NAR Building Given High Environmental Award by Green Building Council.

WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Realtors(R)' new Washington headquarters building has been awarded a Silver certification for achieving a high level of environmental performance as part of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

The striking, glass-wrapped, award-winning structure at 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW, is the first newly constructed building in the District of Columbia to be honored for meeting "green" standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The award was presented to NAR at its Board of Directors meeting Saturday that closed out NAR's six-day Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo here. A record-breaking number of 9,800 Realtors(R) and guests attended this year's meeting.

NAR President Al Mansell accepted the award for the association, saying the landmark structure just two blocks from the U.S. Capitol is a bold political, architectural and environmental statement by NAR. "And it's not just a new house for our association of 1 million members, but also it's a new home that's the best in Washington."

The presentation on behalf of USGBC was made by Realtor(R) Karen Leigh Cook of Albuquerque, N.M., and president of EECOM Inc. Cook is one of handful of LEED accredited real estate brokers in the country.

The NAR building is the 251st building in the nation to receive LEED certification and the 63rd to be awarded Silver, the midlevel of five honors. Nationwide, the USGBC has awarded 8 platinum certifications, 57 gold, 63 silver, 3 bronze and 105 certified.

In the past year the building has won several awards, including two by the Washington Business Journals for architecture and financing.

Construction was begun on the impressive Class-A, 12-story building in the fall of 2002 and opened for business last October. The building is sited on a triangular piece of land on Capitol Hill and atop a reclaimed "brownfield" contaminated site that for many decades supported a gasoline station. The location was reclaimed by NAR, which removed 24 feet of contaminated dirt to an approved waste site. Cost of the building was $46 million.

Among the environmentally advanced features include outside views from all work stations, a lighting system that balances inside light with sunlight, and a carbon monoxide cleaning system.

NAR occupies five floors, including the top four that show breath-taking views of the U.S. Capitol. Another 93,000 square feet are available to tenants.

View building photos and learn more about NAR's environmentally conscious new headquarters in the "Field Guide to NAR's Washington, D.C., Building."

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.