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WALKING THE WALK

INTERNATIONAL ACCOLADES FOR BIOBASED

WALKING THE WALK BioBased Technologies®, BioBased Systems® and BioBased® Insulation don't just talk the talk about sustainability and green building, all of companies are walking the walk by making their new corporate headquarters in Fayetteville, Ark. a LEED-Certified facility. The campus will house research and development, scale up labs, blending facilities, sales, marketing and administrative functions for the companies. Site Rendering (PDF)

Status Update

BioBased® Family of Companies Uses Their Groundbreaking Products to Insulate Corporate Headquarters (PDF)

 

  

Natural State Insulation, a Certified Dealer for BioBased® Insulation, installed BioBased® 501 and BioBased® 1701 in the new corporate headquarters in May.

    

Project Information (Available as a downloadable PDF fact sheet)

Architect: Mobley Architects, Inc.
Civil Engineer: McClelland Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Structural Engineer: JLA Engineers, Inc.
MEP Engineer: Engineering Elements, PLLC
General Contractor: Kinco Constructors, LLC

Project Size: 29,978 square feet
Scheduled Completion: Late August 2008
 

Site

• BioBased® Insulation’s first headquarters was in a re-purposed facility in Rogers formerly used by the Emerson Electric Plant. To carry on the idea of reusing rather than clearing new land, the new corporate headquarters is located on land that was formerly owned by the City of Fayetteville and used by the Water Department Maintenance Facility.

• By reusing this land, we are able to redevelop an existing site in an area of Fayetteville that has been identified for increased development.

• For us, the land was a perfect fit not just because of the reuse opportunity but also because it is strategically located 1 mile from the University of Arkansas’ Innovation Center, less than 5 miles from the University of Arkansas and on an existing railroad line that has been identified for future development of a high-speed passenger line.

Recycling
• Because this is a reuse site, there were existing buildings that had to be demolished. More than 90% of the site demolition and clean up waste was diverted from the landfill by recycling.

• Our recycling emphasis continues throughout the construction, and we will be able to divert 75% of the construction waste from the landfill.

• Since we are a company that is focused on sustainability, the new building will include recycling areas where white paper, cardboard, ink cartridges, aluminium cans, plastic bottles, batteries and more will be collected. We’ve been doing this type of recycling at our existing facility, and will continue it here.

• Our companies have been tracking our recycling for the past six months. In that short amount of time we have recycled 1.23 tons of office paper or the equivalent of 21 adult trees; 1.5 tons of cardboard; 1,000 plastic bottles; 1,200 cans in addition to toner and ink cartridges, magazines and newspapers, cell phones and batteries.

• In 2007 we realized a $15,000 savings in waste management expenses due to our recycling efforts.

Planning
• The building was designed so that 98% of the interior spaces have views and therefore natural light. This decreases the amount of lighting and studies have shown that natural light improves productivity.

• Because of the increase in natural light, it was important to add the ability to control lighting, heating and cooling by office or zone rather than by the floor or the building. This increases the comfort level of employees throughout the building and will allow us to reduce utility costs.

• We’ve increased ventilation throughout the building by supplying filtered, conditioned air to improve the indoor air quality. Most buildings that use foam should do this. Since the foam completes an airtight seal, it drastically reduces air leaks. Supplying fresh, filtered air to the space means that allergens and other irritants in the air are drastically reduced.

• Since our building includes 16 laboratories for research and development, we’ve also incorporated separate ventilation in area where there could be chemical emissions.

• To reduce transportation costs for our materials and to support business in our region, more than 10% of our building materials have come from the region.

• The site will include a planting of 96 native Arkansas trees, more than five acres of native prairie grasses. Native shrubs, grasses and wildflowers will be used in the landscaping to reduce the amount of water that’s needed.

• Included in the site improvements were features such as rainwater harvesting and diversion to a wetland which was created on site to reduce the post-development impact on the municipal storm sewer system. To encourage sustainability with our employees we’re also including reserved parking spaces for car pools, low emission vehicles and bicycles.

Products
• Uses BioBased® 501 Insulation and BioBased® 1701 to seal the building, make it healthier and more comfortable for inhabitants. Because it incorporates renewable, natural oils, the products reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum and support farmers without sacrificing quality.

• High performance, low E glass with thermal break frames are being used to all views and natural light and still maintain an energy-efficient thermal envelope.

• Roofing and site paving materials will have a high solar reflective index which means they reflect the sun’s rays rather than radiating heat which warms the air and the surroundings.

• Low-flow plumbing fixtures were used to decrease water usage in the building.

• Low-emitting materials, such as paints, sealants, carpet, furniture and insulation, were chosen to increase the indoor air quality.

• All furniture purchased for the Fayetteville building is 98% recyclable and Cradle to Cradle certified. Products are from Steelcase International.

INTERNATIONAL ACCOLADES