Sustainable Construction
Wolverine Building Group was originally introduced to the concepts of green building and sustainable construction when working for Johnnson Controls, Inc. in the early 1990’s. The first green-friendly building constructed for Johnson Controls was its Cottonwood Plant, completed prior to the launch of the LEED rating system now in place by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Today, some of our most recent projects, such as 101 South Division, have
received up to a LEED Gold certification level.
Wolverine viewed the green concepts used as good, general business practices and adopted the idea of green building into a corporate philosophy that shows respect for natural resources.
Wolverine’s
approach to green building and LEED Certification is unique. Facilities are often designed around the
requirements of the LEED rating system with the goal being to obtain LEED
certification. At Wolverine, however, we believe this approach fails to address
the true essence of green building, which is to minimize the long-term impact a
facility can have on its surrounding environment, to enhance the experience of a
facility's end users, and to maximize the efficiency of a building’s operations.
As a result, our knowledgeable staff focuses on the efficient integration of all building systems and components within a facility to construct a truly environmentally friendly building. We analyze the design and materials to be used during the design phase and offer suggestions for any applicable sustainable techniques that can be used. We then analyze the plans to determine if any additional measures need to be taken to ensure the desired LEED certification level.
Wolverine currently has 14 LEED Accredited Professionals
and 13 Green Advantage Certified Practioners on staff.
Wolverine
Building Group is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council
Each project delivery method has its own pros and cons, but not all methods will
obtain the best value for an owner. It is up to you to determine which project
delivery method will best suit the needs of your project.
Pros
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Enhanced occupant well-being and comfort
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Reduced operation costs
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Reduced environmental impact
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Increased building valuation and return on investment
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Marketing advantage
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Reduced absenteeism and employee turnover
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Increased retail sales
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Cons
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Higher initial building costs
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