Northern Trust announced today that the Northern Operating Services office in Bangalore, India has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Commercial Interiors Platinum certification for the latest phase build-out at the office.
The Northern Trust building meets requirements of cost effective building operation, reduced environmental footprint, and healthy and productive work environment. The office received LEED Gold certification in February 2010 for reduced environmental impact during design and construction, and was the first commercial interior to receive LEED certification in Bangalore.
"Winning LEED CI Platinum certification is a significant achievement for Northern Trust, the Global Corporate Services Group, Operations & Technology, and our design teams," said Connie Lindsey, head of Corporate Social Responsibility. "This is the fifth Northern Trust building to earn LEED certification, and the second to achieve certification in Bangalore. We strive to be a global leader as a socially responsible corporation. These distinctions validate our efforts and encourage us to continue that mission."
Platinum certification indicates the office earned over 80 points out of a possible 100, across 48 competencies, on the LEED checklist. The office utilizes a range of water saving devices and systems such as flow limiters and sensor-based equipments, reducing overall water usage by to 42% compared to a standard building. The interiors use renewable and recycled materials such as carpets, green seal certified chemicals, and low volatile organic compound paints. The building also has educational signage to educate occupants on green initiatives and fully involve them in the sustainability endeavor.
Other accomplishments include:
* Green Guard Certified environmentally friendly furniture
* Automatic Temperature Control System
* All equipment and appliances 'Energy Star Rated' to save energy consumption
* Recycling construction waste and debris
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics tetrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.