Metro Buildings at Eisenhower and New Carrollton receive LEED® Gold Certification

The Metro Buildings at Eisenhower and New Carrollton have been certified as LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council, a testament to the Authority's commitment to our strategic goals of sustainability and talented teams.

LEED® is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and serves as the benchmark for sustainable building practices. By using LEED® guidelines, Metro enhances building efficiency, reduces carbon emissions, creates healthier workspaces for our employees, and promotes community stewardship. With these two buildings, Metro's cumulative total of green certified facilities is fourteen.

Some key features of the Eisenhower and New Carrollton buildings include: 

• Energy-saving LED lighting and controls and automatic daylight sensors, maximizing energy efficiency, and lowering costs. The Eisenhower building achieved a 99 out of 100 on the Energy Star scale.

• Plenty of access to natural daylight, improving employee productivity, comfort, and well-being. In both buildings, 75% of the occupied floor area has a direct line of sight to the outdoors.

• State-of-the-art air filtration and fresh air circulation systems, supporting a healthy work environment.

• Water bottle filling stations on every floor, providing filtered water for employees and encouraging the use of reusable water bottles to reduce waste.

• The construction waste diversion rate at both buildings exceeded 80%.

• Incorporating green roofs and open green space in and around the building helps reduce the heat island effect in the community. New Carrollton has a 4,600 square foot green roof.

With convenient access to public transportation to both buildings - through the Eisenhower Avenue and New Carrollton Metro stations, bus depots, MARC, and Amtrak - and onsite secure bicycle storage, Metro encourages the use of transit and other active transportation modes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help ensure clean air in the region.

"The Metro Buildings at Eisenhower and New Carrollton LEED® Gold Certifications are a great accomplishment," said General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. "At Metro, our biggest contribution to the region is moving people efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way. But our commitment to making our buildings as green as possible is another way of living out the values of being good stewards of the environment."

The Metro Buildings at Eisenhower and New Carrollton join twelve other LEED®-certified Metro projects, with three additional projects underway.

Award-winning art and architecture

Two art projects commissioned through the Metro's Art in Transit program - including the installation in the Metro Building at Eisenhower - have received prestigious awards. Metro's Art in Transit program incorporates visual and performing arts into the Metro system and facilities to enhance the experience of customers, the communities served, and the region at large.

The Metro Building at Eisenhower's featured public artwork "Tunnel Vision" by the artist team FreelandBuck (David Freeland and Brennan Buck) is the winner of the internationally acclaimed 2024 CODAawardsin the Institutional category. This award honors projects that successfully integrate commissioned art into interior, architectural, or public spaces.

Inspired by Metro's iconic underground stations, this artwork uses LED lights and printed aluminum to create converging lines and light that capture the look of a moving train through the system.

The Metro Building at Eisenhower also won the 2024 Best Office Award for Excellence in Office Development from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Washington, for making outstanding contributions to development within the region, inspiring vibrant communities, and activated downtowns. This external recognition celebrates Metro's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and the community it serves.

Meanwhile, another LEED-designed project, the Potomac Yard-VT Station, received a 2024 Beautification Architectural Award from the City of Alexandria for the station's exceptional contribution to the City's beauty through distinguished design and environmentally sustainable practices. The station features artworks by artist Rob Ley.

With the Potomac-Yard VT station project, Metro is on track to become one of the first transit agencies in the U.S. to certify a station project under the LEED® Building Design and Construction: Transit Stations pilot rating system with the artworks fulfilling the biophilic requirement.

Find out more about Metro LEED® Projects.

Find out more about Metro's Art and Transit program.

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