By Jim Hammerand

Banfield Pet Hospital says its new corporate headquarters in Vancouver, Washington, has won LEED Platinum certification for green features.

The 206,000-square-foot headquarters opened in June on 17.5 acres in Vancouver’s Columbia Tech Center. The office has about 800 employees and more than 220 dogs that come to work.

Banfield Pet Hospital says green features cut energy use by 44 percent. The property has a geothermal energy exchange to heat and cool the office, solar-water heating to cut energy costs and LED lighting that minimizes power draw.

The building features regionally sourced wood, steel and concrete construction materials. General contractor Skanska recycled 750 tons of the project’s construction waste, or 75 percent.

The property collects more than 420,000 gallons of rainwater per year for toilet flushing and cut irrigation water usage by 60 percent through climate-conscious plant selection.

The company also donates excess food to Share Vancouver, a nonprofit that provides meals and shelter to homeless and low-income people.

The headquarters was developed by Pacific Realty Associates and designed by architecture firms Gensler (interior), TVA Architects (exterior) and Place (landscape). Interface Engineering served as sustainability experts and mechanical/engineering/plumbing engineers, while Green Building Services served as LEED consultants.