Photo from National Geographic

With a constant focus on sustainability and green building, Precast Specialties Corp. is proud to share this article featured on GreenBiz.com, naming Boston as one of the top ten markets for green building this year.

Behind the Top 10 List for Green Building Markets: How SF Made No. 1
By Leslie Guevarra

It’s always interesting to learn how the leaders in any Top 10 list emerged as the front-runners, especially in the sustainability arena where green rankings abound.

Rankings, spankings and scorecards are usually accompanied by summaries, if not full reports, from ratings organizations on why certain companies, cities or schools made the cut for any given list. Typically, though, readers want to know more, particularly if a favorite of theirs didn’t get recognition.

That’s not a problem with the compilers of the Green Building Opportunity Index, big believers in transparency who adhere to a more is more philosophy when it comes to data.

The producers of the index, Cushman & Wakefield and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s BetterBricks initiative, have decided to augment their detailed report on the 2011 Green Building Opportunity Index (PDF), issued last summer, with profiles of some of the 10 top-ranked markets.

Profiles of San Francisco (PDF), which was No. 1, and three other markets in the Top 10 became available this week.

The San Francisco profile, for example, lays out the factors that brought the city to the lead position. Those elements include office market conditions in the city, investment potential, market adoption of LEED and Energy Star and certification under those standards, green building and retrofit policy for commercial property and performance when it comes to state energy initiatives. The profile also looks at green culture in San Francisco — the state of its green economy, innovation, planning and land use, transit ridership and its walkability.

The other just-released profiles cover Los Angeles (PDF), Washington, D.C. (PDF), and Boston (PDF).

Here’s a recap of the Top 10 Markets identified by 2011 Green Building Opportunity Index:
1. San Francisco
2. Midtown New York
3. Washington, D.C.
4. Midtown South New York
5. Los Angeles
6. Boston
7. Downtown New York
8. Portland
9. Seattle
10. Oakland

Aside from its sustainable benefits and contribution to LEED points for an overall project, there are numerous other practical reasons to select precast concrete for your building needs.

Low maintenance – Precast concrete is one of the most durable façade materials available. The panels’ resistance to staining (due to lack of moisture penetration), ease of joint inspection and extensive time allowed between required caulking (15 to 20 years) makes precast easy to maintain for decades.

Resistant to mold – As with the resistance to staining, precast’s lack of moisture penetration also means the concrete does not aid in the growth of mold spores. When designing with precast, Precast Specialties Corp. works closely with designers to create any additional water control systems to ensure rainwater is directed away from the building effectively to eliminate all residual moisture.

Ease of expansion – By using precast concrete systems, building expansion can be easily accomplished by either adding new adjoining spaces or merging a new space with the existing structure. If the existing space was created with panels, it may be possible to disconnect the non-loadbearing panels on the end of the wall and simply adding new panels and framing on each side to create a larger space. Furthermore, at Precast Specialties Corp., our range of finishes and surface textures means an unlimited array of options for the addition, easily able to reflect the original aesthetic look from the existing structure.

Financial savings - Precast concrete’s speed of construction can eliminate months from a construction schedule resulting in huge cost savings. By combining architectural and structural components into one product when possible, other project features can be minimized (ex. a smaller amount of footing may be required due to the thin cross-section of a precast concrete wall compared to a masonry design).

At Precast Specialties Corp., we partner with our customers to reduce their job costs and to help make their project run more smoothly. Simply put, we are committed to providing a superior quality architectural precast product and the highest level of customer service in the industry. Contact us today at 781-878-7220 to discuss what precast concrete can do for your next project.

Precast Specialties Corp. has worked with respected architectural, engineering and interior design firm Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA) on several projects including the new medical office buildings at Falmouth Hospital on Cape Cod and an addition to the regional headquarters of Nokia in Burlington, MA.

Founded in 1955, Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates has earned its reputation in the industry through numerous accolades including the Excellence in Design Award 2010 from Environmental Design and Construction Magazine for planning and designing the Blue Cross Blue Shield Rhode Island Headquarters. The firm was also ranked as one of the top 500 Design Firms by Engineering News Record in 2010. Today, the company has grown to include 180 professionals with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island.

ISO-certified, SMMA also boasts a team of LEED-accredited professionals and is a member of the US Green Building Council. As a signatory of the Architecture 2030 initiative to design carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030, “SMMA is committed to practices such as HVAC systems with heat recovery of exhaust air, 100% fresh air supply, high efficiency chillers and boilers, and energy management systems, and their understanding of the construction process and history of effective working relationships with builders facilitates effective sustainable practice partnerships on projects” (SMMA website).

John D’Amelio, president of Precast Specialties Corp. enjoys working with SMMA. He says, “From their innovative use of precast concrete to their focus on green practices and promotion of sustainable design, we see SMMA as a leader in today’s eco-friendly design industry and look forward to teaming up with them on many more projects in the future.”

Completed work from Precast Specialties Corp. and SMMA

Falmouth Hospital

Falmouth, Massachusetts

The medical office building includes hospital ambulatory care functions, medical center, and private physician offices. The project secured a Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Grant to study renewable energy sources and green design approaches.
Contractor: Columbia Construction
Precast Components: Grey Cement, Light Sandblast Finish / Summitville Blend Thin Brick

Nokia Addition

Burlington, Massachusetts

Photo by Edward Jacoby via Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates

Regional headquarters facility that would attract top-notch telecom professionals. SMMA provided full design services for the new 270,000 sf facility, including technology labs, a conference center, A/V demonstration area, software testing labs, cafeteria, and fitness center.
Contractor: Gutierrez Construction Co. Inc.
Precast Components: White Cement with Local Aggregates, Light Sandblast Finish

One of the most important concepts that Precast Specialties Corp. continually strives for is sustainability. Sustainable products are those that are environmentally responsible, economically profitable, and socially aware. Precast concrete offers a variety of eco-friendly advantages when used in construction projects.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. For companies, using precast concrete can help them earn LEED credit in terms of site development.

- By choosing precast for structural elements like walls or flooring, companies earn LEED points because of the reusability of the precast

- LEED points are given for using recycled materials, and precast concrete is partially composed of recycled materials such as fly ash and recycled steel

- Serving a local market, Northeast companies using Precast Specialties Corp. earn credits for choosing locally harvested raw materials

- Precast concrete can save building owners up to 25% on heating and/or cooling costs for the entire life cycle of the concrete

- Precast concrete can also help reduce heat islands, places like industrial sites that retain consistently higher temperatures than surrounding areas

In the building environment, in addition to being sustainable, Precast focuses on making products that meet both the needs of the present as well as the future. With quality products and a focus on eco-friendly innovation, Precast Specialties Corp. offers the best of both worlds for our precast customers.