Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Headquarters Building

This collaborative design-build project was completed in 2011 and is the headquarters for Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. With under-floor air distribution that provides more individual temperature control and improved air quality, to daylighting and cisterns that capture rainwater for toilet flushing and irrigation, Wellmark received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum rating.

Baker Group was responsible for 25% of the project design that included 605,000 square feet of office space, a data center, 220,000 square feet of parking below the building, an additional 10-story parking ramp with 1,650 parking stalls, plus a 30,000 square foot fitness center and other amenities including a cafeteria.

Baker Group provided the sophisticated Building Automation System for this project. The extensive controls required to achieve LEED Platinum were amplified when the design team chose to achieve the Energy and Atmosphere Credit 5 Measurement and Verification. This additional building operational data gives Wellmark critical information to efficiently operate their buildings to achieve LEED O&M certification.

Baker Group continues to provide ongoing building operational support, as well as engineering design optimizations to further reduce Wellmark’s energy usage and costs. Through quarterly Measurement and Verification meetings, Wellmark and Baker Group identify and implement additional energy saving strategies, resulting in additional energy savings every year. This collaborative effort to actively pursue further optimization strategies has even prompted presentations at the National Conferences for both ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) and AIA (American Institute of Architects) detailing the success of this operational paradigm.