UnitedHealth Group Awarded LEED Green Building Certification
- UnitedHealth Group’s ‘green’ building reflects the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship and employee health
- Building is one of only eight Gold-level certified commercial buildings in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 9, 2009) – UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) newly constructed building in Minnetonka, Minn., earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED
®) Gold-level certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The 10-story building, located at the company’s headquarters, opened last June. It is one of only 22 LEED-certified commercial buildings in Minnesota, and one of eight to receive a Gold-level designation.
The LEED Green Building Rating System
™ is the most respected and widely used environmental standard for commercial buildings and a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of environmentally responsible architecture. UnitedHealth Group earned LEED Gold-level certification by achieving rigid performance requirements in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Features of the new UnitedHealth Group building include:
-
materials harvested by manufacturers locally under environmentally responsible management (including more than 50 percent of all wood used in the building, and 20 percent of all building materials);
- storm-water runoff design, which limits disruption and pollution of natural water flows;
- low-flow water fixtures and a weather-sensitive landscaping irrigation system that reduce water consumption;
- improvements in indoor environment through maximizing daylight, thermal comfort and ventilation system performance (e.g., occupancy sensors that ensure that spaces are lit only when occupied, and full-height windows that provide access to natural light and views for more than 90 percent of the building’s occupants); and
- employee-centered elements such as ergonomic workstations, designated carpool parking spaces, bike racks, and a 10-story central “open expanse” stairway designed to encourage people to take the stairs.
“Our state-of-the art facility reflects UnitedHealth Group’s continuing commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and the health of our employees,” said Robert Oberrender, UnitedHealth Group senior vice president and treasurer and the executive responsible for real estate operations. “We are pleased that the U.S. Green Building Council has recognized our focus on reducing our energy dependence and improving the health of the communities where we live and work.”
According to the USGBC, ‘green’ buildings on average use 30 percent less energy than conventional buildings. Studies show that improved indoor environments offer more healthful places for employees to work and increase employee satisfaction and productivity.
“The green-building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The work of innovative building projects such as UnitedHealth Group’s new facility is a fundamental driving force in the green-building movement.”
Opus Architecture & Engineering was the lead architect in collaboration with Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA). UnitedHealth Group’s new building totals 350,000 square feet and accommodates approximately 1,750 employees. Additional features include designated carpool parking spaces, 74 bike racks, and an adjacent ramp providing 1,800 parking stalls.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED
® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (
www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit
www.usgbc.org.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, OptumHealth, Ingenix and Prescription Solutions. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 70 million individuals nationwide. Visit
www.unitedhealthgroup.com for more information.
