Press release:

Port of Seattle Commission on Wednesday, April 25 accepted the LEED® Silver award from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the design, construction and operation of the soon-to-open consolidated Rental Car Facility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. (The facility is set to open to the public on May 17.)

This is currently the largest consolidated rental car facility in the nation to be certified Silver by the USGBC, the nation’s preeminent program for high performance green buildings. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nation’s preeminent program for green building certification.

”We can build a sustainable future while we create jobs,” Port of Seattle Commission President Gael Tarleton said after learning of the award. “All of our partners can take credit for recycling more than 97 percent of construction waste and sourcing nearly 30 percent of building materials from local and regional suppliers.”

The Rental Car Facility at Sea-Tac Airport achieved LEED® Silver certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies.

By using less energy and water, LEED certified buildings reduce operations and maintenance costs; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

“Buildings are a prime example of how human systems integrate with natural systems,” said Rick Federizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chari, U.S. Green Building Council. “The Sea-Tac Airport Rental Car Facility efficiently uses our natural resources and makes an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will tremendously benefit future generations to come.”

Sustainable features of the RCF include:
• natural ventilation on the operational floors
• high efficiency lighting throughout
• white ceiling paint to reduce the amount of light fixtures installed on operational floors
• regionally sourced construction materials
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood
• Construction materials with increased recycled content
• Bike racks for employees to commute to work.

More specifically, the RCF achieved these impressive statistics:
• 97% of construction waste was recycled
• 67% of wood materials are FSC certified
• 30% of materials are have recycled content
• 29% of all materials came from the region.

Currently, the Port’s facility is the largest consolidated rental car facility in the nation to receive a LEED® Silver rating. The Santa Barbara Airport rental car service facility, significantly smaller than the RCF, obtained a LEED® NC 2.2 Gold rating in 2010.

Two LEED® plaques will be showcased in the north and south elevator cores on the fifth floor of the facility to recognize the honor.