RICHMOND, VA — The new headquarters for packaging giant MeadWestvaco Corporation has attained a rating of four Green Globes -- the highest certification possible under the assessment system administered by the Green Building Initiative.

The 310,000-square-foot, nine-story building along the James River in downtown Richmond is one of just three buildings in the United States to earn the top Green Globes rating, the GBI said today.

The GBI's third-party review system certifies commercial buildings according to its environmental standards at four levels, ranging from a single Green Globe to four.

To achieve the rating, MWV's headquarters was designed to be 21 percent more energy efficient than traditionally constructed buildings and to use less water inside and out. In addition, a number of environmentally friendly materials were used in construction, interior design, landscaping and paving.

Elements inside the building include:

• Energy-efficient HVAC systems, light harvesting and lighting systems. Smart building controls adjust the lighting and the temperature based on occupancy.
• Low-flow, high-tech plumbing fixtures and systems, along with a Nalco TRASAR water treatment system that reduces chemicals in drinking water.
• Low VOC-rated window treatments, carpeting, paint and furnishings. They include terrazzo floors made from recycled glass in the lobby and elevators, floors made from recycled rubber in the building's fitness center, and selected pieces of reconditioned and repurposed furniture, which have been GreenGuard certified. Also, a lobby wall uses wood from cherry trees grown in West Virginia acreage that was certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

The exterior design includes:

• Solar-reflective roofing materials that reduce the heat island effect created by black-topped roofs and lots. The eco-friendly roof also helps reduce the amount of energy needed to cool and heat the building. LED lighting and energy-efficient windows further decrease the draw on electricity.
• Low-maintenance landscaping featuring native plants, which require little water, and boulders that were originally at the site. Ground-level gardens are irrigated using a stormwater run-off collection and delivery system.
• A main entrance roadway paved with MWV's Evotherm warm mix asphalt, which requires less energy to produce and apply and emits fewer greenhouse gases than standard asphalt.
• Bike racks on each level of the company's parking garage and priority parking for workers who drive fuel-efficient vehicles. Employees are encouraged to bike or use nearby public transportation to get to work.

During construction, 95 percent of the waste created by the project was recycled. As part of the company's ongoing waste management, commercially compostable cups and takeout food containers are used in the buildings' cafes and pantries.

The design of its new headquarters and pursuit of a Green Globes rating are part of MWV's efforts to make the company and its products more environmentally responsible. "MWV has long been a leader in sustainability, and we made deliberate choices about how and what we would build as our headquarters as a direct reflection of this long-standing commitment,” MWV Chairman and CEO John A. Luke Jr. said in a prepared statement.

GBI Vice President of Operations Mark Rossolo presented Luke with the Green Globes certification and a plaque in a ceremony last week.

The building, which is owned by NewMarket Corporation, was designed by architecture firm MSTSD Inc. 

Images courtesy of Green Building Initiative and MeadWestvaco Corporation.