The residents of Greensburg, Kan., have been rebuilding their town after a massive tornado destroyed 95 percent of the community in May 2007. Inspired by their town’s name, the citizens set out to build a more sustainable, eco-conscious community from the rubble to benefit future generations of Greensburg residents. 

The residents of Greensburg, Kan., have been rebuilding their town after a massive tornado destroyed 95 percent of the community in May 2007. Inspired by their town’s name, the citizens set out to build a more sustainable, eco-conscious community from the rubble to benefit future generations of Greensburg residents.

To help achieve this goal, the City of Greensburg hired architectural firm BNIM Architects, of Kansas City, Mo., and construction manager Orr Construction Management, of Raytown, Mo. Due to its civic function, the 4,700 square-foot Greensburg City Hall, located in the heart of town, was one of the most important buildings to replace. BNIM Architects incorporated various sustainable components into the design of the new city hall, which have placed the building on target for LEED Platinum, the highest level of LEED certification.

CertainTeed’s Gypsum and Ceilings products helped achieve this certification through their sustainable product offerings. Among these components were a variety of high-performance gypsum board products donated by CertainTeed to provide extra moisture, mold and fire resistance for interior walls in areas throughout the buildings. Gypsum products specified included ProRoc Type X Gypsum Board, ProRoc Moisture and Mold Resistant Gypsum Board with M2Tech, ProRoc Interior Ceiling Board, and GlasRoc Tile Backer Type X. The design team also used CertainTeed Ecophon fiberglass ceiling panels and grid.

“CertainTeed is one of the industry leaders in terms of providing great products that contribute to healthier buildings,” said James Pfeiffer, of BNIM Architects. “CertainTeed wall and ceiling products incorporate large amounts of recycled material, ultimately reducing the impacts placed upon the earth and contributing to the mandate of the project to achieve a LEED Platinum certification.”

Construction of Greensburg City Hall began last year and by this summer, the crews were ready for the interior. A crew from Orr Construction Management installed ProRoc Gypsum Board throughout the building and ProRoc Moisture and Mold Resistant Gypsum Board in areas with potential for moisture exposure. In the restrooms of the building, they installed GlasRoc Tile Backer Type X as a moisture-, mold- and fire-resistant backing for the tile walls.

“The tile backer sheets have uniform thickness and require a lot less prep time for the surface, making them easier to install and helping us to move a lot faster,” said John Ryman, project superintendent for Orr Construction Management.

Following the wall installation, Hemmert Acoustics, of Garden City, Kan., installed 1,100 square feet of Ecophon ceiling panels in suspension grid systems throughout the building. The project team turned the new building over to the City of Greensburg government in October. City leaders were pleased with the finished product and appreciative of the donations from CertainTeed.

“Greensburg is now a living laboratory for eco-friendly and sustainable building,” said Bob Dixson, mayor of Greensburg. “It is great to partner with companies that have an interest in green building, and we appreciate the donations they have sent us toward rebuilding our town. Our sustainable rebuilding efforts are coming along wonderfully, and our new city hall is an excellent example of this.”

In addition to sustainable building products, Greensburg City Hall features a uniquely sloped standing-seam metal roof with a photovoltaic coating to reduce the heat island effect, harness solar energy and collect and harvest rainwater for reuse on site. The building also has reflective interior surfaces to maximize daylighting and an appropriate palette of exterior and interior finishes. These finishes include reclaimed brick cladding on floors and walls and reclaimed wood from a source within Greensburg’s Southwest Kansas region. With the sum of its components, the building is expected to meet its LEED Platinum certification.