HOUSTON – The proposed 35-story Capitol Tower in downtown Houston has been awarded with the new LEED v4 Platinum pre-certification, one of only three core and shell projects in the to be pre-certified under the new standards.
Skanska is tearing down the old Houston Club building, which will be replaced by Capitol Tower, is a 35-story 750,000-SF office tower to be built at 808 Capitol Street.
LEED v4 is the latest version of the LEED green building program, considered the world’s premier benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Skanska’s Capitol Tower is one of only 122 beta projects worldwide using the new LEED v4 standards.
In 1998, the U.S. Green Building Council started the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes and neighborhoods.
Capitol Tower’s sustainable features include:
- · a high-performance building façade that significantly reduces solar gain;
- · daylight harvesting technology that can significantly reduce energy usage;
- · 90 percent access to daylight and views for tenants;
- · a garage with occupancy lighting sensors and a green rooftop;
- · alternative vehicle charging stations;
- · a rainwater collection system for reuse in landscape irrigation and water closets;
- ·bicycle racks, lockers and showers to encourage commuting.
“Being among the first to achieve LEED v4 Platinum precertification is consistent with Skanska’s commitment to leadership in sustainable building practices,” said Michael Mair, executive vice president of Skanska USA Commercial Development in Houston.
The building is designed by the Gensler architecture firm.
“Skanska made it clear from the beginning of the design process that they wanted this to be the most sustainable building in Houston,” said Gensler Principal Kristopher Stuart. “We really pushed our team to move beyond anything we have done before to create a building that offers an exceptional work environment in a high-performance envelope that will dramatically reduce operating costs.”
Several downtown office projects have been proposed for downtown Houston. Hines is under construction on a 47-story building at 609 Main.