Mesa del Sol Aperture Center Achieves LEED® Silver Certification

Albuquerque, NM - December 14, 2009 Forest City Covington NM LLC, developer of Mesa del Sol, is proud to announce LEED-Core & Shell® Silver certification of its Aperture Center Building located at 5700 University West Boulevard in Albuquerque, NM. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design®) is a third party certification program and nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Aperture Center is the third building at Mesa del Sol to achieve LEED® certification.

The signature feature on Aperture Center Building, designed by Antoine Predock, is a high-performance curved glass wall. The insulated glazing has a low-e coating that reflects heat in the summer and retains warmth in the winter, while also serving as a projection surface for community movie events. Aperture Center employs "cool roof" technology, which reduces solar heat gain through a combination of insulation and a reflective surface. Exterior trelliswork comprised of photovoltaic panels, provides shade while supplementing building energy needs. In addition to being energy conscious, the project also saves water by using low-flow plumbing fixtures and irrigating landscape with collected storm water.
Other features that contributed to LEED® certification included diversion of 151 tons of waste from landfill, sourcing almost 17 percent of materials from local manufacturers, and providing daylight to 100 percent of the building. To ensure superior indoor air quality, the contractor followed strict air quality management guidelines during construction and used non-toxic interior finish materials. Finally, Mesa del Sol developed guidelines that provide tenants with the resources necessary to build spaces that keep sustainability in the forefront.

The project team responsible for implementing sustainability requirements included Klinger Constructors LLC, Environmental Dynamics Incorporated (LEED Consulting), Jon Anderson Architecture, EDAW (Landscape Architecture), Continuant (Building Commissioning), URS (Engineering), and Allied Engineering. By achieving LEED certification, Mesa del Sol and the project team have affirmed their role as leaders in sustainable development in the State of New Mexico. Furthermore, the Aperture Center Building’s energy use and successful LEED certification allows the project to qualify for the NM Sustainable Building Tax Credit and receive substantial tax rebates. In addition, the project received a national Sustainable Development Award from NAIOP.