Welliver McGuire Inc. (WMI) has received yet another accolade for its sustainable practices, this time for  their management of RIT's University Services Center, completed in 2009. Welliver McGuire and its partners were awarded the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) highest certification - LEED Platinum - under the new LEED v2.2 standards. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a standard measurement for how "green" a new project build is. The University Services Center is the first certified LEED Platinum building in Monroe County.

"We wanted to provide the right building for the right cost point and be green," said Mark Williams, RIT's Senior Project Manager, "Early on, the team realized we were into Gold and teetering on Platinum so we incorporated every design efficiency possible." RIT and Welliver McGuire received Gold status on their last project together, the CAST building in 2008. Specific highlights of the RIT University Services Center include a 10,000 square-foot Student Innovation Center enclosed by a circular glass wall designed by artist Nancy Gong with the rest of the 53,000 square-foot building housing administrative offices, student work spaces and the most advanced "green" technology available - solar panels, energy usage sensors and furniture made from bamboo, a more renewable material. "It was a fun project and enjoyable to work with a first-class owner - RIT, project manager Mark Williams and the entire project team made up of all disciplines to arrive at a LEED Platinum certification," stated WMI Project Manager, Greg Galligan. The team came in an impressive $1.5 million under budget and ahead of schedule. When asked what this means going forward, Galligan stated, "I think the bar has just been set higher in our industry and owners will expect more from their project management team."

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ABOUT WELLIVER McGUIRE INC.
Welliver McGuire Inc. delivers an array of building construction and facility-related services and constructs buildings for all major industry segments, primarly for Colleges and Universities, Science and Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Government and Industry. We offer comprehensive, state-of-the-art construction services - from concept to commissioning and close out. Our corporate servcies programs ensure that we deliver the best talent, experience and resources on projects so that every stage of the process goes smoothly, efficiently and safely. Welliver McGuire Inc. has been a USGBC Certified LEED member since 2008 and has a great deal of experience in the design-build process and has the resources needed to create any sustainable project for numerous business sectors. Other sustainable projects the company has completed, or is currently working on, include Cornell University's West Campus Residential Initiative and Plantations Welcome Center, the Corning Children's Center, Welch Allyn world headquarters in Skaneateles, NY, and Dresser-Rand's Technology Center in Olean, NY. Please visit our website for additional information on sustainable building practices and the company's project portfolio.

MORE ABOUT LEED CERTIFICATION
According to the USGBC's website, "As the green building sector grows exponentially, more and more building professionals, owners and operators are seeing the benefits of green building and LEED certification. Green design not only makes a positive impact on public health and the environment, it also reduces operating costs, enhances building and organizational marketability, potentially increases occupant productivity and helps create a sustainable community. LEED fits into this market by providing rating systems that are voluntary, consensus-based, market-driven, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, and they strike a balance between established practices and emerging concepts." LEED award tiers include Certified, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum and are scored out of 69 total points. LEED v2.2 was the newest certification standard during the time of building and was more stringent in their scoring system. The USGBC released the new LEED v3.0 criteria in January 2010.