Tollway Corporate Center in North Aurora, Ill., isn't your average industrial development. In addition to boosting the local economy with jobs and contributing to the city's tax base, the first two buildings in the development have earned two Green Globes certifications each.
Administered by the Green Building Initiative, Green Globes is a third-party, comprehensive, science-based certification system that evaluates the environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and resilience of commercial real estate projects. Projects achieving a score of 35% or higher receive a Green Globes rating based on the percentage of total points achieved (up to 1,000). Tollway Corporate Center's building A and building B received ratings of 60% and 61% respectively, thereby achieving two Green Globes each.
The buildings in Tollway Corporate Center are designed for warehouse and distribution operations, so our project team members focused on the Core and Shell protocol within the Green Globes Initiative. The bulk of points were awarded for the energy efficiency of the buildings. High efficiency HVAC systems and electrical components such as LED lighting fixtures contributed, as well building envelope materials like insulated precast walls and roofing materials.
“As a matter of course, we build to these standards anyhow," said Grace Mergens, Associate Project Manager. “So, it's really just a matter of going through the steps to gain certification. Green Globes also meshes well with the way we build – our one-team design build approach. We are able to pivot when opportunities or recommendations are presented, without affecting the timeline for project completion."
In addition to being the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint, certifications like Green Globes are important to investment partners.
“Responsible investing is gaining momentum and has benefits for our capital partners," said Trey Gallagher, Senior Project Manager. “When they want to see third-party certifications like Green Globes on our buildings, we can deliver."
Tenants of the buildings also benefit.
“There are obvious advantages to operating in an energy-efficient building that provides a cleaner, healthier environment for employees," said Matthew Etcheson, Manager of Architecture. “And moving into a building that is already certified gives them a head-start, should they want to pursue additional sustainability certifications for their buildouts."
We recently announced construction of the third and final building in Tollway Corporate Center, for which we will also pursue Green Globe certification.
Administered by the Green Building Initiative, Green Globes is a third-party, comprehensive, science-based certification system that evaluates the environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and resilience of commercial real estate projects. Projects achieving a score of 35% or higher receive a Green Globes rating based on the percentage of total points achieved (up to 1,000). Tollway Corporate Center's building A and building B received ratings of 60% and 61% respectively, thereby achieving two Green Globes each.
The buildings in Tollway Corporate Center are designed for warehouse and distribution operations, so our project team members focused on the Core and Shell protocol within the Green Globes Initiative. The bulk of points were awarded for the energy efficiency of the buildings. High efficiency HVAC systems and electrical components such as LED lighting fixtures contributed, as well building envelope materials like insulated precast walls and roofing materials.
“As a matter of course, we build to these standards anyhow," said Grace Mergens, Associate Project Manager. “So, it's really just a matter of going through the steps to gain certification. Green Globes also meshes well with the way we build – our one-team design build approach. We are able to pivot when opportunities or recommendations are presented, without affecting the timeline for project completion."
In addition to being the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint, certifications like Green Globes are important to investment partners.
“Responsible investing is gaining momentum and has benefits for our capital partners," said Trey Gallagher, Senior Project Manager. “When they want to see third-party certifications like Green Globes on our buildings, we can deliver."
Tenants of the buildings also benefit.
“There are obvious advantages to operating in an energy-efficient building that provides a cleaner, healthier environment for employees," said Matthew Etcheson, Manager of Architecture. “And moving into a building that is already certified gives them a head-start, should they want to pursue additional sustainability certifications for their buildouts."
We recently announced construction of the third and final building in Tollway Corporate Center, for which we will also pursue Green Globe certification.