Green Ideas Earns National Leed Recognition
Arizona consulting firm earns four Platinum LEED awards from the U. S. Green Building Council
Phoenix, Ariz. (PRWEB) June 2, 2009
Green Ideas Environmental Building Consultants, Arizona's leading consultancy firm specializing in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), today announces their fourth "Platinum" LEED level of certification - the highest available - for the new Arizona Game & Fish Headquarters Building in Phoenix. Only three other Arizona facilities have received this prestigious recognition from the U. S. Green Building Council and all have been consulted by Green Ideas.
Green Ideas offers educational programs and product services in addition to their world-class LEED (http://www. egreenideas. com/green-ideas-education. php) consulting services. The company has previously earned the U. S. Green Building Council "Platinum" recognition for the Arizona State University Biodesign Building B in Tempe, the Northern Arizona University Applied Research and Development Facility in Flagstaff and the Lee H. Brown Conservation Learning Center in Tucson.
"This milestone project is a significant accomplishment and we are extremely proud of the marked success for the state of Arizona and the Game & Fish Department," said Charlie Popeck, president of Green Ideas. "Our dedicated team at Green Ideas made it possible for us to earn this national recognition and we plan to continue contributing to the environment and community with additional sustainable buildings."
The Game & Fish facility was designed as a full-service center to support department administration, customer service, business operations, information and education coordination, research coordination and public meetings of the Arizona Game & Fish Commission. The result is a state-of-the-art facility, built to exceed the department's needs and support future growth, while aligning with then-Governor Janet Napolitano's executive order to achieve LEED Silver certification as a state-operated building. The Arizona Game & Fish Headquarters Building project team, who contributed to making it one of the most sustainable buildings in the country, includes Green Ideas, architect Jeff Will, Sundt Construction and Lincoln Property Company.
Green Ideas worked with state officials and the design and construction team to develop a unique third-party ownership structure to install a large, 189 kilowatt, rooftop photovoltaic solar system which will be implemented this summer. This system served as the foundation to achieve Platinum certification, supplying a significant portion of the project's energy needs when leveraged in tandem with low-E glass that reduces solar heat gains inside the structure.
Green Ideas principal Mark Wilhelm said the project succeeded only with a bold commitment by Arizona Game & Fish and Lincoln Property Company to focus on energy efficiency while establishing a unique way to implement solar technology. "This building would not have been possible without a commitment by the design team to ensure an energy-efficient building design, maximized use of day lighting and the use of the APS Solutions for Business incentive program as a baseline for design."
The team utilized a whole-building approach to the project, enabling the design component of the building to contribute 36 of the 52 total possible LEED (http://www. egreenideas. com/green-ideas-education. php) points - and it focused on elements providing a direct return on investment. The design drastically reduced costs and simplified operations for the department by consolidating and centralizing many resources into a new, sustainable full-service facility.
Game & Fish Project Highlights:
Low-emitting finishes and inert materials reduce occupant exposure to formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly found in the atmosphere of new buildings Exterior light shelves were tuned to the equinox to take better advantage of winter daylight, while mitigating solar heat gain in the summer 282,500 SF of open space was preserved and dedicated as natural habitat on the southeast portion of the project The use of native plants and drip irrigation as well as the installation of water efficient plumbing fixtures save valuable potable water
Project Results:
43 percent of building materials were manufactured within a 500-mile radius 65 percent energy cost savings, greatly exceeding ASHRAE 90.1-1999 energy standards Approximately 208 metric tons of CO2 emissions will be offset by the 189 kilowatt photovoltaic solar system when implemented later this summer 73 percent reduction of water use for irrigation and a 42 percent reduction of indoor water use -- a projected savings of more than 403,257 gallons of potable water each year More than 680 cubic yards (57 percent) of construction waste was diverted from landfills and recycled
About Green Ideas Environmental Building Consultants
Green Ideas, established in 2000, is a full-service green building consulting firm offering educational programs, product evaluation services and world-class LEED consulting services. Its clients are building owners, architects, engineers, contractors, utilities and green product manufacturers. With a vision as bold as the results they achieve, Green Ideas is dedicated to transforming the market by promoting buildings that are designed, built and operated in a manner that improves the health, well-being and productivity of people and the environment. Green Ideas is proud to be one of the leading companies specializing in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Consulting including charrette facilitation, programming assistance, LEED registration, documentation and certification services. Green Ideas develops and implements marketing programs that will enhance companies' images and visibility in the green building marketplace with a positive return on investment.
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