From Proud Green Building

The newly renovated and expanded Arch & Godfrey office has been awarded the highest level of certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, according to the Cayman Reporter.

The designation marks the first commercial LEED platinum certification in the Cayman Islands and in the Caribbean outside of the U.S. territories.

“This is a momentous achievement, not only for our company, but also for the Cayman Islands’ construction industry. We are proud of and grateful to the entire project team, who worked tirelessly to ensure that our vision would become a reality,” Garth Arch, managing director of Arch & Godfrey, told the newspaper. “Our goal was to create something special in the heart of George Town; a building that preserved the heritage of Caymanian building traditions, while implementing the highest environmental design and construction standards.”

The Arch & Godfrey office project was a major renovation of a 100-year old bungalow with an addition that comprises more than two-thirds of the total building area, the newspaper reports. To showcase the original structure, the addition was built behind the existing building. The LEED platinum office is approximately 4,500 square feet, consisting of private offices enclosed by glass partitions to allow for natural lighting, an open office plan, state-of-the-art conference room and a historic reception area.

The LEED certification of the Arch & Godfrey office was based on building achievements that have a positive impact on the facility itself and the broader community. Some of those include:

Renewable energy is provided for the Arch & Godfrey office via an on-site solar array. The 14-kW system features top-of-the-line SunPower signature black panels that deliver the highest efficiency available.

To provide for continued energy and operational efficiency, all of the energy systems and the building envelope underwent enhanced commissioning. This process prevents the excessive use of energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Domestic hot water is provided by instantaneous, electric water heaters and low-flow fixtures.

Interior lighting is controlled with space wall and ceiling mounted occupancy sensors. Exterior lighting is controlled via a programmable time clock.
More than 90 percent of the light fixtures are LED.
All regular occupants have access to a window and individual lighting controls, allowing them to find a natural lighting arrangement to serve their individual needs.

To incentivize alternate forms of transportation, preferred parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as bicycle storage, are provided to help minimize pollution associated with traditional automobile use.
Pervious concrete makes up approximately 50 percent of the driveway. The design absorbs and channels water into landscaping areas allowing the water to be slowly absorbed.

Native plants were selected to create habitat and reduce the need for irrigation.
The sites interior and exterior plumbing is served by two underground rain cisterns. Rainwater is used to flush toilets and for irrigation.

For more on this story go to: http://www.proudgreenbuilding.com/news/office-nets-caymans-first-leed-platinum-designation/

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