Sustainability

Optimizing Building Performance

GHT’s primary focus is designing sustainable MEP engineering solutions that respond to each project’s financial, performance, and environmental goals – often in support of LEED and other third party certification targets. Our team is experienced in implementing advanced concepts to optimize building performance, including energy efficiency, water savings, and power cogeneration.

Sustainable design has been a core practice of GHT for decades – before it was a buzz word or an industry standard. Forward-looking clients like the National Geographic Society and World Wildlife Fund began to focus on improving building efficiency in the early 1980s. Today, GHT is collaborating with owners, developers, and architects to deliver the next level of high performance buildings.

Discover the rest of GHT’s sustainability story below.

173 Projects Certified

When WELL or LEED certification is an objective, GHT is a top choice for MEP engineering in the Washington, DC metro area. We have 4 WELL Accredited Professionals and 28 LEED Accredited Professionals / Green Associates on staff. Our portfolio of related project experience includes a collection of firsts:

• 1st WELL and LEED Platinum project in the world | American Society of Interior Designers’ (ASID) DC Headquarters
• 1st LEED Platinum project under Version 3 (LEED 2009) | U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters
• 1st LEED Gold New Construction project in Washington, DC | Service Employees International Union
• 1st LEED Gold Commercial Interiors project in Washington, DC | Nusta Spa
• 1st LEED Gold New Construction hotel in Virginia | The Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel
• 1st v2009 LEED Platinum Government Office Building in Maryland | The Wheaton Revitalization Project
• 1st LEED Certified Residential project in Washington, DC | The Alta
• 1st LEED Certified Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance project in Washington, DC | National Geographic Society Headquarters
• 1st GSA LEED Platinum Child Care Center | US Department of the Interior (DOI) Headquarters Child Care Center in Washington, DC

GHT also worked on two of the District’s first projects pursuing WELL Building certifications, as well as two of only 122 projects in the world that registered to pursue LEED certification as part of a beta test of LEED v4.

Taking Action Beyond Design

Our LEED project experience is just beginning of our sustainability story. In addition to our design credentials, GHT supports many initiatives that raise the profile of sustainable design. Our involvement includes:

• Voting member of the Green Technical Advisory Group (TAG) that helped review and amend DC’s first Green Construction Code
• Participant in the AIA 2030 Commitment
• Annual Sponsor of the AIA|DC Committee on the Environment (COTEdc)
• USGBC Organizational Member since 2003 and current Silver Member
• Provider of GBCI-Accredited Presentations and LEED AP exam questions
• Volunteer for the Greenbuild 2015 Host Committee
• Annual Partner of the USGBC National Capital Region Chapter
• ENERGY STAR Partner for 10+ years
• Executive Member of ENERGY STAR Certification Nation – a program held in 2014 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of ENERGY STAR for buildings and plants
• Membership in the Building Commissioning Association (BCxA)

AIA 2030 Commitment