Oct. 10--The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded a Silver LEED Certification for Commercial Interiors, or LEED-CI, to LWPB Architecture for its office in Norman.

This project is the first LEED certified project in Norman and also the first Silver certified project for commercial interiors in Oklahoma.

The firm's offices occupy the first floor of the historic Carey Lombard Lumber Company building. The structure was constructed in 1898 and has been the location for several businesses, including offices for OG--E. During renovation the designers worked to emphasize the original structure, reused materials in the design and updated features for efficiency. The project was completed in August 2009.

Dan Pruitt, president of LWPB, said he was proud to earn the distinction.

"We have adopted a strong commitment to sustainable design in our practice so it was only natural to apply that philosophy to our workplace," Pruitt said. "Our office is healthier for staff, good for the environment, and, because we pay the utilities, has lower operating costs."

The LEED criteria in the Norman office renovation included a 60 percent reduction in water use by installing dual flush toilets and low-flow lavatories, urinals and faucets, a 46 percent decrease in power usage by using natural daylight, high-efficiency lighting and daylight harvesting controls and a 60 percent diversion of construction waste by donating salvage materials not used in the project instead of sending discarded materials to a landfill.

The firm also had to improve workplace health quality by reducing indoor air pollutants, reuse furniture, fixtures and equipment, as well as to store and collect recyclables.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED for Commercial Interiors is the green benchmark for the tenant improvement market. It is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors.

LWPB Architecture was founded in Oklahoma in 1962. With more than 60 employees at the Oklahoma City and Norman offices, the firm specializes in architectural and interior design services. Recently, Engineering News-Record named LWPB Architecture one of the nation's top 100 Green Design firms.

For more information about LWPB Architecture, visit www.lwpb.com.

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