Rising energy prices, new legislation and heightened environmental awareness are changing the demands on the built environment. Today many new buildings and major renovations strive to offer healthy flexible indoor spaces that reduce the environmental impact of construction and building operation.

Access floor systems deliver high performance benefits to improve the indoor environment and sustainable benefits that reduce energy and material use while remaining cost competitive to traditional construction. As a result raised floors with underfloor service distribution have become a standard solution in commercial construction.

There are many important things to consider when determining the right manufacturer and panel type to use in a facility. The manufacturer's experience, distribution network and production capabilities are critical to getting materials on-time and installed properly. Likewise, the materials that make up the panel have a direct impact on its performance characteristics in the field. ConCore® panels provide the ultimate in air leakage control, performance, safety, and usability.

Great River Energy is a generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative that provides wholesale electric service to 28 distribution co-ops. Part of their environmental program includes projects that protect and enhance our natural resources; therefore, building a sustainable headquarters facilities was extremely important to them.

This project emphasizes indoor environmental quality while reducing energy use, utilizing a number of the latest advancements in technology that help set the new standard for sustainable building design and construction. Features include a low-energy HVAC system design using Tate's access floors and underfloor displacement ventilation, and a geothermal heating and cooling system that utilizes the adjacent Arbor Lake.