SDHDA is LEED® Certified!

FourFront Design, Inc. is SO excited to announce that one of their design projects, the South Dakota Housing Development Authority's (SDHDA), New Office Building, in Pierre, SD, has been awarded LEED® Certification! It has been established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. SDHDA’s New Office Building achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED certified building save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions’ and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

“The SDHDA, New Office Building’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and the SDHDA, New Office Building, serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish.” LED certification of SDHDA New Office Building was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features and impacts include:

• 12% of building materials composed of recycled content
• 44% of building materials extracted, processed and manufactured within 500 miles of the jobsite - saving the transportation energy and supporting regional economies
• Site Design to capture and retain the stormwater runoff from developed areas using a bio-retention pond to remove pollutants
• Light colored concrete parking lot to reduce the heat gain of the site and therefore its effect on the surrounding ecology
• Site lighting designed to reduce light pollution
• Preferred parking provided for staff who drive energy efficient vehicles
• Exercise Room and Showers to promote employee wellness
• Construction using low VOC materials and techniques to achieve good indoor air quality

Compared to a typical (baseline) facility the SDHDA facility uses:

• 86% less water for landscape irrigation by selection of native and adapted plant species
• 40% less water for occupant use by installing high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and occupant sensors
• 26% less energy (based on whole building energy simulation)