Rackspace’s headquarters earns LEED Gold
‘The Castle’, headquarters of Rackspace, a US-based hosting and cloud computing firm, has been certified LEED Gold by the US Green Building Council.
Converted from a vacant shopping mall into headquarters, ‘The Castle’ has reused a vacated structure, an approach known as urban infill, as part of a community redevelopment program that has benefited surrounding retail businesses, residential neighborhoods and schools.
In Phases I and II of the renovation, Rackspace has already built out over 230,000 square feet within the 1.2 million square feet mall, and will continue expanding across the structure with more green office space in Phase III.
The building renovation has been guided by sustainable practices in accordance with LEED principles across five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
The company installed showers to encourage employees to walk, run or bike to work. The bathrooms feature hand dryers to reduce paper waste, and low-flow toilets to conserve water. Recycling bins for paper, plastic and aluminum are placed throughout the facility, and the company provides reusable items, such as coffee mugs and cups, in the break areas. The external landscaping was designed to be drought resistant and the irrigation system uses only recycled water that is collected through a cistern located next to the main entrance.
