Sustainable Facility - November 2008 - (Page 23)

wens Corning’s World Headquarters facility exempliﬁes the company’s mission statement: Greening our products; greening our processes, accelerating the pace of energy efﬁciency in the built environment. From something as small as light bulbs to something as signiﬁcant as the corporate headquarters, Owens Corning is living its values every day. And since 1996, it’s been doing so in a corporate headquarters that’s a tangible embodiment of the company’s commitment to sustainability. Owens Corning World Headquarters is located in downtown Toledo, Ohio, on an industrial site that formerly was a derelict railway switchyard. The company restored or reclaimed more than 55 percent of the 42-acre site to its natural state. Avoiding the manicured grounds typical of corporate headquarters, the site is low-maintenance, with native vegetation and an abundance of wildlife that’s a pleasant surprise in the middle of an industrial city. The facility has become the cornerstone of urban renewal in downtown Toledo. Owens Corning, a 70-year old Fortune 500 company, put its money behind its values when it built a 400,000-square-foot corporate headquarters that met U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards before such standards existed; the building was planned with eventual LEED certiﬁcation in mind. The Owens Corning World Headquarters building was LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB 2.0) Silver certiﬁed in 2006, 10 years after it was completed. (LEED certiﬁcation for new construction wasn’t launched until 2000 and the LEED for Existing Buildings platform was introduced in 2004.) O SITE SELECTION AND INNOVATION Supporting the company’s commitment to sustainability, the focus began with the selection of the site for the headquarters. Glen Hiner, then Owens Corning CEO, was working to break down the silos he perceived in the company, whose 10 business units tended to work as autonomous units. With the help of a team headed by project manager Jim Eckert, (who’s now director of corporate real estate), Hiner did just that, while modeling sustainability. Owens Corning’s World Headquarters Location: Toledo, Ohio Size: 400,000 square feet The building’s relatively narrow footprint, combined with its glass walls, creates a pleasant environment for employees. Ofﬁces and work areas are near windows, but not next to them, so interior walls don’t block daylight. Most employees enjoy a view of the Maumee River through a wall of glass that gives them optimal access to daylight. Most corridors and the in-house café face a tranquil inner courtyard. In addition to the aesthetic beneﬁts, these open environments encourage collaboration across all levels of the company. Among the many innovations in the new building is an under-ﬂoor air distribution (UFAD) system. This efﬁcient UFAD/HVAC system was a signiﬁcant contributor to the building’s LEED certiﬁcation and helped reduce energy costs. Before moving into the new building, annual electrical costs were more than $1 million. Despite rising energy costs since the building was commissioned, annual electrical costs today are less than $800,000. The under-ﬂoor ventilation system delivers air at much lower velocities than with traditional HVAC systems, allowing the use of smaller, more-efﬁcient fans. And, controllable vents can be added where needed in workspaces for individual comfort. White noise helps reduce distractions. The result is thermal comfort and almost no noise, delivered in an energy-efﬁcient manner. The modular nature of the under-ﬂoor air, power and data distribution systems dramatically simpliﬁes reconﬁguration of workspace and signiﬁcantly contributes to the building’s sustainability proﬁle. Partition walls, workstations, power/data and voice systems are assembled from a modular kit and can be reconﬁgured using only a hammer, wrench and screwdriver. In the company’s previous headquarters, moving an individual or a team typically cost more than $1,000 per person, and required carpenters, electricians, painters and other trades people. Today, that cost is less than $300. In a ■ Most corridors face a tranquil inner courtyard, which, in addition to the aesthetic beneﬁts, the open environments encourage collaboration at all levels of the company. ■ The Owens Corning World Headquarters building was LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB 2.0) Silver certiﬁed in 2006, 10 years after it was completed. The building was commissioned as the U.S. Green Building Council was developing LEED. ■ The building utilizes an under-ﬂoor air distribution system with raised ﬂooring by Tate Access Floors. Each workstation has a ﬂoor vent that is adjustable and can be tailored to the needs of the occupant. W W W . S U S TA I N A B L E F A C I L I T Y. C O M 23 http://WWW.SUSTAINABLEFACILITY.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Facility - November 2008

Sustainable Facility - November 2008 Contents Editorial Industry Watch Web TOC New and Notable The Case for Daytime Cleaning Commitment to Energy Effi ciency and Sustainability Finding the Green Solar for the Commercial and Industrial Sector: What’s Hot Now? Connecting Sustainability and Green Cleaning Recycling Rechargeable Batteries Sharing Best Practices The Consultant Conundrum Sharing the Facilities Management Burden The Building Owner’s and Operator’s Sustainability Solution: Energy Audits Greenbuild: Green Product Buzz Guide Product Focus Marketplace and Classifieds Advertiser’s Index Initiatives

Sustainable Facility - November 2008

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