'Green' Office Building Registers for LEED Certification

Blacksburg, VA — October 12, 2006 — Price’s Pointe, an upscale commercial condominium with an eco-friendly philosophy, is scheduled to begin construction on Phase I, a nine-unit, 33,000 square-foot, professional office building, at its site on Price’s Fork Road in Blacksburg before the end of the year.

Taylor Albright, Blacksburg attorney and founder of Green Development, LLC, is collaborating with local architectural firm, Thomas Koontz, Architect PC, and Dr. Annie Pearce, the LEED Accredited Professional managing the certification process, to develop this innovative building concept. Their goal is to create an elegant office building that uses green building methods to achieve the triple bottom line: environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic prosperity.

Price’s Pointe is registered with the U. S. Green Building Council for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Currently only one building in southwest Virginia has received the prestigious LEED certification (and thirteen elsewhere in the state). The LEED Green Building Rating System provides a national standard for building high-performance, low-impact buildings. The design must meet specific green building guidelines established by the USGBC in five key areas: water savings, sustainable site development, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Price’s Pointe will offer future owners an environment that optimizes energy efficiency, air quality, and natural lighting in a beautiful setting. Special green design features include window awnings that collect solar energy as they shade south-facing windows, and light shelves that allow daylight to enter deep into the building increasing natural light and conserving energy. A “green roof” provides a patio oasis that reduces energy costs while extending the lifetime of the roof. A parking structure reduces the development’s footprint on the site. The use of recycled materials and indigenous, drought-resistant landscaping adds green points to the project.

Today the green design trend is moving into the mainstream due to rising energy costs and new technologies that have lowered upfront construction costs. The green building market is expected to reach $10-$20 billion by 2010. According to Harvey Bernstein, VP, McGraw Hill Construction, “We can safely say that green buildings are no longer a fad, but rather an increasingly important new way of doing business.”

Even among green buildings, Price’s Pointe is on the leading edge. The project is registered for certification under a new LEED “Core and Shell” rating that allows unit owners to capitalize on green strategies implemented by the developer. Condominium owners will have the option of using “green build-out” credits provided by the developer to finish the interior of their units with sustainable building methods, materials, and equipment. Low-emission paints, floor and wall coverings, water-saving devices, and use of recycled and renewable materials all qualify for credits.

Studies on green buildings suggest that they benefit the well-being of the people who work in them. According to a U. S. Dept. of Energy report: “Sustainable building features can promote better health, comfort, well-being, and productivity of building occupants, which can reduce levels of absenteeism and increase productivity.” These improvements translate into cost savings for employers, in addition to savings from energy conservation, lower operating costs, and a higher resale value.
Another green trend already utilized at Price’s Pointe is the practice of “deconstruction”, a method of clearing a building site by recycling materials and minimizing the impact of demolition and land filling. Originally, there were two rundown houses on the project’s site that could not be moved. Snyder & Associates, the General Contractor, invited local tradesmen onto the property to salvage usable building materials. Everything that could be recycled — old screens, radiators, and copper piping — was removed. Backhoes came in and dug up trees, shrubs, and other landscaping that were transplanted to other properties. Even the remaining heating oil was siphoned out and given to a family in need.

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About Green Development, LLC
Green Development, LLC believes that building "green" helps to protect our natural resources for coming generations. Through pioneering projects like Price’s Pointe, Green Development, LLC hopes to support other businesses to experiment with sustainable design features, green operating practices, and eco-friendly products.