Kennecott Land's Daybreak Corporate Center in South Jordan, Utah, attained a LEED Platinum rating, Citi obtained LEED Gold status for office space in Chicago and Pizza Fusion opened its 16th restaurant built to LEED standards.

The developments this month marked some of the more prominent accomplishments involving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, better known as LEED, that are maintained by the U.S. Green Building Council of Washington, D.C.

The 175,000-square-foot Daybreak Corporate Center is the first LEED Platinum building in Utah. The building serves as the regional center for Rio Tinto, the corporate parent of Kennecott Land and Kennecott Utah Copper, and houses employees of Rio Tinto and the two Kennecott firms.

Daybreak Corporate Center
Image Courtesy of Rio Tinto, Kennecott Land

The structure features 11-foot-high windows and panoramic views of the Oquirrh and Wasatch Mountain ranges that are visible to more than 90 percent of the building's occupants.

The three-story building is designed to use 22 percent less energy than standard buildings of comparable size as a result of smart lighting, building orientation and a solar energy roof system. The building's HVAC system uses 40 percent less energy than a conventional system, and air quality is further enhanced because the building materials — from sealants to composite wood products — were chosen for having low volatile organic compounds. The site also retains 100 percent of its stormwater and uses it to irrigate the property.

"We have taken large steps to leave a small footprint, and being awarded LEED Platinum has been a great way to cap an exciting development," Scott Kaufmann, Kennecott Land vice president for Commercial Development, said in a statement.

"Daybreak Corporate Center's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi.