Coatings Are Helping Change ‘Beantown’ into a ‘Green’ Town

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(Free-Press-Release.com) November 1, 2011 -- The chronology of Boston’s architectural evolution spanning three centuries can be traced from landmark structures along the city’s historic Freedom Trail, to modern glass towers on the city’s waterfront. Nicknamed “Beantown,” from when black bread and beans baked in molasses were mainstays in the diet of colonists, the city is now gaining recognition as a “green” town for its major commitment to sustainable developments.

Today, Boston’s municipal zoning code requires all large-scale projects to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards. The mandate, which was the first of its kind in the nation, has resulted in a new generation of sustainable developments, including the new 31-story Atlantic Wharf mixed-use project that has been pre-certified LEED Gold. Located on the Fort Point waterfront next to the site of the Boston Tea Party, the redevelopment project includes office, residential, retail and public event spaces, including a waterfront plaza.

Atlantic Wharf was designed to use 33 percent less energy and 69 percent less domestic water than comparable downtown office towers, according to the building’s owner. “Over 85 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills, over 20 percent of the building materials were manufactured from recycled products, and over 50 percent of wood products in the building was harvested from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests,” the project’s website stated.

The project featured interior and exterior coating systems from Tnemec, which assisted the developer in achieving the LEED pre-certification, according to coating consultant, Larry Mitkus, of the Righter Group. Exposed steel columns inside the building’s atrium were shop-primed with Series N69 Hi-Build Epoxoline II, an advanced generation polyamidoamine epoxy, which conforms to air pollution regulations limiting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coatings. The atrium’s steel columns and glass curtainwall were field-primed with Series 27WB Typoxy, an advanced generation, high-solids water-based epoxy, followed by a finish coat of Series 750 UVX, a low-VOC hybrid urethane, which offers superior color and gloss retention.

“Aesthetics, along with resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light were primary performance considerations, which is why Series 750 UVX was specified,” Mitkus explained. “Another consideration was resistance to abrasion caused by people coming in contact with the base of the columns.”

Exterior canopies coming off the atrium were primed with Series 90-97 Tneme-Zinc, a two-component, moisture-cured, zinc-rich urethane, followed by an intermediate coat of Series N69. A topcoat of Series 1071 Fluoronar, a semi-gloss high-solids fluoropolymer, and a clearcoat finish were applied to extend the system’s long-term weathering performance. The same coating system was shop-applied to a 200-foot tall steel spire ascending an exterior corner of the glass tower.

The base of the office tower consists of historical buildings, which were preserved and renovated for residential use. Cast iron facades on these buildings were blast-cleaned and primed with Series 1 Omnithane, a single-component, moisture-cured urethane primer containing micaceous iron oxide and zinc. An intermediate coat of Series N69 and a finish coat of Series 750 were brush- and roller-applied for long-term protection from exterior weathering.

Boston’s waterfront has experienced a renaissance since the completion of the Central Artery/Tunnel project, known unofficially as the “Big Dig.” Prior to completion of the tunnel, Fort Point channel had been separated from the rest of the city by the elevated Central Artery (Interstate 93).

architectural coatings     Atlantic Wharf     LEED certification     sustainable architecture     Tnemec Company