Thu, Sep 02 2010 02:10 PM Posted By:
By Scott Bridges
Sony Pictures was recognized for its environmentalism in the construction of two office buildings on the historic Culver City lot.
The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Sony the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, gold certification for the studio’s Lot and Office Transformation Project, which includes a parking structure and the Harry Cohn and Jack Cohn office buildings, each of which encompasses more than 100,000 square feet of space.
“We are proud to receive this designation for our newest buildings on the lot,” Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures said in a written statement. It’s our belief that we have a responsibility to help create a greener world for our community and future generations, and this project is an important part of our overall sustainability efforts.
“We’re excited to be recognized by such a respected international body,” added Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures. We’re also gratified that the buildings and the park area between them have become a new center of gravity for our lot, a place where employees and visitors come to eat, exercise and meet with one another in an atmosphere that can be both relaxed and refreshing.”
The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for evaluating water, energy and atmosphere efficiency; material and resource selection and indoor environmental quality.
The Jack Cohn and Harry Cohn buildings, which were designed for Sony Pictures by Gensler Architecture with developer Georgetown Company and general contractor CW Driver, were recognized for a number of factors related to their design and construction. Elements rated positively include: The use of local and recycled building materials as well as the diversion of over 93% (16,128 tons) of construction waste material from landfills; the incorporation of an onsite filtration system for storm water runoff and low-flow toilets and urinals; the use of low-emitting carpeting, paint, sealants, adhesives and wall coverings; the installation of motion-detector lights and energy-efficient light bulbs; the implementation of Green Housekeeping building maintenance standards; and the availability of preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as carpools.
In addition, the LOT Project included the construction of a state-of-the-art, highly efficient central cooling plant.
“Naturally, a project of this size and scope was undertaken with a great deal of thought and care,” said Jeff Hargleroad, executive vice president of corporate operations. “We recognized early on this was a great opportunity to pursue design and construction practices that would map to our core values as a company; it became obvious that this was the right thing to do.”
As the first and only studio to achieve ISO14001 certification — the international standard for managing an organizations impact on the environment — Sony Pictures Entertainment has had an established studio-wide sustainability practice since 2001, according to a written statement.
Led by Lynton and Pascal, the studio’s emphasis on the pursuit of environmental sustainability has taken on a new energy in the past two years. Goals announced in the fall of 2008 include a commitment to go zero waste on the studio’s main lot. A composting program in partnership with the city of Culver City has helped move the company significantly forward to meet that goal. In addition to the LEED building project and other facilities and operations initiatives, the studio is pursuing sustainable practices across production, consumer products, employee programs and community outreach. For more information on Sony’s sustainability efforts, go to www.sonypictures.com/green.
© 2009 Culver City News