The Department of Ecology Headquarters building was a State-led Design/Build competition to provide space to consolidate and co-locate the Department and related environmentally focused agencies. The new building was backed up to an existing forested area thereby preserving much of the surrounding meadow and woods that made up the site. The project team delivered a cost effective ($120 per square foot in 1991) office building that included numerous services to reduce the need to go off site. Because the building was designed to house the Department of Ecology, the project team's intent was to deliver a highly sustainable building for its time. We explored a number of systems including a grey water irrigation system that was ahead of its time. We integrated an efficient HVAC system and utilized numerous sustainable and indigenous materials. The US Green Building Council's LEED certification process has become a Washington State standard for determining environmentally responsible achievements. This building was completed almost ten years before the USGBC introduced their rating system. 20 years later, this building retroactively received LEED Silver certification for its innovative approach to sustainability. Enduring features are important to our measure of success and creating value beyond our client’s initial expectations.