The Quarterly - Fall Issue

THE

QUARTERLYA BNBuilders publication

BUILDING GREENsustainable building trends leading toward Architecture 2030

SEPTEMBER 2012

BNBuilders • Building Green

WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN THIS ISSUE

A Note From Our Leaders PAGE 1Co-founder, Jeff Nielsen shares why sustainability and building green are one of BNBuilders’ most important corporate initiatives.

Building Green PAGE 2Take a closer look at how BNBuilders is changing the game in sustianable building and creating our own rules for meeting the Architecture 2030 challenge.

Q&A PAGE 6BNBuilders chats with Principal Joe Bash about the sustainable trends in the Inland areas of Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

What’s Happening PAGE 7BNBuilders has been busy across the West Coast and the Inner States. Take a glance at what our people and our projects have been up to over the past months.

Credits PAGE 9Acknowledgements and thanks to everyone who contributed to this edition.

UC DAVIS, BREWERY, WINERY AND FOOD PILOT FACILITY ACHIEVED LEED PLATINUM CERTIFICATION.

A NOTE FROM OUR LEADERS...Jeff Nielsen, Co-Founder

This time of year has always been very special to me. Growing up in

Montana, fall was always the most beautiful and active time of year.

When I was 3 years old, my father placed a fly rod in my hands and

I have had a “river running through me” ever since. My childhood

was spent entirely in the outdoors, and I consider myself lucky to

have experienced it.

We are blessed with an abundance of outdoor opportunities here in

the Pacific Northwest. The mountains, desert, Olympic peninsula,

and countless rivers and lakes are all right in our backyard. Northern

California offers much of the same…so much to do so close to one of

our nation’s largest cities. Tahoe is a mere 3 hours away. Southern

California has beaches and sunshine, and is a short flight to Cabo if

things get a bit cold.

We’ve had a difficult four years given the extended recession.

With the upcoming elections, it is unclear how well all regions will

rebound economically. We are, however, seeing good signs of

recovery in some of our markets. The Bay Area is perhaps our most

active market and those teams have had some good wins recently.

In SoCal, we continue to push north into LA and The Valley, and

east to the desert, in search of good projects. Seattle has an active

multi-family market fueled by companies like Microsoft, Amazon and

Google.

Good projects are not as prevalent as they once were and we have

to work even harder to identify, pursue and procure. Everyone is

critical to developing business, not just our Marketing and Business

Development teams. As a company, we need to work hard to

develop and maintain relationships with new and existing clients.

I say all this because it is easy to take shortcuts environmentally

right now. Less sustainable approaches to running our business or

executing our projects are generally less expensive. However, it is

important to work with our Owners and Architects, and internally with

our project teams, to strike a balance between cost and sustainability.

When questions arise, use our internal resources to explore options.

You may be surprised to learn the variety of ways we can stay green

and still execute our work cost-effectively.

Remember, the wants of humans should not outweigh the needs of

our planet.

BNBuilders • Building Green 1

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0I t ’s t ime to leave your comfort zone, abandon your means and methods, and think outside of the box. Convent ional design and construct ion is far behind us, and the future of green bui lding is the Living Bui lding Chal lenge. We love a chal lenge! And we are already creat ing our own rules to meet net zero water consumption, net zero energy consumption and zero waste. Simply, our goal is to have zero impact on the environment by the year 2030.

BNBuilders • Revitalization 3

Today’s construction site has come a long way from the one your parents may remember. Gone are the days of unsorted debris

boxes, rows of gas guzzling pick-up trucks and mounds

of blueprints scattered around the trailer.

And this resource-conscious cultural shift isn’t limited to just design and construction firms, it has even extended to the highest levels of government. In December of 2011, the White House launched the Better Buildings Challenge in an effort to improve the efficiency of American buildings and industrial plants by 20 percent or more by the year 2020. A few months later USGBC-Northern California figured we, as Californians, could do better by proposing the California Best Building Challenge which asked companies to commit to reducing their energy use, water use, and waste to landfills at their buildings by 20 percent in just two years…Take that Federal Government!

