Greenbuild Mixer with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

By USGBC MA Communications

On October 26th, we gathered together at the headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for our final Greenbuild Mixer. Over 80 members of Boston's green building community joined together at the beautiful venue for drinks and networking before Greenbuild. Our very own Celis Brisbin gave an opening speech welcoming everyone and thanking Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for sponsoring the event. During his speech, Celis addressed various topics such as Greenbuild and our Local Chapter Welcome Party, which will be held on November 7th.

Krystle Thomsen of BCBSMA gave a fascinating talk about the various design aspects of 101 Huntington Avenue, the headquarters of BCBSMA near the Prudential Center. One topic she touched on about the building was the amount of natural sunlight employees have access to, as well as the re-design of their cafeteria, which included more open seating, LED lighting, TV screens, and pictures of greenery and natural landscapes.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts headquarters is the largest project in New England, and 12th largest in the nation, to be LEED® Platinum certified. The area includes several features to promote employee well-being such as a wellness center with yoga and meditation classes, flame retardant furniture, adjustable height desks for every associate, sustainable food options, compostable cafeteria wares, and open internal stairways. Attendees toured the 10th, 11th, and 12th floors, and learned about the ergonomic design feature in the office to make working there enjoyable, including electronic raisable desks and benches in cubicles to share ideas near.