ST. LOUIS, June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At Spire, one way we
advance our communities is by using environmentally friendly and
sustainable practices across our company. These practices were
recently recognized with LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green
Building Council for the office space at 700 Market in St. Louis. Spire worked with Arcturis, Tarlton
and the Koman Group to go above and beyond with the green design
and sustainable construction practices.
"We are proud to have achieved LEED Gold and to provide a
healthy and sustainable environment for our employees," said Spire
President and CEO Suzanne
Sitherwood. "It is our responsibility to be good stewards of
our environment and we believe this commitment starts at home. When
we moved into our new offices at 700 Market we wanted to bring this
historic building back to life and make it an even better space for
our employees, our community and our environment."
"Achieving LEED Gold for this iconic building that serves as
Spire's St. Louis anchor is a
noteworthy achievement," said Rick
Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building
Council. "Spire has made a significant contribution to downtown
St. Louis by repurposing this
beautiful Postmodern building. Simultaneously it is investing in
its employees' comfort and well-being with an interior space that's
filled with daylight and cleaner, fresher air. Add to that the
operational efficiencies of saving energy and water and reducing
waste, and you have the kind of leadership that sets a high
bar for next generation corporate leaders."
The building at 700 Market was designed by architect
Philip Johnson and is on the
National Register of Historic Places. Bringing sustainable
practices to historical buildings can be more challenging as some
features of the building cannot be changed. Spire is proud to be
one of six LEED certified projects in historic buildings within
St. Louis.
Green design and construction features at Spire include:
- Use of materials with low-volatile organic compounds so
employees can breathe easier
- Energy-saving LED lighting throughout the building
- Extensive use of recycled building materials
- An automated window shade system that adjusts based on light,
season and room usage
- Water bottle filling stations that encourage reusable bottles
and water efficient faucets
- Water purification system to provide fresh and healthy water
for employees and guests
- Lighting that maximizes daylight and adjusts based on room
usage
- Diversion of more than half of the construction waste from
landfills
- Strong internal recycling protocols
About LEED
The LEED green building certification system is the world's most
widely used program for the design, construction, maintenance and
operations of green buildings. Today, there are nearly 75,000
commercial projects and more than 200,000 residential units
participating in LEED across the globe, with 1.85 million square
feet of building space becoming LEED-certified every day.
Green construction is a large economic driver. According to
the 2015 USGBC Green Building Economic Impact Study, green
construction will account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs—more
than one-third of the entire U.S. construction sector—and generate
$190.3 billion in labor earnings. The
industry's direct contribution to the U.S. gross domestic product
(GDP) is also expected to reach $303.5
billion from 2015–2018. For more information about the LEED
credits visit: www.usgbc.org/LEED.
About Spire
At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) we believe energy exists to help make
people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the
heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.56 million customers
making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas company in
the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily
lives through our regulated utilities - Laclede Gas, Missouri Gas
Energy and Alagasco. Our non-regulated businesses Laclede Energy
Resources and Spire Natural Gas Fueling Solutions provide energy
solutions to other natural gas users. We are committed to
transforming our business and pursuing growth by 1) growing our gas
utility business through prudent infrastructure upgrades and
organic growth initiatives; 2) acquiring and integrating gas
utilities; 3) modernizing our gas supply assets, and 4) investing
in innovation. Learn more at www.SpireEnergy.com.
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SOURCE Spire Inc.