SUSTAINABLE   FAC
John  W.  McCormack
                   Post Office and Courthouse
EPA   REGION  1  OFFICE   •   BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS

                                                   ITAL  STATISTICS
                                                 Facility Type: Office Space
                                                 Construction: Historic Green Renovation
                                                 Location: Boston, Massachusetts
                                                 Size: More than 700,000 gross square
                                                 feet (EPA occupying 328,862 rentable
                                                 square feet)
                                                 Occupancy: 840 EPA employees
                                                 Reoccupied: December 2009
                                                 LEED® Status: Gold 2.2 Certification
                                                 for New Construction
                                                 Points Earned: 43
                                                   ..e past and the future have come
                                                   together in the renovation of the John
                                                 W. McCormack Post Office and Court-
                                                 house (POCH) in Boston, Massachu-
                                                 setts. The U.S. General Services Admin-
                                                 istration (GSA) and U.S. Environmental
                                                 Protection Agency (EPA) renovated this
                                                 Art Deco landmark in downtown Boston's
                                                 Post Office Square with the goal of pre-
                                                 serving its historical features while showcas-
                                                 ing it as a model of energy efficiency and
                                                 sustainable design for future project-;

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             >F THE
OLD  AND  NEW
          in 1933, the
          •story, more than
          ),000-square-foot
       • .tcCormack POCH is
_ jeautiful example of Art Deco
architecture. Since December
2009, it has housed  EPA New
England's offices, serving Con-
necticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Vermont, and 10 tribal nations.

The project was a complete
renovation that removed all
mechanical and electrical
components of the original
building but reused nearly all
of the original structure. GSA
and EPA worked to  minimize
environmental impacts during
the renovation, with more than
75 percent of the construction
and demolition waste diverted
for recycling.

The building earned  Leadership
in Energy and  Environmental
Design (LEED®) version 2.2
Gold certification for New
Construction (NC) from the
U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC). EPA and GSA
anticipate the building will
receive an ENERGY STAR®
label after a year of occupancy.
Timeless Architecture, Forward-Looking Design
The John W. McCormack POCH demonstrates that high-efficiency,
sustainable building design can be successfully integrated into a
sensitive historical setting.  GSA and EPA have incorporated today's
sustainable design principles into a comfortable, attractive, and ef-
ficient workplace that highlights architectural features and serves as
a model for future historic preservation in government buildings.


Creative Reuse
The project reused 99 percent of the historical structure. It also pre-
served interior features such as historical paneling, walnut wainscot-
                                ing, terrazzo floors with marble
                                inlay, and oak parquet floors.
                                The renovation modernized the
                                plumbing and fixtures of the
                                bathrooms throughout except for
                                floor 15, which retained the his-
                                toric fixtures, including marble
                                partitions.
Transportation Choices
To encourage alternative modes of transportation, the
building offers 50 bike racks and 10 showers, and two
                   of the 32 parking spaces under the
                   building are reserved for fuel-
                   efficient vehicles. It is located
                   within two blocks of several station
                   entrances to Boston's subway
                   system, the Massachusetts Bay
                   Transportation Authority ("T").
The Human Element  	4
The project's Indoor Air Quality Plan protected work-
ers during construction by mandating air filtering and
the use of low- or non-volatile organic compound paint.
To ensure occupant safety, dedicated exhaust fans in the
janitor closets and copier machine rooms vent potentially
harmful fumes directly outside.
Maintenance crews use environmentally preferable, biobased
green cleaning supplies and practice integrated pest man-
agement. Approximately 70 percent of the occupied space
                        receives natural light, making the
                        McCormack POCH a more pleas-
                        ant place to work.
                        An educational touch-screen kiosk
                        and walking tours are available to
                        the public, and signage throughout the
                        building describes its environmental
                        features.

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Water Efficiency
High-efficiency urinals, faucets, and
showers and dual-flush toilets help
reduce the amount of water consumed
by building occupants. The building
is projected to use approximately 32
percent less water than a similar of-
fice building with standard plumbing
fixtures. Cisterns capture stormwater
runoff, which a solar-powered pump
transports to irrigate the green roof
when needed.
Schematic of Green Roof
          Ucpw roof mnoH rwvnlid


                                                                                              Seedy Clancy
                                                                                         Andropoooo AnodUM
                                      Energy Efficiency
                                      EPA New England's office is expected to perform at least 17 percent bet-
                                      ter in terms of total energy cost compared with the baseline performance
                                      rating per American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Condi-
                                      tioning Engineers Standard 90.1-2004.
                                          EPA and GSA included energy-saving measures such as insula-
                                              tion behind the building skin and occupancy sensors that turn
                                                  lights off when offices are unoccupied. Daylight dimming
                                                      in perimeter spaces and ceilings designed to allow
                                                        deep penetration of daylight further reduce the
                                                        tneed for energy to power lights. High-efficiency,
                                                        historically appropriate windows reduce interior
                                                        heating and cooling while maintaining the build-
                                                        ing's visual appeal.
                                                        Through an Agencywide purchase of renewable
                                                        energy certificates, EPA buys enough green power to
                                                        offset 100 percent  of its electricity used in the Mc-
                                                        Cormack POCH.
                                                       Up on the Roof
                                                       A green roof that
                                                       covers the 4th
                                                       and 5*k floor roofs
                                                       and is accessible
                                                       from the 5^ floor
                                                       insulates the build-
                                                       ing, cutting down
                                                       on energy use and
                                                       costs. Native and
                                                       drought-resistant
                                                       plants filter bacteria and other pollutants from
                                                       stormwater runoff and provide a pleasant garden for
                                                       building occupants. Vegetated roofs also minimize
                                                       the urban heat island effect—urban and suburban
                                                       temperatures that are 2° to 10° F warmer than nearby
                                                       rural areas because of the heat retention properties of
                                                       urban materials.
  AG\S

