COH awarded LEED Green Building certification
Wed. September 17, 2008 12:00 AM by Gay Chicago Magazine
center on halsted located in chicago's lakeview neighborhood
photo credit // frank failing
Chicago, IL -
The Center on Halsted has been awarded LEED silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC's leading rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings.
"Not only have we created the Midwest's premiere community center for LGBT persons and their allies," said Modesto Tico Valle, the Center's executive director, we've created a building that is green-friendly, energy efficient and serves as a model for other organizations."
Center on Halsted was designed by Gensler to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.
"Center on Halsted is to be commended for achieving LEED certification. This facility is one that both the community and its clients can be proud of," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "Center on Halsted will be a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy buildings, and an inspiration for others."
LEED certification of silver was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community.
These features include:
The entire roof of the building is green. All roofing material is white material, reducing the "heat island effect" created by buildings. This reduces the overall energy consumption of the building.
The first rainwater harvesting system in Chicago to collect, treat and use rainwater and groundwater to flush toilets.
The building's energy supply consists of 50 percent purchased green power from renewable energy sources, such as hydro, solar, and wind.
The purchase of renewable energy encourages the development and use of such technologies that result in no pollution.
Sensors throughout the building monitor incoming daylight and adjust interior lighting accordingly, decreasing energy consumption.
Heating, cooling and air ventilation is zone-controlled by monitors that detect CO2 emissions to determine whether a room is in use.
When there are more people in a room, the system increases the ventilation for better air quality; when empty, the system is kept at low maintenance levels.
The entire concrete structure was purchased with a focus on recycled content. More specifically, the concrete has a high fly ash content which was recovered by burning coal.
Materials used on this project were purchased with a focus on location of material extraction and manufacture. Many products used in the building were extracted, harvested, and manufactured within a 500-mile radius. This helps to reduce environmental impacts such as pollution, from material transportation. This also helps to support regional/local business.
All staff are encouraged to recycle and put their trash in the appropriate recycle bins. This helps to reduce the landfill waste generated by paper, plastic, glass, metals and cardboard.
Additionally, only use recycled paper is used.
The carpet throughout the entire building is recycled.
The bricks in the building were salvaged from the original building on site.
Conference rooms were built with numerous windows to bring natural light into the building.
The site was located within walking distance to the "L"and several bus stops. Bike racks were placed adjacent to the building to encourage visitors and staff to bike to the Center.
The Center on Halsted is the Midwest's largest community center for LGBT persons. As a resource and gathering place for youth and adults in a safe, inviting atmosphere, the Center offers comprehensive support networks and programming to meet the cultural, emotional, social, educational and recreational needs of all LGBT and non-LGBT persons.
The three-story Center on Halsted includes a Whole Foods Market, meeting and office space, a theater, a multipurpose gymnasium, a community technology center and a rooftop garden. For more information, visit www.centeronhalsted.org.
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.
Article provided in partnership with Gay Chicago Magazine.
"Not only have we created the Midwest's premiere community center for LGBT persons and their allies," said Modesto Tico Valle, the Center's executive director, we've created a building that is green-friendly, energy efficient and serves as a model for other organizations."
Center on Halsted was designed by Gensler to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.
"Center on Halsted is to be commended for achieving LEED certification. This facility is one that both the community and its clients can be proud of," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "Center on Halsted will be a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy buildings, and an inspiration for others."
LEED certification of silver was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community.
These features include:
The entire roof of the building is green. All roofing material is white material, reducing the "heat island effect" created by buildings. This reduces the overall energy consumption of the building.
The first rainwater harvesting system in Chicago to collect, treat and use rainwater and groundwater to flush toilets.
The building's energy supply consists of 50 percent purchased green power from renewable energy sources, such as hydro, solar, and wind.
The purchase of renewable energy encourages the development and use of such technologies that result in no pollution.
Sensors throughout the building monitor incoming daylight and adjust interior lighting accordingly, decreasing energy consumption.
Heating, cooling and air ventilation is zone-controlled by monitors that detect CO2 emissions to determine whether a room is in use.
When there are more people in a room, the system increases the ventilation for better air quality; when empty, the system is kept at low maintenance levels.
The entire concrete structure was purchased with a focus on recycled content. More specifically, the concrete has a high fly ash content which was recovered by burning coal.
Materials used on this project were purchased with a focus on location of material extraction and manufacture. Many products used in the building were extracted, harvested, and manufactured within a 500-mile radius. This helps to reduce environmental impacts such as pollution, from material transportation. This also helps to support regional/local business.
All staff are encouraged to recycle and put their trash in the appropriate recycle bins. This helps to reduce the landfill waste generated by paper, plastic, glass, metals and cardboard.
Additionally, only use recycled paper is used.
The carpet throughout the entire building is recycled.
The bricks in the building were salvaged from the original building on site.
Conference rooms were built with numerous windows to bring natural light into the building.
The site was located within walking distance to the "L"and several bus stops. Bike racks were placed adjacent to the building to encourage visitors and staff to bike to the Center.
The Center on Halsted is the Midwest's largest community center for LGBT persons. As a resource and gathering place for youth and adults in a safe, inviting atmosphere, the Center offers comprehensive support networks and programming to meet the cultural, emotional, social, educational and recreational needs of all LGBT and non-LGBT persons.
The three-story Center on Halsted includes a Whole Foods Market, meeting and office space, a theater, a multipurpose gymnasium, a community technology center and a rooftop garden. For more information, visit www.centeronhalsted.org.
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.
Article provided in partnership with Gay Chicago Magazine.