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Green Exchange Scores Big on LEED Certification Design Phase
So far so good.
That was the unanimous sentiment from our building development team as the first scores were received since applying for the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. At the midway point, Green Exchange has earned 28 of the 45 points needed to attain the highest level of green building certification – LEED Platinum.
About LEED CertificationThe U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system is the preeminent program for designing, building and operating 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.
The Green Exchange has earned 28 points in the design submission, which already meets the threshold for LEED Silver certification. The second, and final, phase is the construction phase which will be reviewed for the remainder of possible points post-construction.
There are only 9 LEED Platinum buildings/commercial interior spaces in the City of Chicago, and Green Exchange is set to become one of the largest. Of the four levels of LEED Certification --Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum -- the Green Exchange will seek to obtain Platinum certification under the Core and Shell (CS) 2.0 rating system which is used for substantial rehab.
GX Design HighlightsGreen Exchange boasts numerous interesting green building features, many of which contributed to the 28 Design points that have already been earned toward certification.
The building is conveniently located on an urban site in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago’s northwest side. There are three bus lines including the Diversey Ave. bus and two Western Ave. bus lines within a quarter mile of the building. Eighty covered bike storage spaces, lockers and showers will be provided for building occupants to encourage bike traffic to and from the building. There will be priority parking for low emitting and fuel efficient vehicles. In addition, the Green Exchange will have fifty-six work/live lofts in which tenants can work and live in the same space and essentially have no commute. Altogether, this site location and transportation approach contributed to 6 LEED Design points.
Green Exchange’s 41,000-gallon cistern will collect rain water and be the sole source for irrigating over 15,000 square feet of vegetated roof. Combined with water efficient fixtures, potable water consumption will be reduced 37.5% over a comparable building. These water efficiencies lead to achieving 4 LEED Design points.
The design of the mechanical system will be at least 22% more efficient than that of a comparable building, according to energy modeling we performed. Ninety solar thermal panels will heat all of the domestic water. This hot water will also be used for a cutting-edge air-conditioning and dehumidification application for the work/live loft corridors that contributed to 6 of the LEED Design points.
What’s NextThe Green Exchange has already been pre-approved for its construction points. The project was reviewed at the schematic design stage and the USGBC acknowledged the construction points were achievable if everything goes as proposed. We must continue to document Construction LEED points throughout the building process and then submit them for final approval when construction has been substantially completed.
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