ST. LOUIS, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The global
headquarters campus of Novus International, Inc. is one of the
first pilot projects to be certified by the Sustainable Sites
Initiative(TM) (SITES(TM)) for its sustainable site design,
construction and maintenance. The Novus campus, lead by landscape
architects SWT Design, was awarded a 3-star rating by SITES, making
it the highest rated landscape project in the world.
"This level of certification represents the company's commitment to
minimizing our impact on the environments in which we operate,"
said Novus President and CEO, Thad Simons. "Our successful
application of land and development practices proves that companies
can achieve a healthy sustainable work environment while reducing
operating costs."
SITES is an interdisciplinary effort led by the American Society of
Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at
The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic
Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and benchmarks for
sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices.
Certification for the pilot rating system is based on The
Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Benchmarks 2009.
In May 2010, Novus's campus was one of more than 150 national and
international projects to be chosen by the SITES partners to test
out the 4-star rating system and guidelines.
Novus is a global leader in animal health and nutrition with a
strong emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility and
Sustainability. Sustainability at Novus is founded on the triple
bottom line: social, economic, and environmental factors. The
company's global headquarters, located at the Missouri Research
Park in St. Charles, Missouri, is a 9-acre site that has been
developed to a new standard for sustainable site design.
"We are pleased to be among those taking a lead in applying the
SITES rating system to enhance the environmental, social and
economic aspects of our projects," said Hunter Beckham, Principal
at SWT Design, who was the project manager for the pilot project
effort. Ted Spaid, Co-Founding Principal at SWT Design was the
design lead. "This 3-star certification is evidence of our
commitment to the environment, to our communities and to both Novus
and SWT Design's passion for sustainability."
Among the specific sustainable design benchmarks met by the Novus
Campus are:
-- Improved human health and well being for site users
-- Improved hydrology both on and off site
-- Habitat improvements to various locations throughout the project
site
Among those on the project team:
-- Client: Novus International, Inc.
-- SWT Design
-- Landesign LLC
-- University of Missouri
-- Cowell Engineering
-- Stock & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc.
-- Show Me Rain Gardens
-- St. Louis Zoo
-- National Wildlife Federation
-- Missouri Botanical Garden
-- Whitmire Wildflower Garden
-- Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis
-- Missouri Prairie Foundation
-- Great Rivers Greenway
-- Eastern Missouri Bee Keepers Association
Since 2005, the SITES partners, in conjunction with a diverse group
of stakeholder organizations, have worked to transform land
development and management practices with this first national
rating system for sustainable landscapes. The guidelines apply to
any type of designed landscape, with or without buildings,
including shopping malls, streetscapes, subdivisions, corporate and
academic campuses, transportation corridors, parks and recreation
areas, and single family homes.
The U.S. Green Building Council, a stakeholder in the Sustainable
Sites Initiative, anticipates incorporating the SITES guidelines
and performance benchmarks into future iterations of its LEED Green
Building Rating System(TM). While LEED minimizes the carbon
footprint, SITES demonstrates how a landscape can actually
sequester carbon and regenerate living systems. Working together,
these initiatives will further revolutionize sustainable
design.
The SITES Rating System includes 15 prerequisites and 51 different
credits, measuring performance in areas such as the initial site
selection, water, soil, vegetation, materials, human health and
well being, construction and maintenance – adding up to a 250 point
scale. The rating system recognizes levels of achievement by
obtaining 40, 50, 60 or 80 percent of available points with one
through four stars, respectively.
(R)NOVUS, ALIMET, MHA, ACTIVATE, ACIDOMIX, MINTREX, SANTOQUIN,
AGRADO, are trademarks of Novus International, Inc. and is
registered in the United States and other countries. (R)ADVENT is a
trademark of Viridus Animal Health, LLC, and is registered in the
United States and other countries.(R) ARENUS is a registered
trademark of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC. (R) STRATUM NUTRITION is
a trademark of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, and is registered in
the United States and other countries. (TM)MERA, and SOLUTIONS
SERVICE SUSTAINABILITY are trademarks of Novus International, Inc.
(C) 2012 Novus International, Inc. All rights reserved |
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Contact:
Lisa Jayne 314.576.8886 or
[email protected]
Leah Almeling 800.520.1834 x3 or
[email protected]
Please send media queries regarding SITES to
[email protected]( mailto:[email protected]
)
SOURCE﹛Novus International, Inc.