Integral Group Achieves First LEED v.4 Gold Library

Integral Group’s Alameda Main Library project recently achieved the LEED v4 Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council.  This is the first time this level of certification in the newest LEED version has been awarded to a public library.

Integral Group’s building performance team, led by  Hillary Weitze, PE, LEED AP, provided the analysis for Energy & Atmosphere and Indoor Air Quality credits, as well as an ASHRAE Level 1 energy audit and outdoor airflow testing.

When asked about impact of this project, Weitze noted, “The most exciting thing about this project for me was that [my husband and I] bought a house in Alameda while the project was happening so it was fun to be able to work on something in my very local community.

“It was a pleasure working with the Alameda Library and City staff. Everyone was very dedicated to this project and worked hard to make it happen. It was exciting to be able to work on a project in my own community.”

The City of Alameda was presented with this prestigious title at their regular City Council meeting on Thursday, October 20, 2015 by Integral Group CEO and USGBC past Chairman, Kevin Hydes.

Hydes congratulated the City, noting the wider implications of such a distinction, “I’ll remind everybody that two months from now in Paris the countries of the world, our own governor and mayors from around the world are going to arrive in Paris and talk about climate change and what actions are they going to take to help the planet at large. 

“I think what City of Alameda is doing here in its own facilities is actually completely in alignment with those conversations that are going on at the global level.”

Barry Giles, BuildingWise CEO and consultant for the project, also addressed the Council asking rhetorically, “What are you going to do next?  Because one of the big things about LEED, the LEED program, and especially the LEED EB Program, which I was fortunate enough to write back in 2002, is that we wanted people to continue to work on the building.  And one of the ways to do that is to ask you, and it’s not mandatory, can we could back in five years and do it again?  Because what’s important is the data that comes back from that.  How are you maintaining the building over the next few years?  How are you improving it?

“[…W]e don’t want you spending millions on the building.  We want you to work with the team that you have […] to maintain the building so that we can keep it going.”

Giles continued reemphasizing how projects like this will shape future capital improvements, “The other big advantage of doing this building is that we generated a lot of new programs.  We had policies, we had programs that went through the Council, that went through a lot of the Public Works.  They can be replicated very, very easily in other buildings that you have.” 

Hydes concluded, echoing Giles’ comments, “It’s a journey.  We celebrate today, and then we move on.”