The West Building L.E.E.D. Certification Highlights
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

Construction

During construction, more than 75% of all construction and demolition debris was diverted from landfills much of it to be used as aggregate in future paving projects.
More than 20% of the materials selected to build the McCormick Place West Building were extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the building site, supporting the local economies and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from long-distance transportation.
The McCormick Place West Building utilizes materials with high-recycled content, for example steel, gypsum board, acoustical ceiling tiles, etc.

To reduce heat island effect, the West Building has one of Chicago's largest green roofs at approximately 150,000 Square Feet. Additionally, the roof reduces heating and cooling requirements and helps improve air quality.
A dedicated 3,100 foot long storm water tunnel keeps approximately 55,000,000 gallons of storm water from the city sewer system annually by diverting the water directly to Lake Michigan.

The West Building uses low-flow restroom plumbing and electronic sensors on urinals to reduce potable water use by approximately 30%.
The McCormick Place West Building employs a highly efficient irrigation system consisting of timed sprinklers, moisture sensors, and drip irrigation tubes, thus reducing the use of potable water for landscape irrigation by 50%.

Through the use of a well-insulated building envelope, energy efficient mechanical systems and lighting, the McCormick Place West Building reduced its energy cost by more than 20% compared to the energy cost budget for energy systems regulated by ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999.

The McCormick Place West Building achieves a healthy indoor environment through such strategies as: the installation of a permanent carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring system that provides feedback on space ventilation performance; paints; sealants and carpets with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) content. Low VOC content reduces indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and potentially harmful to the comfort and well-being of building occupants.