Sep 21 2010
One Washingtonian Center, the North American headquarters of Sodexo, Inc. has earned Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating program for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, making it one of only three such structures in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to achieve the USGBC's highest rating.
The building, which is owned by LaSalle Investment Management® and operated by Transwestern®, with Sodexo North America as its anchor tenant, also won the ENERGY STAR Award for the fourth consecutive year, earning 94 out of a possible 100 points under the EPA rating program.
"We were able to make significant contributions to the certification process by providing documentation of our sustainable purchases, particularly as it relates to electronic equipment," said Richard Alexander, facilities manager, Sodexo. "Our IT department was able to document, through detailed assessment, that 65% of inventory is ENERGY STAR certified."
One Washingtonian Center
One Washingtonian Center earned LEED credits for access to alternative commuting transportation by demonstrating that 19% of building tenants actually take advantage of it. Sodexo and other tenants also worked with Transwestern to lower energy usage beyond what was called for in existing lease agreements. Under a separate agreement, tenants agreed to significantly reduce energy usage by shutting down HVAC systems during all weekend hours.
Sodexo also operates the Rio Cafe, One Washingtonian Center's onsite cafeteria and dining facility. In an effort to help Transwestern further reduce "wet waste" (e.g. foods, paper products, etc.) throughout the building and earn additional LEED credits for waste management and recycling, Sodexo food service staff has instituted a behind-the-counter food waste collection process. All kitchen waste will be separated into special containers that will later be collected by EnviRelation, a third-party food composting vendor.
"To achieve this level of LEED and ENERGY STAR rating for a multi-tenant building is impossible without the commitment and active participation of its occupants," said Matthew Payne, property manager, Transwestern. "Sodexo and its staff have and continue to be very helpful in our pursuit of excellence at One Washingtonian Center."
With its new LEED status, One Washingtonian Center is one of only two buildings in the state of Maryland to receive LEED Platinum certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. The Discovery Communications headquarters building in Silver Spring, MD is the other. The International Financial Corporation headquarters in the District of Columbia is also certified LEED-EB Platinum. Only thirty five buildings worldwide have earned the LEED-EB Platinum rating.
The building initially achieved a LEED Certified rating in February 2009 under Transwestern's portfolio program, which enables companies and building owners to integrate LEED into their new and existing building projects using a cost-effective, streamlined certification process. The project went on to pursue recertification and attain its current LEED-EB Platinum rating.
Sodexo is a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council and committed to sustainability in its operations and for the clients it serves around the world. Its Better Tomorrow Plan details commitments to reducing carbon, water, and waste at all of the sites where it operates. Sodexo maintains a core of 200 sustainability subject matter experts that support its business partners in implementing a variety of measures like site-level sustainability assessments, efficient equipment operating procedures, staff training protocols and other related services.
Source: http://www.sodexoUSA.com/