The recently named Bank of America Tower, formerly Capitol Tower, was just certified LEED Version 4 (V4) Platinum for Core and Shell by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). V4 is the most stringent LEED version to date and Platinum is the highest level of green building certification offered by the USGBC. Bank of America Tower's LEED V4 Platinum for Core and Shell designation is the first in the United States and the highest scoring in the world. Environmental features include daylight harvesting technology, a 40 percent parking reduction, tenant metering, alternative vehicle charging stations, and a rainwater-collecting façade system.

Hosted by the USGBC Texas Gulf Coast Region, last night's LEED Platinum Evening event honored three of Houston's Platinum-scoring projects: 1500 Post Oak (LEED for Commercial Interiors), New Hope Housing (LEED for Homes Multifamily), and Bank of America Tower (LEED for Core and Shell). Local owners, developers, and architects discussed their insights from pursuing Platinum LEED Certification, followed by a tour of Bank of America Tower.

Bank of America Tower is a 35-story, 775,000-RSF AA class office building in downtown Houston. A key feature is the triple-height lobby / public indoor plaza that contains an expansive chef-driven food court, a social stair for gathering and watching live performances, and connects five existing below-grade tunnel connections from adjacent buildings. Atop the 1,360-car parking garage, a 12^th-floor landscaped roof garden provides a convenient natural respite for tenants and features native plantings that help manage stormwater runoff.

Project Team: Skanska (Developer and General Contractor); Gensler (Architect); Walter P Moore (Structural, Civil, Parking, and Traffic Engineer); OJB (Landscape Architect)