Willis Tower becomes largest U.S. building to earn LEED Platinum

The Willis Tower is currently undergoing a more than $500 million renovation that will transition it from an office building into a neighborhood that delivers life and work experiences.

As part of this evolution, Willis Tower, under LEED’s latest v4.1 rating system, has become the largest building in the United States to earn LEED Platinum certification.

In partnership with Rivion, a Wisconsin-based energy consulting firm, EQ, a U.S. office portfolio company wholly owned by Blackstone's real estate funds, improved the building's environmental quality through a number of building enhancements, including:

— Revamping the heating and cooling (HVAC) system through the installation of state-of-the-art technologies, allowing the Tower to heat and cool more efficiently, which is expected to reduce energy consumption by up to 20 percent.

— Reducing heating water energy consumption by replacing electric hot-water generators with natural gas hot-water boilers.

— Upgrading the building's lighting control system and installing energy-efficient LED lights.

— Installing low-flow high-efficiency sink faucets, toilets and urinals, which is expected to cut approximately 30 percent of the building's water consumption (11 million gallons annually).

The driving force behind the Tower's transformation is Blackstone and EQ's mission to create sustainable experiences and make smart choices that improve the space and environment around its properties.

These values are noticeable in the Tower's new 125,000 square feet of tenant-exclusive amenities, as well as the addition of Catalog, the 300,000 square foot retail, dining and entertainment experience at the base of Willis Tower and the soon-to-open 30,000 square foot outdoor deck and garden.

Walgreens announced plans last week to build one of the nation's first net-zero retail stores. The Evanston, Ill., location will utilize solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal technology, LED lighting and ultra-high-efficiency refrigeration to produce energy equal to or greater than the building consumes.

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HOK sustainability expert Mary Ann Lazarus tapped by AIA for strategy consulting position

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This hospital at Virginia's Fort Belvoir recently achieved LEED Gold.

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Defense department report: Green design saves taxpayers money

An independent report on energy efficiency and sustainability standards used by the Pentagon for military construction affirms the value of LEED-certified high performing buildings to America’s military and U.S. taxpayers.

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Caution on UCLA study of worker productivity at 'green companies'

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