World’s first TRUE-certified 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 recently completed project consisted of three buildings totaling about 560,000 sf.

The certification recognizes projects that achieve outstanding levels of resource efficiency through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling practices. The project diverted 98.4% of construction waste from landfills, an achievement that includes preventing waste from being sent to waste-to-energy facilities.

TRUE certification is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), part of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) family. Construction manager Webcor partnered with All About Waste, a zero waste and circular economy consultant, to achieve the certification.

The certification process involved a comprehensive evaluation of waste reduction practices including reduced packaging, the use of recycled products, and innovative end-of-life solutions for materials. Webcor’s approach emphasized collaboration across all levels of the project team and with subcontractors and partners to achieve the project’s waste reduction goals.

Photo provided by Webcor (pictured: Webcor Construction Manager John Tuttle) — Pictured: Webcor Construction Manager John Tuttle. Photo courtesy Webcar

"TRUE emphasizes waste reduction before any waste is created on the jobsite,” says Webcor Sustainability Director Sarah Rege. “This significantly reduces the volume of waste and emissions from transportation, benefiting local air quality and supporting local businesses.”

GENESIS Marina was awarded TRUE Gold in February 2024.

“We are proud to see Webcor’s forward-thinking efforts at GENESIS Marina and for initiating a broader conversation about the feasibility and benefits of zero waste and sustainability in construction,” said Joe Marconi, a Partner at Bain Capital Real Estate. “We are committed to continuing these impactful practices and positively contributing to the built environment in the years to come.”

Owner and/or developer: Phase 3 Real Estate
Architect: Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM)
MEP engineer: Meyers+ Engineers
Structural engineer: Paradigm Structural Engineers
General contractor/construction manager: Webcor

Photo provided by Webcor — Photo courtesy Webcor

Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.

Sustainability | Nov 16, 2021

Shanghai’s Starbucks Greener Store Lab is the first RESET-certified store for material circulation in the world

The store is inspired by the city of Shanghai and its waste management goals.

SOM's Urban Sequoia concept envisions buildings absorbing more carbon dioxide. Images: SOM

Urban Planning | Nov 11, 2021

Reimagining the concrete and steel jungle, SOM sees buildings that absorb more carbon than they emit

The firm presented its case for a cleaner built environment during the Climate Change conference in Scotland.

Sustainability | Nov 9, 2021

The future of regenerative building is performance-based

Why measuring performance results is so critical, but also easier said than done.

Sustainability | Oct 28, 2021

Reducing embodied carbon in construction, with sustainability leader Sarah King

Sustainability leader Sarah King explains how developers and contractors can use the new EC3 software tool to reduce embodied carbon in their buildings.

| Oct 14, 2021

The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab

In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.