LEED Platinum Manufacturing Building

Method’s first U.S. plant, located in Chicago’s historic Pullman area, includes manufacturing space, a warehouse, and offices. A manufacturer of eco-friendly home, fabric and personal care products, the design of the LEED Platinum facility followed in the company’s philosophy of being environmentally friendly. Gotham Greens, a Brooklyn-based urban farm, owns and operates the 75,000-sf rooftop greenhouse. 

The manufacturing area includes designs for bulk material handling and storage, batching tanks, mixing vessels, filling equipment and bottling — each with their own requirements for isolated slabs/foundations, spill containment, and overhead pipe trestles. 

Structural systems consist of long span steel joists over production areas and the high bay warehouse, supported by steel columns. The mechanical system utilizes standard VAV rooftop units to condition the office. The quality assurance lab is served by a rooftop unit with a modulating compressor and modulating gas heat to provide a vast range of supply air temperatures and airflows based on the random exhaust airflows within the space from two fume hoods. Most of the space, primarily used for production, is unconditioned and heated by industrial space heating equipment. 

Domestic water is heated and distributed throughout the facility via a solar thermal water heating system. Water is circulated through four solar panels located on the roof. 

Technology design included a structured cabling plant designed to support numerous systems in addition to the typical desktop computing needs. A cable tray system throughout the facility allows for easy rerouting of cables when modifications to the production line equipment is required. Conferencing spaces and the fitness areas are equipped with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment.