The 11-story, LEED Platinum-certified Rockville Metro Plaza II added 323,000 square feet of Class A space to Rockville, Md.'s commercial building inventory. The building accommodates open-bay column spacing via a post-tensioned concrete structural frame. It also features interior stone and wood accents; office, conference and training areas equipped with the latest audio-visual conferencing, projection, lighting and computer tablet controls; and an outdoor terrace. The owner's acquisition of Renewable Energy Credits helped the project achieve its Platinum rating.
While excavating the below-grade garage in the fall and winter of 2011, the project experienced record-breaking rainfall. Crews also encountered rock and groundwater during excavation. A traditional dewatering system couldn't be installed due to the striation of the rock.