10-Year-Old Building Joins Ranks of Existing Buildings to Receive LEED Recognition; Becomes First LEED-Certified Building in Toledo, Ohio TOLEDO, Ohio, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The world headquarters of Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) has joined just 36 other buildings in the United States to earn the prestigious Silver Certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Existing Building (EB) program. To achieve the award, the building's design and operation has met stringent standards as an energy-efficient, environmentally responsible and healthy place to live and work. The LEED certification of an existing building is a significant achievement because it is generally easier to design these features in new construction. The Owens Corning world headquarters is the first building in Toledo, Ohio, to earn this important benchmark. The building has already earned an Energy Star rating, which ranks it among the top 25 percent of energy-efficient buildings in the U.S. "As a company, we're committed to promoting energy efficiency and preserving the environment, and it's incredibly exciting for us to have our building recognized for being on the forefront of sustainable construction," said Gale Tedhams, director of sustainability for Owens Corning. "This recognition is confirmation that good environmental practices make good business sense that can pay off in a variety of ways." Built in 1996, the Owens Corning world headquarters was designed by Cesar Pelli, a renowned architect. Pelli's design of the Owens Corning world headquarters included advanced environmentally focused features. "My vision when I designed the Owens Corning world headquarters more than 10 years ago was of a very substantial and livable building," Pelli said. "I am pleased this facility provided the solid foundation needed to earn the recognition that the LEED Existing Building certification provides." Some features that were noted during the certification process: Under-floor Ventilation: This design feature allows for energy-efficient air delivery. Because the conditioned air is delivered in the floor grid, controllable vents can be dropped into virtually any area, allowing for individual control of thermal comfort in each work area. Site Selection: More than 55 percent of the Owens Corning world headquarters site has been restored to its natural environment. During a period of three to five years, indigenous prairie grasses were developed on the grounds. Because these are natural varieties of prairie grass, maintenance is extremely low. Daylight & Views: Nearly 90 percent of the occupants in Owens Corning world headquarters reside in the east perimeter of the building. This section of the building is surrounded by a wall of glass, which provides optimal access to daylight that can be controlled with adjustable shades. In all, there are 90,000 square feet of windows at the headquarters. Recycling of Partitions and Carpet: Nearly all of the carpet in the Owens Corning world headquarters is made up of removable, reusable carpet squares. These are held in place by friction and gravity, using no adhesives. All of the internal partitions can be moved and reused. This means there is virtually no construction waste when new workspace configurations are required. "Owens Corning's history of leadership in helping homes and businesses improve their energy efficiency makes its headquarters a perfect candidate for the LEED Certification," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer and founding chair, USGBC. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998, LEED promotes a national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings that protect the environment. LEED certification recognizes innovative building designs that are environmentally responsible business models for energy efficiency and resource conservation. For more information about LEED certification, visit www.usgbc.org. Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) is a world leader in building materials systems and composite solutions. A Fortune 500 company for more than 50 years, Owens Corning people redefine what is possible each day to deliver high-quality products and services ranging from insulation, roofing, siding and manufactured stone veneer, to glass composite materials used in transportation, electronics, telecommunications and other high-performance applications. Since the company's founding in 1938, Owens Corning has become a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of $6.3 billion in 2005 and 20,000 employees in 26 countries. Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.com.
