Thornton Tomasetti/Fore Solutions provides consulting for Genzyme's LEED Gold facility

According to Thornton Tomasetti, Genzyme Corp.'s biologics support center has received LEED Gold Certification. The center will accommodate 350 employees within a six-story glass-walled laboratory. Fore Solutions, acquired by Thornton Tomasetti in 2012, was the LEED consultant to ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge. The new building's green technologies and designs are part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Labs21 program. The laboratory facility employs innovative techniques such as re-using HVAC condensate for irrigation and using chilled beams for cooling. Ventilation systems in the labs will be monitored to reduce the air changes per hour when the space is unoccupied. The design maximizes the use of natural light to reduce energy cost. The center is designed to use 43% less water and 28% less energy than a standard code compliant building.