LPL Financial Earns LEED Platinum
SAN DIEGO — LPL Financial LLC announced on April 20 that the firm’s San Diego office building has earned LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its interior design and construction.
“We are proud to have received this designation for our San Diego office building,” said Mark Casady, LPL chairman and CEO, in a statement. “From the start of this project, we committed to leveraging technology and advanced materials to minimize our impact on the environment, while creating a positive work environment for our employees. The result is an innovative workspace that has become a source of pride for LPL, the San Diego community and the more than 1,600 LPL employees who work here. We made an investment in our employees when we created this building, understanding that by being an employer of choice to the top talent in our industry, we can continue to be the leading service provider to our clients.”
Several green building elements helped LPL Financial earn its LEED certification. They include an almost 40 percent reduction in potable water use and the diversion of more than 77 percent of construction-generated waste from landfills. Additionally, 19 percent of the total building materials was manufactured using recycled materials, 67 percent of wood-based building materials were certified to criteria set by the Forest Stewardship Council and more than 94 percent of all regularly occupied spaces feature direct views to the outdoors.
“We approached LPL’s San Diego tower as an opportunity to usher in a new era of workplace innovation that enhanced the user experience while reinforcing the firm’s commitment to wellness and sustainability,” said Shawn Davidson Dixon, design director at Gensler, the interior architect for the building, based in San Francisco. “Our design strategy centered on creating an agile, adaptable work environment that sets the standard in San Diego for performance, wellbeing and efficiency.”
The floors within the 13-story, 415,000-square-foot office show a commitment to wellness and sustainability by providing an abundance of natural light, sit-to-stand workstations and individual thermal controls at each workspace. In addition, the building includes a health clinic, fitness center, cafeteria and outdoor amenities. Employees also participate in recycling, on-site composting and carpooling.