In the News

Boston, MA – December 14, 2007 – Shawmut Design and Construction (www.shawmut.com), an $800 million national construction management firm headquartered in Boston, has been ranked on Engineering News Record’s (ENR) list of the Top 50 Green Contractors. The list ranks the top 50 U.S.-based contractors based on construction projects that have been registered or certified by third-party organizations as following specific environmental, energy-savings or sustainability standards.

Shawmut has a progressive history when it comes to reducing the negative impact of construction on the environment. The company has enacted a wide range of green building practices within its own company and as services for clients who consider preservation of the environment a top priority.

“Being sensitive to the environment is a core belief at Shawmut,” said Tom Perry, Managing Director of Engineering Services and a LEED® Accredited Professional, Shawmut Design and Construction. “We are committed to minimizing damage to the environment and incorporating green building practices whenever possible. Our collaborative process with owners, architects and our own project consultants allows us to attain green building solutions that meet our clients’ sustainability objectives, as well as their financial goals.”

In the United States alone buildings account for 36 percent of energy use, 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, 30 percent of raw materials use and 30 percent of waste output (U.S. Green Building Council, 2007). Shawmut is leading the construction industry in reducing environmental impact by utilizing renewable resources and clean energies, enacting stringent recycling and material reuse policies and reducing or eliminating hazardous elements in the construction of their facilities. This is both a corporate philosophy and a response to marketplace demand as more clients request sustainable construction projects. Recent projects that incorporate green building materials and processes include:

• Academic Institutions – Shawmut has managed high performance building projects at several academic institutions, including the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University where Geothermal Heat Pumps and five standing column wells were installed. These 1,500 feet deep wells tap into the earth’s renewable energy sources, drawing water up to the surface to efficiently heat and cool buildings. Shawmut has also identified ways to reuse and recycle construction waste at several schools. The Sculpture Building at Yale University was recently awarded LEED Platinum Certification, the highest attainable LEED level a building can receive. Shawmut recycled 88 percent of the project’s waste, allowing the University to realize significant savings and also integrated numerous green elements, such as a green roof, fixed exterior shading, innovative waste water technologies, and optimization of the infiltration of natural light. In addition, Aldrich Hall at the Harvard Business School, with its locally purchased materials and use of low VOC-emitting glues and paints, recently received LEED Silver Certification.
• Corporate – Shawmut’s construction of movable glass and aluminum walls at Progress Software headquarters in Bedford, Mass., allowed the company to have more natural light while providing acoustical privacy. The walls provide flexibility in the office and function as a sustainable alternative to construction when more space is needed. Shawmut is also working on several sustainable projects for Boston Properties, including a sustainable renovation on an entire office building in Waltham, MA.
• Restaurants – Despite the fact that attaining LEED certification for projects that include commercial kitchens is difficult due to high-levels of power consumption of food service equipment, requirements for durable materials that reduce design options, and high-percentage of synthetic materials such as waterproofing and fireproofing materials, Harvard University’s Dunster and Mather House Kitchen and Servery achieved Silver LEED certification for its sustainable design and energy-effective building systems. The scope of the project included installing new energy efficient M/E/P systems and ADA and code compliance upgrades, such as a new elevator, kitchen equipment and serving stations. The project achieved over 95% recycling of construction waste, translating into 658 tons of material diverted from landfills, including over 40 tons of foodservice equipment that was donated or re-used[i].  In addition, low-VOC glues and paint were used, and new steel and stone was purchased from local vendors.
• Retail – Shawmut recently completed the construction of Fiddlehead on Newbury Street in Boston, a retail brand that sells green gifts and home accents. Many renewable and recycled resources were used including: cork for the floors, recycled paper composite PaperStone for countertops, sorghum plant-derived Kirei Board for millwork, low-VOC paint, pendant lights made from vintage argentine seltzer bottles and low energy light bulbs.

“Fiddlehead is dedicated to providing green products and Shawmut allowed us to extend this principle into the construction of our new location,” said Carol Smith Miller, Owner, Fiddlehead. “From using renewable wood for the millwork to incorporating fireplace mantles recycled from the site, Shawmut helped incorporate our green principles into the store’s design.”

Shawmut’s green philosophy has also been adopted within its own company culture. The company has a Green Committee which promotes the efforts of the U.S. Green Building Council and facilitates the adoption of its recommended green building practices both internally and on jobsites. Shawmut also has a team of LEED-accredited professionals on staff and is currently training 60 additional staff members for LEED certification. These professionals work with clients, architects and engineering teams to help them implement green building practices and principles during construction.

ENR’s list ranks the top 50 U.S.-based contractors, both publicly and privately held, based on construction contracting-specific revenue on projects that have been registered or certified by third-party organizations as following specific environmental, energy-savings or sustainability standards. To see the full list please visit http://enr.construction.com/people/topLists/greenCont/topgreenCont_1-50.asp.

 [1] The 658 tons of material diverted from landfills due to the recycling effort equals energy and emissions savings equivalent to 709 barrels of oil or 32,565 gallons of gas. The organization responsible for spearheading this effort on the Dunster Mather project was The Institution Recycling Network of Concord, New Hampshire.