Daybreak Corporate Center, Utah, USA

Completed in 2008, Daybreak Corporate Center (also known as Rio Tinto Regional Center) is an office building, with total area of 16,250 square meters (or 180,000 square feet). The 3-story building, with picturesque panoramic views of the Wasatch Mountain, houses Rio Tinto (mining and land development company) and a number of Kennecott Mie firms. The solar panels installed on the green roof of the building, as well as the wind turbines, produce electricity and help to use 22 percent less energy than any other building of the same size. Stormwater is harvested, filtered and used for irrigating the surrounding landscape. Building materials, 22% of which was made from recycled materials, have low-VOC content. In 2008 the $40 million construction earned LEED Platinum certification for New Construction, thus becoming the first project in Utah with such a prestigious rating. Besides sustainability, such crucial concepts as protection of atmosphere, resources and design of the building were taken into consideration.

By Astghik Atabekyan, www.building.am