USGBC Headquarters

We wanted our new office to demonstrate its coming of age through sophisticated and advanced green building design and technology, while serving as a living lab that teaches why and how green building is a superior choice.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) headquarters, located in Washington, DC, was the first building project to achieve certification under the 2009 version of LEED for Commercial Interiors. The building is owned by Charles E. Smith Vornado and, as per the lease agreement, the base building pursued LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, which it achieved in December 2010. There are two other LEED-certified offices in the building: Cassidy Turley which achieved LEED Silver and RTKL which achieved LEED Platinum. The growth of USGBC mirrors the explosive growth of the green building industry in recent years. When the organization outgrew its previous space in less than two years, its leadership wanted the new office to demonstrate USGBC's coming of age while also serving as a living laboratory to teach the benefits and implementation of green building. USGBC leadership wanted the space to be classically modern and timeless. This was accomplished with natural light and flexibility in accommodating ongoing change through a mix of workstations and private offices. Reducing energy consumption played a key role in the design of the space, and, of course, it was a must for the new office to achieve LEED Platinum under the most recent version of the rating system.

Site context

The USGBC Headquarters is sited in Washington, DC, on the edge of the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District. It neighbors a university and two vibrant residential neighborhoods, Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom. Numerous transportation options including both bus and rail, as well as restaurants and shops, are within steps of the office. The headquarters are situated on the fifth and sixth floors of a ten-story office building that is itself certified under the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system.

Tour

USGBC tours are offered by appointment on weekdays. They are typically 45-60 minutes and are free. Request to tour USGBC's Headquarters or learn more about the headquarters with the virtual tour.