Rockville, MD (June 2, 2004)—The Tower Companies of North Bethesda has been selected as the first recipient of the City of Rockville’s Environmental Excellence Award for Corporate Leadership for its environmentally-friendly design and construction of the Tower Building in Rockville. The real estate development firm was among those honored by Rockville’s Mayor and Council under the Environmental Excellence Award program, which recognizes individuals, business and organizations for project achievement in green building technology and design.

“Rockville is growing rapidly, and in many directions,” said Rockville Mayor Larry Giammo. “We are concerned about growing the right way, which is why we are so pleased with the Tower Building in Tower Oaks. The owners have gone to considerable effort to construct an environmentally-friendly building, right down to the type of interior paint they selected. We need more developers of buildings in Rockville to have this type of commitment,” Giammo said.

Located on Interstate 270, the 10-story Tower Building was designed based upon the company’s mission to create buildings that are sustainable, healthy and lasting. Earth-friendly and energy efficient materials and design elements were incorporated into the 276,000 square foot building, including recycled and recyclable materials.

Other green features include “smart” fans, pump and motors, which respond to building loads thereby reducing energy consumption, and an innovative air filtration system that provides triple-filtered outside air every 55 minutes. Special glass was also installed to provide ample daylight, which helps keep the building warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

“The Tower Companies continues to play an integral role in the development of environmentally sound buildings and we are proud to have them as a member of our business community,” said Sally Sternbach, Executive Director for Rockville Economic Development. “The Tower Building exemplifies how the use of green building principles in design and construction is not only good for the environment, but also good for business,” she said.

The Tower Companies has earned numerous awards for its role in green building development. In 2002, the company’s Tower Building was honored as the “Green Office Building of the Year” by the Apartment and Office Building Association. The company was also recognized for its Blair Towns complex in Silver Spring, Maryland, which earned the distinction as the first-ever multi-family apartment community in the United States to be LEED® certified “green” by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Tower Companies has developed more than 3.5 million square feet of office space, 3,500 apartment units, neighborhood shopping centers, regional malls, residential communities and office parks. For information on The Tower Companies, visit www.towercompanies.com. For further information on the Tower Building, visit www.towerbuilding.com. Information on the U.S. Green Building Council and the LEED Certification program can be found at www.usgbc.org.