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Written by Lindsay Crowder   
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Friday, 20 March 2009

Buildings Going Green: LEED Platinum Rating Highlights

At a time when the environment and money-saving incentives are a priority, it only seems appropriate that green building is receiving its fair share of attention. Across the globe, examples of green design are surfacing from college campuses, to corporate office buildings, to public museums, to individual residences. Even in the United States capital city, Washington D.C., a bill passed requiring that private developers build environmentally friendly projects in the city that incorporate energy-saving measures starting in 2012.1 Implementing green design practices allows new development to lower its environmental footprint and significantly save on energy and water bills.

To make this process easier for developers, the U.S. Green Building Council has developed a rating system called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). According to the LEED mission, “The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.”2 LEED certified buildings demonstrate lower operating costs and increased asset value, reduction of waste sent to landfills, conservation of energy and water, healthier and safer environments for occupants, reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions, qualification for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives in hundreds of cities, and an owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.3 The rating system honors points to each building for certification at either, silver, gold, or platinum levels, in areas of sustainability, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation and design. Below are the top ten all-star buildings that received platinum LEED ratings for 2008:4

1. Almaden Tower-owned by Adobe Systems in San Jose, CA. Adobe Systems is the first major corporation to receive platinum ratings. Since their green conversion, they have seen a 115% savings on water and utility bills.

2. East & West Towers-owned by Adobe Systems in San Jose, CA. An irrigation system linked to local weather stations adjusts to real-time weather conditions and the air systems were upgraded to filter in more outside air.

3. Banner Bank Building-owned by The Christensen Corporation in Boise, ID. Their backup generators run on biodiesel and the building collects storm water to reuse in its sewage system.

4. California Department of Education Building-owned by the California Department of General Services in Sacramento, CA. The building uses energy-efficient appliances and heating and cooling systems.

5. California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters-owned by Thomas Properties in Sacramento, CA. The solar paneled building composts 10 tons of cafeteria waste a year.

6. Lewis And Clark State Office Building-owned by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in Jefferson City, MO. Rain water is collected to flush toilets and concrete fixtures on the exterior regulates heat from the sun.

7. Perkins + Will Seattle Office-owned by the Architectural firm Perkins + Will in Seattle, WA. Made with 80% local materials, this office maximizes daylight and uses a natural ventilation system.

8. Phillip Merrill Environmental Center-owned by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, MD. Over 10% of their energy comes from solar power—most notably to heat the water—and its construction left no footprint on surrounding land.

9. Portland, Ore., National Guard Annex-owned by the Portland Historic Rehabilitation Fund in Portland, OR. This building uses a natural ventilation system and recycled 95% of its construction materials.

10. Rocky Mountain Institute Boulder Office-owned by the Rocky Mountain Institute in Boulder, CO. When constructing this building, about 50% of the resources were reused and another 17% of furnishings came from highly renewable sources.

With a new year and even more green innovations, 2009 has already unfolded a handful of new platinum-rated buildings. A couple new additions that deserve recognition include:

California Academy of Sciences-San Francisco, CA. The new building, which houses an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and world-class research and education programs under one living roof, stands as an embodiment of the Academy’s mission to explore, explain and protect the natural world. It is now the largest public platinum-rated building in the world, and the world’s most sustainable museum building. For a building its size, the Academy uses 30-35% less energy each year and generates 10% of its own energy. For more highlights, check out http://www.calacademy.org/newsroom/releases/2008/leed_platinum.php.

Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park-New York, NY. Aside from being the first skyscraper to receive platinum-ratings, the tower will generate a significant portion of its power on site through a 5.1-megawatt cogeneration system. It also will save about half the energy used by most buildings its size; will filter out about 95 percent of the particulates in the air drawn into the building; will use less expensive night-time power to produce ice used to cool the building; and will conserve millions of gallons of water every year through methods such as green roofs and waterless urinals. For more information, go to http://environment.bankofamerica.com/article.jsp?articleId=Tower.

For more information on the rise of green building in the U.S., check out the Greeniacs Article: http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Green-Building-on-the-Rise.html.

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1 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/15/AR2006111501624.html; http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/12/06/dc_adopts_green_building_rules/.
2 http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222.
3 http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=64.
4 http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/08/leadership-energy-environment-lead-citizen-cx_hc_0208green.html.




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