SAN FRANCISCO-International engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti says the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Headquarters at 525 Golden Gate Avenue has achieved LEED Platinum certification.

Simon & Associates, the green building consulting firm acquired by Thornton Tomasetti earlier this year, was the Sustainability Consultant and provided LEED consulting for the project.

Simon & Associates was hired by KMD Architects to identify sustainable design goals, track compliance with LEED strategies throughout design and construction, and review and submit LEED documentation to the Green Building Certification Institute.

Key Points:

The SFPUC Headquarters provides water and waste services to San Francisco, wholesale water to three bay area counties, and green hydroelectric and solar power to San Francisco's municipal departments.

The 13-story, 277,500 square-foot, class A office building had construction costs of $146.5 million, and 40 percent of the work was completed by residents of San Francisco.

SFPUC earned 82 points in the LEED 2009 BD+C rating system for new construction. It has a building-integrated blackwater treatment system as well as façade-integrated wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels that generate up to 7 percent of the building's energy needs.

SFPUC consumes 60% less water than other buildings of its size. It has an onsite “Living Machine” that reclaims and treats all of the wastewater to satisfy 100 % of water demand for lavatory units; and treats 5,000 gallons of wastewater per day, reducing per person water consumption from 12 to five gallons.

A state-of-the-art raised flooring system incorporates the building's data and ventilation infrastructure, and reduces HVAC energy costs by 51%.

The building's carbon footprint is 50 percent less than office buildings of a similar size through the use of recycled materials in the construction and a green concrete mixture.

In 2013, SFPUC was honored with a Top Ten Plus Project Inaugural Award by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE).

Thornton Tomasetti is a leader in engineering design, investigation and analysis serving clients worldwide on projects of all sizes and complexity. With practices in building structure, building skin, building performance, construction support services, property loss consulting and building sustainability, Thornton Tomasetti addresses the full life cycle of a structure. We have supported clients working in more than 50 countries, with projects that include the tallest buildings and longest spans to the restoration of prized historic properties. Founded in 1956, today Thornton Tomasetti comprises more than 700 engineering, architectural and support professionals who collaborate from offices across the United States and in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

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LEED Platinum Achieved for Public Utilities Commission Headquarters

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