Florida Office Building Showcases Green Practices

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — A Coral Gables office building — 355 Alhambra — has received LEED Silver Recertification, according to a June 11 announcement.

Taylor & Mathis of Florida, headquartered in Tampa, Fla., and AEW Capital Management (AEW), headquartered in Boston, made the announcement. The 16-story, 224,000-square-foot Class A office building offers almost 24,000-square-feet of rentable space.

The building is owned by AEW on behalf of one of its institutional clients and is managed by Taylor & Mathis of Florida. The property has been named Outstanding Office Building of the Year each year from 2005 to 2015 by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Miami-Dade, and in 2013 and 2015 by the BOMA Southern Region.

“355 Alhambra has very strong ownership in AEW, a firm that is committed to the community, the environment and to maintaining its properties at their optimum level of performance,” said Taylor & Mathis Director of Operations Marlene Diaz in a statement. “Lisa Mitchell, the property manager at 355, along with her staff, have been able to achieve with these goals and objectives and their commitment to excellence has surpassed expectations. Achieving the LEED recertification was of no surprise to those that are familiar with the ownership, and staff of this location, as they are an amazing group of professionals and an example to the commercial real estate sector. This will be added to their long list of recognitions and achievements.”

Environmental features that led to the building’s recertification included energy conservation. The building received a Star rating of 91 (highest score is 100). The building’s high energy efficiency is due to the installation of a state-of-the-art Building Automation System that controls its HVAC system and lighting. Occupancy sensors have been installed in restrooms and interior equipment rooms eliminate the need for lighting in unoccupied areas. Energy-efficient lighting is also featured throughout the building, as well as variable frequency drives that are installed on equipment motors, which reduce electricity usage. Additionally, carbon dioxide sensors are installed on air conditioning equipment to maximize fresh air intake while reducing the need to cool non-essential outside air.

There also are several water conservation features. Indoor water usage has been reduced by 30 percent through the installation of sink aerators and low-flow restroom fixtures, and landscaping water usage has been reduced by 75 percent by the installation of a low-volume irrigation system, rain gauge moisture sensors, and the installation of native and adaptive plans that require minimal watering.

In terms of waste reduction, a comprehensive recycling system collects office paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, light bulbs and ballasts, batteries and durable goods such as computers and office equipment. Construction debris is also recycled and 95 percent of the building’s waste is being diverted from landfills.

The building’s facility services are also mindful of the environment. The building uses safe and eco-friendly cleaning products, recycled paper products in restrooms, and an integrated pest-management policy reduces the need for pesticides inside the building and on exterior landscaping.