Today, during a plaque ceremony in Oakland, CA, Integral Group, Founder & CEO, Kevin Hydes and Managing Director, Peter Rumsey, alongside BuildingWise Founder, Barry Giles announced their achievement of earning the world's highest-ever U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System(TM) (LEED(R)) score. Awarded the LEED Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) Platinum designation, top level of achievement in USGBC's rating system, Integral Group garnered a remarkable 102 of 110 possible points; far surpassing the 80 points required to earn Platinum.

Presenting today's plaque, among distinguished guests and community leaders, including Oakland Mayor, Jean Quan; was President, CEO & U.S. Green Building Council Founding Chair, Rick Fedrizzi. "Integral Group's LEED Platinum certification of their commercial interior space is a true example of leadership. Integral Group not only designs healthy, environmentally sound LEED buildings for their clients - they also apply their green building expertise in their office space," said Fedrizzi. "This project is a tremendous accomplishment - it brings employment to the city, supports mass transit and has an overall positive impact on the community."

"I am so proud of our folks in the Oakland office and our affiliates at BuildingWise who worked tirelessly to create this memorable project. Thanks to USGBC for continuing the work of transforming the building industry globally via LEED and other programs. A special thanks to Rick Fedrizzi for being here to dedicate this," commented Kevin Hydes Integral Group CEO and Past Chair of the USGBC and World Green Building Council.

In 2009 Rumsey Engineers joined Integral Group, expanding the company's deep green engineering expertise. With this expanded team, came the search for additional space. The ideal space was identified at 427 13th Street in the heart of urban Oakland, California. Empty for some time, this open plan office suite, previously occupied by structural engineers, Rutherford and Chekene, fit the numerous requirements of Peter Rumsey and Integral Group Chairman, Kevin Hydes. It did not require major construction; AND Integral Group had space to grow, as they would have control of all the square footage except the first floor retail.

BuildingWise, a high-performance building consulting firm long aligned and affiliated with Integral Group and its principals, worked closely with the Integral/Rumsey team and soon realized that, using the USGBC's LEED(R) for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) program, they could, together, set a new "high-bar" global example of leadership. Outstanding achievements included:

• Overall energy reduction of 37%
• Reduction of potable water use by 40%
• Plug load energy savings of 49%
• Server virtualization eliminated the need for 3 out of 5 existing servers saving 54% of the server energy
• The building renovation was accomplished at a very low cost of $25/sf compared to a typical office space renovation which would cost $50/sf to $75/sf
• Over 83% of construction waste materials were recycled and diverted from landfills

"An integrated approach to building systems design allows Integral Group to enhance the opportunities that nature provides on all of their projects - essentially working in harmony with a building's environment to reduce its reliance on outside energy sources," shared Barry Giles of BuildingWise. "This commitment and awareness was inspiring to the entire project team. They were truly focused on maximizing every credit they could earn, not just hanging a pretty plaque on the wall. Kudos to Integral Group!"

To tour the Integral Group's Deep Green LEED-CI Platinum Oakland offices visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvYk6aS2aps.

To view and download a complete Case Study about this Integral Group/BuildingWise project visit http://www.buildingwise.net/portfolio.

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About Integral Group
Integral Group is an interactive global network of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and energy engineers collaborating under a single deep green engineering umbrella - specializing in the design of simple, elegant, cost-effective systems for high performance buildings.With a staff of 250, located in ten offices across the United States, Canada, and Philippines, Integral Group is regarded as an innovative leader in building system design. Their design approach differs dramatically from traditional MEP engineering firms - in that they focus exclusively on highly energy efficient and sustainable design projects. Integral Group is the first U.S. MEP firm to achieve seven LEED Platinum buildings and currently has 23 LEED Platinum Certified projects, 26 Net Zero and four Living Building Challenge projects in design and construction. To learn more visit http://www.integralgroup.com.

About BuildingWise
With offices in downtown San Francisco and the Monterey Bay Area, BuildingWise is a global leader in design, construction, and operational upgrading of existing buildings for maximum efficiency, performance, and returns. BuildingWise offers superior insight and unmatched expertise in High-Performance Building Operations, Energy Usage, Sustainability, and LEED(R) and BREEAM(R) certification methodologies. BuildingWise's comprehensive menu of consulting services have earned the company a well-deserved reputation for achieving outstanding, state-of-the-art, solid results on top-tier class-A buildings and commercial campuses. BuildingWise consultants dramatically improve operational efficiencies and ROI in most any aspect of any built environment. For more information visit http://www.buildingwise.net.

About U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building certification program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit http://www.usgbc.org.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9531099.htm

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