It’s official. The 14,000 square foot Frontier Project for the Cucamonga Valley Water District, designed by HMC Architects, has achieved LEED Platinum certification. Since this particular project was designed to educate visitors about the latest methods and technologies in sustainable building practices and resource conservation, this achievement was fundamentally important.
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“It’s an honor to be recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council with the LEED Platinum certification,” declares the Frontier Project Foundation Chairman, Randall James Reed. “Working together, with HMC Architects and Turner Construction to design and build the project, was a great collaborative process that resulted in a sustainable demonstration center that will educate visitors for years to come.”
The Frontier Project is dedicated to providing a forum for community-wide education about the choices we make when we build. With innovative and practical sustainable design elements, this building demonstrates how such choices can be economical, efficient, and impressive. It combines the latest strategies regarding daylighting, heating and cooling, roofing, and responsible materials selection in a beautiful and elegant way.
“The Frontier Project award of LEED Platinum is a benchmark in the list of noteworthy contributions the project brings to its community. An honorable recognition of achievement for its presentation of science and architecture with respect to our planet’s natural resources,” said Pasqual Gutierrez, architect of record for the project. “The Frontier Project celebrates the beginning of a journey demonstrating the edge of what we know in sustainable strategies. Congratulations to The Frontier Project Board of Directors, and the consortium of collaborative professionals who contributed to the project for their efforts,” he added.
The LEED Platinum building demonstrates how inviting, engaging architecture can foster community interest and create functional spaces for school field trips, lectures and seminars, public tours, and vendor exhibits showcasing environmentally friendly products. The dynamic shape of the building invites visitors to explore all of its architectural components—from the energy-efficient walls to a green roof, photovoltaic panels, and passive cooling tower system. It has also won several important design awards including a 2008 AIA Citation Award and 2008 AIA People’s Choice Award from the AIA Inland California Chapter, as well as a 2008 Leadership Award from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Inland Empire Chapter.
About U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council® is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 140,000 LEED® Professionals, USGBC® is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. USGBC is the developer of the LEED green building certification program and the convenor of the Greenbuild® International Conference & Expo.
