Sponsor Highlight: Structure Tone with Blue Cross/BlueShield Project

May 10, 2016 | Uncategorized

By Ritchie Lafaille, Office Fellow

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) built its new 308,000sf space to provide 1,000 associates with a state-of-the-art environment to support collaboration, productivity, and wellness—mind, body and soul—in an efficient and sustainable environment. Chapter Sponsoring Partner Structure Tone served as the construction contractor for this complex project.

With an eight-month preplanning phase and an actively involved owner, the team developed the massive fit-out design and intricate logistics plan for moving materials and equipment in and out, scheduling trades, and converting 14 floors into cutting-edge office space.

BCBSMA’s focus on wellness is paramount. The insurer dedicated 13,000sf to a cafeteria and full-cooking kitchen offering predominantly healthy food choices. Abundant natural light and a living green wall spanning two stories create a connection with the outside world.

Structure Tone built a wellness center with a yoga room with floating floors and moveable partitions to accommodate exercise and meditation breaks. To integrate exercise with work, employees can reserve walk stations (desktop surfaces with treadmills beneath and plug-in capability), and sit-to-stand desktops and ergonomic chairs are standard, along with hydration centers on every floor.

To enable collaboration, a variety of formal and informal meeting spaces were built, along with interconnecting stairs—floating steel staircases that link multiple floors. State-of-the-art technology provides associates with connectivity from any location via soft phone systems, Lync Innovation Rooms that facilitate virtual meetings and remote content sharing, and click share technology.

To learn more about the projects conducted by Structure Tone, visit their website or our blog!

Structure Tone, Inc., A Sustainability-Oriented Chapter Sponsoring Partner

Oct 8, 2015 | Uncategorized

By Derek Newberry, Advocacy Fellow

The USGBC MA chapter is comprised of many of the best leaders in the green industry, and we are always excited to see what strides they have taken to advance the field. Our sponsors' ingenuity and tireless commitment to sustainability are what make this Chapter such a wonderful community of professionals. 

One of these sponsors is Structure Tone, a full-services construction services provider across the globe. Sustainability is central to their mission of providing innovative construction solutions through the entire building process. Since 1985, their New England hub has been located in downtown Boston, which is where the team completes most of their projects. Structure Tone helps their customers redevelop and expand, keeping green building practices in mind.

Working with diverse clientele, including banking institutions, law firms, universities, hotels, and hospitals, gives Structure Tone a comprehensive perspective of the opportunities and struggles faced by the green building industry.

One of their impressive recent projects was a 45,000 sf interior renovation project for Bank of America, one of the first LEED projects for B. of A. in the New England Region. In a very short 14 week timeframe, the office space was reconfigured for “My Work,” a voluntary program during which employees work from home when possible. The project was built using recycled construction materials, comprising 29% of the total material costs; regionally-sourced materials accounted for 78% of construction materials. The installation of ultra low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals also helped reduce water use by 37%.

Along with many other green-building components, these innovative constructon designs helped the project earn a LEED Gold certification from the USGBC.

Structure Tone's diligent work renovating the Bank of America helped them achieve Innovation & Design points for construction waste management, with an impressive 95% recycling rate. Moreover, deconstruction of this space enabled Structure Tone to donate their construction materials to a local architectural reuse center to benefit low-income housing residents. Structure Tone's efforts ensured that this project not only helped decrease environmental impact, but help develop the local community.

Check out photos of the Bank of America renovation and other projects on Structure Tone's site. We appreciate our long-standing connection to this awesome firm, and to Jennifer Taranto, Director of Sustainability, and former Board Chair of the USGBC MA, for her continuous service and connection-making on behalf of our organization. Thank you to Structure Tone, Inc. for being a sponsoring partner of our Chapter and helping to advance our mission!

PACE for Green Buildings and Green Energy

Sep 18, 2013 | Uncategorized

By Grey Lee

We had an awesome program this morning with excellent speakers and an engaged audience!

We gathered to hear about Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. John Dalzell of the Boston Redevelopment Authority MC'd the event.
 

 

National Grid sponsored the event and it was great to see Mark Stafford, who manages the Architects & Engineers Program, chime in on the benefits of PACE finance. Thank you again, National Grid!

Senator Brian A. Joyce kicked off the program describing to us his Bill S.177 – Fueling Jobs through Energy Efficiency – which is essentially PACE enabling legislation for Massachusetts. We all have to get behind this bill to help move it through the Statehouse and help make more clean energy (and associated jobs) grow in Massachusetts. Thank you Senator, and your staff, for attending and helping MA stay a leader in cleantech, renewables, and energy efficiency.
 

 
 
 

Our Keynote speaker was Genevieve Sherman from Connecticut's Commercial and Industrial PACE at the state's Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA). She had a brilliant presentation describing the ins and outs of setting up a PACE financing entity or authority, as they have in CT, and what it means for investment parties and municipalities. PACE finance enables a property owner to create a debt instrument for an affixed asset or capital improvement, which will enhance the energy performance of the building.  The debt of which will reside in a place subordinate to municipal property leins, but superior to traditional commercial mortgage debt. The financing authority in CT enables projects that we will be posting in the presentation here soon.
 

 

We were at Atlantic Wharf – the Fort Point Room – with about 57 attendees from all ends of the green & clean energy sector. Many of our members such as John DiModica (NORESCO), Matt Shortsleeve (Mercury Solar), Suzanne Abbott (Chapter Sponsoring Partner: Vidaris), Martine Dion (Chapter Sponsoring Partner: SMMA), and Jennifer Taranto (Chapter Sponsoring Partner: Structure Tone). Many future members and sponsoring partners were also in attendance!

After Genvieve's great presentation, we turned to a panel of experts from the field. Ward Strosser from ConEdison Solutions moderated the group, which included Shawn Hesse (emersionDesign), Nalin Kulatilaka (BU School of Mgmt), Jeffery Lessard (Cushman & Wakefield) and Genevieve Sherman. Shawn described the opportunity to fund large projects as the instrument that enables long-term thinking, which could lead to aggressive Net Zero projects. Nalin described how PACE enables owners to spread out the risk in a project, which should be much more exciting to institutional investors. Jeff Lessard wanted us to make sure we promote this to large property management companies, like his and his competitors, who have millions of square feet under their responsibility.  This would help PACE financing create many new opportunities for cleantech and efficiency plays related to the business model and not just the real estate. Ward Strosser chimed in to stress the potential for these investments to help attract & retain younger talent who want to see their employers walking the talk on going green and sustainability in general.
 

 

This was a very informative program and we expect to follow up with more programming related to existing buildings and the economics of green buildings in the months to come.

 

The program was produced by Dennis Walsh in association with the Chapter and the City of Boston – BRA & Greenovate Boston – and couldn't have been possible without the participation of the many excellent speakers in attendance. See you next time!

Below: Grey Lee (USGBC MA), Brad Swing (City of Boston), Brian A. Joyce (MA State Senate – Avon), and John Dalzell (Boston Redevelopment Authority)
 

 

 

 Travis Sheehan (Ecodistricts Fellow, City of Boston), Genevieve Sherman (CT CEFIA), John DiModica (NORESCO), and Ward Strosser (ConEdison Solutions)
 

 
Neil Angus (MassDevelopment – Devens EC), Jennifer Taranto (Structure Tone), John Dalzell, Suzanne Abbott (Vidaris) and Mark Stafford (National Grid)

 

 
Boston Properties' LEED Platinum Atlantic Wharf – Boston's Green Skyscraper!