ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 15-story 440 South Church Street office tower not only adds a new silhouette to downtown Charlotte, but also contributes to the environment. It achieved the environmental rating of LEED-CS Gold Certification last week with the assistance of The Epsten Group, an Atlanta based high-performance building consulting and architectural firm, acting as LEED, Commissioning, and Energy Simulation Consultant. “Originally targeted for Silver Certification under LEED-CS (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Core and Shell), we were excited and proud to learn that our efforts resulted in the higher LEED Gold Certification,” says Dagmar Epsten, founder and president of The Epsten Group. “I hope achievements like this for 440 Church Street will become more commonplace in office buildings, as the sum of all efforts could create significant momentum for reducing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and global environmental impact.” “As part of our consulting services, The Epsten Group performed an energy model that demonstrated the design of 440 South Church Street saves the owner almost 18% on their annual energy bills compared to a typical office building,” continues Ms. Epsten. “We also created tenant guidelines to optimize the building’s efficiency as occupants move in. The guidelines are supported by electrical meters on each floor of the building that allow businesses to track their energy usage.” Sustainable features of the building include low VOC emitting carpets and paints, FSC Certified wood-based building materials for 50% of such use, and recycled content in building materials to achieve 26%. In addition, over 23,000 tons of on-site demolition construction waste was diverted from landfills. The prime location of the building in Charlotte’s Third Ward will save transportation energy, as there is easy access to bus and rail lines encouraging commuting alternatives to automobile use.
