First LEED Platinum-certified building in Tennessee

CHATTANOOGA, TN — The offices of a nonprofit initiative that helps increase green building awareness have been awarded the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification in Tennessee, according to the Chattanoogan.

According to the story, the offices of the greenspaces initiative were completely renovated to include sustainable features like repurposed demolition materials, geothermal heating and a focus on daylighting.

Co-director Anj McClain said: "greenspaces was formed to address the lack of green building awareness in Chattanooga and the surrounding region. In the past year and a half, we have helped five Chattanooga buildings achieve LEED certification, with 22 more currently in the process. So, we wanted our own offices to be a model of what it is truly possible to achieve."

The storefront of the 100-year-old building was designed to include a light shelf to bounce light deep into the building, resulting in very little — if any — electric light needed during daylight hours, the story stated.

Captured rainwater and low-flow and optical sensors are part of a water-saving effort that uses 81.4 percent less water than a traditional building, the story added.

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