January 18, 2010, St. Louis, MO –
Building I at BioResearch & Development Growth Park (BRDG Park) at the Danforth Plant Science Center (in St. Louis County, Missouri) has become one of the only laboratory facilities available for lease to emerging plant and life science companies nationwide to earn a coveted Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
As a science research laboratory facility that uses significantly more energy than an office building of comparable size, strict environmental stewardship is especially crucial. Building I at BRDG (pronounced “bridge”) Park complies with elite sustainability criteria for energy-efficiency and green technology in construction, design execution and site management.
Located on the campus of the Danforth Plant Science Center, the world’s largest plant science research facility, the 110,000 square foot, four-story, building which opened in June 2009, is the first of three buildings at BRDG Park, which will ultimately encompass 450,000 square feet.
In addition to enhancing collaborations at the international center of plant and life sciences research, BRDG Park helps provide the research, resources and relationships necessary to help plant and life sciences and clean-tech companies from the incubation stage to post-incubation stage achieve commercial success. Although opening in a very difficult economy, Building I already is two-thirds full.
Designed by Gaudreau, Inc., Baltimore, and constructed by St. Louis-based Tarlton Corporation, Building I at BRDG Park was built in accordance with LEED Core & Shell requirements. “This Gold designation surpassed the Silver status we had anticipated. We are thrilled to set an environmental leadership standard for research park facilities available to emerging plant and life science companies,” said Sam Fiorello, president of BRDG Park. “Fledgling science companies want to be leaders on the environmental cutting edge, and we are providing them the kind of home that helps them do so.”
“Designing a building that is suitable for plant and life sciences companies that can have above average chemistry applications required special planning, beginning with the configuration and capacity of the central operating systems, the location of air and water supply/exhaust risers, and installing waste piping cores throughout the building,” said William A. L. Gaudreau, AIA, president and principal of Gaudreau, Inc.
According to Craig Smith, Project Engineer for Tarlton, among the many energy efficient features that contribute to a 17.5% energy savings is the fully commissioned heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. This process ensures that every piece of equipment is running at peak efficiency and provides an opportunity for the engineers to fine tune the building controls.
Several other special features include: low flow systems that reduce water consumption by 30%; daylight views from over 97% of the building’s interior; 41% of all material extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the construction site; retention ponds that contain and filter excess storm water, and many other energy-efficient strategies.
Compliance with standards for sustainability also was maintained throughout every phase of construction. Pipes and ductwork were protected to prevent contamination from dust or other materials. Trucks were washed off onsite to keep local streets clean. Construction waste and trash were appropriately recycled with over 57% of all waste being diverted from landfills.
Fiorello added that he was equally excited that while achieving elite environmental sustainability standards the building was built within its original budget as a result of the creativity and vigilance of Gaudreau and Tarlton throughout every phase of design and construction.
Tarlton president Tracy Hart said that “in addition to the obvious value to the scientific community and the community as a whole, the new lab building is a great place to work. Having built our own LEED Silver headquarters in 2004, we know how these buildings can improve people’s lives,” added Hart, who serves as chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee for the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. “We’re thrilled to complete our first LEED Gold project and proud to help make St. Louis an even better place to work.”
In addition to its sustainable design, BRDG Park caters to the specialized needs of plant and life sciences companies, with systems designed to adapt to the diversity of scientific research needs in the marketplace, including flexibility to accompany almost any lab environment requiring a wide variety of specialized equipment, fume hood density and sinks.
BRDG Park is being developed by Wexford Science+Technology LLC, a privately-held real estate developer and investment company that has developed seven major research parks nationwide. In addition to Tarlton Corp. and Gaudreau, Inc., contractors for BRDG Park included Mackey Mitchell Associates, Alper Audi, Inc., Clayton Engineering Co. Inc., William Tao & Associates, Kibart, Inc., Geotechnology Inc., and Land Design Services Inc.
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