Maryland Companies Make Some Green by Building

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A growing number of companies all over Maryland are riding the"green wave" by constructing eco-friendly, sustainable greenbuildings. Some have recently joined this trend, while others havebeen pioneers for years. These companies are discovering thatbuilding green saves money in operating costs, favorably impactsthe health and morale of their employees, improves productivity andhas a positive effect on customers who appreciate companies thatare friendly to the environment and are socially responsible.

"Our employees, customers, stockholders and members of thecommunity all benefit from our building green," said SoniaMcCormick, a vice president at PNC Bank. "We have been a pioneer inthe movement to go green, and PNC Bank was the first major retailerin the region to do so."

In fact, PNC Bank has adopted green principles in its buildingconstruction since 2000. The latest project is an environmentallyconscious branch located in the Fairwood Green Shopping Center inBowie, Md. More than 50% of this airy building, including wallcoverings, floors and furniture fabric, is made from recycled or"green" materials. The cabinets and office doors are made withwheatboard - a byproduct of wheat processing - instead of plywood.

Operating costs are reduced by 45% by maximizing natural light plusbenefiting from an efficient heating, ventilation and airconditioning system (HVAC) and insulation that is four times moreefficient than code. Other green innovations that conserve water(both internally and externally) and control pollution also havebeen incorporated in the building's operation.

So committed is the company to building green, PNC Bank was granteda trademark for the term "green branch."



LEED Certification Coveted

Forty-three environmentally friendly PNC Bank buildings stretchingfrom the Ohio River Valley to the mid-Atlantic region have alreadybeen LEED certified with 10 others pending certification. Thatestablishes PNC Bank as "the most LEED-certified company in theworld," according to Gary Saulson, director of corporate realestate for PNC.

A LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)certification is the nationally accepted benchmark issued by theU.S. Green Building Council for the design, construction andoperation of high performance, environmentally conscious greenbuildings. The point-based system covers existing buildings andthose under construction, from commercial and retail structures tohomes, schools and health care facilities. Depending upon thepoints awarded, the designation can be Platinum, Gold, Silver andCertified.

Other area companies, while not as prolific in the number ofLEED-certified buildings as PNC Bank can claim, have also earnedhonors for building green. Century Engineering Inc., for example,received awards for its Hunt Valley headquarters building thatopened in July 2006. Such recognition includes the LEED Gold statusfor its HVAC and electrical systems designed to cut energyconsumption by 35% and a plumbing system that helps reduce waterconsumption by 28%.

Century's decisions to purchase 100% wind-generated power, divert98.6% of the project's construction waste from landfills and buyhybrid vehicles for company use also earned points toward thebuilding's certification.

Moreover, the 58,000-square-foot, four- story building merited theInternational Facilities Management Association (IFMA) Award ofExcellence for Sustainable Design and Energy Efficiency for 2007.



Silver Shines, Too

Manekin, a large, full-service commercial real estate company,moved into its new 53,000-square-foot headquarters on ColumbiaGateway Drive in January 2007. The two-story brick and ribbon glassbuilding was designed to yield a 35% energy savings by using anefficient HVAC system, low e-glass, automatic dimming of lightingduring daylight hours, enlarged sidelights to increasing lightinginto interior spaces and motion sensors to ensure that lighting isonly on when space is occupied.

During construction, Manekin established an indoor air qualityprogram to assure the delivery of a healthy work environment uponcompletion. It also sealed all ductwork to prevent dust and debriscollection, thereby limiting allergens. These green innovationsearned Manekin the LEED Silver certification and the buildingbecame Howard County's first LEED-certified new constructionproject.

This success isn't new to Manekin. Its Harford County PublicSchools administration building in Bel Air earned a LEED Goldcertification in 2005 - the first in the county - primarily for itsenergy and water conservation as well as its waste management andrecycled content.

In 2003, Manekin built the first living roof in Anne ArundelCounty. Located in Edgewater, the roof on the 40,000-square-footoffice building is covered with soil, grasses and various othertypes of plants that serve to insulate the building and preventexcess water from draining into the Chesapeake Bay.



Using Study Data in Building Green

In committing to building green at its office properties, CorporateOffice Properties Trust (COPT) cites a study commissioned bySiemens that indicates two-thirds of corporate heads respondingview building green as a means to reduce operating costs andincrease profitability. COPT, a Columbia-based specialty officereal estate investment trust, has been active in this endeavorsince 2003. Three of its buildings have received LEED Goldcertifications, three Silver, with 24 pending LEED Silver or Gold.

COPT emphasizes energy efficiency, and its management team believesthat sustainably designed buildings not only preserve naturalresources, but a healthy indoor environment leads to improvedproductivity. Studies have shown that productivity can be boostedsignificantly with improvements to the quality of the workplacesuch as natural daylight use, plus paying attention to thetechnical causes of tenant complaints like air quality andcomfortable temperature.



Looking Down the Green Road

Groundbreaking for the first green office and retail commercialcondominium in Howard County hasn't taken place yet, but OlusolaSeriki, president of the developer Metroventures/USA Inc., aBaltimore-based firm, is already excited about the Meridian SquareOffice and Retail Project.

"The rising costs of utilities is the primary motivation inbuilding green," Seriki said. "The energy efficiencies we will putin place will reduce utility costs 21-23%." Each company occupyingspace in this four-story, 60,000-square-foot condominium buildingwill have its own meter and will pay its own utility costs. Serikiasserted the savings to these small business owners will besignificant.

Meridian Square, which will be located in the Village of OaklandMills, has applied for LEED Silver certification. Other greenfeatures include: low flow and ultra low flow plumbing fixtures;increased insulation systems for the walls and roof; highperformance window glazing; efficient lighting fixtures and design;high efficiency HVAC systems and equipment; construction wastemanagement; and a 10% goal for recycled content of materials.

More green projects are on the horizon. Next spring, Marriott willbe constructing Baltimore's first green hotel, Fairfield Inn andSuites, where the old Baltimore Brewing Company once stood. Notonly will the construction and operation incorporate many greenfeatures, but the hotel will also encompass characteristics fromthe brewery, such as using beer storage tanks to collect and re-userainwater and recycling some of the original bricks in theconstruction.



Green Mandates

Several jurisdictions throughout Maryland are aiming for green,with some already issuing requirements that newly constructedbuildings be LEED certified. The Howard County Council, forexample, passed a bill last summer that establishes green buildingstandards for public and private buildings in the county. Effectivethis July, most new publicly funded buildings (30% or more countyfunding) larger than 10,000 square feet must attain a LEED Silverrating and most new private buildings larger than 50,000 squarefeet must attain a LEED Certified rating.

The way the trend is going, government may not need to mandatebuilding green. Realizing savings in energy costs, receivingpotential tax breaks, improving productivity and public relationsand preserving the environment may be sufficient reasons tomotivate companies to build green.