WHAT DOES IMPACT MEAN TO SSR?
IMPACT represents the values and practices which provide guidance toward a sustainable and responsible path, touching on three core areas:
Sustainability
The planet’s wellbeing is naturally linked to our own, and as a company, we carry responsibility to minimize our environmental impact. How we design our projects and operate our business can reduce our carbon footprint, conserve resources, and support investment in new technologies. This commitment not only safeguards our environment but supports the work being done by and with many of our clients.
People
Our colleagues, clients, and the communities we serve are the heart of our organization. Embracing social responsibility means valuing diversity, ensuring fair working conditions, promoting equality, and giving back to society. We can create a stronger, more inclusive company and contribute positively to all those around us.
Business Practices
SSR’s values reflect a commitment to transparent, ethical, and accountable governance. Our company structure ensures decision-making processes which are just, that leadership is responsible, and that we maintain the trust of our clients and employee owners.
Reinforcing SSR’s mission, SSR strives to be a responsible steward to the communities we serve and live in.
Project Philosophy
We approach each project as a unique opportunity to create high performance outcomes for our clients and industry partners. Sustainability goals should be established early in the design process to reduce upfront costs and to target tangible results. High performing projects are those which reduce the ecological impact, create healthy environments for building users, and reduce life cycle costs.
Industry Involvement
SSR is a member of or active in the following organizations, among others:
• USGBC Silver Corporate Member
• Cornerstone Member of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)
• Charter Member of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI)
• LEED Proven Provider Accredited Firm
• Energy Star Partner
• American Water Works Association
• ASHRAE
• International Living Future Institute
• Signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment
Engineering / Consulting Services to Conserve Resources
SSR’s multidisciplinary services are aligned with conserving energy, water, and natural resources for the design, construction, and ongoing operation of buildings and infrastructure in the U.S.
• High-performance MEP design
• Water and wastewater infrastructure
• Sustainability consulting
• Energy optimization
• Commissioning services
• Building enclosure consulting
AIA 2030 Commitment & Sustainability Action Plan (SAP)
SSR has been a signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment for over a decade. The AIA 2030 includes creating high performance design approaches, evaluating the impacts of design decisions, and annual tracking of progress of our designs. The 2030 Commitment has been one of our firm’s important drivers for high-performance design and performance data tracking for our projects. The Commitment is also important to our community of clients who are also aiming to improve the performance of their buildings.
GHG Emissions Reporting
This year SSR began tracking and reporting Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions. This effort was initiated with the Nashville office, for which we have most operational control, and SSR-owned fleet vehicles.
Scan the QR code to view SSR’s latest GHG reporting.
Sustainability Consulting Experts
SSR’s multidisciplinary experts offer sustainability, energy performance, and ESG related services across the lifecycle of projects, from concept phase through operations. Our firm includes experts in green building certifications, energy modeling, MEP design, structural, building enclosure, technology and integration, commissioning, and infrastructure design, among other areas. These professionals also provide ongoing education sessions for SSR colleagues and clients and influence industry standard practices through involvement in professional societies and standards committees.
HORIZON
In the coming years SSR will look at several areas to improve our environmental position and reduce our footprint as a firm. SSR will consider measures which may include: potentially expanding emissions tracking, standardizing the green building approach to SSR’s office fit-outs, offering greater carbon emissions reporting services, and improving our operational practices within our offices.
The Chase Center
The Chase Center showcases our team’s ability to manage the sustainability consulting of a multibuilding, multi-phase project, with a joint-venture partner. This project had a team of over 50 design consultants, requiring very tightly managed communication and project management. SSR’s scope of work included LEED consulting and energy modeling for the Golden State Warrior’s new arena, retail space, two office towers, and fit-out of the office towers. The arena achieved LEED Gold certification, and the Office Towers have achieved LEED and WELL certification.
T3 Austin
Pursuing LEED Gold® and WELL Core Building certification, T3 ATX Eastside is a timber-framed Class A office building going up in the heart of vibrant East Austin. T3 is a shorthand reference to timber, transit, and technology, pillars that the building embodies as a sleek, loft-style, timber-framed creative office, with state-of-the-art technology, located adjacent to mass transit and greenways. SSR is providing sustainability and certification consulting to help the project achieve their stated goals. Our scope of work also includes building life cycle assessment and daylight analysis.
