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Frito-Lay's Corporate Headquarters receives LEED Gold Certification
The U.S. Green Building Council has given PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North American headquarters building LEED Gold Certification, as verified by the Green Building Certification Institute.
The Plano, Texas-based structure is the first and only LEED-certified existing building in the state and one of 12 headquarters nationwide to receive this recognition.
Frito-Lay integrated several green design and construction features to the building as part of its sustainability strategy, which also included water reduction efforts and improved waste management practices.
To achieve the certification for the 25 year-old building, the company implemented a solar thermal water heating system, high efficiency chillers for refrigeration, lighting control systems, a sustainable organic landscaping and maintenance program as well as environmental education and training opportunities for its employees.
Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, said Frito-Lay's certification brings the country "one step closer to [the council's] vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation."
As more large companies strive to achieve LEED-certification, the demand for architects who have graduated from associates, bachelors or masters programs in sustainable management or green architecture and building will increase. For example, opportunities for landscape architects, whose median earnings were $55,140 in May 2006, are expected to grow by 16 percent over the next seven years. 
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