SUNDT HEADQUARTERS AWARDED LEED GOLD CERTIFICATION
5/21/2009
Sundt’s Tempe headquarters has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The 67,400-square-foot, three-story design-build project was completed in 2008. The architect was SmithGroup .
Sundt, the nation’s 55th largest construction company, demonstrated its commitment to sustainability when planning and building its corporate headquarters, which measures 67,400 square feet. It also employed the latest construction technologies available at that time, including Building Information Modeling (BIM). In the history of the USGBC, the Sundt office is the first project to be awarded a point during the certification process for its use of BIM to minimize waste and increase efficiency during the design and construction process.
“We wanted to make a statement in the market that shows what Sundt’s all about,” said company Chairman and CEO J. Doug Pruitt. “Our mission from the very beginning was to demonstrate the latest in technology, sustainability and smart design. I think this building does that in a very meaningful way.”
The project is also pursuing Green Globes certification (3 Globes) in addition to the USGBC designation. Green Globes (greenglobes.com) is another organization which provides market recognition of a building’s environmental attributes through third-party verification. The Green Globes and LEED certification of the Sundt headquarters are based on a number of green design and construction elements that had a positive impact on the project itself, the environment, as well as the broader community. Some of these elements include:
- An energy-efficient roof system that provides high reflectivity and emissivity values, greatly reducing the heat island effect.
- A waste management program that diverted 87 percent of construction waste away from landfills through the recycling and/or reuse of materials.
- A reduction of the amount of water use to ensure a consumption factor that is 38 percent less than a building of comparable size and scale.
- The use of adhesives, paints, sealants, carpet and other installed materials emitting the least of amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) possible.
- An on-site green education program using visual displays and monitors to inform occupants and visitors of the building’s sustainable features.
- A green cleaning program that utilizes green cleaning products, occupant cleaning education and occupant recycling program.
- The purchase of green power.
- The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), which provided designers and constructors a digital 3D/4D image of complex building components, providing the project team the ability to utilize pre-fabrication, fast-track scheduling and collaborative design to reduce resource consumption.
- An energy efficient HVAC system comprising a central chiller and raised access flooring providing under-floor air distribution, which resulted in increased occupant comfort.
Sustainability is a core philosophy of Sundt. The company remains committed to serving as an example to the industry and the country through its green initiatives. In the last year, the company more than doubled the amount of LEED-accredited professionals to more than 150, making the company the 15th largest sustainable contractor in the country. Sundt’s construction portfolio features numerous environmentally-friendly projects, including Building B of the Biodesign Institute of Arizona, the first LEED Platinum building certified in the Southwest, and the Arizona Game and Fish Headquarters, which recently received LEED Platinum certification.