RICHMOND, CA-Point Richmond Tech Center I, a property developed, owned and managed by Wareham Development, has received multiple awards.

In recent separate ceremonies, the complex has been received a BOMA Earth Day Recognition of Innovation award, from Building Owners and Managers Association International, and LEED Silver Certification.

The BOMA Earth Day award is for a Garden for the Tenants at 1001 West Cutting Boulevard. 

The tenant garden consists of eight raised landscaping beds, each surrounded with benches under an arbor to provide a multi-use refuge.

“The original impetus for this project was to replace a high water-using lawn with drip irrigation but after consulting with the tenant we decided to create and incorporate the garden into the project,” explained Debby Barrall, Wareham property manager of the site. “Tenant employees maintain their own patches in the beds where they plant all sorts of flowers and vegetables, depending on the season,” she added.

Not only are the garden beds more beautiful than the lawn that it replaced, but more water efficient with the new drip irrigation installed.  The main benefit in having the gardens has proved to be that they are a healthy and spirit-lifting amenity for the tenants. The laboratory director for the State of California tenant has commented that, “going out in the garden is like therapy…”

LEED Silver certification was achieved for adjoining properties of Point Richmond Tech Center I, 1001 and 1003 West Cutting Boulevard.

Wareham Development hosted a luncheon celebration in May to celebrate the great collaboration between tenants and the Wareham property management teams in response to the LEED certification process. 

“Wareham considers this achievement a great success of our tenants and our property management teams, who all show us how to do well by doing good,” said Chris Barlow, partner with Wareham Development. 

The two buildings contain the laboratories of the State of California, Department of Justice, DNA Forensic Laboratory and laboratories of Transcept Pharmaceuticals, plus the offices of the State of California, Department of Rehabilitation.  LEED credits earned include:

-        Over 40% reduction in conventional commuting trips using alternate transportation

-        Exemplary performance in sustainable purchasing of office products

-        Exemplary performance in tenant recycling and e-waste

-        Innovation credit earned from the Tenant Garden (which also won the 2013 BOMA Earth Award for Innovation)

-        Exemplary water efficiency performance in indoor plumbing, fixture efficiency and landscaping

-        Existing building commissioning and analysis

-        Innovation in High Performance Green Cleaning Program including all janitorial products and equipment

-        Exemplary performance credit on optimizing energy efficiency performance

“We appreciate the recognition but by pushing the envelope in an effort to become a more sustainable workplace environment we are just doing what is right.  We firmly believe it is urgent that we all continue to make the greatest effort to do what we can to ready the planet for our children's children,” says Rich Robbins, president of Wareham Development. 

Wareham Development, San Rafael, CA, has been developing and managing properties since 1977.