Environmental Stewardship at Canon U.S.A., Inc. Headquarters

Seeking to consolidate and expand its Americas headquarters while remaining committed to its loyal Long Island workforce, Canon U.S.A., Inc. searched for years to find a large, centrally-located site on the island. With limited options, Canon finally settled on a property directly off the Long Island Expressway in Melville but faced several site development challenges.

Tackling a complex grading plan and difficult utility designs, Bohler incorporated innovative solutions that helped Canon accomplish its goals to remain on Long Island and create a cutting-edge modern facility that represents environmental stewardship and sustainability – values paramount to their corporate culture.

Creative Grading Solutions

Challenged with the complex task of balancing the site through an extensive cut/fill analysis, Bohler identified creative, cost-saving solutions for managing excess soil. The team designed a large berm along the front of the site, and by incorporating appealing landscaping and walking paths, created an opportunity to improve the employee experience.

Permitting a Long-Run Sanitary Sewer

With the building set far back from the road, Bohler connected it to Suffolk County sewer system using a 1,200 linear foot sanitary pipe. The gravity-driven system required the longer run, challenging the design team to maintain the pipes at the correct slope. To obtain approvals, Bohler prepared an extensive compilation of plans showing the “profile view” of the pipe rather than the standard “plan view.”

Minimizing Soil Erosion

For a typical construction site, plans are in place to mitigate rain water carrying silt and mud particles from the site into roadways or neighboring properties. For Canon, the 52-acre site required that three large stormwater management ponds be designed and dug while runoff from the Long Island Expressway poured right into the site. This made stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPP) especially crucial with design, implementation, and management during the site work.

To tackle the issue, Bohler’s extensive SWPPP design incorporated temporary measures to minimize soil erosion during construction, as well as permanent measures that would continue to prevent erosion once the site was complete. Working closely with the General Contractor to meet the required guidelines throughout construction, the team used larger than typical stones on the west retention basin to prevent soil erosion and stones around the perimeter of the north and south ponds. The design incorporated permanent geofabrics to protect soil on the slopes.

Sustainable Stormwater Management Design

Striving to be a model for responsible use and protection of the natural environment through sustainable practices, Canon integrated this into the overall site design. Bohler helped to accomplish this commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship through innovative stormwater management:

• Creating two impervious stormwater management ponds. Designed to hold water at all times – rather than slowly release into the ground – these ponds are equipped with aeration systems to prevent algae. Rainwater is collected and discharged into these ponds with a 24” equalization pipe between both.
• Designing a recharge basin. This traditional stormwater management system releases water back into the ground but avoids the need to be pumped off site into a public system. Maintaining the water on site is a sustainable practice that provides functionality with great appearance.
• Upgrading current systems to accommodate future rainfall. True to its forward-thinking culture, Canon chose to invest in upgrading its existing drainage systems to prevent potential roadway flooding from future climate change effects with intense rainfalls that exceed typical designs’ inches per hour.

3D Lighting Plans for LEED-Gold

Coordinating extensively with the architect to place 300 light fixtures throughout the 52-acre site, Bohler prepared three-dimensional lighting plans for the project’s LEED submission. A unique task for the team, the plans proved there was no light pollution from the design’s atypical up lighting and that the proposed lighting plan was LEED qualified.

Moving Forward

Through hard work and tenacity, innovative solutions were implemented by Canon to achieve LEED Gold Certification for the largest commercial building on Long Island. Blending with forward-thinking cultures, the Bohler team identified ways to contribute to Canon’s mission to achieve sustainability and environmental stewardship. Canon continues to improve, maintain, and update the facility, looking to Bohler as a partner that understands the project mission.