Kennecott Land's Daybreak Corporate Center Achieves LEED Platinum Certification
Kennecott Land has achieved a milestone in sustainable development by being awarded LEED® Platinum Certification by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC). Platinum certification is the highest certification awarded from USGBC demonstrating energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. The Daybreak Corporate Center is the first LEED Platinum building in Utah.
"We have taken large steps to leave a small footprint, and being awarded LEED Platinum has been a great way to cap an exciting development," said Scott Kaufmann, Vice President, Commercial Development, Kennecott Land. "The entire project team rose to the challenge. I am very proud of what we have accomplished and the leadership we have shown."
LEED is USGBC's primary rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy efficient, and high-performing buildings. LEED Certification was achieved through environmentally-friendly design and building standards. The project was reviewed for measures taken in categories that include sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and materials use.
The state-of-the-art Daybreak Corporate Center is approximately 175,000 square feet. The building also serves as the Rio Tinto Regional Center. Roughly 75 percent of the building houses hundreds of Rio Tinto, Kennecott Land and Kennecott Utah Copper employees, with the remaining space available for lease.
Kennecott Land, along with FFKR Architects and Sahara, Inc., used the LEED rating system to design, build and achieve areas of efficiency without significantly impacting costs, integrating these components into the already sustainable Daybreak Community. The architecture and functional design capitalize on daylighting, views, water conservation and energy efficiency.
"Rio Tinto is a very forward-thinking company. It was a shared goal among the team to exceed environmental standards and set future standards," said Jim Lewis, AIA, Principal, FFKR Architects. "The goal of the LEED Platinum certification provided a platform for environmental-directed design that started at the beginning of design, continued through construction and set the bar for future tenant spaces within the building."
"From the beginning, the goal was to create a building that was, above all, as environmentally sustainable as possible while working within the project constraints," said Clegg Mabey, Vice President, Sahara, Inc. "We tried to leave no stone unturned when looking for creative ways to provide an environmentally-responsible facility, which resulted in Utah's first USGBC LEED Platinum Building."
The project site was selected due to its proximity to alternative transportation and existing and planned amenities. The building is located adjacent to the future Mid-Jordan TRAX line and Mountain View Corridor.
Daylighting was recognized early on during the design phase as a concept that needed to be fully integrated into the design. The building has the potential to have daylight throughout each floor through 11-foot windows encircling the building. In addition, more than 90 percent of occupants will be able to take advantage of the incredible views of the Oquirrh and Wasatch Mountain ranges.
Daybreak Corporate Center retains 100 percent of storm water on-site and in turn uses this as a source for irrigating the water-wise landscaping and reducing the need for a traditional conveyance system.
Daybreak Corporate Center incorporates a design that promotes high indoor air quality through selecting paints, adhesives, sealants, carpeting and composite-wood products with low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials. In addition, the high-efficiency HVAC system installed is expected to use 4 percent less energy than a standard building and exceeds minimum standards for fresh air changes. The building was designed to use 22 percent less energy than standard office buildings through smart lighting, building orientation, and a photovoltaic solar-roof system that creates energy efficiency.
Through the building's construction process, energy and resources were saved by recycling more than 95 percent of all construction waste, and 22 percent of all materials used were from recycled sources. In addition, 20 percent of materials purchased were from regional suppliers, reducing transportation costs and saving energy.
"Daybreak Corporate Center's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and the Daybreak Corporate Center serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."
