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New 13-Story Headquarters for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island under Construction in Downtown Providence
Providence, RI – May 30, 2008 - A new landmark tower in downtown Providence will become the headquarters of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) when completed in 2009. Designed by Symmes Maini & McKee Associates/SMMA, the 13-story office building at Finance Way and Exchange Place is adjacent to two new residential towers at Waterplace Park in the Capital Center Special Development District. The tower is rising atop an underground parking garage and ground floor retail shops built by Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation as part of Waterplace Park’s mixed-use development. Construction manager for the 327,000 square foot project is Dimeo Construction of Providence.
“With such a prominent location in the city’s Capital Center District, BCBSRI and the design team wanted the tower’s architecture to be distinctive while also fitting seamlessly within the context of the adjacent residential buildings and the District’s larger neighborhood,” stated architect Mark Spaulding, AIA, LEED AP and a Senior Vice President of SMMA. “When the Capital Center Commission gave the project a unanimous vote of approval following a comprehensive design review, the response gave us all added confidence that the new tower will become a welcome landmark on the skyline of downtown Providence.”
According to Spaulding, “The curved glass facades of the tower will create a changeable image, depending on reflections and daylight conditions. The building form is designed to maximize the view corridors between buildings.”
SMMA worked with BCBSRI on a range of pre-design and design services, including evaluating several potential building sites and programming for the integration of five office locations in Rhode Island. Tom Bovis, Assistant Vice President of BCBSRI, said “We have worked with SMMA’s architects, engineers and interior professionals for four years now as we explored the multiple options and criteria for our new headquarters. Now that we are building our new facility in WaterPlace Park, there has been extraordinarily positive response from our employees.”
Design integrates sustainable and energy management features with the goal of achieving silver level certification from the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating SystemTM. Sustainable design elements include high-performing insulated glass curtain walls, which allow significant daylight into the offices while reducing solar gain in summer and keeping heat inside in winter. Daylight penetrating the full-height glass wall will enable sensors to dim or turn off building perimeter lighting. Two “green” vegetated roofs will reduce heat gain and help manage stormwater runoff. Rainwater collected from upper roofs will be used to help cool the equipment in the building’s data center. Energy-saving mechanical equipment will be employed throughout, including the latest technology applications for heating, cooling and water conservation. Materials for interior construction, furniture and finishes will be low-voc emitting, rapidly-renewable, and regionally developed.
With BCBSRI’s focus on health and wellness, an internal green education program will supplement the building’s sustainable design elements. The headquarters facility will include a fitness center, an employee cafe with an operable glass wall to open the dining space to the adjacent park in warm weather, a 3400 sf raised-floor data center, training rooms and customer call center. Employees will have close access to the Providence commuter rail station located adjacent to the site. Preferred parking under the building will be provided to employees with gas/electric hybrid cars, and bike racks will be available to encourage a healthy alternative to driving.
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