Adolfson & Peterson Construction, one of the nation's top green builders, pushes the bar higher for sustainability awareness
As "green" becomes common vernacular in the world of construction, Adolfson & Peterson Construction (A&P) has been implementing green building and corporate responsibility practices since 2002.
With their commitment to green building initiatives, A&P's achievements of 2008 set the benchmark for sustainable building practices higher than ever before. For example, A&P recently completed construction of one of Arizona's signature LEED Platinum projects, The Lee H. Brown Family Conservation Learning Center at the Reid Park Zoo.
In addition, 19 percent of Adolfson & Peterson's employees are LEED accredited professionals, having successfully passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Professional Accreditation Exam.
"A corporate commitment to sustainability requires more than just implementing green building measures in your construction practices," says Drew Russ, Director of Sustainability for A&P. "It is also requires organizations to look internally to their energy and water consumption, operating policies and employee education on green practices. It's not just green construction, it's a philosophy of environmental stewardship that all should embrace."
Three out of A&P's five regional offices are currently preparing to meet LEED Existing Buildings – Operations and Maintenance Gold Certification. According to the U.S. Green Building Council's website (www.usgbc.org)
A&P has also conducted carbon footprint evaluations on their offices, and are currently evaluating strategies to help reduce carbon emissions. All offices participate in recycling programs, have instituted water reduction measures (including high efficiency plumbing fixtures such as dual flush toilets and metering faucets), and other energy efficiency measures such as occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, and dimmable ballasts.
Employee education is at the center of A&P's green commitment. After instituting an internal LEED training program, a remarkable percentage of the company's labor force achieved the designation of LEED accredited professionals:
"Our goal is to approach every project as an opportunity to employ green practices. Every client receives the benefit of our initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of the construction process, such as our construction waste recycling program. In addition, our experience helps clients find cost effective ways to decrease their energy consumption and make their facility more environmentally friendly.
For the clients who are interested in obtaining a green certification for their building, A&P has the expertise to accomplish their goals whether it is through USGBC's LEED program, Green Globes or other green programs," states Kent Weicht, Vice President of Field Operations for A&P.
"41 percent of A&P's work on hand is seeking a LEED certification,"
"A&P took the lead in tracking and reporting all the various sustainable and green components of the project including the low VOC products used, recycling of construction waste material, certified wood compliance, and material sourcing distance. Their expertise, especially in pricing alternatives, allowed the owner to make well informed decisions," stated Ed Farr, AIA, president of Edward Farr Architects.
Fleet management is another area A&P is taking green. The Texas region, based in Richardson, TX, was recently recognized by the North Texas Clean Air Coalition at the 2008 Working for Clean Air Awards™. A&P won in the fleet operations and business operations categories for the use of hybrid vehicles, as well as an initiative to reduce traffic and parking congestion on all seven Highland Park ISD jobsites by providing mass transportation services for all 400 subcontractors. A&P's Arizona region office, based in Tempe, AZ, just added a Smart Car, which touts itself as one of the world's most energy efficient cars, to the fleet.
AllBusiness.com features The Greening of Corporate America, a podcast featuring Stuart Hampton of Hoovers.com, which reports "A study commissioned by Siemens Building Technologies found that 60% of corporations think that green practices would lower operating costs. Corporations are facing increasing pressure from a range of stakeholders to not only reduce their green house gas emissions, but also to buy and produce green products." A&P's actions reset the benchmark for green builders to not only employ greener building measure, but also to green their own organizations.
For additional information, contact:
Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Leslee Mallinson
Corporate Communications
Dallas, Texas
p: (972) 421-5543
e: lmallinson@a-
