Office Building Earns Highest Sustainability Rating

May 17, 2012

Atlanta, Ga. — Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC, was recently part of the project team for the Perkins+Will Atlanta office building renovation, which has earned the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) score in the Northern Hemisphere to date under the 2009 version of the LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) rating system.

The building, located at 1315 Peachtree Street, scored 95 points and earned LEED Platinum certification.

The extensive renovation process started with the demolition of all existing finishes, removal of 2,000 sq ft of post-tensioned concrete slab, and recladding of the exterior glass curtain wall. An elevated steel terrace was added, providing Perkins+Will prominent views of Peachtree Street and the High Museum. The project also included a full interior build-out and replacement of all plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems.

Brasfield & Gorrie worked together with its client, Perkins+Will, to achieve the exceptional LEED score by incorporating a variety of sustainable methodologies and elements throughout the course of the construction process, including building an on-site temporary construction office with at least 50 percent recycled materials; installing a highly complex central energy plant that includes microturbines and an absorption chiller; installing raised flooring and a radiant heating and cooling system that is the first of its kind in Atlanta; placing motorized solar shades that adjust with the direction of the sun to regulate afternoon sunlight and heat gain; and installing a 10,000-gallon rainwater collection system to provide water for irrigation and low-flow toilet fixtures.

The $11.5 million project received first place in the Sustainable Design Practices and the Construction categories at the 2012 Associated General Contractors Build Georgia awards as well as the Urban Land Institute’s Development of Excellence Award.

Brasfield & Gorrie is one of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms, providing general contracting, design-build, and construction management services for a wide variety of markets, including healthcare, commercial, institutional, federal, municipal, industrial, and wastewater treatment. We serve clients from offices in Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Raleigh, North Carolina. Brasfield & Gorrie has approximately 2,400 employees, and its 2011 revenues were $1.7 billion. Engineering News-Record ranks Brasfield & Gorrie 32nd among the nation’s “Top 400 Contractors” for 2012.

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