Armstrong World Industries said it has received Platinum
Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system for its
Lancaster, Pa.-based headquarters. Built in 1998, the location is only the
sixth existing building and the first outside of California, to achieve USGBC’s
highest certification, according to Armstrong.
“Armstrong is committed to
environmental sustainability,” said Mike Lockhart, Armstrong’s CEO and
chairman. “Modifying our headquarters building to enable it to be Platinum
certified is a concrete manifestation of that commitment.
“The Armstrong team that conceived
and executed this project demonstrated that we can significantly reduce our
impact on the environment by changing the way buildings are designed, built and
used,” he added.
Environmental features that led to
Armstrong earning Platinum approval included: powering the building with 75 percent
wind energy; reducing energy use to a rate of less than 1.5 watts per sq. ft.;
reducing water use by 45 percent (from 800,000 to 420,000 gallons); recycling
60 percent of the building’s waste; cleaning with Green Seal certified
products; and landscaping to provide erosion control and measured storm water
runoff into adjoining wetlands.
“Armstrong’s headquarters is a
model for companies seeking to introduce sustainable, environmentally friendly
practices into their facilities,” noted USGBC president and chairman S. Richard
Fedrizzi.