Fenton, MO – As a provider of equipment and fixtures for the food-service industry, Vivian Company has witnessed firsthand a changing landscape in construction and project management. Whether it’s in restaurants, bars, grocery stores, convenience stores or movie theaters, there has been a strong focus on environmentally friendly construction over the last 10 years.

One such project was the recently opened 12-screen ArcLight cinema complex in Santa Monica, California. In addition to stadium seating and the latest sound technology, the the modern theater features a full bar, café and concessions. While creating a positive movie-going experience was one component of the project, doing so while minimizing the environmental footprint was another—one that managers never lost sight of as the theater was constructed.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification was a priority for this project from the start. LEED is a green building certification program managed by the U.S. Green Building Council. It promotes environmental responsibility by using a rating system to accrue points toward various aspects of design, construction, operation and maintenance.

At ArcLight Cinemas, achieving LEED certification involved just about every component of the construction, including the assembly of the concession, café and bar areas, all of which Missouri-based Vivian Company managed. It also provided some of the retail display fixtures in the theater complex.

“Our casework was produced to meet potential LEED criteria by using materials with no added urea-formaldehyde resins,” says Vivian Company Customer Service Representative Tricia Preis.

Vivian Company also provided Energy Star-rated appliances and aerators on all faucets to lower the GPM flow (gallons per minute) of water.

“We’re confident this played a big role in ArcLight’s perfect rating in water-use reduction, one of the factors in LEED certification,” says Preis.

Santa Monica’s ArcLight complex is not the only theater project the company has been a part of. At AMC Randhurst 12, a complex located just north of Chicago, Vivian Company provided casework which met some of the recycled content, low VOC (volatile organic compound) and no added urea-formaldehyde criteria.

While LEED is the most common green certification, other green initiatives have become popular across various industries and community projects. One of these is CALGreen, a building code in California with a focus on water conservation and healthy residential and commercial environments.

“I believe every state should enforce some level of ‘green’ building code,” Preis stated.

“It not only supports environmental responsibility, but also the wellbeing of a building’s occupants. These types of green initiatives will continue to be at the core of the projects we seek out. We’re thrilled to be able to contribute to such exciting projects while meeting the latest environmental standards.”