Celebrating Our 50th LEED Certification

evolveEA has worked to coach projects towards sustainability goals since our founding in 2004. Since then we have moved into teaching, ecodistricts, existing buildings, 2030 commitment, facilitation, Living Buildings, communications and organizational strategy, but one mainstay of our work has always been LEED management for buildings and interiors, helping projects to set goals and achieve USGBC LEED certification.
Since our first LEED certification, indeed since leafing through the very coarse LEED 1.0 in 1998, LEED has developed into a global standard.  Originally designed for spec office buildings, LEED has grown to 21 different rating systems covering schools, retail, interiors, neighborhoods, healthcare and existing buildings. evolveEA has worked with nearly all of these types of LEED certifications and we are now recognized as one of a few select LEED Proven Providers.
As we have seen LEED improve the sustainability features of project after project, this is a good time to reflect on some of our noteworthy projects. While all are important to us, a few stand out. 

Phipps Conservatory Center for Sustainable Landscapes (2013)

This project, designed, built and now operating to Living Building Challenge standards, also scored the highest ever LEED NC point total of any new building. Aside from these certifications, we also managed the achievement LEED EB Platinum certification for Phipps Conservatory’s Production Greenhouse (2012). These projects are a wonderful example of what working with a visionary owner can yield.

Giant Eagle Brunswick (2004) 

This free-standing supermarket was the first-ever LEED certified market. This experience led to our ability to use energy modeling as a decision-making tool and a series of national presentations about the design and construction process of this ground-breaking project.  We also achieved LEED CI Silver certification for a subsequent interior renovation (2014).

Eastside Borders Building (2006)

This project was a pilot for the LEED Core and Shell program. As part of an infill project in a blighted neighborhood, sustainability was a prominent feature in a triple bottom line project, achieving LEED Gold certification and contributing to an urban transformation.

HSBC Bank Egypt Global Service Centre (2010) 

This highly-visible project in Cairo, Egypt became the first-ever LEED-certified project in Africa. The use of Tender Documents and extensive post-occupancy commissioning provide better debugging than we tend to see in American projects.  As HSBC is a carbon-neutral company, the project had a carbon budget, allowing the design team to benefit from energy and water savings as we achieved LEED Gold certification. This unique project also showed us a labor-material hierarchy inverse to what we typically see.

UPMC Headquarters and UPMC Healthplan Offices (2009-2014) 

Through ten separate projects, we managed the LEED CI certifications of 23 floors in the iconic US Steel Tower, totaling over 900,000sf.  Levels of certifications gradually increased in achievement from 2.0 Silver to V3 Gold over the course of the projects. This work has inspired the building manager to work with us in participating in Portfolio Manager, the Pittsburgh 2030 District and internal national education programs.

Carnegie Mellon University (2006-2014)

Through nearly ten projects ranging from a small renovation to large computer science and nanotechnology buildings, we have assisted CMU in seeking and achieving sustainability goals through a variety of buildings and projects, as well as informing campus-wide operations and policies.

UPMC Passavant (2010)

In pursuing LEED certification for a new hospital wing, the opportunity to link sustainable design to health and healing allowed us to look to LEED for Healthcare and explore how a healthy and efficient building can lead to a healthy and healing environment. Evidence Based Design methods informed various design schemes and innovations.

Giant Eagle Pine Township (2010) 

Building upon several LEED certified supermarkets for Giant Eagle, including the urban mixed-use Market District (2006), we utilized daylight modeling in this LEED for Retail Pilot project. We also managed the certification of the adjoining GetGo convenience store and gas station (2010), another first.

Shady Side Academy (2006)

In consulting on the renovation of this central, historic academic building of an exclusive school, we also provided landscape design and educational communications and graphics. While basic certification was the stated goal, we were able to achieve LEED Gold certification for a building that continues to teach.

Alcoa Corporate Headquarters (2011)

The formalization of policies and the confirmation of building performance helped this prominent headquarters building achieve LEED for Existing Buildings Silver certification. The team is now working towards re-certification, which we are expecting to achieve in 2016.

Dicks Sporting Goods Headquarters (2010)

This 700,000sf headquarters building was fun to work on, is fun to visit and is simply a great place to work. We also designed sustainability communications and post occupancy evaluations (POE) for the building.

IBM Dubuque (2011) and the Roshek Building (2012) 

This was the first time that we certified a commercial interior (IBM) within a core and shell, achieving CI Gold and C&S Platinum certifications. The historic Roshek building dominates Dubuque, Iowa’s skyline and this new tenant, IBM’s first significant project in the US in over a decade, has been a boon to the region in every way possible.

Erie Art Museum (2014)

The Erie Art Museum is a large regional beacon for the Erie region and adopts a refreshing all-is-possible approach in its work. Sustainability was an essential part of the program, as was a dynamic, innovative design that meshes respectfully into an existing historic building. The art speaks for itself in some spaces and the architecture is the art in others.  We also provided sustainability education graphics for the project. And another reason why this one is special – it’s our 50^th LEED certification!
 
These projects have been rewarding and we have enjoyed leveraging these efforts to greater levels of sustainability where possible.  Even more important for us are the relationships and loyalty that we have developed. Anyone is free to talk to any of our past or current clients anytime, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
 

 
The following is a list of evolveEA’s LEED Certified projects: