Job works out for eco' pals at Pitney Bowes renovation.

It is not often that an environmentally conscious construction company gets the opportunity to work with an equally eco-friendly client and design team. Such was the case when Pitney Bowes retained W&M Construction to renovate the fourth and fifth floors of its world headquarters in Stamford, CT, a project that comprises 124,000 s/f, says Tim Yahn, president of W&M Construction.

"Pitney Bowes is raising the bar for other Fortune 500 companies that are about to undertake major projects," says Yahn.

After completing the first two of five phases, W&M Construction already has recycled 193 tons of demolition and construction debris. By the end of phase five, 450 tons of debris will have been recycled, according to Yahn.

"It has been quite fulfilling and rewarding for us to implement green practices in our work and contribute to the environmental cause," says W&M Construction's project manager Tiffanee Quinn.

In the selection of building materials, W&M Construction, Pitney Bowes, and the design team--which includes Esposito Design Associates (EDA), AKF Engineering, and green design firm Partners for Architecture--chose green materials.

"In order for a LEED project to be successful, the cooperation of the entire project team--owner, architect, engineer, and contractor is vital", says W&M Construction estimator, Frank Lovello. "Working with the design team, W&M Construction researched various green technologies, methods and materials that, much to our pleasure, Pitney Bowes agreed to implement."

W&M Construction, EDA and AKF Engineering, all having LEED accredited professionals on staff, collaborated to implement Pitney Bowes' environmental strategies and target product sustainability goals.

Partners for Architecture, an architectural firm specializing in green design, also participated in resourcing LEED-approved materials and recycling parameters.

"All products and materials selected were based upon the LEED criteria and guidelines," says Barry Esposito, founder of EDA.

They used synthetic gypsum wallboard, made from the slag leftover from coal burning in factories--a process that decreases pollution by reducing acid rain; low or no VOC paints; carpets manufactured to reduce off-gassing; wheatboard inners for all plastic laminate surfaces.

In terms of design, the team also chose occupancy sensors throughout to reduce energy consumption. It also overhauled the building DDC control system for greater efficiency in the HVAC systems.

"Some of these practices and/or materials will also help to save Pitney Bowes money in the future," says Quinn.