The McCormack Building Post Office and Courthouse is a high-rise
building in Boston, Massachusetts. The building has 22 floors, and was
completed in 1975. It is currently the 25th-tallest building in Boston. The
architectural firm who designed the building was Hoyle, Doran and Berry
Architects. The McCormack Building is notable because of its distinctive black
and white façade.
In the past several years it has undergone modernization and
renovation with an emphasis on green practices and historic preservation.
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Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and
resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle: from siting to design,
construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.
The McCormack Post Office and Courthouse still retains its
function as a federal courthouse with the U. S. Bankruptcy Court using its
historic courtrooms and library, but the former Post Office area has been
restored to its original condition and is used as office space by the new
building tenants. Because of the careful
restoration of these spaces and the historic preservation of the courtrooms,
corridors, stairways, and exterior façade, 75% of the original walls, floors,
and roof were saved from demolition.
Now, after its makeover and upgrades, the John W. McCormack U.S. Post Office and Courthouse draws attention for both its sustainable design
features—the building has earned a LEED gold certification, garnered U.S.
Department of Energy recognition for federal energy management —and historical preservation leadership. LEED provides third party verification that a building has attained major energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions
reduction, indoor environmental quality improvements, and good stewardship of resources.
What is LEED
certification?
In the United States and in a number of other
countries around the world, LEED Certification is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. Achieving LEED certification is the best way for you to demonstrate that your building project is truly “green.”
The LEED green building rating system — developed
and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders — is designed
to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being.
Luckily, the building’s good bones laid the groundwork for a successful renovation.
Still, renovating a historic property to best support today’s public building needs wasn’t easy, Buckley says. Manufacturers had to fabricate modern windows that absorb blasts without shattering into the space while keeping the façade historically accurate. Architects had to envision ways for contemporary mechanical, electrical and plumbing feeds to integrate into old vertical chases.
Some of the additions that they included in the building are all light fixtures use LED lighting. There was also a huge push for natural lighting. Ceilings were sloped specifically to allow the most light into the room. Also the shade in most rooms were created with thousands of tiny holes to let a maximum amount of light into the room, but still offers a way to reduce the glare in the room.
Also low-flow showers and dual flush water closets reduce water waste. T6 light bulbs and occupancy sensors ensure that artificial lighting consumes as little energy as possible. Highly efficient windows with sun shades, a solar water pump, efficient chillers and storm water runoff irrigation systems also bolster the building’s sustainability. A green roof, complete with drought resistant plants from Cape Cod and the Berkshires, tops off the renovation. It reduces storm water runoff and boosts insulation.
Works Cited
“John W. McCormack
Post Office and Courthouse.” New England Region. GSA, n.d. Web. 11
Nov. 2012. <http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/regions/McCormack.pdf>.
Smart, Maya P.
“Energy.gov.” Energy.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.
<http://energy.gov/articles/boston-s-mccormack-building-gets-makeover>.