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LEED

Merritt Properties, EA Engineering Break Ground on New Green Building

by Will Burns on July 26, 2011

(L to R) Dominick Murray, Deputy Secretary, MD Department of Business & Economic Development; Scott Dorsey, Chairman & CEO, Merritt Properties; Ian MacFarlane, President & CEO, EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.; Kevin Kamenetz, Baltimore County Executive; Lou Boeri, Leasing, Merritt Properties; Dan Pallace, Construction Services, Merritt Properties.

Two Maryland Chamber member companies broke ground on a new office building in Baltimore County that is slated for LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Merritt Properties announced that it has started construction on Schilling Green II, a four-story office building and single-story annex. EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc. (EA) announced that it would be the buildings first tenant. The building will be EA’s new headquarters. The company will occupy two full floors, and will be the sole tenant of the annex, which will serve as the future home of EA’s nationally accredited ecotoxicology and biological testing labs.

“We are delighted to be staying in Baltimore County, where EA has been headquartered for over three decades,” said Ian MacFarlane, EA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Selecting Merritt Properties’ Schilling Green II, a building complex that will be constructed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s rigorous LEED Platinum specifications, clearly reflects our company’s strong commitment to our employees and to environmental sustainability.”

Scott Dorsey, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Merritt Properties, talked more about the specifications needed to meet the LEED Platinum certification.

“To meet the highest level of LEED certification, specific green building strategies are incorporated into the design, which will result in exemplary environmental and health performance,” said Scott Dorsey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merritt Properties. “For example, energy consumption will be reduced with an enhanced building envelope, efficient HVAC, high-performance lighting, photovoltaic panels, and a building Energy Management System.”

Similarly, water consumption will be decreased through the use of water-efficient restroom fixtures, as well as landscaping with native drought-tolerant plant species and efficient irrigation heads. Indoor air quality will be enhanced by a carbon dioxide monitoring system, increased ventilation, and the use of low-VOC materials. Additional sustainable features will include delivering HVAC via an under-floor air distribution system, paired with a variable refrigerant volume (VRV) system to provide independent zoning control.

To learn more, see the following press releases:

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BP America D.C. Office Space Earns LEED Platinum Certification

by Krysten Appelbaum on March 3, 2009

BP America’s Northwest D.C. interior office space has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification at the platinum level.

According to an article by the Washington Business Journal, the commercial interior project is one of 13 nationwide to earn platinum certification, and includes a lighting control system and materials made from recyclable materials among its green features.

Read the full Washington Business Journal article here.

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Francie Cohen Spahn of Saul Ewing LLP earns LEED Accreditation

by Krysten Appelbaum on January 15, 2009

Francie Cohen Spahn, an attorney with Saul Ewing LLP, is now one of 10 Maryland attorneys who are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professionals. Fewer than 120 attorneys hold the accreditation according to a release from the firm.

LEED APs are individuals who have demonstrated a thorough knowledge of green building and the LEED Green Building Rating System. The Green Building Certification Institute awards the certification.

Spahn is a green building attorney in Saul Ewing’s Real Estate Department. Spahn’s recent projects include Howard County’s Waverly Gardens, one of the first multi-unit complexes to be constructed under the U.S. Green Bulding Council guidelines, the release said.

For more information about LEED accreditation visit www.gbci.org.

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Job Descriptions Vary for LEED Accredited Professionals

by Krysten Appelbaum on November 25, 2008

When one thinks of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, eco-friendly buildings with innovative and sustainable design is usually what first comes to mind. Less thought of is LEED Accredited Professionals, who apply the principles and practices of the LEED Rating System.

LEED APs are individuals who become certified through the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) after demonstrating thorough knowledge of the LEED Green Building Rating System.

“In order to become a LEED AP, a candidate must pass the LEED Professional Accreditation exam which is administered by the GBCI,” Joseph Mezzanotte of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, said in an e-mail. “To pass the exam, a candidate must demonstrate thorough knowledge of the applicable LEED Rating System and how these principles are incorporated into the design process.  A candidate must also be familiar with the LEED application and certification process (i.e. moving a project from the conceptual design phase through LEED certification).”

While LEED Accredited Professionals are mostly found in the building industry, the accreditation is not limited to architects and engineers. LEED APs can be found in most professions, including law.

Mezzanotte said LEED AP attorneys primarily work in advisory roles to clients building and financing LEED Certified buildings, municipalities drafting green building legislation, banks and lenders loaning money on LEED projects, and have begun to handle litigation arising from LEED projects.

LEED APs are relatively rare, with 43,000 individuals currently accredited in the country. Mezzanotte said LEED certified attorneys are also rare, with only 143 LEED AP attorneys in the country. Maryland currently has four LEED AP attorneys including Adam Baker of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP and John Machen of DLA Piper, LLP.

“Some states such as New York and California have more [LEED AP attorneys].  Some have none.  The number essentially depends on the state and its approach to green building,” Mezzanotte said. “It also hinges on whether there is a need for this type of specialty among the attorneys licensed to practice law in that state.  Typically, states with bigger cities or states with more advanced green building legislation (New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C.) have more LEED AP attorneys than other states.”

For more information about LEED accreditation or for a directory of LEED APs visit http://www.GBCI.org.

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