One Financial, a stalwart piece of Boston’s Skyline, achieved LEED Silver accredidation, the Globe reported. The building, owned by a joint venture of Beacon Capital Partners and MetLife Inc., is the third Beacon Capital Partners building to become LEED accredited, bringing the total number of LEED projects in Boston to 30 (search “Boston” here).
The increasing number of bulidings seeking and achieving LEED certification (which is the leading certification standard, among numerous standards in the industry) is indicative of the building industry’s move to more sustainable facilities. A recent survey reported that 75% of commercial real estate executives will continue to pursue “green” certification despite the economic downturn. Experts say that the economic downturn is encouraging “green” certification because of the industry focus on achieving increased operating income (a benefit of “greening” a building) which is being caused by the increased hold time of buildings.
One Financial’s move to join the LEED ranks reveals Beacon Capital’s committment to pursuing sustainable facilities and further exposes the trend in the market away from “brown” buildings and toward “green” ones.