Industry

Menu:

Links

3400 Innovation Court SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512
The corporate headquarters for Cascade Engineering Headquarters earned a LEED Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Buildings Council. "Cascade is the first office building in Michigan to achieve this high level accreditation, and one of only eight buildings nationwide to achieve the designation under the LEED EB protocol." The company has eliminated 93 percent of the building’s waste and through a mix of automatic lighting, energy efficient materials and other innovative methods, reduced energy consumption by 21 percent. Energy wasn't the only focus of this Grand Rapids based manufacturer. Cascade Engineering reduced irrigation water use by 98% and domestic water use by 59%. "In addition, Cascade recently acquired an electric car for employee use on campus to help reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions."

General Motors Assembly Plant

920 Townsend, Lansing, MI 48921
This 2 million square foot building began its construction in June 2001 with the help of Alberici Constructors and is now expecting to save over 40 million gallons of water and 30 kwh of electricity over the next ten years. Environmental highlights, such as rainwater collection for use in toilets, waterless urinals, and avoiding the use of ozone-depleting substances for energy purposes, paralleled a LEED certification. Lansing’s General Motors Plant received a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (LEED NC, v2.1).

Herman Miller, Inc.

855 East Main St., Zeeland, MI 49464-0302
This 30,000 square foot office renovation earned basic LEED certification (LEED CI, v1.0 (pilot)). The project was a renovation of an existing two story office shell. A few notable green features include materials with high recycled content and materials manufactured regionally. All of Herman Miller's manufacturing facilities in the region (GreenHouse, 171st Street, Main Site, VanWagoner, and Hickory) are also ISO 14001 certified.

Herman Miller, Inc.

Completed in January 2002, this project involved the renovation of a 1977 office building, last renovated in 1988. The 19,100 square-foot, 2-story building is located at Main site in Zeeland, MI. The entire building shell of the original building (C1) was reused and a variety of sustainable features were incorporated into the design. Passive shading was accomplished with fins on the south, east, and west facing sides of the building, high-efficiency low-e glazing, and reflective and adjustable blinds on windows. Green construction products included carpet tile, mineral-fiber ceiling panels and tiles, and synthetic-gypsum board with recycled content, as well as VOC-free interior paints. In addition, 57% of construction materials were sourced within 500 miles of the project. The building’s energy needs are supplied by a biomass-powered central plant and the internal environment is monitored around the clock with a direct digital control building-management system. Water use is minimal because of the waterless urinals, motion sensor sinks, faucet aerators, and a water efficient dishwasher. Open space was preserved on site and bioswales and sedimentation fore bays were constructed to handle storm water naturally. The C1 site earned a Gold rating by the USGBC (LEED NC, v2.0).

Herman Miller, Inc.

855 East Main St., Zeeland, MI 49464-0302
Herman Miller’s Front Door Renovation obtained a gold LEED certification (LEED CI, v2.0). The project was a renovation of a 26,600 square foot office area within an existing one story office shell. All of Herman Miller's manufacturing facilities in the region (GreenHouse, 171st Street, Main Site, VanWagoner, and Hickory) are also ISO 14001 certified.

Herman Miller, Inc.

10201 Adams St., Holland, MI 49424-9177
Designed by William McDonough, the 295,000 square-foot GreenHouse contains a Herman Miller factory and offices. Building materials like operable windows and concrete blocks were used in this Holland, Michigan building to reduce the structure’s heating load. The structure only produces an average of 16 pounds of landfill waste per day, as 97% of solid waste is recycled! A gently curving central “Street” stretches the entire expanse of the building, encouraging casual conversation and networking. The site boasts native grasses, woods, meadows, ponds, and wetlands for employee enjoyment and environmental benefits. The green building features resulted in an 18% decrease in electricity costs and a 65% cut in water/sewer costs, compared to the previous building. The U.S. Green Building Council awarded the GreenHouse the LEED Pioneer Award, recognizing the structure as a model of what was possible under the LEED rating system. Completed in 1995, the GreenHouse currently employs 450 workers on two shifts and manufactures Herman Miller’s seating products.

Herman Miller, Inc.

8460 Homestead Dr., Zeeland, MI 49464
The 95,000 square foot, two story office building was completed in January 2002 by Integrated Architecture, Triangle Associates, Driesenga & Associates, Inc., Feyen-Zylstra, JDH Engineering, Inc., and BETA Design Group. Green site features include a shaded parking lot, open space, and native landscaping. The Marketplace features low-flow toilets, automatic faucet controls, high-performance (operable) windows and doors, linoleum flooring from linseed oil, and lots of natural daylighting facilitated by an atrium, 12-foot exterior windows, and high ceilings. The building earned a gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (LEED NC, v2.0).

Photo courtesy of Ice Mountain

19275 Eight Mile Road, Stanwood, MI 49346
Owned by Nestle Waters North America, the Ice Mountain water bottling plant in Mecosta County earned basic LEED certification in 2003 (LEED NC, v2.0). Select green features of the 717,742 sq. ft. structure, which include both production and warehouse capacity, are low water-demand native vegetation, low-flow fixtures, energy efficient lighting and daylighting, movable exterior walls (for expansion purposes), constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, and open space preservation. Other features include non-toxic and recycled building materials. The Stanwood, Michigan Ice Mountain plant was the first manufacturing facility in the food and beverage industry to receive the LEED rating, and established the model for subsequent Nestle Waters’ bottling plants, which have also been LEED certified.

Steelcase, Inc.

4100 68th St., Caledonia, MI 49316
Located in Caledonia, Michigan, the Wood Furniture Plant owned by Steelcase was the first manufacturing facility in the world to become LEED certified (LEED NC, v1.0- Silver Rating) in 2001. The site manufactures wood furniture including desks, file cabinets, and seating. Notable green features of the 600,000 square foot facility include natural daylighting, steel with 95% post-consumer recycled content, motion sensors on lights, low flush toilets, and energy saving roofing materials. The site includes water retention ponds that collect rainwater for site irrigation, open space preservation, and native landscaping. The plant facilitated Steelcase’s switch from a solvent-based to a water-based finishing system for their furniture.

Funded by the Steelcase Foundation of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Header photo courtesy of Bigfoto
Site by CMC/GrandNet