Gables Waterway | Going Green

Gables Waterway is proud to be the first new construction project in Coral Gables to seek “green” certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Among many criteria, LEED certification includes water savings, energy efficiency and other environmental quality benchmarks.

This type of construction not only helps the environment, but also buyers and tenants who will benefit from reduced operating costs. To date, only 10 buildings in the state of Florida are LEED certified, none of those in South Florida.

Highlights of the LEED certification elements Gables Waterway are that, compared to standard construction, the development will use less total water and make use of recycled and rain water, use less energy and emit less materials into the atmosphere.

General Design Features

Ample bicycle storage will be provided on site to encourage the use of alternative transportation.
At least 10 percent of building materials will be recycled content materials.
Rapidly renewable products will be used including bamboo, linoleum, cotton insulation and agrifiber.
Gables Waterway will incorporate into the roof design materials and colors that are not only aesthetically appealing, but also reduce the amount of heat absorbed into the buildings.
The pedestrian-friendly design facilitates access to local amenities including banking, a supermarket, post office, restaurants, schools, gas stations and other commercial venues.

Interior Design

Only products certified under the Green Label Plus program will be used for carpet systems.
High-efficiency lighting will be incorporated throughout the project.
Interior lighting will be automatically controlled in all commercial buildings, switching to low settings or off during non-business hours.
In addition, daylight and views are maximized by north/west and south/west building orientations, an increased building perimeter, exterior shading devices and high performance glazing for commercial buildings of Gables Waterway.

Water Conservation

Stormwater will be captured and treated through natural filtration, with excess rainwater being captured in cisterns.
Native and adaptive plants will be used in landscaping to reduce irrigation requirements.
Recycled water or captured rainwater from cisterns will irrigate plant landscaping.
Recycled rainwater will be used for the pool and fountains.
High-efficiency plumbing fixtures, including toilets, showerheads and faucets, will be used throughout the project.
In addition, non water-using urinals and occupant sensors will be used in commercial components of the project to further reduce water usage by as much as 20 percent.

Energy & Atmosphere

Gables Waterway will comply with national standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers for energy efficiency.
HVAC equipment will not use Chlorofluorocarbon Refrigerants which deplete the ozone.
A measurement and verification plan will be implemented to evaluate the buildings and energy systems performance.
Metering equipment will be installed to measure energy use and ensure ongoing compliance.