Completion of our new headquarters building later this year will enable us to leverage our green initiatives, as well as to consolidate all of our operations from three sites into a single location. The facility is designed to meet Gold-level standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. We believe the Assurity Center will be the first large office building in Lincoln and one of a small number of buildings in our state to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Our new home office will create the ideal balance of an energy-efficient structure with a highly functional, healthful and more productive work environment. We anticipate the many sustainable concepts incorporated into its design and construction will not only reduce our carbon footprint but will also provide significant payback through increased energy efficiency and lower operational and maintenance costs.

The following are among the building’s many sustainable design enhancements:

• Heating, air conditioning and electrical building systems are energy-efficient and sustainable.
• Lightshelves and exterior sunshading increase natural daylight in interior spaces.
• More than 80 percent of spaces will have daylight sufficient for working; 93 percent of spaces will have a view of the landscape.
• Insulated double-pane, high-performance windows and automated internal shades reduce heat gain.
• Superior indoor air quality is emphasized through use of low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paints, coatings, carpets, adhesives and sealants, as well as HEPA filters, humidity control and a carbon dioxide-monitoring system. Interior materials are selected according to their improved air quality performance using stringent standards.
• Water-conserving plumbing adds up to a 33 percent water use savings over a typical office building.
• Occupancy sensors and timed lighting reduce building energy needs.
• Displacement underfloor heating, ventilation and air conditioning reduce fan energy and improve air quality.
• Innovative ice bank storage system uses off-peak energy to provide air conditioning more efficiently and at lower cost.
• Computer-driven energy conservation controls are used on all equipment.

Exterior

• Green (living) roofs on portions of the building to cool the structure, lower energy costs and provide storm water benefits.
• Roof surfaces, limestone and glazing reduce the heat island effect.
• Capture of excess rain water through an underground cistern, bioswales and a rain garden to irrigate the site’s indigenous, sustainable landscaping. Reuse of large quantities of storm water runoff reduces heat island effects as well as impacts to downstream receiving waters.
• Three existing storm water structures have been repurposed as cisterns to capture, store and recirculate rainwater for irrigation.
• Pervious site pavement allows storm water to seep into the ground, reducing runoff.
• Drought-tolerant native and naturalized plant species minimize the need for irrigation while creating habitat within the city.

Other sustainable features

• All site work is done in a responsible, sustainable way.
• A minimum of 75 percent of the project’s construction waste is being diverted away from the landfill.
• The design emphasizes use of recycled content and regionally available materials.
• The project site is purposefully located in an urban area redevelopment district.

Based on its extensive environmentally friendly elements, the Assurity Center was selected in 2010 by the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) as one of the first landscapes involved in an international rating-testing program for green landscape design, construction and maintenance.