The Aetna Building at 4500 E. Cotton Center Blvd. in Phoenix has received LEED Silver certification. The 139,403 square foot, Class A two-story office building was built in 2013, is owned and managed by Liberty Property Trust, and fully leased to Aetna.
“Phoenix is an attractive place to do business, the center of a dynamic regional economy,” said Tom Kelly, president of Aetna Medicaid. “We like the Cotton Center location, and the LEED certification is a strong enhancement.”
“Liberty was eager to pursue LEED certification for 4500 E. Cotton Blvd., as the building was designed with a strong sustainable bent,” said John DiVall, senior vice president, Liberty Property Trust. “It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Aetna, which was committed from the start to providing its employees with a first-class building that supports their well-being, comfort and productivity – and to responsible environmental stewardship.”
Balmer Architecture Group served as the architect and Wespac Construction as the general contractor for the project.
LEED certification points were derived from nearly every aspect of the building. Nearly 80 percent of construction waste diverted from landfill and 13 percent of construction materials made from recycled content. Much of the material was sourced within 500 miles and 65 percent of wood used meets criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council.
The building features highly efficient interior and exterior lighting with low lighting power densities; highly efficient cooling and fan systems; and a building envelop that exhibits windows and insulation that minimizes solar heat.
“The value of these types of systems and designs cannot be understated,” said DiVall. “Our average tenant in a LEED or Energy Star certified building can expect to save 20 to 30 percent in energy costs over a traditional office building. Over the course of a lease, that is a very significant figure – one very attractive to many tenants.”
In addition, no CFC refrigerants were used in the building; all composite wood and agrifiber products contained no added urea formaldehyde resins; and 100 percent of paints, adhesives, sealants, primers, coatings, flooring systems, and carpeting products were specified to low-VOC. Cleaning products are specified as green as well.
Liberty Property Trust currently owns and manages 2.8 million square feet of space in Phoenix – including the LEED Gold and Energy Star certified 8501 East Raintree Drive office building – Scottsdale, Tempe, Goodyear and Tolleson. Some of its other holdings include Liberty Logistics Center, Liberty Cotton Center, Liberty 303 Business Park, Liberty Tolleson Center, Liberty Sky Harbor Center and Liberty Center at Rio Salado.
