The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), creator of the LEED Green Building Rating System, has announced that its new Washington , DC headquarters has earned LEED Platinum Commercial Interiors certification for its office suite.

The suite is located within the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) building, which is also a LEED building, having earned LEED Gold for New Construction last month.

"The phenomenal growth of the Council's membership and corresponding increase in staff mirrors the growth of the practice of green building," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. "We wanted to walk our talk by providing a highly functional, healthy and enjoyable work environment. We are already seeing an increase in collaboration and productivity as a result of the design scheme."

The new space offers 22,000 square feet of open work areas and underscores USGBC's commitment to green building innovations. All common spaces are centrally located to provide opportunities for impromptu collaboration between departments. In addition, spaces are multi-functional: offices double as conference rooms, the kitchen and library can be used as meeting space and the conference rooms offer a work space.

"As the developers of the LEED rating system, it was very important for USGBC's headquarters to be in a LEED certified space," noted Fedrizzi.

The green features begin at the reception area. Highlights include rapidly renewable bamboo flooring; reused granite countertops; non-toxic paint on the walls. Visitors are also greeted by a "Thank You" wall that highlights the companies whose generous donations of time and materials contribute to the innovative and attractive workplace.

Employees in the open workspace areas enjoy abundant natural daylight and operable windows and 93% of the interior has a view of the outdoors. Natural daylight and outdoor views have been associated with higher rates of productivity.

Office furniture from the previous space was reused and the ceiling tiles are recyclable. All lighting products are engineered for high efficiency and low energy use, and individual task lights allow employees to control the amount of light within their work area. The new office uses 40% less water via low-flow plumbing fixtures, dual-flush toilets, and waterless urinals.

The materials used in the office space were chosen both for their aesthetic contribution and their green attributes. Salvaged wood timbers create a screened forest wall around an elliptical conference room. Glass panels and millwork from the previous tenants enjoy a new life when reused in the pantry and copy room, as does the existing terrazzo flooring in the elevator lobby. Rapidly renewable bamboo, linoleum, and cork flooring are installed throughout the space, along with fully recyclable, state-of-the-art carpet tiles.