Aragon Construction completes 32,000 s/f green build-out for BBG-BBGM's new office

Leading New York City-based general contracting and construction management company Aragon Construction recently completed renovations for Brennan Beer Gorman Architects/Brennan Beer Gorman Monk Interiors' (BBG-BBGM) new New York City office in the Empire State Building. Aragon worked closely with the internationally renowned architecture and interior design firms to completely demo and build out the entire 25th floor. The companies, which inked a 15-year lease for the 32,000 s/f space, have now relocated from 515 Madison Ave., where they had been since the firm's inception in 1984. BBG-BBGM are pursuing LEED Silver Certification in the commercial interiors category (LEED-CI), and hope to be the first tenant to achieve this rating at the Empire State Building. Aragon helped the firms attain their green goal - bathrooms feature low-flow and motion-sensor appliances while EnergyStar equipment is individually sub-metered allowing the firm to monitor and optimize the office's performance. Energy-efficient lighting systems were installed such as T5 high output fluorescent lamps with LEDs; as a result, energy consumption will be kept at 15 percent below ASHRAE standards. Other eco-friendly features include low-VOC paints and adhesives and recycled-content materials such as certified wood floors, Interface carpet tiles & Ecophon fiberglass ceiling tiles and wall coverings. "As architecture and interior design firms with distinct cultures and design philosophies, we are pleased to provide our staff with custom designed sustainable office environments with unique space lay outs according to each firm's inter-workings, culture and values," said Bruno Grinwis, BBG-BBGM's partner-in-charge of commercial interiors. Aragon was committed to ensuring that the various styles and designs of BBG-BBGM could be represented in the shared office space. "BBG-BBGM operates as both an architectural and interior design company, and both branches of the company necessitated different designs," said Alex Getelman, president and founder of Aragon Construction. "The offices had to accommodate the culture and needs of each industry, with the architects demanding certain features in their work space and the interior designers asking for different finishes in their areas." The final design includes a partially exposed ceiling that had to be meticulously restored to its original appearance, at least 30 different light fixtures that were positioned throughout the space and a considerable amount of glass, reflective surfaces and white tones that function to capture as much natural light as possible. An open-office environment, featuring group workspaces and an Ahrend benching system, was created to set a collaborative tone throughout the area. The biggest challenge Aragon faced, and ultimately hurdled, involved the firm's new HVAC system, requiring the installation of two chillers on the building's southwest setback roof  -- a task never before endeavored at the Empire State Building. "They were 9,500 pounds a piece," said Getelman, "and we had to swing them over the setbacks - we had to get the largest crane available on wheels in Manhattan on a Saturday." The result allows the offices to utilize a 24/7 cooling system that operates independently of the Empire State Building, which Getelman notes, translates to significant savings for BBG-BBGM over the course of their lease.