The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Northeast Regional headquarters, in Howard, utilized nearly 50,000 units of light-colored County Stone concrete veneer to help win Gold status from the LEED Green Building Rating System. The stringent-but-voluntary guidelines ensure environmentally conscious construction aimed at long-term energy savings.

HOWARD, Wis. (June 23, 2006) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ new Northeast Regional headquarters in the Village of Howard is as good as gold. The facility recently earned Gold status from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Green Building Rating System® for incorporating environmentally conscious construction.

“It’s judged by a third party, so you never know how someone else is going to adjudicate you,” said project manager and sustainability coordinator, Ian Griffiths of Berners-Schober Associates in Green Bay. “But we were definitely going for Gold.”

The facility is the first state-owned, state-operated office building in Wisconsin to adhere to the stringent-but-voluntary LEED™ standards. The three-story office building utilized nearly 50,000 units of County Stone™ concrete masonry units to cover the exterior of the 34,560-square-foot facility. The tumbled and marbleized concrete veneer combined with other materials to help the building earn 46 points of a possible 69 from the rating system. Certification means a building has earned 26-32 points, Silver status is 33-38, Gold is 39-51, and Platinum is 52 or more.

This rating should result in long-term energy savings of more than 50 percent over code, according to Griffiths, who added, “The building’s temperature dropped only about 2 degrees over the weekends in winter.”

“Concrete has longevity,” he added. “And it can be broken down, crushed and reused. … And having County Materials provide the product locally was helpful.”

County Materials operates 30 locations serving the Midwest. The family-owned, American company is an industry leader in the manufacture and distribution of concrete block, brick, stone, ready-mix, hollowcore, pipe, pavers, retaining walls and Aggregate Finish products for residential, commercial and municipal construction and landscaping.
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