LPL Financial's San Diego Office Earns LEED Platinum Designation
-- Design strategies include the use of on-site fuel cells to convert biogas into carbon-neutral electricity, reclaimed water and a highly efficient mechanical and lighting controls system --
SAN DIEGO - April 20, 2014 - LPL Financial LLC, the nation's largest independent broker-dealer*, a custodian for registered investment advisors (RIAs), and a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LPLA), today announced that the firm's San Diego office building has earned the LEED Platinum certification for its interior design and construction.
Platinum is the highest level of certification possible from LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, a green building certification program of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices in green building.
"We are proud to have received this designation for our San Diego office building," said Mark Casady, LPL chairman and CEO. "From the start of this project, we committed to leveraging technology and advanced materials to minimize our impact on the environment, while creating a positive work environment for our employees. The result is an innovative workspace that has become a source of pride for LPL, the San Diego community and the more than 1,600 LPL employees who work here. We made an investment in our employees when we created this building, understanding that by being an employer of choice to the top talent in our industry, we can continue to be the leading service provider to our clients."
Highlights from the LEED scorecard include:- 39.04% reduction in potable water use
- 100% and 71.82% reductions in site landscaping and irrigation systems potable water usage for irrigation and total water usage for irrigation, respectively
- 52.46% reduction in lighting power density from that allowed by code
- 87.25% of the project's connected lighting load installed with occupancy sensors
- 77.68% of the on-site generated construction waste diverted from landfill
- 19.41% of the total building materials content, by value, that has been manufactured using recycled materials
- 67.62% of the wood-based building materials that are certified in accordance with the principles and criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- 94.55% of occupants with lighting controls enabled to be able to make adjustments to suit individual task needs and preferences
- 99.56% of the tenant occupants with enabled thermal controls to be able to make adjustments to suit individual needs and preferences
- 94.83% of all regularly occupied spaces with direct line of sight views to the outdoors
"We approached LPL's San Diego tower as an opportunity to usher in a new era of workplace innovation that enhanced the user experience while reinforcing the firm's commitment to wellness and sustainability," said Shawn Davidson Dixon, design director at Gensler, the interior architect for the building. "Our design strategy centered on creating an agile, adaptable work environment that sets the standard in San Diego for performance, wellbeing and efficiency."
"We thank Gensler for their commitment to excellence on the interior design," said Casady. "They truly pushed the envelope and delivered a workspace that demonstrates our values as a socially responsible company."
The design strategies were shaped from early consulting work, which included metrics pulled from seat sensor studies, surveys and focus group workshops with employees at all levels, according to Dixon. Typical floors within the 13-story 415,000-square-foot office reflect the commitment to wellness and sustainability by providing an abundance of natural light, sit-to-stand workstations and individual thermal controls at each workspace. In addition, the building includes a health clinic, fitness center, cafeteria and outdoor amenities, some of which are branded to share health and sustainability facts that promote healthy choices. In addition, employees champion a sustainable workplace through employee education on recycling, onsite composting and carpooling.
The San Diego office building is believed to be the largest net-zero energy commercial office building in the country.
*Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2014
About LPL Financial
LPL Financial, a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA), is a leader in the financial advice market and serves $475 billion in retail assets. The Company provides proprietary technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research to more than 14,000 independent financial advisors and over 700 banks and credit unions. LPL Financial is the nation's largest independent broker-dealer since 1996 (based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2014), is one of the fastest growing RIA custodians with $91 billion in retail assets served, as of Dec. 31, 2014, and acts as an independent consultant to over an estimated 40,000 retirement plans with an estimated $115 billion in retirement plan assets served. In addition, LPL Financial supports approximately 4,400 financial advisors licensed with insurance companies by providing customized clearing, advisory platforms, and technology solutions. LPL Financial and its affiliates have 3,384 employees with primary offices in Boston, Charlotte, and San Diego. For more information, please visit www.lpl.com.
Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial. A Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC
About Gensler
Gensler is a global design firm grounded in the belief that great design optimizes business performance and human potential. Its 5,000 practitioners networked across 46 offices use global perspective and local presence to innovate at every scale. Whether the firm is refreshing a retailer's brand, planning a new urban district or designing a super tall building, it strives to make the everyday places people occupy more inspiring, more resilient, and more impactful. Gensler is redefining Shanghai's skyline with the Shanghai Tower, China's tallest building; challenging the conventional office with our workplace research; reshaping the future of retail; and envisioning a better urban future with our Reimagining Cities initiative. Gensler has received awards and acknowledgements including 2014 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture; #1 Most Admired Firm Interior Design 2014 Rising Giants; Architect magazine #3 Architecture Firm 2014; Architectural Record #1 Architecture Firm 2013; # 3 Most Admired firm Building Design 2015 World Architecture 100 rankings.
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Media Contact:
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