thyssenkrupp Elevator has announced it will pursue LEED v4 certification for its Innovation and Qualification Center (IQC) in Atlanta. The IQC, which will be Cobb County’s tallest building at 420 feet tall when completed in 2021, will include an elevator test tower and will be part of thyssenkrupp Elevator’s three-building North American headquarters near The Battery Atlanta.
Created by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a widely used green building rating system. thyssenkrupp Elevator has contributed to hundreds of buildings worldwide earning LEED distinctions of varying levels, and was recognized by BuildingGreen as a Top Product for 2018 due in part to its leadership in LEED v4, specifically.
“Being responsible corporate citizens goes well beyond how we approach our products, it’s embedded in everything we do as an organization,” says Steve Wedge, CFO and Interim CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator Americas. “thyssenkrupp takes tremendous pride in our company-wide sustainability efforts and pushing green buildings to be the most environmentally friendly they can be, and the IQC will serve as yet another example of that commitment.”
With 18 shafts, the elevator test tower will be used to trial new concepts and product pilots, including high-speed elevators and TWIN, its elevator system that features two cabins working independently in one shaft. The IQC will also eventually test MULTI, the rope-less and sideways-moving elevator system. In addition, the test tower will conduct tests to ensure compliance with safety requirements on standard elevators.
The thyssenkrupp Elevator North American headquarters will be home to more than 900 full-time employees across three facilities. In March 2019, employees started moving into the Business Headquarters (BHQ) in nearby Pennant Park, and a Corporate Headquarters (CHQ) will be built adjacent to the IQC with completion expected in 2021.
Although a full move-in is still a few years away, thyssenkrupp Elevator is already helping surrounding communities in the Atlanta area improve their energy efficiency and sustainability efforts.
Earlier this year, thyssenkrupp Elevator Sustainable Design Manager, Monica Miller Brown, spoke at Sustainable Smyrna, the City of Smyrna’s sustainability planning event. Miller Brown, considered one of the leading green building and sustainability experts in the world, discussed how thyssenkrupp Elevator is taking steps in transforming urban mobility and how that applies to surrounding communities. In addition, she discussed advanced solutions transforming the building sector in energy, resiliency and resource efficiency, including innovative ways to enhance the customer experience.
thyssenkrupp has distinguished itself in the world of elevator sustainability by retrofitting existing elevators to achieve net-zero energy. thyssenkrupp also has prioritized material transparency, publishing an Environmental Product Declaration, as well as meeting or exceeding industry standards, including Cradle to Cradle, the Living Building Challenge, and LEED.
thyssenkrupp also has Declare labels as well as Bronze and Platinum Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certificates. On top of that, thyssenkrupp Elevator discloses ingredients in its cabs and entrances down to 1,000 ppm per its Health Product Declaration, all manufactured in a LEED Gold certified facility in Middleton, Tenn.