Gainesville, Virginia - Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) new office facility has been awarded “Gold” status under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certification system; its site is also a demonstration of Low Impact Development (LID). Company president Michael S. Rolband, P.E., P.W.S., P.W.D., couldn’t be happier about the news, and is excited to offer insight to parties interested in visiting the facility, located at
5300 Wellington Branch Drive in Gainesville, Virginia.
The WSSI project team created an indoor work environment that is healthy, attractive, and filled with energy and water-saving features. The building uses an estimated 30% less energy and 50% less potable water than a conventional building of the same size. Some of the many innovations at the WSSI building include recycled carpeting; walls and surfaces made from recycled plastic bottles; rapidly renewable corn fiber-based fabrics and wheatboard counters and cabinetry; waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets; high-efficiency heating and air conditioning with ventilation rates based on air quality; low VOC paints, adhesives, and materials; and parabolic light fixtures with compact fluorescent bulbs. Outside of the building, WSSI created an integrated LID site plan which includes a large rain garden, an underground cistern, a gravel bed detention system, a bio-swale, three types of pervious pavement, and a green roof. The plan deals with stormwater in an environmentally-sensitive manner, capturing it for the irrigation of native landscaping and mimicking the runoff character of a natural forest.
WSSI’s commitment to the principles and practices of environmental design and sustainable development was instrumental in the success of the project. When asked why he made this effort, Mike Rolband simply replies, “because it’s the right thing to do.”
Will Baker, President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, agrees. "I heartily congratulate WSSI on its LEED
Gold rating. The award demonstrates WSSI's commitment to excellence in environmental design and sustainability."
For more information on WSSI’s building and certification process or to schedule a tour, please contact Carol Novak, Executive Assistant – Communications Coordinator, at 703 679 5607.
To discuss LID or LEED, contact
Mike Rolband or
Jen Brophy-Price.
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WSSI is the leading provider of natural and cultural resource consulting services in Northern Virginia. The firm has worked on over 2,500 sites, comprising 120,000 acres, and has created hundreds of acres of wetlands and restored miles of streams in the area. Our team of 100 engineers, scientists, archeologists, technicians, GIS/survey specialists, and administrative staff yield a unique combination of disciplines focused on natural and cultural resources and provide creative solutions for integrating the constraints of economics and land plan requirements with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. For more information about WSSI, visit our Web site at www.wetlandstudies.com.
