Owens Corning’s World Headquarters facility exemplifies the company’s mission statement: Greening our products; greening our processes, accelerating the pace of energy efficiency in the built environment.

From something as small as light bulbs to something as significant as the corporate headquarters, Owens Corning is living its values every day. And since 1996, it’s been doing so in a corporate headquarters that’s a tangible embodiment of the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Owens Corning’s World Headquarters is crowned by an artistic representation of the company logo that functions — architecturally and aesthetically — as the grand entrance. Also known as “The Tower,” it has portholes that dot its exterior and flood the two-story atrium with the changing light of day.

Owens Corning World Headquarters is located in downtown Toledo, Ohio, on an industrial site that formerly was a derelict railway switchyard. The company restored or reclaimed more than 55 percent of the 42-acre site to its natural state. Avoiding the manicured grounds typical of corporate headquarters, the site is low-maintenance, with native vegetation and an abundance of wildlife that’s a pleasant surprise in the middle of an industrial city. The facility has become the cornerstone of urban renewal in downtown Toledo.

Owens Corning, a 70-year old Fortune 500 company, put its money behind its values when it built a 400,000-square-foot corporate headquarters that met U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards before such standards existed; the building was planned with eventual LEED certification in mind.

The Owens Corning World Headquarters building was LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB 2.0) Silver certified in 2006, 10 years after it was completed. (LEED certification for new construction wasn’t launched until 2000 and the LEED for Existing Buildings platform was introduced in 2004.)

Site Selection and Innovation

Most corridors face a tranquil inner courtyard, which, in addition to the aesthetic benefits, the open environments encourage collaboration at all levels of the company. >> Photos courtesy of Owens Corning.

Supporting the company’s commitment to sustainability, the focus began with the selection of the site for the headquarters. Glen Hiner, then Owens Corning CEO, was working to break down the silos he perceived in the company, whose 10 business units tended to work as autonomous units. With the help of a team headed by project manager Jim Eckert, (who’s now director of corporate real estate), Hiner did just that, while modeling sustainability.

The building’s relatively narrow footprint, combined with its glass walls, creates a pleasant environment for employees. Offices and work areas are near windows, but not next to them, so interior walls don’t block daylight. Most employees enjoy a view of the Maumee River through a wall of glass that gives them optimal access to daylight. Most corridors and the in-house café face a tranquil inner courtyard. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, these open environments encourage collaboration across all levels of the company

The Owens Corning World Headquarters building was LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB 2.0) Silver certified in 2006, 10 years after it was completed. The building was commissioned as the U.S. Green Building Council was developing LEED.

Among the many innovations in the new building is an under-floor air distribution (UFAD) system. This efficient UFAD/HVAC system was a significant contributor to the building’s LEED certification and helped reduce energy costs. Before moving into the new building, annual electrical costs were more than $1 million. Despite rising energy costs since the building was commissioned, annual electrical costs today are less than $800,000.

The under-floor ventilation system delivers air at much lower velocities than with traditional HVAC systems, allowing the use of smaller, more-efficient fans. And, controllable vents can be added where needed in workspaces for individual comfort. White noise helps reduce distractions. The result is thermal comfort and almost no noise, delivered in an energy-efficient manner.

The building utilizes an under-floor air distribution system with raised flooring by Tate Access Floors. Each workstation has a floor vent that is adjustable and can be tailored to the needs of the occupant.

The modular nature of the under-floor air, power and data distribution systems dramatically simplifies reconfiguration of workspace and significantly contributes to the building’s sustainability profile. Partition walls, workstations, power/data and voice systems are assembled from a modular kit and can be reconfigured using only a hammer, wrench and screwdriver.

In the company’s previous headquarters, moving an individual or a team typically cost more than $1,000 per person, and required carpenters, electricians, painters and other trades people. Today, that cost is less than $300. In a constantly evolving company that may relocate more than 1,000 employees per year, that adds up to big savings in time and expense. And, because almost all of the components can be reused, rather than ending up in a landfill, there’s a big environmental benefit, as well.

Preparing for LEED-EB Certification

The World Headquarters features the expansive glass and steel Teaming Workplace, a 400,000-square-foot, three-story facility that stretches 1,000 feet from end to end—the equivalent of two city blocks.

The facilities team developed an array of innovative operational and procurement tactics in preparation for LEED certification. Motion detectors and photocells turn off lights when they’re not needed. Sophisticated computer programs determine when to operate and not to operate the HVAC system, and how to warm or cool the building after weekends. An automated step-by-step process warms up the building before employees arrive in the morning.

The biggest procurement issue was lighting. For aesthetic reasons, the architect had selected an uncommon lamp, fluorescent T8 U tubes with a smaller-than-usual turn radius. The lamps are very energy efficient, but every fluorescent lamp has a trace of mercury in it—that’s what makes the lamp fluoresce. When the lamp was checked against LEED standards, they were a deal breaker. The lamps contained enough mercury to be classified as a hazardous waste product under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. For the building to be LEED certified, either all of the fixtures and lamps had to change—at an estimated cost of $250,000 to $500,000—or the lamp supplier had to be convinced to change the product. In a surprisingly short time, Sylvania, the lamp supplier, agreed to change the mercury content in future production of the lamps, removing a final barrier to LEED certification. Working with the manufacturer to find a more long-term sustainable solution, is an example of how the LEED certification process can help to make an observable product transformation.

Attention to Detail

In order to achieve LEED certification, Owens Corning worked with Sylvania to change the mercury content in future production of the lamps used throughout the building.

No detail was too small to command attention. For example, the pattern that covers portions of the glass in exterior stairwells and in the atrium may seem decorative, but it’s really there to reduce heat gain in greenhouse-like areas that receive direct sunlight, thereby minimizing heat gain and impact on air-conditioning requirements. Even the carpet is designed to capture dirt as people enter, which helps reduce cleaning costs.

