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del.icio.usA new 250,000-sq-ft state-of-the-art corporate headquarters and distribution center for Empire Merchants North, a New York based wine and spirits distributor is being designed by KSS Architects of Princeton, New Jersey and strives to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council upon completion.
The $27.5 million project is being built in the town of Coxsackie by project team KSS Architects along with BBL Construction, based in Albany who while working on an aggressive schedule, secured approvals from the township planning board in less than two months and seeks to be the first LEED certified building in Greene County, New York where the town is located by including sustainable features including construction materials with a high percentage of recycled content such as steel and concrete, and materials that are manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the project.
The building will also use 25 percent less energy due to energy-efficient design features such as increased building insulation as well as highly efficient toilet fixtures that will save an estimated 140,000 gallons of water per year. The site landscaping will further reduce water usage because it requires no irrigation beyond rainwater.
Also featured is a white roof to minimize heat island effect, the reinforcement of the roof structure to allow for the potential installation of solar panels in the future, an energy efficient conveyor system, a logistics program to reduce trucking fuel consumption, battery charging stations for warehouse equipment and the elimination of any truck idling at the loading dock. Hybrid vehicles and carpools will be given preferred parking spaces to encourage fuel-efficient transportation practices.
“This project works to be green in every respect,” said Edmund Klimek, partner at KSS Architects. “We designed the building to be environmentally sensitive and worked closely with Greene County representatives to create an architecture that fits well with its environment, using stonework and material that is found locally.”
When completed, the new facility will have 35,000 sq ft of office space and 220,000 sq ft of warehouse space and will accommodate a potential 130,000 sq ft warehouse expansion.
Empire Merchants North corporate headquarters and distribution center broke ground this past March and is expected to be completed in December 2009.
