Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that 1200 Nineteenth Street, the firm’s redevelopment project in Washington, D.C., has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR®” for excellence in pre-occupancy design and construction. Using ENERGY STAR’s Target Finder tool, the design achieved an ENERGY STAR rating of 99, which means that if it performs as intended, the building will be in the nation’s top two percent in terms of energy performance.

Acquired by the Hines US Core Office Fund in 2003, 1200 Nineteenth Street is an eight-story office building originally constructed in 1964 and renovated in 1987. Asset, leasing and property manager, Hines, identified an opportunity to add leasable space and enhance its marketability by upgrading the building to current sustainable standards. The property was pre-certified Silver in the LEED® for Core & Shell rating system in December of 2008, though Hines anticipates a higher certification level when the building reaches substantial completion in late May or early June of this year.

The renovation effort is being managed by Hines in collaboration with architecture and engineering firm SmithGroup. Clark Construction Group is serving as the general contractor with MEP firm TOLK, structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti, civil engineering firm Delon Hampton & Associates and landscape designer Lee+ Papa and Associates contributing to the project.

Hines is adding three stories to the building, recladding the shell in high-efficiency glass and replacing major mechanical and electrical systems. Other green features include a green and reflective roof, which reduces HVAC loads and, in turn, reduces mechanical requirements and frees more leasable area. Hines anticipates that the building will reduce energy consumption by approximately 64 percent and water usage by approximately 38 percent when compared with the national average building. Anticipated annual greenhouse gas reductions are equivalent to annually removing almost 600 passenger vehicles from the road.

Hines Senior Vice President Bill Alsup said, “This building is an excellent demonstration of sustainable real estate practices. We have taken an existing structure, redesigned it for optimal resource efficiency and reused and recycled a large portion of its materials. But that’s only half of the equation. Operating the building efficiently will be equally important to both the environment and tenant comfort, and that is where Hines applies intense focus.”

SmithGroup Vice President and Senior Designer Andrew Rollman, AIA, LEED AP, said, "This repositioning was a great opportunity to take a dated 1960s asset, add density, and create a fresh, modern design featuring the highest standards of sustainability and energy conservation."
1200 Nineteenth Street is approximately 30% percent leased to McKinsey & Company and a number of retail tenants, including JoS. A. Bank Clothiers and Sam & Harry’s Restaurant.

Source : Hines