The Houston office of Hines has announced the unveiling of a green office program designed to enhance the sustainable features and operation of the space the firm occupiesmore than 230 offices on four continents. Designed to complement the LEED® Green Building Rating System and the ENERGY STAR® "Bring Your Green to Work" program, HinesGO® (short for Hines GREEN OFFICE®) draws on 52 years of sustainable expertise attained through the development, management and acquisition of more than 1,100 properties around the world.
"HinesGO expresses inwardly the sustainable approach we have used in our development and management services for decades," said Hines President Jeffrey C. Hines. "Encouraging occupants to make greener choices is just as important as designing healthy, productive and environmentally friendly space. We look forward to offering this service to our tenants soon."
HinesGO helps identify and implement no-cost and low-cost alternatives to operating in a standard indoor office environment. Scored on a scale of 100, offices are evaluated in seven categories: Energy Efficiency, People & Atmosphere; Travel & Commuting; Reduce, Reuse & Recycle; Cleaning & Pest Control; Remodeling & Construction; and LEED and/or ENERGY STAR. When a specific strategy or improvement has been implemented, participants earn "Leaf Credits." If an office achieves 70 Leaf Credits, it is then designated as a Hines GREEN OFFICE.
The program encourages employees to conduct cost-benefit analyses for improvements that can be achieved at nominal cost. For example, the installation of occupancy light sensors the HinesGO scorecard indicates there might be some upfront investment, which will likely be returned through reduced operating expenses.
Hines initiated the program internally in December 2008 and has since designated 89 Hines GREEN OFFICES in the United States and Europe. Hines is currently adapting the program for tenant use as a value-add to its leasing and property management services. This offering should be available later this year for the tenants of the 177 properties that Hines manages around the world.
HinesGO is the latest in a long list of innovative services, technologies and approaches pioneered by Hines since its founding in 1957. Founder Gerald D. Hines was the first commercial developer to collaborate with world-famous architects like Philip Johnson, I.M. Pei and Cesar Pelli, redefining the industry's approach to speculative development. Having set a standard for aesthetic distinction, the firm created a Conceptual Construction group consisting of experienced architects and engineers, to ensure design and operating excellence.
Source: Hines
