Silver-Level LEED® Certification

Aquascape’s company headquarters, dubbed “Aqualand,” received a Silver-Level LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) in 2006.  

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that certifies sustainable businesses, homes, hospitals, schools, and neighborhoods. USGBC is dedicated to expanding green building practices and education, and its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED® addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.











LEED Certification levels are as follows:

1. Platinum:  52-69 points
2. Gold:  39-51 points
3. Silver:  33-38 points
4. Certified:  26-32 points

Aqualand met the following LEED® certification criteria as required by the LEED® Green Building Rating System 2.0:

Sustainable Sites

1. Erosion & Sedimentation Control (required)
2. Alternative Transportation, Public Transportation Access
3. Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage and Changing Rooms
4. Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity
5. Reduced Site Disturbance, Protect or Restore Open Space
6. Stormwater Management, Rate or Quantity
7. Stormwater Management, Treatment
8. Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands, Non-Roof
9. Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands, Roof
10. Light Pollution Reduction

Water Efficiency

1. Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce by 50%
2. Water Use Reduction, 20% Reduction
3. Water Use Reductions, 30% Reduction

Energy & Atmosphere

1. Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning (required)
2. Minimum Energy Performance (required)
3. CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment (required)
4. Optimize Energy Performance, 20% New / 10% Existing
5. Optimize Energy Performance, 30% New / 20% Existing
6. Ozone Depletion

Materials & Resources

1. Storage & Collection of Recyclables (required)
2. Construction Waste Management, Divert 50%
3. Recycled Content, Specify 25%
4. Local/Regional Materials, 20% Manufactured Locally
5. Local/Regional Materials, of 20% Above, 50% Harvested Locally

Indoor Environmental Quality

1. Minimum IAQ Performance (required)
2. Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control (required)
3. Increase Ventilation Effectiveness
4. Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction
5. Construction IAQ Management Plan, Before Occupancy
6. Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives & Sealants
7. Low-Emitting Materials, Paints
8. Low-Emitting Materials, Carpet
9. Low-Emitting Materials, Composite Wood
10. Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
11. Daylight & Views, Daylight for 75% of Spaces
12. Daylight & Views, Views for 90% of Spaces

Innovation & Design Process

1. Innovation in Design: Indoor Ponds/Aquariums for Humidity
2. Innovation in Design: Daylit, Naturally Ventilated Warehouse
3. LEED® Accredited Professional

Sustainable materials at Aqualand include the following:

1. Materials
   1. Metal building skin is made from recycled content
   2. Steel building frame is made from recycled steel content
   3. All paints are low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
   4. All carpet tile backings are from recycled content
   5. All bamboo and other selected woods are quick growth species and renewable
   6. Linoleum flooring has green (sustainable) finish
   7. All drywall came from recycled content within 100 miles
   8. 80% of all materials on the project came from within 500 miles, reducing transportation costs and fuel usage
2. Systems
   1. Vegetative roof is integral to storm water management and reduces off-site outflow by 100%
   2. Day lighting systems have been engineered to maximize natural daylight and minimize the need for artificial light
   3. HVAC systems have been engineered to minimize energy consumption
   4. All plumbing fixtures are low water use fixtures to minimize water consumption
   5. All HVAC and lighting systems are linked to a computer with software that monitors usage and has automation programs that generate models that can be used to balance energy usage
   6. Furniture systems have LEED approved materials in their components
3. Furniture
   1. All Steelcase brand furniture, including workstations and seating, have “green points,” which means parts of the furniture are made from recycled materials
   2. Majority of the fabrics have green points