Through dedicated management of energy, a steady decrease in energy consumption can be seen during the new headquarters’ first eight years, although that’s leveled off as the building population increased. As the population and activity in the building ebbs and flows, continually reducing overall energy consumption is the focused.

Throughout the past three years, the overall consumption has been steadied and further reductions in the coming year are predicted.

The small, decorative white circles help reduce heat gain in greenhouse-like areas that receive direct sunlight.

Among the many unpredictable factors affecting energy consumption are outside climate conditions. Toledo’s average winter temperature is just 33 degrees Fahrenheit and its average summer temperature is 87 degrees F. Just as Owens Corning suggests to consumers to turn down their heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer to save on their heating and cooling bills, it is doing the same in its own building while maintaining employee comfort and satisfaction. And overtime air and lighting demands also can cause fluctuations in energy use.

A Continuing Commitment to Sustainability

More than 55 percent of the 42-acre site, which was formerly a derelict railway switchyard, has been restored to its natural state with native vegetation and an abundance of wildlife.

Owens Corning views the building as a symbol of its continuing commitment to sustainability. Following the three tenants of sustainability — Social, Environmental and Economic — looking at it 12 years later, the company would definitely do it all over again. Owens Corning’s World Headquarters exemplifies its values. And the bottom line is that the company believes it’s doing the right thing for the environment, its employees, and its business.

Sidebar: Owens Corning’s World Headquarters

Location: Toledo, Ohio

Size: 400,000 square feet

Materials & Resources

Building Controls:        

• Apogee Open Processor communication, LAN network system to nine subpanels for energy management and building automation by Siemens.
• Gateway/Open protocol interface to McQuay Microtech controllers on Village rooftop HVAC units
• Total Lighting Control System, LAN network system to 12 subpanels used for lighting controls by Horton Controls.
• CCure Access Control Management and security system, LAN network system to seven subpanels by Software House / Tyco Int. HVAC interface provided by Siemens.
• EST Fire Alarm System, LAN network system to six subpanels by Edwards Systems Technologies.

HVAC:

• Six Penthouse rooftop HVAC units from 190 to 290 tons each on the Main Workplace (Arc) building supplying conditioned air to raised flooring and overhead VAV system by Governair; electrical resistive heat coils at 100 kW each by Brasch in units; 126 zone air boxes with electrical resistive heat coils from 4 – 8 kW each by Titus. Raised flooring system swirl diffusers by Titus. Constant volume exhaust by Greenheck. Under-floor air system design by Cosentini Engineers.
• Five Package rooftop HVAC units from 50 to 180 tons each on the Village building supplying conditioned air to an overhead VAV system by McQuay; electrical resistive heat coils from 50 kW – 150 kW each by Brasch in units. 103 zone air boxes with electrical resistive heat coils from 4 – 8 kW each by Titus. Constant volume exhaust by Greenheck.

Flooring:

• Concrete raised flooring tiles by Tate Access Floors ConCore 1000
• Telecom raised flooring tiles by Tate Access Floors All Steel 1000
• Carpet by InterfaceFLOR, action backed 50cm Tile.

Furnishings:

• Moveable Wall Partitions by KI Full height systems wall.
• Office Furniture by Steelcase, Context workstations, Senser seating and Montage walls.
• Common area seating by Knoll.

Exterior Glazing / Windows:

• Glazing – Aluminum PPG’s Duranar
• Windows – Viracon Glass ¼” to 1” insulating, Clear, Clear Frit 30 percent, Clear Frit 60 percent and 30/50/100 percent in bands, Mirror #2, Spandrel #2 VE1-2M and VE1-85, Low E #2 and Low E #3

Lighting:

• More than 6,000 fixtures throughout the facility. Facility is 98 percent T8 fluorescent lamp, compact fluorescent lamp and metal halide lamp fixtures. Remaining 2 percent of fixtures consist mainly of halogen lamps with very few incandescent lamps.
• Photocells utilized on exterior lighting, three-story Atrium lighting and Dining Room lighting via control from Total Lighting Control Automated System.
• Lutron dimming systems utilized in conferencing areas and in large conference rooms in the Main Workplace (Arc).

Additional materials include: Alkco (restroom sinks); Bega (Gazebo); Daybrite (Main Areas and Mechanical Rooms); Focal Point (conference room lighting); Gardco (exterior downlighting/security lighting) Kim Lighting (exterior flag pole lighting); Kurt Versen (interior/exterior downlighting); L.S. I. (stage lighting); Lightoiler (shower lighting and wall wash lighting); Lithonia (corridor lighting); Louis Poulsen (Auditorium house lighting); Neoray (fitness center lighting); Northstar (Lobby structure spot lighting); Roberts Step-Lighting (Courtyard step lighting); Visa Lighting (conference room lighting); Winona (accent lighting)


Plumbing:

• Tankless Water Heaters (6 kW each) by Powerstream used in all Main Workplace restrooms.
• Twin Lochinvar Boilers supplying a hot water loop for the Kitchen and Fitness Center showers with two 950 gallon hot water storage tanks.
• Urinals and water closets provided by Kohler utilizing low-flow flush valves.
• Irrigation System provided by Irritrol utilizing MC Plus series controller and rain gauges for operation.

Engineering and Development Teams

Design Architect: Cesar Pelli and Associates

Production Architect: Kendall Heaton Associates

Development Manager: Hines Interests Limited Partnership

Structural Engineer: CBM Engineers, Inc.

MEP Engineer: Cosentini Associates

Interior Design: Harley Ellington, Steelcase, Workplace Integrators, Cesar Pelli and Associates

Contractor: Lathrop Construction (Turner)