HDR's New Headquarters:
LEED and Fitwel Design Approach
by Kim Sosalla-Bahr and Joe Hazel
Joe T. Hazel, PE, led the mechanical design of the new HQ building.
Joe is a registered mechanical and fire protection engineer, with extensive experience in design and project management for a wide variety of clientele. His experience includes healthcare, central plant, law enforcement, civic facilities, higher education, data processing, food production and processing, and industrial facilities. Joe also teaches HVAC Design at the University of Nebraska - Omaha, where his students have won the ASHRAE International Student Design Competition five of the past eight years.
Kim Sosalla-Bahr, a sustainability consultant, managed the LEED and Fitwel Healthy and Wellness Rating System processes for the new HQ building.
Ms. Sosalla-Bahr has more than 20 years of professional architectural and sustainable design experience. Her primary focus is integrating sustainable design in engineering infrastructure and architectural projects in the healthcare, Federal, S&T, and commercial fields. Ms. Sosalla-Bahr uses her extensive architectural design resume combined with her sustainable design, LEED and Envision experience to assist project teams in the pursuit of environmental, economic and social equity goals. She facilitates sustainable design efforts with design teams and coordinates LEED certification and Envision verification efforts on projects. Ms. Sosalla-Bahr has lead project efforts in the design and documentation of women's clinics and children's hospitals and has also been an experienced member of several healthcare, science and technology and federal project design efforts. Her combined experience makes her uniquely qualified to provide valuable input in achieving sustainability and project certification goals. As a member of HDR's Office of Sustainability, she is involved in efforts to continually reduce HDR's environmental impact and carbon footprint.
