Mixed-Use Development in Boulder Earns LEED Platinum

May 12, 2016 1876 Views Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital, James Templeton, Kathleen Grady, Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, Safe Injection Practices Coalition, Temple Update, The Building Owners and Managers Association International

BOULDER, Colo. — 1738 Pearl Street, a mixed-use property in downtown Boulder designed by Denver real estate investment company Unico Properties, recently achieved LEED Platinum Core and Shell, making it Boulder’s first privately owned LEED Platinum building, according to Unico Sustainability.

The three-story, 28,910-square-foot building opened in spring 2015, featuring ground-floor retail and commercial office space on the second and third floors, according to a statement from Faribault, Minn.-based SageGlass, an electrochromic window company. In addition to SageGlass, Unico Properties partnered with locally based Midyette Architects; Parker, Colo.-based Architectural Concepts LLC; and Niwot, Colo.-based Blue Spruce Design & Construction to complete the project.

The installation of a SolarWall, an air collector that uses solar energy to preheat outside air and provide solar heat in the winter while also reducing energy use on colder days, and self-tinting electrochromic windows has allowed the building to be 26 percent more energy-efficient than similarly sized buildings. More than 1,400 square feet of the electrochromic windows were installed in the building, marking the first ever installation in Boulder. The glass will allow for greater energy savings as it helps to optimize daylight, reduce the need for shades, reduce solar heat gain and the need for an HVAC system to maintain the temperature, and keep the views and a connection to the environment for tenants, according to Unico Sustainability.

The building has the ability to allow occupants to control their own environments and provide a comfortable and productive space for employees. Natural light has been linked to productivity and an overall sense of employee wellbeing.

The use of low-flow plumbing fixtures in the building has resulted in a 41 percent water savings and the installation of 100 percent energy-efficient LED lighting has led to the building’s LEED Platinum certification, according to Unico Sustainability. The building also features real-time energy tracking capabilities, extensive use of recycled and regional building materials, energy-efficient mechanical equipment, native, drought-resistant landscaping and has 100 percent offset building-related carbon emissions through the purchase of renewable energy credits.