Building The Future Together

Sustainability is more than a buzz word. Sustainable, efficient buildings reduce energy consumption, lower maintenance costs, provide health benefits for employees and improve comfort and environmental quality.

“Sustainability isn’t just the right choice; it’s the smart choice,” Frank Falsetti LEED AP ID+C, Business Development, Hunzinger Construction Company.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) certification measures the sustainability of buildings across the country. Buildings can be labeled as Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum depending on their commitment to the environment.

One of only six buildings worldwide to have achieved a LEED triple Platinum certification is located right here in Brookfield.

Gateway West Sustainable I, a 34,000-square-foot building located at 3410 Gateway Road in Brookfield, is the headquarters of CBRE|ESI, a global real estate services provider that works to reduce the environmental impact of buildings through the application of sustainable technology and services.

Constructed by Hunzinger Construction Company and independently certified through Sustainable Building Solutions, Gateway West Sustainable I offers the opportunity to provide quantifiable environmental, economic and social benefits in the green and sustainable building movement.

From the outset, the goal was to implement a practical and sustainable design that minimized 30-year building lifecycle costs, while maximizing return on investment and innovation. Neutral light is used in over 90 percent of the work areas and the building’s energy efficiency is 35 percent more efficient than the baseline design standard.

Building features include:

  • Continuous insulation, air and water barriers and high-performance low-E glass, resulting in a building envelope that is 20 percent more efficient for heating and cooling.
  • Water-conserving fixtures yield a 37.1 percent annual water consumption savings.
  • 66 percent of the steel roof framing and 50 percent of the brick exterior were salvaged and reused.
  • A 78 panel/18kw photo-voltaic array of solar panels supplies eight percent of the building’s energy needs.

 

CBRE|ESI established employee health, comfort and indoor environmental quality as high priorities, and set to create a workspace that supports their culture of collaboration, communication and environmental responsibility. For the first full year of occupancy, they saved 41 percent on energy costs (translating to a $31,914 savings), eliminated 223 tons of carbon dioxide and earned an Energy Star Rating of 98.

To say that the project team scrupulously analyzed industry trends and available technologies to arrive at Gateway West Sustainable I as it stands today is an understatement. All stakeholders were committed to developing and refining an action plan that would deliver a facility that maximized efficiencies, incorporated high-performance equipment and monitored everything through the use of a state-of-the-art building management system. The materials and resources used to construct the space and decorate its surfaces were selected with immediate and long-term sustainability in mind, always considering factors such as recycled content, low emissions, durability and the proximity of raw and finished goods to the jobsite.

Located in Waukesha County, Gateway West Sustainable I provides a world-class, innovative and pleasing work environment that allows occupants, prospective customers and visitors alike to see how sustainable design and construction can return real and lasting social, health, fiscal and environmental benefits.