Transwestern-managed Office Building Becomes First In The World To Earn Certification Under New LEED® v4 Operations And Maintenance Rating System

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Transwestern today announced 1800 K St. is the first building in the world to earn certification through the new, more stringent LEED v4 Operations and Maintenance: Existing Building rating system. In addition, the 224,000-square-foot office building owned by Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management and managed by Transwestern is only the second project worldwide to obtain any of the 21 various rating system adaptations available under LEED v4. The U.S. Green Building Council simultaneously awarded the Washington, D.C., asset with LEED Gold certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance through v2009, the most recent rating system before the creation of LEED v4. Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management pursued the LEED certifications for 1800 K St. as part of a market-driven portfolio improvement program.

"With the launch of LEED v4, we are seeing a number of leading organizations certifying their new and existing buildings to LEED v4, upping their already high standards of performance," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. "As one of the first projects to obtain certification under the new rating system, Transwestern has made an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement." 

Transwestern's sustainability services team oversaw the certification process of 1800 K St., directing the on-site property management team and setting operating and maintenance procedures. Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management was able to make LEED v4 history due in large part to property management strategies implemented by Transwestern as part of its long-standing commitment to sustainability. The firm trains property management teams throughout its portfolio of managed buildings to integrate sustainable improvements whenever possible.

"This is a tremendous achievement for Transwestern," said Allan Skodowski, Transwestern's managing senior vice president and director of LEED and sustainability services. "As the first in the industry to make sustainability the norm, it is truly an honor to be on the forefront of the next chapter in sustainability. The new LEED v4 rating system holds buildings to higher standards, and we are excited to see how much building sustainability improves with these new guidelines."

1800 K St. earned 64 points in the LEED v2009 and 52 points in the newer v4 system. Transwestern's sustainability services team included a tenant engagement component in both of the certification projects. Tenants have a significant impact on the efficiency and sustainability of an office building. When occupiers' preferences are taken into account when making building-wide decisions, they are more satisfied with their work environment and take more of an interest in achieving long-term sustainability goals of the building. Additional improvements at the property include:

• Installation of MERV 13 filters at all outdoor air intake locations;
• Upgrading all plumbing fixtures to meet WaterSense requirements;
• Achieving an ENERGY STAR^® rating of 81;
• Offsetting 27 percent of electrical usage with sustainable power;
• Recycling 61 percent of office waste; and
• Implementing a sustainable purchasing program for all cleaning products and equipment.

ABOUT DEUTSCHE ASSET & WEALTH MANAGEMENT
With €946 billion of assets under management (as at June 30, 2013), Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management is one of the world's leading investment organizations. Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management offers individuals and institutions traditional and alternative investments across all major asset classes. It also provides tailored wealth management solutions and private banking services to high-net-worth individuals and family offices.

ABOUT TRANSWESTERN
Transwestern is a privately held real estate firm specializing in agency leasing, property and facilities management, tenant advisory, capital markets, development, research and sustainability. The fully integrated global enterprise leverages competencies in office, industrial, retail, multifamily and healthcare properties to add value for investors, owners and occupiers of real estate. Transwestern facilitates better decision-making for clients by combining penetrating local market intelligence and macro-market research through its affiliate, Delta Associates. Transwestern has 34 U.S. offices and assists clients through more than 181 offices in 40 countries as part of a strategic alliance with Paris-based BNP Paribas Real Estate. For more information, please visit www.transwestern.net and follow us on Twitter: @Transwestern.

SOURCE Transwestern