EXTENSIVE AV COMPLEMENTS NAR'S "GREEN" HQ

Sound & Communications, August 2006
By Jim Stokes

The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) new “green” building on New Jersey Avenue in the heart of the nation’s capital provides a wide range of AV presentation and conferencing technologies in a corporate showcase setting.

Main AV spaces include an event room, which affords a grand view of the Capitol Dome, a boardroom, a VTC/multi-purpose room and a PC training room, which are aided by a help desk/IT server room.

NAR’s new digs serve as the DC operations center for the Chicago-based organization. Known officially as The Realtor Building, the structure provides a stunning environment. In fact, “environment” is the key word describing the building. It has the distinction of being the first newly built structure to meet “green” standards, which are high levels of environmental performance as set by the US Green Building Council. For its achievements in the field of sustainable environmental design, the building was awarded the Silver Certificate from the LEED (the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System.

Striking Structure

The striking, $46 million, Class “A,” glass-wrapped structure has set new architectural and environmental standards for Washington DC, and has created a dramatic presence with its breathtaking view of the US Capitol only three blocks away.

NAR presently occupies five floors of the 12-story building, using about 40,000 square feet. The balance of 93,000 square feet is rented or rentable. A rooftop facility is available for social gatherings. Quoting from NAR’s “The Realtor Building” publication, NAR president Tom Stevens observed, “It’s amazing how…our new building has become a landmark for beauty, uniqueness, greenness in Washington and has set a standard for all future construction in the city.”

The following Washington DC-area firms supplied services relating to the AV project. Our spokespersons for this article are Terry Richards, managing director, IT services of NAR’s DC office, and project manager Bill Apter, senior Avitecture systems consultant. Avitecture provided the integration of AV systems with information technology for architecture.

In addition, Avitecture’s AV team included designer Michael Crawford, CTS, and programmer Michael Faulkner, CTS. Sound & Communications also wishes to thank marketing coordinator Kirsten Bakken. Project architect was Laura Cabo, AIA, with Graham Gund Architects. Steve Boudreau, EET, was the consultant with Polysonics acoustical and communications consulting firm. Custom cabinetry was provided by Jefferson Millwork.

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