Aviva’s project becomes the 24th LEED Gold building in Iowa and only the fourth in metropolitan Des Moines.
Chris Littlefield, president and CEO of Aviva USA stated that when they first began planning this project, they were targeting silver certification and decided during the construction process to go for gold. The new workplace embodies the best practices in eco-friendly construction.
Among the project’s many features that contributed to gold-level certification are: motion-sensor and auto-dimming lighting in offices and conference rooms; renewable woods; high-efficiency ventilation systems, with individual air flow controls for each employee; limestone and other materials quarried or purchased locally; a food waste grinding/composting system in the cafeteria; and a solar-powered trash compactor.
The eight-storey facility also incorporated water-efficient fixtures; a pond system that collects and retains rainwater runoff, which is then used for irrigation, limiting water usage; an established wetland habitat on the southwest corner of the campus; priority parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as for those employees who carpool; and direct access to natural light for more than 95% of employees.
The company broke ground in April 2008 on its US operations headquarters located on the southwest corner of Jordan Creek Parkway and Mills Civic Parkway.
Aviva USA is part of Aviva plc – the world’s sixth-largest insurance group and the first global insurance company to become carbon-neutral.
