Green building industry celebrates accelerating change

Over 300 people gathered in the raw theater space on the second floor of One Boston Wharf Road in Boston’s Seaport District to take stock of the accelerating progress in sustainable buildings in Massachusetts and across the region. The 2024 Green Building Showcase celebrated groundbreaking success stories in transforming the built environment into healthy, sustainable, and regenerative spaces for our communities.

Hosted for a second year in a row by WS Development, the location highlighted significant milestones being made in the city and the exciting transformation of the Seaport neighborhood.

Outstanding project submissions demonstrated the growing pace of market transformation led by policy, practice, and shifting priorities. Judges from across the country selected the standout projects, while local judges chose a Change Agent of the Year recognizing someone making a significant positive impact on the environment, social equity, and the economy.

For the third year in a row, an exemplary public school project won Green Building of the Year.

GREEN BUILDING OF THE YEAR

Boardwalk Campus
Submitted by Arrowstreet

Boardwalk Campus is leading the charge to a greener future for students in the Commonwealth. Designed as the first Double Zero school in Massachusetts, Boardwalk Campus serves as a new model for sustainable, healthy, and resilient schools for communities nationwide. It is the first all-electric Net Zero school, funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, at the cost of typical non-net zero schools.

Boardwalk Campus was the first building to participate in a verification period and surpassed the target EUI. Located near Fort Pond Brook, the school minimizes environmental impact and highlights the local ecosystem. Its design reflects themes of ground, vegetation, and sky, with three schools occupying different floors and distinguished by unique colors and forms.

By consolidating schools, the district aims to enhance the learning environment while reducing operational costs. Extensive community engagement shaped the project’s sustainability goals. Spanning 175,000 square feet, Boardwalk Campus is the first Mass Save net zero building, initiating a new utility incentive program for similar projects.

According to the judges, “Every community has a school. This demonstrates all that can be achieved within a typical public-school budget and how to fully leverage that investment to benefit the community and generations of learners. Biggest bang for the buck.”

CARBON & ENERGY

Cape Cod Community College, Wilkens Science & Engineering Center
Submitted by Vanderweil Engineers

The Wilkens Science & Engineering Center at Cape Cod Community College is a state-of-the-art, 38,500 square foot facility designed to elevate science and engineering education. Achieving LEED Gold certification, the center showcases an all-electric, net-positive energy framework that significantly reduces its environmental footprint.

Key innovations include the reduction in embodied carbon through the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) roof slabs, natural wood siding, and stone gabion retaining walls, which eliminate significant amounts of cement and enhanced the biophilic occupant experience. In addition, MEP/FP systems and a hybrid roof structure demonstrate sustainable engineering principles to students.

Efficient energy recovery, strategic controls, and air-source heat pump heating reduce energy consumption by 77% compared to typical teaching labs. These design choices, a 225 kW array of rooftop solar panels, and adjacent new parking canopy PV, enable the facility to operate as a net-positive energy building—producing more energy than it consumes.

The Wilkens Science & Engineering Center at Cape Cod Community College represents a paradigm shift in sustainable and educational building design, setting a new standard for innovation in total carbon reduction. It significantly reduces fossil fuel consumption, operational carbon emissions, and embodied carbon. In total, embodied carbon was reduced by 20%, and operational carbon reduced by 100%, for a 20-year-total carbon savings of over 11,500 MT CO2e, equal to the 20-year carbon sequestration potential of a forest six times the size of CCCC’s campus!

“The judges were impressed with the project’s integration of multiple solutions to achieve lowered embodied and operating emissions. In particular, the creative approach to integrated passive and active building solutions and the consideration of equipment selections that would align with local labor resources made this our top project.“

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools
Submitted by Perkins Eastman

The new Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools will house three programs: Tobin Montessori School & Special Start, Vassal Lane Upper School, and DHSP Preschool & After School Programs. This project replaces an outdated brutalist building and upgrades Father Callanan Playground, enhancing outdoor spaces with play areas and multi-purpose fields, along with improved access for bicycles and pedestrians.

