2600 Capitol Ave.

By Bob Shallit
Sacramento Bee

A Sacramento development company is celebrating a rare honor: Gold LEED designation for its midtown office complex. The certification – earned for green buildings with high levels of energy savings and water conservation – was awarded this week for the 55,000-square-foot project at 2600 Capitol Ave. Gold is the second-highest of four designations established by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council."To be honest, I didn't think we'd get the gold," says LoftWorks partner Mike Heller. "It's pretty tough to reach … but we just squeaked in."The airy, four-story glass building, finished late last year and now about half-occupied, was designed by the Sacramento-based Lionakis architecture firm.Getting the gold for a private-sector building is rare today, "but it will be the norm pretty soon," Heller says. "Those who don't embrace (green technology) will be behind the competitive eight-ball."