GBCI Certifies The Green Building, the first LEED Platinum building in Louisville, First Adaptive Re-
Use LEED project in Kentucky

Owners, Augusta and Gill Holland, and architecture firm, form, environment, research (FER) studio
LLP, announced today that The Green Building of Louisville, Kentucky has been LEED® Platinum
certified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The Green Building is the first LEED
Platinum project in the city of Louisville and the first LEED certified adaptive re-use project in the
state of Kentucky. LEED Platinum represents the highest tier of the four-level LEED certification
system.

Based on the idea that sensible architecture emerges between spatial and programmatic
relationships, (fer) studio designed the project to instill an experience of Place within the surrounding environment. Establishing a design order enabled the sustainable features of the project to fall into place and set up a natural codependency between design and sustainability.

As a result, the 115 year old former dry goods store transformed into The Green Building, a 10,175
ft2 mixed-use commercial building housing a gallery, event space, offices, tenant office spaces,
conference room, and a separate tenant restaurant space. Completed in the fall of 2008 and
located in the East Market district of Louisville, a federally classified distressed area at the time of
purchase and construction, The Green Building has become the catalyst to the reinvigoration of the
district, now the hip city center for arts and sustainability, coined NuLu, or ‘New Louisville.’

Highlights of The Green Building include:

* Innovative Re-Use Design: Understanding the history of the building and the context of the
neighborhood, (fer) studio inventoried the existing building components to determine its weak
points. Elements of the building were carved away to allow a new re-use form to emerge Triple
height volumes adjacent to single stories activate a sense of openness by being next to an adjacent
compressive (and more intimate) space. New construction defers to old at the historic front façade
of The Green Building and incrementally reveals a new formal arrangement as visitors filter through
the spaces towards the rear of the building. In the center, all components, both spatial and
technical, merge into the design core, which visually connects to every space in the building.

* Water-efficiency: No city water is used by The Green Building’s xeriscape landscaping. Storm
water is either absorbed by the green roof, collected in three large rain barrels, or directed into a rain
garden, where the toxins are removed by plant material before reentering the ground water system.
* Energy-efficiency: The Green Building saves 30,000 pounds of CO2 a month, more than enough
to offset the carbon footprint of all its employees’ vehicles. Thanks to 81 solar panels, a 1,100
gallon ice storage system, and twelve geothermal wells 225 feet underneath the building, The Green
Building’s total off-grid energy efficiency is up to 68% and it outperforms Kentucky energy codes by
up to 65%

* Re-used Materials: In addition to saving the original mortar shell of the structure, The Green
Building team re-used much of the material from the original building. For example, structural wood
from the original building was re-milled into finished flooring and furniture. Bricks from the original
building were carefully disassembled and re-used in other areas of the remodel.

* Recycled Materials: The Green Building includes a high percentage of recycled materials,
including 100% of the flooring, 70% of the windows, and 80% of the insulation, made from recycled
blue jeans. The team diverted 551 cubic yards (³cy²) of demo material from the landfill by donating
to local salvage yards, construction companies, a nearby farm, and Habitat Restore for Habitat.

The Green Building Team:
Project Architect: form, environment, research (FER) studio LLP, www.ferstudio.com
General Contractor: Peters Construction www.tcpeters.com
Owner: Augusta & Gill Holland, www.thegreenbuilding.net
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About (fer) studio:
Founded in early 2002, form, environment, research (FER) studio LLP, is an award winning
architecture, interiors, landscape, and master planning design firm based in Los Angeles, CA.
Noted for its evocative aesthetic and eco-conscious design culture, (FER) studio operates under the
direction of Principals, Christopher L. Mercier, AIA, and Douglas V. Pierson, AIA, LEED AP. For more
information, please visit www.ferstudio.com

About The Green Building:
The award-winning project, The Green Building in Louisville, KY opened in the Fall of 2008 in the
East Market District, the heart of NuLu, Louisville's arts district. Renovation of the 115 year old
masonry structure, a former dry goods store, was commenced by owners Augusta and Gill Holland
in spring 2007 when they decided to become the first commercial building in Louisville KY to go for
LEED Platinum certification. Intent upon rescuing the building from decades of misuse, the project
included resuscitating the structural masonry shell and infusing it with a modern core, including a 40
foot high lobby, expansive natural lighting, eco-friendly materials, and renewable energy systems, as
well as extensive solar power, geothermal wells, and recycled denim insulation. For more
information, please visit www.thegreenbuilding.net