Prolacta Bioscience’s headquarters is a 40,338-square-foot commercial interiors project located in Duarte, CA. Verdical Group provided:

• LEED Project Management (ID+C v3 Gold Certified)
• CALGreen Commissioning
• LEED Fundamental Commissioning

Prolacta Bioscience is the pioneer in standardized human milk-based nutritional products for premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The nationwide company completed their headquarters in 2017. The commercial interior project covers 40,338 square feet of headquarter office space, in a one-story base building. The project is well-connected to community resources and is conveniently located right next to the Metro Gold Line Duarte station. This location supports an active lifestyle, car-free living, and the associated health benefits and reduction in carbon emissions.

As water security and drought conditions worsen in Southern California, the project’s attention to potable water use reduction was crucial; the project team successfully achieved a 43.5 percent reduction in indoor potable water use, through use of low-flow fixtures. Additionally, the project reduced connected lighting power by 55.5 percent, lighting occupancy sensors were installed for 97.7 percent of the connected lighting load, and ENERGY STAR-rated equipment and appliances equal to 76 percent by rated power were installed. The project also incorporated a unique daylighting system using Ciralight Suntrackers, to further offset their connected lighting power and reliance on electric lighting. Additionally, Green Power was purchased for the project to support an accelerated renewable energy future, and reduce the project’s carbon footprint.

The project specified building materials (31.8 percent total by value) that were manufactured within 500 miles of the site, and 10.5 percent of total building materials, by value, were manufactured using recycled materials. Using locally produced and recycled products reduced the negative impacts of transportation and extraction to produce and deliver the materials to the project.

The project was designed to minimize occupant exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals, during construction and through the materials selected. The project provides improved air quality by reducing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, agrifiber, and flooring as well as the performance of an air flush-out which was completed upon construction completion. The project is also designed for ideal thermal comfort, and will be monitored to ensure that occupants remain comfortable, further improving the occupant experience.

The project employed innovative strategies as well, above and beyond typical LEED credits, to include a Green Cleaning Policy, demonstrating a comprehensive and quantitative green cleaning program, and by installing only LED lamps, thus avoiding any presence of mercury in the project. Paired with the project’s achievement of all four Regional Priority credits, this thoughtfully designed project meets the needs of occupants and the region.