Washington, DC, June 20, 2006--When the White House announced the winners of the 2006 Closing the Circle Awards, it was no surprise that two of the 16 winners are Gold-certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating SystemT. The awards, administered by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE), recognize outstanding environmental stewardship of Federal employees and their facilities.
The Closing the Circle awards acknowledge superior performance in several categories including waste prevention, recycling and green purchasing activities. Building 850, at the Naval Base of Ventura County in Port Hueneme, Cal., and the National Park Service (NPS) Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Neb., were winners in the green/sustainable buildings awards category, and both are LEED-certified.
"Congratulations to these two LEED buildings that have been selected for the Closing the Circle awards,' said Joe Maheady, director of public policy, U.S. Green Building Council. "This accolade is a testament to the superior level of sustainable design and techniques demanded by LEED certification, as well as a demonstration of the Federal government's leadership in using the LEED rating system."
Maheady noted that the Federal government has been an early and strong supporter of green building; 22 Federal buildings are LEED certified, and more than 200 buildings, representing almost 40 million square feet, are in the certification pipeline. Federal employees are involved in many of USGBC's chapters and committees, and many are LEED-accredited professionals.
Building 850, the Naval Base of Ventura County, is the Navy's first LEED Gold-rated building and serves as an "Energy Showcase" facility, demonstrating new concepts in energy efficiency and "green" building principles to both resident staff (Naval Base Ventura County Public Works Department) and neighboring communities. The project included a 10,000 square-foot renovation and a 7,000 square-foot addition and was LEED certified in 2005.
The design team for Building 850 implemented a holistic approach during the greening process and used integrated design, a process that involves the design team working closely with the building owner, architects, engineers, landscape architects, utilities and environmental consultants. Energy efficiency was a main focus of the project and a 30 kW grid-connected photovoltaic array was installed, which supplies 30% of the building energy and covers 68% of the building's energy costs. In addition, water conservation in Building 850 was achieved through a combination of efficient plumbing features, use of reclaimed water and captured rainwater, and efficient landscaping and irrigation systems.
The NPS Midwest Office Headquarters was LEED Gold certified in 2005. The decision to "go green" grew out of the organization's commitment to sustainability and protecting the environment. Sustainable design and construction techniques included the use of native plants for landscaping; dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals; daylighting which utilizes energy 30% more efficiently than the former headquarters; and an extensive building-wide recycling initiative to recycle batteries and cell phones. The NPS Office Building hopes to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development around the Omaha riverfront area.
