The American Society of Hematology (ASH) was presented the official award and certification of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum by Chris Smith, COO of U.S. Green Building Council on Thursday, October 28, 2010. The building is a cutting-edge space reflective of the innovation and industry leadership of the society, as well as the expertise of the project team, which consisted of AtSite, Owner’s Representative; Forrester Construction Company, General Contractor; and RTKL, Architect.

The 100,000 SF building contains ASH’s new 40,000-SF headquarters and features a multi-media conference center, a fitness facility, sub-grade garage and “ASH Club”, a dedicated space where members can work, unwind, and network. ASH is the first non-profit association in the country to achieve this certification for new construction of a commercial office building larger than 80,000 square feet. ASH’s headquarters is now one of only seven LEED Platinum commercial office buildings in the District of Columbia. LEED Platinum certification is the most difficult and highest designation given by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), who developed the certification system to guide organizations in building and renovating space with sustainability in mind.

Products for construction were carefully chosen to include recycled content, regionally manufactured and harvested materials, rapidly renewable materials, and products that contain minimal VOC (volatile organic compounds) and formaldehyde contents. The wood materials are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a nonprofit organization that encourages the use of products harvested using an environmentally responsible method.

Notably, the design and construction costs remained within ASH’s budget and the space will continue to provide cost and energy efficiency, with plenty of natural light, low-flow plumbing and water-efficient showerheads, individual lighting and temperature controls including motion sensors, and low-energy light fixtures. In addition, the building is equipped with a building automation system, a digital system which constantly monitors the set points of all mechanical equipment and will adjust this equipment to provide consistent operation based on the end users preference and the original design. This system allows the building to operate efficiently and thereby minimizes the amount of energy and equipment cycling that is required.

“This building serves as a wonderful case study on how cost and environmental sustainability can be perfectly aligned,” said Davor D. Kapelina, AtSite’s President & CEO. “Our objective was to deliver a great work environment for ASH, in a cost efficient manner; doing that in a smart, focused way resulted in LEED Platinum Certification,” Mr. Kapelina continued.

Scott Forrester, a Principal of Forrester Construction who heads up their own Sustainable Initiatives program said, “We are extremely proud of our record of being a socially and environmentally responsible contractor. Therefore, we are honored that we had the opportunity to build ASH’s new headquarters- a project that is a stellar example of sustainability for others to follow.”

Click here to view a portfolio of this project.