Torrey Pines Institute Receives Silver LEED® Certification

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The Torrey Pines Institute facility in Port St. Lucie received Silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) green building certification system.

LEED® certification is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. It demonstrates that a building is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to work.

“This recognition affirms Suffolk Construction commitment to building structures for our clients that conserve energy and are environmentally responsible in operations,” said Rex Kirby, president and general manager of Suffolk Construction’s Southeast Region.

The 107,000 square-foot $40 million biomedical research facility was completed in September 2008. It was built on 20 acres of land donated by Core Communities in Core’s Tradition development.

The U.S. Green Building Council has established a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for new and existing buildings. The 69-point system evaluates criteria such as water and energy consumption, landscaping, the recycling of construction material and the air quality inside the building. Scores translate into Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum ratings.

Torrey Pines Institute achieved points towards the Silver rating included:

• Maximization of open space (exceeds local zoning requirements by 25%)
• A storm water management plan that reduces impervious cover and filters 90% of storm water runoff
• Reduction of potable water use by 26.4%
• A construction waste management plan that diverted 4,815.50 tones of on-site generated construction waste from landfill
• Use of recycled building materials (10.2%)
• Use of regional building materials that were extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured within 500 miles of the project site (20.397% of the total building)
• Use of wood based building materials harvested from FSC certified forests (64.966%)
• Use of low-emitting materials (paints, coatings and carpet systems)

• Providing alternative transportation facilities and preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles, as well as car/van pool parking
• Reduction of potable water use by more that 26% through the installation of dual-flush water closets, ultra low-flow laboratories, and low-flow kitchen sinks.

The team Suffolk Construction assembled for the project, included the Coral Gables architectural design firm of Perkins + Will,  Affiliated Engineers, Inc. for electrical, mechanical and plumbing design, ONM&J for structural engineering, Kimley-Horn for civil and landscaping engineering, Stokes Mechanical Contractor, Inc. for plumbing and mechanical work during construction, and Dynalectric for electrical.