Peerless Rockville's Green Tour of Tower Oaks
This article was written by Helen Triolo and posted on May 15, 2009.
Thank you to Maude McGovern, Mary van Balgooy and the other folks who run Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation for a superb execution of the "Extreme Green Tour" last Saturday.
Thank you to Maude McGovern, Mary van Balgooy and the other folks who run Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation for a superb execution of the "Extreme Green Tour" last Saturday -- for giving us an opportunity to enjoy an in-depth tour of the 2000 Tower Oaks building (which I've been curious about since it opened in summer 2008), and to hear from local experts Herb Winkler and Jim Doman about things to consider when trying to improve energy efficiency in our own homes. Thanks also to local photographer Dean Evangelista for providing some great photos that I have resized to go with this write-up (his are the good ones below; mine are stills from the videocam I took along). Here's a photo tour of the event:
Jim Doman, a carpenter who is also certified to do MD Home Energy Performance audits, talked about sources of energy loss in homes like old refrigerators (on average, 8% of total electricity use is for refrigerators), drafts through windows in historic homes (solved with zinc weatherstripping, as at Frieda's cottage, sealing upper sash & weight pockets, adding storm windows), open fireplace dampers, and airflow through spaces around wires, outlets, and recessed lighting.
After Jim Doman and Herb Winkler spoke, the group was taken by bus to tour the 2000 Tower Oaks building, a LEED-Platinum certified green building which stands at the corner of Tower Oaks Blvd and Wootton Parkway, and was built by the Tower Companies in 2008.
We were given an overview of the Tower Companies' architectural philosophy by Jeffrey Abramson (right) of the Tower Companies, and a tour of the building by David Borchardt (left), the Director of Sustainable Development. Mr. Abramson spoke about having read an article in 1997 which stated that the commercial building industry was responsible for 40% of the pollution in America, an eye-opening moment that made him determined to redefine the way buildings are thought of and constructed in the US. The Tower Companies focused on two main areas in developing the Tower Oaks building: wise use of natural resources such as energy, water, and materials which are not harmful in an indoor environment, and "fulfillment of desires," designing a building that would help the people who inhabit it to achieve fulfillment, to feel refreshed and energized at work -- to "elevate the human experience."
The tour began in the lobby, a lovely spacious area with floor-to-ceiling windows on the east and west sides (the entrance faces due east, in accordance with the principles of Vedic Architecture), a floor of Tennessee pink marble, timer-driven lighting and air-quality systems, and plentiful greenery inside and out.
From the lobby, we went up by elevator (with CNN playing on a TV screen in it) to the 9th floor, new headquarters of the Tower Companies. The 7th and 8th floors are occupied by Lerner Enterprises, and the other floors are available for lease. In the lobby of the 9th floor, the recently acquired LEED certification plaque is proudly displayed.
Mr. Borchardt enthusiastically points out many of the features that led to Tower Oaks' LEED certification: drywall with recycled content, carpet of natural wool, corn-based wall fabric, and the use of post-consumer denim (discarded during production) as sound insulation in the walls between offices.
Mr. Abramson notes that all of the office doors have a core made from discarded wheat.
Humans aren't the only ones thriving in this building; flowering plants and greenery in pots and garden areas throughout the building lend it an air of tranquility.
Along with the lush green areas on this floor, we also learned about more of the green features in the office area, including the use of Interface carpet tiles (recycled and recyclable, and available locally at Amicus Green Building Center), the use of FSC-certified wood (from a managed forest) in the partitions, wall paneling of Shadow Stone (seen in the photo), a commercial product made from quarried stone scraps, and office lights which employ "daylight harvesting," meaning they will dim if the light from outside is bright enough to compensate. Mr. Borchardt noted that in March, when the office was surrounded by recently-fallen snow, lights on the entire floor dimmed.
95% of all offices have a view outside. This area is north-facing, with a beautiful view of downtown Rockville out the window.
