TSC Design and ACC Construction complete project for Toyota Motor

TSC Design and ACC Construction recently completed the design and construction project for Toyota Motor North America, Inc.'s corporate headquarters. In keeping with Toyota's long standing commitment to sustainability and its core corporate values regarding environmental responsibility, the project will pursue LEED Gold certification, which will make it the first LEED CI project in this prestigious Boston Properties building. Bill Sotomayor, principal at TSC Design, notes that his firm was tremendously inspired by the project. "Toyota was looking to create a space that reflected their brand and philosophy as well as to keep sustainability at the forefront of the design; we were happy to deliver." For ACC Construction, Toyota was the largest LEED certified project the firm has built to date. Michele Medaglia, chief executive officer and president of ACC, said, "The Toyota partnership was a fantastic learning opportunity for our firm, and we were delighted to work with such a skilled and experienced team." The design of the space is clean and contemporary. Engineered wood panels made of rapidly renewable woods define the executive area. The reception space maximizes natural light; the full-height, electrified glass wall of Switchlight glass is transparent most of the time but can become opaque during meetings. Mechanical systems were designed for efficiency and occupant comfort. Throughout the floor many energy efficient lighting fixtures are motion activated to further conserve energy. Public spaces focus on energy savings; a scenic café with 270 degree views of the city incorporates sustainable elements such as a wide Cesarstone bar, a work counter made of recycled glass and cork flooring. Energy Star rated appliances were installed and a vigorous recycling program is in place. Toyota earned LEED credits for reuse by using existing furniture, acquiring some used furniture, and incorporating new components acquired through Meadows Office Furniture. In addition to TSC, ACC and Meadows, the project team included Jones Lang LaSalle for both sustainability consulting and project management, WB Engineers for MEP engineering, and Wendy Schwingel of PROPEL Real Estate Resources, the project owners representative Schwingel, who has worked on many projects and transactions with Toyota, also represented Toyota in the lease transaction. The team reflects another of Toyota's corporate values: diversity. TSC Design is an MBE architectural firm, and ACC Construction, Meadows Office Furniture and PROPEL Real Estate Resources are all certified as WBEs by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).