A special thanks to Thomas & Marker, general contractor on the URE headquarters addition and renovation. Thomas & Marker brought considerable construction expertise to the relatively new science of “green building” in order to make the project a success. What follows is Thomas & Marker’s insight to the unique needs of a green building project that make the URE headquarters such a special building.
Build it Green!
Automated office lighting detects light levels...
 provided by windows, skylights & light wells...
and adjusts accordingly.
Special materials in the building include glass...
with embedded fibers along the roof line that react to filter or allow
react to filter or allow light to pass through, based on intensity.
A modular, floating floor system ...
accommodates HVAC and cable trays... underneath,
underneath, enabling energy savings...
 and flexible use of space.
The outside walk.
To minimize the building’s impact...
on the water table, the pervious concrete...
parking lot allows rainwater through the...
surface, draining it into bio-swales ...
for filtration before it re-enters the environment.