Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY GERI KODEY (SMITH CENTER); COURTESY OF CITYCENTER (CITYCENTER), RICK VAN DIEPEN (HOME INTERIOR, HABITAT) HAUTE PROPERTY The Smith Center brings new life to a blighted site that formerly served as a Union Pacific Railroad yard. and retaining because it employees, studies show, sends a message of corporate responsibility and values. A sustainable work- place is increasingly doubling as part of a company's corporate identity and branding. "It's a popular thing with the younger gen- eration," says Chris Larsen of JMA, Nevada's largest architecture firm (jmaarch.com) and the first to attain membership in the USGBC. "They want to work for a company that is thinking sustainable because it's cool and the right thing to do." CityCenter is the largest project to ever receive LEED certification. size through low-flow pressurized faucets, show- ers, and toilets. CityCenter's energy initiatives save enough electricity to power 8,800 house- holds annually. CityCenter is the largest project to ever receive LEED certification from the USGBC. LEED grades project sustainability based on points awarded for energy and atmosphere, water efficiency, and indoor air quality, among other things. sustainability " CityCenter opened everybody's eyes on why sustainability is important."—J.F. FINN continued from page 135 on average, use 11 percent less water and 25 percent less energy, according to the US Green Building Council (USGBC). "Green growth is phenomenal across globe," says Harvey Bernstein, vice president of industry insights and alliances at McGraw-Hill Construction (construction.com). Take CityCenter, for the example. MGM Resorts International's 67-acre Strip resort complex consists of 18 mil- lion square feet of hotel rooms, residences, shops, and entertainment space designed by a constellation of star architects, including Helmut Jahn, Rafael Viñoly, David Rockwell, César Pelli, and Daniel Libeskind, among others. Yet CityCenter is energy-efficient, too, with exteriors that reduce heat transfer from the sun, window shading devices that transfer heat, reflective rooftops, and specially coated high- performance glass. The property uses up to 40 percent less water than a project of comparable 136 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM "Developers and owners are seeing the value in green building as a competitive differentiator," says Rick Van Diepen, an associate principal with the architecture firm PGAL (pgal.com) and past president of the USGBC's Nevada chapter (usgbccnv.com). "The bottom-line decisions are becoming paramount in terms of lowering oper- ating costs. People are beginning to understand the benefits more and more." Van Diepen's own home, with yearly power costs of an astoundingly low $250, was featured on HGTV as a model of green responsibility. He also designed the LEED platinum-certified Habitat for Humanity homes in Henderson, now national Habitat prototypes. Green offices have an easier time recruiting Van Diepen built these Habitat for Humanity model houses, certified LEED platinum. "CityCenter opened everybody's eyes on why is important," says Gensler Principal J.F. Finn, who served as CityCenter's executive architect. "People began to think that if MGM Mirage is doing it, maybe we should take a second look at LEED and sustainability." Indeed, the Smith Center similarly pursued LEED certification. The Center's two-building complex uses glues, carpets, and paints with low-volatile organic compounds for improved indoor air quality, plus energy-efficient windows and natural But creating a green environment doesn't nec- essarily require new construction or even a significant investment. It can be as simple as replacing light bulbs: Compact fluorescent lights use about 75 percent less energy than tra- ditional incandescent bulbs and can last more than six times longer. "There are simple strategies for lowering oper- ating costs," says Craig Galati, principal at LGA (lgainc.com), which designed Springs Preserve as a model of ecological management and future preservation. "You can change out plumbing fix- tures with low-flow alternatives or install a digital programmable thermostat. Small things can sometimes make a big difference." V Architect Rick van Diepen's home's low power costs are thanks to extensive use of green building measures. lighting. Building waste material was recycled during construction, and the build- ing has high-efficiency mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.