Artech has designed and is overseeing construction on the first Movie Theater in the country to be registered for LEED certification. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a nationally accepted benchmark for green building design under U.S. Green Building Council. The theater, being built in the heart of Chattanooga’s urban landscape, will be operated by Carmike Cinemas. It is expected to be LEED silver certified when completed. The 12-plex theater will feature two 400+ seat auditoriums, a VIP auditorium with large reclining seats, gourmet popcorn, as well as digital & 3D projection capabilities.

Some LEED features:

• The building uses a white roof that reflects solar heat, thereby saving on cooling bills in the summer.
• All construction waste is being sorted and, where possible, recycled with the goal being to reduce the amount of debris
going into local landfills by 50%-75% or more. Already in excess of 1.5 million pounds of debris (from this project’s
construction) that would have otherwise gone into a landfill has been reused or recycled.
• The building makes use of materials that have high-recycled content and come from this region, when possible.
• Rainwater from the roof will be collected and used to flush toilets. This, in combination with using high efficiency fixtures,
results in a 66% savings on water consumption or over 200,000 gallons per year.
• The building will use LED and fluorescent lights, where possible, to minimize energy consumption and will have motion sensors on
many lights that result in a 75% savings on energy consumption associated with lighting.
• The paints, carpet, wall coverings, adhesives & sealants being used in the building are all low VOC.
• The HVAC units are more efficient than typical and contain no CFCs.
• The building will use 35% less energy than typical, resulting in a savings of roughly $15,000 per year in electrical use.

Currently, ten percent of Artech’s registered architects and interior designers are LEED accredited. Other current "green" projects include Outdoor Chattanooga and Firehall #4 in East Chattanooga. Artech has provided services for a variety of businesses and governmental entities across the country and is licensed to practice in 40 states, cumulatively.