News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Balzer Theater at Herren’s Receives LEED Silver Certification
ATLANTA, GA. (June 1, 2006) — The Balzer Theater at Herren’s in downtown Atlanta has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The new facility, the first free-standing theater in the southeast to receive LEED Certification, also received an Urban Land Institute (ULI) Development of Excellence Award.
The process was led by H. J. Enck, principal of Commissioning & Green Building Solutions, Inc. (CxGBS), an Atlanta green building consulting firm that helps clients build environmental friendly, top performing buildings. CxGBS provided LEED consulting, Design + Construction Phase Commissioning and energy modeling for the project.
The Balzer Theater at Herren’s is a $5 million renovation of the old Herren’s Restaurant, located in downtown Atlanta’s Fairlie-Poplar district since 1934. The building is now the home of Theatrical Outfit, an Atlanta theatrical group that reviewed more than 20 potential sites prior to purchasing the historic property. The theater wanted a green building with clean, quiet air and acoustics, as well as a comfortable environment for its audience.
“The building is a model of environmentally sound construction with healthy indoor air and minimal impact on the environment,” said Enck. “Rainwater collected on the roof is used in place of fresh water for the theater’s toilet and sewage systems, reducing the water bill up to 70 percent. Recycled contents constituent approximately 33 percent of the total material cost in the building, and all adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpets emit low or no volatile organic compounds.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s (LEED) Rating System is a voluntary national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED was created to define a common standard of measurement for green buildings and to provide guidelines for minimizing their environmental impact.
The project’s architect was Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein Architects Inc., and the contractor was Gay Construction.
About Theatrical Outfit
Theatrical Outfit, Atlanta’s third oldest professional theater company, was established in 1976 by a company of actors in a converted Laundromat in the Virginia Highland district. In December 2004, after a $5 million capital campaign, the theater moved into its own home, The Balzer Theater at Herren’s. Named for the lead donors, Bill and Peg Balzer and the historic building that it occupies, Theatrical Outfit’s new home is an intimate, state-of-the art, environmentally friendly 200-seat theater.
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