(SEATTLE) – Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that 800 Fifth Avenue in downtown Seattle has received Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings (EB) rating system. This marks the 12thbuilding developed or managed by Hines to receive this designation.
800 Fifth Avenue is a 42-story, 1.2 million-square-foot office tower developed in 1981 by Hines, which still co-owns the property, along with J.P. Morgan.
To elevate the nearly 35-year old property from Gold to Platinum, new green features were implemented by the in-house property and engineering management teams with assistance from the consulting firm Sebesta. Landscape enhancements included new native plantings and new irrigation controls that monitor soil-moisture levels. The project also secured the maximum number of transportation credits.
In addition to earning LEED, the property has earned the ENERGY STAR® label every year since 2005. With a current rating of 92, the campus is 44 percent more energy efficient than an average U.S. office building.
Hines Vice President of Property Management Kathy O’Kelley said, “Achieving LEED Platinum is a testament to the value of applying solid, proactive operating principles to create efficiencies, cost savings and long-term value. With this achievement, the local project team demonstrates to our owners, tenants, prospective tenants and the community that this property is being managed to the highest standard of excellence.”
Hines Senior Managing Director and Global Sustainability Officer Gary Holtzer added, “Continuous improvement by the on-site Hines staff was at the core of moving this building from LEED Gold to Platinum.”
Hines is one of the most sustainable real estate companies in the world. In 2014 Hines was recognized by the EPA, for the seventh time, with the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award. In addition, Hines has received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award three times. Hines manages 170 labeled buildings, representing more than 74 million square feet, in the ENERGY STAR program. Also, twelve Hines development or redevelopment projects, representing more than six million square feet, have been designated as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.
Hines is also a leader in the U.S. Green Building Council’s programs, with 198 projects, representing more than 103 million square feet that have been certified, pre-certified or registered under the various LEED rating systems. Hines was a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council and the Russian Green Building Council, and is active in the Green Building Council Brasil, the Green Building Council España, the Green Building Council Italia, the Indian Green Building Council, the BRE Environmental Assessment Method program in the United Kingdom and the Haute Qualité Environnementale program in France.
Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with locations in 185 cities in 19 countries. Hines has $84.9 billion of assets under management, including $42.7 billion for which Hines provides fiduciary investment management services, and $42.2 billion for which Hines provides third-party property-level services. In 2014, Hines completed over $8 billion in transactions on behalf of its investment management clients. The firm has 104 developments currently underway around the world. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired more than 1,000 properties, totaling over 339 million square feet. The firm’s current property and asset management portfolio includes 511 properties, representing over 176 million square feet. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a pioneering commitment to sustainability, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organizations in the world. www.hines.com.
