SIG’s Top 10 Sustainability Projects for 2020

750 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY

750 Seventh Ave | Hines750 Seventh Avenue is a 643,301 square foot, 36 floor skyscraper in New York City. It was completed in 1989 in the postmodern style and features a continuous helix design since it was constructed without any interior columns. The building is managed by Hines and achieved LEED Gold certification in 2020. 750 7th Avenue was able to earn all 15 points in transportation with a 97% alternative transportation rate. Since the building is located in Times Square in Manhattan, most occupants were walking, biking, or taking public transportation. 750 Seventh Ave was also able to earn 5 points for interior water efficiency by using high efficiency flush fixtures, metered faucets in the restrooms, and low flow kitchen faucets. These water efficiency measures helped the building earn the water regional priority point. The building also earned both the daylight and lighting credits through Morgan Stanley’s exterior private offices. Collaboration between SIG and the 750 Seventh team earned the building an additional 6 points in energy efficiency by increasing the ENERGY STAR score by 8 points.

SIG Consultant:
Kelsey Alexander, Sustainability Consultant
LEED AP O+M

SIG Engineer:
Aditya “Bala” Balamuralikrishna, Energy Consultant
LEED AP O+M

FIS HQ
Jacksonville, FL

FIS HQ Rendering | Jacksonville, FLFIS HQ is located in Jacksonville, Florida and will become the headquarters for FIS corporate. The project sits on the St. Johns river flanking the downtown area and will feature a 12 story office tower with ample views to the water front. Hines is developing the property with Gensler leading the design team. SIG is working with the team in pursuing both LEED Platinum and WELL Gold at the property.

SIG Consultant:
Jenn Mahon, Senior Sustainability Consultant
WELL AP, LFA, GGP, Fitwel Ambassador, LEED Green Associate

Verizon Colorado NEC
Colorado Springs, CO

exterior photo of 4323 Arrowswest Drive | Colorado Springs, COThe Verizon Colorado Network Equipment Center, or “NEC”, is a data center operated by Verizon Wireless located in Colorado Springs, CO. The building, which is managed by Verizon property management and engineering staff, pursued LEED v4 O+M Gold certification in 2020. Opened in 1997 at just over 100,000 square feet, the building boasts one of the highest ENERGY STAR scores for data centers in the country, operating in the top 5% in energy performance with an ENERGY STAR score of 95. During the LEED effort, various upgrades were made throughout the property to improve environmental efficiencies and earn additional LEED points. Exterior lighting fixtures were upgraded to full cutoff and LED fixtures in order to reduce light pollution, and plumbing fixture upgrades such as adding aerators to lavatory faucets and lowering flow rates on breakroom sinks and showerheads resulted in a water savings of over 25%. Electric vehicle charging stations are also being added to further encourage clean and alternative forms of transportation.

SIG Consultant:
Asa Posner, Senior Sustainability Manager
LEED AP BD+C, O+M

SIG Engineer:
Jeff Stewart, Senior Energy Consultant
Energy Star Team Lead
PE, LEED AP O+M, ID+C

635/641 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY

635/641 Avenue of the Americas, owned and managed by SL Green, is a 282,307 sf office building located in the heart of the Chelsea neighborhood between 19th and 20th Streets in Manhattan, NYC. Once home to the Simpson Crawford Department Store, the two buildings were recently redeveloped and joint into one Class A off building featuring a new lobby, elevators, state-of-the-art building systems, and a one-of-a-kind penthouse rooftop that includes a bocce ball court and event space. One of the great flagship department stores to line what became known as The Ladies’ Mile, 635/641 was designed in 1900 as a block-wide replacement for an earlier Simpson Crawford store of 1878. One of the great flagship department stores to line what became known as The Ladies’ Mile, 635/641 was designed in 1900 as a block-wide replacement for an earlier Simpson Crawford store of 1878. The location was by then one of the most popular with female shoppers (thus the appellation of “Ladies’ Mile”), but Simpson Crawford was far more exclusive than its neighbors. Famed for never using price tags (which would imply that their clientele cared about the cost of things) the company enlisted the architectural firm of William H. Hume & Son to produce a dignified and majestic palace, featuring extraordinary materials and detailing, exuding calm, order and privacy. During its construction, the New York Times reported enthusiastically about the building, saying it was “one of the most architecturally elaborate stores” on the Avenue, singling out “the large entrance in the middle of the block, with a vestibule 50 feet in width and 13 feet in depth – the largest of its kind in the city – flanked by monolith columns of polished granite and with richly carved caps and entablature” as “the most striking feature.” If the architectural detailing was discreetly elegant, other features were among the most innovative in the city. The building’s escalators were the first installed in any building on Sixth Avenue while the plate glass for the ground story windows, far larger than standard size panes, were custom-made. The windows were peopled by another innovation – the mannequin, a new concept that gave viewers the impression of what the featured garments would look like when worn. SL Green achieved LEED EB: O+M Gold certification at 635/641 Avenue of the Americas in 2020. Highlights include a 41% water use reduction, earning an ENERGY STAR label with a score of 75, and an alternative transportation rate of over 87%.