On the west side, the view is of a lovely sea of green (and the Tower Company's other building in the distance).
I remember two particular laments from Mr. Borchardt and Mr. Abramson during the tour: that the federal government needs to give more tax credit incentives to encourage other businesses to do what Tower Companies has done, and that Rockville needs to change its requirements for parking spaces required for new buildings (one-third of the spaces at the Tower Oaks building are unused, but were required by local ordinance and required unnecessary felling of trees). The model above shows what Tower Companies would like to implement across the street from the Tower Oaks building, including a parking garage, the top floor of which is a huge array of photovoltaics that would power the garage, but which Mr. Abramson declares will never be constructed because of the cost (ie, lack of incentive) associated with using alternative energy sources.
We also saw the kitchen and eating area on the 9th floor, which is apparently well-used. Like the rest of the building, this area is a model for the implementation of green features, with cabinets of bamboo, Icestone recycled glass/concrete countertop, recycled glass flooring, and EnergyStar appliances throughout.
Some of our tour members demonstrate why the kitchen is popular. The view out the window is spectacular, and this area was also built with sustainability in mind, with booths of bamboo and covered with a corn-based fabric.
Back downstairs, we saw the gym and locker rooms available for employees (nice!) and heard about the water-saving features of the building, including not only low-flow fixtures and showerheads, but also recycling of 6,000 gallons a day of air-conditioner condensate, which is used to water the garden area around the building.
The tour concluded with a word from Mayor Susan Hoffmann, who obviously takes great pride in the fact that the Tower Oaks building is right here in Rockville. She also said, "A clean and green Rockville is my goal, my ambition --my #1 priority really-- I want Rockville to become the greenest, cleanest city in the world... Every [decision we make] in the City, whether we're looking at new vehicles, at new materials, all of the things that impact the environment and our carbon footprint, is made with that goal in mind... Kudos to Tower Companies and Mr. Abrahamson, who builds the way he does because it's the right thing to do. I know the slogan here is "Doing the right thing never looked so good," and this is the proof of that. Look how magnificent this building is, and it's also the cleanest, healthiest building you've probably ever been in." I imagine she's right, and hope that more people will have the same opportunity that Peerless Rockville gave us to see and be inspired by this wonderful example of building sustainably.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista
Jim Doman, a carpenter who is also certified to do MD Home Energy Performance audits, talked about sources of energy loss in homes like old refrigerators (on average, 8% of total electricity use is for refrigerators), drafts through windows in historic homes (solved with zinc weatherstripping, as at Frieda's cottage, sealing upper sash & weight pockets, adding storm windows), open fireplace dampers, and airflow through spaces around wires, outlets, and recessed lighting.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista
After Jim Doman and Herb Winkler spoke, the group was taken by bus to tour the 2000 Tower Oaks building, a LEED-Platinum certified green building which stands at the corner of Tower Oaks Blvd and Wootton Parkway, and was built by the Tower Companies in 2008.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista
We were given an overview of the Tower Companies' architectural philosophy by Jeffrey Abramson (right) of the Tower Companies, and a tour of the building by David Borchardt (left), the Director of Sustainable Development. Mr. Abramson spoke about having read an article in 1997 which stated that the commercial building industry was responsible for 40% of the pollution in America, an eye-opening moment that made him determined to redefine the way buildings are thought of and constructed in the US. The Tower Companies focused on two main areas in developing the Tower Oaks building: wise use of natural resources such as energy, water, and materials which are not harmful in an indoor environment, and "fulfillment of desires," designing a building that would help the people who inhabit it to achieve fulfillment, to feel refreshed and energized at work -- to "elevate the human experience."
From a photo by Dean Evangelista.
The tour began in the lobby, a lovely spacious area with floor-to-ceiling windows on the east and west sides (the entrance faces due east, in accordance with the principles of Vedic Architecture), a floor of Tennessee pink marble, timer-driven lighting and air-quality systems, and plentiful greenery inside and out.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista.
