General Electric HQ (Necco Buildings Reno) | 5 Necco Street | Fort Point

[bigpicture7]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

BigPicture -- There is no wood

if you read the documents you will see the materials while not specified in detail are wood-look-like -- my guess is composite of some manner like hardiplank

Hi Wighlander, I was going by the Gensler slides that were posted in post #365 of this thread (e.g., "wood fins")

 

[datadyne007]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Hi Wighlander, I was going by the Gensler slides that were posted in post #365 of this thread (e.g., "wood fins")

This slide:

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

^those wooden fins sure appear unlikely to age well.

 

[statler]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

It wouldn't surprise me if Whigh was right and they swapped out real wood for a wood-like material.

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

My understanding is that South Boston is still a major production and R&D site for Gillette products. Razor production is not something you easily shift around -- it is very capital intensive.

JeffDowntown -- Yes it is the major US manufacturing center -- highly automated and capital intensive with a recent infusion of many M$
http://news.pg.com/press-release/pg...-investment-south-boston-manufacturing-center

P&G Increases Investment in South Boston Manufacturing Center
Announces $35-$50 Million New Investment in the Gillette World Shaving Headquarters

Wednesday, January 10, 2007 8:08 am EST

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) today announced it will invest $35 to $50 million in its South Boston Manufacturing Center, a state-of-the-art facility also known as Gillette World Shaving Headquarters.

The 33-acre South Boston site will house Research and Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing and business support related to the Gillette Blade and Razor business. Employees now located in the Prudential Tower Building in Boston's Back Bay will relocate to the South Boston facility when the current Prudential Tower lease expires in 2009.

"This major new investment underscores P&G's continued strong commitment to our premier shaving facility and to our robust presence here in Massachusetts," said Chip Bergh, president, global grooming. "By combining the key blade and razor functions in one location, we will further strengthen our focus on world-class shaving product innovation and manufacturing technology."

At re-dedication ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the South Boston Manufacturing Center in 2005, P&G announced a three-year $200 million capital investment program focused on improving the facility's research and development and manufacturing capabilities. The investment of $35 to $50 million announced today is additional funding that will be used to upgrade and expand office space, lobby and meeting areas, training rooms, a cafeteria, and an employee fitness center.

P&G also announced today an internal reorganization, effective July 1, 2007, in which the Gillette Blade and Razor and Braun businesses will become part of P&G Beauty and Health, and the Duracell battery business will join P&G Household Care. These reporting changes will not change the physical location of the operations, with Gillette Blades and Razors remaining in South Boston, Braun in Kronberg, Germany, and Duracell in Bethel, Conn.

- See more at: http://news.pg.com/press-release/pg...ton-manufacturing-center#sthash.BYVFDqsh.dpuf

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

It wouldn't surprise me if Whigh was right and they swapped out real wood for a wood-like material.

From the standpoint of green building, durability, climate-appropriate design, and general maintenance, I don't understand wood in this application on a building of this scale.

And given that this is General Electric, wouldn't copper be much cooler?

 

[cca]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

^those wooden fins sure appear unlikely to age well.

Yup .. won't be real wood. Wood-ish.

Beton ... I agree with you but wood is trendy these day (as you well know) because it feels "green" and "warm". These companies want to be "seen" as both. Copper is a great choice but probably does not agree with their latest PR strats.

cca

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

It wouldn't surprise me if Whigh was right and they swapped out real wood for a wood-like material.

Statler

The original EENF-EPNF document left the material somewhat unspecified [my reformat and highlights

Figure 3.5 presents the palate of exterior building materials being considered for the
Project.

Throughout the Project, materials that can patina, or result in a worn-in look
will be used including
wood or wood-like materials , zinc metal, and masonry
anchoring the proposed buildings to the adjacent historic neighborhood. The New
Building will also express its structure on the exterior, reflecting the industrial past of
the Project Site.

where fig. 3.5 is essentially the same figure mentioned by Datadyne

In the presentation which I attended in Oct the word wood was not explicitly there -- however, I looked at all the documents which I have downloaded and I can't find any document which specifically says wood-like or wood-look-like rather than wood is the material of choice

So I guess that we still don't know definitively about the Solar Veil materials

I'm guessing before construction that there will be a final document posted with the final details as there were a number of changes requested by the Design Committee which GE and Gensler accommodated but which only exist in the form of some powerpoint renders with captions

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

From the standpoint of green building, durability, climate-appropriate design, and general maintenance, I don't understand wood in this application on a building of this scale.

