Green building

Fayetteville, Arkansas, building receives LEED Platinum certification

A downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas, building has received a LEED Platinum certification, the highest certification in the third-party system, a report by the Fayetteville Flyer says. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a third-party green building certification system from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington.

The building, which houses architecture studio Modus Studio, is the first Platinum certification in the state, the report says. Modus Studio also designed the project.

According to the report, more than 87 percent of the construction debris generated on-site was recycled. More than 97 percent of the building’s original structural elements were reused and 100 percent of the interior paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, composite wood, agrifiber products and flooring systems contain little to no volatile organic content (VOC).

Other site, water, energy, materials and indoor environmental quality elements include:

• a 31 percent reduction of potable water use through the installation of efficient faucet, toilet and urinal fixtures;
• a 21 percent improvement of energy efficiency by meeting the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 energy efficiency standard; and
• green landscaping features, such as drought-resistant landscaping, native plants chosen to attract pollinators, a water-permeable parking area, a green roof and a rainwater cistern.

The building was built in 1955 as a warehouse for Ozarks Electric Cooperative. It then became a television studio.

Modus and Specialized Real Estate Group bought the building and renovated it in 2013. It serves as office space for Modus and Specialized Real Estate and also houses a barbershop and an apartment with a rooftop deck.

Las Vegas Sands uses recyclable materials during Palazzo renovations

Las Vegas Sands Corp., a property owner and developer in Las Vegas, is using Envy Walls during The Palazzo casino renovation, a blog post by Las Vegas Sands says.

Envy Walls, Flint, Michigan, makes temporary walls from 100 percent recyclable and reusable materials. The post says every 700 square feet of Envy Walls’ product reduces 1 ton of landfill debris compared with conventional framing, metal studs and drywall.

“Sustainability at its core was developed to do what its name implies—to sustain life or increase longevity of life,” Tim Brown, senior program manager of corporate development at The Venetian and The Palazzo, says in the blog post. “For sustainable buildings, it means they last longer with reduced operating and maintenance costs. For individuals working in sustainable buildings, it means they can breathe cleaner air, which can reduce sickness and ultimately increase one’s lifespan.”

The temporary walls are constructed with less labor, saving tens of thousands of dollars in costs while also reducing construction waste by almost 30 tons in 2017 alone, the blog post says.

“That is something I’m very proud of, but it was only made possible by the input and joint effort of Venetian facilities and my development department,” Brown says in the blog post. “Though sustainable practice has always been a part of development project criteria, improvements can always be made. Early this year, we set out to [achieve] sustainability with the expressed intent to improve our partnership in project delivery, but more importantly, to promote discussion and feedback on how we as a department can improve the sustainable practices currently in place.”

With renovations to last until June 2018, the walls not only reduce debris but also help with air quality as there are no airborne pollutants caused by drywall installation and sanding, according to the Las Vegas Sands blog.

“One of the easiest ways to ensure sustainability initiatives are properly documented is to use contractors and designers who are experienced in delivering sustainable projects,” Brown says. “Projects move quickly through construction, and contractors unfamiliar with the additional documentation necessary for sustainable projects will not prioritize that requirement. The key is to be purposefully sustainable.”