The Tennessee Recycling Coalition recently awarded our Nashville office with the 2018 Government Recycler of the Year Award for the team’s successful waste diversion program during the historic renovation of the Cordell Hull building.
The renovation project salvaged the historic building and made it the new home of the Tennessee legislature. Skanska recycled more than 10,000 tons of metal, wood, concrete and masonry, drywall, carpet, and other materials for a landfill waste diversion total of 94 percent.
“Working sustainably is a priority for our company, and it’s an honor to be recognized for the extensive recycling program we were able to implement during the historic renovation of the Cordell Hull,” said Skanska Executive Vice President Dennis Georgatos. “By recycling and salvaging so many materials, our team was able to reduce the project’s carbon impact compared to what it would have been if the building were built from the ground up.”
Additionally, the team was able to salvage marble walls, terrazzo floors and stairs, statues, and even the Cordell Hull building sign. The total project included 366,000 square feet of renovation and 7,000 square feet of new construction. In addition to renovating and adding new elevators, the team added a new foot tunnel and parking garage.
“Energy efficient buildings save a little bit of (operational) carbon every year,” says Skanska USA Chief Sustainability Officer Beth Heider. “Renovated buildings and material reuse saves a lot of (embodied) carbon all at once. This project punches above its weight by saving so much embodied carbon now, when it really matters on the timeline to arrest climate change. Kudos to the entire project team for your leadership.”
For their work on the project, the team was also recently awarded the Best Project Award in the renovation category by Engineering-News Record Southeast.