RENO CONTRACTING’S LEED-ACCREDITED GREEN TEAM GROWS

San Diego’s Reno Contracting remains at the forefront of sustainable construction— most recently adding two more LEED-Accredited Professionals to its roster. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) division has recently accredited Joshua McKeown and Ghian Snyman as new LEED professionals. The general contractor now has nine LEED-Accredited Professionals on staff, making it the largest number in San Diego for a general contractor.

Eric Gradyan, Reno Project Manager and LEED-Accredited Professional, says, “We view it as a top priority to get as many of our staff as possible LEED-accredited. These days, developers are coming to us with the desire to build a green building, and we’re seeing more green projects coming to Reno. It’s a huge benefit for all sustainable projects—having everyone working toward green construction from the beginning.”

McKeown, a Reno Project Engineer, says he studied diligently for the LEED exam, and now that he’s accredited he can help to ensure LEED compliance throughout the construction process. “Being onsite allows me to quickly access any potential impacts to LEED certification that may occur due to conditions not anticipated in the design phase,” said McKeown. Reno’s Snyman, Project Engineer, said the accreditation he received will be valuable on the jobsites. “Arena Pharmaceutical is looking to achieve Gold LEED Certification, so everything I do is LEED-related,” he explained.

In order to have employees LEED-accredited and achieve the goals of the USGBC, Reno Contracting has its candidates follow an intensive course of study. This leads up to an exam that tests their knowledge of the LEED criteria and Green Building Rating System. The Green Building Certification Institute is a separate division of the USGBC that manages the LEED Professional Accreditation program and serves to provide balanced, objective management of the credentialing. Once individuals are accredited, the GBCI will maintain a program to ensure their current knowledge and understanding of green building principals and practices of the LEED Rating System. Jane Leonard, member of the Board of Directors of the USGBC’s San Diego Chapter, says: “One of the USGBC’s primary goals is to increase green building knowledge and practice through education.”

Going Green is Good for Business
The benefits of “building green” have not always been evident to developers and site owners, but that has changed dramatically, due to the unprecedented rise in oil prices. This new paradigm has impacted every aspect of our society, making it mandatory that builders such as Reno Contracting take every opportunity to show the community and civic leaders that green is the future. The benefits are cost-effective construction and lower operating costs for building owners, landlords and tenants. Water savings, proper material selection, more recycling and less waste going to landfills are all part of the result of adhering to sustainable construction.

Gradyan, who along with Reno’s President Walt Fegley initiated the green movement within Reno, observed that “We would like all our projects to be evaluated for LEED Certification…though not all our clients want to ‘go green’ at first. As everyone involved in the process learns more about what it can mean to the bottom line, to the environment and to the community at large, we expect to see more architects and developers jumping in.”

Reno’s commitment to green building practices can be seen in current and completed projects, such as Kilroy’s Sabre Springs Campus, pre-certified and awaiting Silver Certification; BioMed’s four-story lab and office core and shell project in San Diego is also in line for Silver LEED Certification; and Carlsbad’s ViaSat 6 building is anticipating LEED Certification for its commercial interiors. Reno Contracting has been named one of the Top Fifty Green Contractors by Engineering News-Record because of its dedication to sustainable building.

Reno Contracting, established in San Diego in 1993, continues to explore new materials and construction methods that will lessen the negative impact on our environment. By educating the business and construction community in the values and importance of conserving our resources, together we can look ahead to a positive future for all of us. Reno specializes in build-to-suit for the biotech, medical, commercial, industrial and retail industries, along with tenant improvements, and continues to be a leader in green construction.

Kilroy’s Sabre Springs Campus has been LEED pre-certified and is awaiting Silver Certification.