“We are extremely pleased to announce the achievement and acceptance of 104 Trade as a LEED Certified building in Greer,” said Russ Braasch, President, Braasch Building Group. “All parties involved – from the contractors and engineers, to the city and surrounding businesses – put forth a cooperative effort to support us in accomplishing this goal, and we hope it adds an architectural feature to a community with so much growth and exciting new ventures ongoing already. At our onset, one of our core values has been to promote sustainable building practices in each of our projects. Achieving LEED Certification is a statement of our commitment to this value, as well as to the community.”
First developed in the 1950’s as Alta Cunningham’s Fine Ladies Clothing store, the business center is a state-of-the-art, Class A office complex. Braasch and Langley & Associates Architects partnered on the design and planning process
The renovation process took two years to complete. The business center features executive office suites with administrative support services, video conferencing capabilities, shared conference rooms, and business startup support.
“Greer is a progressive and vibrant community that has benefitted incredibly from big ideas, careful planning, consistent investment, and the cooperation of public-private partnerships working together,” said Larry Wilson, Chairman of Greer’s Partnership for Tomorrow – Progress in Motion. “Russ Braasch and the redevelopment of 104 Trade Street as a LEED Certified building represent a new generation of Greer community leadership that is dedicated, has great community vision, and possess the unique ability to work cooperatively to continue to grow the Greer community.”
LEED certification was based on green design and construction features:
Community redevelopment
• Reuses structures already in place.
• Reduces new impacts to green space.
• Close proximity to basic services reduces daily travel distances.
Water efficiency
• Received “Innovation in Design” Credit for more than a 40 percent reduction in water usage over the baseline.
Energy and atmosphere
• Over 17 percent reduction in energy use through the use of high efficiency heating and cooling equipment, low voltage lighting, new energy conserving glazing, reflective roof covering, etc.
Materials and resources
• Over 90 percent of all construction waste recycled.
• Utilized local construction materials to reduce delivery distances.
• Wood framing certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), a governing body created to support sustainable forestry practices and conservation.
• Reused existing building components to reduce the amount of new construction materials required and their associated waste.
Indoor environmental quality
• Developed and executed an Indoor air quality plan for the construction period, as well as pre- and post- construction, to reduce contaminants and particles in the air that present health risks.
• Utilized low-emitting adhesives and sealants throughout construction.
• High level of control for thermal and lighting systems increase end-user control and comfort.