Marquette Plaza, originally designed by architect Gunnar Birkerts and constructed in 1972, which underwent renovation recently, has received LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), thus becoming the first downtown Minneapolis building to earn such green certification.
Marquette Plaza is exceptionally centered in a “transit oriented” location with direct access to light rail transit
Base Management, the property manager associated with Sustology, a green solution consultant and a tenant in Marquette Plaza have worked for achieving the LEED certification process.
Marquette Plaza has become the first multi-tenant complex in Minnesota to achieve the LEED Platinum status due to the efforts of its property manager and 22 tenants in the building, which includes CenturyLink, Foley & Mansfield, Meet Minneapolis, Federal Government agencies and Xcel Energy.
The sustainable features implemented in the building to achieve Platinum certification include use of renewable wind energy power to offset 100% energy expenditure amounting $1 million every year and water conserving features to cut down the water usage in the building by 694,000 gallons. The building incorporates nearly 1.5 acres of green roof covering 46% of the total building area. The building is designed to save around 89 t of waste from reaching the landfills every year.
The granite features installed in the building are made of reused granite from the old construction. The building management has installed an integrated green cleaning program and use degradable, locally sourced materials for use inside the building. Around 64% of its employees commute by walk or by utilizing bike, bus or by carpool.
The energy efficient features installed in the building will enable the tenants to save on energy costs in addition to improved lighting, and air quality inside the building.
Source: http://marquetteplaza.com/