Hannaford Supermarkets, Augusta, Maine
Beyond that, Zuchman says Fore Solutions worked mainly with the design team and the Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. (which served as the construction manager) to manage the requirements and documentation for LEED certification.
“We promote an integrated design process,” she explains. “It’s important for the whole team to be there at the beginning and then to keep talking all the way through the project. That way there’s more coordination and at the very end you’re where you want to be.”
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And, the architect-and-engineer-of-record, the Bangor, Maine-based WBRC Architects-Engineers, went far beyond the duties expected of a firm in that role. Principal Steve Rich says the firm’s combination of LEED-accredited architectural and engineering staff allowed it to take a major role in the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical design.
“I don’t think Hannaford initially realized our real strengths in sustainable design and LEED projects, but our track record and history are deep,” Rich says. “More than half of our 50-plus professional staff are LEED APs (accredited professionals). We brought the University of Maine its first LEED-certified project, and we have a wide range of public and residential projects either built or in design to LEED certification.”
While the architect-of-record is typically someone local to the project, he adds that WBRC was called on repeatedly to offer a Maine perspective as work went along.
“For instance, much of the early thought process for heating and cooling was designed for different climates than we have in Maine,” he says. “And, because we had worked on previous LEED projects, we were familiar with the 500-mile radius. We brought in a lot of knowledge about local products and local systems that have proven to work here in our winter.”
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
Natural stone for the structure certainly falls under the “local” requirement for building products, and was aided not only by WBRC’s expertise, but also that of Whiting-Turner and Hannaford itself.
As with the rest of the team, Hannaford’s Gray says the selection of Whiting-Turner was made based on its familiarity with the LEED process.
“They knew the parameters of the materials we were looking for because of the specifications,” Gray says. “They would then go out and find us quotes, and we would decide on the sub. If we had worked with the sub before, and the numbers were good, they would be a good option for us.
“It was a joint effort on the decision-making on the subcontractors; Whiting-Turner drove the process based on our design.”
Fortunately, she adds that the evolving green movement brought more products to market within the 500-mile radius than ever before, and there was little problem in finding suitable materials meeting LEED requirements.