First Multi-Tenant High Rise Building in Houston to Receive Designation HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Transwestern today announced that 1800 West Loop has received Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Green Building Rating System™. 1800 West Loop is the first high-rise office building in the city of Houston, and in Texas, to be LEED Silver certified under the new LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M program. Located in Houston’s Uptown Galleria submarket, 1800 West Loop is a 399,777 square foot, Class A office building. The property is owned by a limited liability company comprised of Transwestern Investment Company, The Easton Group, Chuck Cobb and Jorge Perez. “We are extremely proud 1800 West Loop has been LEED Silver certified,” said Chip Clarke, president of Transwestern's Gulf Coast and Mountain regions. “This certification is another piece of Transwestern’s corporate efforts, dedication and commitment to sustainability and creating value through operational excellence. We greatly appreciate the tremendous efforts of everyone on the team who worked to green this project and gain this exciting recognition.” To earn the certification, 1800 West Loop implemented a number of green design and operational features which include a newly installed white roof, high efficiency CFC free chiller replacement, implementation of a green cleaning and building recycling programs, as well as improvements to exceed indoor air quality standards and improve water efficiency. Transwestern continues to chart the course industry-wide in sustainability and the LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M program with over 100 buildings seeking certification across the Transwestern managed portfolio. The Transwestern standard of operational excellence is only furthered by these initiatives to incorporate sustainable practices including water savings, energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality within the Transwestern managed portfolio. As of January 2009, Transwestern has four LEED certified properties within its managed portfolio, with many more currently going through the certification process. “Greening the existing commercial building stock presents a tremendous opportunity to reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality, and providing their occupants with healthier places to live and work,” says Doug Gatlin, vice president of market development, USGBC. “Transwestern has demonstrated its commitment to greening building practices in many ways—including through the certification of the existing building space at 1800 West Loop in Houston.”
