ASB MAGAZINE: Less than a year after moving in, the new corporate headquarters of Vans has earned a top US environmental award. Vans offices in Costa Mesa, Calif., received LEED platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest standard for sustainable buildings in the world. The new headquarters comes with a 1-MW carport solar array and more than 4,000 solar panels, providing all of the building’s energy needs, preventing 440 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.
The building is designed to be 48 percent more energy efficient than building code requirements in California by incorporating cutting-edge lighting, heating and cooling technologies. State-of-the-art fixtures and equipment also make the new Vans headquarters 40 percent more water efficient than building code requirements, the company said.
Other features of the new headquarters include:
- Thirty-eight electric vehicle charging stations, free for Vans employees to use. The EV charging stations are powered by the solar array and encourage employees to reduce their carbon footprint and contribution to air pollution
- Landscaping with plants native to Southern California that require less water
- More than 50 percent of the wood used in construction is Forest Stewardship certified
- Comprehensive recycling and composting program with the goal to become a zero-waste facility
Vans’ offices in Canada and Europe are also LEED certified and incorporate renewable energy, water-efficient technologies, and sustainable materials. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building, community, and home project types, LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.
VIA PRESS RELEASE
