News

Skanska USA, a leading provider of construction management, preconstruction, and design-build services, announced today that its Philadelphia Metro office moved to a newly designed, highly energy-efficient space located at 518 East Township Line Road in Blue Bell, PA.

The new 19,100-square-foot office was built by Skanska’s Special Projects Group and is expected to achieve LEED for Commercial Interiors (CI) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“Sustainability is a core value embedded in Skanska’s culture so it’s imperative for us to practice what we preach to our clients and partners,” said Ed Szwarc, general manager and executive vice president of Skanska USA’s Pennsylvania and Delaware offices. “We’ve built a strong reputation as an industry leader in green building, and are excited to utilize the same highly sustainable features in our own office that we’ve become widely known for, so we can reap the benefits that our clients do.”

In keeping with Skanska’s commitment to being green, the new office features numerous innovative, environmentally-sound elements. For example, all counter tops, carpet tiles, and stone tile flooring contain 40 percent recycled content. In addition, Skanska utilized renewable materials for finishes, such as Lumicor accent panels (which are R4 recycled resins made from crushed recycled glass) throughout the office.

The office’s layout also allows for a natural daylight-based lighting scheme. Combined with the use of ENERGY STAR-rated computers and appliances and new energy-efficient lighting throughout the office, the new space is expected to significantly reduce energy costs in the first year. The optimal design also provides Skanska’s employees with an open atmosphere, allowing for more collaboration, interaction and communication amongst coworkers.

The project was completed on schedule in just four months. The architect was KlingStubbins.

Skanska USA is dedicated to green practices and has completed many LEED-certified projects throughout the U.S. as well as for its own offices. In 2008, Skanska renovated its flagship office in the Empire State Building in New York City to achieve LEED-CI Platinum certification – becoming the first office in the iconic building to be LEED certified. So far, that office has achieved a 57 percent reduction in electricity costs compared to its prior office, and is projected to save approximately $680,000 in energy costs over the life of Skanska’s 15-year lease. This equates to a carbon footprint reduction of nearly 80 tons per year or removing 53 standard size cars from the road.