The Building Blocks of Efficiency

Developing an energy and water efficient office building reduces carbon emissions, cuts utility costs, increases indoor environmental quality and provides a healthier work setting for all.

LEEDing the Way

As part of an urban, mixed-use infill development plan, 145 Broadway is a 19-story, 440,000 square foot commercial office building that is the new Akamai headquarters. To ensure the delivery of a sustainable product, the project team utilized the integrative process method to establish bold sustainability and energy efficiency goals for the design team. The primary goal was to select energy-efficient building systems and water use reduction methods, and to provide a healthier, safe and comfortable indoor environment for tenants and visitors alike. By focusing on energy and water use, material selections and indoor environmental quality of the building, the project is certified LEED Platinum for Core and Shell Development version 4 (LEED-CSv4), the first building in the Northeast to achieve this certification.

Reduce, Reuse, Rewater

Significant reduction in potable water use, both indoor and outdoor, will be achieved through native and adaptive plant selection for site landscaping, ultra-low-flow flush/ flow plumbing fixtures, and rainwater harvesting and reuse for cooling tower makeup water. The low flow plumbing fixtures will cut water use by 35%. Exterior landscaping has been designed using native and adaptive plantings which eliminate the need for a permanent irrigation system, further reducing the demand for potable water on-site. A 37,000 gallon rainwater harvesting tank is included in the project to provide cooling tower make-up water, which significantly reduces the amount of potable water consumed annually for process water use.

Efficiency is Key

The project team used a whole-building energy model approach to assess the building’s energy performance when compared to the stringent Massachusetts State Stretch Energy Code, which requires a minimum 10% reduction compared to ASHRAE 90.-2013. The final energy model indicated a 12.1% reduction in annual energy use through the implementation of several energy conservation measures (ECMs), including:

• Efficient lighting design with a low lighting power density (LPD)
• High performance building envelope
• Active-chilled beam system for tenants
• Hydronic heating system
• High efficiency condensing boilers
• High efficiency chillers
• Optimized controllability of building systems and lighting
• Roof-mounted photovoltaics