06-SUS-008

**NEW INNOVATIVE LEASING POLICY IN REGION SIX REQUIRES LEED
CERTIFICATION AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGN IN ALL BUILD-TO-SUIT PROJECTS**

**General Services Administration**

**Public Buildings Service Heartland Region**

**AWARD FINALIST**

In 2005, the GSA Heartland Region West Service Center Leasing Team
accepted delivery of a 137,671 square-foot build-to-suit leased building
on behalf of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) in
Lincoln, Neb. Every aspect of the building was designed and constructed
to embrace the practical "green" goals of creating an energy efficient,
environmentally friendly, healthy building.

This building is the fourth in a series of Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED®) certified sustainable build-to-suit leasing
projects that the Heartland Region has procured. The GSA Region 6
leasing branches chose to embrace a new mandate for federal buildings to
design and construct LEED® certified buildings, which has, in essence,
raised the bar on the quality and efficiency of the buildings GSA
leases.

A result of the CIS project in Lincoln, Neb. is that most of the leasing
projects in the region are now seeking some form of LEED® certification
and employing varying methods of sustainable design on their projects.
All projects, from small single-agency rural buildings to complex,
prospectus-level, multi-tenant, multi-floor projects are being
encouraged to pursue LEED® certification.

The designers merged a four-fold goal of:

1.  Integrating the agency's program and LEED® requirements while
    maintaining an excellent design

2.  Solving CIS security needs in an unobtrusive way

3.  Projecting the seriousness and dignity of the CIS mission while
    showcasing the beauty and colors of the indigenous landscape

4.  Creating a location to serve as a sustainable design "teaching tool"
    for the commercial construction market in Lincoln and surrounding
    areas.

This beautiful new CIS facility alleviated overcrowding at three other
locations in Lincoln and provided for the hiring of 120 new employees.
The lease provides for the expansion and contraction of services to
allow for second and third shifts.

In occupied areas, 94 percent of the building's occupants have views of
the exterior. Exterior glazing was selected for energy performance and
glare control negating the need for shades on the windows. Building
systems were designed for performance and flexibility, while providing
maximum user comfort. Energy use is 30 percent less than the ASHRAE
(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning
Engineers) 90.1-1999 standard, accomplished through use of high
performance glazing with exterior sunshades on the south, daylighting on
the north, energy-efficient lighting and efficient HVAC equipment. An
innovative dual duct HVAC system pipes fresh air to each zone for
ventilation effectiveness. No halon-based or CFC-based refrigerants were
used in the building's systems. The Low-E glazing throughout the
building tempers the glare and heat from the heat of Midwest summers
while the building's east-west axis optimizes natural light, lessening
its energy consumption. Materials were selected for their durability,
regional uniqueness and sustainable features.

**Contact:**

Dennis Clemons, Realty Specialist

GSA, Public Buildings Service Heartland Region

dennis.clemons@gsa.gov