BOSTON– Suffolk, one of the largest and most innovative real estate and construction enterprises in the country, has ranked among the top 10 green contractors nationwide in Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine’s 2023 list of the “Top 100 Green Building Contractors.” Now, more than ever, the built environment must prioritize increased sustainability measures to mitigate environmental impact, and Suffolk is proud to be listed among the greenest contractors in the industry defining a higher standard for sustainability.
Companies on the ENR Top 100 Green Building Contractors list are ranked according to revenue for construction or design services generated during 2022 from projects registered with or certified by a third-party organization that sets standards for measuring a building’s environmental impact, energy efficiency or carbon footprint. Such groups include the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Building Initiative. Suffolk ranked ninth on this year’s list, with more than $2.9 billion in green design revenue from 2022, representing 61 percent of the company’s total revenue.
“This is an important milestone for Suffolk and one that supports our mission to redefine how America builds,” said John Fish, Chairman and CEO of Suffolk. “Developers and clients understand the value of developing green buildings that lessen the impact on our environment, and those clients are choosing to work with contractors that have an in-depth understanding of the importance of building sustainably while also ensuring a predictable and cost-effective construction process. Our impressive ranking on this prestigious list establishes Suffolk as a leader in green building that is dedicated to providing real value for our clients, making lasting commitments to the communities where we build, and pushing our industry forward.”
Suffolk is committed to the holistic integration of sustainable practices within the built environment. To date, Suffolk has completed over 150 projects worth over $15 billion that are LEED-certified, the globally recognized standard for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. The company’s goal is to partner with its clients, trade partners and others to reimagine the entire building lifecycle and ensure sustainability is incorporated at every stage, from planning, design and material selection to building operation and energy efficiency after completion. Achieving this ambitious goal requires a commitment from project stakeholders across the spectrum to a highly integrative planning and execution process.
Suffolk’s signature green building projects include:
- Boston University Center for Computing & Data Sciences – This 19-story, 350,000-square-foot structure is the largest fossil-fuel-free building in Boston, achieved LEED Platinum certification, and incorporates several innovative approaches in design and construction to minimize its environmental impact, including a complex closed-loop geothermal system for heating and cooling.
- Yahoo BF2 Phase Three 1.8 MW and BF2 Phase Three 600 KW – Suffolk partnered with Yahoo on two of the most sustainable data center projects in the country, located in Lockport, N.Y.; a propriety modular design called the Yahoo Compute Coop promotes better air flow for cooling, resulting in these facilities utilizing 40 percent less energy and 95 percent less water than typical data centers.
- Winthrop Center – The fourth tallest building in Boston, Winthrop Center is also the largest Passive House office building in the world; Passive House is widely considered one of the most energy efficient methods of building due to the creation of an airtight envelope separating the building’s exterior and interior which provides a combination of thermal comfort, air quality and low energy consumption.
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) Electric Central Utility Plant (eCUP) – As part of the airport’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, DFW has partnered with Suffolk on this plant which will provide sustainably powered heating and cooling capacity to support the airport’s growth and substantially decrease greenhouse gas emissions; the plant will be primarily fueled by electricity purchased by the airport that derives from 100% renewable sources.
- 10 World Trade – This 585,000-square-foot building will be filled with office and lab space and is the first project in Boston to achieve SITES pre-certification from The Sustainable SITES Initiative, which guides, evaluates and certifies a project’s sustainability in the planning, design, construction and management of landscapes and other outdoor spaces.
- The John W. Olver Design Building at UMass Amherst – The John W. Olver Design Building is the largest and most technologically advanced academic contemporary wood structure in the U.S. The building is the first of its kind in the U.S. to feature an innovative high-tech steel and wood construction system known as cross-laminated timber (CLTs) which significantly lowers the embodied carbon emissions of the project.
