Manning Squires Hennig project receives LEED Gold Certification; SUNY Buffalo State's Technology Building - $25.05 million project

According to Manning Squires Hennig (MSH), SUNY Buffalo State's Technology Building has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold by the United States Green Building Council. This marks the second-highest standard that can be achieved in the rating system. Manning Squires Hennig served as the general contractor, managing complete oversight of the 90,000 s/f, $25.05 million construction project. MSH coordinated the multiple trades involved in the project, including mechanical, electrical, structural, data and all architectural features, and controlled and self-performed all concrete foundations and slabs for the building. The firm maintained the most stringent quality-control tasks daily, along with multiple third-party testing requirements for all facets of work, to ensure LEED certification would be met. "We are proud to have earned the LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council," said Gary Squires, president of MSH. "The Manning Squires Hennig team is a leader in education-related construction projects in Western New York, and we've seen an increase in the number of green and sustainable design projects that we've been involved with. To be recognized for this type of work is a sincere honor." MSH coordinated many building features to achieve the LEED Gold certification. Items such as low-water-flow bathroom accessories, digital water meters, special light-controlling software and hardware, photovoltaic panel arrays, a green roof and more were included. "When you enter the main lobby of the Technology Building, our students can view the LCD screen that, in real time, displays water consumption, electrical usage and more," said Debra Hurley, Facilities Planning Department at SUNY Buffalo State. "This information is all being relayed from the state-of-the-art building management system. This facility gives our students resources for an exciting learning experience with enhanced research and development opportunities." The building on the SUNY Buffalo State campus, located at 1300 Elmwood Ave., houses three departments: Engineering Technology on the first floor, Computer Information Systems on the second floor, and Fashion and Textile Technology (FTT) on the third floor. The building exposes students to industry processes and new-age technology in the workplace, with electrical and mechanical engineering, computer labs, design studios and more. MSH completed the construction in June of 2013. The project was awarded LEED Gold in September of 2014.