MILFORD, Mich. – A nearly 37,000-square-foot facility at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground is now certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The facility, known as the proving ground’s administration building, is GM’s first brownfield site to earn the designation.
The project involved nearly a complete demolition of the existing facility, focusing on LEED sustainable design and construction guidelines as well as strict GM green construction protocol.
“The challenge of converting a brownfield site lies in working around existing infrastructure,” said Doug Ravas, senior manager, GM Global Facilities. “With a greenfield site, you’re operating on virgin ground, so you can shape it to your whim. A brownfield site conversion takes diligent planning and execution, which makes receiving LEED certification more fulfilling for the team.”