October 25, 2006—The San Diego office of Hines, an international real estate firm, recently announced that La Jolla Commons Office Tower in the University Town Center area of San Diego has received Silver Pre-Certification in the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Core and Shell (LEED-CS) program.
The 15-story, 340,000-square-foot office tower, a joint venture between managing partner Hines and financial services organization TIAA-CREF, was pre-certified based on its submission of documented plans to satisfy environmental and high-performance requirements.
Architect Paul Danna, a principal of DMJM Design, designed the tower to blend local San Diego sensibilities with contemporary sophistication. Standout green features included in the building design are: maximum daylight penetration into interior spaces; innovative wastewater and irrigation technologies; efficient electricity and water systems; low-emission materials and construction waste minimization and stringent recycling programs.
The building’s exterior will be a predominately glass curtainwall system incorporating highly efficient, insulated, double-paned glass with a clear, low-emissive coating. The tower will reportedly incorporate highly efficient floorplates, state-of-the-art operating systems, extensive campus amenities, panoramic office views, and excellent visibility from La Jolla Village Drive and Interstate 805.
The office building construction is scheduled to commence in November and conclude in the first quarter of 2008. Pending final documentation and review, it will become the third Hines LEED-CS certified high-rise office building on the West Coast.
