Mercy Corps Headquarters, Portland, Oregon, USA
What is the LEED Certification?Built in the 19th century, the Mercy Corporation Headquarters is a modern example of sustainable design. The building is a unified space, made of a new building and a part of a 1892 construction, which was once called Skidmore Fountain Building or Packer-Scott Building. Using such eco-friendly mechanisms as daylight-maximizing dynamic glass, natural daylight and operable windows, a global aid agency Mercy Corps succeeded in earning the most prestigious award in the field of sustainable and environmentally responsible design - LEED Platinum Certification. Taking into consideration the peculiarities of the climate of Oregon (cloudy weather, lack of sunlight), the designers added clerestory windows in the atrium of the building and created energy management system which can automatically respond to the various changes of the climate. The energy-efficient project was brought to life by the architectural company THA Architecture Inc. The building includes also exhibition halls and laboratories for social studies, for schoolchildren and students. East and south facades are glazed. In the middle of the building there is an open stairway – wood stairs, with a steel staircase base. The offices are located on both sides of the stairway.
By Astghik Atabekyan, www.building.am