George Mason University Home to Virginia's First LEED Gold Hotel

FAIRFAX, Va. — Concord Eastridge Inc. has announced that The Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel has been awarded LEED Gold established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. This is the first LEED Gold certified hotel in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the first LEED Gold Certified building on the George Mason University Campus.

“As Mason works to achieve ambitious sustainability goals, a LEED Gold-certified conference center and hotel makes a strong statement about how serious we are in these efforts,” said Christine LaPaille, vice president for University Relations. “We believe there is significant appeal among businesses and organizations with similar sustainability commitments to bring their meetings and conferences to a green building like the Mason Inn.”

The Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as by incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

“Buildings are a prime example of how human systems integrate with natural systems,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “The Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel project efficiently uses our natural resources and makes an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will tremendously benefit future generations to come.”

LEED Gold certification of The Mason Inn was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the Northern Virginia community. These features include :

* An improved thermal envelope, high-efficiency glazing and high-efficiency water source heat pumps resulting in an energy cost savings of 15.4 percent.
* Eighty-seven and a half percent of the on-site construction waste diverted from land fills to recycling agencies and 32.5 percent of the total building materials content by value were manufactured using recycled materials.
* Several green housekeeping best practices such as effective and sustainable cleaning materials, a comprehensive recycling program and ongoing staff training.

Concord Eastridge, a national real estate development firm, partnered with Balfour Beatty Construction, Gensler Architecture and ARAMARK Higher Education to develop the project through an award under the Virginia Public Private Education Act (PPEA). The Mason Inn is a 179,000-square-foot conference center and hotel on the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University. The $50 million facility, which opened in July of 2010, includes 148 guest rooms and a full-service restaurant; Boxwoods; and lounge, The Well. It also features 20,000 square feet of technologically advanced conference space and 12 meeting rooms that also meet the stringent standards of the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC).