Green Building Alliance practices what it preaches

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} The offices of the Green Building Alliance have been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council.   Green Building Alliance (GBA) is a nonprofit organization, affiliated to the US Green Building Council (USGBC), that advances economic prosperity and human wellbeing in Western Pennsylvania by driving market demand for green buildings and green building products.   Located in the historic River Walk Corporate Centre in the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 3,850-square-foot offices were designed and constructed in 2008 as a model of resource and material efficiency, as well as a green building teaching tool and demonstration project.   The first project in Western Pennsylvania to receive the highest rating from the USGBC, the offices are an example of how old industrial buildings can be converted into environmentally friendly spaces.   GBA is also the first USGBC chapter or affiliate to achieve LEED certification for its offices.   The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.   There are four levels of building certification under the LEED system: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. GBA's space was awarded 75 percent of the total points available under the LEED for Commercial Interiors program.   GBA's offices use 22 percent less energy than conventionally constructed office space, and all appliances and fixtures have high efficiencies. Forty percent less water is used as a result of low flow fixtures, including toilets, showers and faucets.   Additionally, 99.9 percent of construction waste generated by the project was diverted from landfill by reusing materials on-site, recycling and donating items to Construction Junction, Pittsburgh's building material reuse retailer.   In Western Pennsylvania, there are more than 55 LEED-certified projects, with another 130 projects registered as pursuing LEED certification.     *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *