Affordable Green
Geisinger's Buckhorn Office Building holds Ribbon Cutting for their staff and the community

In early November, Borton-Lawson was able to celebrate with the community and over 400 of Geisinger’s staff, who occupy their newest building, the Buckhorn Office Building. The Borton-Lawson team designed this 94,000 SF green office space that is state-of-the-art, flexible, and sited on the beautiful hills outside of Bloomsburg. We equipped Geisinger with a welcoming and user-friendly facility that illustrates Geisinger’s commitment to “the prudent use of all resources”. We were able to produce an affordably green design that exemplifies Geisinger’s image of quality, responsibility, and functionality.

Due to Geisinger’s tremendous growth in recent years, they are continually adapting their operations to accommodate the increased number of customers as well as their changing needs. The Buckhorn Office Building houses many of their administrative functions including accounting, customer service, and training, and it incorporates many state-of-the-art features including a sound-masking system to minimize distractions, “Smart Boards” for effective training, digital reader boards to track customer service calls, and an innovative electronic medical record scanning system. These special features allow employees to process over 4,000 calls per day.

Geisinger is also proud of the building being environmentally friendly, with occupancy sensors to minimize energy use in rooms not being used and a monitoring system to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the building at times when it is not occupied. This building is targeted for LEED Silver Certification in accordance with the standards developed by the United States Green Building Council. Congratulations to Geisinger on their growth and new office building!

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Grants, the gift that keeps on giving
Borton-Lawson is proud to announce that we have assisted four of the 99 PA Conservation Works! (PACW) grant recipients to secure almost $600,000 in funding! Bill McFarland, our Director of Electrical Engineering, has taken leadership to help our current and future clients secure grants through the PACW grant program to fund important projects. PACW is a $22 million competitive grant program, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to help local government and non-profit organizations improve energy efficiency, curb energy consumption, and reduce energy costs by at least 25 percent. “The energy savings generated by these projects means more money will be available for other municipal projects, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 450,000 tons—the equivalent of removing nearly 75,000 passenger cars from our roads,” said Governor Rendell.

We performed required Energy Audits and/or assisted the following recipients complete the application process:

• Warwick Township received $96,098 for a multi-part project to increase building envelope efficiency through insulation and window replacement as well as replacement of external and internal lighting with occupancy sensors. This project will create the equivalent of one new, permanent job, 11 new, full-time, temporary jobs, and two new, part-time jobs. Total kilowatt hours saved: 5,077,210.
• Huntington Township received $32,003 to improve building insulation and reduce overall energy use in lighting, general heating, and water heating. The savings will allow the township to temporarily employ 11 people during the renovation process. Total kilowatt hours saved: 1,072,070.
• Misericordia University received $170,602 to replace 162 T12 light fixtures and 42 incandescent exit signs with equivalent LED fixtures. Total kilowatt hours saved: 955,750. Total MCF saved: 9,785.
  
• County of Pike received $302,500 for energy efficiency improvements to municipal buildings in Lackawaxen and Shohola Townships and Matamoras Borough. Improvements include new efficient lighting, additional insulation, select window and door replacements, and upgrades to inefficient heating and cooling systems. A 25 kW solar panel array will be installed at the Matamoras Borough Fire Hall/Maintenance Building. Total kilowatt hours saved: 3,746,164.

Borton-Lawson has also assisted several clients in capitalizing on the Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program (SBEEG) available through the Alternative Energy Investment Fund. This grant program can provide 25% savings up to $25,000 for equipment or processes that significantly improve energy efficiency such as lighting, heating, cooling, refrigeration and process machinery, as well as building insulation and weatherization improvement projects.

In addition to preparing a successful grant application resulting in the award of project funds for Hazleton Oil, a leading waste oil recycling facility; Borton-Lawson provided the necessary submissions to qualify the client’s facility for the prestigious ENERGY STAR® Certification. The ENERGY STAR® labeling and signage lets their customers know they are doing their part to reduce energy use signifying that the facility is in the upper 25 percentile for energy efficiency.

