Courtesy / Coastal Enterprises Inc.
The interior of Coastal Enterprises Inc.'s Brunswick headquarters features natural lighting and locally sourced building materials.
August 14, 2017
CEI's headquarters earns highest LEED certification
Courtesy / Coastal Enterprises Inc.
Coastal Enterprises Inc.'s new headquarters in Brunswick has earned platinum LEED designation for energy efficiency and sustainability.
By Staff
Coastal Enterprises Inc. has earned the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation for its new headquarters in Brunswick.
The platinum LEED designation for energy efficiency and sustainability is one of only just six awarded for new commercial construction in Maine since the standard was created.
According to Gunnar Hubbard, LEED fellow, principal and sustainability practice leader at Thornton Tomasetti, a global structural engineering firm with its sustainability office in Portland, getting to a platinum-level certification was far from certain, given Maine’s climate (cold winters and hot summers) and CEI’s relatively moderate budget.
“Originally we didn’t think a platinum-level certification would be possible, but as the design progressed, CEI really wanted to pursue maximum efficiency and sustainability, and the contractor was able to deliver,” Hubbard said in a news release. “It’s an interesting story, actually, as we were challenged by both location and budget, which made us all have to think outside the box to get there.”
Project driven by sustainability
Built in 2015, CEI’s headquarters consolidates multiple offices and brings the CEI family of enterprises together under one roof. Creating an environmentally sustainable building was a top priority for CEI’s founder and then-CEO Ron Phillips, who retired in 2016.
CEI relied on a diverse team to oversee the work, including Senior Vice President of lending and investing John Egan, COO Corenna Howard and Construction Analyst Tom Donahue, who worked closely with CWS Architects and AlliedCook Construction, both of of Scarborough, and Thornton Tomasetti of Portland.
“When CEI embarked on the transition of its physical resources into the 21st century, they made it clear that delivering a new headquarters building, which boldly demonstrated a sustainable path forward for Maine — and the world — would be a central pillar of their move,” said Benedict B. Walter, president of CWS Architects. “As the planning and design evolved, even as challenges presented themselves, CEI continued to raise the bar. Ultimately, their commitment resulted in a very efficient facility that taps natural solar and groundwater resources without relying on any carbon-sourced operating equipment. Accordingly, their new central office facility is a model development for any business looking for a responsible path forward and proved that CEI truly walks the walk.”
Regionally sourced materials
The new office space was designed to maximize daylight in conference rooms and interior spaces and provide accents on the building’s façade that are in keeping with Brunswick’s town character. A reflective white roof minimizes the urban heat-island-effect that contributes to higher temperatures in cities while reducing the cooling load in summer months.
AlliedCook chose regionally sourced and recycled materials and installed a highly efficient ground water source heat pump heating and cooling system, which is powered by a photovoltaic solar panels. No fossil fuel is used at the site for heating and cooling of the 22,000-square-foot structure.
Heather Walters, the senior project manager and LEED consultant on the CEI project, said the building features many low-tech solutions.
“CEI was able to achieve the highest level of energy efficiency using standard technology,” she said. “Whereas some high-tech projects have the budget to order and ship in state-of-the-art materials, we call the materials for this project, ‘state-of-the-shelf,’ meaning that the contractor was able to source locally available materials and get the same result.”
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