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PROJECT
hvac
Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers’ headquarters building in St. Johns, MI, reflects a modern-yet-rural ethos and has achieved LEED Gold status.
Fertilizer Company Goes For Gold Eco-friendly pipe solution contributes to LEED Gold certification at environmentally aware fertilizer-manufacturer headquarters.
A Agro’s culture is reflected in its building, which features natural light, repurposed barn wood, and even upcycled crushed brick from a smokestack at Michigan State University.
gro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers’ 59,740-sq.-
ene material requires less energy for initial production
ft. headquarters building in St. Johns, MI,
than other piping materials and involves none of the en-
was built with great concern for the en-
vironmental effects associated with mining operations.
vironment and the agriculturalist. It reflects a mod-
Agro selected Wieland-Davco of Lansing, MI, as the
ern-yet-rural ethos and has achieved LEED Gold status
general contractor for the project. According to Joe
with 60 LEED credits.
Haupt, project manager for Wieland-Davco, the project
Agro’s culture is reflected in its building, which fea-
was on a tight schedule. The design process began in
tures natural light, repurposed barn wood, and even
January 2012. About 500 people, including 50 subcon-
upcycled crushed brick, from a Michigan State Uni-
tractors, were involved in building the two-story facility.
versity smokestack, serving as the base for HVAC
Construction began in June 2013 and took slightly
equipment. Not only is the latter environmentally
more than a year to complete.
friendly, it contributed to LEED points and also commemorates the owner’s alma mater.
“It was a very fast-track project,” Haupt said. “We had our footings and foundations started before the
“LEED certification is important to Agro because
design of the facility was 100% completed. We knew
we care about the sustainability of our environment.
that the footprint was locked in. We weren’t going to
Our focus is on being environmentally responsible
change that, but they were still designing while they
with our fertilizer and in everything we do,” said
were installing the foundations just so we could meet
Agro’s vice president of operations and organizational
our schedule. It was pretty aggressive.”
development, Nick Bancroft. An indirect contributor to the LEED Gold status was
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COMMERCI A L BUIL DING P RODUC T S
NOV/DEC 2014
www.cbpmagazine.com
GC AND SUB ONBOARD
Aquatherm’s, Lindon, UT, polypropylene-random (PP-R)
Aquatherm was introduced to the project in fall 2012.
piping system, which is fully recyclable, rust- and corro-
First, Wieland-Davco selected Progressive Heating,
sion-free, and long lasting. In addition, the polypropyl-
Cooling, and Refrigeration Inc., Lowell, MI, as the
