LEED Silver Certified

Front Range Village Library

The Front Range Village Branch Library is located in a new 900,000 square foot mixed-use retail center and is the city’s first LEED certified library. In seeking LEED certification, Hoar participated in waste reduction through building design and recycling efforts, in making sure the project site was protected before ground was ever broken, and in adhering to the highest level of requirements throughout construction.

A storm water management plan was submitted and approved by the city of Fort Collins before site work started. After each weather event, all inlets and protective barriers were checked, conditions documented, and reports were issued. During construction, Hoar implemented control procedures to ensure air quality was within acceptable limits of the SMACNA IAQ Guideline for Occupied Buildings under Construction. When possible, VOC-emitting products were put in place before installing absorbent materials. Hoar participated in housekeeping measures such as cleaning debris and/or rubbish during all phases of construction; banning cigarette smoking and chewing tobacco in the building interior; and following storage, usage, and disposal guidelines on container labels.

The goal for waste management on this project was to recycle or salvage and reuse a minimum 50% by weight of the waste by establishing a designated area for dumpsters specifically labeled for materials to be recycled and those to be sent to disposal facilities; regularly inspecting these containers prior to their removal from site; establishing a centralized wood cutting location to make reuse and collection easier; and contracting with a hazardous waste vendor to manage all hazardous waste.

Hoar conducted on-site preconstruction meetings with all subcontractors to reinforce these policies and enhance their commitments to complying with these goals and requirements. By maintaining open communication, providing thorough documentation and focusing on exemplary performance, the library was able to achieve a higher level of certification than originally planned, receiving LEED Silver certification.

LEED Silver Certified

Granite Westchase II

Granite Westchase II is a $38 million, 336,000 square foot, 14-story office building with an 8-level pre-cast parking garage. As the first LEED Silver certified speculative office building in the Houston area, Granite Westchase II offers all tenants an environmentally friendly work place.

During construction Hoar participated with the design team and the owners in the sustainability efforts that resulted in LEED certification. While a number of elements contributed to the sustainability of this building, some of the more significant ones included the solar reflective roof membrane, the use of detained storm water for irrigation purposes, and water conserving flush valves and faucets. Hoar worked with the mechanical contractor to develop an Indoor Air Quality Plan to comply with sustainability requirements and to track and manage the information needed for certification. Construction waste management, using recycled content and regional materials, and using low VOC emitting materials also contributed to the sustainability of the building.

When the project started, Hoar Construction began tracking construction credits for the basic LEED certification status. The Project Team created LEED document templates for each material used with information such as the material’s recycled content and the material’s harvesting and manufacturing point of origin. Using Hoar’s processes, documentation efforts, and constant communication with the owner, this project met and surpassed the goal of LEED Certification and reached LEED Silver. It was gratifying to be recognized for our leadership and management efforts to achieve LEED certification for this project when a leader in Houston’s sustainable movement acknowledged our work as “the best any contractor has done, by far.”

LEED Certified

Lakeshore Foundation

The Lakeshore Foundation Dormitory project is the first renovated building in Alabama to be awarded LEED certification. The project converted an existing rehabilitation hospital patient room building into a housing facility for U.S. Paralympic athletes and injured U.S. military personnel while they are training and undergoing rehabilitation at Lakeshore Foundation. In addition to sustainable features, the project is also designed and constructed to be fully ADA accessible.

The renovation included a system to capture water in a large tank that previously evaporated from the rehabilitation pool, clean it, and recycle it back into the pool to increase water efficiency. Estimates are the water recovery system is conserving 100,000 gallons of water per month. Hoar implemented control procedures to ensure air quality during construction was within acceptable limits including sequencing building material deliveries such as insulation, drywall, and ceiling tile so they were not in the building until wet work was completed and the building was dry; starting mechanical units after the building was dust free and enclosed from the outside environment; operating any air handling units started prior to construction completion on 100% outside air with a minimum of 1.5 air changes per hour; ensuring return air ductwork was not used for ventilation; and performing dusty, odorous, or dirty work prior to filter media being removed from air intakes. Erosion and sedimentation control measures included timely repair of ground cover once work in the area was complete; utilizing silt fencing to prevent runoff; preventing and containing sedimentation of waterways; and performing regularly scheduled preventative inspections. Hoar diverted 4,000 square feet of ceiling panels to the manufacturer’s plant to be recycled rather than sending them to a landfill. Recycling this product reduced greenhouse gas emissions and contributed to energy and water savings. Concrete, wood, metal, and HVAC units were also recycled.

This project resulted in an extremely accessible, functional and energy efficient building that will serve the Foundation and building occupants for many years.