Sugen Laboratory Goes Green: Achieves LEED-CI Gold Certification
On the Sugen biopharmaceutical laboratory project in South San Francisco, XL Construction headed up the effort to achieve Gold certification through the USGBC LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines. This laboratory and office facility became the first of its kind on the West Coast to achieve the Gold certification on a Commercial Interiors project (thus exceeding the original goal for a Silver rating).Some of the things that XL Construction did to enable the Sugen lab to reach LEED-CI Gold Certification status included the following:
• Chose building refrigeration equipment, paints, adhesives and furniture systems to minimize ozone depletion, global warming and indoor volatile organic compound (VOC) contaminants
• Chose building materials high in recycled content, rapidly renewable materials, locally manufactured products, and wood products harvested from managed forests
- Wall fabrics, carpeting, flooring and ceiling tiles used throughout the buildings contained a high percentage of recycled materials
- The linoleum flooring, casework substrate, counters and wall insulation were made of natural, rapidly renewable materials such as concrete, straw and cotton
- Many materials, including drywall and carpeting, were manufactured locally, reducing transportation strain on resources and atmosphere
- 96% of all wood products used in the project were harvested from managed forest, meeting the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Used construction practices that incorporated LEED concepts
- Implemented an indoor air quality plan that protected the spaces and workers during construction
- Protected all open ductwork and materials from construction dust and moisture
- Forbid smoking or eating on site during construction
- Recycled 81% of the construction waste (83 tons)
- Performed a two-week flush-out of the building before anyone was allowed to occupy it
