WSSI’s LEED-Gold Headquarters
In 2005, we built our headquarters in Gainesville – Virginia’s first Gold-certified building under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Our goal was to incorporate innovative design and sustainability practices into a showcase office building and grounds that supports our work and stewardship ideals.
Our design includes a variety of low impact development (LID) stormwater management techniques, solar energy, water-efficiency and energy-efficiency measures, and recycled and rapidly renewable materials, along with landscaping and a rain garden that support wildlife.
Our office is both a laboratory and a classroom. Our fully-integrated LID design uses detention, retention, and evapotranspiration to reduce storm water volumes and peak flow rates. Our design components include a green roof, an indoor cistern (used to flush toilets), an underground outdoor cistern (used for irrigation), a rain garden, four types of pervious parking surfaces, a bioswale, and a CU-Structural Soil® patio.
The extensive native landscaping has also earned Home Wildlife Sanctuary certification from the Audubon Society and Silver level certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Conservation program.