And given that this is General Electric, wouldn't copper be much cooler?

Do they get credit in LEED certification for the use of a renewable material? (I am assuming this building is going for some level of LEED certification.)

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Do they get credit in LEED certification for the use of a renewable material? (I am assuming this building is going for some level of LEED certification.)

JeffDowntown -- LEED Silver -- from the EENF document highlights

The Project is targeting LEED Silver under LEEDv4, which requires the achievement of a minimum of 50 points. This goal recognizes and reflects the results of the LEEDv4 Beta Program during which USGBC tracked the environmental efficiency of 120 projects under both LEEDv2009 and LEEDv4, and found that projects would achieve one level lower certification under LEEDv4 due to the higher bar of performance required in this new rating system.

As demonstrated by the draft LEED Scorecards for each project component (provided in Appendix F), a total of 54 'yes' points with 38 'maybe' points are being targeted for the Brick Buildings (Figure F.1), and a total of 52 'yes' points with 40 'maybe' points are being targeted for the New Building (Figure F.2).

From a LEED perspective, the key difference between the two project components is that the Brick Buildings component is eligible to achieve the Materials and Resources credit "Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction" for reuse of existing, historical buildings.

 

[cca]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Do they get credit in LEED certification for the use of a renewable material? (I am assuming this building is going for some level of LEED certification.)

Most buildings get the recycled content credit by being a structural steel building. 98% off all steel these days is recycled scrap.

cca

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Most buildings get the recycled content credit by being a structural steel building. 98% off all steel these days is recycled scrap.

cca

OK, but I have seen a number of buildings also using recycled or renewable cladding for content credit as well.

 

[cca]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

OK, but I have seen a number of buildings also using recycled or renewable cladding for content credit as well.

Take what you can get. In the case of GE. The exterior "wood" is for optics only.

cca

 

[stick n move]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

I dont remember seeing this posted.

I dont know what it is but I hate the word makerspace. Sounds corny and like a try hard catch phrase to be hip.

 

[TheBostonian]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

I dont know what it is but I hate the word makerspace. Sounds corny and like a try hard catch phrase to be hip.

Ditto. What would we have called that kind of space before that term?

 

[datadyne007]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Ditto. What would we have called that kind of space before that term?

Innovation lab/CNC Lab/Modeling Lab/Prototyping Lab but "makerspace" is a set in stone program designation for the 21st century. It's not just a buzzword GE is using. I've worked on schools, libraries, community centers & corporate projects all with designated makerspaces with CAD, 3D modeling & laser cutting equip.

The name likely gets derived from the "Makerbot" 3D printer that took 3D printing mainstream to the masses.

 

[Jouhou]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Ditto. What would we have called that kind of space before that term?

A machine shop.

 

[stellarfun]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Harvard used real wood for the reconstructed Fogg.
http://www.payette.com/post/2435250-harvard-art-museums-innovating-with-wood

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

A machine shop.

Jouhou -- No -- not really

Maker Space and STEM are just two terms which you are going to have to come to {ahem} Terms with in the coming next few years

They are 21st C speak based on the traditional concepts of College Prep combined with Industrial Arts

Today because of CAD [Computer Aided Design], and CAE [Computer Aided Engineering], CAM [Computer Aided Manufacture], CCM [Computer Controlled Manufacture]and terms such as DFM [Design for Manufacture] and DFT [Design for Test] -- everything related to manufacture except for blacksmithing and such involves computers, sensors and actuators

All of that involves STEM [Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics] -- a "makers space" is to a traditional machine shop as a multiaxis machining center is to a black smith's anvil and hammer

and of course in addition to the computerized subtractive tools we now have printers for plastics, ceramics and even metals

For example the GE9X the state of the art in high bypass turbofan engines uses a printed part [fuel nozzle]which is integral to making the engine efficient and reliable

[images courtesy GE Aviation]

The LEAP is the first jet engine with 3D-printed fuel nozzles. Image credit: GE Reports/Adam Senatori

 

[Jouhou]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Whigh, yes machine shops now use CAM and you know, 3D printers are otherwise known as "additive machining". Source: I AM a certified journeyman machinist.