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
| Oct 18, 2010
World’s first zero-carbon city on track in Abu Dhabi
Masdar City, the world’s only zero-carbon city, is on track to be built in Abu Dhabi, with completion expected as early as 2020. Foster + Partners developed the $22 billion city’s master plan, with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, Aedas, and Lava Architects designing buildings for the project’s first phase, which is on track to be ready for occupancy by 2015.
| Oct 13, 2010
Editorial
The AEC industry shares a widespread obsession with the new. New is fresh. New is youthful. New is cool. But “old” or “slightly used” can be financially profitable and professionally rewarding, too.
| Oct 13, 2010
Prefab Trailblazer
The $137 million, 12-story, 500,000-sf Miami Valley Hospital cardiac center, Dayton, Ohio, is the first major hospital project in the U.S. to have made extensive use of prefabricated components in its design and construction.
| Oct 13, 2010
Campus building gives students a taste of the business world
William R. Hough Hall is the new home of the Warrington College of Business Administration at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The $17.6 million, 70,000-sf building gives students access to the latest technology, including a lab that simulates the stock exchange.
| Oct 13, 2010
Apartment complex will offer affordable green housing
Urban Housing Communities, KTGY Group, and the City of Big Bear Lake (Calif.) Improvement Agency are collaborating on The Crossings at Big Bear Lake, the first apartment complex in the city to offer residents affordable, eco-friendly homes. KTGY designed 28 two-bedroom, two-story townhomes and 14 three-bedroom, single-story flats, averaging 1,100 sf each.
| Oct 13, 2010
Residences bring students, faculty together in the Middle East
A new residence complex is in design for United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, UAE, near Abu Dhabi. Plans for the 120-acre mixed-use development include 710 clustered townhomes and apartments for students and faculty and common areas for community activities.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community center under way in NYC seeks LEED Platinum
A curving, 550-foot-long glass arcade dubbed the “Wall of Light” is the standout architectural and sustainable feature of the Battery Park City Community Center, a 60,000-sf complex located in a two-tower residential Lower Manhattan complex. Hanrahan Meyers Architects designed the glass arcade to act as a passive energy system, bringing natural light into all interior spaces.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community college plans new campus building
Construction is moving along on Hudson County Community College’s North Hudson Campus Center in Union City, N.J. The seven-story, 92,000-sf building will be the first higher education facility in the city.
| Oct 13, 2010
Bookworms in Silver Spring getting new library
The residents of Silver Spring, Md., will soon have a new 112,000-sf library. The project is aiming for LEED Silver certification.
| Oct 13, 2010
County building aims for the sun, shade
The 187,032-sf East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, Calif., will be oriented to take advantage of daylighting, with exterior sunshades preventing unwanted heat gain and glare. The building is targeting LEED Silver. Strong horizontal massing helps both buildings better match their low-rise and residential neighbors.