Green Office Building in Bowie, MD Breaks Ground

November 18, 2005

Buchanan Partners Breaks Ground on 126,000 SF “Green” Office Building in Bowie, MD

Buchanan Partners Breaks Ground on 126,000 SF “Green” Office Building in Bowie, MD

Bowie, MD, November 18, 2005… Buchanan Partners of Gaithersburg, MD has broken ground on Bowie Corporate Center, a five-story Class A office building in fast-growing Bowie, MD, scheduled for delivery in August of 2006. The building is designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification, and is one of the first structures to utilize Maryland’s Green Buildings Tax Credit.

The new building is located at 4321 Collington Road, across the street from the award-winning Bowie Town Center retail destination, with easy access to U.S. Route 50. Four bus lines that stop within a quarter mile of the building provide connection to the Metrorail system; three airports and a train station also are within easy reach.

“Bowie Corporate Center is Buchanan Partners’ first major project ‘green’ project,” said Steven Hubert, Principal, Buchanan Partners. “Based on the building’s performance and acceptance by the market, we hope to undertake additional green building initiatives.”

"The market is responding favorably to Bowie Corporate Center’s green design,” remarked David McClatchy, Senior Vice President of Scheer Partners, Inc., exclusive leasing agent for the property. “Prospects are excited about the opportunity for increased worker productivity associated with locating in a green building and the efficiencies that will lead to lower occupancy costs as a result of reduced operating costs. That's a win-win: lower long-term rents and greater productivity."

Following extensive study and analysis, Buchanan selected energy-saving and environmentally friendly building techniques and products for Bowie Corporate Center that added only about $15 per square foot to the cost of developing a comparable conventional structure. This incremental cost was partly offset by the Maryland tax credit. The building’s “green” features include the following:

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· A highly reflective white Energy Star-rated roof reflects heat.

· The heating and cooling system reduces building energy use by 40 percent or more; it combines a high-efficiency chiller with rooftop units that have energy recovery wheels to pre-treat incoming fresh air.

· An under-floor air distribution system reduces energy use while increasing thermal comfort and maximizing outdoor air use.

· Highly filtered air will provide improved indoor air quality.

· Two Kone EcoSpace elevators use up to 60 percent less energy than conventional hydraulic systems.

· Energy-saving wall insulation consists of R-13 rigid batts and polyisocante board.

· The building’s water usage is reduced by about 40 percent through use of waterless urinals, dual-flush toilets, low-flow faucets, and one-gallon-per-minute showerheads.

· Low-E tinted glass windows reduce solar heat load while admitting natural light.

· Interior and exterior “light shelves” reflect daylight into the building’s interior while reducing glare.

· Light fixtures on the building’s perimeter have dimmable ballasts to reduce lighting energy use and cooling load when daylighting is available.

· Outdoor landscaping features native plants that require no irrigation.

· Indoor finishing materials -- including paints, sealants, carpeting, and composites -- minimize VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions and thus enhance indoor air quality.

· Tenants have access to bicycle storage racks and premium parking for hybrid vehicles, along with convenient nearby public transportation.

· A construction waste management plan calls for salvaging and/or recycling of at least 75 percent of the building’s construction materials, including cardboard, metal, brick, concrete, and wood.

“We will be educating prospective tenants, brokers, and interested public agencies about the benefits of this unique building design that can improve indoor air quality, reduce operating costs, and increase productivity,” said Hubert. “With the ongoing escalation in heating and cooling costs, ‘going green’ makes more sense than ever.”

One of the top 20 commercial developers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, according to the Washington Business Journal, Buchanan Partners has developed a portfolio of over three million square feet of commercial property. The portfolio includes office, industrial, flex and retail space projects that have been developed, acquired, approved, or under construction. Buchanan Partners also has acquired, planned or developed over 1,600 acres of commercial land over the past seven years. For more information, see the company’s Web site at www.buchananpartners.com.

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