KZF Design Inc. announces its new headquarters has received LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The building, located at 700 Broadway Street in Downtown Cincinnati is a state-of-the-art renovation of an historic structure, and one of fewer than 10 LEED Gold certified projects in Cincinnati (as listed on the GBCI web site certified project list).   The classic 1915, three-story reinforced concrete structure was originally the home of the US Shoe Machinery Company. The entire 36,000 SF has been renovated and adapted into cutting-edge Design studios. Bathed in natural light from an abundance of low-E glazed windows and sawtooth skylights, the voluminous space houses employees in a contemporary, open-office concept. While the original structure of the building remains, the mechanical and electrical systems as well as the thermal envelope of the building are state-of-the-art and incorporate many sustainable design principles and techniques.   "Green" features of the building include a "cool roof," designed to reflect and emit the sun's heat back to the sky rather than transfer it to the building it shelters. A dormant skylight atop the three-story structure was renovated with the addition of energy-efficient glazing, increasing the available natural daylight to studio spaces. Use of local materials in construction reduced energy use and air pollution from transportation vehicles and the facility uses 100% "green" power.   Sustainable features of the building's interior workplace design include the use of Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), low-emitting and recycled materials as well as lighting sensor systems which turn off lights in unoccupied spaces.   Quoting President/CEO Bill Wilson, "KZF is proud to have our corporate office included in the elite and growing list of sustainable buildings in Cincinnati. With our LEED Gold Certified headquarters we can now show our clients, in a very real sense, how sustainable design can benefit them as well. With LEED Accredited Professionals in every design discipline that KZF offers, this building is a showcase of KZF's commitment to, and talent in, sustainable design." Mr. Wilson added, "I know the entire staff at KZF is thrilled to be back downtown, where we began more than 54 years ago. Downtown Cincinnati is an energizing place to be, and KZF is proud to be, once again, part of the downtown community."   KZF Design is one of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's premier Architectural, Engineering, Interior Design and Planning firms with over 80 staff in Cincinnati and Orlando. Significant projects of recent note include services provided to the following projects and clients: Great American Insurance Group, University of Cincinnati, Taft Law Firm, Northern Kentucky University, the Contemporary Arts Center and Cincinnati Art Museum, United States Army, Air Force and Navy, US Department of Justice, Zumbiel Packaging, Greater Cincinnati MSD, the City of Cincinnati and Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties. Visit us at KZF.COM. For more information contact Tim Sharp at 513.621.6211 or tim.sharp@kzf.com.