The St. Louis-based sustainability consulting firm Vertegy announced last month that it has been credited with helping two government facilities earn LEED certification. The U.S. Green Building Council recently notified the firm that the St. Peters Social Security Administration Building, located in St. Peters, Mo. and the Suffolk Health and Human Services Building, located in Suffolk, Va., were awarded LEED Silver certification.

Vertegy was hired by developer Lot 7 Partners, LLC, to serve as the LEED consultant on the 9,400-square-foot, one-story St. Peters Social Security Administration Building project. Vertegy, along with LePique and Orne Architects, Inc. and Blanton Construction Co., worked with the owner to incorporate sustainable elements into the building’s design with the ultimate goal of achieving LEED certification.

Vertegy assisted the project team in incorporating efficient lighting, water-saving devices and other environmentally-friendly products. Some of the development’s specific sustainable elements include white membrane roofing material to decrease the heat island effects to the surrounding area; dual-flush water closets, water-free urinals and low-flow lavatory and kitchen faucets; a high-efficiency irrigation system; whole-building simulation for energy modeling, and more. The facility’s property also includes more than 35 percent of green, open space with native and adapted plants, mulch beds and drought-tolerant seed mixes. Recycled materials were also incorporated into the facility, and nearly 90 percent of the construction and demolition waste was carefully diverted from the landfill by way of recycling centers and reuse.

“The goal to have the St. Peters Social Security Administration Building become LEED certified quickly sharpened the project team’s focus, and every member worked together to find the full potential of this

property,” said Thomas Taylor, General Manager of Vertegy. “We were able to find innovative ways to employ strategies that added LEED points at little or no cost to construction, demonstrating that sustainable elements can be incorporated into a project without exceeding the budget.”

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