Arlie & Company

Light-drenched spaces that open to fresh air and fine views attest to the viability of marrying green building practices to comfortable, functional office design. Crescent Village’s 2911 Tennyson Avenue building—meticulously designed to be beautiful, accessible and quintessentially green—is well on its way to attaining at least Silver Certification by U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

“We will definitely obtain Silver Certification, and are striving for Gold. Tenants will benefit from a premium building,” says Arlie & Company Director of Development Mark Miksis, noting that such energy-saving features as extensive daylighting, sunshades and operable windows that deflect excessive heat and glare will also increase comfort and employee productivity levels.

Occupants of the five-story, 37,000 square foot building—slated for completion in May—will enjoy great views of both the Coburg Hills and the Town Center’s lively mix of shops and restaurants. In addition to taking advantage of the great views, the building optimizes the value of energy-conscious light shelves and façade treatments.

“Arlie & Company is the first commercial developer we have worked with who sees LEED certification as an important part of their investment,” says John Rowell, principal of Rowell Brokaw Architects, PC and lead architect for the project. LEED certification—which is predicated on accrual of credit points within categories ranging from “Water Efficiency” to “Innovation and Design Process”—provides independent, third-party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work.

“There’s a lot of buzz around ‘green’ right now,” observes John. “It’s important to have a way to measure what we mean by that so consumers know what they’re getting. One of the benefits of LEED status for 2911 Tennyson is that it is an objective standard that keeps the design team, the owner and the contractor all accountable to a measurable outcome. If you’re a tenant interested in doing a green interior, this building gives you a ready framework to create an efficient, healthy environment for your organization.”

Hallmarks of LEED certified buildings include lower operating costs and increased asset value, reduced construction waste, a healthier, safer indoor environment, water and energy efficiency, and reduced harmful greenhouse emissions—all sustainable measures that ultimately benefit the entire community for many generations to come. Arlie & Company chose to pursue LEED Core and Shell certification, with the interior finished out separately as tenant improvements.

One particularly exciting LEED feature Mark points to is the variable flow ground source heat pump, which allows each tenant to tap into a water loop that’s coupled with the temperature of the ground to add or take away heat from each individual space. “Getting approval by the state to drill the two water wells was a lot of work,” he confides. But the ultimate outcome—a revolutionary heating system that is both high performing and resilient—has been well worth the effort.

“The team did a great job integrating technical performance requirements and design goals,” says John. “This means you have a building that performs well and will look great. If you look around at what typically gets done in Eugene, this approach is way ahead of the curve. You’re already getting an extremely efficient source of energy for thermal comfort. It’s set up for 30 percent more fresh air, daylighting, excellent sun control and great views.” And, he adds, advanced controls for the HVAC system allow tenants to monitor their energy use and impact on the overall building performance.

John Rowell also points out that the landscaping plan features drought tolerant plantings and temporary irrigation that will be removed once the plants are established—greatly reducing water usage. The building is constructed of regional and recycled-content materials including Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, and the roof is set up for easy tenant installation of photovoltaics, with tax credits available for this investment.

“Arlie & Company asked for a high performance, flexible building,” says John. “The approach we’ve taken allows us to provide such a building.” John notes that only a few years ago LEED standards were virtually unknown, but now the need to follow an objective measure of ‘greenness’ has become much more important. “Nevertheless,” he says, “in Eugene we don’t have many LEED certified buildings. We need to do better, and we hope this project encourages others to take a similar approach.”

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Tennyson Avenue Office Building Leads the Way in Green