Oatey

The project was constructed on the site of an old fertilizer plant that had been in operation since the late 1800’s. Extensive environmental remediation was required to make the site safe for both construction workers and building occupants. The development of brownfield sites is an important strategy for reducing the pressure on undeveloped land in our region.

By eliminating sources of contamination on site and adopting a stringent Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, we have taken positive measures to enhance and protect an important ecological resource adjacent to and down stream from the site.

By using building materials with high recycled content, like crushed concrete, structural steel, ceiling tile and carpet, we have helped to reduce the impact on our environment resulting from the extraction and processing of new virgin materials.

More than 50% of the construction waste generated by this project was diverted from landfill disposal. Large quantities of demolished concrete, scrap steel, cardboard, paper and wood were redirected back to the manufacturing process.

We have designed and installed a collection system to capture rain and store it in a large underground cistern for non-potable use in toilet fixtures and irrigation. This system will reduce the building’s demand for processed municipal water by more than 50%, saving over 100,000 gallons of water per year.

We have designed the building to exceed the energy performance standards established by the Model Energy Code (ASHREA 90.1). Through the use of a state of the art building automation system to monitor and control highly efficient lighting and mechanical systems, we expect to reduce energy consumption by about 25% resulting in annual savings of nearly $75,000.00 per year.

In order to create a healthy workplace for the building occupants, we have maintained an indoor air quality management plan throughout the construction of our building; we have used Low-VOC materials wherever possible including adhesives, sealants, paint, carpet and composite wood; and we have designed the building automation system to continuously monitor and control carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity levels.

We have installed windows and skylights throughout the building to maximize interior daylighting in all spaces occupied for critical visual tasks. Proto-integrated light sensors will automatically adjust the warehouse fluorescent lighting as the level of natural light changes throughout the day.

In order to evaluate the cost and potential benefits of solar power, we have designed and installed two arrays of photovoltaic panels to power the automated access gates to the facility.  If the results of this demonstration project are positive, we will install larger arrays on the southwest facing roof of the building to further reduce fossil fuel energy use.