Barton Malow Headquarters
Southfield, Michigan
In an effort to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible and healthy places to live and work, Barton Malow Company and Barton Malow Design consider and apply green building elements in the planning and construction of our projects. We are proud that we incorporated green building principles in the design and construction of our own corporate headquarters.
Our headquarters building is located next to natural wetlands and it was important that the integrity of the site was preserved. This was to be our new home,and protecting the delicate wetland ecosystem was and is a priority.
Planning and Design
On the most basic level, our headquarters is expressly
designed – in terms of scale, materials, siting – to complement rather than overpower its natural wetlands setting. Project Designer Algis Bublys, FAIA, Vice President of Barton Malow Design, believes a building should always be “of its time, of its place,” and that’s what we have striven for here: a sense of openness and heightened awareness of the landscape. We planned for and observed the rules of sustainable design to a high degree:
Siting and Landscaping
We did not in any way disturb vegetation, topography or wildlife to create our headquarters. Access (one narrow roadway) does not disrupt the ecosystem. Our plantings: 80 blue spruce trees, which thrive in this setting and climate; and 64,280 black-eyed susan perennials to carpet the site. The flowers are indigenous to southeastern
Michigan, known to prosper near wetlands and to attract native butterflies and birds. We sought practicality and drama to match the glory of the wetlands.
Water conservation
By means of a dedicated drainage system, rainwater that hits our roof is carried to the wetlands to help replenish water levels. Two slightly pitched pipes within the building, just beneath the ceiling of the topmost floor, channel this water. By contrast, the water from our parking lot, which might be infused with oil
or salt, empties into a separate system. We use motion-sensor faucets in rest rooms to reduce water waste.
Heating and cooling
The building was sited to allow more natural sun to light the interior in the winter than the summer. Employees can manually adjust temperature in their work areas within a 3-degree range, and the building is minutely zoned, to avoid raising heat over an unnecessarily wide area.
Materials
We planned for flexibility, as well as sustainability by selecting demountable partitions, instead of solid walls. This choice eliminates dust during future renovations and they are reusable, which reduces landfill waste.
The building is heavily insulated with high R-value windows, and the use of custom designed “clouds” focuses light, reducing demand for electricity. In addition, energy-saving bulbs were selected for use throughout the building and the lights automatically shut off during non-peak work hours.
Construction Measures
Special considerations were taken during construction to protect the wetlands adjoining our site and to reduce construction waste.
Specifically,
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We erected a double silt fence, straw bale berms, inlet filters, and swales to prevent erosion and to channel runoff and maintained them meticulously during construction. |
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We limited the amount of grading, thereby reducing the quantity of bare soil subject to erosion and maintaining vegetation to anchor the soil. |
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We stockpiled topsoil on the site for later use. |
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We were distant from the wetland when refueling. |
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We did not use any wood treated with heavy metals. |
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We properly stored construction materials and immediately disposed of waste – a particular concern, considering the high winds that frequent the area. |
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We ran a paperless jobsite during construction. |
Everyday Life at Barton Malow
Our “green” practices didn't end once we moved in. Barton Malow is committed to keeping our headquarters environmentally friendly.
By policy, employees use e-communication to the greatest degree possible to reduce paper waste.
Lights are on automatic timers in the evening; “night owls” can reactivate the system for their portion of their floor for 40 minutes at a time. They work comfortably, and the lights turn off automatically after they leave.
A building-wide recycling program includes recycling the usual office paper waste, but also extends to the use of recyclable cups and trays in the building’s cafeteria. Employees use washable mugs in lieu of disposable coffee cups to reduce landfill waste.
Even our corporate art collection supports nature and the environment. Nature and landscapes comprise the collection theme and artwork is framed in natural wood and matted with natural linen fabric.
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Barton Malow Company Headquarters Southfield, Michigan |
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