by Shane Henson — March 2, 2012—Planning Design Research (PDR), a company that creates high-performance work environments for companies around the globe, has ensured that its own workplace exceeds expectations. The company recently announced it has become the first Houston workplace to earn the prestigious LEED CI (Commercial Interior Design and Construction) Platinum certification, the highest classification in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
Located in Two Houston Center, PDR is the tower’s first tenant to earn LEED certification. The 40-story building is certified LEED EBOM (Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance) Gold.
Occupying the entire 39th floor, the office design reportedly demonstrates PDR’s deep understanding of workplace and sustainability to create a balanced, healthy environment.
Highlights of the office include:
- 94% of PDR’s regularly occupied spaces are day-lit
- 92% of its regularly occupied seats have a direct view to the outside
- 78% of construction waste from its build-out was diverted from the landfill
- 56% of materials used in the PDR workplace were manufactured regionally
According to the company, other factors contributing to PDR’s LEED CI Platinum certification are its selection of a site in a diverse and densely developed location within a sustainable office building; its efforts to reduce the lighting power density (0.74 watts per square foot, or 26% below the allowable by code); its use of low-emitting materials including paints, adhesives, flooring and furniture systems; greater than 35% water-use reduction, its superior indoor environmental quality; and the implementation of an ergonomic strategy throughout the workplace.
