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FBO PROFILE June/July 2015 airportbusiness 39 organic compound paints, sealants and building materials; urinals are all water use models, toilets have water-saving dual-flush systems and faucets are high-efficiency models with sensors. Initial records indicate 49 percent water savings. The building's design takes maximum advantage of natural light and 100 percent of the building's electricity can be produced by solar panels mounted on the roof. Lighting throughout the facility uses low-energy consuming LED lamps and other building materials are made with sustainable products. FBO personnel and visitors can monitor energy use and solar electricity production on a kiosk located in the main reception area. The touchscreen allows users to learn more about the building's energy-saving features. "This project took a lot of collective effort and dedication over the last two years, and we are very impressed with the finished product," says Dan Bucaro, Landmark Aviation president and CEO. "We are excited to offer our customers a more spacious and modern facility, boasting many amenities. We couldn't have done this without the support of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority." Sustainability and environmental sensitivity were hallmarks of the airport's Green Build proj- ect, which was emulated in the planning, design and construction of the Landmark FBO facility. For instance, construction material waste from the project, such as concrete, was recycled and reused on site. The design also decreased water usage, reduced energy consumption and uses alternative energy sources. "This was new construction, so we didn't have to modify existing elements and we could design the campus with smart systems from the ground up," says Bradberry. While many FBOs considering new construc- tion shy away from LEED certification, Bradberry says the additional cost wasn't a huge factor. "There isn't too much more of a premium cost necessarily involved in achieving LEED Platinum status. However, what drives the costs is that certain technologies such as LED lighting or certain mechanical systems have not seen the types of cost savings as conventional systems. This is largely because they don't have the same demand, so the per-unit cost is still higher," Bradberry says. The USGBC cites there are significant savings to owners and the environment for facilities built with sustainability in mind. It reports that LEED projects are responsible for diverting more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills. The General Services Administration reports that when it compares LEED Gold buildings to conventional buildings, the LEED-Gold facilities consume 25 percent less energy and generate 34 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. "The project's use of renew- a b l e e n e r g y w a s t h e m a i n feature that makes it a LEED Platinum performing project," says Bradberry. "The team was able to leverage the large roof areas of the hangars for photo- voltaic (PV) arrays, which let the project achieve almost all of the energy efficiency credits. The PV system enabled us to achieve almost 30 points that would have been more difficult and costly to achieve otherwise. In fact, I don't think it is really possible to achieve a LEED Platinum rating without some form of renewable energy component in the mix. That's really what sets Platinum apart from the other rating levels." www.aviationpros.com/10017751 The building site incorporates bio-swales and permeable concrete to control and filter water runoff. Clair Urbain is a freelance writer based in Fort Atkinson, Wis. He specializes in writing about con- struction and green builds. He may be reached at cdu@hotmail.com. Clair Urbain ABOUT THE AUTHOR