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New Windows Bring Light To Fitzgibbon Glass Building
Developer sets the bar for Warehouse Rehabs
By Ralph DiNola, Green Building Services
 Pettigrove Venture, LLC recently raised its own expectations with a new industrial redevelopment in Northwest Portland. Previously, the company worked with Green Building Services, Inc. (GBS) to earn a Silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System for the Triangle Building. The company collaborated again with GBS and included Stem Architecture, Madden & Baughman engineering and Robertson & Olson Construction on the team to pursue a Gold rating under LEED Core & Shell for the Fitzgibbon Glass Building.
Adapting the 35,000-sq-ft concrete warehouse into a commercial showroomspace, Pettigrove Venture transformed the Fitzgibbon Glass Building into a viable attraction that will help revitalize a neglected but now “up and coming” area of town. As cities across the nation redevelop their urban industrial building stock, this project offers a model of environmentally responsible rehabilitation and upgrade of warehouse properties.
From a sustainable perspective, the site selection met key criteria. The development reclaims a former industrial site but its proximity to the urban core affords it with in-place infrastructure and access to public transportation.
Starting with appropriate demolition and abatement, the team mitigated hazardous materials on the site and implemented on-site recycling efforts. More than 95 percent of the project’s construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
The team created an energy-efficient envelope by adding insulation in the walls. Then, they installed insulation above the existing roof and added a new, highly reflective “cool” roof on top to reduce the “urban heat-island effect.” In addition to resource conservation, this technique maintains the industrial aesthetic by leaving the original wooden roof structure exposed on the interior.
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The rectangular-shaped building consists of a double-height space that is divided into six tenant spaces with mezzanines at the back of each space. The design team inserted new roll-up doors with low-e coated glazing to bring daylight into the showrooms. An additional second story provides one large space with 360 degree views of the city. All existing glass in the building was replaced with the same low-e glazing to reduce solar heat gain while providing high levels of daylight and visual light transmittance.
Enhanced commissioning provided another sustainable benefit. The commissioning agent worked with the mechanical design/build contractor during the design phase to ensure the HVAC system design would meet the owner’s project requirements for both comfort and savings.
Addressing the increasingly conscientious travel patterns of Portlanders, the developer added bicycle parking on the site and showers in the building. Low-flow fixtures throughout the building reduce potable water use by more than 40 percent.
 Fitzgibbon Glass Building
Owner: Fitzgibbon Glass LLC
Architect: Stern Architecture
Engineer: Madden & Baughman Engineering Inc.
Contractor: Robertson & Olson Construction
Sustainability Consultant: Green Building Services
Subcontractors: D&A General Contractors; Elder Demolition; Hi-Mark Concrete; Precision Rebar & Accessories; Custom Masonry; Mr. Steel; RCI Architectural Sheet Metal; Willamette Glass; Vancouver Painting; Studers Floor Covering; CH Kruse Plumbing; Stoner Electric/Stoner Protective Systems
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