BOSTON, Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, announced that the Planta Milenio project in Irapuato, Mexico has received a "Good Design is Good Business" award from Architectural Record (ArchRecord). Owned by Proctor and Gamble (P&G) and located in the south-central region of Mexico's Guanajuato state, the 1.3 Million SF plant is P&G's first fully sustainable manufacturing facility in Latin America, and the largest producer of P&G razors in the world.

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Located on a 100+ acre site, the plant accommodates 3,000 people in three shifts and is devoted to manufacturing, packaging and shipping blades and razors to distributors worldwide. Major considerations during the design process included energy-efficient daylighting and a goal of 100% on-site water re-use. Designed by architects Davis Brody Bond, LLP, the buildings unique saw-tooth roof structure introduces natural light to the shop floor, but also provides shading to reduce glare and heat from direct sunlight in the harsh Mexican climate.

"A 40+ year track record working with P&G gives the Arup team firsthand knowledge of the company's philosophy, corporate ethos and technical standards that enable them to better integrate P&G standards into every aspect of a project," said Gordon Wrin, Global Facilities Engineering manager for the Gillette and Braun business units of P&G. "This combined with their global reach and ability to translate sustainability to bottom line business has made for a successful partnership."

Meeting ambitious targets for reductions in energy usage, water usage, carbon emissions and waste, Planta Milenio sets an industry standard in value-driven sustainability. The facility is the first project completed under Proctor & Gamble's new Global Facility Sustainability Guidelines, a set of company-wide sustainability standards authored by Arup. As the project manager for Planta Milenio, Arup served as the client's single point of contact and expedited each phase of the project to ensure completion on a fast track schedule of less than two years. The project was completed in 2010.

Now in its 16th year, Architectural Record's "Good Design is Good Business Award" highlights companies and organizations that take advantage of design to further business strategies in ways that are innovative but appear effortless. According to ArchRecord "Each sustainable scheme goes well beyond the bottom line and demonstrates the sweeping benefits of good design."

About Arup

Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world's most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Its engineers and consultants deliver innovative projects across the world. Arup opened its first US office 25 years ago, and now employs 1,000 in the Americas. The firm was founded in 1946 with an enduring set of values that fosters a distinctive culture, intellectual independence and collaborative approach. The people at Arup are driven to find a better way to deliver better solutions for their clients. (www.arup.com)

SOURCE Arup

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