After a multi-year effort of implementing strategic capital upgrades, Stout & Teague has achieved LEED® Gold Status on behalf of the Resources and Conservation Center (RCC), a two-building complex in Dupont Circle. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.
RCC achieved LEED Gold certification by implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Stout & Teague completed a renovation of the central cooling plant using magnetic-bearing chillers, variable frequency drives, and other state-of-the-art technology to reduce electric consumption required to cool the buildings. Additionally, green policies were put in place for cleaning, water treatment, landscaping, indoor air quality, sustainable purchasing and pest management, to ensure that changes made today continue for many years to come.
The Resources & Conservation Center is comprised of two office buildings – 1400 16th Street NW, and 1616 P Street NW, surrounding a one-acre courtyard garden. RCC offers an array of amenities such as a large conference center on the main level, a smaller rooftop conference facility, a tenant-only fitness center, rooftop terrace and green roof, parking garage, and cafe.
RCC has long been a leader in energy and environmental issues. When developed in the 1980’s RCC included a number of “firsts” for a commercial office building in Washington:
- first ice-storage cooling plant
- first use of windows with Heat Mirror® insulating glass
- green roof plaza over parking garage
- heat recovery wheel for toilet exhaust
“It is a testament to the original vision and ongoing stewardship by its non-profit owners that a project conceived and built almost 30 years ago can meet the exacting standards of LEED Gold,” said Neel Teague, President of Stout & Teague Management Corp.
As the original developer of RCC as a planned unit development in the 1980’s, Stout & Teague’s commitment to the Resources & Conservation Center continues with significant renovations to modernize its main lobbies and conference facilities in 2018.