Hoffman LLC: River Crest Elementary School and Hoffman LLC honored again

Contact:

Scott Pigeon

Hoffman LLC | Director of Marketing

Phone: 920-380-2175 | Email: spigeon@hoffman.net

Recognized as AGC 2009 BUILD Wisconsin Award Winners

APPLETON, Wis. – The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Wisconsin has named River Crest Elementary School and its Total Project Manager, Hoffman LLC, as winners in their 2009 BUILD Wisconsin Award program, which recognizes the top outstanding construction projects completed in the state. Selected in the category of Design Build – New Construction, both will be honored at the program’s award ceremony Thursday, December 3, in Wisconsin Dells.

In August of 2009, River Crest Elementary in Hudson, Wisconsin, was awarded the esteemed designation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). With the honor, River Crest became the first elementary school in Wisconsin—and just the second public elementary school in the nation—to receive a Gold designation under the USGBC’s new LEED for School Rating System and only the second public school building in Wisconsin to receive Gold in any LEED category. The first was Hoffman’s Northland Pines High School in Eagle River in 2006.

A highly sustainable school, as evidenced by its LEED designation and the creation of a school-based environmental committee, the River Crest story is even more remarkable when considering the project’s cost. Designed and built for $166/square foot, which includes design, site work, construction, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment, River Crest’s total project cost was 29% below—or $57/square foot less than—the average construction cost for public elementary schools built in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in 2008 as reported in School Planning & Management’s “2009 Construction Report”.

According to Mary Bowen-Eggebraaten, Hudson School District Superintendent of Schools, receiving recognition for their new, environmentally friendly school with a 2009 BUILD Wisconsin Award meant a great deal to the district.

“The goal in constructing River Crest Elementary was to make a positive impact on the future of our students—on their learning, on their health and well-being, and on the earth they will inherit. Our challenge to Hoffman was to work with us to create this kind of environment for our students in a way that would elicit a ‘WOW’ from the community. We wanted our community, our taxpayers, to know that they were getting a great value for their investment. In fact, with River Crest’s construction costs 29% below the average of area construction comparisons in three states, we have proven sustainability makes good economic sense now and in the future,” explained Bowen-Eggebraaten.

“I believe that River Crest’s selection for an AGC of Wisconsin BUILD Award is a testament to Hoffman meeting our challenge. River Crest students, staff, and community members all comment on the school’s design attractiveness and how it is a model of sustainability for the entire St. Croix Valley area. In receiving LEED Gold certification, River Crest has become a model at the state and national level too. Hoffman, through its design and construction of River Crest, has set a new standard for school projects and has given the Hudson School District the proud distinction of being a leader in sustainability, and even more importantly a leader in designing 21st Century space for learning.”

Hoffman, an Appleton-based planning, architectural, and construction management firm, partnered with the Hudson School District on their project using its unique project delivery method, Total Project Management: Vision Taken to the Power of Green®. Hoffman is proud to receive the prestigious award and delighted for the school district.

“Having our work recognized by the AGC of Wisconsin is an honor for the entire Hoffman team,” said Paul J. Hoffman, Hoffman owner and president. “But ultimately, this is a great acknowledgment for the Hudson School District. We couldn’t be happier for Superintendent Mary Bowen-Eggebraaten, the Hudson School Board, its staff, and the entire school district. From the beginning, they had a vision of creating a highly sustainable, hands-on learning environment for the district and community. They displayed the dedication and determination to achieve their goals, and we feel extremely fortunate to be their partner and help bring their vision to life.”

Since its completion, River Crest has been featured in the 2008 School Planning & Management’s Education Design Showcase—named as “Judges’ Choice—and the 2009 edition of Learning By Design, where it was featured as one of the Outstanding Projects—demonstrating best practices in sustainable design and construction—in the Green Special Section. In addition, it was the recipient of a Distinguished Award in the Second Annual SchoolDesigner.com Design Collabetition.

The Hudson School District and Hoffman will collaborate again in January on a joint presentation at the 2010 Wisconsin State Education Convention in Milwaukee. The presentation will detail how River Crest, focused on reducing their energy use and environmental footprint and saving taxpayers’ dollars, is transforming a district and community to think and act in a more sustainable manner.

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Hoffman LLC, based in Appleton, Wisconsin, is a planning, architectural, and construction management firm whose mission is to make a positive impact on people’s lives and their environment by providing creative ideas and responsible solutions .Total Project Management: Vision Taken to the Power of Green® (TPMg), is Hoffman’s exclusive process that integrates efficient, healthy, and cost-effective building solutions that respect the environment while enhancing a building’s quality and value and reducing initial and long-term facility costs. Learn more at http://www.hoffman.net.

Hoffman was the first commercial planning, architectural, and construction management firm in Wisconsin to be awarded membership in Green America’s Green Business Network, the oldest association of socially and environmentally responsible businesses in the country.