Infrastructure improvements include a 1.25-million-gallon underground stormwater tank to mitigate street flooding, an active indoor air quality monitoring and management system, renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicle charging stations, and built-in handwashing stations strategically located to promote cleanliness and facilitate pandemic readiness.

In conclusion, this project offers a comprehensive approach to sustainable and resilient design, making it a valuable model for proactive planning for climate change and public health emergencies. The design aligns with Cambridge’s high standards for educational success and aspirations for being the most sustainable and energy-efficient school building. The 359,100 square foot building and indoor parking garage are designed to be Net Zero Emissions under Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan and is projected to achieve at minimum LEED Gold certification.

The judges commented, “Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools exemplifies health and wellness with its focus on IAQ monitoring, daylighting strategies, and service to the community at all scales and needs.”

EQUITY & INCLUSION

Front Street Affordable Housing Phase 1
Submitted by Utile, Inc.

Front Street Phase 1 revitalizes an existing property with 60 new units of family-focused housing and community spaces. The project is specifically designed to address the needs of the area’s population of large families, including those who have immigrated from Somalia. Multigenerational living arrangements with active ground floors within the site plan stitche the community into the surrounding neighborhood.

Front Street Phase 1 is PHIUS + CORE certified, demonstrating thoughtful attention to a robust thermal envelope, energy efficiency, and air-tight construction detailing. The building’s structure and electrical infrastructure are designed to incorporate heat pump water heating for future conversion. The project utilizes all-electric space heating and heat recovery ventilation while hot water is provided through a future-electric-ready centralized gas-fired boiler. The project is also designed to be PV-ready, with roof space to offset common-space electrical use. The project’s second phase will include a 50 kW solar array.

Front Street Phase 1 is a model for quality in community-centered design, site revitalization, and energy performance for a public agency providing affordable housing. Furthermore, the project was built for $240/sf including extensive site and geotechnical work. This level of construction cost economy for a Phius certified project sets an ambitious benchmark for affordable, high-performance construction.

The judges highlighted, “Front Street Affordable Housing Phase I created curated outdoor spaces in a multigenerational housing project that is Passive Certified at $240/SF while prioritizing access to daylight and indoor air….well done!”

SITE & LANDSCAPE

Boston City Hall Plaza Renovation
Submitted by Sasaki

The new Boston City Hall Plaza recasts an open space into an inviting civic center in the heart of downtown Boston. For five decades the plaza hosted Boston’s largest gatherings but lacked human scale, offered limited amenities, consisted of impermeable surfaces, and was highly inaccessible. Improvements prioritize universal access, sustainability and resilience, renew the landmark’s cultural legacy, and provide flexibility for a variety of programming.

“The spaces we build are a reflection of our city and our values,” she remarked, “and thanks to these incredible collaborations, we have built something here that embodies our vision for Boston, and builds on the legacies that we inherit from those that came before,” said Mayor Michelle Wu during the grand opening.

The design features a new accessible sloped promenade, ‘Hanover Walk,’ that reconciles grade change across the site and connects Congress and Cambridge Streets, new planting, seating and gathering areas breaking down the plaza’s scale, and a new Civic Pavilion. The planting design restores habitat, provides shade, and sequesters over 5,500 lbs of CO2 each year. Green infrastructure now manages stormwater via planting beds or permeable paving to filter rainwater and restore groundwater conditions. Rainwater from another 25% of the site’s surfaces is collected in a 10,000 gallon tank and reused as irrigation for the entire plaza.

The new plaza transforms the local environmental impacts of stormwater runoff, urban heat island effects, and carbon emissions. This project addresses social equity in one of Boston’s most iconic and well-visited spaces. The removal of steps and creation of Hanover Walk ensures universal access across the entire site and at building entrances. The renovation modernized the historic plaza with improved infrastructure, sustainability and programmable public spaces while simultaneously honoring its original intentions and history as Boston’s place to gather, celebrate, and make residents’ voices heard.