This wave of awareness regarding our impact on the built environment is a tremendously good thing. Not only is it socially responsible, but there is significant industry data to support the idea that it is economically viable as well. We’re not just referring to the fact that using less energy saves you money on your energy bill, but of course there is that benefit as well as the return some are realizing on corporate sustainability. A recent study done by the Harvard Business Review measured the top 10% of resource-efficient companies (those using less energy and water and create less waste in generating a unit of revenue) from each industry classification against the MSCI World, an index of over 6,000 world stocks and often used as a common benchmark for global funds. The study found that these resource-efficient companies outperformed the MCSI. In fact, net margin and return on assets were twice that of the MSCI World while return on equity was nearly three times the amount over the same period.

What these findings suggest is that an investment strategy based on resource efficiency not only produces returns in excess of global benchmarks, it also identifies management teams that are forward thinking and aware of the economic implications on resource constraint. So the next time someone suggests an organization that is investing in ways to reduce their waste stream and energy consumption are just touchy feely and don’t understand true business, you’ll know which one is statistically more likely to be profitable.

INSTITUTE FOR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY, GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS ACHIEVED LEED PLATINUM CERTIFICATION

A modern site might more closely resemble a Silicon Valley start up with its recycling stations, fuel efficient vehicles and digital plan rooms, if not for all the hard hats and safety vests in sight. The trend throughout the industry seems to be, “what is each company doing to be more sustainable than the next guy?” At this point, if you don’t have a LEED Certified office stocked with corn-based biodegradable office supplies and a hybrid fleet parked out front, you’re behind the times.


BNBuilders’ management teams are committed to sustainable initiatives for our short and long term vision. Our triple bottom line is founded on people, planet and prosperity. Making progress as a company centered on a cultural shift to make sustainable decisions, rather than mandating specific actions. Asking, “Is this action moving us toward or away from our ultimate vision of sustainability?”

Our Green Team has incorporated sustainable goals into each area of our business, including projects, operations, communications, community, culture and wellness. Our goals even apply to our very own offices. For BNBuilders’ San Diego office, sustainability was a top priority, and an initiative that supported a core value.

BNBuilders’ San Diego Office

BNBuilders encourages all employees to use mass and alternative transportation to and from work. The ideal location for our new San Diego office would be walking distance from public transportation, restaurants, and other amenities.

The search ended when BNBuilders found La Jolla Centre, located on the desirable east side of the Golden Triangle area. The building is LEED Silver certified and located adjacent to the Westfield UTC mall and the 805 freeway. The Westfield UTC mall provides not only retail and restaurants, but also a transit center with regular bus route stops. La Jolla Centre implements a green cleaning program that uses low-VOC/less toxic cleaners, low water use fixtures, and a high efficiency HVAC system.

At first glance, the office gives a polished, rustic feel. Reclaimed lumber is used throughout the office, from the lobby walls to the workstation caps. Low-VOC paints, adhesives, and sealants are used throughout the space. The workstations are situated in the center of the office to encourage light from the windows that run the border of the office. Natural light illuminates the office, which reduced lighting power by 25%, and 97% of the lights are controlled by occupancy sensors to ensure no electricity is wasted. BNBuilders purchased two years of Renewable Energy Credits for all electricity use, and the office will operate carbon neutral for the same period. All of the appliances and electronic equipment are Energy Star certified. An in-house Commissioning agent was utilized to complete basic and enhanced commissioning efforts. The HVAC system is zoned so that every room has its own thermostat. These elements qualify the office for LEED Gold certification although BNBuilders is currently pursuing LEED Platinum. Sustainability’s overall long term benefits outweigh the minimal startup costs. BNBuilders utilizes these practices to help establish them as an industry standard.

