An office building being constructed just south of downtown Reno will be one of the first developments in the area striving for Gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building program.
The 7,500-square-foot building at 855 S. Center St. will house corporate offices for GuiDenby, a design-build firm currently located at 4600 Kietzke Lane.
Robb Wong, who works as general contractor for the company while his wife, Allyson, works as architect, says some of the green building steps taken on the project include:
* recycling of the trees that were cleared from the site.
* installation of a photovoltaic solar system for supplemental power to the building.
* a bike-storage area, with shower and changing room.
* radiant floor heating.
* low-water and no-water plumbing fixtures.
* onsite drainage to collect storm runoff that will recharge the immediate area with groundwater.
* use of pavers in the parking lot rather than asphalt.
Wong says a similar office building without LEED certification would cost between 20 to 25 percent less.
"LEED is a great program and a model for everyone to follow, but the bigger deal is to get where everyone is doing that stuff," Wong says.
"I think that is the direction building is going. LEED is set up so people can follow it, and it makes it a lot more doable."
GuiDenby will take about one-third of the space, Wong says, and will rent out two other spaces in the building, which is budgeted at roughly $1 million.
Wong says the project was prompted by growth in the company. The company currently employs 14 people.
"We definitely need more space," he says.
Aspen Developers is performing site work on the project, which is expected to be completed in April or May. NNBW staff
