Comcast Center Tallest LEED Building in U.S.
Skyscraper gives Philly something to brag about
By TERESA MASTERSON
Updated 6:35 PM EST, Wed, Nov 11, 2009
The Comcast Center is officially the tallest LEED building in the United States, giving Philadelphia something good and green to brag about..
A distinguished feat in these green times of environmental consciousness, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status comes partly from the fact that the Philly skyscraper’s high-performance windows block 60 percent of heat from the sun and let in 70 percent of the site’s available daylight, reducing energy usage for lighting and cooling, reports environmentalleader.com.
The 58-story, 975-feet-tall building earned LEED Gold status for all its green-design features.
With high-efficiency water fixtures, such as no-water urinals, the Comcast Center uses 40 percent less water than an average office building. The building’s thermal extraction, radiant heating and displacement ventilation also help keep energy costs down.
The Comcast Center’s status as the tallest LEED building in the country may be short-lived, though. The Empire State Building and the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) are currently working on multi-year energy efficient improvements.
According to inhabitat.com, skyscrapers are an effective way to increase density and help city dwellers reduce their environmental impact, despite the fact that constructing them takes much money and energy.
In fact, people who live in cities have a lower carbon footprint because of the amount of skyscrapers and public transportation, inhabit.com says.
First Published: Nov 11, 2009 1:38 PM EST
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