BNBUILDERS TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE...PEOPLE, PLANET, Prosper i ty

By the year 2030, BNBuilders plans to be implementing the following...

NET ZERO CO2 EMISSIONS

NET ZERO WASTE

NET ZERO WATER

RESPONSIBLE FOOD PURCHASING

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

NET ZERO CO2

FLEETBUY AMERICAN

PREFERRED MATERIALS

BNBUILDERS’ SAN DIEGO OFFICE ISPURSUING LEED PLATINUM CERTIFICATION


Spokane Falls Community College, Science Building

This new two story 70,000 SF Science Building includes the following sustainable features:

• Storm water harvesting through ponds, channels and bioswales.

• Natural daylighting through the using a combination of skylights and light diffusers.

• Passive ventilation and cooling utilizing building mass and automated louvers that communicate with the mechanical control system. The Classroom Wing of the building relies on passive cooling system. Due to the frequent number of hot days in Eastern WA, this is rare for the area. The mechanical system is being monitored by the University of Oregon, Energy Laboratory to verify performance.

• Efficient heating system utilizing radiant floor heating.• Low flow plumbing fixtures installed throughout• Live Data display showing occupants the energy

use, outside temperature, inside temperature, air flow and other measurements.

Institute for Systems Biology, Global Headquarters

The right building, the right location, good solid thoughtful design while salvaging and reusing as much of the building and its contents as possible were the key to achieving LEED Platinum. The project includes the following sustainable features:

• Storage spaces for bicycles and available showers and changing areas to encourage biking to work.

• Close proximity to multiple bus lines and a trolley line providing alternative transportation options for employees.

• Relocated and reused doors, windows, ceiling grids, lighting, cabinetry, existing furnishings, equipment and other building and finish materials.

• Preserved much of the existing building support spaces, conference rooms, lab support spaces and offices where possible.

• Minimized energy usage through photo cells and occupancy sensors, maximum day lighting and heat recovery of lab exhaust systems.

THIS YEAR’S GREENBUILD CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN BNBUILDERS’ BACKYARD! WE WOULDN’T MISS THE CHANCE TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION...

COME SEE US AT BOOTH 5517W IN THE WEST HALL . WE WILL BE POURING SUSTAINABLE WINE BY LOCAL EXPERTS.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: NOVEMBER 14 - 16

100% of our projects meet LEED certification standards. Our Spokane office recently completed a LEED Gold Science building for Spokane Falls Community College, and our Seattle office...


What are the sustainability trends in Eastern Washington?

Higher education facilities have lead the way in sustainability awareness is this area. Whitworth University has come out strongly in favor of the LEED program and built two LEED Silver buildings in the past couple years, one residence hall and one lab building. The general public in the Inland area is becoming more and more conscious of sustainable construction also. Recently, the City of Spokane issued a demolition permit for a 100-year-old building on the WSU Spokane

campus, but the public outcry and litigation to stop the demolition prevented the deal from closing. BNBuilders’ position as a strongly credentialed LEED contractor is an asset in our public perception.

The Spokane Public Facilities District is also very sustainable minded. This is a public/private corporation that operates the Spokane Opera House, Convention Center, and Spokane Arena. The city voters recently passed a bond to fund a $65M expansion to their facilities. The City of Spokane became a Municipal member of the USGBC in 2007

What green building incentives are offered?

Multi-Family Residential and Commercial-Grade kitchens within the service area of Avista Utilities are offered cashback bonuses for purchasing energy efficient appliances. At this time the majority of direct financial incentives offered by any local government goes to residential construction. The Spokane Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) has been moving toward encouraging LEED certified building and there is a local push to develop incentives for Brownfield Redevelopment. At this time the incentives would be more about public image and the cooperation of local permitting officials than financial incentives. An interesting movement spearheaded by faculty at WSU is really pushing this.

What is the Inland Office doing to promote sustainability and green building practices?

