HID Global Achieves Four-star Austin Energy Green Building Rating
HID Global announced that its World Headquarters and North American Operations Center in Austin has achieved a four-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB), the longest-running and most effective sustainable building program in the U.S. AEGB recognizes excellence in sustainable building practices that help Austin to carry out its aggressive climate protection goals.
“Austin is leading the way toward energy and building code changes that are transforming the building industry to a sustainable future,” said Kevin Teehan, senior director of strategic operations and corporate sustainability with HID Global. “As a new member of the Austin community, we are proud to be contributing to this vision by meeting AEGB’s extremely rigorous four-star rating requirements. More importantly, this building symbolizes our deep commitment to the highest standards of security, quality and sustainability.”
HID Global’s Austin facility was designed from ground up with sustainability in mind, starting with site selection and extending through design and construction. LEED Platinum certification was a key HID Global focus, and while the associated rating system attempts to recognize the importance of geographic location through its four Regional Priority credits (of which HID Global achieve three), the AEGB rating system is focused on the specific sustainability needs within the Austin, Texas, environment. As a result, HID Global’s four-star AEGB rating required the company to meet significantly more stringent energy, water and indoor environmental quality guidelines.
HID Global worked closely with AEGB representatives, who had direct and ongoing contact with the company’s project teams and verified the execution of sustainable design choices through site visits during construction. As an AEGB rating participant, HID Global was also introduced to other Austin Energy conservation programs that provided the company with rebates related to high-efficiency lighting, lighting control, and HVAC equipment choices, and plans for a future solar array. AEGB also interacts with other City of Austin sustainability programs such as Grow Green, Austin Water, and Austin Resource Recovery, and introduces participating project teams to resources provided by these programs.
“We are pleased to welcome HID Global to Austin and to our growing community of sustainable-minded and innovative companies,” said Debbie Kimberly, vice president, Customer Energy Solutions (CES), with Austin Energy. “This four-star AEGB rating signifies HID Global’s commitment to sustainability by creating and operating buildings that are not only beautiful, functional and comfortable, but also good for the community and the environment.”
HID Global’s Austin facility incorporates a wide range of sustainability features, from low-impact site selection, water-efficient landscaping and indoor water use reduction to lighting and energy performance optimization, low-energy thermal comfort verification, indoor air quality improvement, and reduction of virgin materials use through construction waste management and selection of sustainable construction materials.
HID Global worked with a number of partners to develop and build its award-winning headquarters facility included Harvey Cleary Builders, a commercial general contractor headquartered in Houston, and Austin commercial real estate developer Live Oak-Gottesman. The facility’s design was managed by Austin-based Studio 8 Architects, along with engineering consulting and design service partners Bury, Endeavor Real Estate Group LLC and Carrillo Dean Landscape Architecture (CDLA). Other key contributors included Boston Industrial Consulting, as well as Lee Gros, Architect and Artisan, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which supported HID Global in meeting key construction milestones.
HID Global’s facility was formally opened in January and, when fully operational in 2015, will be the company’s largest facility in the region.