The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC), an eco-business innovation and environmental legal advocacy organization, declared that its office placed in Old Jeweler’s Building in downtown Chicago, has been granted LEED Platinum certification founded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
ELPC’s vaulted ceilings and internal windows allow natural light to penetrate the entire office space. Credit: ELPC
Green Building Certification Institute has verified the certification. The building has received the highest possible LEED Platinum rating for its performance as green building, its functioning and its design. ELPC’s office happens to be the first ever LEED Platinum certified office in the land mark building located in Chicago.
The new office of ELPC while continuing to uphold the famous façade of the building has introduced the maximum number of green features inside the office. The energy saving LED and fluorescent lighting facilities installed in the building are controlled by photo sensors to bring down the energy usage. The daylighting type of interior windows and the roughened glass panels assist in disseminating natural light all over the office. The cooling, heating and electrical outlets of the building are fitted with sensors to monitor the prevalence of CO2 to switch on power only when needed, thus cutting down the utility of power consumption drastically and averting pollution.
During the construction process ELPC utilized locally sourced recyclable and recycled materials and prevented over 75% of the construction wastes from reaching the landfills. The paints and surface finishes inside the building are completed with low VOC and non-toxic chemicals to better the air quality within the building. The solar panels installed over the façade supply clean power to the office and the private shower installed at the parking facility encourages employees to commute using the bike.
Source: http://www.elpc.org