Sustainability Showcase

Two industrial buildings designed and constructed by Bechtel for U.S. headset maker Plantronics Inc. have been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold and silver certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council. The manufacturing and development buildings, in Suzhou Industrial Park near Shanghai, are the first industrial buildings in China — and the first designed by Bechtel — to achieve LEED certification.

LEED certification is a point-based, green-building rating system based on criteria such as sustainable site development, energy and water efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation. China’s government leaders have recently begun urging better energy conservation and environmental protection, along with the country’s rapid economic growth.

The project was completed under budget, ahead of schedule, and with more than 1 million job hours completed without a lost-time accident.

The innovative approach combined green design principles and cross-cultural, people-sensitive design features in response to Plantronics’ desire to give employees a sense of pride in their new workplace, project a world-class image to customers, save energy, and protect the environment. The sustainable buildings are linked by a tai chi courtyard, indoor-outdoor dining, exercise and social areas, and water features, all integrated in a garden setting modeled after the historic gardens of Suzhou, making for a “home away from home” for employees.

“The Plantronics project is an outstanding example of how Bechtel can integrate sustainability into our core design and engineering activities,” says Susan Kubanis, Bechtel’s manager of sustainability. “This team recognized the customer’s goal of having a unique facility to showcase the company in a new market.”