Peter W. Rodino Building Federal ARRA Project Achieves LEED® Silver Certification

On Oct 14, 2015

Tocci-Driscoll JV, a design-build joint venture between Tocci Building Companies, Woburn, MA and L.F. Driscoll Company, LLC, Bala Cynwyd, PA, achieved LEED® Silver Certification, awarded by the United States Green Building Council, for new construction and major renovations for the Peter W. Rodino Federal Building ARRA project in Newark. The 5-year project, overseen by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), included extensive Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) removal, a 9-floor gut renovation, and a building-wide HVAC system upgrade. Overall, the construction improved the 1968, 16-story building’s energy efficiency by more than 20 percent.

Improvements included installation of new:

• Chillers that provide 27 percent space cooling energy savings;
• Cooling towers that provide 51 percent heat rejection energy savings;
• Solar domestic hot water panels for high zone plumbing fixtures to provide an estimated 183 Mbtu natural gas savings per year;
• Daylighting controls on the 9 renovated floors and efficient lighting fixtures that result in 27 percent interior lighting energy savings and 32 percent exterior lighting energy savings; and
• Variable speed pumps that provide 61 percent energy savings.

In addition to energy savings, the LEED® program included construction waste and indoor air quality programs and use of green and of Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) products including paint, coatings, flooring, and wood and laminate assemblies. Support for this prestigious certification was provided by the GSA, their construction manager, Lendlease and the architect of record, KlingStubbins-Jacobs.

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