All of BNBuilders’ Project Managers and Project Engineers are training for LEED Green Associate credentials. BNBuilders implemented co-mingled recycle bins at our personnel work stations and community areas. We worked with our building owner to work with the current janitorial/cleaning group to collect recycled content from our office as well as the other five tenants in the building and transport to the recycle dumpster. Finally, we are really pushing to get an employee shower built out in our office for bicycle commuters.

How do you see the sustainability trends changing in the next five years?

Sustainable construction will continue to rapidly rise in importance in this area. It is suspected that any new construction project involving public money – city, county, state, public schools and universities – will be LEED certified in the near future. Also, the understanding of sustainable concepts and the ability to “speak the language” will open up opportunities with design-build partners, public entities, and private developers.

Q&A...WITH JOE BASH ABOUT THE GREEN TRENDS IN WASHINGTON’S INLAND AREA

Joe Bash is BNBuilders’ Principal in the Inland Area of Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Mike Bradley serves as BNBuilders sustainability expert throughout the Inland Areas of Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Q&A...WITH JOE BASH ABOUT THE GREEN TRENDS IN WASHINGTON’S INLAND AREA


WHAT’S HAPPENINGAROUND BNBUILDERS

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1. The 259 East Grand project in South San Francisco topped out in July 2. BNBuilders’ new San Diego Office 3. Seattle’s Annual Employee Golf Tournament and BBQ 4. BNBuilders’ Initiatives Summit in Seattle 5. The BNBuilders-sponsored bike club, Peninsula Velo 6. BNBuilders’ Project Executive Rob Melinauskas lead a jobsite tour of the new Twitter Headquarters, which BNBuilders completed the seismic work 7. Spokane Falls Community College, Science Building achieves LEED Gold 8. Plymouth Housing Group in Seattle pours slab-on-grade 9. BNBuilders’ Redwood City 8U girl’s softball team went undefeated for the 2012 Spring Season! 10. Project Update: Channing House Skilled Nursing Facility in Palo Alto 11. San Diego Open House Party

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WHAT’S HAPPENINGAROUND BNBUILDERS

1. BNBuilders’ newest mascot, Barkley 2. Community Involvement Team’s San Diego Group at their Rebuilding Together Service Day event 3 - 4. Spokane’s Hot Summer Night’s Event to celebrate BNBuilders’ new office 5. BNBuilders was named the #1 Best Place to Work in the Puget Sound for Mid-Size Company by the Puget Sound Business Journal 6. BNBuilders at Prime Electric’s Trap Shoot Contest 7. San Diego Employee Appreciation Day at the Padres Game 8. Seattle’s Annual Employee Golf Tournament and BBQ 9. Community Involvement Team’s Bay Area Group at their Family Connections Service Day event 10. Community Involvement Team’s Seattle Group at their Community Psychiatric Clinic Service Day event

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CONTRIBUTORS

Jeff NielsenNick PeraTodd AhernJames JenkinsPeter OtteleJoe Bash

EDITOR

Tiffany Avila

CREATIVE DIRECTOR / DESIGNER

Andrea Larsen

The Quarterly is written and designed by BNBuilders in Redwood City. We are committed to the construction, architecture, and engineering communities and want to share our knowledge and passion with our industry peers.

To comment or request copies of The Quarterly, please contact [email protected]

BNBuilders is a mid-size General Contractor that specializes in highly technical commercial construction projects. BNBuilders has the experience and strength of a large contractor, but provides the personal service and economy of a local builder. We combine our technical expertise with a drive to exceed expectations to build solutions for our clients.

Since the company was founded, we have experienced measured growth resulting in annual volume of $200 million, 250+ employees, and a presence in the California, Washington, Oregon, and Montana construction markets - establishing BNBuilders as a leader for the West Coast.

The Quarterly is printed on 100% recycled paper with low-VOC ink.

B N B u i l d e r s


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The Quarterly - Fall Issue