GreenSage E-zine 06/2008

StopWaste.org Headquarters Earns LEED Platinum

California's Alameda County's waste reduction agency "Walks the Walk"

The waste reduction experts at StopWaste.org officially dedicated their new LEED Platinum headquarters in Oakland, CA, demonstrating their outstanding leadership in green building and source reduction.

"Our mission is to help our member agencies make informed decisions about green building by providing technical assistance, design assistance, grants, presentations and trainings," said Wendy Sommer, Senior Program Manager at StopWaste.org. "By undertaking the process ourselves, we're demonstrating to our constituents that it is possible to build buildings that cost less to operate, and contribute to increased productivity and better working environments for workers or residents."

Formerly in suburban San Leandro, StopWaste.org purchased a dilapidated 14,000 square-foot, two-story building in downtown Oakland that was built in 1926. The organization has earned a national reputation as a leader in developing innovative waste management and resource conservation programs. They took their mandate to heart when they opted to move to downtown Oakland to make it easier for staff and visitor to use public transit. The also choose to "walk the walk" and pursue a super efficient, green building.

The StopWaste.org project team, including development manager Placeworks LLC, Komorous-Towey Architects, BBI Construction, and KEMA Green, started out with a solid plan for achieving LEED Silver. During the design and later construction phase, it became apparent that the project was already in to the LEED Gold range. With support from the StopWaste.org Board, the project team opted to push for LEED Platinum.

"Changing direction mid-project was definitely challenging for the project team and one not always recommended," said Sommer. "Opting for Platinum required us to think creatively and we're very proud of our accomplishment."

To address energy needs, the team made the building super-efficient. So much so, that the building is calculated to outperform Title 24-2005 by an impressive 40 percent. Post occupancy monitoring will help others gain insight for future projects. The roof sports a 5.2-kw photovoltaic system that is sized to meet at least 10 percent of the building's energy needs. Seventy five percent of the workspaces are day lit and 95 percent have views outdoors due to skylights and large windows. Water use is also impressive with a 40 percent reduction compared to conventional buildings thanks to dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, and low-flow faucets.

Last, but not least, is their 550-square-foot garden/rear courtyard. The project team took the opportunity to implement StopWaste.org's Bay-Friendly Landscaping and Gardening program. A small, but refreshing refuge.

StopWaste.org's project is the first LEED-NC v. 2.2 Platinum renovation project in the entire nation.