The National Association of Realtors officially opened for business last month in what they say is Washington, D.C.’s most environmentally advanced commercial building.
The blue-green, glass-wrapped structure, which will serve as the Washington home of the Chicago-based NAR, is at 500 New Jersey Ave. with a view of the U.S. Capitol, only three blocks away.
NAR President Walt McDonald, broker-owner of Walt McDonald Real Estate in Riverside, Calif., opened the ceremonies. Washington Mayor Anthony Williams and D.C. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, (D-DC), also delivered remarks.
It’s expected to be the first newly constructed building in the District of Columbia to meet “green” standards - high levels of environmental performance as set by the U.S. Green Building Council as NAR expects to earn a certification from the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System for the structure.
The building’s efficient use of water and energy will benefit the environment while keeping operating costs down. It uses an abundance of natural daylight and low-emitting materials to help create a worker- and visitor-friendly indoor environment.
McDonald said the building was more than a symbol of NAR’s growing strength and influence.
“It is one more way we are achieving our mission as an association to be the leading advocate in our nation’s capital for our business and for property owners’ rights,” he said. “It also represents the important work our members do to help America’s families achieve the dream of homeownership.”
The NAR building was recently honored with two awards by the Washington Business Journal for best architecture and best financing. It was also named runner-up for best urban office project and best sustainable growth project.
NAR occupies five floors of the 12-story building, including the top four floors, using about 40,000 square feet, with the balance of the 93,000 square feet to be leased. A rooftop facility will be used for social gatherings.
Some of the “green” aspects of the building include a landscaping plan that uses native plant species to reduce irrigation demands and captures rain water for reuse in irrigation; efficient HVAC systems and a high-performance glass curtain wall to reduce energy use by as much as 30 percent compared to code standards; zero use of CFC-refrigerants; high-recycled building materials; smoking prohibitions throughout the office spaces; and a carbon dioxide monitoring system to introduce fresh air in areas of increased occupancy.