GlaxoSmithKline opens new office building in US

UK-based pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has opened a new corporate office building at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.

The four-storey, 208,000ft² building has recently secured double Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum rating from the US Green Building Council.

UK-based design consultant Atkins had provided sustainability and LEED consulting services, while the company’s Faithful+Gould business was responsible for both delivery and occupation of the building, along with decommissioning of GSK’s former office space.

The new facility was constructed as two four-storey office blocks linked by an 80ft-high glass atrium.

The facility features a green roof with a terrace that can house 500 people for conferences and receptions, and a 10,300ft² cafeteria within the building, which will use the herbs and vegetables grown on the rooftop garden.

Sustainable features of the building include the rooftop vegetation, which will help absorb rainwater and reduce the amount of stormwater runoff from the facility.

Atkins said the rooftop vegetation will create wildlife habitat and help lower surrounding air temperatures and reduce the heat island effect typical of urban buildings.

The facility also features high-efficiency, low-flow fixtures, which will reduce water use by 50% and save nearly 1.8 million gallons of water per year.

Daylighting strategies will reduce the need for electric lighting and maximise heating and cooling mechanical system performance.

Atkins’ LEED consultant for the project Vince Briones said, "The energy saving measures incorporated into the GSK building design add up to an estimated 30% reduction in annual energy costs".

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Image: GSK’s new office building was constructed as two four-storey office blocks linked by an 80ft-high glass atrium. Photo: Courtesy Francis Dzikowski Esto for Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP.