VAI Phase II becomes only second new facility in Michigan and
one of a dozen research institutes nationally to achieve Leadership
in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Award
Grand Rapids, Mich. - April 22, 2011 - Just in time for Earth Day,
a 240,000-square-foot addition to the Van Andel Research Institute
(VARI), a TGen affiliate, was awarded LEED Platinum status by the
United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
VARI finalized an alliance and affiliation with the Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in February 2010. Dr. Jeffrey
Trent is President and Research Director of both biomedical
research institutes.
VAI is only the second facility awarded Platinum LEED for New
Construction in Michigan, and sets the Institute and its facility
apart with a dozen national peers as a leader of sustainable
building practices in the field of biomedical research.
"Van Andel Institute's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous
green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO
& Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The urgency of
USGBC's mission has challenged the industry to move faster and
reach further than ever before, and Van Andel Institute serves as a
prime example with just how much we can accomplish."
Developed by USGBC, LEED is an internationally recognized green
building certification system, providing third-party verification
that a building or community was designed and built using
strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics
that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions
reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship
of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Platinum is the highest of four possible levels of
certification.
"Van Andel Institute's Phase II building is innovative in design,
and incorporates a multitude of green initiatives beyond what
seemed possible for a research institute just a few short years
ago," said VAI Chairman and CEO David Van Andel. "And while LEED
Platinum certification is a tremendously gratifying accomplishment,
we set out from the very beginning to be a leader in terms of
sustainable building practices because we knew that it is the right
things to do."
The Institute's pledge to be a leader in sustainable building
practices mirrors that of the region and of the City of Grand
Rapids. The city leads the nation in the percentage of completed
LEED projects, and is one of just two cities in the top thirty LEED
cities in the nation with a population under 200,000
inhabitants.
"This is a fitting announcement to kick off the week of Earth Day,"
said Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell. "As a leader of
innovative biomedical research located in the heart of Grand
Rapids' Medical Mile, Van Andel Institute's LEED Platinum status
continues the city's national leadership role as an innovator in
the field of sustainable development and green building
design."
The Van Andel Institute building was designed by New York-based
Rafael Viñoly Architects PC. Viñoly's broad portfolio of
award-winning work includes the Tokyo International Forum, the
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, and a
much-publicized proposal for the World Trade Center site.
The eight-story, $178 million facility, which opened in December of
2009, incorporates such energy efficient mechanisms as photovoltaic
panels to reduce energy demands during summer, a heat recovery
system to reduce heating demand, low-flow water fixtures that
reduce water usage by 40.7%, 27,000-gallon rainwater storage tanks
to further reduce demand for potable water, the diversion of 79% of
construction waste from the landfill, and the usage of
locally-manufactured materials in the production process.
Intelligent building design features include CO2 sensors throughout
the building that detect the presence of people and automatically
adjust room ventilation rates.
The construction of Phase II provided more than 1,800 local
building jobs between the project groundbreaking in April of 2007
and completion. The majority of the project team was composed of
Grand Rapids-based businesses. In addition to Rafael Viñoly
Architects PC, the Phase II project team included
Hunt/Owen-Ames-Kimball, Culhane & Fahrenkrug Consulting, LLC,
URS, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc., Materials Testing
Consultants, and CommTech Design.
"We are extremely proud of Van Andel Institute's achievement in
attaining the highest standard of LEED certification. This is
no easy task and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and
leadership within the Institute's own industry as well as that of
green building. It will also continue to help Grand Rapids stay at
the forefront of the green building movement," said Renae
Hesselink, Chair, U.S. Green Building Council of West
Michigan.
VAI Phase II creates economic and scientific opportunity both for
VAI and West Michigan's burgeoning life sciences sector and adds to
the more than $1 billion investment in infrastructure already in
place along Grand Rapids' Medical Mile. When operating at capacity,
VAI's expansion will support a $125 million annual research
operation that expands the number of laboratories from the current
22 to more than 50, and provides the capacity for 550 additional
jobs.
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About Van Andel Institute
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute
(VAI) is an independent research and educational organization based
in Grand Rapids, Mich., dedicated to preserving, enhancing and
expanding the frontiers of medical science, and to achieving
excellence in education by probing fundamental issues of education
and the learning process. Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI) is
dedicated to strengthening science education and preparing and
motivating individuals to pursue science or science-related
professions. Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), the research arm
of VAI, is dedicated to probing the genetic, cellular and molecular
origins of cancer, Parkinson's and other diseases and working to
translate those findings into effective therapies. This is
accomplished through the work of over 200 researchers in 18 on-site
laboratories and in collaborative partnerships that span the globe.
VARI is affiliated with the Translational Genomics Research
Institute, (TGen), of Phoenix, Arizona.
Media Contact:
Joe Gavan
Vice President, Communications and External Relations
(616) 234-5390
[email protected]
*
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. For more
information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]