Solid Waste Services Building Green
Solid Waste Services Building Receives LEED Certification
First Commercial Building in Tallahassee to Earn Silver
The City of Tallahassee's Solid Waste Services (SWS) Administration building has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the second municipal building in Florida and the first in North Florida to earn the distinction.
LEED certification is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. It promotes sustainability by recognizing performance in five areas: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. The USGBC is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. It aims to advance structures that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
"Earning this award is a true feather in the City's 'green' cap," said Mayor John Marks. "We're not simply saying we want to reduce our carbon footprint, we are doing it. As a whole, our community is making great strides in the right direction, and I'm proud that our local government is leading by example."
Due to the need for additional space, the City of Tallahassee decided to completely renovate its 30-year old Solid Waste Services Administration building. During initial planning of this renovation project, the City decided that the renovated building should set a standard for environmentally responsible design and building practices.
The new building boasts a myriad of new, eco-smart features such as occupancy sensors on lights, programmable thermostats and low-mercury fluorescent lamps. Thanks to waterless urinals, drought tolerant native landscaping and low-flow toilets that use only 0.8 gallons of water per flush, the building's water usage has been reduced by 69 percent in 5 months compared to that same time frame in the old building two years ago.
Grant funds to offset the additional costs of this flagship project were provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through an Innovative Recycling Grant. Grant funds for Florida friendly landscaping were provided by the Florida Organics Recycling Center for Excellence (FORCE).
"This was no small task," says Reginald Ofuani, general manager of SWS. "We knew it would be a challenge, requiring an enormous amount of cooperation, patience and dedication, but the final product makes it obvious that we made the right decision. The new building is a testament to the resolve of this city to be at the forefront of the 'Green' movement."
The SWS building is part of the City's overall "Go Green Tallahassee" initiative to promote and encourage environmental responsibility in our community. Through projects such as CANpaign, a community recycling challenge; Fleet Management's biodiesel fuel production facility; and the Tram Road Reuse Facility, which will provide reclaimed water for public irrigation, the City is setting the standard for an eco-conscious community.
The City of Tallahassee has also been recognized recognized at the ninth annual Sustainable Florida Best Practices Awards. Tallahassee received Promising Practices awards for its energy efficiency initiatives and the new Solid Waste Administration Building.
For more information on this project, contact Anja DeLoach at 891-2321 or Eve Williams at 891-8472.
What is "Green Building?"
Green Building practices promote the construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and the environment by increasing the efficiency with which buildings (and their sites) use and harvest energy, water, and materials. Green building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality.
Pollution prevention practices such as demolition and construction debris reuse, recycling and recycled content products will be implemented and utilized, respectively. With increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of building construction and demolition, the City of Tallahassee's Solid Waste Services (SWS) Department is in the process of receiving Green Building certification of their soon-to be renovated administration building, located at 2727 Municipal Way. By adhering to the requirements of the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification process, the City is operating a Green Building that enhances the well being of its employees and minimizes negative impacts on the community and local environment. The building, situated in the state capital, is a living model of green building principles.
The City will make the building available for tours and signs in the building will highlight key elements of green building's five components (site selection, water, energy, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality) as well as the life cycle benefits achieved by the project.