St. Louis - Headquarters of the Alberici Corp. recently celebrated a milestone by becoming the first
U.S. building to achieve a rating of Four Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative's (GBI) Green Globes™ environmental assessment and rating system for commercial structures.GBI executive director
Ward Hubbell presented the design team and company leaders with a plaque recognizing Alberici's achievement. The project team, led by St. Louis-based sustainability consulting firm Vertegy, was recognized for its use of water conservation strategies, inCorp. Of the integrated design process and selection of low-impact building materials. During the dedication ceremony, Hubbell also honored the Home Builders Association (HBA) of
St. Louis and Eastern Missouri's residential green verification building program—the Green Building Initiative (GBI)-
St. Louis—on the occasion of its one-year anniversary. As a result of this program, nearly 20 green homes have been built in the region over the past year and 57 HBA members have been trained in sustainable building techniques. As part of the anniversary celebration, the local HBA also broke ground on the fourth home in its Vision Home community, which will be featured during next year's National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) National Green Building Conference. This is the first time that
St. Louis has been selected to host this national event.
About Alberici Corporate HeadquartersThe 110,000-square-foot building houses the corporate office headquarters of Alberici Corp., which is a family of companies providing construction and construction-related services worldwide. The building achieved a Green Globes score of 93 percent (or Four Green Globes) by incorporating sustainable design practices in the areas of project management, site, energy, water, resources, emissions and indoor environment.
Sustainable features of the building and site include a 65kW wind turbine for energy creation, use of materials with recycled content, and remediation of a brownfield site.
"As a company that works exclusively in the area of sustainable design and construction, it's important to have a choice of tools," says Thomas Taylor, general manager of Vertegy, which guided the development of the Alberici headquarters building. "Green Globes has earned a unique position in the market because it allows architects, builders and developers to easily assess and rate the sustainable attributes of their designs or existing buildings, and helps to create structures that are better for employees, the community and our environment."
To achieve a verified rating, the project team from Alberici and Vertegy used the Green Globes tool to assess and rate the building, which was then verified by a third-party building science expert who reviewed the construction documents and conducted an on-site inspection.
"We commend the project team for transforming a 1950s office building into the beautiful and efficient building it is today," adds Hubbell. "They took special care to create a building that shines as a model of sustainability."
About the GBI-St. Louis Verification ProgramThe Home Builders Association of St. Louis and
Eastern Missouri's HBA Green Building Council serves to provide education and information on green building to HBA members. As part of its residential green building program, the council provides quarterly training seminars and has an active verification program in partnership with Laclede Gas.Laclede Gas helps to ensure that homes are in compliance with the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, which is the core of the local program. In order to apply for verification, the builder must be a member of the HBA of St. Louis and
Eastern Missouri's Green Building Council and undertake the GBI-St. Louis verification program.
About Green GlobesThe Alberici Corp. Headquarters is just one of the
U.S. buildings verified as sustainable using the Green Globes system. Other buildings include: Blakely Hall in
Issaquah,
WA; the Pfizer Inc. Clinical Research Unit in
New Haven,
CT; the RenewAire, LLC corp. headquarters in
Madison,
WI; the Wisconsin Electrical Employees Benefit Fund Office in
Madison,
WI; the Summit County Materials Recovery Facility in
Summit County,
CO; and the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in
Little Rock,
AR.For more information about the GBI or Green Globes, including a case study on the Alberici Corporate Headquarters, visit www.thegbi.org.
About the
GreenBuilding Initiative
The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, visit www.thegbi.org.
