Restored Jacksonville Landmark Earns LEED Silver

By Anca Gagiuc

Cowford Chophouse

Evermore venues are turning green. Cowford Chophouse, Jacksonville, Fla.’s premier steakhouse and historical landmark, joined the ranks with a LEED Silver certification issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Cowford building dates back to 1902, becoming one of the city’s earliest symbols of rebirth after a fire had swept through the city one year prior. The property served as multiple bank and professional offices, including the office of architect Henry John Kluth. In 2014, Jacques Klemps acquired the asset and began the restoration process, with local construction company Danis and Design Cooperative leading efforts.

Repurpose, recycle

Cowford Chophouse

To reach the Silver award, the property achieved 51 points. Among the sustainable strategies used to receive this level of green certification are the use of recycled materials, diverting 75 percent of demolition debris from landfills and incineration facilities, and installing water- and energy-efficient building systems and equipment.

Repurposed materials used in the construction of Cowford include the entire building structure, such as structural floor and roof decking, exterior brick, exterior limestone lintel blocks and original windows and trim. In addition, original heart pine and interior marble from the building was recycled and integrated throughout the restaurant. These resulted in water use reduction of 25 percent, exceeding the 20 percent baseline requirement.

Images courtesy of Cowford Chophouse