KPMG Building Receives LEED Gold Certification

(SAN FRANCISCO) – The San Francisco office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that the KPMG Building at 55 Second Street has received LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council under the Existing Buildings (EB) Rating System.

The KPMG Building is a 25-story, 379,328-square-foot office building located in the Mission Street Corridor of San Francisco’s South Financial District. Designed by Heller Manus, the building was completed in 2002 and was acquired by the Hines US Core Office Fund in 2004.

The KPMG Building has earned the ENERGY STAR® label every year since 2006 and has a rating of 97 (as of December, 2009).

As a result, the building performs 57 percent better than the national average building, which translates to estimated greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing approximately 340 passenger vehicles from the road.

Green building features and programs include: more than 75 percent monthly landfill diversion through recycling, composting and e-waste disposal; a high-performance green cleaning program; reduced heat island effect and nighttime light pollution; a 25 percent reduction in indoor potable water use; comprehensive commissioning; the installation of low-mercury lamps; the installation of MERV-13 air filters to provide the cleanest indoor air; and alternative transportation options for commuters, among other things.

Hines Senior Property Manager Mark Buckingham said, “Achieving LEED Gold certification is a signal that our tenants are actively engaged in sustainability issues, and that they care about their indoor working environment and utility bills.

We could not have gone through this process as efficiently as we did without their help.”

KPMG’s San Francisco Managing Partner Debbie Messemer said, “KPMG offices across the country are committed to supporting the firm's national Living Green program to help promote eco-friendly business practices.”

 “Paul Hastings is proud to do its part in achieving LEED Gold certification for the building” said Zachary Walton, a partner at Paul Hastings, a global law firm and tenant in the KPMG Building.

“Paul Hastings is known in the legal sector for its commitment to building healthier communities, to reducing its carbon footprint, and for supporting sustainable practices and climate protection,” added Walton, who is co-chair of Paul Hastings’ Climate Change and Sustainability Practice.

The KPMG Building is 100 percent leased to tenants, including: KPMG; K&L Gates LLP; Paul Hastings; and UPS Supply Chain Solutions, among others.

Globally Hines is responsible for 145 projects, representing more than 89 million square feet that have been certified, pre-certified or registered under the various LEED rating systems. Hines was a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council, and is active in the BRE Environmental Assessment Method program in the United Kingdom and the Haute Qualité Environnementale program in France.

In 2009 Hines was recognized by the EPA, for the second time, with the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award; Hines has 138 buildings, representing approximately 77 million square feet that have earned the ENERGY STAR label. Twelve Hines development or redevelopment projects, representing more than six million square feet, have been designated as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.

Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm’s historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,111 properties representing more than 449 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. Hines has offices in more than 100 cities in 17 countries and controls assets valued at approximately $22.9 billion. Visit www.hines.com for more information. To learn more about sustainability at Hines, visit www.hines.com/sustainability.