The Marq the only is Platinum LEED-EB O&M Certified building in the Central Business District of downtown Minneapolis.
LEED: EB O&M (Existing buildings Operations & Maintenance) is a set of performance standards for certifying the operations and maintenance of existing buildings. The intent is to promote healthful, high-performance, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound practices in existing buildings.
Throughout this process The Marq worked to meet the highest level of sustainability and earned enough points to gain Platinum certification, the highest level of certification. Below are some highlights from the process.
Sustainable Sites:
The Marq is home to the largest green roof in the Central Business District. This green space is an inviting park open to the public, making it a great place to relax during lunch or have and outdoor meeting with co-workers.
Water Efficiency:
All the toilets in the building are low-flow and all the lavatories have been equipped with aerators to reduce the amount while maintaining pressure. Drip irrigation system is used to aid in the reduction of water consumption. The Marq now uses 694,000 fewer gallons of water. If all downtown Minneapolis buildings followed the same measures, more than 90 million gallons of water would be conserved. That’s about 600 gallons/FTE/year!
Energy & Atmosphere:
The Marq consumes 100% renewable energy, including solar and wind, uses 41% less energy than other buildings of similar size, has energy efficient lighting, HE hot water heaters, and monitors steam & chilled water use. Also, adding tenants and common area, over 50% of the building is cleaned during the day to reduce energy usage at night.
Materials & Resources:
Extensive recycling services are offered, including: cardboard, plastic, aluminum, electronics, furniture, toner cartridges, batteries, and fluorescent lamps. Through its efforts, the building has reduced landfill waste by 89 tons per year. That equates to 154 lbs. per FTE employee. Of that, 55.99 tons (111,975 lbs.) was paper and cardboard during 2010. This equates to the following being saved:
Indoor Environmental Quality:
Strategies have been developed to increase ventilation, manage air contaminates with the use of high-efficiency filters, and designated outdoor smoking areas.