Cemex USA facility earns prestigious distinction

The Houston headquarters of Cemex USA. Photo courtesy of Cemex USA

The Houston headquarters of Cemex USA is the company’s first office globally to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Gold Certification, a designation for high-performance buildings that aims to reduce environmental impact during the planning, construction and occupancy stages.

Cemex USA executives, including President Ignacio Madridejos, hosted a celebration to recognize the accomplishment. Cemex USA was awarded a plaque from the USGBC to display the building’s new LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification.

“At Cemex, our operations work each day with sustainability in mind, and that is no different at our U.S. corporate headquarters,” Madridejos says. “We are focused on reducing our environmental impact and we are proud to work in a building that aligns with those values.”

Cemex USA collaborated with architects at Inventure Design of Houston to develop company offices on two floors of the six-story building in Memorial City. The design showcases the versatility of Cemex products while creating state-of-the-art workspaces, the company says.

A spiral staircase designed to look like a poured-in-place concrete product links Cemex USA offices on the second and third floors. The staircase utilizes a handrail made of rebar, and all hallways of the office feature exposed polished concrete floors.

The building has been home to Cemex USA’s corporate office since January 2017. Overall, it has more than 240,000 sq. ft. of space. The structure is comprised of 20 percent recycled materials and boasts several additional sustainable qualities to achieve LEED Gold Certification.

The building, owned and operated by MetroNational, accomplished a 52 percent power reduction. All electric equipment in the structure meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Certification, Cemex adds. Additionally, water consumption was reduced by one-third with the use of efficient fixtures.