Corporate sustainability mission requires LEED certification for all construction and renovation projects in its 4M SF office building portfolio

WALTHAM, Mass. – July 22, 2014 –  Hobbs Brook Management LLC, a pioneer in the development of office space in the Boston suburbs, announced today that its building at 1175 Boston Providence Turnpike in Norwood, Mass. has achieved LEED Gold for New Construction by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first office building in Norwood to do so. Designed by  Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA) and built by  Columbia Construction Company (CCC), the 160,000 SF Class A office building opened in 2013 and fully accommodates two tenants with separate entrances, centralized corporate dining, and a complete on-site fitness center.

Hobbs Brook Management has been incorporating energy efficiency and sound green building practices in the construction and renovation of its properties for more than three decades. This approach to sustainability greatly reduces negative environmental impacts, and as an added benefit, green operations and management mitigate operating costs, enhance building marketability, increase worker productivity, and improve indoor air quality for a more healthful workplace.

“We make it standard practice to require LEED certification for all new construction projects Hobbs Brook undertakes,” said Kevin Casey, vice president of Real Estate and Construction for Hobbs Brook. “We’ve enjoyed great success on recent projects with MPA and CCC and share a commitment to quality design and construction, building efficiency, and environmental stewardship. Receiving LEED Gold for the Norwood building validates the team’s commitment to sustainability and provides another gleaming example for our sustainable building portfolio.”

MPA and CCC designed and constructed the high-performance green building with sustainable features that include a high reflection roof to reduce a heat island effect, solar shading of the exterior window system to cut down on heat gain in the building, high efficiency irrigation, and the use of drought resistant plant materials. Additional sustainable features include:

• 40% water use reduction
• 22% optimized energy performance than code designed within the building envelope and high performance HVAC equipment
• Bioswale and rain gardens to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water prior to releasing into the storm water system.
• Bike racks and shower facilities for bicycle commuters
• Onsite reuse of crushed stone and soil
• Low-emitting indoor building product materials
• Recycled and regional building product materials reduce extraction and processing of virgin materials and environmental impacts resulting from transportation
• Green housekeeping program

The Norwood building marks the second successful sustainable project borne from the partnership of Hobbs Brook Management, Margulies Perruzzi Architects and Columbia Construction. The building utilized many green building elements that helped it to achieve LEED Gold, an effort that was accomplished by working together early in the design process to look at the entire project from a sustainability standpoint.

To show how a truly successful partnership works, MPA and Columbia jointly produced a five-part documentary video series on the teamwork, design, and construction of Hobbs Brook Management’s new Norwood building. “The Fusion of Architecture and Construction” video series illustrates the successful partnership and collaboration effort between the building owner, builder, and architect for the project, while educating viewers about building design best practices and providing an insider’s look at the construction of the building. The first episode in the Hobbs Brook series may be viewed at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sPaY6k9qJ8&feature=youtu.be.

The full project team includes: 
Owner: Hobbs Brook Management

Architect: Margulies Perruzzi Architects

Contractor: Columbia Construction Company

LEED Consultant: RM Environmental Consulting

MEP/HVAC Engineer: AHA Consulting Engineers

Civil Engineer: Kelly Engineering

Building Envelope Consultant: SGH Engineering

About Hobbs Brook Management LLC
As both owner and operator, Hobbs Brook Management LLC is committed to providing its tenants and their employees with a reliable and fully functional business environment.  For leasing information, please visit  www.hobbsbrook.com.