Albert B. Ashforth – Management Services was among the three pilot participants, along with Malkin Properties and Greenwich Hospital, who completed the Corporate Sustainability Challenge, a yearlong pilot program in Stamford to cut the impact of facilities on the environment. The program was sponsored by Sustainable Stamford – the city’s volunteer environmental task force and the Southern Connecticut chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association.
The participants talked about their experiences at the most recent Sound Waters Business & Environmental Series luncheon held at UCONN’s Stamford campus. Over the past year, Ashforth analyzed energy and water use in their facilities, developed strategies for improvements and implemented policies to meet its individual needs and budgets. Brian Heelan, senior vice president and director of operations for Ashforth was a part of that panel discussion and highlighted the results that Ashforth achieved at 707 Summer Street:
- To reduce energy use in the building, a new high-efficiency cooling tower and an automated temperature control system was installed;
- energy-efficient lighting operated by motion sensors were installed in the construction of new tenant spaces and LED lights in all of the building stairwells;
- to reduce water consumption, automatic flush valves were installed in restrooms and rain sensors were added to the irrigation system. Planting drought resistant perennials also allowed the building managers to remove a sprinkler zone;
- green cleaning policies were instituted and the building increased recycling to an estimated 42 tons a year; and
- a shuttle service will soon be provided to the tenants traveling to and from the Stamford train station.
The collaboration of all efforts made the success of implementing green sustainable policies at little or no additional costs. “We are pleased to have participated in the Sustainable Stamford Challenge. As an owner and manager of commercial real estate since 1896, Ashforth is committed to continuously assess and improve its sustainable management practices and environmental performance. From our perspective in the real estate industry, we believe that transformative thinking about the way we consume, reuse and recycle resources is appropriate and beneficial to all,” said Heelan.
