835 W Hamilton Street - The Plaza at PPL Center, Allentown, PA

In 2004, this building was awarded LEED at the Gold level by the U.S. Green Building Council.

This building was awarded an Energy Star label in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 for its operating efficiency.

Building features unique architecture with 8 story glass atrium and 2 story winter garden.

The building was recognized as one of the 10 winners of the Urban Land Institute's Awards for Excellence at the ULI's award ceremony on Nov. 4, 2004 in New York City.

The Plaza at PPL Center is a showcase of environmentally friendly building features that save water and energy, minimize the building's impact on the environment and make it a pleasant and healthy place to work.

Environmental features of The Plaza at PPL Center,PPL 's building inculdue; Winter gardens - The two glassed-in "winter gardens " at the front of the building provide a buffer from direct southern exposure. These plant-filled areas help to reduce the energy consumption of the cooling system, and improve indoor air quality.
Daylight and views - The building is designed to maximize daylight and views. Outside walls of the office space are constructed of floor-to-ceiling high-performance glass. More than 90 percent of all space on the office fl oors has direct line-of-sight vision to an outside window, providing a "connection " between indoor space and outdoor environment. This also increases natural light, which reduces electricity usage.
Ice storage system - The system in the basement of the building makes ice at night when electricity demand is low, and uses the ice during the peak daytime periods to "pre-cool " the cooling air, saving energy.
"Green " power - The building's electricity supplier, PPL EnergyPlus,is a certified "Green-e " provider..Electricity used by the building is generated from renewable sources such as low-impact hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, solar or wind.
Ventilation - Adequate ventilation enhances indoor air quality, contributing to the health and well-being of the occupants.
Bicycle storage - There are bike lockers behind the building. Locker rooms are provided for employees who bike to work.
Energy-saving light controls - High-efficiency lighting reduces electricity usage by approximately 50 percent. As daylight increases, interior lights are lowered automatically to maintain a constant lighting level. Sensors in offices and conference rooms automatically turn off lights if rooms are unoccupied.
Local materials - About 20 percent (by cost)of the materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the building,reducing pollution and energy consumption from long-distance transportation.
Storage and collection of recyclable items - Tenants of the building recycle paper, cardboard, bottles, cans, magazines and newspapers.
Construction waste management - About 90 percent of the construction, demolition and land clearing debris was recycled.
Certified wood - At least 50 percent of the wood-based materials are from forests that are certified in accordance with Forest Stewardship Council guidelines.
Recycled content of building materials - Approximately 50 percent of the material (by cost) used in the building has high-recycled content. Some examples include structural steel, gypsum board, ceiling tile, carpeting, cork flooring, MDF wood products and pre-cast concrete.
Low-emitting materials - Paint, adhesives, sealants, carpet and wood composites were selected to reduce the quantity of odorous or potentially irritating indoor air contaminants.
Indoor chemical and pollutant source control - Rooms and areas of the building with potential contaminants are designed with separate exhaust and plumbing systems to minimize cross-contamination of regularly occupied areas.These rooms and areas include janitorial closets,rooms with copiers and work/storage areas in the basement or on the first floor.
Measurement and verification of energy and water consumption: Extensive modeling has been performed to predict energy and water savings. The building includes equipment to measure energy and water performance. There is an extensive verification plan to compare predicted savings to those actually achieved.