NCR Global Headquarters

NCR Global Headquarters, managed by Cousins Properties, received the 2022 Excellence in Environmental Sustainability Award from Commercial Real Estate Insight Journal. The award was created to recognize a building or building complex that has undertaken significant environmental sustainability efforts and/or has achieved long-term success in environmental sustainability. 

Located at Spring and 8th Street in Atlanta, Georgia, NCR Global Headquarters was built as a 765,000-square-foot property that serves as NCR’s corporate headquarters. NCR was founded in 1884 and has grown to become the world’s enterprise technology leader for restaurants, retailers, and banks, providing point of sale software and technology, multi-vendor ATM software, and hardware and services that run the enterprise from back office to the front end. 

Cousins Properties, founded in 1958 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has grown to develop, own, and manage a portfolio of more than 20-million square feet across Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Tampa, Florida; and Phoenix, Arizona. 

A Culture of Conservation 

NCR Global Headquarters implemented several successful sustainability measures, such as introducing aggressive recycling and composting programs, using green-friendly products, and educating staff on energy conservation and sustainability. Preventative maintenance programs were also created to monitor the efficiency of equipment and building systems. As a result, the building has been able to reduce energy consumption by 40 percent compared to traditional buildings. 

The building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system has also played a crucial role in conserving energy, with the dedicated outside air supply supplying more than 25,000 cubic feet per minute of conditioned outside air and reducing the use of larger air handling units. Additionally, more than 400 solar panels were installed above the parking deck, which can produce 120kVA AC power to the bus duct, allowing the building to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel-generated power. The building generated 164.22 MWh in 2022. 

“We have taken various steps and implemented a number of programs by partnering with service providers and bringing them onboard,” said Blair Powell, Assistant Property Manager at NCR Global Headquarters with Cousins Properties. “We are really big on educating staff on energy conservation and overall sustainability, and it’s what we will continue to do.” 

NCR Global Headquarters achieved a 2022 ENERGY STAR Score of 93. The property also earned the BOMA 360 Performance Program designation in October 2022; LEED Platinum Core and Shell in 2018; and LEED Platinum Commercial Interiors in 2020. The property was the first LEED Platinum Core and Shell in Georgia and the first double platinum property in the Southeast. Additionally, NCR Global Headquarters received The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Award for a Corporate Facility in 2022 from both the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Georgia and the BOMA Southern Region. Finally, the property received the Most Intelligent Building Award in 2018 from the Intelligent Buildings Conference. 

Recycling Projects 

The property reduced 85 percent of potable water usage by collecting and utilizing rainwater, rooftop air handling units’ condensation, and nuisance groundwater. The management team also created a highly successful glass recycling program, which recycled approximately 600 pounds of glass from October 2022 through December 2022. 

“We spoke with our tenant about how we wanted to proceed,” said Ashley Simien, CPM, BOMI-HP, Senior Property Manager at NCR Global Headquarters with Cousins Properties. “It took a few months to implement, but it is one of the things we are super proud of at the building. I believe at this point, we have done the program for about a quarter and recycled over 4,000 pounds of compost.” 

Cousins Properties also partnered with food provider partners at NCR Global Headquarters for composting efforts, diverting more than 4,000 pounds of food waste from landfills with back of house composting. Furthermore, the building participated in fluorescent light bulb recycling, recycling 422 lamps in 2022. 

The building transitioned its cleaning contractor in July 2022 and introduced a green cleaning program, ensuring that all products and equipment used on-site are sustainable and mindful of hazardous chemicals that could impact air quality, health, and the environment. 

The management team also engaged tenants to help them better understand their impact on environmental sustainability, hosting an annual Earth Day event to provide practical tips and eco-friendly products such as LED bulbs, succulent plants, wildflower seeds, and microfiber cloths.