In our twenty years of service, we have not only successfully completed hundreds of large and small project designs incorporating the latest energy codes and best practices, but we have also done energy-specific projects including audits, verification of energy conservation opportunities, cost-benefit analyses, and full engineering for implementation.

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Borton-Lawson receives award for Excellence in Professional Development from the Scranton Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Borton-Lawson for Excellence in Professional Development on October 27th at their annual awards luncheon. The award honors organizations that are committed to the professional development and training of their employees.

Borton-Lawson offers a wide array of programs for professional, managerial, and executive levels. Through its training, the organization assumes costs and supports continuing education, community leadership projects, corporate coaching, and executive training.

Borton-Lawson knows that it is important to increase and maintain its workforce’s technical, administrative, and managerial proficiencies. The firm employs Engineers, Architects, Designers, Detailers, Surveyors, GIS Technicians, CAD Operators, Environmental Specialists, and Administrative Personnel. Borton-Lawson seeks to continually improve its service offerings by equipping its staff with the best technical and professional training. The firm dedicates a large part of our budget to professional and personal development.  The programs Borton-Lawson hosts and supports center on customer service, technical knowledge, and leadership skills.

Visit www.scrantonchamber.com to learn more about the Scranton Chamber and their programs.

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AIA PA’s 100th Anniversary Dinner

This fall, members and guests of AIA Pennsylvania gathered at their annual President’s Dinner to celebrate the association’s 100th Anniversary. Pennsylvania was the very first of AIA State Associations to formally meet in the country. Patrick Endler, AIA, LEED AP, our Vice President of Architecture, is proud to serve as the AIA Statewide President during this centennial year, and he was honored by the opportunity to preside over this special commemorative event.

As part of the program, Pat recognized the contributions of AIA’s past presidents and association leaders and opened up the floor for attendees to share special memories. As part of the annual meeting remarks, Pat reviewed association highlights, “We have successfully lobbied against the imposition of a professional services tax; our green building bills have been moving and working in conjunction with the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, and we are close to having a bill that will update the State Architects Licensure Law.” AIA Pennsylvania also moved into their newly renovated, 4,000 square foot, green office this year, showcasing the profession’s commitment to sustainability and providing a more effective space to achieve their goals.

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Project Showcase

Wyoming Valley Infrastructure Improvements
These improvements consisted of an overhaul of both the Main and Emergency Driveway Entrances to improve their functionality and aesthetic appeal; as well as the design of a 10,000 square foot storage building, a 205-space parking lot, and an extensive stormwater management system to meet current PA DEP rate control, volume control, and water quality guidelines.

Natural Gas Exploration
Borton-Lawson continues to support clients involved in the development of the Marcellus Shale region as natural gas exploration in Pennsylvania continues to expand. Over the past year, we have played an integral role in supporting exploration companies in their efforts. Work has included survey, wetlands, environmental investigations, traffic studies, design and permitting of water withdrawal facilities, and automation support to properly manage the permitted water systems. We continue to expand our service territory and staff to respond to these dynamic project requests.

Hoyt Library Restoration and Addition
Two years after the collapse of its roof, the Hoyt Library is back in business with a modern two story library. The library, damaged during an ice storm in 2007, is said to be architectural wonder, and includes not only renovations to the original mansion, but also an expanded facility to include a public meeting room, a children’s activity center, a second floor, and a larger parking lot.

Working alongside Casaccio Architects, Borton-Lawson provided professional surveying, civil engineering, and site development design, as well as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural engineering services to support the Hoyt Library Renovation project. The Hoyt Library held a Grand Opening Ceremony on Friday, October 23rd for the community to celebrate the improved library and its benefit to the community.

State Route 850 Bridge Design
Borton-Lawson designed the replacement of this two-span, sharply skewed bridge over Laurel Run. The design eliminated the need for two existing bridges.This decreased reoccurring maintenance costs and improved stream hydraulics. The realignment was positioned so that the surrounding wetlands were not disturbed, and that truck turning requirements were accommodated. Along with the realignment new signage, drainage, and guide rails were installed.

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