Banfield Pet Hospital® Headquarters Earns LEED Platinum Certification For First-Rate Environmental Design

VANCOUVER, Wash., Jan. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Banfield Pet Hospital's new corporate headquarters has earned LEED Platinum certification, the U.S. Green Building Council's highest possible designation. The LEED rating system is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human-health performance.

Banfield partnered with a number of experts to create innovative, collaborative and pet-friendly concepts that also met its sustainability goals. Key partners included developer Pacific Realty Associates, acclaimed architecture firms Gensler (interior) and TVA Architects (exterior), MEP engineers and sustainability experts Interface Engineering, landscape architect PLACE, general contractor and construction manager Skanska and LEED consultants Green Building Services.

"Creating better communities for people and pets is at the heart of what we do," said John Benazzi, Commercial Vice President and Construction Co-Lead, Banfield Pet Hospital. "Our new, environmentally responsible facility enables us to better serve the heart of our practice: the associates in our hospitals who provide tremendous care to pets every day."

Located in Vancouver's Columbia Tech Center, the well-appointed facility officially opened in June 2016 and spans more than 17.5 acres with 206,000 square feet of office and training space. No eco-friendly stone was left unturned – the construction and design teams focused on harnessing renewable energy sources and decreasing power consumption, water usage and carbon dioxide emissions. Building materials, including wood, steel and concrete, were regionally sourced. Throughout construction, 75 percent of waste was recycled, keeping 750 tons out of the landfill. Further, the project team prioritized creating ideal work environments, whether limiting furnishings' emissions, ensuring proper ventilation or providing a connection to the outdoors through windows.

The result is a facility that requires 44 percent less energy than is needed to operate a code-built building thanks to geothermal exchange and features such as solar-water heating and low-demand LED lighting. Rainwater harvesting of more than 420,000 gallons annually spares potable water from toilet flushing, and regionally adapted plants reduce irrigation water use by 60 percent. As part of its extensive corporate social responsibility efforts, Banfield also donates excess food from the headquarters' bistro to Share Vancouver, a local nonprofit organization that provides shelter, resources and free daily meals to homeless and low-income members of the community.

Demonstrating its commitment to the environment, Banfield's sustainability efforts extend far beyond Vancouver. In just nine months, recycling within Banfield's more than 975 hospitals across the United States and Puerto Rico resulted in a savings of more than 4,200 trees, 95,000 gallons of oil and 1.75 million gallons of water. In 2016 alone, more than 750 cubic yards of waste and one million pounds of needles and syringes were diverted from landfills thanks to the participation of Banfield hospital associates nationwide.

Today, Banfield's pet-friendly headquarters houses 800 associates and more than 220 dogs who accompany them to work. It is also home to the company's charitable arm, the Banfield Foundation that, in partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital, helped 145,000 pets in need last year alone.

About Banfield Pet Hospital®
Founded in Portland, Ore., in 1955, Banfield is the largest general-veterinary practice in the world. In 2007, Banfield joined the Mars, Inc. family of businesses, and today is more than 975 hospitals strong in neighborhoods across the United States and Puerto Rico. More than 3,500 Banfield veterinarians are committed to providing high-quality veterinary care for three million pets and counting annually with a range of comprehensive medical services, computerized medical records and preventive-care plans. Banfield's charitable arm, the Banfield Foundation, was established in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the well-being of pets and communities by elevating the power of the human-animal bond, strengthening the pet-welfare community, providing disaster relief for pets, and more. Press seeking additional information are invited to visit Banfield.com or call the Media Hotline: (888) 355-0595.

Media Contact:
Mackenzie Smith
[email protected]; (312) 255 3032
Banfield Pet Hospital^® Media Hotline; (888) 355-0595

SOURCE Banfield Pet Hospital