Duke Energy Center first in the nation to attain LEED CS v2.0 Platinum high-rise

June 23, 2010  -  Atlanta, GA - The Batson-Cook-built Duke Energy Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Core and Shell version 2.0 Platinum certification.  The office tower, the gem of the Wells Fargo Cultural Campus, received the award from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) providing the country with the first high-rise to receive this distinction.

The general contractor built the Duke Energy Center to contain 1.5 million square feet in its 51 stories.  Office space comprises 48 floors of the office tower with three additional mechanical floors.  For floors four through seven, Batson-Cook constructed a specially designed area for the bank’s trading activities with 20-foot heights– unusual for an office facility. The building, which sits on an entire city block in uptown Charlotte, provides over 23 acres of underground parking, encompassing eight levels plus an additional ninth level tank farm.

Batson-Cook’s efforts were enhanced by the strong commitment from owner Wells Fargo & Company (formerly Wachovia), innovative design by architect tvsdesign of Atlanta and Childress Klein Properties.  The team maximized the environmental efficiency of the building, highlighting the six categories set forth by the USGBC including Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

"Batson-Cook did an outstanding job of understanding the spirit of what we were trying to accomplish with the Duke Energy Center, and they supported us every step of the way through the analysis and decision making for the building," said Curt Radkin, Development Director for the Corporate Properties Group at Wells Fargo & Co. "When it came time to execute, they stepped up in a big way, and I could not be prouder or more appreciative of their efforts."

By constructing a rainfall water storage system, Batson-Cook enabled the facility to reduce the amount of city water necessary to run the building and thereby highlighting the Water Efficiency portion of the LEED standards.  This system collects rainwater to be recycled for the cooling tower make-up water and provides the sole source of irrigation for “The Podium,” a park-like area that sits atop a low-rise, ten-story portion of the facility. 

A unique curtainwall system created the skin of the building, underscoring the Energy and Atmosphere directives of LEED.  Two feet of clear glass was included at the top of each floor to assist with the lighting required in the office and work areas.  State-of-the-art blinds on a clear glass track follow the sun to allow light into the building.  In addition, the general contractor provided additional insulation to the supply ducts to afford cooler air throughout the building.
 
“This process increased the efficiency of the HVAC system,” began Curt Rigney, project manager for Batson-Cook, “and optimized the building’s energy performance.”
Batson-Cook adhered to the Materials and Resources guidelines of LEED, recycling 93% of its construction waste during the building process.  Blasted granite was hauled from the jobsite to a local quarry, where it was crushed for gravel for use in roadways.  A significant amount of waste was hauled offsite to be hand separated, ensuring that scrap steel was sent to the scrap yard for re-use and drywall was recycled into landscaping products.

 “By committing to detailed recycling efforts, constructing a rainfall water storage system, and including an efficient HVAC system, among other products and processes, we knew we were on the right track for the LEED Platinum certification,” stated Batson-Cook CEO and President Raymond Moody.  “We are exceedingly proud of our team and of the final product that is the Duke Energy Center.”

Batson-Cook Company, founded in 1915, specializes in providing commercial general contracting, preconstruction, construction management, and design-build services to a wide range of clients. The firm has offices in Atlanta and West Point, Georgia, Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida. Batson-Cook has brought its dedication to quality construction to nearly every major category of building, including office, industrial, retail, institutional, health care, hospitality, education, and resort facilities.