December 31, 2004—The Joe Serna Jr.-Cal/EPA Headquarters Building in downtown Sacramento, developed and operated by Thomas Properties Group has won two additional major green building awards—the first high-rise platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—Existing Building category, and California’s highest and most prestigious environmental recognition, the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.
The 25-story, 950,000-square-foot building earlier this year won the 2004 Earth Award from the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) and was designated as one of the most energy efficient high-rises in the nation by Energy Star, a program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Since development of the project began, Cal/EPA, the City of Sacramento and Thomas Properties Group have viewed the building as a working laboratory for green practices in a Class A high-rise.
Green building practices have significantly reduced operating expenses and management challenges at the Cal/EPA facility, according to Scott. He said that bottom line savings are approximately $1 per square foot compared with other downtown Sacramento building averages, or more than $1 million annually. In addition, according to a report commissioned by the State of California, productivity gains resulting from green building strategies should bring significant, long-term dollar savings to the building’s tenant.
The Cal/EPA Headquarters is Sacramento’s largest high-rise. A public/private partnership between the City of Sacramento and Thomas Properties Group, the project development team included architects AC Martin Partners, mechanical-electrical engineers Levine Seegel Associates, interior designers IA Corporation, and construction manager Turner Construction Corporation.
The building was designed and built using sustainable, yet economically competitive technologies, materials, methods and processes, such as advanced cooling and ventilation systems, photovoltaic co-generation, high-efficiency glass and curtain wall components and low-gas and recycled construction products.
Thomas Properties Group enhanced the green building design and construction by implementing an aggressive program of green operating techniques.
Green operating features at the Cal/EPA headquarters include:
- A comprehensive indoor air quality program involving janitorial, landscape and maintenance practices that use non-toxic, odor-free and biodegradable products enabling the EPA to lead by example;
- A daytime janitorial system, lowering electrical consumption, reducing the number of tenant service calls, and reducing janitorial staff turnover substantially;
- An aggressive recycling program that reduces the building’s waste hauling costs and serves as a source of non-rental revenue; and
- A vermi-composting system—using worms that last year devoured 10 tons of organic materials generated during food preparation in the on-site cafeteria—that creates a nutrient rich soil amendment for the building’s landscaping.
