HERA ran up the score in the Sustainable Sites category, earning all 21 points and paving the way for our St. Louis office to earn LEED Silver Certification. The office, located in the heart of downtown St. Louis with a Walk Score of 97 out of 100, is able to take advantage of the existing infrastructure of St. Louis City and is located near public transportation. The centralized location provides its employees walking access to banks, cleaners, libraries, parks, pharmacies, post offices, restaurants and supermarkets – all within a half-mile radius.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the benchmark for green building evaluation and certification. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides a structure for building owners and operators to be environmentally responsible and use natural resources more efficiently.
Other sustainable aspects HERA’s office include
– 55% reduction in light usage through the installation of occupancy sensors on all light fixtures
– 75% reduction in energy usage through the use of LED task lights
– 50% reduction in energy usage through the installation of Energy Star appliances
– 100% of workstations have access to daylighting and exterior views
– 100% of paints are low VOC
– Material selection based on environmental responsibility, including cork flooring and carpet and linoleum made with 50% recycled materials
– Sustainable education built into the office through the use of placards highlighting the environmentally-friendly aspects of the design
As planners and designers for laboratory spaces which use large amounts of energy to run, HERA takes great pride in our role of creating environmentally sustainable spaces for our clients. We view facilities from a holistic perspective, evaluating environmental performance over the life of a facility, and strive to achieve a balance between short-term costs and long-term energy efficiency and sustainability.
In the past six years alone, we have planned and designed more than 25 LEED registered or certified laboratory facilities comprising nearly 2.7 million GSF.