Internal materials sourcing backs LEED Gold for Lafarge NA headquarters

Sources: Lafarge North America, Chicago; CP staff

Lafarge North America has attained LEED for Commercial Interiors Gold certification at its recently occupied Chicago headquarters, the rating partly reflecting specification of internally procured product: reception area backdrop of Elburn, Ill.-quarried limestone, plus tile and countertops of Ductal ultra-high performance concrete.

“We were very deliberate in designing an office that would reflect our values and commitment to contributing to building better cities and a healthier, more sustainable future,” says Lafarge U.S. President John Stull. “The Lafarge Group is continually working toward similar achievements at facilities around the world.”

Joining the Elburn limestone and Ductal UHPC in the office design’s sustainable features are synthetic gypsum wallboard bearing 99 percent recycled material; natural light exploitation; zone-specific thermal monitoring; and, motion sensors automatically turning off lights in unoccupied spaces.

Lafarge NA relocated its headquarters from Reston, Va., to the Interstate 90 commercial corridor bridging O’Hare International Airport and city of Chicago in September 2012. The producer is a marquee tenant in an office complex along the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train, public transportation proximity an important factor in LEED evaluations.