Graycor Construction Company has completed a 171,000-square-foot distribution center in Elkhart, Indiana for Amazon. The facility, DII5, will be Amazon’s first owner-occupied mass timber delivery station with the project seeking Zero Carbon Certification (ZCC) from the Living Future (LF).

The 39-acre DII5 site features mass timber construction as opposed to the traditional concrete and structural steel. Other more sustainable features include a high-performance envelope with lower-carbon insulation and cladding, a rainwater collection system that will be used for toilets, high-efficiency HVAC and plumbing fixtures, energy-efficient lighting and systems controls, lower-carbon concrete, and a biodiverse and drought-tolerant landscape. Because timber construction can be more susceptible to the elements, Graycor developed a moisture mitigation plan including weatherproofing system to protect the timber as well as other weather-sensitive products during construction.

During construction, Graycor also tracked water and power usage, managed an onsite waste separation program to identify recyclable materials and work to limit landfill waste, utilized hybrid-powered equipment, and was conscience in reducing the use of generator power to reinforce our lower carbon footprint goal during construction.

Photography credit: Kendall McCaugherty