PRESS RELEASE
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment • 1515 Arapahoe, Tower 2, Suite 400 • Denver, CO 80202
(303) 318-8004 • Fax: (303) 318-8070
For Immediate Release
Date:
Contact:
Phone:
Fax:
Web:
July 30, 2005
Office of Government and Public Relations
(303) 318-8004
(303) 318-8070
http://www.coworkforce.com/lmi/
STATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT RECEIVES NATIONAL
RECOGNITION FOR ITS ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
(DENVER) -- Simple choices can make big environmental impacts. That’s the
philosophy behind an innovative construction project undertaken by the Colorado
Department of Labor and Employment. The Department’s unemployment insurance
operations, which had been housed in two separate buildings, were recently consolidated
into one location at 251 East 12th Avenue and, to do that, the Department remodeled the
old building and constructed a four story extension to it.
The newly renovated and expanded building has received national recognition by the
U.S. Green Building Council. The council is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders
from the construction and architectural industries, working together to promote buildings
that are environmentally responsible. The building at 251 East 12th Avenue received
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for its
conservation of materials and resources in its construction phase as well as its energy
efficiency, water conservation and general atmosphere.
“We’re proud of this recognition,” says Rick Grice, Executive Director of the Department
of Labor and Employment. “This is the first state project that is not a part of Higher
Education to become certified. For Colorado, it’s a watershed moment and we hope this
building will become a demonstration project for future LEED certification projects
across the state. There are fewer than 100 LEED certified projects in the country right
now but we hope this achievement will lead to more government and private sector
building projects being designed here in Colorado for energy efficiency and a
commitment to the highest performance standards.”
Grice adds that the Department of Labor and Employment received valuable support
from Governor Owens and the Governor’s Office of Energy Management and
Conservation in this project. “Early on, you have to decide if you are going to be serious
about LEED certification,” he says, “and Governor Owens supported our efforts from the
beginning.”
A project of this size and scope requires that kind of top-down support explains
Christopher Nims, a principal architect with David Owen Tryba Architects, the firm that
designed the building. “There are decisions that have to be made before pencil ever
touches paper, decisions that will affect how you design the building and the materials
you select. Every component, every guideline, every mark of the pen must be done with
consideration of the environmental implications.
“The building at 251 East 12th Avenue supports the lungs of the employees who work in
the Unemployment Insurance program because we’ve paid close attention to putting
products in the building that don’t produce harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and
other chemicals I can’t even pronounce,” he laughs.
“It’s basically just good design, things that architects and designers and planners and
facility managers should be thinking about anyway. We’ve begun to realize that this
should be an ethic that every designer, every architect, every engineer should just do out
of an obligation to society and public health, safety and welfare. It’s about the protection
of the planet.”
LEED puts a premium on constructing buildings with superior interior air quality, access
to views, daylight and natural ventilation. As a result, building occupants benefit from a
healthier, more pleasant environment. “We used formaldehyde-free wood products and
non-toxic paints and sealants,” Nims says. “The choices we’ve made have saved water
usage in the building. Our higher efficiency boiler is saving about 25% in energy usage.
The insulation value of the glass we used, especially on the west side of the building, and
aluminum mini-blinds that have a reflective capacity have all made a difference.”
“Of course, we are grateful for this recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council,”
says Rick Grice, “but our real reward is in what we have created. In this project, we
combined healthy, high-quality and high-performance advantages with greatly reduced
environmental impacts. So even prior to achieving this certification, we had already
achieved so much. It’s rewarding to know that this effort will be paying benefits to the
environment and the taxpayers of Colorado for many years after the Owens
administration is gone.”
###