ground breaking
by chris becicka

Ecoworks
Leeding the Way

“Kansas City employees will lead the way in helping their employers see the wisdom and the benefits involved in choosing a corporate location that is environmentally sensitive and that conserves our natural resources.” Hugh Zimmer speaks enthusiastically about his new project, ECOWORKS, a 40-acre parcel of the 300-acre Southlake Technology Park in Lenexa.

As the first commercial project in metropolitan Kansas City to be designed for acceptance under the LEED Green Building Rating System, this new Southlake Technology Park addition will meet the latest standards for what constitutes a “green building.” The rating system is sponsored by the United States Green Building Council whose Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) was developed to evaluate environmental performance for a “whole building” perspective over a building’s life cycle.

The LEED concept is relatively new and cutting edge, and one that has this industry buzzing—though few have yet embraced it as fully as has the Zimmer Companies. Energy-efficient buildings constructed of recycled material are the norm at ECOWORKS. The steel used is 90 percent recycled. The paint will not give off harmful fumes as most do. The carpet, one of the country’s greatest landfill problems, will be totally biodegradable. The toilets are waterless (and yes, they work wonderfully). The plantings utilize native plants and grasses that require less water. If the developer does decide to include sprinklers on the parcel, the water will come from the 10 lakes on the property.

This approach is good for business, Zimmer firmly believes. “Both your employees and your customers will think more highly of you and your company if your organization conserves our resources and protects our environment. Working people are more attuned to these issues than the politicians and the national corporate leaders, and smart companies want to attract even smarter people. High-quality employees will once again, and perhaps always, be in short supply—and this kind of office environment will help attract them.”

Besides the doing-good-for-the-world aspect, ECOWORKS speaks to employees’ needs. There’s a child-care center for employees’ children. There are over four miles of walking trails, and a locker room and showers are planned. Stocked lakes are available for employees to actually fish every day after work and on weekends. Bike racks, a volleyball court, basketball goals, outside eating areas for picnics and an indoor lounge all recognize the correlation of recreation to productivity. Even back in 1987 when Southlake was first developed, the goal was to create a place that would make it easier to hire and retain great employees.

The six new buildings will comprise about 350,000 square feet, all one or two stories tall. ECOWORKS One and Two, currently under construction, will provide about one third of that. Southlake Technology Park itself consists of 19 buildings on 300 acres. About 12 percent of the project is devoted to common area, a very high percentage for office parks. Zimmer is confident this is one project that will succeed despite the fact, “We are bringing a product to market our customer does not entirely understand and will not pay a premium for it initially. However, we will have to be price competitive with any Class A building design.”

But, he says, there are three major benefits to building now. “First, we know we are doing something good for the country. As responsible business people, we are calling attention to the fragility of the earth’s supplies. Second, we believe we will fill our buildings more quickly because our approach resonates with today’s employee. Finally, we hope that eventually we will be able to charge a lease rate that’s commensurate with the energy savings to the employer who also recognizes the value of his/her employees. It’s a total win-win.”