firm

Sustainable Engineering Group will bolster its new owner’s design and planning abilities.


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | July 9, 2018

SEG’s 12-person team works out of a historic commercial building that has achieved net zero energy using strategies that include waste heat recovery, natural ventilation, a photovoltaic roof system, and real-time energy-use monitoring. Image: HGA

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

| May 25, 2011

Low Impact Development: Managing Stormwater Runoff

Earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW/SD learning units by studying this article and successfully passing the online exam.

| May 25, 2011

Smithsonian building $45 million green lab

Thanks to a $45 million federal appropriation to the Smithsonian Institution, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md., has broken ground on what is expected to be one of the most energy-efficient laboratories in the country. The 69,000-sf lab is targeting LEED Gold and is expected to use 37% less energy and emit 37% less carbon dioxide than a similar building.

| May 20, 2011

Chicago leads the nation in LEED-certified square footage

The U.S. Green Building Council reports that Chicago has the highest number of square feet of LEED-certified green building projects nationally with 71 million square feet.  

| May 18, 2011

Eco-friendly San Antonio school combines history and sustainability

The 113,000-sf Rolling Meadows Elementary School in San Antonio is the Judson Independent School District’s first sustainable facility, with green features such as vented roofs for rainwater collection and regionally sourced materials.

| May 16, 2011

USGBC and AIA unveil report for greening K-12 schools

The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects unveiled "Local Leaders in Sustainability: A Special Report from Sundance," which outlines a five-point national action plan that mayors and local leaders can use as a framework to develop and implement green schools initiatives.

| May 16, 2011

Virtual tour: See U.S. Green Building Council’s new LEED Platinum HQ—and earn CE credits

A virtual tour of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Platinum HQ is available. The tour features embedded videos, audio podcasts, and information on building materials and products used throughout the space. By taking the virtual tour, professionals can earn GBCI Continuing Education hours for the LEED AP with specialty and LEED Green Associate credentials.

| May 10, 2011

Cascadia Green Building Council report urges net-zero water systems for multifamily and commercial buildings

A new report from the Cascadia Green Building Council offers best management practices for designing safe, efficient, and effective net-zero water systems for the multifamily, commercial, single-family, and neighborhood market segments.

| May 10, 2011

Greenest buildings: K-12 and commercial markets

Can you name the nation’s greenest K-12 school? How about the greenest commercial building? If you drew a blank, don’t worry because our friends at EarthTechling have all the information on those two projects. Check out the Hawai’i Preparatory Academy’s Energy Lab on the Big Island and Cascadia Green Building Council’s new Seattle headquarters.

| May 10, 2011

Solar installations on multifamily rooftops aid social change

The Los Angeles Business Council's study on the feasibility of installing solar panels on the city’s multifamily buildings shows there's tremendous rooftop capacity, and that a significant portion of that rooftop capacity comes from buildings in economically depressed neighborhoods. Solar installations could therefore be used to create jobs, lower utility costs, and improve conditions for residents in these neighborhood.

| May 6, 2011

“Net-Zero Energy Buildings and Homes” White Paper Q&A at AIA

“Zero and Net-zero Energy Buildings + Homes,” a 64-page White Paper that proclaims “the next frontier in the green building movement,” will be the topic of a 1-hr Q&A with 6 “NZEB” experts at the AIA Conference + Expo, Friday, May 13, 11 a.m. to 12 noon, at the Morial Convention Center (Level 2, Room R06), New Orleans.The 40,000-word report from Building Design+Construction provides a road map for the $350 billion design, construction, and real estate industry to develop “net-zero” buildings and homes that generate as much energy as they use, such as the new Research Support Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in Golden, Colo.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Sustainable Design and Construction

Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021