The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is proud to announce the Platinum certification of its new Washington, D.C. headquarters – making it the first project to certify under the latest version of the LEED green building rating system.
This occasion also marks the official opening of its new headquarters, which is located in the Foggy Bottom district of Northwest Washington, D.C. – conveniently situated less than a half-mile from four Metro stations and numerous bus stops. The Council, which moved into its new office in March 2009, outgrew its previous space as a result of the explosive growth it experienced over the last few years. More than 35,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED system, comprising over 5.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 91 countries. The new office space triples the size of its previous space, reflective of the green building industry itself, which is projected to soar to $60 billion by 2010.
“The vision of the space was to exemplify everything a LEED building is: high-performing, resource-efficient, healthy and productive,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. “Using the newest version of the rating system renders our space on the cutting edge of building science and technology, and will serve as an educational learning lab and highly representative of a transforming building market.” View photos of the new USGBC headquarters.
The 75,000 square foot office, divided between two floors, is connected by an open staircase in the bright lobby, behind which is one of the space’s most prominent design features: a two-story tall water feature, which helps bring the outdoors inside the space. The elevator lobby, reception and conference breakout areas are clad in 500-year-old gumwood that was salvaged from the bottom of the Tennessee River. Carved into a two-story section of the gumwood paneling is an off-centered relief of the USGBC logo that clearly brands the space.
The vision of the new headquarters was not only to be a collaborative office space, but also an educational learning lab. Tours of the new office suites will be available to the public to showcase USGBC’s green building principles.
Aggressive water and energy reduction goals were set to reduce water use by 40 percent and energy use to be less than half that of a typical office. A dashboard system was implemented to provide real-time feedback on energy use. Floor to ceiling glass windows provide abundant daylighting to any workstation in the office, while the electronic window shade system maximizes natural light while minimizing glare. These and other design integrations helped USGBC achieve 36 out of 37 points in the Energy and Atmosphere category of the rating system. View the USGBC LEED scorecard.
The planning, design and construction of the new headquarters was a rigorous 12-month process from site selection to move-in. Prospective buildings were evaluated on various metrics, including green provisions such as recycling programs and the desire to seek certification for the entire building. With three out of five tenants and six out of the 10 floors in the building either certified or undergoing certification, a Vornado Realty Trust property was selected as the location.
Architecture firm Envision Design was selected because of its extensive LEED project portfolio. GHT Limited Consulting Engineers and James G. Davis Construction Corporation were chosen as the engineering and construction firms. All members of the design, engineering and construction teams are LEED Accredited Professionals.
The Learning Pathway corridor serves as a living case study to understand the integrative sustainable design techniques of the new headquarters. Along it, the Material Wall contains flashcards of every material used in the facility, detailing its origin and utility. The Performance Dashboard is a flat panel television in the reception area which details the performance metrics of the space. The Progress Wall exhibits metrics such as LEED membership, types of LEED projects, LEED Accredited Professionals and World Green Building Councils. The display is surrounded by a timeline of significant environmental and green movement achievements ranging from the days of the Old Testament through the present. Favorite inspirational quotes submitted by employees are painted in the form of an oak tree with its branches extending along the length of the wall entitled “What We Believe.”
USGBC extends its sincere gratitude to the sponsors and donors whose contributions created this high-performing space: Ambius, Armstrong Commercial Ceiling and Wall Systems, Bosch Home Appliances, Convia, A Herman Miller Company, Crestron Electronics, Inc., Excel Dryer, Inc., Forbo Floorings, Haworth, Inc., Icestone LLC, Knoll, Inc., MechoShade Systems, Inc., Price Modern LLC, Sherwin-Williams, Sloan Valve Company, Teknion, The Mohawk Group.
Fedrizzi continued, “The committed group of individuals who work for USGBC, our unlikely diverse coalition of member companies who range across every industry, and our donors, whose generosity made the dream of this office a reality, ardently carry out our mission of a sustainable built environment within a generation,” said Fedrizzi. “The green building movement is as versatile as it gets. Building projects of every size, scale and budget are seizing control of our collective environmental challenges and are implementing the solutions.”
U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.
With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 100,000 LEED Accredited Professionals, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to soar to $60 billion by 2010. The USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39 percent of CO2 emissions, 40 percent of energy consumption, 13 percent water consumption and 15 percent of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85 percent of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system is the preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. 35,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED system, comprising over 5.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 91 countries.
By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation.
