JP Morgan Chase is usually known for a certain kind of green, the money kind. But they recently scored the highest possible rating, LEED® Platinum, from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) for the renovation of their Manhattan based global headquarters. The renovation project is the world’s largest to achieve Platinum status.
The renovation will cut the 50-story building’s electricity consumption in half and save a million gallons of water a year with its addition of an efficient draining and filtering system. That’s nothing short of a huge savings.
The building remained occupied while heating, cooling, lighting, insulation, plumbing, fixtures, and flooring were updated and modernized.
LEED Platinum certification of JPMorgan Chase’s global headquarters was based on a number of green design and construction features. What exactly goes into getting a building to the Platinum LEED level? Check it out:
- New systems to improve energy efficiency, including: heating and air conditioning equipment; lighting with occupancy sensors and daylight dimming controls; Energy Star kitchen appliances, computers and monitors; new building insulation and window tint to reduce glare, heat gain and air conditioning load.
- A 54,000 gallon tank in the cellar that collects rain water from drains on the roof and plaza, which is stored and filtered, and then used in landscaping and to flush toilets in the lower part of the building – saving more than 1 million gallons of water a year. Combined with other plumbing upgrades the building will use half as much water as pre-renovation.
- Nearly 16,500 square feet of new landscaping, including green roofs, that feature low-maintenance plants to help lower building temperatures in the summer while reducing stress on the city’s sewer system on rainy days. Soil in the planters acts as a filter to remove pollutants from rainwater. In addition, an herb garden was planted on the 11th floor roof to provide fresh herbs and vegetables for client dining.
- Reusing over 99 percent of the original building and recycling more than 85 percent of construction waste including 990,000 square feet of carpeting. Over 12,000 tons of construction waste was diverted from landfills.
- New floor designs and layout to give 85 percent of employees natural daylight at their desks, with more than 92 percent having exterior views.
- 266 bicycle racks to encourage employee well being and greener commutes.