The Transformation of Building 48
Like a caterpillar to a butterfly, Building 48 has undergone a significant transformation. Previously, the building served as a warehouse for the National Archives and Records Administration before that agency vacated the facility in 2013.
Now some 20 plus years later the building has been transformed to a new, modern and sustainable office space for the Department of Interior’s Interior Business Center (IBC). This new space will be all-electric, be a net zero energy facility that is LEED Gold and SITES Silver certified.
B48 is ready to move tenants into brand new office space starting this August, allowing for IBC to move out of large private market leases. This consolidation will save taxpayers nearly $6,000,000 annually. But while this is a major success story for GSA, it did not come without some turmoil.
After the building achieved substantial completion in mid-December, disaster struck in the form of a devastating flood that was discovered on December 26. A water main break filled the basement and exterior courtyard with 1.1 million gallons of water, equivalent to 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools, which left more than four feet of standing water and mud. The water destroyed all of the building’s major mechanical and electrical equipment which were housed in the basement.
GSA personnel jumped into action immediately to control the situation. West Metro Fire began pumping out the 8,340,000 pounds of water and by the end of the first day the water was completely removed from the building. Since then GSA has worked tirelessly to establish contracts in an effort to restore the building and achieve occupancy by August 1st of this year.
As of July 2024, new mechanical systems have been installed, utilities have been restored and carpet is now being installed to meet the occupancy date.
Project Overview
The Building 48 Modernization Project will convert a 150,000 sf WWII Munitions Plant and most recently a National Archives and Records Administration warehouse which has sat vacant on the Denver Federal Center since 2013 into a highly efficient, modern work environment for DOI’s Interior Business Center (IBC). This project will allow IBC to shed three (3) large private market leases, and consolidate into a single federally owned asset, saving the taxpayer nearly $6,000,000 annually.
Project Design
The project’s design will build on the warehouse’s inherent and compelling interior attributes while also introducing an abundance of natural daylight into the structure; installing high performing building systems; creating unique, modern, and efficient office space for the IBC; and connecting the structure’s architectural relationship to the campus and IBC’s mission.
Project Goals
- Achieve the status of a high-performance green building.
- Provide a high-performance workplace that enhances all human factors including: health, functional efficiency, productivity, space flexibility, air quality, and comfort in thermal, acoustic and visual perspectives and utilizing natural light.
- Utilize design, construction, and operational excellence practices to design and construct an office space of outstanding quality and value.
- Provide a public entryway, usable outdoor space for employees, and natural daylight throughout the building, including the lower story.
- Modernize and transform the building from its current state to a modern office building meeting IBC’s program needs and intent for employee expansion.
Innovation
- Leased Cost Avoidance & Annual Taxpayer Savings: LCA: $17M+ . Nearly $6M annually in taxpayer savings.
- Energy & Sustainability: The project will pursue LEED Gold & SITES Silver and is designing for Net Zero Energy and Net Zero Carbon, allowing the building to be operated 100% by renewable energy and making it a zero emissions structure.
- Adaptive Reuse: Through this warehouse conversion, GSA will reactivate a vacant, federally owned structure which will now contribute to the Federal Buildings Fund.
- Customer Business Improvement: Co-location into a modern, advanced work environment that will adapt as IBC’s business continues to advance.
Sustainability and Energy Goals
- LEED v4 Gold Certification
- SITES Silver Certification
- Net Zero Carbon On-Site
- Net Zero Energy
- Guiding Principles (GPC)
- Natural Daylighting Strategies
- Circadian Rhythm
Click here to view The Story of Building 48 Video.
U.S. General Services Administration