Above and beyond : Hanesbrands’ Bentonville office is the first in the state to earn LEED certification for interior space.
Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2008
BENTONVILLE — When Hanesbrands Inc. leased 9, 986 square feet of unfinished office space on the fifth floor of the Bentonville Plaza, directly across Southwest Eighth Street from the Wal-Mart Home Office, Hanesbrands had big plans.
Hanesbrands, a leading marketer of innerwear, outerwear and hosiery apparel under such familiar brands as Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, Just My Size and more, set out to finish the space using only sustainable, ecofriendly measures — from the furniture and special dividers to lighting, and even the adhesive used to hold down the carpet. But outfitting the office in such a way is nothing new to Hanesbrands, as it has been following guidelines drawn up by the U. S. Green Building Council for remodeling and new construction projects for the company’s facilities around the world for a number of years.
Starting with an existing shell presented its share of challenges, as Hanesbrands set out to achieve Leadership in Energy Efficient Design certification, one of the highest levels of achievement designated by the USGBC. But following several months of partnering with Bentonvillebased architecture and engineering firm Harrison French and Associates, and the sevenmonth waiting period following completion required by the USGBC, Hanesbrands not only earned LEED certification but is the first office to earn that designation for interior space in the entire state.
What Hanesbrands didn’t expect heading into the project was that its focus on sustainable practices would rub off on the rest of the tenants in Bentonville Plaza.
“ We implemented a recycling program that the whole building has since adopted, ” Hanesbrands spokesman Matthew Young said. “ We also believe in using environmentally friendly office cleaning products, and the whole building has gone to those as well. That’s been one of the most exciting parts of this entire process — the fact it’s had an impact on what other offices and businesses around us are doing. ”
Step inside the Hanesbrands office today, and the difference is immediately apparent. Natural light floods the space. There’s no “ new office smell” because there were no potentially harmful products made in building out the space. And while no windows open on the fifth floor of the Bentonville Plaza building, the air circulating through the office is anything but stale.
The 9, 986-square-foot office, which opened in August 2007 to support Hanesbrands ’ business with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., features advanced lighting and HVAC systems; natural light for every workspace; energy-efficient appliances; and low-emission construction materials, such as paint, adhesives, sealants, carpet, coatings and furniture.
The overhead lighting system is set to sensors, which detect when more or less light is needed, to conserve energy. If it’s a cloudy day, they turn up. If it’s a clear day, they dim. The conference room within the office space is surrounded by glass rather than walls, which allows natural light to pour in. Each of the 26-office pods are divided by a special material designed to deflect sound but allow light to pass through. The office is even outfitted with a system that filters white noise.
“ It was a tremendous opportunity for us to be involved in a project like this, ” said Steve Frank, communications representative at Harrison French Associates. “ We don’t have people beating down our doors yet to do projects like these, but people are becoming more interested in sustainability. We’re really on the cusp of people wanting to do this. ”
“ The goal was to earn LEED certification, and that’s no easy task, especially when you’re starting with an existing building, ” said Larry Lott, Harrison French Associates vice president of operations. “ There’s really some accountability in this whole process. The USGBC checks back regularly to make sure all of the systems are working as we said they would be. ”
Being located across the street from the Wal-Mart Home Office was a sustainable move in itself, as employee driving would decrease dramatically. But Hanesbrands went a step further, installing bike racks at the Bentonville Plaza. And for those employees who choose to ride their bikes to work, showers were installed for them to clean up.
“ There’s some added expense with a project like this, but the way this company looks at it, there are some real benefits, ” Young said. “ It’s a healthier environment for our employees to work in. It’s the right and responsible thing to do. ”
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