United Heartland's Headquarters Building Awarded LEED® Green Building Certification

MILWAUKEE, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The new headquarters facility for national workers compensation insurer, United Heartland, was recently awarded LEED® Silver certification by the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The project received this certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as for incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. Irgens Development Partners was the project developer. The building is located at 15200 West Small Road in New Berlin, Wisconsin.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100701/DE28206 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100701/DE28206 )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080409/CLW076LOGO )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080409/CLW076LOGO )

"One of our main goals for our new headquarters was to come up with an environmentally-friendly and efficient design that would positively impact our organization and the local community," said United Heartland President, Stephan Cooper. "Our experienced project team helped us to achieve this vision and we are delighted to have received this added validation from the USGBC."

In addition to United Heartland and Irgens, other important project team members included Kahler Slater Architects, HLA Business Interiors, Beyer Construction and CB Richard Ellis.

"United Heartland's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The work of forward-thinking companies and innovative project teams such as those presented here are a fundamental driving force in the green building movement."

LEED® certification is established on a point-based rating system that acknowledges water efficiencies and waste reductions, energy and atmosphere management, materials and resource repurposing, and recycling.

Some of the recognized environmentally conscious features of the United Heartland project include:

• More than 79% of the construction waste was recycled or reused to divert more than 145 tons of waste from a landfill.
• High-efficiency, dual-flush toilets, non-water urinals, and low-flow lavatories, showers, and kitchen sink reduce water use by 47% compared to a typical building.
• High-efficiency, glare-free windows provide generous access to natural daylight and views.  More than 87% of all spaces in the building have access to natural day lighting.  Over 93% of all spaces have access to views to the outside.
• Over 31% of the total materials value is comprised of building materials and/or products that have been extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.
• Implementation of a green cleaning program to reduce exposure of building occupants to contaminants that adversely impact the indoor environment and use of sustainable cleaning systems and products.

About United Heartland

Headquartered in New Berlin, Wis., United Heartland actively markets in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, and insures workers compensation clients across the country. Established in 1990, United Heartland applies proven managed care techniques to workers compensation and offers many programs and services, including a drug-free workplace program, medical cost management and loss control services. United Heartland's business is underwritten by United Wisconsin Insurance Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Accident Fund Insurance Company of America and is rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best. For more information, visit United Heartland's website at www.unitedheartland.biz.  

About LEED®

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 32,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 9.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries.

By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation.

For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

SOURCE United Heartland