HCA Lake Nona
The University of Central Florida (UCF) and Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) partnered on Lake Nona Medical Center, a 186,000 SF teaching hospital adjacent to the UCF College of Medicine. SSR was engaged to provide LEED compliance reviews during each phase of design, focusing on energy and water systems, indoor air quality, and thermal comfort. During construction, SSR put an emphasis on materials and waste management, assisting the contractor in implementing the construction related LEED plans. The project achieved LEED Silver certification in 2020.
Belmont University
The Fisher Center for Performing Arts at Belmont University houses a 1,700-seat multipurpose theater, a grand lobby, and two event spaces that can hold more than 900 guests when combined with the lobby. The project was designed had specific energy efficiency and operations requirements for which SSR’s sustainability and commissioning teams worked closely with the design and construction team to achieve. Our team provided LEED® consulting, energy modeling, building life-cycle assessment, and commissioning services.
North Clarksville Water Treatment Plant
Clarksville Gas & Water needed a new water treatment plant to supplement their existing facility. Clarksville’s industrial growth over the last five years has been explosive and the associated potable water demands were projected to eclipse the existing facility’s capacity in under five years. SSR led a multidisciplinary team of professionals that included numerous subconsultant firms to accomplish the design quickly and efficiently. The new plant incorporates the same technologies as the existing plant including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and membrane filtration.
Mohawk Valley Health System
While providing sustainability and building performance consulting services to the new Wynn Hospital, our team modeled the facility all the way through design. This enabled Mohawk Valley Health System to receive a $350,000 incentive from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the modeling efforts on the project. This was achieved by showing the hospital’s energy efficiency based on the improvements to the design, from schematic design (SD) to construction documents (CD). SSR is also providing MEP and technology on the project, scheduled to open in 2024.
SSR’s success is linked to the talent of our colleagues and the strength of our communities. We believe in building relationships with colleagues you have little in common, appreciating different backgrounds, understanding other people, and connecting to those different than yourself. We believe in investing in our people through all phases of the employee experience and leveraging resources and expertise to enhance their career at SSR.
Employee Engagement
As owners, we have a vested interest in creating the best work environment at SSR. As part of our commitment to making a positive difference for our colleagues, we annually participate in the Gallup Engagement Survey. SSR uses this survey to provide valuable insights into our team’s engagement levels, work experiences, and overall satisfaction. The results help us
identify areas for improvement in the workplace, enhance productivity and performance, make better decisions, and cultivate a positive and engaged SSR One.
Resiliency
Regarding our colleagues and our business, we have structured SSR and our operations for success under economic and health situations. In recent years, SSR has transitioned to a flexible workplace with remote work options, maintained employment stability, and showed commitment to our colleagues while practicing fiscal discipline that has allowed us to reinvest in our firm and people.
Workplace Experience
To become an industry employer of choice, we have implemented numerous policies that encourage our colleagues to feel supported, nurtured, and appreciated. This has included parental leave, flexible workplace, renovated office space, ESOP education, and office culture committees.
Well-Being
We take the physical and mental well-being of our colleagues seriously. We have robust resources available to assist colleagues, should they need it. This includes access to mental health professionals via a new EAP and SupportLinc, bereavement time, a disaster relief fund, wellness programs and incentives, and option for medical insurance to be 100% covered for colleagues.
Giving Back
We encourage our colleagues to support what matters to them, and where appropriate, SSR is proud to support these causes and organizations as well. Annually we contribute to organizations across the country that are focused on needs that address hunger, homes, and mental health.
Training, Learning, and Development
SSR regularly provides internal training, supports professional development, and encourages industry participation for all our colleagues, regardless of role or tenure. We recently upgraded two systems (SSRU and UKG) to better support colleagues, provide more robust training, and developed a roadmap for education. SSR also provides tuition reimbursement for eligible colleagues / programs. In 2023, SSR colleagues took over 36,000 hours of internal training.
Communities
The nature of the work that we do allows SSR to make a profound impact on the communities where we live, work, and do business. Many of our core markets (healthcare, education, sports and entertainment, civil, and transportation) allow us to contribute to healthy and thriving communities.
Clients
We seek meaningful ways to support our clients and the initiatives that matter to them. From contributing to their foundations and volunteer programs to supporting causes that mean the most, we believe in showing up for our clients.
Colleague Connectedness
To be a people-centric organization, we believe that our colleagues need to know, trust, and enjoy one another. To foster this connectedness, we have several activities in place like Connections (an immersive SSR experience for colleagues to learn about SSR’s history, culture, and work), Leadership Advance (a multi-day retreat bringing together leaders across the firm), LNK (a young professionals group), and office culture committees.
