Ted Moudis Associates' ING project recieves LEED Gold certification

Ted Moudis Associates recently completed a renovation project of several areas at the headquarters of ING Investment Management that was awarded LEED Gold Certification by United States Green Building Council (USGBC) according to Ted Moudis, A.I.A., the firm's founder and senior principal. ING Group, ranked 8th in the 2009 Fortune Global 500 list, is an active member of the Global Round Table on Climate Change and has been listed "best in class" company in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI). ING has corporate initiatives and goals in achieving sustainable office space throughout their locations worldwide, which would maintain the existing aesthetic already incorporated in their brand while providing a healthy work environment for their employees. Americon Construction, the general contractor for this project, played a critical role in the implementation and management of the process from project inception to project close out. Overseeing, managing and ensuring all specifications were executed as specified, Americon engaged all sub-contractors to be diligent about not only the required paperwork and documentation, but to also adhere to the required protocols, means and methods of the project. Americon's project team keen attention to detail and implementation of a solid IAQ Management plan were key factors in the success of the project and award of many certification points. Ted Moudis Associates is very proud of this achievement. Their team's mandate was to achieve a traditional aesthetic consistent with the company's standards and be seamless in appearance with the existing, adjacent office space. Several steps were taken by the project team to ensure that ING received the LEED Gold Certification. The programmatic requirements included two medium size conference rooms, a board room with full audio video capabilities, visitor lounge, private offices, workstations, interconnecting staircase, pantry and copy rooms. Integral to the design objective was the incorporation of a high-level of custom architectural cherry wood elements such as: convector enclosures, custom moldings, staircase, custom furniture, wainscot and lacquered raised panels. 96% of all wood materials used were from certified Forest Stewardship Council sources, which is above the required standards essential to procuring materials. All construction materials used were comprised of approximately 33% recycled content and over 61% of these materials supported local/regional manufacturing, which reduces excessive transportation green house emissions. In addition, over 50% of the construction and demolition waste was sent to recycling facilities. The team focused on reducing ING's energy consumption. TMA was able to reduce the lighting power densities to 35% below the ASHRAE standard by using efficient lighting designs with low wattage, energy-smart fixtures. Additionally, over 90% of the equipment and appliances in the space are Energy Star rated. All of the above are just some of the many aspects that helped ING achieve this successful LEED Gold Certification.