The judges commented, “All of the site and landscape submissions were exemplary and have wonderful replicable components. The Boston City Hall Plaza Renovation stood out as the winner in this category as a wonderful model of public space revitalization, accessibility, sustainability, and public education. The renovation project activates a space that individuals from throughout the city and country pass through regularly and provides an public opportunity to educate and normalize sustainable landscape practices in action.”

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING OPERATIONS

Orchard Gardens: Deep Energy Retrofit
Submitted by West Work, LLC

Driven by a commitment to decarbonization, resident well-being, and community revitalization, the Orchard Gardens project represents a comprehensive approach to tackling climate change. The property includes a total of 331 units, of which 282 are public housing units. The campus spans 11 city blocks comprised of 41 buildings that represent four major building typologies, each with a different approach to retrofitting.

An occupied deep energy retrofit (DER) with a minimum energy use intensity reduction of 50% is the project’s central goal. The buildings will receive additional insulation along the walls and roofs, triple pane windows, and improved air barrier control layers. The project proposes adding ERVs and space cooling devices to all buildings and electrifying 100% of the cooking, 75% of the space heating, and 50% of domestic hot water systems. An on-site solar panel system is proposed across 26 of the site buildings. The DER improvements, made possible by additional grant funding, will reduce operational carbon emissions and help Boston remain on track for its 2050 carbon neutrality goals.

By upgrading to R-36 walls, R-66 roofs, and triple-pane windows, operational energy costs are predicted to decrease by 27-40% across multiple building typologies. These envelope enhancements, combined with the electrification of space heating, cooking, and domestic hot water systems (where feasible), substantially lower the reliance on gas systems. These upgrades are critical in reducing overall energy consumption and improving the comfort and sustainability of the housing units.

The judges commented, “This project demonstrates what it means to truly operate sustainably: deep energy conservation while maintaining affordability and well-being. Impressive most is the intentional collaboration that went into this design.”

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING RENOVATION

Stone Mill Lofts
Submitted by WinnCompanies

Stone Mill Lofts is a 150,000 square foot, 178-year-old mill building in Lawrence’s North Canal Historic District. This iconic building is Lawrence’s oldest mill, originally constructed in 1846. The historic adaptive reuse project transformed the mill building into 50 new one-bedroom units, 28 two-bedroom units, and 8 three-bedroom units, and includes a variety of community amenities.

Stone Mill’s energy model, prepared by RW Sullivan, showed the building performing 42.4% better than a new construction building constructed in accordance with the MA Energy Code, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30.9%, or 119 tons of CO2 avoided each year. The redevelopment of Stone Mill Lofts marks WinnCompanies’ first all-electric, high-performance historic adaptive reuse project, piloting a new approach to historic preservation and highly innovative, low-carbon, sustainable design.

The project features all-electric, highly efficient mechanical systems that eliminate on-site fossil fuel consumption which includes Mitsubishi VRF heat pump systems. Stone Mill Lofts continues to do good for the community of Lawrence, representing the history and culture of this diverse and growing city, while providing much needed affordable and healthy housing.

According to the judges, “Through an equitable vision and holistic process, Stone Mill Lofts expertly addressed the need for sustainable, beautiful and affordable spaces for everyone.”

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION INNOVATION

49% Embodied Carbon Reduction in Concrete
Submitted by Turner

This building highlights one successful element of the projects – embodied carbon reduction. A 49% reduction in embodied carbon reduction was achieved, exceeding the project’s initial goal of 25%. In addition, the workforce also utilized reusable materials for temporary protection and safety, which resulted in less waste.

The team included SGH, McNamara Salvia, Turner and their Self-Perform Operations (Turner SPO), and Boston Sand & Gravel who focused on the carbon calculation of the concrete mixes. They developed the most innovative mix: a 60% replacement of cement with slag and fly ash, which resulted in a 66% reduction of embodied carbon from the NRMCA Baseline. In a first-ever placement, Turner, Boston Sand & Gravel, and McSal created an opportunity for Sublime Systems, a pioneer in cement manufacturing, and developed a means of manufacturing cement without fossil fuels.