Mentorship
Our mentorship program provides a platform for colleagues to comfortably engage in discussions pertaining to career goals, challenges, and opportunities. This increases knowledge, inspires development of leadership skills, strengthens interconnectivity between business units, and expands our influence together for a strong, meaningful culture at SSR. By focusing on building with intentional purpose, we believe working together will strengthen the organization, deepen the foundation, and create meaningful relationships.
Talent Attraction and Building Diverse Workforce
Attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for SSR’s continued success. Building a diverse workforce is an essential component of talent attraction; it brings together individuals from various backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to foster creativity, innovation, and problem-solving.
To attract a diverse talent pool, we recruit from schools across the country and have been recognized as an HBCU Top Supporter. We are continuously working to create an inclusive and welcoming environment that celebrates differences. Our recent intern classes have included students and new graduates from diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and genders.
Employee Ownership Council (EOC)
The Employee Ownership Council (EOC) was formed to raise awareness of the ESOP and understand the value it brings to our colleagues as individuals and the overall benefits to the firm. Comprised of colleagues from across the firm, they are focused on educating the positive benefits of the ESOP and celebrating key milestones during the year.
HORIZON
As a firm, SSR has a strong foundation for social activities and will continue to make progress in building a culture where everyone is respected, valued, and feels that they belong. We will continue providing educational training that allows our people to develop both professionally and socially.
Hosted three times a year in the Nashville office, our Connections event brings together colleagues across different disciplines and geographies to hear about the history of SSR and the firm’s vision, spend time with leaders, learn about opportunities to get involved, and gain knowledge on the diversity of our programs.
Rooted in accountability and transparency, SSR’s robust governance structure acts as an oversight body, protecting the firm, guiding growth, and providing ownership. This structure and management approach fosters oversight, business ethics, and checks and balances for the longterm sustainability and resiliency of the firm and collective success of our colleagues.
Management Oversight Board of Directors
SSR’s board comprises nine individuals, both internal and independent directors. The board members are elected annually by the firm’s Trustee on behalf of its ESOP shareholders. The current board of directors has been chosen from the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) field, manufacturing, telecommunications, and business communities to provide council and guidance in the direction and results of SSR.
ESOP Trustee
The ESOP Trustee is appointed by the Board and is to act soley in the best interest of plan participants and their beneficiaries. They work with an independent valuator to determine fair market value on an annual basis. They vote on behalf of ESOP participants and monitor board activity and directors.
Board Committees
The board appoints and engages in five committees that provide oversight, protect the organization, and collectively work to advance SSR. These committees are Audit, Governance & Nominating,
ESOP
OWNERS
BOARDOFDIRECTORS
SENIOR LEADERSHIP- STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
TRUSTEE
Compensation, Enterprise Risk Management, and ESOP (Administrative). The work of these committees relies on contributions from many colleagues.
Code of Conduct and Business Ethics
SSR’s culture is based on professional ethics, and checksbalances within our structure. Robust onboarding is part of this; from the outset SSR colleagues receive training on our ethics policies and procedures. We also have a portal for colleagues to securely report any concerns.
Transparency and Communication
SSR provides business, financial, and management updates, including publishing financial data monthly, to our entire firm. By having a company knowledgeable and engaged in the performance of the firm, our colleagues are able to have insights and directly affect outcomes toward SSR’s goals.
Strategic Plan
Approximately every five years, SSR undergoes a planning process to create a new strategic plan.
Involving colleagues from many layers of the organization, we use this plan to set the direction and detail what we are and are not going to do. Our current plan is focused on growth related to market share, professional development, improving process, and innovation.
Information and Technology Security
SSR has implemented new procedures, communicated and educated our colleagues, and added dedicated cyber security colleagues. These measures protect data and digital assets from unauthorized access or disclosure.
HORIZON
SSR’s governance structure is designed to foster performance oversight, uphold business ethics, and provide checks and balances to ensure the long-term sustainability and resiliency of the firm. We will continue to evolve the governance as necessary to respond to challenges and grow as opportunities arise.
MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE FOR OUR CLIENTS, COLLEAGUES, AND COMMUNITIES.
This is our mission statement and the foundation for who we are. Doing the right thing, as a company and as individuals, is built into our mission and core values. Since our founding in 1968, SSR has focused on providing exceptional client experiences, elevating our people, and delivering projects that positively impact the communities we serve.
