For the second time, Watt Plaza has earned the highest possible LEED certification, attaining LEED Platinum from the U.S. Green Building Council. Watt Plaza exceeded its previous Platinum performance by five points due to ongoing improvements and sustainability commitments from all vendors servicing the building.
Watt Plaza was the first building in Century City to achieve LEED Platinum certification, and their LEED Platinum certification for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance is its third LEED certification. The U.S. Green Building Council LEED Certification system is the nation’s benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performing buildings.
“We are thrilled that Watt Plaza has earned LEED Platinum certification once again, which is especially noteworthy because our building has been operational for over 30 years,” said Nadine Watt, President of Watt Companies. “Sustainability is a top priority for us, and we’re proud to serve as an example of how a large commercial development can achieve the highest level of sustainability without sacrificing a high-quality experience to tenants. Our sustainability initiatives have been multi-faceted and we’re constantly seeking new ways to remain a leader in green development.”
Watt Plaza embraced groundbreaking initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint. It is the first commercial office building in Century City to install electric vehicle charging stations in the parking facility to encourage the use of emission-free vehicles. The installation of a white roof to reduce the “heat island effect” was also part of its Sustainable Site Development measures.
Watt Plaza achieved a 66 percent reduction in annual landscape water use with drought-tolerant plants and utilization of recycled ground covers and a web-based irrigation system that prevented overwatering.
In addition to e-waste, battery, bulb and ballast recycling programs, Watt Plaza implemented a waste-diversion program.
Watt Plaza also demonstrated its commitment to renewable energy development by offsetting 100 percent of its annual energy consumption through renewable energy acquisitions.
Watt Plaza this year invested in Pinhook Farms of Clarinda, Iowa, which has been on a multi-decade quest to become a net zero operation that supports untillable acreage through conservation education and tourism aimed at protecting the Indiana Bat.
Watt Plaza takes great pride in their high-performance cleaning program, consisting of green-certified products and equipment to reduce the environmental impacts of cleaning products, disposable janitorial paper products and trash bags. Watt Plaza enrolled the entire janitorial staff in the Green Janitor Education Program, an environmental education program for janitors to address the energy management and green cleaning practices of commercial buildings in California.