From the lobby, we went up by elevator (with CNN playing on a TV screen in it) to the 9th floor, new headquarters of the Tower Companies. The 7th and 8th floors are occupied by Lerner Enterprises, and the other floors are available for lease. In the lobby of the 9th floor, the recently acquired LEED certification plaque is proudly displayed.
Video still, Helen Triolo
Mr. Borchardt enthusiastically points out many of the features that led to Tower Oaks' LEED certification: drywall with recycled content, carpet of natural wool, corn-based wall fabric, and the use of post-consumer denim (discarded during production) as sound insulation in the walls between offices.
Video still, Helen Triolo
Mr. Abramson notes that all of the office doors have a core made from discarded wheat.
Video still, Helen Triolo
Humans aren't the only ones thriving in this building; flowering plants and greenery in pots and garden areas throughout the building lend it an air of tranquility.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista.
Along with the lush green areas on this floor, we also learned about more of the green features in the office area, including the use of Interface carpet tiles (recycled and recyclable, and available locally at Amicus Green Building Center), the use of FSC-certified wood (from a managed forest) in the partitions, wall paneling of Shadow Stone (seen in the photo), a commercial product made from quarried stone scraps, and office lights which employ "daylight harvesting," meaning they will dim if the light from outside is bright enough to compensate. Mr. Borchardt noted that in March, when the office was surrounded by recently-fallen snow, lights on the entire floor dimmed.
Video still, Helen Triolo
95% of all offices have a view outside. This area is north-facing, with a beautiful view of downtown Rockville out the window.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista.
On the west side, the view is of a lovely sea of green (and the Tower Company's other building in the distance).
Video still, Helen Triolo
I remember two particular laments from Mr. Borchardt and Mr. Abramson during the tour: that the federal government needs to give more tax credit incentives to encourage other businesses to do what Tower Companies has done, and that Rockville needs to change its requirements for parking spaces required for new buildings (one-third of the spaces at the Tower Oaks building are unused, but were required by local ordinance and required unnecessary felling of trees). The model above shows what Tower Companies would like to implement across the street from the Tower Oaks building, including a parking garage, the top floor of which is a huge array of photovoltaics that would power the garage, but which Mr. Abramson declares will never be constructed because of the cost (ie, lack of incentive) associated with using alternative energy sources.
Video still, Helen Triolo
We also saw the kitchen and eating area on the 9th floor, which is apparently well-used. Like the rest of the building, this area is a model for the implementation of green features, with cabinets of bamboo, Icestone recycled glass/concrete countertop, recycled glass flooring, and EnergyStar appliances throughout.
Video still, Helen Triolo
Some of our tour members demonstrate why the kitchen is popular. The view out the window is spectacular, and this area was also built with sustainability in mind, with booths of bamboo and covered with a corn-based fabric.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista
Back downstairs, we saw the gym and locker rooms available for employees (nice!) and heard about the water-saving features of the building, including not only low-flow fixtures and showerheads, but also recycling of 6,000 gallons a day of air-conditioner condensate, which is used to water the garden area around the building.
From a photo by Dean Evangelista
The tour concluded with a word from Mayor Susan Hoffmann, who obviously takes great pride in the fact that the Tower Oaks building is right here in Rockville. She also said, "A clean and green Rockville is my goal, my ambition --my #1 priority really-- I want Rockville to become the greenest, cleanest city in the world... Every [decision we make] in the City, whether we're looking at new vehicles, at new materials, all of the things that impact the environment and our carbon footprint, is made with that goal in mind... Kudos to Tower Companies and Mr. Abrahamson, who builds the way he does because it's the right thing to do. I know the slogan here is "Doing the right thing never looked so good," and this is the proof of that. Look how magnificent this building is, and it's also the cleanest, healthiest building you've probably ever been in." I imagine she's right, and hope that more people will have the same opportunity that Peerless Rockville gave us to see and be inspired by this wonderful example of building sustainably.
