Leading, Learning and Teaching By Example: Wight & Company
2500 N. Frontage Rd. Darien, IL
Location
2500 N. Frontage Rd., Darien, IL 60561 map
Structural Engineer
Larson Engineering
Mechanical Engineer
Hill Mechanical Group
Building Owner
Wight & Company
By Brian Dolan
The approach to Wight & Company’s LEED certified Darien office is remarkably picturesque considering the cold February breeze and I-55 roaring to the south. Visitors, pausing to read an educational plaque about the bioswales and prairie restoration on site, may find themselves actually standing on a bridge of rocks in the very bioswale the plaque references. What better way to learn about sustainability in the built environment than by being surrounded by green building in practice.
This situation is exactly what Elizabeth Koski, VP of Marketing & Communcations, means when she expresses Wight & Company’s desire for employees and clients to “see, feel, and touch” sustainability. Wight’s educational mission for sustainability does not end with plaques about green roofs and dual flush toilets (which had to be imported from Australia because no such thing existed in the US at the time of construction), but extends into the day to day operations of the firm itself. The firm offers LEED training classes to aid those preparing for the exam, Green Bag lunches to learn about products and technologies, and a Sustainability Forum encompassing Research and Development, the Green Library, Community Outreach, and the living laboratory that is the Darien office (the firm is constantly experimenting with different green building products and currently has seven different green roof plots on its roof in Darien). Often, Wight educates its clients and partners about green building practices to facilitate implementation and understanding. Wight’s commitment to sustainability began long before its participation as a founding member of the USGBC and will undoubtedly extend far beyond its eight LEED certified or higher projects, with many more registered and in design development.
The 35,000 sq. ft. Wight office building, completed in August 2004, sits lightly on a six acre site with breathtaking views of a nearby forest preserve and restored prairie habitat. The importance of stormwater management for the office building is summarized by a mantra frequently cited by Jay Womack, the Director of Sustainable Design: “thinking green begins with thinking blue.” A vegetated “moat” surrounds the building and channels all of the stormwater from the site and roof from rain gardens, to restored prairie, and finally directs the overflow into a detention pond that further promotes infiltration at the rear of the site. The ambitious restoration of the native prairie land not only provides employees with breathtaking views, but also provides habitat for three red-tailed hawks, and several deer and coyotes. An especially awe-inspiring annual spring ritual is the prairie burning done to reduce invasive plants, enrich the soil, and raise soil temperature to promote native species. The building and site reduce water consumption by a total 58% with dual flush toilets, sensors on lavatories, faucet aerators and by not using water for irrigation as a result of the aggressive stormwater management plan and drought-resistant prairie plants.
The siting of the building with an elongated east-west axis takes advantage of the optimal solar orientation and provides building occupants with daylighting for 95% and views for 90% of the regularly occupied rooms. Low-walled, transparent, and open cubicles facilitate interaction and collaboration between employees as well as promote daylighting and view-sharing. The wide, light-filled central stair invites employees to use their legs instead of the elevator. All carpets, paints, adhesives and sealants are low-emitting. Wight even went so far as to design 41% of its furniture from wheatboard. The building continues to evolve and serve as a living laboratory with plans to incorporate and test permeable pavers and a photovoltaic parking lighting system. All of these sustainable features inspire, sustain, and further Wight’s passion for sustainability and the environment.
Womack describes the origin of the drive and passion for sustainability as being both “from our principals at the top and from the younger professionals.” Perhaps the reason for this marriage of the top-down and bottom-up approach to sustainability lies in Wight & Company’s unique approach to design that strives to integrate professionals from every discipline from project design to construction management. Not only does the company offer a myriad of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction services to its clients, but it strives to foster integration and collaboration in everything from assembling diverse project teams to the office layout that seats architects, engineers, and interior designers in close proximity and without any clear boundaries. This deliberate melting pot of design professionals effectively elevates the understanding of employees’ sister disciplines while encouraging creativity and collaboration.
The result of integrating sustainability into the practice at Wight & Company is the introduction of sustainability and green living values into the lives of the employees and community. Recycling, green housekeeping practices and preferred carpooling spaces are just a few of the ways that Wight makes green living accessible to its employees. Sustainable living is one aspect of work that Wight & Company encourages its employees to take home with them when they leave.
Tags: active solar, dual-flush toilets, faucet aerators, furniture, green roof, landscaped bioswales, native landscaping, passive solar, recycling, water sensors
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