Grand Ballroom at Kansas City Convention Center receives LEED silver certification

For more information, contact:
Sara Prem, HNTB public relations
sprem@hntb.com; (816) 527-2258

//FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE//

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 14, 2008) – The Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center has received the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™ Silver certification. HNTB Architecture was the lead designer/architect of this meeting room renovation/ballroom expansion project.

“There are unique challenges in constructing a ballroom to meet LEED standards,” said Todd Achelpohl, HNTB Architecture vice president and director of design in the Kansas City architecture studio. “The Grand Ballroom is a complex technical environment, and these challenges inspired some creative ideas from our design team.”

The design includes sophisticated day-lighting, lighting control and energy management solutions to help achieve the certification. The use of natural daylight throughout the ballroom is one of the most substantial contributors to the Silver rating. The design incorporates skylights, large glass walls with overhangs, existing sunscreens and operable interior shades to control direct sunlight while still allowing views of the city, making it the first day-lit ballroom in the United States.

Environmentally-friendly building materials were used to construct the ballroom, including more than 20 percent recycled content. Water use was reduced by more than 30 percent and more than 75 percent of construction waste was kept out of landfills through recycling.

“From an environmental standpoint, this is one of the most important designations that can be bestowed upon a piece of architecture,” said Eric Bosch, manager of architecture for the Kansas City, Mo., Capital Improvement Management Office, which managed the $150 million project. “The goal was to ensure that the Grand Ballroom was environmentally friendly and energy-efficient so it would make as little impact on the environment as possible.”

LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building meets the highest performance standards and is an environmentally responsible and healthy place to live and work. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for sustainable buildings that was designed by leading experts in the construction industry.

The Grand Ballroom architectural design team includes BNIM Architects, Jünk Architects, International Architects Atelier, and Henderson Engineers Inc.

HNTB Architecture Inc. serves aviation, private, education, federal and local government clients across the nation. The firm's design professionals provide comprehensive architecture services ranging from planning to design to construction services. For more information about HNTB Architecture Inc., visit www.hntbarchitecture.com.

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Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center