SALT LAKE CITY — FFKR Architects wants to practice what it preaches, having turned a renovated historic smelter factory into a building that has achieved LEED Silver Certification, and is using it as its business headquarters.
LEED certification designates that a building complies with goals set by the U.S. Green Building Council, which promotes design, construction and operation of green buildings that use less energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make for a healthier environment for the entire community.
FFKR Architects has been committed to sustainable design since 1976 and has been instrumental in getting LEED certifications for many buildings it has designed.
The company recently made significant improvements to its headquarters, the Bogue Building, 730 Pacific Ave., in Salt Lake City. The older structure is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The firm took advantage of natural day-lighting, used high-performance air filtration, made sure it was cleaned with sustainable green cleaning products, created a regular maintenance schedule for its mechanical system and installed solar panels to generate much of its electricity.
The architectural firm also used a xeriscape landscaping scheme, adopted an innovative lunch delivery program, and offered special parking spots for those who used car-pooling, rode bikes or used alternative fuel vehicles to get to work.
In addition, FFKR aggressively recycles within its building, including such things as light bulbs and batteries, and it buys only products with an overall recycled content of more than 40 percent.
"Building operations are nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council. "While climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like FFKR are addressing it through local solutions."
The firm got praise from another quarter as well.
"FFKR has been a leader in the community in designing sustainable buildings," said Brenda Scheer, dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Utah. "What many people do not realize is how difficult it is to design sustainably for existing buildings. It is a particular challenge to incorporate strategies into an older structure without compromising the things about it that make it historically interesting to begin with."
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