The new Beachwood, Ohio, headquarters building of polymer/specialty chemicals company Omnova Solutions has earned LEED certified status from the U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, recognizes best-in-class sustainable building strategies and practices.
In a news release announcing the LEED certified status, Omnova CEO Kevin McMullen said that when the company built the Beachwood headquarters, “We were looking to reduce operating costs while creating a space for our employees to be highly productive and effective at working together.”
Equally important, he said, was “the desire to build a structure that would reflect the values we hold in protecting the health of our employees and preserving natural resources and the environment. Through this project, we were able to achieve these objectives with a design that promotes employee and customer collaboration in an atmosphere infused with natural light.”
Omnova broke ground on the site in fall 2013 and moved in a year later. Vocon was the architect of the project, and CAM Inc. was the building developer.
The company said the design features of the building that contributed to LEED credits include the following:
• An estimated 22 percent energy cost savings as compared to similar buildings with the same size and functionality.
• Diversion of 94 percent of construction waste from the landfill through recycling.
• A 38 percent reduction of all water use through water-conserving fixtures throughout the building.
• On-site storm water management to reduce contaminants prior to reaching the city conveyance system.
• A white roof that reduces heat gain and lessens the building's overall energy usage.
• Automated controls that dim or switch lights in response to daylight levels in the space.
• 70 percent of the building's power needs for the next two years from renewable sources.
• Significant use of recycled content in the project materials.
• Use of low VOC paints, carpet and other materials and finishes.