FORT WORTH, TEXAS — The 5,600-sq.ft. Sewell Lexus dealership building, which houses pre-owned sales and the service team here, received U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold certification this June, becoming the first Lexus sales facility nationwide to earn LEED certification.
Sewell worked with Turner Construction on the sustainable building, which utilizes a storm water control system and cistern to collect rainwater for the landscape irrigation system; water-efficient landscaping, reducing the need for watering by 50%; efficient lavatory fixtures, reducing the use of potable water by 30%; optimized energy efficiency by building to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Advanced Energy Design Guide standards; and air monitors that check the quality of air being supplied to the building, monitoring for pollution and contamination.
In addition, Sewell is purchasing green energy certificates to help offset the use of electricity in the building. The company is paying for the production of wind-generated electricity equal to 70% of the building's energy consumption.
"We hope other businesses will see the benefits of participating in the LEED program," said Ken Clayton, Sewell's corporate facilities manager and in-house LEED AP. "Not only is improving the environmental impact of your buildings the right thing to do, but there are solid business incentives to make it worthwhile. Green design, over the life of a building, reduces your operating costs and creates better work spaces for your employees."
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an upfront investment of as little as 2% in green building design on average results in life cycle savings of 20% of the total construction costs — more than 10 times the initial investment.