As part of Turner’s commitment to achieving net-zero Scope 3 emissions by 2040, Turner SPO is committed to a 30% embodied carbon reduction in self-placed concrete. The final building product will be a Boston-area higher education enterprise research campus consisting of 600,000 square feet of mixed-use development including 400,000 square feet of Class A life science space.

According to the judges, “The early and thorough collaboration among various project team members is an excellent example we need to emulate across our industry in order to build momentum and achieve meaningful goals.”

SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR FIT-OUT

CarGurus Boston HQ
Submitted by Structure Tone

The CarGurus Boston HQ project is an interior tenant fit-out located on floors 12-21 in the newly constructed high-rise at 1001 Boylston St in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, MA. Through the construction process, purposeful efforts were made to enact and expand upon construction waste site separation programs to reduce the landfill burden of commingled construction waste and maximize landfill diversion. At project completion, data shows that over half (51.31%) of all waste leaving the site was able to be site separated and sent directly to material recyclers, with a minority of project waste leaving the site commingled.

The project can serve as an example of how construction site separation does not have to be costly and how construction projects can reduce immense carbon, environmental justice, and waste problems. Anticipated to achieve Gold certification status under LEED v4.1 ID+C, the CarGurus HQ project will be occupied by over 950 employees and can accommodate additional visitors.

“The cargurus fit-out project challenged entrenched practices of waste management in construction – Requiring education, buy-in, and follow through that will hopefully follow these team members on many projects to come,” said the judges.

STUDENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

The New Museum of Architecture and Design
Submitted by Ella Schmid & Sofia Nolan

Located in Finland, the New Museum of Architecture and Design is a curated experience that highlights Finnish history from its indigenous origins to the modern architects and designers of the 21st century. The journey of the museum blends indoor and outdoor experiences, offering visitors a unique interaction with both the built environment and the natural landscape. This interplay of nature and design not only enhances the museum experience but reinforces Finland’s commitment to sustainability and the harmonious integration of architecture with its surroundings.

Through the material choices in conjunction with specific, energy-efficient systems, the project’s sustainability goals are achieved. The use of sustainable materials is heavily emphasized, cross-laminated timber and rammed earth are used throughout the design. This site is transformed with the introduction of an urban forest and connection to the existing under-utilized park, and has an open air, free gallery which houses works by local artists to further engagement with the community.

The judges commented, “A contemporary project rooted in indigenous history, The New Architecture + Design Museum project provides a replicable approach of integrating synergistic sustainable design strategies with cultural and physical context. The landscape and site design connect the harbor, the museum’s site and the broader community in a way that supports the building scale passive design, low impact materials and culturally informed/socially equitable and spaces.“

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

ONE BOSTON WHARF ROAD
Submitted by WS Development

Boston’s largest net zero carbon office facility, and home to the 2024 BE+ Green Building Showcase. Read more about the project here.

CHANGE AGENT OF THE YEAR

Kate Crosby

Congratulations to Kate Crosby, Energy Manager of the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, for her powerful contributions to the Boardwalk Campus and, by example and active knowledge-sharing, the entire Massachusetts school planning community.

“Kate has been an emphatic and diligent advocate for the net zero concept for this school project at a time when not many school districts, and not many projects at all in MA, were pursuing net zero – and few were setting EUI targets at the outset of design. Kate not only worked to advocate for and ensure the success of the design, construction, and now operation of the net zero Boardwalk school, she now uses that success to guide other school district personnel as they seek feedback on the ABRSD experience. Kate has been active, speaking at various venues to improve understanding and acceptance of low carbon strategies, including in particular the ground source heat pump system in place at Boardwalk. Kate’s work is helping help other school districts feel confident they can succeed in pursuing zero carbon solutions, and in doing so will lead to more net zero buildings in operation and more thought leaders willing to advocate and bring others along. We need leaders who are willing to stake a claim, act on it, lead their project to success, and then, very importantly, talk about it, leveraging experience to get others to act. Kate is doing all of this and more,” says her nominator, Kim Cullinane.