SIG Consultant:
Asa Posner, Senior Sustainability Manager
LEED AP BD+C, O+M

SIG Engineer:
Jeff Stewart, Senior Energy Consultant
Energy Star Team Lead
PE, LEED AP O+M, ID+C

North Loop Green
408 N 4th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401

  • rendering of North Loop Green | SIGA two-tower project right near Target Field in downtown Minneapolis
  • Early in the process, but already conducted BDPO/Low emitting materials review
    –The architect is actively seeking environmentally preferable products

SIG Consultant:
Bradley Vogel, BD+C Project Coordinator
LEED Green Associate

T3 West Midtown

Hines | LEED Silver | Core + Shell v4

T3 West Midtown is a 7-story, 231,535 square foot creative office building developed by Hines, located in the heart of Atlantic Station in Atlanta, GA.  Built on a remediated brownfield site that was formerly owned by Atlantic Steel, the location of T3 West Midtown provides its occupants access to alternative transit and the many retail, restaurant, residential, and office facilities local to Atlantic Station, all within walking distance. T3 West Midtown is constructed of heavy timber, a highly sustainable and innovative design approach.  The project team sourced the building’s structural timber from a Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified, sustainably managed forest.  The building earned LEED Silver certification in November 2020.

SIG team member:
Monica Gonzalez, Vice President of Development & Strategic Planning
MS, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, ID+C

The Stack DE
2700 Commerce Street
Dallas, TX

  • This 213,000 square foot retail and office building will finish its construction in Dallas, Texas in 2021
  • The Hines-managed project with the help of SIG is pursuing Fitwel, WELL, and LEED, and has tracked a 31.35% reduction in water use and a 13% reduction in energy use.

Pursuing:

  • Fitwel – 2 Stars
  • WELL – pending WELL Silver Precertification
  • LEED – Pre-certified LEED Silver, Projected LEED Gold

SIG team member:
Jenn Mahon, Senior Sustainability Consultant
WELL AP, LFA, GGP, Fitwel Ambassador, LEED Green Associate

The Dayton’s Project
700 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN

  • Originally founded in 1902 as Dayton’s Department store, which eventually became Target.
    • This 1.3 million square foot building started renovations in 2017, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Submitted for Silver certification for LEED in April 2020 but is not yet certified.

SIG Consultant:
Asa Posner, Senior Sustainability Manager
LEED AP BD+C, O+M

SIG Engineer:
Jeff Stewart, Senior Energy Consultant
Energy Star Team Lead
PE, LEED AP O+M, ID+C

1325 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY

LEED v4.1 Arc Recertification

1325 Avenue of the Americas is a 34-story, 800,000 square foot building in New York City, under Paramount Group’s management who was awarded LEED Platinum Certification with a total of 81 points in May 2020. SIG consulted the building on energy efficiency and best sustainability practices every quarter until the building was ready for recertification in May.
By providing 365 days of data in Energy, Water, Waste, Transportation, and Human Experience, SIG was able to use the new Arc platform to keep track of the buildings performance and make sure they were performing the best they could to try and receive the highest certification possible.

1325 AoA received 28/33 in Energy, 7/15 in Water, 7/8 in Waste, 12/14 in Transportation, 17/20 Human Experience, and 10 base points for having a previous LEED Certification with a total score of 81 points for LEED Platinum Certification. 1325 AoA had high scores in the waste, transportation, and human experience categories. SIG provides yearly waste audits for 1325 AoA, which not only helps the waste score significantly, but also helps to educate the occupants at the building how to better recycle in order to divert more waste from landfills which is the end goal. With 1325 AoA being in a paradise for public transportation usage the building was able to achieve high points based on how occupants get to and from the building. Lastly, the building exceeded in the IAQ testing results which is done once a year by SIG.

SIG Consultant:
Jessye Vitier, Sustainability Consultant
LEED Green Associate, Fitwel Ambassador

© 2020 Sustainable Investment Group (SIG). All rights reserved.