Alaska Gives California a LEED

SAN FRANCISCO-The first existing multitenant office building in California to achieve LEED certification from the US Green Building Council is 100 Pine, 35-story 440,500-sf Downtown office tower here owned by the Alaska Permanent Fund and its minority, operating partner, Unico Properties of Seattle. The only other buildings in San Francisco to carry LEED-EB status are a pair of single-tenant headquarters buildings—Pacific Gas & Electric’s HQ at 245 Market St. and construction contractor Swinerton Inc.’s HQ at 260 Townsend St.Built in 1972 of steel, concrete and glass based on the design of Hertz & Knowles, 100 Pine has known for its stingy water and energy use for some time. It was one of the first buildings in San Francisco to receive an Energy Star label and was voted Commercial Recycler of the Year for seven straight years starting in 2000 in a program sponsored by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).That having been said, Wes Powell, the Jones Lang LaSalle broker with the leasing assignment says obtaining LEED-EB status is no small feat. “Close to 98 percent of commercially-operated office buildings today were not built to green standards and converting them would be a huge undertaking,” he says. “The team’s accomplishment with 100 Pine was the equivalent of converting a gas-guzzling SUV into a hybrid while driving 55 mph along the highway.”Alaska Permanent Fund acquired a majority interest in the asset three years ago in a deal that valued the asset at $149 million. Ownership could not immediately be reached Thursday afternoon for comment on the cost of the “green” improvements and how long it will take to recoup the investment. Ownership retained San Francisco-based OrganicArchitect to compile and file the LEED-EB application.The sustainable measures employed at 100 Pine include:

• LEED-compliant Tenant Improvements (TIs): a commitment to green is emphasized by incorporating sustainability into its TI design and construction process. This allows a conversation with the customer about the environment to begin immediately.
• Energy Conservation: 100 Pine conducted an overhaul to its heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and added digital controls to make it more efficient.
• Energy Conservation: 100 Pine conducted an overhaul to its heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and added digital controls to make it more efficient.
• Water Efficiency: 100 Pine reduced the building’s water usage by approximately 50% by converting to “low flow” toilets. The HVAC upgrade also reduced water usage.
• Environmentally-Friendly Cleaning Products: The building replaced its cleaning chemicals, equipment and restroom paper products used by the janitorial staff with sustainable, environmentally preferred products which meet or exceed the CA EPA guidelines.
• Environmentally-Friendly Landscaping: 100 Pine worked with their landscaping company and shifted from annuals (which require continual change) to perennials and also uses only native, local plants that require less watering.
• Recycling: 100 Pine has been a leader in recycling for the past 10 years and has consistently been diverting 75% or more of its waste from landfill. Unico also has partnered with Green Citizen, a company that promotes “responsible” electronic recycling.
• Motion Sensors in Emergency Stairwells: Since emergency stairwells are rarely used, 100 Pine installed lights that operate with motion sensors instead of having these stairwells lit continually.