The Research Support Building (RSB) at Brookhaven National Laboratory has received LEED Silver certification with 34 points by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Three additional credits were achieved by General Contractor, E.W. Howell Co., Inc. for materials and resources; without the three additional credits the building would not have achieved the silver rating. This is the first LEED project at Brookhaven National Laboratory and according to the USGBC, appears to be the first silver certified project on Long Island. Located in Upton, NY this two story building occupies 64,054 s/f and consolidates frequently visited administrative and support functions in a single location, such as the housing and transportation offices and the credit union. The building features a glass atrium-style lobby connecting two wings of offices covered by a metal panel facade.
Achieving LEED certification required careful attention to the details of LEED requirements, options and documentation requirements during design and construction. While some LEED options are standard practice in all BNL buildings, such as no smoking and recycling, others are new practices for BNL.

Two areas where the RSB has gone beyond normal BNL construction practices are waste management and the use of recycled and local materials. The RSB received one point for diverting between 50% and 75% of the construction, demolition, and land clearing debris from landfill disposal. This required a lot of effort for E.W. Howell Co., Inc. and BNL's construction supervisors. The RSB got the maximum possible number of credits for using materials with recycled content and materials that are extracted and manufactured within the region. Locally manufactured materials support the local economy and reduce transportation impacts. To achieve these credits, it was critical the construction specifications included the LEED requirements, and the relevant parties knew what was required of them.

As the first LEED facility constructed at BNL, the RSB provided challenges to the project management team. These challenges were met and hurdles overcome due to the project manager's determination and the dedication of the team. Future construction and renovation projects at BNL will benefit from the success of this project. E.W. Howell Co., Inc. is currently awaiting the status of Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), another project at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The CFN is registered with the USGBC with a certification goal of LEED Silver or higher and meets the necessary requirements including state-of-the-art heating and ventilation equipment, roofing materials designed for energy conservation, and noise and vibration sensitive concrete slabs. Tags: