“Lifestyle Destination”

TKE elevators with regenerative drives are a key part of the Midtown Union mixed-use development in Atlanta.

Selecting TK Elevator’s (TKE) energy-efficient elevators for its 26-story office tower in the new Midtown Union mixed-use development in Atlanta was a no-brainer for developer Granite Properties, a Dallas-headquartered company with a “mission to create the most sustainable buildings possible.” Regenerative drives can reduce the energy consumed by building transportation systems by up to 70%, TKE observes, and feed unused energy back into the building. In addition to the regenerative drives, the 612,000-ft2 office tower also incorporates the latest in touchless and digital elevator technologies, including AGILE destination dispatch.

Granite Properties Senior Managing Director John Robbins says:

“Granite focuses on creating healthy, efficient, and environmentally friendly workspaces. It’s part of our effort to put our customers and their experiences first. Our developments include outdoor green spaces and utilize energy efficiency and biophilic design. Incorporating all these sustainable features, including the regenerative elevator drives, is part of our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint on the communities where we operate.”

Atlanta-based investment management company Invesco leased nearly half the office building (300,000 ft2) and, as of February, the property was 67% leased, Granite says. With an “airy, multi-level hospitality lobby,” the office building aims to achieve U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignTM (LEED) Silver certification and is fitwel® certificated. According to USGBC:

“LEED is a holistic system that doesn’t focus simply on one element of a building, such as energy, water or health. Rather, it looks at the ‘big picture,’ factoring in all of the critical elements that work together to create the best building possible. The goal of LEED is to create buildings that:

• Reduce the contribution to global climate change
• Enhance individual human health
• Protect and restore water resources
• Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Promote sustainable and regenerative material cycles
• Enhance community quality of life”^[3]

Fitwel was originally created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. General Services Administration. Generated by expert analysis of more than 5,600 academic research studies, it implements “a vision for a healthier future where all buildings and communities are enhanced to strengthen health and well-being.”^[4]

Midtown Union’s office tower reflects Granite’s focus on wellness and sustainability. In addition to the expansive lobby, it boasts a 12,000-ft2 landscaped outdoor amenity terrace on the eighth floor that connects to a fitness center, boardroom, conference meeting facilities and a customer lounge. Floor-to-ceiling glass spanning 14 ft lets in lots of natural light, and clean air technology is built into the tower’s air-conditioning system.

“Incorporating all these sustainable features, including the regenerative elevator drives, is part of our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint on the communities where we operate.”

— Granite Properties Senior Managing Director John Robbins

Residential and Hotel Towers Focused on Wellness

Spanning an entire city block, the development also includes Mira at Midtown, a 26-story, 355-unit luxury residential tower developed by MetLife Investment Management and Streetlights Residential and the 14-story Kimpton Shane Hotel, developed by MetLife Investment Management with AMS Hospitality. Both towers are also focused on wellness. Mira at Midtown includes an expansive fitness center with flex fitness space and a pet lawn and spa. The Kimpton, meanwhile, has a 24-h fitness center, in-room yoga mats and loaner bikes. Like the residential tower, the hotel is also pet-friendly.

TKE Elevators: Efficient, Fast and Robust

The towers are served by an array of TKE high-performance, sustainable elevators. These include the evolution 200 gearless traction machine-room-less elevator, which TKE observes travels up to 25% faster than competitors’ models and is “the quietest mid-rise elevator in the industry.” In addition to the regenerative drive as standard, evolution’s sustainability features include energy-efficient LED cab lights and fans that turn off when elevators aren’t in use. Further, material-transparency certifications and declarations help clients like Granite obtain LEED certifications and credits.

With endura, a machine-roomed, low-maintenance hydraulic elevator for low-rise buildings, biodegradable fluid comes standard. Customers may choose enviromax® “the industry’s first high-performing, vegetable-based hydraulic fluid that is 100% recyclable,” for elevated sustainability, TKE states.

Also with a regenerative drive, the momentum gearless traction elevator “delivers high performance, increased efficiency and reduced energy consumption, while eliminating the need for lubricants,” TKE observes.

30 Elevators in All

In all, TKE provided 30 elevators for the project. They are:

• Three evolution units traveling at 500 ft/min with 4000-lb capacity serving 27 floors
• One endura unit traveling at 150 ft/min with 4500-lb capacity serving two floors
• One evolution unit traveling at 500 ft/min with 4000-lb capacity serving 28 floors
• Six gearless-traction momentum units traveling at 700 ft/min with 3500-lb capacity serving 12 floors
• Six evolution units traveling at 500 ft/min with 3500-lb capacity serving 10 floors
• One endura unit traveling at 145 ft/min with 4500-lb capacity serving two floors
• Two gearless-traction momentum units traveling at 500 ft/min with 4500-lb capacity serving 29 floors
• Two evolution units traveling at 500 ft/min with 3500-lb capacity serving nine floors
• Two evolution units traveling at 200 ft/min with 3500-lb capacity serving three floors
• Two evolution units traveling at 500 ft/min with 3500-lb capacity serving 11 floors
• One evolution unit traveling at 500 ft/min with 3500-lb capacity serving 15 floors
• One evolution unit traveling at 500 ft/min with 4000-lb capacity serving 16 floors
• One evolution unit traveling at 500 ft/min with 3500-lb capacity serving 16 floors
• One evolution unit traveling at 500 ft/min with 4500-lb capacity serving 16 floors

Beyond Midtown Union

A new extension of Arts Center Way facilitates a short walk to the nearby Arts District, and proximity to numerous transportation hubs provide easy access to other parts of Atlanta. MetLife Investment Management Global Head of Real Estate and Agricultural Finance Robert Merck describes Midtown Union as “a new lifestyle destination. . .that blends a diverse and unique set of offerings centered on its users.”

Robbins adds:

“Midtown Union is a place that connects people. It brings people together through the mix of office, living, hotel and retail uses, as well as on-site amenities. The Class AA office building places our customer experience and well-being at the forefront. Its social spaces, inspiring outdoor amenities and wellness features make for an inviting and productive work environment.”

References

[1] “TK Elevator Completes Installation of More Than 30 Elevators in All Three Towers at Midtown Union in Midtown Atlanta,” TKE press release, July 14, 2022.

[2] “Midtown Union Opens in Midtown Atlanta,” MetLife Investment Management press release, September 26, 2022.

[3] usgbc.org/leed

[4] fitwel.org