FM Global secures LEED gold

JOHNSTON – The U.S. Green Building Council last week certified the new FM Global headquarters as meeting its gold standard for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
FM Global completed the four-story, 366,600-square-foot building in September. Designed by Vision 3 Architects and built by Dimeo Construction Co., the headquarters includes extensive glass windows for natural lighting, energy-efficient ventilation systems and low-flow water fixtures. FM Global, a worldwide business property insurance company, also built on just 27 acres of the 93-acre site and built a parking garage to limit paved parking areas.
“Our new corporate offices blend the engineering advice we provide our clients with today’s most advanced sustainable building practices,” FM Global Chairman and CEO Shivan S. Subramaniam said in a statement. “We believe it’s vitally important to construct buildings that are built to last, minimize environmental impact and promote the health and wellness of employees who work in them.”
FM Global said 21 percent of the building material for the $154 million headquarters came from within 500 miles to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust pollution. Additionally, 36 percent of all material was made from recycled content, 70 percent of wood came from sustainable forests, and 79 percent of all construction-related debris was recycled.
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor-environmental quality.