Miami Design District Expansion Achieves LEED Gold

MIAMI — Palm Court, the second phase of the Miami Design District expansion, has been certified LEED Gold for Core + Shell by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

SB Architects, based in San Francisco, worked with sustainability consultants at The Spinnaker Group, headquartered in Weston, Fla., to achieve 62 LEED points out of a possible 110, qualifying the project for Gold certification. The Miami Design District — a community dedicated to fashion, design, architecture and dining experiences — has already achieved LEED for Neighborhood Development designation. Miami-based DACRA Development developed the first phase of the expansion.

The two blocks that make up the second phase of development took a new approach to retail design and architecture. Although the project was developed and designed as a cohesive whole, it’s not a mall. SB Architects created the architectural skeleton for the blocks, addressing building structure, overall identity and the movement of people through the space. Within this framework, each store has been treated as a distinct building, with individual retailers given the opportunity to create the entire façade — 45 feet from ground to sky.

LEED Gold certification ensures that the development is sustainable. Set in the heart of the existing design district, Palm Court uses an infill site, a type of land recycling, which helps with community connection and access to public transportation. The team also implemented tenant design and construction guidelines to ensure that its luxury retail tenants build out their spaces sustainably, matching the sustainability goals for the overall project.

The team also managed construction waste; used recycled, locally sourced and sustainable materials; optimized energy performance; and used systems to reduce water use. Nearly every roof in the development is a green roof, providing thermal cooling.

Palm Court also achieved several “Innovation in Design” credits in LEED’s “Exemplary Performance” category for going above and beyond the standard threshold for numerous criteria. The project provides 50 percent more open space than required by the zoning codes, maximizes access to alternative transportation with immediate proximity to multiple bus lines providing more than 200 stops per day, and locates 100 percent of parking spaces under cover.