Nike's Building Earns LEED-EB Gold Rating

Nike’s commitment to innovation and sustainability was recognized today at an event highlighting the company’s recent success in earning a LEED-EB “Gold” Rating from the U.S. Green Building Council for its Ken Griffey, Jr. building--one of only 13 buildings worldwide to achieve the same standard.

The LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) criteria cover building operations and systems upgrades in existing buildings where the majority of interior and exterior surfaces remain unchanged. The LEED Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard created by the U.S. Green Building Council for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. The four ratings levels include Certified, Silver Gold, and Platinum, with Platinum serving as the highest rating available.

“Nike’s belief in environmental sustainability begins at home, where we work,” said Jim Petsche, Nike’s Director of Corporate Facilities. “We are excited to celebrate the LEED-EB Gold rating for the Ken Griffey, Jr., building. We also recognize that today is about more than just one building, it’s about our overall commitment from the beginning of campus construction to site buildings and design them in a way that would make them as energy-efficient and sustainable as they were functional and aesthetically striking.”

Completed in 1999 when the LEED-EB rating system was still in its infancy, the Ken Griffey, Jr. building received its LEED-EB Gold Rating for a wide variety of environmentally friendly practices such as energy conservation; use of renewable energy; sound landscape practices; aggressive recycling programs; and alternative transportation opportunities. Many of these practices have been incorporated into Nike’s overall operations at its world headquarters campus and other facilities worldwide.

The Nike World Headquarters (WHQ) campus has long been recognized as a leading example of master planning and sustainable design. Situated on 176 acres that includes a 6.17-acre lake and over 48 acres of native wetlands and wooded areas, WHQ was developed to maintain and enhance the pre-existing ecosystem. This commitment is reflected in the following ways:
-Locating buildings in open areas, fitting each one into the pre-existing landscape -Enhancing and connecting nearly seven acres of wetlands
-Improving the natural buffer on both sides of the Cedar Mill Stream
-Assessing the health of existing woodlands
-Planting over 2,000 trees
-Developing waste management and indoor air quality management plans

WHQ also features an online electricity consumption monitoring program; natural daylighting systems; electronic HVAC controls to promote efficient heating and cooling; low-mercury content fluorescent lighting; and environmentally friendly custodial products. To date, WHQ facilities have saved at least:
-3.75-million kilowatt hours (kWh) since 1990
-50-million gallons of water since 1996
-1,500-tons of garbage since 1998

The built environment includes a long list of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials and practices, including the use of low-emitting building products; fresh air ventilation; interior water efficiency; use of recycled content building materials; and use of certified wood products.

Nike’s commitment to sustainable practices is also reflected in the outdoor environment at WHQ: smoking ban; environmentally appropriate landscaping; use of bioswales and compost filters to remove sediments before discharge to the natural watercourse; use of organic fertilizer on all landscaping except for the Ronaldo Soccer Fields; covered bicycle areas to encourage bike commuting; and athletic facilities such as the Bo Jackson “Field Turf” soccer field and Michael Johnson Track, both of which utilize surfaces made from recycled shoes.

SOURCE: Nikebiz.com

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