Green building

Today, staying a step ahead in the area of green building and sustainability means meeting the needs of the present generation without sacrificing the needs of future generations. Our clients are constantly under pressure to meet stricter environmental and sustainability standards, and there are many facets to doing it well. From energy efficiency to resource efficiency to low-toxin and low-impact construction, we partner with you to drive the most responsible methods without losing sight of cost and schedule.

What is it and what is our role?

Green building: The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive defines green building as “the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use energy, water and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment through better siting, construction, operation, maintenance and removal – the complete building life cycle.” According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), there are five areas included in reducing and eliminating the negative impact of buildings on the environment and its occupants:

• Sustainable site planning
• Safeguarding water and water efficiency
• Energy efficiency and renewable energy
• Conservation of materials and resources
• Indoor environmental quality

At Graycor Construction, we understand the complexities and components of green building — whether it is providing preconstruction services, including green concepts and budgeting, or sourcing and procuring salvaged or recycled building materials, or even performing the project using environmentally sensitive methods.

LEED: Administered by the USGBC, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is a national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. When involved with a LEED-potential project, Graycor Construction takes an active role in assisting clients with their commitment to environmental stewardship. Our team works with the architect in the design phase to source the best materials to meet the requirements of LEED design without sacrificing the budget or schedule. In addition, we fully assist clients’ green building consultants by providing supportive, quantifiable documentation of the project in the concerted effort to achieve LEED certification.

Energy: Graycor Construction is fully adept at providing clients with energy solutions that result in cost and energy-efficient savings. Our team can perform a range of services, including:

• Comprehensive energy analysis
• Enhancing a building’s environmental management system (EMS)
• Installing sensor systems to monitor and adjust environmental conditions
• Installing demand-based fresh air distribution
• Installing ventilation heat recovery systems
• Retrofitting indoor and outdoor lighting systems using LED or other technology

Solar: As electric prices continue to fluctuate and reducing carbon emissions becomes more important, solar energy will provide predictable costs and improve corporate images. Graycor Construction knows how you do business. We know how to introduce solar to your portfolio that best suits your needs. State and Federal governments are offering generous financial incentives making solar an attractive alternative to fossil-fueled electricity. Graycor Construction’s national presence allows for bulk purchasing that reduce costs. We can also manage your program on a national scale. We offer a variety of design-build delivery methods including owner-owned and financing through Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).

Green building team.

To ensure we are leading our clients in the right direction for their business, we have a substantial, every-growing LEED Accredited Professionals team. We also look to consistently educate our professionals in the methods, materials and technology needed to complete projects in the most timely and cost-effective manner possible. This includes the latest in building-information modeling, Web-based project management tools and other collaborative project management technologies that assist in delivering a top-notch green project.

Sample projects.

Following are examples of projects for which Graycor provided construction management or general contracting services, enabling owners to comply with the principles of green design:

Forest City Enterprises – The Promenade Bolingbrook – Bolingbrook, Illinois
The Promenade Bolingbrook — a 1.1 million-square-foot lifestyle center built by Graycor Construction — recently received LEED certification for core-and-shell construction of six separate buildings located throughout the center.

Spire Solar – The Chicago Center for Green Technology – Chicago, Illinois
Graycor Construction completed this project, which required performing excavation, pouring concrete foundations and installing structural steel framing in order for solar panels to be placed on the roof of the Chicago Center for Green Technology, a LEED-certified building. The panels account for 600,000 watts of photovoltaic capacity.

BP – Monarch Project – Naperville, Illinois
Graycor Construction provided general contracting services on this 11-month project, which required more than 280 tons of debris to be recycled. New building materials – including flooring made from recycled rubber tires, formaldehyde-free woodwork and special paints with low toxic gas emissions – were utilized throughout.

L.L.Bean – Skokie, Illinois
Graycor Construction provided general contracting services for this new 27,000-square-foot retail store, which earned Silver LEED certification. The project utilized salvaged materials, minimizing construction waste and maintaining energy efficiency. Sustainable features include 100 percent storm water management, energy-efficient windows and low-flow sinks and toilets.

Volkswagen Group of America – Chattanooga, Tennessee
Graycor Construction is building Volkswagen’s assembly and body shops, technical center and social area for the automaker’s new plant under construction in Chattanooga, Tenn. Sustainable features at this plant include energy-efficient automation, environmentally sensitive indoor/outdoor lighting and ventilation systems, a heat recuperation process, an economizer system, storm water recycling, as well as an environmentally friendly roof.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing – Blue Springs, Mississippi
For Toyota, Graycor Construction recently completed construction of a new hybrid vehicle assembly plant built on 1,700 acres. The environmentally sensitive project used recycled materials throughout construction of the plant.

Advocate South Suburban Hospital – Intensive Care Addition – Hazel Crest, Illinois

Joffrey Ballet – The Joffrey Tower – Chicago, Illinois

Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres – Multiplex Cinema – Chicago, Illinois

Montgomery Place – Senior Living Facility – Chicago, Illinois

For each of the above projects, Graycor Construction provided general contracting services, which allowed the owners to achieve ‘green roof’ requirements.

Resource links.

Graycor Construction Company Inc. is a member or and/or works closely with the following organizations to provide quality green construction services:
U.S. Green Building Council
U.S. Department of Energy
Development partner: Development Management Associates LLC (DMA)
Energy engineering partner: Professional Supply, Inc. (PSI)

 

For more information about green building, contact senior project manager, Steve Crowley or business development manager Dakota Jones.