Facilities managers know that retrofitting older buildings is not only good for the environment, but for their energy budgets. Old windows, outdated HVAC systems, and ailing pipes jack up the monthly bills, draining significant amounts of cash.
We’ve compiled a list of 17 architects and contractors throughout Michigan who specialize in designing and building green commercial buildings. They can also help FMs update their existing buildings to be more environmentally friendly, sustainable and energy efficient.
Archiopolis Architects, Ann Arbor
A full-service firm, Archiopolis Architects has a four-prong approach to their work they call “tenets of sustainability.” Each project is approached with the environment in mind, is cost-effective, appealing and designed to be a healthy place for its occupants.
In addition to green building practices, the team offers energy services including designing and installing solar panel systems.
GreenBright Design Build, Ann Arbor
The name says it all: GreenBright Design Build is dedicated to environmentally conscious architecture. They have three green services that can make a big difference for any commercial space:
- Interior green walls, which lower energy bills, may generate LEED credits, produce better indoor air quality and add good acoustics.
- Solar water heaters, which may earn an FM energy tax credits.
- Solar panels, which can significantly cut energy bill costs by using natural sunlight.
AMDG Architects, Grand Rapids
An award-winning firm, AMDG Architects plan many aspects of their architectural work around their objective of sustainability. For example, when doing landscaping, the team uses native plants and a water collection system to save water.
Integrated Architecture, Grand Rapids
Integrated Architecture has received awards for their environmentally-friendly building designs. From schools and markets to offices and churches, the team at Integrated Architecture believe that “green is no longer a luxury, it is a mandate.” That’s why all their buildings are Living Building Challenge-certified and LEED-certified.
Environmental Architects, Traverse City
Having reinvented the Old Town Parking Deck, Grass River Natural Area Visitor Center and Grand Traverse County Courthouse, Environmental Architects are deeply entrenched in Traverse City. Their name explains their goals perfectly: designing buildings that don’t take such a large toll on the environment.
Sunstructures Architects, Ann Arbor
Cofounded in 1974 by Robert Black and Wayne Appleyard, Sunstructures Architects has a long history of building in the Ann Arbor area. Over the decades, evolved techniques that are better for the environment. In fact, the architects are so renowned in energy efficiency they’re often asked to speak at conferences and guest lecture at universities.
Dixon Architecture, Ada
Ken Dixon and his team at Dixon Architecture have redesigned warehouses, manufacturing facilities, banks and office spaces to be greener. They strive to “incorporate local, durable materials with low toxicity and high recycled content where appropriate” and also offer feasibility studies, consultations, and site planning.
U.P. Engineers & Architects, various locations
For 55 years, U.P. Engineers & Architects has been consulting with environmental engineers and clients in Michigan and Wisconsin, generating ideas for greener buildings. U.P. offers sustainable services including permit guidance, environmental assessments, repurposing brownfields, building restoration, solid waste management and air and water quality inspections.
Myefski Architects, Marquette
Myefski Architects recently opened a branch office in Marquette to service clients in the upper Midwest. Creating innovative architecture with a purpose, the Myefski teams develop multi-faceted spaces that are both functional and environmentally sensitive. A recent project just completed is the eight-story tower addition to The Merion, a retirement and assisted living facility in Evanston.
TowerPinkster, Grand Rapids
Award-winning TowerPinkster calls their passion for sustainability a “common sense approach.” Founded in 1953, the firm’s commitment to environmental responsibility is evident in their own offices, with environmentally-friendly lighting fixtures, repurposed materials, and solar panels.
Halprin Construction, Birmingham
Designing and building both commercial and residential properties for decades, Brian Halprin of Halprin Construction expanded his company in 2006 by adding the Green Building Services branch. As a member of the National Association of Home Builders Green Program and the United States Green Building Council, Halprin specializes in biomass heating, electrical systems powered by solar or wind power, and solar water heating systems.
Kenneth Weikal Landscape Architecture, Farmington Hills
Facilities managers have to think about a building’s exterior as well as its interior. For those whose buildings could use a little sprucing up from the outside, there’s Kenneth Weikal Landscape Architecture. Weikal worked on the Fox Run in Novi, adding a stormwater management system, and in Detroit, the team upgraded the Michigan Bell Building with environmentally-friendly roofing.
JS Vig Construction, Taylor
For more than 50 years, JS Vig Construction has renovated and built in Michigan. Their Project Green team is devoted solely to environmental betterment for Taylor clients and beyond. The changes they can make for a greener building include:
- Geothermal or other forms of renewable energy
- Stormwater management systems
- Greener lighting
- Eco-friendly roofing
- Wind turbine and solar panel installation
W.J. O’Neil Company, Livonia
The family-owned mechanical contracting company, W.J. O’Neil, emphasizes sustainability in all they do. Some of the buildings they’ve made greener include Wayne State University (where the team installed a new HVAC system), Twelve Oaks Mall (which uses exterior fiber optics instead of energy-hogging bulbs), Comerica Park (which has a temperature control feature) and One Detroit Center (which boasts its own energy management system).
A3C Collaborative Architecture, Ann Arbor
Combining interior design and architecture, A3C Collaborative Architecture serves markets including healthcare, community spaces, education buildings, and business offices. Founded in 1983, their energy audits can be helpful to FMs seeking to reduce energy bills. A3C also offers green assessments and LEED reviews.
Quinn Evans Architects, Ann Arbor
Marrying sustainability with their decades of building expertise, Quinn Evans Architects have reimagined the Benjamin Franklin Museum, Ames Hall, the National Academy of Sciences and other city landmarks. In many instances, these classic buildings were gently upgraded, with the architects adding energy-efficient windows and new HVAC systems.
Arconcepts Architects, Livonia
Having renovated retail spaces, theaters, commercial offices, airports, automotive spaces and more, Arconcepts Architects are known for their adaptive reuse and new construction. They are purveyors of what they call sustainable design. “Every choice we make in design has an environmental consequence,” the company says, which is a credo they abide by with each project they undertake.
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