Pittsburgh Opera Goes Green

When the Pittsburgh Opera moved its administrative and rehearsal space into a its permanent home in a 140-year-old former air brake factory in the Strip District in April 2008 Director Chris Hahn saw an opportunity. He says greening their facility was important both to funders and to his staff. Renovating the building gave the opera the chance to make environmentally friendly changes and apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The green renovations include low water flow plumbing, motion detectors that turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied, and a heating/cooling system that is zoned so areas could be shut down when they are not in use. The organization is also encouraging employees to go green by biking to work and participating in a wellness program.