FM Global HQ, URI Receive LEED Gold Certification

Two buildings in Rhode Island received LEED Gold certification last week. The Center for Biotechnology at the University of Rhode Island and the new headquarters for FM Global both received the designation, according to press releases.

The news represents the first LEED certification of a URI building, according to the press release. LEED administrative efforts were led by Providence firm and associate architect Lerner Ladds + Bartels, while the building was designed by Payette Associates. The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges cited URI as one of the nation’s most eco-friendly campuses.

The building’s sustainable features include a green roof, a rain garden and storm water treatment feature, daylight harvesting technologies, and an energy efficient heating and cooling system. All of the wood used in construction was certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to have come from sustainably managed forests. About a third of the materials used in the building had been previously recycled, while 79 percent of construction waste was recycled.

The energy efficiency measures installed in the building will save about $135,000 per year in utility costs, according to the press release.

FM Global’s headquarters was completed in September 2009 and includes a 366,600 square feet, four-story building designed and constructed by Vision 3 Architects and Dimeo Construction Company of Providence. According to the company, the certification makes its headquarters the most environmentally friendly office building in Rhode Island. The building features a multi-level parking garage, efficient HVAC systems, lighting occupancy sensors and low-water use fixtures. Additionally, 70 percent of wood came from sustainable forests, and 79 percent of all construction-related debris was recycled.

General Mills recently received Gold certification for its new facility in Georgia, while the Bank of America Tower received Platinum certification.