Surfrider Foundation's Global Headquarters Earns LEED Green Building Certification

San Clemente, CA (August 3, 2009) – The Surfrider Foundation announced today that its global headquarters has been awarded LEED® gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. With this LEED gold certification, the Surfrider Foundation’s global headquarters becomes the first building in San Clemente, and the second in all of Orange County to earn this honor.
 
”We were very fortunate to work with excellent architects and contractors who were committed to making our offices energy efficient and environmentally sustainable,” says Michelle Kremer, Surfrider Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer. “Thanks to the team’s hard work and shared vision, we were able to earn LEED® gold certification.”
 
The Surfrider Foundation Global Headquarters was designed by Irvine-based LPA Inc. to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies.  LEED certification of the global headquarters was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community including:
 

• Energy efficiency through automated lighting fixtures, natural daylight and task lighting – which gives each employee control over the lighting setup of their workspace.
• Use of recycled materials in carpet, furniture and hardware.
• Water efficient fixtures throughout the building.
• Natural ventilation and use of low emitting materials for optimum air quality.
• Reuse of furniture and building materials from the previous office; doors, frames, and hardware, for example, were reused as traditional swing doors, while other doors were converted into barn doors in flexible areas.  Two other doors were laid on their faces and used as the surface of the reception desk.
  

“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council.  “The work of innovative building projects such as the Surfrider Foundation is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”
 
LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return.  LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.
 
About Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches.  Now in its 25th year, the Surfrider Foundation has grown from a small group of dedicated surfers in Malibu, California to a global movement made up of over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide. For more information visit us at www.surfrider.org <http://www.surfrider.org/> .
 
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a non-profit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation.  Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other non-profit organizations.  Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildingexpo.org <http://www.greenbuildingexpo.org> ), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.  For more information, visit www.usgbc.org <http://www.usgbc.org> .
 
About LEED®
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria.  The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design.  Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category.  LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.  LEED for Healthcare is currently under development and is expected to be released in early 2008.
 
Incentives for LEED are available at the state and local level and LEED has also been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies.  For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED