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BART Headquarters achieves LEED Gold certification

A photograph of BART Headquarters in Oakland.

BART recently achieved LEED Gold certification for its headquarters building (BHQ) located at 2150 Webster St. in downtown Oakland. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and is the world’s most widely used green building rating system and an internationally recognized symbol of achievement in sustainability.

BART moved into the 10-story building in 2021 following an extensive renovation that incorporated many green building best practices to maximize efficiency and help BART save millions of dollars over a 25-year period. BHQ is home to more than 900 employees and is the location of BART Board meetings.

“From the beginning, we knew that we wanted LEED certification,” said Monica Meagher, BART Sustainability Manager. “The biggest challenge is that we were trying to achieve this certification while staying under budget and on a tight schedule, which we were able to do.”

To achieve LEED certification, a building project must implement practical and measurable strategies and solutions in several areas, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

BHQ’s sustainability achievements and features include:

  • Water-efficient fixtures, fittings, and appliances that conserve potable water use
  • Building electricity sourced from a 100% greenhouse gas-free supplier
  • High-efficiency LED light fixtures that reduce electricity use, and occupancy and daylighting control systems that minimize when lights are powered on
  • An advanced HVAC system that allows for varying degrees of cooling (instead of being on or off) and simultaneously heats and cools different spaces, allowing it to recover energy in different zones and conserve pump energy
  • Specially designed window film on the ground floor that helps block heat from the sun and lessen the building’s cooling needs
  • Proximity to multiple transit options, which encourages employees to use transit instead of driving a motor vehicle to work
  • Outdoor and indoor parking for bikes and scooters
  • Dedicated areas for the collection and storage of recyclable and compostable materials, and separate and safe collection, storage, and disposal of batteries and electronic waste

“BART strives to minimize the environmental impacts of our construction projects and the operation of our facilities,” said Meagher. “Getting this certification shows we’re serious about sustainability.”

As part of the LEED certification process, BART will continue monitoring the performance of the building in the coming years.