Bendix North American HQ in Avon gets LEED Silver certification

AVON — Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems' new North American headquarters in Avon, which opened in November, has received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design," and is given to buildings that have the elements of healthy, high-efficient and cost-saving green construction. The new headquarters, with a main building of more than 200,000 square feet and a free-standing, multibay commercial vehicle garage on 56 acres, is certified LEED Silver v4, a newer and even more rigorous set of requirements than earlier versions of LEED Silver. It is the first building in Avon to achieve LEED Silver v4 certification, the company said in a news release. Bendix moved its headquarters from Elyria to Avon last year after being headquartered in Elyria for 80 years. "We're proud to achieve LEED silver certification for our headquarters facility," said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. "This building is not only beautiful to look at and a wonderful, inviting place to work. It's also a reflection of Bendix's longstanding sustainability strategy, supporting our goal to be a partner with our planet by reducing energy consumption; diverting waste from landfills; and increasing our use of green, renewable energy." Employees in the new Bendix headquarters oversee research, development, engineering, testing, sales and marketing. Bendix incorporated LEED principles in the building design by way of material selection, office layout, recycling programs, efficient energy systems and metering, and a focus on indoor air quality. Bendix gave special attention to energy efficiency and took into account site conditions, massing, building envelope, lighting, thermal comfort and programming. High-efficiency lighting, windows, insulation and HVAC equipment help reduce overall energy consumption in the building by more than 18 percent compared to similar buildings, the company said. Submeters monitor lab, HVAC and lighting energy use in real time, and lighting is 100 percent LED, with sensors to determine occupancy in a room. Daylight-harvesting energy management controls automatically dim or switch off lighting when sufficient ambient light is present in the space, the company said. Additionally, each office has "controlled" electrical receptacles that power down each evening and power back up each morning. And Bendix participates in a demand-response program, making it possible for the facility to lower overall energy use during peak periods and help reduce strain on the grid. Overall, 100 percent of the building's energy use is offset by renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets. Air quality and recycling also were priorities, including high-efficiency filtration; floor mats designed to remove debris from the soles of shoes placed at all regularly used entrances; carbon dioxide sensors in all densely populated areas; extensive use of no- or low-emitting materials, limiting pollutants in the indoor environment; and volatile organic compound monitoring on each floor. Hazardous materials are stored in negative-pressure areas to help prevent them from leaking out into adjacent areas. And prior to occupancy, Bendix conducted a building flush-out, consisting of over 2 billion cubic feet of outside air to improve indoor air quality. The Bendix project team also prioritized recycling — within the design of the building, on the construction site, and for building occupants. The company reclaimed wood from trees felled on the site and transformed it into conference tables used in the building. More than 80 percent of all construction waste was kept out of landfills, and a "comprehensive occupant recycling plan" was written up as a key part of the project, the company said. Bill Schubert, Bendix corporate manager of environmental and sustainability, said the parking lot has 28 spaces designated for electric vehicles and six on-site level 2 charging stations that can be expanded to 24 chargers. "The project's large, landscaped site — 70 percent of which is accessible open space — is designed to encourage employee and visitor interaction with the environment, social contact with each other and physical activity. It includes a community garden, a variety of plantings and vegetation, walking paths, as well as bicycle paths and covered bike rack parking," Schubert said.