 The Greater Waco Chamber has received a LEED certification at the gold level for its headquarters and regional marketing center at 101 S. Third St. at Heritage Square.This is the first green Chamber building in America.
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Certifications for Sustainability:
 The Knoll Reff Office System furniture in offices and work stations, including Knoll Life Chair, is Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute.
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 The wood, particle board, MD and veneer of the Knoll Life Chair meet the Sustainable Gold SMaRT© Consensus Sustainable Product Standard as established by the Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability.
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 The Knoll Reff Office System furniture in offices and work stations along with 100 percent of all wood in building is Forest Stewardship Council Certified Wood.
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 All carpet in the building contains very low emissionsof volatile organic compounds, as certified by Green Label Plus, an independent testing program of the Carpet and Rug Institute.
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The two-story, 13,916-square-foot facility is the marketing center for Greater Waco where the Chamber showcases our region
to prospective businesses, investors and consultants considering a Central Texas location.
The building, made possible by the Challenge Greater Waco Campaign, is owned by the Waco Chamber of Commerce Community Development Foundation.
The building has been designed to accommodate the scores of committees and task forces that advance the organization’s comprehensive economic, community and organization development agenda.
The location at Heritage Square was selected to help kick-start the redevelopment of the two blocks straddling Austin Avenue across from City Hall where SWB Heritage Square Partners will construct a multiuse project to include residential, retail and office space.
The Chamber building’s Third Street facade has large, retail-style windows, contributing to an interesting, urban feel of the development. Other buildings in the block will front on Third, Franklin, Fourth and Austin. The east façade opens into Heritage Square.
The Chamber's sustainable site was made possible by the City of Waco.
A GREEN BUILDING
The Chamber is the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified building in Central Texas.
LEED emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Developing a LEED building also can contribute to changing perceptions about Waco which is one of the goals in our strategic economic development plan
The Chamber’s architect, Waco-based RBDR Architects designed one of only 15 LEED-certified buildings in the state, the Hampton Illinois Branch Library in Dallas.
Keith Bailey, principal of the firm, said natural lighting, recycling and energy and water conservation are just some examples of how the Chamber facility will meet the stringent requirements to earn the LEED designation.
INSIDE THE BUILDING
The building is a significant gathering place for business and community leaders. The two largest of the building’s five conference rooms open the park at Heritage Square.
The interior is designed to be as impressive as the exterior of the building. The gallery is an open space where renderings and models of future development will showcase the changing look of the community.
A sweeping staircase connects the first and second floors, and a skylight brings light into the interior of the building.
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