by Brianna Crandall — August 17, 2011—A new environmental certification of a historic landmark in Chicago highlights the emerging trend of renovating existing facilities rather than building new ones in light of current economic challenges and the desire for corporate-wide sustainability. The owners of the building hope that it will serve as an example to others across the country.
The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) recently announced that its office has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). ELPC’s office is located in the “Old Jeweler’s Building,” a Historic Landmark in downtown Chicago. Platinum is the highest certification possible through LEED, the USGBC’s leading rating system for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
ELPC now has the first LEED Platinum office in a Historic Landmark building in Chicago, creating an easily replicable model the organization hopes others will follow. “We’ve transformed space in a historic building into a cutting-edge green modern office with high environmental performance that makes economic sense.” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of ELPC. “With smart design, this downtown office space saves money with state-of-the-art energy efficiency technology; uses local, recycled materials; reduces waste; and is an attractive, great place to work.”
ELPC’s new office preserves the building’s historic façade while maximizing the green features of the interior. Photo sensors control the LED and fluorescent lighting system to cut energy use in half, and maximize “daylighting” as interior windows and frosted glass spread natural light throughout the office. Electrical outlets, heating and cooling are all controlled with state-of the-art occupancy sensors that monitor CO2 to use power only where it’s needed, dramatically cutting utility bills and avoiding pollution.
During construction, ELPC diverted more than 75 percent of waste from landfills and used locally sourced, recycled and recyclable materials. Natural surfaces and finishes without toxic chemicals and VOCs improve the office’s air quality. A private shower encourages employees to bike to work, and solar panels on the building’s façade will directly supply the office with clean energy.
The organization sees its office as a valuable example because in coming years the vast majority of building will reportedly occur as renovations of existing space, rather than new construction. In a similar vein that facilities managers can relate to and take up the challenge for, Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC, said, “Building operations are nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge.”
