LEED Platinum for Taitem

Welcome

to the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative

The First LEED Platinum Existing Building in Tompkins

Taitem Engineering, PC’s office at 110 South Albany Street, Ithaca, New York has been awarded LEED® Platinum Certification for Existing Buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED® Platinum Certification demonstrates the highest level of green building leadership and signifies a model of sustainability that defines the industry standard. As the first LEED® Platinum certified existing building in Tompkins County, and the fourth in NY State to achieve this accomplishment, Taitem’s reputation as a firm committed to sustainable technologies is deepened. The project has taken three years to complete.

The USGBC LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED® promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human environmental health: Sustainable Sites; Water Efficiency; Energy and Atmosphere; Materials and Resources; and Indoor Environmental Quality.
 
Taitem Engineering has implemented dozens of sustainable design features and practices in its office building at 110 S Albany St, Ithaca. Some highlights include:
  • A downtown location, with accessible bike racks and a shower, resulting in a 47% reduction in conventional commuting trips
  • A gravel parking lot with a drywell that recharges storm water into the ground; low-flow plumbing fixtures which reduce water consumption by 31%
  • Energy-efficient heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, and computer equipment, combined with insulation and air sealing of the building, resulting in energy use that is 37% less than the national average
  • Solar PV panels that generate electricity equal to 17% of the energy used by the building
  • A recycling and composting that program diverts 80% of the solid waste from the building
  • Indoor air quality protected by a green cleaning policy

"We are tremendously proud of this achievement,” said Lou Vogel, president of Taitem Engineering. “Taitem is always looking for ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint on the earth, and it is great to receive this validation of our efforts.”

Credit goes to the entire Taitem staff for their dedication and commitment to sustainable policies to obtain the platinum level. The LEED® certification process was guided by Courtney Royal, Project Manager, and Rob Rosen, Facility Manager.

3/25/14

309 North Aurora Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | info@tccpi.org