Cornerstone Architectural completes $20 million project: Includes energy efficient lighting retrofit

Cornerstone Architectural Group has completed a $20 million corporate fit-out project for SHI International, a global provider of technology products and services, at its 440,000 s/f global headquarters in the Somerset section. "This project, one of the largest in the tri-state area, embodies SHI's core values of innovation, early adoption and pioneering on the cutting edge," said Robert Barranger, AIA, co-founder and partner at Cornerstone Architectural Group. "We're thrilled to have partnered with SHI, most notably on their innovative interior office lighting design, which achieved high quality light at never-before-seen fixture spacing." The nearly yearlong, multi-phased fit-out entailed a major energy efficient lighting retrofit on which Cornerstone worked closely with Union City, Calif.-based Finelite, a leading manufacturer of high performance lighting systems, and independent lighting manufacturer representative, Jeffrey Maglietta of the Chatham, N.J.-based Liberty Lighting Group Inc., to design a system that provided a higher-quality light while realizing a 50% reduction in energy consumption for lighting and the number of lighting fixtures. "The role of design in increasing lighting efficiency and improving the quality of light has never been so important," said Tom Ward, associate vice president of training and development at Union City, Calif.-based Finelite. "Through participation in numerous research studies, we've learned to light from the task up, instead of lighting from the ceiling down. This project will serve as a model on how to successfully integrate lighting into office design to bring construction and operating costs down." The lighting system is a unique combination of task and ambient lighting, which involves overhead linear fluorescent pendant lighting that aligns with the splines of the office cubicles versus the standard alignment with the aisles. The pendant lighting is also spaced at 18 feet apart - versus the typical 12 ft. The design approach yields better - glare free - lighting at workstations, where lighting is most needed. The design also creates less of a need for lighting fixtures since the lights are placed further apart, which is a tremendous energy saving feature. The SHI project is the largest private project in the country to reflect a new energy-saving trend in lighting, which is to use task lighting to supplement ambient lighting, thus reducing wasteful, glaring overhead light. The overhead light is supplemented by undershelf LED task lighting and vertical lighting on the walls. The design allows workers to control the appropriate amount of lighting, while decreasing the amount electricity consumed. Through this energy efficient lighting approach, SHI saved approximately $450,000 by not having to purchase as many fixtures and anticipates saving $500,000 on energy costs over the next 10 years. The reduced number of lighting fixtures also saved on labor costs for both installation and replacement. Finelite has been an industry leader in setting standards for energy-efficient lighting design, having participated in the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research or PIER project, which focused on developing lighting technologies to increase energy efficiency. The task and ambient combination approach was one of the outcomes of this study. One of the challenges that Finelite has had to overcome is skepticism that improved lighting could be achieved at such a dramatic reduction in cost. "I found it hard to believe we could achieve such results from this kind of design," said Steve Alt, director of Operations at SHI. "I was convinced there would be a problem. We did a mock-up, but not for the entire floor. But once the lights were turned on we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of light." For the SHI project, Finelite and Cornerstone coordinated on four mockups for lighting designs, which were presented to SHI along with information about pricing and energy savings. This unique approach allowed SHI to observe what the light levels would be like before it made a decision. In addition to the efficient lighting, Cornerstone also installed other energy efficient features including occupancy sensors, water efficient plumbing fixtures, low VOC finishes, zero irrigation landscaping and a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar photovoltaic system. Later this year, the project anticipates being awarded Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Commercial Interior Silver certification by the United States Green Building Council, an honor that recognizes sustainable design. The project also included an interior fit-out, a roof replacement, upgraded building automation and fire alarm system and a cloud computing center. Additionally, Cornerstone completed a 3,000-square-foot gym, which includes a free-weight area, machine space and a group exercise room; a comprehensive 3,000-square-foot café designed to serve nearly 1,000 employees twice a day; and a specialized healthcare clinic; as well as several mothering rooms. In 2007, Cornerstone was part of the design and construction management team that created the master plan for SHI's former headquarters in Piscataway, N.J. SHI, which employs approximately 900 people at the Somerset, N.J., location, outgrew the space and tapped Cornerstone to help design for its current and future growth. For this project, Cornerstone partnered with Becht Engineering BT (Building Technologies), an engineering company in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., that specializes in the process and power industries; The Reynolds Group, a civil engineering firm based in Raritan, N.J.; McQuilkin Associates, a construction cost estimating and consulting firm based in Springfield, N.J.; Carroll Engineering, a Hillsborough, N.J.-based engineering firm; Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate services firm in Parsippany, N.J.; Unity Construction Services, a construction management and general contracting firm based in Sayreville, N.J.; Turner Construction, a construction company based in Franklin Township, N.J.; Corporate Environmental Services (CES), a Pennington, N.J.-based environmental health and safety consultant; and Harrison-Hamnett, a structural engineering firm based in Pennington, N.J. About Cornerstone Architectural Group Cornerstone Architectural Group is a South Plainfield, N.J.-based full-service architectural firm, specializing in commercial, civic, industrial and interior architecture. For more information about Cornerstone, visit www.cornerstoneag.com. About Finelite Finelite is in the business of better lighting. Finelite designs and builds innovative, high performance lighting systems for offices, educational and healthcare facilities. Products include ambient LED lighting, LED task lighting, high performance fluorescent general illumination light fixtures and patented plug-and-play lighting systems. Finelite works with architects to make lighting work better for people and to reduce energy consumption. Finelite works with contractors and building owners to meet their schedules and budgets. By joining forces with the California Energy Commission and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Finelite has received national awards for its lighting research projects. Research findings, design support and education programs are available at no cost to end users, building owners, architects and contractors. www.finelite.com About SHI International Founded in 1989, SHI International Corp. is a more than $3.8 billion global provider of technology products and services. Driven by the industry's most experienced and stable sales force and backed by software volume licensing experts, hardware procurement specialists, and certified IT services professionals, SHI delivers custom IT solutions to corporate, enterprise, public sector and academic customers. With more than 1,750 employees worldwide, SHI is the largest Minority/Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) in the United States and is ranked 19th among Everything Channel's VAR 500 list of North American IT solution providers. For more information, visit http://www.shicloud.com. About Liberty Lighting Group Liberty Lighting Group Inc., a Chatham, N.J.-based independent sales agency since 1993 that represents lighting manufacturers, and controls and is committed to representing the highest quality indoor and outdoor lighting projects. Liberty Lighting Group serves the architecture and electrical design community of northern New Jersey, which includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Morris, Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Warren, and Union counties. For more information, visit www.llgnjinc.com.