The Source Hotel Earns LEED Silver

DENVER, Colorado – The Source Hotel has been awarded LEED Silver certification for its environmental performance and sustainable design. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the foremost program for buildings, homes, and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained, and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

The 92,000 square foot building, which is owned by Zeppelin Development, was built with sustainability in mind, and the team behind the project was adamant the building meet LEED standards from its inception. Zeppelin Development has worked to ensure LEED involvement on a host of other recent projects including earning LEED certification for Drive and Drive 2, along with a LEED Gold rating for Zeppelin Station and LEED Platinum certification for Flight.

“It is very important for us to recognize our stewardship responsibilities as developers to protect the environment and to enhance the character of the community without taxing the local ecology and its natural resources,” says Kyle Zeppelin, president of Zeppelin Development.

Leveraging Transit

The hotel’s location on Brighton Boulevard was selected because of its proximity to the 38th and Blake A-Line train station, along with the added public transit benefits of emerging bike lanes, native landscaping, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure provided by the City of Denver. Additional infrastructure was created at the hotel to promote alternative transportation methods and reduce the carbon footprint of employees and visitors through plentiful bike racks, changing facilities, and preferred parking for fuel efficient vehicles and carpools.  

100% Green Power

The hotel is purchasing 100 percent renewable energy for its power needs. This encourages the development and use of grid-source renewable energy technologies, while reducing The Source Hotel’s carbon footprint.  

Efficient Water and Energy Use

By installing water efficient flow and flush fixtures, The Source Hotel has reduced 37 percent of its total indoor potable water usage. This is equivalent to an estimated 626,000 gallons of water annually. To increase water savings, irrigation systems were designed to conserve water, in addition to planting native and adaptive plants on site that require less water. This measure is expected to save another 4,300 gallons of water each year. The hotel is also using occupancy sensors and LED lighting to reduce energy usage.

Building Smart

The Source Hotel diverted 50 percent of its construction waste from the landfill by donating and recycling relevant materials. Owners also paid special attention to building materials themselves, purchasing nine percent recycled content and 26 percent regional content (manufactured and extracted within a 500-mile radius). By selecting products with recycled and regional content, the hotel reduced impacts from the extraction, transport, and processing of virgin materials.