HOUSTON – Gerald D. Hines, chairman and founder of the Hines firm, has received the President’s Award from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in recognition for his firm’s outstanding track record in sustainable development.
The U.S. Green Building Council organizes the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program that certifies the sustainability programs and energy efficiency of buildings.
In recognizing Mr. Hines, the organization said: “Hines is a longtime leader in the real estate industry with an unparalleled commitment to green building. With more than 100 million SF of LEED-certified space, Hines has built a legacy of sustainability that continues to expand and evolve.”
Currently, Hines is developing environmentally ambitious LPL Financial at La Jolla, a 13-story, 415,000-SF office building under construction in the San Diego area. That building will be “net-zero” meaning it will produce as much energy as it uses. In addition to being constructed with extremely high energy-efficiency standards and green materials, LPL Financial will have on-site fuel cells that convert carbon-neutral methane into electricity.
Also receiving awards at the organization’s Greenbuild International Conference in Philadelphia included: Mike McNally, president of Skanska USA; Greensburg, Kansas Mayor Bob Dixson; Joel Ann Todd, chair of the LEED Steering Committee and the Intel Corp.
Mr. Hines founded the company in Houston in 1957 and its new domestic development projects are LEED certified. The company currently has $1.7 billion of projects under development in Houston alone, including a 47-story downtown office tower at 609 Main; a 33-story residential tower across from downtown’s Market Square, at Travis and Prairie; the 21Eleven apartments on the site of the former Café Adobe restaurant on Westheimer; the 25-story Southmore residential tower in the Museum District at Southmore and Caroline streets; the 17-story 2229 San Felipe boutique office building and the 46-acre upscale Somerset Green infill residential community off of Old Katy Road.
Hines’ historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,283 properties representing more than 516 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as master-planned communities and land developments. Hines has offices in 111 cities in 18 countries