Sustainability in Action at Charleston Digital Hub

The facility’s green construction significantly lowers HVAC use and utility costs with a building envelope that combines reflective roofing materials, glazed glass windows, and concrete tilt-wall panels to keep rooms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Its flooring and walls are made of high-recycled content, and the interior features high-efficiency lighting and heating, LEED-standard plumbing fixtures, low-toxicity materials, and an atrium that lets in natural daylight.

“Even at lunchtime, we’re thinking about the environment,” says Sydney. “Most of us bring our own lunch in reusable packages rather than little plastic baggies. We sit and eat together in the main room. Being there for each other, and being green, are integral to the hub’s culture.”

As with the interior, the facility’s exterior melds industry innovation with responsible choices. Outside, open spaces include 191 trees and five grand trees that were preserved during the land clearing process. There’s also a retention pond with fountains that promote the pond’s health and biodiversity. And a bike rack means employees can bike to work or simply go on a ride during their lunch break—promoting the wellness of our people as well as the environment.

In 2010, the firm made a public commitment to creating significant and lasting improvements to the sustainability of our world, not just through the work we do for our clients but also in the way we work. Green building practices, like those employed in Charleston, help the firm make good on its commitment by ensuring minimal environmental impact while we grow and expand our business.

“I really appreciate how Booz Allen encourages people to grow in their roles, empowering them to change the world,” says Sydney. “For me, part of that means being more sustainable. I see opportunities where we could improve all the time.”

With a process in place for the plastic drink rings, Sydney is now focusing on another life-threatening hazard to marine life: Plastic straws. Turtles can get them lodged in their nostrils, preventing them from breathing. Sydney is devising a plan to eliminate plastic straws from her Charleston workplace, too.