News

Matrix Development Group-Built Medical Office Building Achieves LEED Certification

Owned by Lower Bucks Pediatrics, Facility is Model of Energy Efficiency

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA. (January 10, 2013) – Matrix Development Group, one of the Northeast’s most active and well-regarded real estate investment and development companies, today announced that a 12,000-square-foot medical office building in Bucks County, Pa., that the company developed for Lower Bucks Pediatrics was recently awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The distinction is designed to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being.

The building is located within Matrix Development’s Octagon Center, a mixed-use master-planned community that includes retail and residential components, and covers 186 acres in Lower Makefield Township and Middletown Township. Lower Bucks Pediatrics, a family-oriented pediatric medical practice, purchased the building from Matrix in 2011 upon its completion.

“Medical office facilities, and pediatric offices in particular, use a significant amount of energy and water due in part to the individual HVAC controls and sinks in each examination room, presenting challenges to the creation of an energy-efficient work environment,” said Richard F.X. Johnson, senior vice president of Matrix Development Group and head of the company’s Renewable Energy Services Division. “From the beginning, Lower Bucks Pediatrics was determined to make this an energy-efficient property, which is in line with Matrix’s own commitment to sustainable development practices. Ultimately we were able to identify a solution to deliver a dynamic facility that is environmentally responsible while providing Lower Bucks Pediatrics with significant cost savings on energy consumption.”

Matrix collaborated with architecture and planning firm Barton Partners on the process to achieve LEED certification, which has resulted in significant operating efficiencies for the building, including a 30-percent reduction in water use as compared to the USGBC baseline, as well as the incorporation of additional thermal comfort controls for more than 50 percent of the building, allowing the owners to regulate energy usage more efficiently. Additionally, the building’s HVAC system design is expected to achieve energy cost savings of at least 35 percent compared to the USGBC baseline.

“We had to find the delicate balance of creating a best-in-class, energy-efficient medical practice facility that also provides the most ideal environment for dedicated patient care, and I believe that we have been successful in this effort,” stated Dr. Auren Weinberg of Lower Bucks Pediatrics. “Achieving LEED certification improves the health of our patients, families and staff members, while increasing the investment value of our building, and it is our hope that this facility will serve as a model for other medical office properties.”

Matrix Development Group acquired the Octagon Center property in December 2006 and worked with appropriate government agencies and consultants, as well as township leaders, to ensure the successful development of the community. The property is easily accessible to Interstate 95 and Route 1 via Oxford Valley and Big Oaks Roads. The development was designed to feature passive recreation attractions, including walking trails, as well as a full-service community center.

Bucks County is located in southeastern Pennsylvania in the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area and borders the Delaware River.

For more information about Matrix, visit www.matrixcompanies.com.

Matrix Development Group
Matrix Development Group is a privately held, full-service real estate investment and development company with offices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The company is active in the commercial, industrial, urban, residential, golf and hospitality markets throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Since its founding in 1979, the company has developed real estate valued in excess of $1 billion and has been recognized for its leadership by numerous charitable, community and real estate organizations.

For more information on Matrix Development Group, please contact the company’s Cranbury, N.J., office at 732-521-2900 or visit www.matrixcompanies.com.

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Owned by Lower Bucks Pediatrics, Facility is Model of Energy Efficiency

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA. (January 10, 2013) – Matrix Development Group, one of the Northeast’s most active and well-regarded real estate investment and development companies, today announced that a 12,000-square-foot medical office building in Bucks County, Pa., that the company developed for Lower Bucks Pediatrics was recently awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The distinction is designed to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being.

The building is located within Matrix Development’s Octagon Center, a mixed-use master-planned community that includes retail and residential components, and covers 186 acres in Lower Makefield Township and Middletown Township. Lower Bucks Pediatrics, a family-oriented pediatric medical practice, purchased the building from Matrix in 2011 upon its completion.

“Medical office facilities, and pediatric offices in particular, use a significant amount of energy and water due in part to the individual HVAC controls and sinks in each examination room, presenting challenges to the creation of an energy-efficient work environment,” said Richard F.X. Johnson, senior vice president of Matrix Development Group and head of the company’s Renewable Energy Services Division. “From the beginning, Lower Bucks Pediatrics was determined to make this an energy-efficient property, which is in line with Matrix’s own commitment to sustainable development practices. Ultimately we were able to identify a solution to deliver a dynamic facility that is environmentally responsible while providing Lower Bucks Pediatrics with significant cost savings on energy consumption.”

Matrix collaborated with architecture and planning firm Barton Partners on the process to achieve LEED certification, which has resulted in significant operating efficiencies for the building, including a 30-percent reduction in water use as compared to the USGBC baseline, as well as the incorporation of additional thermal comfort controls for more than 50 percent of the building, allowing the owners to regulate energy usage more efficiently. Additionally, the building’s HVAC system design is expected to achieve energy cost savings of at least 35 percent compared to the USGBC baseline.

“We had to find the delicate balance of creating a best-in-class, energy-efficient medical practice facility that also provides the most ideal environment for dedicated patient care, and I believe that we have been successful in this effort,” stated Dr. Auren Weinberg of Lower Bucks Pediatrics. “Achieving LEED certification improves the health of our patients, families and staff members, while increasing the investment value of our building, and it is our hope that this facility will serve as a model for other medical office properties.”

Matrix Development Group acquired the Octagon Center property in December 2006 and worked with appropriate government agencies and consultants, as well as township leaders, to ensure the successful development of the community. The property is easily accessible to Interstate 95 and Route 1 via Oxford Valley and Big Oaks Roads. The development was designed to feature passive recreation attractions, including walking trails, as well as a full-service community center.

Bucks County is located in southeastern Pennsylvania in the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area and borders the Delaware River.

For more information about Matrix, visit www.matrixcompanies.com.

Matrix Development Group
Matrix Development Group is a privately held, full-service real estate investment and development company with offices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The company is active in the commercial, industrial, urban, residential, golf and hospitality markets throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Since its founding in 1979, the company has developed real estate valued in excess of $1 billion and has been recognized for its leadership by numerous charitable, community and real estate organizations.

For more information on Matrix Development Group, please contact the company’s Cranbury, N.J., office at 732-521-2900 or visit www.matrixcompanies.com.