Swinerton Builders Project Receives LEED Certification

March 16, 2006
(Los Gatos, CA)

General contractor Swinerton Builders announced that the Welcoming Center and Dining Facility at Presentation Center has received LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Swinerton Builders, in partnership with DSA Architects, helped the Sisters of the Presentation, a Catholic order, incorporate the latest green and sustainable building techniques and materials into their new facility and achieve their goals of creating a building which reflects the environmentally conscious and educational goals of the facility. Some features included:

- Living roof, complete with native plant species and on-demand irrigation system from a nearby pond

- Vegetated swales to allow site runoff to filter back into the landscape

- Photovoltaic panels mounted on the roof of the large dining room

- Radiant heat through in-slab water piping

- Passive solar water heating

- Strawbale walls which provides a natural insulation

- Natural convective heating

- Low-emitting (Low VOC) paints and interior sealants

- Recycled content building products (countertops, ceramic tile, signage)

- Construction waste diversion plan

- FSC certified lumber and furnishings

The Swinerton Green Building program is a leader in the construction industry. Swinerton currently has over 50 LEED-accredited Professionals and their headquarters building in San Francisco was one of the first LEED-certified building renovations in the world. Another Swinerton project, the Orchard Garden Hotel in Downtown San Francisco, will be one of the first LEED-certified hotels in California. With offices throughout California and the West, Swinerton Builders is one of the largest general contractors in the U.S.

CONTACT:
Swinerton Builders
Will Cannell
Marketing Manager
415.984.1247
wcannell@swinerton.com