LEED Platinum for Passerelle's Building Celebrated [VIDEO]

Move over, Packard Foundation.

Los Altos celebrated another LEED Platinum building in the downtown area, this time in the 110 First Street lobby of Passerelle Investment's 1992-era offices.

The U.S. Green Building Council created LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to provide third-party verification of green buildings. There are several of categories of buildings, and a series of levels—Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The category and level, in this case is Platinum Commercial Interiors.

For the Passerelle building, which also houses the Evolve Pilates studio, there are some highlights: Photovoltaic and solar thermal roof panels, electric car charging stations, employee bicycle storage and shower facilities, low-VOC paint (Volatile Organic Compounds) and products, recycled-content and local materials wherever possible, water-efficient fixtures, and a living wall factored into the building’s LEED-Platinum designation. 

FSC Salvaged wood was used. Skylights and generous windows for natural light and so less power is needed to light a room.

The certification for this category required 80 points. The project got 84. The 84th was overlooked, and consultant Laura Billings

What does it take to get a LEED platinum certification?

• Time (Passerelle co-founder Taylor Robinson said they started when she was pregnant with her now two-and-a-half year-old son)
• Commitment (See above, plus more)
• Attention to detail (Laura Billings of Sage Green Consulting documented each point and made sure they were accounted for)

Watch this video to learn about the building's highlights and glimpse one of its "living walls."