We are excited to announce that Strang’s Madison Office has been awarded LEED Gold certification! Sustainable design is one of our company’s key values and we strive to be leaders in the industry for sustainable design, by integrating environmental design into our projects with a focus on resource efficiency. Through this, we maximize the quality of the building, the environment it creates, minimize impact to the natural environment, and create added value for our clients. It is a great honor to be recognized for our principles in the place that impacts our employees the most – our very own offices.
Special thanks go out to our LEED and WELL AP Katie Lowery for all her efforts towards certifying this building as well as Russell Knudson for his work on energy modeling and for every member of the Strang team that helped bring our sustainable vision to life.
“I am extremely proud of the Strang project team that created this amazing built environment that showcases the design talents and knowledge of our staff. We strive to be leaders in the industry for sustainable design, by integrating environmental design into our projects with a focus on resource efficiency. Having our own office earn this certification is a proclamation that speaks to the passion and capabilities of our staff and the personal values of the company’s leadership.”
KATIE LOWERY, DIRECTOR INTEGRATED CONTROL SYSTEMS, STRANG
What is LEED? LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGB) created LEED to measure and define green building design and to provide a roadmap for developing sustainable buildings. With LEED, we establish a baseline—a universally agreed upon holistic system for reducing environmental impact. LEED building design and construction are categorized by five basic areas: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.
Our certification comes from having earned achievements in several sustainable categories. Located inside the Gebhardt building in downtown Madison, Strang’s office was a core and shell project designed for and by Strang, and strategically placed inside this urban environment. Doing so has enabled us to take advantage of a walkable community where staff has access to numerous amenities such as restaurants, banks, grocery stores, and more. Furthermore, access to public transportation is readily available and many staff members take advantage of the biking amenities that include both indoor and outdoor bike racks, access to showers, and storage lockers. All of this contributes to reducing carbon emissions.
A major focus of ours was conserving water and energy and we are proud to have designed an office that reduces our water consumption by over 30% and lighting power by over 40%. Additionally, through careful design of the HVAC system, our high efficiency VRF system has allowed us to achieve an energy cost savings of over 50%! Another energy reducing contribution was choosing ENERGY-STAR rated equipment for over 80% of qualifying equipment.
Because our office was a relocation, we were also able to reuse much of the existing furniture and furnishings. Where new material was provided, a great emphasis was placed on indoor environmental quality and the project was specified to include portions of recycled materials.
"When the design and the “client” values align with a better tomorrow, LEED documentation is bound to follow. We all, but in particular the Board, have made the investment and commitment to lead by example. Seeing the Gold plaque on our wall should remind us of the work that went into this achievement, and then the amount of care, forward-thinking, and Synchronicity needed to offer this kind of achievement to the rest of our work."
RUSSELL KNUDSON, DIRECTOR ENERGY PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING, STRANG
The Strang Office is also pursuing WELL Certification. These air quality standards are achieved by bringing in 30% more fresh air than is code required and ensuring a high level of filtration is maintained along with a healthy green cleaning program. The office was also designed to maximize daylight and views to the outside by having minimal partitions throughout the floorplate, while still zoning the lighting and HVAC to keep occupants comfortable throughout the spaces.
Our offices reflect not only our sustainable design principles but also prioritize employee well-being and comfort through these WELL building standards. After all, sustainability impacts not only the planet, but it’s people, and we are proud to have built an office that encompasses both these ideals.
