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Boston, Massachusetts
This facility features the following green attributes:
LEED-NC 2.2 Gold
Green Power
ENERGY STAR
Region 1 Office
Total Facility Area: 328,862 rentable square feet (RSF)
(EPA share)
Estimated Personnel: 840 EPA personnel
Energy Consumption: 18,502,813,905 Btu per year (EPA share)
Btu per RSF per year: 56,263
Water Consumption: 2,050,431 gallons per year (EPA share)
Gallons per RSF per Year: 6.2
All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2011.
Description
In December 2009, EPA Region 1 moved into this renovated structure. Built in 1933, the 23-story, approximately 700,000 square foot historic John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse (POCH) in downtown Boston is a beautiful example of Art Deco architecture. EPA Region 1 is the primary tenant in the building, occupying approximately 329,000 rentable square feet of space. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and EPA worked together on a major historic renovation that removed all mechanical and electrical components of the original building but reused an impressive 99 percent of the original structure.
The building achieved LEED®
for New Construction (LEED-NC) version 2.2 Gold certification from the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC) in June 2010.
Awards
- In September 2010, the renovation of the McCormack POCH won an Honorable Mention in the Workplace Innovation category of GSA's Real Property Awards.
- The Region 1 Office Renovation Team won an FY 2009 Sustainable Partner of the Year Award for the green renovation of the new Region 1 Office. The team was a significant asset in coordinating with EPA Headquarters and GSA on the green roof, LEED certification, and green power purchasing. The team was also helpful in leading building tours and producing videos of the sustainable features for the region’s staff and management.
Environmental Features
Green Roof
A view from the McCormack POCH's green roof.
An interior room in the McCormack POCH.
- A green roof accessible from the 5th floor and covering the 4th and 5th floor roof insulates the McCormack POCH, cutting down on energy use and costs.
- Native and drought-resistant plants filter bacteria and other pollutants from stormwater runoff and provide a pleasant garden for the building occupants.
- The vegetated roof minimizes the urban heat island effect.
- Plantings are visible from many floors of the building.
Energy Conservation
- The building in which the Region 1 Office is located was awarded
the ENERGY STAR® label in 2011 with a score of 75.
- The McCormack POCH is expected to perform at least 17 percent better in terms of total energy cost compared with similar buildings that meet the baseline performance rating per American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Standard 90.1-2004.
- Insulation behind the building skin and office occupancy sensors that turn lights off when offices are unoccupied help the building conserve energy.
- Daylight dimming in perimeter spaces and ceilings designed to allow deep penetration of daylight reduce the need for energy to power lights.
- High-efficiency, historically appropriate windows cut down on interior heating and cooling while maintaining the building’s visual appeal.
- Air side economizers on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors and water side economizers for the entire building help to reduce cooling costs.
Green Power
- EPA offsets 100 percent of the electricity it uses at the McCormack POCH with renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased through the Agency's current blanket green power contract. Learn more about EPA's current and past blanket green power contracts.
Water Conservation
- The McCormack POCH is projected to use approximately 32 percent less water than a similar office building with standard plumbing fixtures.
- High-efficiency urinals, faucets, and showers and dual-flush toilets help reduce the amount of water consumed by building occupants.
- Cisterns capture stormwater runoff, which a solar-powered pump transports to irrigate the green roof when needed.
Transportation
- To encourage alternative modes of transportation, the McCormack POCH offers 50 bike racks and 10 showers.
- Two of the 32 parking spaces under the building are reserved for fuel-efficient vehicles.
- The building is located within two blocks of several station entrances to Boston's subway system, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“T”).
Waste Reduction and Recycling - Construction
- More than 75 percent of the construction and demolition waste from the McCormack POCH’s historical renovation was diverted for recycling.
Other Features
A hallway with preserved historical features in the McCormack POCH.
- The project reused 99 percent of the historical structure. It also preserved interior features such as historical paneling, walnut wainscoting, terrazzo floors with marble inlay, and oak parquet floors.
- The renovation modernized the plumbing and fixtures of the bathrooms throughout except for floors 12 and 15, which retained the historic fixtures, including marble partitions.
- The project’s Indoor Air Quality Plan protected workers during construction by mandating air filtering and the use of low or non-volatile organic compound paint.
- To ensure occupant safety, dedicated exhaust fans in the janitor closets and copier machine rooms vent potentially harmful fumes directly outside.
- Maintenance crews use environmentally preferable, biobased green cleaning supplies and practice integrated pest management.
- Approximately 70 percent of the occupied space receives natural light, making the McCormack POCH a more pleasant place to work.
- An educational touch screen kiosk and walking tours are available to the public, and signage throughout the building describes its environmental features.
For More Information About This Facility
Website: www.epa.gov/region1/
For a document detailing the facility's environmental features with graphics and more photos, view the Sustainable Facilities at EPA: John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse (PDF) (4 pp, 830 KB) fact sheet.
Alice Kaufman (kaufman.alice@epa.gov)
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Mail code: OARM 01-6
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 918-1064