Gilbane honored for sustainability efforts in Indianapolis

Mayor Greg Ballard honored Gilbane Building Company and four other local organizations and businesses recently for their efforts in advancing sustainability in the city. The winners were announced at the 2012 Sustainability Awards luncheon hosted by living green expert Sara Snow at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.

The Major General Emmett J. Bean Federal Center, submitted by the General Services Administration (GSA), Shiel Sexton Company Inc., and Gilbane Building Company, was the winner in the Energy category. The Bean Federal Center was funded as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting sustainability goals for Federal agencies, as outlined in President Obama’s Executive Order 13423. The high performance roof, which incorporates 6,152 solar panels, a PV lab, and solar hot water collectors, will help reduce energy costs for the 1.6 million-square-foot building by about $500,000 per year.

The Indianapolis Sustainability Awards are presented annually by the City's Office of Sustainability, the McKinney Green Initiatives Fund and the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. BD+C

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Fire-rated glass floor system study area. Photo: courtesy TGP

Fire-rated glass floor system captures light in science and engineering infill

In implementing Northwestern University’s Engineering Life Sciences infill design, Flad Architects faced the challenge of ensuring adequate, balanced light given the adjacent, existing building wings. To allow for light penetration from the fifth floor to the ground floor, the design team desired a large, central atrium. One potential setback with drawing light through the atrium was meeting fire and life safety codes.