Company of the Month: E.W. Howell celebrates 120 years of building excellence in the New York area and still thriving

This has been a milestone year for E.W. Howell as they're celebrating 120 years of building excellence in the New York area. During these chal­lenging times, not many companies can say that they're still around - let alone thriving - after a century! With offices on Long Island and Manhattan, their commitment to client satisfaction and top-quality craftsmanship has enabled them to serve such repeat clients as Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lowe's Companies, Inc. Their deep roots in the Long Island area, coupled with the firm's philosophies of integrity, responsibility, safety excellence and respect, have served them well for more than 100 years, and they will continue to hold true to these principles as they work toward the next century of service. A growing number of their projects have received LEED certifica­tion from the U.S. Green Building Council. The green building movement is growing, both in the New York region and nationwide. Everyone at E.W. Howell is proud to do their part to promote sustainable building practices and to help their clients be more environmentally responsible. E.W. Howell is proud to feature some of their most outstanding projects current­ly underway or recently completed, including projects at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University, among others. Brookhaven National Laboratory As one of 10 national laboratories overseen and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, Brookhaven Na­tional Laboratory (BNL) is a major contributor to the United States' ongoing scientific research and development efforts. BNL con­ducts research in many fields, including the physical, biomedi­cal and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technology and national security. Since 2006, E.W. Howell has worked with BNL on a number of new construction projects on its Upton, New York, campus: the Research Support Building, the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, and the Chilled Water Facility. Looking toward the future, E.W. Howell is currently working on two more projects for BNL. One of these projects involves the construction of three new laboratory office buildings on the BNL campus. These three one-story structures, with a combined 120,000 s/f, are scheduled for completion in June 2012 and are registered with the USGBC with a goal of achieving a LEED Silver rating. These buildings are part of the National Synchrotron Light Source II construction, which will be the world's most advanced storage-ring light source when complete in 2015. E.W. Howell's Arsenio Minondo, who serves as the senior project manager for this project, said, "These buildings will house a combination of offices and laboratories for the staff members working at the NSLS-II ring building. Coordinating with the existing structure and tying into the existing areas has been a challenge for us, but it's progressing really smoothly." The second of E.W. Howell's ongoing projects with BNL is the Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB). This 88,000 s/f, two-story building, scheduled for completion in August 2012, will house laboratories, offices and support areas and will bring together energy research scientists in a research environment that fosters collaboration among many different scientific disciplines. The ISB will consolidate many of BNL's research efforts into one location, as well as serving as a collaborative environment with industry leaders, universities and other national laboratories. Anthony Lopez, senior project manager with E.W. Howell, said that one of the most challeng­ing aspects of this project came early on, as the specifications called for a basement level that sits some 30 feet below street level. "You have to cut out a big part of the site's footprint to get people and machines down there early on," he noted. "There are a lot of safety concerns, and it's a difficult process. That was a huge challenge, but we did well with it. That's promising for the remainder of the project, and we're really pleased with the way this is going and with our ongoing relationship with BNL." Advanced Energy Receives LEED Platinum Certification One of the primary focuses for the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) at Stony Brook University is researching more energy-efficient fuel sources in an effort to overcome the shortage of natural gas and oil. With those ambitions in mind, it stands to reason that the facility would be as environ­mentally conscious as possible. The AERTC has just received LEED Platinum certification - the highest level of certifica­tion the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) offers. This is the first commercial building to receive LEED platinum certification on Long Island and is among one of the most energy-efficient buildings in New York. Bob Timperio, project executive with E.W. Howell, recalled the challenge of coordinating the mechanical and electrical construction. He also pointed out how much more time and coordination is required of a LEED project of this scale. "When you get into LEED certification, there is a lot more emphasis and care that has to go into materials and planning," he said. Some of the elements used to reach LEED Platinum included: * Vegetation to eliminate stormwater runoff and to create shade, reducing heat from the blacktop in parking area * No irrigation needed for landscaping * Roof-water collection for redistribution in toilets * Ample natural light and energy-efficient lighting * Recycled building materials and 75% of construction waste diverted from landfills The AERTC was constructed with the best possible attention to environmental protection, and it will continue to support the environment through its research efforts. The Gallery at Westbury Plaza Currently under construction, this 330,000 s/f retail center is located in the heart of Nassau County with 1,100 feet of frontage on Old Country Road; one of the premier retail trade areas in the country. The development includes construction of a two story multi-tenant retail building, a one story multi-tenant retail building along the east property line adjacent to Zeckendorf Blvd., and four smaller footprint buildings at the northwest corner to be reserved for restaurants, additional retail and banking. In addition, site improvements will include new paving, landscaping, subsurface drainage structures and updated utilities. A grand opening is scheduled for the fall of 2012. As 2011 winds down, E.W. Howell is looking forward to another 120 years of serving the area's construction needs.