GSA’s John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse certified LEED Gold
Goody Clancy’s renovation of the John W. McCormack Post Office and Court House, a federal building of monumental civic presence located in the heart of downtown Boston, has been certified LEED Gold by USGBC’s GBCI.
Administration and Goody Clancy committed to transforming this federal building into a model of energy efficiency and sustainable design, beginning with the replacement of all MEP systems, which dated from the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, one of the key sustainable design elements of the renovation is a two-story green roof at the bottom of the lightwell created by the building’s flanking wings and tower; the roof is visible to many tenant spaces, from adjacent buildings and Post Office Square. Storm water from a portion of the building’s roofs is captured and stored in cisterns then pumped to the fifth-floor green roof using solar energy from a panel located on the 17th floor roof.
While retaining its function as a federal courthouse, including its historic courtrooms and library, the building features the adaptive reuse of former U.S. Post Office areas to serve as offices for a number of federal agencies including, the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, U.S. Trustees and the majority of space serving as the New England regional headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The renovated building includes a new entry lobby, new cafeteria, restored public lobbies and spaces, and a fitness center. With this restoration of the John W. McCormack Post Office and Court House, the U.S. General Services Administration has transformed a twentieth century historic gem into a twenty-first century building that will serve American citizens for decades to come.