The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands announced today that it has been awarded strongLEED® Silver/strong established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

em“We are extremely proud to have been awarded LEED Silver. Not only are we the first building in Jordan to receive this prestigious designation, we are also the first Dutch embassy, and, to the best of our knowledge,  only the second newly constructed embassy building worldwide, of all nations, to have been LEED-certified. I hope that we can thus serve as an example for other construction projects in Jordan, where energy and water efficiency are a matter of great national interest/em,” says Dutch ambassador to Jordan Ms. Joanna van Vliet.

Designed by award-winning Dutch architect Rudy Uytenhaak in collaboration with local firm Consolidated Consultants Engineering and Environment, the project is a realisation of the Dutch Government's continuous commitment towards sustainability. The sustainable building and management strategy of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to achieve a climate neutral working environment by 2012.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

em“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO amp; Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The work of innovative building projects such as the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Amman, Jordan, is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”/em

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LEED certification of the Embassy building was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include:
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liReusing the existing structure to minimise construction waste and consumption of raw materials/li
liThe use of local building materials and products that reflect the project's architectural vision and minimise construction waste./li
liReuse of the existing swimming pool as an underground thermal storage tank for the HVAC system/li
liThe use of an energy efficient building automation system for HVAC and individual control systems for lighting and climatisationstrong /strong/li
liOptimisation of daylight to minimise the demand for artificial lighting, combined with solar shading to reduce cooling demand./li
liOnsite renewable energy generation through photovoltaic panels strong/strong/li
liA water efficient garden that incorporates native landscaping and rainwater harvesting to minimise water demand for irrigation/li
liThe use of water efficient fixtures and systems to enhance water use reduction/li
liImplementation of a green building awareness and education program through organised building tours for local groups and expertsstrong/strong/li
liImplementation of a recycling policy throughout building operationstrong/strong/li
liSolar thermal panels for hot water productionstrong/strong/li
liThe use of environment friendly office furniturestrong/strong/li
/ul