ST. LOUIS (Nov. 2, 2016) – Formerly Vacant Philip Johnson-Designed Building Goes from Forgotten to Forward-Thinking Through Innovative Design and Construction
The design-construction team of Arcturis and Tarlton Corp. announces that the project they completed at 700 Market St. in downtown St. Louis received LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It was also recognized with an Edwin F. Guth Award for interior lighting design from the Illuminating Engineering Society.
The project was finished in April 2015 and is the new home of Spire (formerly The Laclede Group). Prior to the interior build-out for Spire, Tarlton completed the core and shell historic renovation of the structure for building owner The Koman Group. The building was the youngest listed on the National Register of Historic Places when it was added in 2008.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the U.S. Green Building Council’s rigorous green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices through four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. To receive LEED Gold certification, projects must earn a minimum of 60 points on the USGBC rating scale. The LEED Gold designation also recognizes minimized environmental impact, maximized occupant comfort and high-performing tenant spaces.
Major design and construction highlights of the project that helped earn the LEED Gold distinction include the following:
- Nearly 53 percent of the on-site generated construction waste diverted from the landfill
- Installation of materials and products with low volatile organic compounds for optimum indoor air quality
- Reduction of potable water use by 39 percent through the use of efficient fixtures
- Energy-saving LED lighting and connected lighting power
- Extensive use of recycled building materials
- An automated shade system that operates based on the sun’s position, season and room usage
- A fully programmable lighting control system that automatically adjusts to harvest and maximize daylight
The Edwin F. Guth Award for interior lighting design from the Illuminating Engineering Society recognizes exceptional interior lighting projects that balance the functional illumination of space with the artistic application of light to enhance the occupant’s experience. The Spire project received the Award in September 2016.
Spire moved into the 130,000-square-foot, six-story structure in 2015. The building was designed by famed architect Philip Johnson, who won the 1979 Pritzker Architecture Prize for his work on its design. It had been vacant since 2004 prior to its recent redevelopment.
“The building at 700 Market St. has been an important part of our city’s architecture since it first opened its doors in 1977. We are proud to be part of the team that not only brought it back to life, but made it a more environmentally sound place to work and do business. We received these awards because of the combined commitment of Spire, Koman, Tarlton and Arcturis to honor its history and bring it into the future,” said Arcturis designer Brian Waite, LEED AP, IES, LC.
Tracy Hart, Tarlton president, noted this is Tarlton’s fifth LEED Gold project. “Sustainable construction has become standard practice in our industry, with building owners and project teams looking to build sustainably on every project, registered or not,” she added. “Having built our LEED Silver headquarters in 2004, we know how to build these buildings, and we’re proud to help create healthful work environments.”
Arcturis and Tarlton are each based in a LEED Silver building.