the Bently Reserve
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The Bently Reserve to unveil world-class conference center.
Digital technology and green renovations highlight groundbreaking new business destination in San Francisco.
The City of San Francisco is undoubtedly one of the world’s epicenters for technology, software, and sustainability, teeming with creativity, innovation, and forward-thinking ideas. Over the past decade, many Bay Area companies have imbued their products and creations with energy-efficient designs and innovative enhancements that tread lightly on the Earth. With the debut of the all-new Bently Conference Center next month, The Bently Reserve is carving an exciting new niche for itself as the city’s premier destination for progressive businesses who want to experience the ultimate combination of high-end technology and environmentally-friendly design. Set for a public unveiling on April 9th and 10th, 2008, owners Christopher and Amber Marie Bently will introduce the new Bently Conference Center during a series of gala events open to business associates, media, clients, and the hospitality industry.
The new Bently Conference Center occupies the entire second floor of The Bently Reserve and features the latest high-definition digital technologies and the most advanced building control systems to accurately monitor energy consumption and increase efficiency. As part of The Bently Reserve’s environmental commitment, many eco-friendly, sustainable upgrades were installed in the building to maximize energy efficiency, minimize waste output, and offer a healthier interior environment to clients. With the goal of obtaining a Silver LEED CS (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the Conference Center was outfitted with a variety of functional core upgrades.
A new building control HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Cooling) system was completely upgraded with a digital control and offers significant energy savings, centralized on-site and remote temperature control, and off-site control for evening and weekend events. The upgraded lighting controller - the Lutron Lighting EcoSystem™ - networks all lighting systems together and allows exact monitoring of kilowatts to accurately measure energy consumption by detecting outside light and adjusting the interior lights to maximize energy savings. This system puts the new Conference Center in very exclusive company, as it’s currently installed in a handful of other commercial facilities on Earth. To protect the health of clients and tenants in the facility while increasing energy efficiency, the old CFC-based air conditioning chiller units were removed and replaced with a new, modern non-CFC based refrigerant system.
Green was color in mind for the cosmetic transformations in the Conference Center as well. Low-VOC paints (Volatile Organic Compounds) were used in all the conference rooms, with no off-gassing, low odor, and much lower levels of toxicity than petroleum-based paints. The gorgeous Brazilian Cherry wood floors were made with FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) wood obtained from sustainably-managed forests and environmentally-friendly suppliers. To meet the strident LEED Silver certification standards, construction waste from the extensive renovations - a minimum 75% of materials - was recycled and diverted away from landfills to be used in future construction projects. Healthy, local, organic food is also a part of the Conference Center’s commitment to the environment and the health of its clients, with a variety of green caterers available for corporate events. The local caterers are selected based on sustainable business practices as well as the quality of their food, focusing on those that use locally-grown ingredients and ethically-sourced products. Going one step further, a building-wide recycling program has been implemented to minimize waste output, which includes sorting and recycling paper, plastics, aluminum, and compost that is recycled and audited through Golden Gate Disposal and Recycling.
“Bently Holdings has a strong commitment to San Francisco and the environment. That commitment is apparent in the design of The Bently Conference Center. A great deal of care was taken to preserve many of the original elements of the building, which are positively stunning. The materials and technology were thoughtfully selected to create a unique ambience - maintaining the building’s classic beauty while making it very green and functional. The beautiful flooring was selected from renewable sources; artificial lighting was designed to interact with the natural light, and our preferred caterers were selected based on quality, as well as their environmental practices,” said Vivian Perez, Events & Sales Manager at The Bently Reserve.
The latest digital technology was integrated into the Conference Center, making it one of the most technologically-advanced business destinations in San Francisco. Teleconferencing equipment from Polycom offers high-definition quality and Continuous Presence, which merges local images from each conference location into a consolidated image in a “Hollywood Squares” configuration that is presented to each conference attendee in real-time. A highly-secure network using the latest Cisco Systems firewall and switch equipment creates peace of mind and a network that is secure enough to support government agencies. In addition, there is also a business area with available computer rentals, fax machines, copiers, and scanners. There is wireless internet available via completely segregated network access throughout the facility, allowing individuals to connect via their laptops throughout the Conference Center. To customize their experience, clients can also select from a variety of comprehensive audio/visual and telecommunications packages.
A nod to the unique nautical history of the San Francisco Bay, the Conference Center features multiple rooms named after - or inspired by - sunken ships in the Bay Area. The main, largest conference room - the Apollo - and an adjacent room - the Euphemia - are both named after ships that rest underneath the foundation of The Bently Reserve. Smaller rooms include the Port, the Starboard, the Cordoba, and the Niantic. Another unique feature to the Conference Center are the original multiple-pane windows from 1924, allowing a wealth of natural light and air into each and every room - a feature that uniquely differentiates the Conference Center from other venues in the city. Preserving its natural heritage, The Bently Reserve serves as a monument to tradition and is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Combining contemporary San Francisco and its cherished colorful past, it embodies a unique ethos, featuring breathtaking mural designs by artist Jules Guerin. The structure is actually two banking temples, one stacked on top of the other, signifying a stature greater than its neighbors. Its size and generous setback from the street, the imposing facades of Sierra White granite, the two-story banking lobby, and the row of federal eagles perched above the Sansome Street portico all contribute to the venerable esthetics. The original architect, George W. Kelham, is famous for creating The Russ Building in San Francisco and the Standard Oil Building in Los Angeles.
Launch events and festivities are scheduled for Wednesday, April 9th and Thursday, April 10 at The Bently Reserve, which is located at 301 Battery Street in the Financial District. The official kickoff event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9th when owners Christopher and Amber Marie Bently will unveil the new Conference Center at The Bently Reserve to city leaders and officials with a special tour and green luncheon. On Wednesday evening, The Bently Reserve will open its doors to industry professionals. Colleagues in the Financial District are encouraged to visit the space, tour the Conference Center and enjoy networking in the Banking Hall from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Things ramp up on Thursday, April 10th, when The Bently Reserve will host breakfast and lunch tours on the half hour. Breakfast tours are scheduled from 7:00-9:00 a.m. and lunch tours from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Then, on Thursday night from 6:00-10:00 p.m., the green ribbon will be officially cut and the doors will open to the hospitality industry, media, clients, and friends.
Bently Holdings is a private asset holdings and management company, overseeing real property investments and operating under strict green business practices. The company holds its assets for the long term and is always expanding through its focus on buildings of historic value or architectural splendor. Although Bently Holdings invests in real estate, they’re in the people business, too. Careful selection and superb care for their tenants is of the utmost importance - as are the employees that represent Bently Holdings. They take pride in being a principle-driven company that adheres to a strict set of core values. All new tenant build-outs are mandated to be LEED certified. Bently Holdings is also engaged in alternative energies and are aiming to offset more than 90% of their energy consumption at Belvedere Place in Marin County with solar power. All the vehicles in their corporate fleet, as well as all generators, run on pure B100 biodiesel produced by their sister company, Bently Biofuels. Bently Holdings plans to change the direction of real estate in the entire Bay Area towards a more responsible viewpoint, and to restore environmental integrity to the business.
About the Author
Doug Hahn
Douglas Hahn is a copywriter, creative writer, and avid reader. He’s been working in the industry for nearly a decade, and wants to see the world become a greener place.