A last-minute decision to reach beyond the planned-for LEED gold certification meant all Lafayette Tower project team members had to pull together to achieve a platinum-worthy project.
Earning LEED platinum when the original intent was gold took a combination of thorough documentation and creative thinking. The owner was directly responsible for earning two credits late in the construction process, for purchasing the equivalent of 35% of the building’s power for two years from renewable energy sources to fulfill one requirement and for instituting a green housekeeping program to secure an innovation and design credit.
Owner: Louis Dreyfus Property Group, Washington
General contractor: Clark Construction Group LLC, Bethesda, Md.
Architect: Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, Hamden, Conn.
Structural engineer: TOLK Inc., Fairfax, Va.
Sustainability consultant: GreenShape LLC, Washington
Other credits were earned when the general contractor, Clark Construction Group, found and used as many regional and low-emitting materials as possible. In all, more than 20% of the 11-story tower’s building materials, based on cost, were produced or harvested within a 500-mi radius. The $48 million project also earned all four credits for low-emitting material use.
