Boston, MA - April 19, 2010 — Normandy Real Estate Partners, one of the largest real estate developers, owners and operators in the Boston to Washington, D.C. corridor, today announced that The John Hancock Tower has been awarded the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Existing Building certification for overall building sustainability. The award was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact both the building itself and the broader community.

 

“When we first took ownership of this iconic tower last year, we were committed to making key improvements that would add value to current tenants, attract new tenants, and reconfirm The John Hancock Tower’s place as the pride of Boston,” said Justin Krebs, Principal, Normandy Real Estate Partners.

 

Michael Loughlin, General Manager at Normandy, added, “This LEED Gold Building certification clearly shows that we’re making good on that promise. The John Hancock Tower is committed to providing a healthy indoor environment that fosters overall employee health, comfort and well being – resulting in higher productivity, improved employee retention and lower absentee rates for building occupants. And now that Normandy’s aggressive and ongoing infrastructure improvement plan has been stamped with this green seal of approval – we couldn’t be more proud of these extremely important efforts.”

 

The John Hancock Tower achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. Since the building uses less energy and water, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, contributing to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the city of Boston at large.

 

In support of Boston’s “green building initiatives,” Normandy has initiated a number of other improvements to The John Hancock Tower’s facilities, including the addition of electrical outlet vehicle charging stations in the garage, an increase in the number of bike racks, and additional parking for scooters and motorcycles.

 

“The City of Boston has been at the forefront of the green building movement,” said Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston. “Today, the Hancock Tower stands tall as a shining example of what the promise of sustainable development holds for Boston and the world. Congratulations to Normandy for doing their part in reducing energy and water waste – and for helping to create a better atmosphere for Boston’s residents and visitors alike.”

 

Major green design and construction features attributed to The John Hancock Tower’s LEED Gold success consist of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades, water saving strategies and waste management. In order to decrease energy consumption and improve occupant comfort, significant HVAC system upgrades were made, including the installation of high-efficiency chilled water and condenser water tubes on multiple chillers and a state-of-the-art Energy Management System (EMS) to improve system performance and occupant comfort. This EMS is able to provide continuous system feedback on the buildings performance and alerts the engineering team immediately if the building is performing outside of the expected load profile. 

 

The John Hancock Tower also demonstrates leadership by way of an aggressive waste reduction program preventing more than 360 tons of garbage from entering landfills each year. The building features two central water filtration systems utilizing reverse osmosis for drinking water; 100% of the discharge water recaptured from this system is used for cooling tower make-up and quenching of the buildings steam condensate. These functions were previously accomplished by using the public water supply. These and other measures have reduced the building’s total water consumption by approximately 30%.  

 

Lastly, some of the buildings inherent features which aid in the sustainability efforts include proximity to many major subway and bus terminals, making it convenient for tenants to utilize public transportation to commute to work. The building’s recognizable glass façade combined with a narrow floor plate allow for 86% of all work areas to be penetrated with natural light, the highest percentage of any major Boston office tower.