(SEATTLE) – Hines, the international real estate firm, along with building owners Teacher’s Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), announced today that Fourth & Madison has received Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED® rating system for Existing Buildings.
Fourth & Madison is an 845,533-square-foot, 40-story office building located in Seattle’s central business district. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership and developed by Hines in 2002, Hines sold the property to TIAA in 2005. Hines has been responsible for managing and leasing the building since it opened in 2003.
In addition to this sustainability milestone, Fourth & Madison has earned the ENERGY STAR label every year since 2004. With a current score of 93, the building is 46 percent more energy efficient and saves more than $1 Million in annual energy costs when compared to the average U.S. office building. This translates to estimated annual greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing 998 passenger vehicles from the road.
“This elevation to Platinum status for Fourth & Madison represents Hines’ long-standing commitment as an industry leader in sustainable and high-performance development,” stated Kathy O’Kelley, vice president of property management.
Hines Global Sustainability Officer Gary Holtzer, added, “By achieving LEED Platinum, the Fourth & Madison team demonstrates to our owners, tenants, prospective tenants and the community that this property is being managed to the highest standards of excellence.”
Green features and sustainable programs include monthly landfill diversion of 78 percent through composting and recycling, including e-recycling, cooking oil recycling, lamp and battery recycling, and supporting a home e-recycling program; partnering with general contractors to maximize trash diversion during tenant improvement construction; whole building relamp project saving approximately 811,295 kwh each year; installation of native and adaptive plants for water saving landscaping; strong support for alternative commute modes with subsidized commuter passes, Zip-Cars, carpool and vanpool reduced parking rates; and multiple bike racks and lockers resulting in 84 percent of building occupants utilizing alternative modes of transportation. Additionally, Hines offers its proprietary GREEN OFFICE for Tenants and Retail program, which assists in giving tenants options to reduce their carbon footprint.
Hines is one of the most sustainable real estate companies in the world. In 2016 Hines was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency, for the ninth 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 181 labeled buildings, representing more than 77 million square feet, in the ENERGY STAR program. Also, five Hines development or redevelopment projects, representing more than three 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 146 projects, representing more than 90 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 a presence in 182 cities in 20 countries. Hines has $89.1 billion of assets under management, including $42.5 billion for which Hines provides fiduciary investment management services, and $46.6 billion for which Hines provides third-party property-level services. The firm has 109 developments currently underway around the world. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,126 properties, totaling over 351 million square feet. The firm’s current property and asset management portfolio includes 457 properties, representing over 193 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. Visit www.hines.com for more information.