The Hillshire Brands Co. announced that its Chicago headquarters building has achieved LEED Gold certification under the commercial interiors rating system. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental performance and human health.

"LEED Gold certification confirms our commitment to sound environmental principles can accomplish an economically feasible renovation within our budget and a sustainable outcome for a modern building," said Brian Hunter, director, real estate and logistics engineering, The Hillshire Brands Company. "Achieving the certification was a result of the relationship with our developer Sterling Bay, architects at Perkins + Will, and Clune Construction's amazing team."

Hillshire Brands moved in to its headquarters at 400 South Jefferson Street in Chicago on December 17, 2012 after the completion of the building re-design which made the space more collaborative for employees and environmentally sustainable. LEED for Commercial Interiors is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green tenant spaces that are healthy, productive places to work; less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint. It gives tenants and designers, who do not always have control over whole building operations, the power to make sustainable choices. As the only tenant in the building, company representatives worked closely with developers to make the nearly 234,000 square foot space unique.

The Hillshire Brands headquarters received LEED Gold certification for implementing practical and measureable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality.

Points were awarded for access to public transportation, water efficiency, optimized lighting power and controls, low-emission paints, adhesives, and flooring, and innovative design as well as other things.

"With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC's vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Hillshire Brands is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement."

Over 57,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising more than 10.5 billion square feet construction space in all 50 states and more than 140 countries and territories.

Source: Hillshire Brands Co.