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        FINAL  LEED®  SCORECARD  FOR THE JOHN W.  MCCORMACK  POST
                OFFICE AND  COURTHOUSE,  BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS
                                               Certification Earned:  LEED-NC 2.2 Gold
The LEED Scorecard provides an itemized account of the specific green building criteria met through the design and renovation of the McCormack POCH.
Based on these criteria, the facility earned 43 of 69 possible points and achieved LEED for New Construction Version 2.2 Gold certification.
11
Yes
^^
•
•

^
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
•
Sustainable Sites
Prerequisite 1
Credit 1
Credit 2
Credit 3
Credit 4.1
Credit 4.2
Credit 4.3
Credit 4.4
Credit 5.1
Credit 5.2
Credit 6.1
Credit 6.2
Credit 7.1
Credit 7.2
Credit 8
                                                                 14
                   Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
                   Site Selection
                   Development Density & Community Connectivity
                   Brownfield Redevelopment
                   Alternative Transportation: Public Transportation Access
                   Alternative Transportation: Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms
                   Alternative Transportation: Low-Emitting &Fuel Efficient Vehicles
                   Alternative Transportation: Parking Capacity
                   Site Development: Protect or Restore Habitat
                   Site Development: Maximize Open Space
                   Stormwater Management: Quantity Control
                   Stormwater Management: Quality Control
                   Heat Island Effect: Non-Roof
                   Heat Island Effect: Roof
                   Light Pollution Reduction
      Water Efficiency
      Credit 1.1 -1.2   Water Efficient Landscaping
      Credit 2       Innovative Wastewater Technologies
      Credit 3.1 -3.2   Water Use Reduction
                                                    Possible Points:
      Energy & Atmosphere
                                                    Possible Points:
 Yes   Prerequisite 1
 Yes   Prerequisite 2
 Yes   Prerequisite 3
^|  Credit 1
   I  Credit 2
^|  Credits
^|  Credit 4
   |  Credits
^|  Credit 6

CREDIT SUMMARY
 43
Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems
Minimum Energy Performance
Fundamental Refrigerant Management
Optimize Energy Performance
Onsite Renewable Energy
Enhanced Commissioning
Enhanced Refrigerant Management
Measurement & Verification
Green Power
10
3
1
1
1
1
6
Yes
2

2

1
1


10
Yes
Yes
•

1
1
1
1
1

1
1

1
1

1
Materials & Resources Possible Points:
Prerequisite 1
Credit 1.1 -1.2
Credit 1 .3
Credit 2.1 -2.2
Credit 3
Credit 4
Credit 5
Credit 6
Credit 7
Storage & Collection of Recyclables
Building Reuse
Building Reuse, Non-Structural
Construction Waste Management
Resource Reuse
Recycled Content
Regional Materials
Rapidly Renewable Materials
Certified Wood
Indoor Environmental Quality Possible Points:
Prerequisite 1 Minimum IAQ Performance
Prerequisite 2
Credit 1
Credit 2
Credit 3.1
Credit 3.2
Credit 4.1
Credit 4.2
Credit 4.3
Credit 4.4
Credit 5
Credit 6.1
Credit 6.2
Credit 7.1
Credit 7.2
Credit 8.1
Credit 8.2
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
Increased Ventilation
Construction IAQ Management Plan: During Construction
Construction IAQ Management Plan: Before Occupancy
Low-Emitting Materials: Adhesives & Sealants
Low-Emitting Materials: Paints & Coatings
Low-Emitting Materials: Carpet Systems
Low-Emitting Materials: Composite Wood &Agrifiber
Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
Controllability of Systems: Lighting
Controllability of Systems: Thermal Comfort
Thermal Comfort: Design
Thermal Comfort: Verification
Daylighting & Views: Daylight 75% of Spaces
Daylighting & Views: Views for 90% of Spaces
13

2
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
15

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Innovation & Design Process
Credit 1.1       Innovation in Design
Credit 1.2      Innovation in Design
Credit 1.3      Innovation in Design
Credit 1.4      Innovation in Design
Credit 2        LEED Accredited Professional
                                         Possible Points:
  For more information on the USGBC's LEED® Green Building Program, visit
  .
  For more information on the McCormack POCH, please visit and .
  United States Environmental Protection Agency
  1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC 20460
  EPA-200-F-10-001
  April 2010
                                                    Acknowledgments
                                                    Assistance and information from Goody Clancy and Associates/ Inc./
                                                    and GSA.
                                                    Cover inset photos courtesy of GSA.
                          > Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with vegetable oil based inks on 100% postconsumer/ process chlorine free recycled pap

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