Award of Merit Government/Public Building and Excellence in Sustainability Award of Merit: Wheaton Revitalization Project
The $133-million LEED Platinum project serves as Montgomery County’s crown jewel in green energy and as an industry-wide model for sustainable construction.
Anchored by a 308,000-sq-ft, 14-story government office building with ground-floor retail, the project also includes a four-level below-grade parking garage and a 25,000-sq-ft public plaza. The entire development sits atop a complex geothermal system consisting of 160 600-ft-deep wells and 175 vertical tiedowns, all located within the building’s footprint—which the team says is only the second development in the region to achieve this feat. Digital modeling aided the intricate construction process, ensuring that each well was drilled in a precise location. Installation of the horizontal piping connecting the vertical wells also required extensive coordination in and around areas of building footings and horizontal plumbing.