Most companies are just now "going green". At The Hub, we are "Leading with Green"!

The Hub offers the only privately-held LEED Silver Rated Meeting and Event Facility in the U.S.

What is LEED, you ask?

Administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted standard for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work, are less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce environmental footprint. LEED promotes sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: Energy Efficiency, Materials Selection, Indoor Environmental Quality, Water Savings, and Sustainable Site Development.

The Hub embraces environmental responsibility as part of its sustainable business model. We have acted on this commitment, which is why we have achieved a LEED-CI Silver rating at its Cira Centre location. Here are some highlights from the rigorous requirements:

Energy and Atmosphere

• The Hub is 100% wind powered, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
• The Hub's design team worked extra hard to ensure heating, cooling, lighting, hot water, and air flow systems work together in a highly energy efficient & cost effective way.
• The Hub selected more than 80% EPA Energy Star-rated office and kitchen equipment, reducing its overall energy requirements.

Materials and Resources

• The Hub aggressively recycles. We encourage you to do the same!
• In 2008, The Hub discontinued the use of plastic water bottles in all of its facilities; all customers are now served purified, reverse osmosis water.
• The Hub intends to remain in this great spaces for at least ten years, eliminating the need for future renovation resources and waste.
• More than 15% of the new materials you see at The Hub aren't new. They were recycled.
• More than 20% of the materials you see at The Hub are of local origin (manufactured within 500 miles of the location).

Indoor Environmental Quality

• The Hub was built to circulate healthier air, improving the comfort and health of our clients.
• Many of today's building materials contain harmful chemicals we don't need inside our buildings and bodies. The Hub was built without those harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC's), making a healthier environment to enjoy.
• High-efficiency lighting at The Hub is flexible and has individual controls. The same goes for temperature control in conference rooms.
• Diffusion of natural daylight throughout the facility means we all feel healthier and happier.
• The Hub goes beyond LEED requirements by using organic cleaning products in most of the facility.

Water Efficiency

• The Hub uses water efficient plumbing fixtures that save almost 100,000 gallons of water per year over standard plumbing fixtures.

Sustainable Sites

• The Hub is constructed on a rehabilitated "brownfield" railyard, saving existing green spaces from development.
• The Cira Centre has a steep, sloped roof that is light in color to minimize urban "heat island" effects, reducing excess city heat during summer.
• The Hub is located conveniently near 30th Street Station to optimize our ability to use non-automobile, more carbon-neutral transportation modes.

Innovation and Design

• Occupants of large cities will use automobiles less if given multiple flexible transportation options.
• In Philadelphia, The Hub is one of the few places where six different non-automobile transportation modes to get around the city are found.
• The Hub actively encourages its staff and clients to avoid CO2-emitting cars, when possible, through its internal policies.

Friends and Partners

• The Hub is pleased to support the Philadelphia Zoo’s “Footprints” carbon offset projects. These projects help reduce global warming by planting trees that remove CO2 emissions already in the atmosphere. Because they are reforestation-based, they also provide valuable habitat for wildlife. We strongly encourage conference attendees to offset the carbon generated by their travel to and from The Hub as well as their own personal carbon footprints.
• Click here to see how you can offset YOUR carbon footprint!

To learn how YOUR company can become a leader in energy and environmental design, visit the USGBC website at: www.usgbc.org.