Eco Office Contractors: A Consortium of Green Builders Contributing writer Emily Mitchell, Southface intern

An introduction to the consortium

Rivalry has no place among the five commercial construction companies collaborating on the Southface Eco Office project. These companies – DPR Construction, Inc., Hardin Construction Company, LLC, Holder Construction Company, Skanska USA Building, Inc. and the Winter Construction Company* – comprise the team that Southface has pulled together to lead the construction process of its new office facility, a showcase of innovative building techniques and products for the commercial building sector.

This consortium of contractors is modeled after GlenCastle, a group of building companies in Atlanta that periodically donates services to help local non-profit organizations build new facilities. The Southface Eco Office project team chose to borrow from the model and involve a consortium of contractors in the process because it allows multiple companies to learn about green building as well as support Southface’s mission to transform the marketplace.

Time represents a considerable part of the donations, as the Eco Office Contractors have held bi-weekly meetings for the last eight months of the project’s pre-construction phase. The Eco Office contractors have provided valuable suggestions to the entire design team, led by Lord, Aeck & Sargent’s architects Joe Greco, Jim Nicolow and Thomas Palmer. The contractors have also provided wonderful resources on green building products and construction techniques.

Beyond competition

There are many complexities that comprise the Southface Eco Office process, bringing dynamics not seen in other projects. In this case, all the companies involved agree that while they are usually competing for projects and profit, the Eco Office has brought them together as a unified team.

“Winter believes that the new Eco Office building can be the example that accelerates sustainable efforts into the mainstream of commercial construction, where it needs to be to really affect the construction industry as a whole,” says Winter Construction representative Reed Thomas. These contracting companies strive to “further the practicality and viability of using sustainable design and construction strategies in mainstream commercial construction,” according to Thomas.
Combining efforts that give back to the community is part of the culture of many of today’s top businesses. But working with the Southface Eco Office takes these companies one step further—helping transform the marketplace for green building.

A one-of-a-kind, unmatched challenge

On top of the difficulty posed by a project dependent on donated time and products are the goals for high performance and LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.

The goal is for the Southface Eco Office to demonstrate as many market-ready, environmentally friendly technologies as possible. With these “green” products, some of which are new to the industry, the consortium is expanding its knowledge of cutting edge green building methods.

Members of the Southface staff said the depth of the construction companies’ relationships, coupled with solid leadership from Lord, Aeck & Sargent, has enabled greater than imagined success in securing product donations for the Eco Office. “Product manufacturers are excited to be involved when they realize the market transformation potential and the stature of the other parties committed to helping,” Southface project manager Corinne Benedek states. “The knowledge of the contractors has influenced the Eco Office as well as all Southface’s green building technical assistance work.”

Teamwork at heart, from the start

Transforming the marketplace ultimately is not accomplished one company or one organization at a time. “One of the greatest rewards of being involved in the Consortium is sharing green experiences with other contracting companies, which is rare,” said JoeCole Burton of Hardin Construction.

The Southface Eco Office project began with a series of charrettes, which involved various representatives from all realms of the design and construction community. That process started the teamwork wave and it has been rolling ever since. “Each of us has brought a totally unselfish viewpoint and meshed with the Southface ideal to form a great working team,” said Thomas.

The series of meetings and charrettes defined the Eco Office needs, but more specialized expertise was essential. Bringing together an experienced, well-rounded project team enables a larger number of industry partners to become involved. The Eco Office Team is composed of a number of enthusiastic, talented and dedicated consultants, including:

Transforming the commercial green building market

Although many companies are involved, and many more need to become involved to achieve market transformation, each company can individually assess their goals toward sustainability. “You’re getting the best of the best in Atlanta – collaborating together, and trying to build this building for Southface. Just to be a part of that is very important to us,” Holder Construction representative Bob Campbell says. Campbell feels, “Our goal is a company-wide commitment to build responsibly, which will bring positive results to our customer’s projects, to our company and to the environment.” Whether seeking a LEED certification or not, Holder has made it a practice to evaluate every project for its “sustainable potential.”

Clinton Aldridge of Skanska said their clients will reap the rewards from their work on this project. Aldridge also stresses that the project is a tremendous opportunity to work with other contracting companies, enabling them to enrich their project and technical experience.

JocCole Burton echoes this sentiment. “Bringing together five contracting firms keeps those involved stimulated, each with their own approach to the project, market differentiators and various viewpoints.”

The Eco Office site plan with landscape design elements. Current as of December 2004

When asking the contractors about the project’s ability to transform the way their companies do business, Thomas notes, “The full ramifications of this effort will be hard to measure, but to be successful, sustainability has to be brought to the level of the subcontractors and suppliers, the laborer in the field, the building inspectors, as well as the design community, the general contractors and the owner’s pocketbook to be successful. This project has already had this effect with everyone who gets pulled in, and its role in exemplifying and instructing the construction community will only grow.” The contracting firms also hope their efforts will encourage the further adoption of green building practices. Thomas continues, “We want to see the marketplace change, too. And the only way it’s going to change is if an organization like Southface provides leadership. They’re going to show everybody–the subcontractors, the product suppliers, the general contractors–that this can be done.”

When completed, the Eco Office will serve the industry by providing hands-on education to building owners interested in using sustainable materials and high performance systems in their commercial facilities.

“It’s important that we participate in what could be the most important project in Atlanta,” says Burton. ”I can’t think of a better project to show the world what the community has to say about sustainability,” she said.